IN FOCUS - NZ ENDURO CHAMP KYLIE DORR
Double New Zealand Enduro Champ Kylie Door is heading to Spain for the 2024 ISDE. We caught up with Kylie to hear about her come-back story, how much being chosen for the NZ team means to her, and how she is prepping for the big event.
Name: Kylie Dorr
Location: Tapanui, West Otago
Bike: Beta 200RR Racing model (2023)
Firstly, Congratulations on getting selected for the ISDE NZ Women's Team! How excited are you and what are you expecting the event to be like?
Thank you! I’m really excited and nervous at the same time to be joining my teammates Taylar Rampton and Rachael Archer in the inaugural women’s trophy team. It’s an honour to be making NZ racing history as an enduro woman. We expect it to be a heck of a lot hotter than West Otago, which is currently 2 degrees. A nice low-to-mid 20s with a mixture of terrain, hopefully fairly similar to NZ. We will be in Silleda, Spain and the event runs from the 14-19 October. We arrive on the 4th to prep and test our bikes, pre-stretch tires, etc. We have 5 days to walk the 100kms of special tests and then get used to the heat and time change for the rest of the time.
What kind of training are you currently doing in preparation for the event?
As much as I can fit in between being a sole parent and business owner. It’s hard to fit it all in sometimes, and in all reality, some weeks it doesn't happen. There is a constant juggling acting going on.
My schedule looks like this;
- Every week I do 3 online gym classes with UK-based enduro trainer Motofit.
- 1 aerobic day of 35mins + cycling or jog.
- 2 days on the bike training + racing on the weekend
I’ve also just added 1 in-person gym class at our local Shred Shed to really fine-tune conditioning over the next 80 days. After riding I also practice tire changes and do all of my own basic maintenance.
You have been competing at a national level in this year's NZ Enduro Champs - tell us about your season so far.
I’ve seen a huge improvement in my speed overall this season compared to last, so all the hard work has been paying off. I enjoyed the two South Island rounds the most. Round 3 in Moonshine Valley was extreme enduro and the hardest and most grueling events I’ve raced to date. This was my first time racing against Taylar and also her first Enduro. I was really pleased to come away with the win after talking her into giving Enduro a go. I was sure she would never come back as the track was just so gnarly! And possibly the worst imaginable for your first enduro on an MX bike. Thankfully Taylar wasn't deterred and was at the next round in Martinborough a week later. The hard, fast, rocky conditions worked in Taylar’s favour and I was happy for her to take the win after I just couldn't get my act together all weekend. One thing I’ve realised this season is all the traveling and the stress of managing work and kids while away has a much bigger impact than I realised or wanted to admit.
I see you made it onto the telly. Tell us about how that opportunity came up and what it was like filming for TV.?
I certainly never expected that call from TVNZ a few months ago. It turns out a friend/colleague who works in the dairy genetics industry with me wrote an email to one of her friends at TVNZ (she worked in broadcasting prior to being a farmer) as she thinks what I'm doing is pretty inspirational. Not just with bikes but with the growth of my business and the industry changes I'm implementing.
The film crew were here for 2 full days and I don’t think I've ever felt so far out of my comfort zone before. Having said that, they were great at making you feel like you had known them for years! We didn’t get to preview the show ahead of time so we got takeaway pizza and sat in the living room to watch the show at the same time as everyone else. I was more nervous than I’ve ever been pre-race.
For those who don't know, you've spent a bit of time living in the USA.
I left for the USA when I was 21 with plans to travel for a year. 1 year turned into 8 years. I spent 9 months in Alabama building Bamboo bicycle frames for a non-profit organization that taught job skills to kids who had been kicked out of high school in one of the poorest counties in the South. It was really rewarding and pretty eye-opening. I then moved to Georgia where, after some hard work on a Hereford Stud and a stint as an artisan cheese maker.
I purchased a small farm myself and worked for a group of NZ investors as a farm manager. Later moving to a Project Manager, helping to grow the largest grass-fed dairy operation in the United States. Then, I got married and had 2 boys. Wyatt is now 8 and Lane is 5. I returned to NZ in 2019, totally unplanned, but life doesn't always work out how you think and, I'm really grateful to be back in NZ and that my children can grow up in rural West Otago.
You used to race here in NZ before you moved to America. Did you do any riding in America and what made you put on the boots again here in NZ?
I learned to ride when I was about 14 and started racing soon after in the GNCC series back when it was run by Power Adventures. I saw an ad in Kiwi Rider that read- "if you can trail ride you can race." I raced till 21 when I moved overseas and stopped riding for 12 years. My focus really changed when I moved to America on growing a business and fulfilling my goal of owning my own place. I did the odd bit of riding about once every 6-months before my children were born…but no racing. My ex-husband trained horses and was a farrier, so I did have a go at riding cutting horses for a while – but they scare me. 18 months ago bought a bike for Christmas as a hobby. Fast forward and here we are now!
I remember your bike of choice was an RM250. Tell us about the Beta you are riding at the ISDE. What do you like about it and why is that your bike of choice?
I had a friend who was always a KTM guy and when I returned to NZ he was riding Beta, which in itself was a huge surprise. I had never heard of them, but took his advice that they were awesome and had a go on a demo bike…he was right. I purchased a 2022 Beta 200 Racing with low because I felt I needed a hobby - something special for myself. And what better way to celebrate my first year in business as Southern Reproductive. The Beta is light, nimble, has fantastic bottom-end torque, and can tractor up the steepest of hills, whilst having good top-end speed. It’s also affordable to maintain and service and touch wood, it’s been super reliable. I got 145hrs on my last piston.
Obviously racing overseas can cost a lot of money. What have you been doing to fundraise for the trip?
You’re not wrong! I’m really happy to have picked up help from Motogear.com. They have been amazing with supplying Mitas tires and mooses for the ISDE, and also helped me with Airoh helmets, Ipone oils, Kriega and Acerbis products. I also have 100% goggles on board, and Leatt has also provided my riding gear, which is great. Leatt now has a 2025 women’s gear line which is awesome.
I have sold raffle tickets, run a Ladies Ride Day, and have an Adventure Bike Ride touring West Otago coming up on the 31st of August. So far, I have 90 riders entered. I have also teamed up with Agricademy to provide farm bike safety courses across the country as a long-term initiative to provide funding to the NZ ISDE team riders. James Scott, Will Yeoman, and Rachael Archer will also be providing funding.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge competing at the ISDE?
My goal is to finish and support my teammates as best I can. I think sticking to trail times over the first 5 days and 8hrs of riding per day will be my biggest challenge. The women’s trophy team gets zero restarts and cannot be more than 30 minutes late to any checkpoint.
What does a day-to-day look like for Kylie Dorr?
Hectic. Every day is a juggle and different from the next. Usually starts with an online group fitness class with Motofit at 5.30 am. Kid’s breakfast routine and bus stop drop. Work, riding before the kids get home 2-3 times a week. Then sports practice, dinner, and business admin once the kids are in bed.
What is some advice you would give other girls thinking about getting into dirt bikes?
Only one? It doesn't matter what you ride or how fast you are…riding bikes can be scary for all of us! It’s all about having fun and enjoying such an awesome sport! 100% recommend getting some coaching or training - it’s something I wish I'd invested in much sooner.