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ryda
OLD
Joined: Jan 30, 2006
Posts: 6,528
Location: driven' the Church Bus
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 Posted: Wed 15/Oct/08 3:49pm Post subject: |
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| phunk wrote: |  I found Split Enz to be a real let down after people hyped it so much, nice views, but kinda meh in the riding stakes. |
you spent to much time looking at the veiws
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phunk
Mangled
Joined: Feb 28, 2004
Posts: 12,308
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| Posted: Wed 15/Oct/08 3:54pm Post subject: |
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Its not like you have to look at the trail, its really mellow.
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ryda
OLD
Joined: Jan 30, 2006
Posts: 6,528
Location: driven' the Church Bus
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| Posted: Wed 15/Oct/08 4:04pm Post subject: |
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its only mellow when you ride as slowly as you
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phunk
Mangled
Joined: Feb 28, 2004
Posts: 12,308
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| Posted: Wed 15/Oct/08 4:48pm Post subject: |
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Oh ok, thanks gramps.
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Outy
Ridden
Joined: May 02, 2007
Posts: 141
Location: The grid-ridden plain of evil
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 10:36am Post subject: |
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| XCguy wrote: | | ryda wrote: | nice report, looks like you rode just about ever cool trail up there except 1, "Split endz" like pondy new but betta  guess it leaves you something to look forward to next time  |
Yeah, I was going to do that after Tuhoto Ariki but never made it there. If I had known that I would have done Split Enz and Pondy DH when I did Pondy New. Oh, well, like you say, next time |
Went to Vegas twice this winter. Last time did Tuhoto Ariki and it was a swamp. Followed with Split Enz and it would have been the driest track all week. Local reckons a drainlayer built it, who understands how water flows and designs track around that, rather than making the track go where they want regardless of terrain, meaning great pools of mud in places. I like it because it flows better than many other tracks, maybe not quite as good as Billy T in the flow stakes, but close.
And totally agree that all the "Chinese takeaway" tracks (Sweet and Sour etal) should be avoided like the plague. Made mistake of finishing with those one day first time up there, bonked, and needed 40 minute break before I was psyched up enough for the ride back to town.
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bluedogSS
Dusty
Joined: Aug 18, 2007
Posts: 72
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 5:55pm Post subject: Rotovegas |
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Great write up and a real reflection of what's on offer.
However just a point of clarification - very few of the trails you list were built by digger. Anything over 3 years old was built the old-fashioned way and by volunteers - two quite recent trails HotXBuns and Old Chevy, the same.
Come back soon!
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ashesman
Worn
Joined: Jun 11, 2006
Posts: 591
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 6:05pm Post subject: |
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How do you all get to Vegas? A friend and I flew up for a weekend of riding in april... We took bikes and stayed in a moderately priced hotel. Cost at least $600 each for the three nights! The tracks were good... but not that good!
Worst part was we went to ride the shuttle service and they had the most rain in years. The bus didn't run on Saturday morning because it was too slippery then parcped out halfway through the afternoon! The next day we did 11 runs but man it was wet and slippery (not christchurch slippery). Would like to go back but next time I think I will hire a bike up there or go as part of a bigger road trip.
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grahamt
Worn
Joined: Oct 11, 2004
Posts: 726
Location: upright
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 6:35pm Post subject: |
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Cant do much about the weather - although vegas tracks hold up far better than our ChCh ones in heavy rain. I think if you went up when it wasn't torrential rain youd find it a lot better.
When we go up we stay at the thermal holiday park - cheap, clean and only 5min ride from the Redwoods carpark - also has hot pools on site
Book ahead far enough and get cheap fares. Ive got 6 days riding next month for $220 return fares from ChCh + about $25/night accom - good value.
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ashesman
Worn
Joined: Jun 11, 2006
Posts: 591
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 6:54pm Post subject: |
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How do you take your bike? We packaged ours into bike boxes and I got stung for $55 overweight on the way there! I carried about five supermarket bags onto the plane on the way home!!! Next time I would take my reign rather than the DH bike...
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grahamt
Worn
Joined: Oct 11, 2004
Posts: 726
Location: upright
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 7:09pm Post subject: |
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| ashesman wrote: | | How do you take your bike? We packaged ours into bike boxes and I got stung for $55 overweight on the way there! I carried about five supermarket bags onto the plane on the way home!!! Next time I would take my reign rather than the DH bike... |
I've got a bike bag from the devil store - soft sided suitcase style with padding and compartments for wheels and gear. Weighs about 22kg with bag, bike (Heckler) and helmet, shoes, camelback, cycle gear and tools. Air New Zealand allows 25kg for one bag (used to allow up to 32kg with sports gear but not sure whether that still applies with their new charges. Taken bikes to Auckland twice, Rotorua twice and Sydney last Xmas and never paid. Going to Nelson for the weekend tomorrow and taking the new blur + Rotorua next month.
