UK_Exile wrote:I bet I'll get abuse over this but I prefer the new smooth track. The CCC has to cater for all people.

I think the council probably had to upkeep it as part of their road maintenance and were probably not even thinking about bikers and walkers when they did it. I just think that it is a bit of a waste of money because given a winter or even just a few weeks of rainy storms it pretty quickly cuts out and gets back to the state it was before.

It gets me off road, away from cars and onto a surface I'm comfortable with, both up & down. I've no need to prove skills to anyone but me. I don't see the need to test myself and my skin on more technical trails. I enjoy it more now. Fitness test, not skills suits me.

fair enough, but it does sound to me as if you would be more at home on a road bike? However, my biggest problem with riding on roads is the cars, so I can totally understand you wanting to go ride somewhere more tranquil like Rapaki

It's fit for purpose for walkers, and less narly track inclined MTBers. Think of it as an introduction track for those people. It's like a learners slope on ski fields. No one suggests they should be replaced with mogals and half pipes.

Even in its roughest state I still find Rapaki to be a boring climb and I hardly ever come back down it. To be honest having it smooth for a couple of month before it cuts up into a bunch of new lines does not make much difference to me.

Who knows, the new or less abled riders introduced via smooth Rapaki may go on to learn the necessary skills on the other more technical trails. But without a smooth Rapaki as their first rides chances are they would be scared away and wouldn't learn to enjoy MTB.

Maybe? I still think that if you have not learned the skills to ride up/down Rapaki in a rough state then you will never handle the current single track at the top of the hill. We need to put a rocket under the process for getting the Montgomery Spur opened up, and build some intermediate mtb tracks up there (easier than the single track up the top, but harder than Rapaki). Then people would have somewhere to progress in their mountain biking.

I think we could