Wear all your heavy clothes on the plane and take the rest of your clothes in a carry on bag.
I'd take a Reign to vegas rather than a DH bike - many of the tracks are better on a 5 - 6 " trail bike.
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more_horse_link
Worn
Joined: Jun 14, 2007
Posts: 926
Location: Avoiding pies
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 7:35pm Post subject: |
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Great photos and report. I'll get to see the wonder of vegas over Christmas time as i';ll be up there for a week.
Can't wait!
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pushbikerider
Mangled
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 14,247
Location: No longer Running PNC Like John Gotti
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 7:40pm Post subject: |
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| grahamt wrote: |
I'd take a Reign to vegas rather than a DH bike - MOST of the tracks are better on a 5" trail bike. |
IMHO if you're wanting to trail ride in vegas (ie do more than the shuttles) take a trail bike, as its not mega rough, so a trail bike is waaaay more fun
As a vegas local I'm looking to flick my 6inch trail bike for a short travel whippet bike as I can ride almost everything in the forest on an XC bike , and then keep the DH bike for those shuttle days
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more_horse_link
Worn
Joined: Jun 14, 2007
Posts: 926
Location: Avoiding pies
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 7:44pm Post subject: |
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| pushbikerider wrote: | | grahamt wrote: |
I'd take a Reign to vegas rather than a DH bike - MOST of the tracks are better on a 5" trail bike. |
IMHO if you're wanting to trail ride in vegas (ie do more than the shuttles) take a trail bike, as its not mega rough, so a trail bike is waaaay more fun
As a vegas local I'm looking to flick my 6inch trail bike for a short travel whippet bike as I can ride almost everything in the forest on an XC bike , and then keep the DH bike for those shuttle days |
I'll most likely take teh SS with rebas up front. That should do the trick
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pushbikerider
Mangled
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 14,247
Location: No longer Running PNC Like John Gotti
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 7:46pm Post subject: |
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| i_ride_rigid wrote: | | pushbikerider wrote: | | grahamt wrote: |
I'd take a Reign to vegas rather than a DH bike - MOST of the tracks are better on a 5" trail bike. |
IMHO if you're wanting to trail ride in vegas (ie do more than the shuttles) take a trail bike, as its not mega rough, so a trail bike is waaaay more fun
As a vegas local I'm looking to flick my 6inch trail bike for a short travel whippet bike as I can ride almost everything in the forest on an XC bike , and then keep the DH bike for those shuttle days |
I'll most likely take teh SS with rebas up front. That should do the trick |
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XCguy
Thrashed
Joined: Sep 22, 2003
Posts: 1,062
Location: Christchurch
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| Posted: Thu 16/Oct/08 8:02pm Post subject: |
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| ashesman wrote: | | How do you take your bike? We packaged ours into bike boxes and I got stung for $55 overweight on the way there! I carried about five supermarket bags onto the plane on the way home!!! Next time I would take my reign rather than the DH bike... |
Sorry you had a different experience Ash. You and I are different riders so are looking for different things in tracks. I am a cross country rider which meant that I stayed on the lower trails that ride well in the wet and had a blast even in the rain. You were using the shuttle and probably riding the trails up on the higher slope where the trails are a lot more slippery.
I carried my bike in a Ground Effect bag. All up with tools and XCwife's pedals it only weighed around 13 kg. We booked our flights before the new charges came in so were allowed 2 checked in bags each. Being a XC rider my riding gear was pretty much just shoes, helmet, gloves and a few light clothing items. No heavy DHers armour etc. Even under the new baggage rules it would only cost me $15 for taking a second bag. If I was clever I may be able to squeeze more into the bike bag and take my clothing bag as carry on.
We stayed at the Thermal Camp, a brilliant camping ground with nice cabins, good facilities (including hot pools which were great after riding) and within a stone's throw of Waipa carpark. From their website www.rotoruathermal.co.nz:
En-suite Log Cabin has 1 double bed, 2 bunks, toilet, shower, TV, fridge, kettle, cups and toaster, communal kitchens, NO bedding $65.00 (2 people)
I hope you manage to get up there again sometime in drier weather and have a much better experience.
We flew in to Hamilton so we could borrow a relatives van and throw the bike in the back and that was fantastic. We had wondered how we were going to get around if we didn't have that option. Some guys we met at the camping ground (from Christchurch) said they took a shuttle from the airport and hired a car for their general travel (they could bike from the camping ground to the tracks so didn't need to carry their bikes). I think there is definitely an opportunity there for someone to hire out cars with towballs and racks for all the people who arrive in town and have the same issue.
Last edited by XCguy on Thu 16/Oct/08 10:48pm; edited 1 time in total |
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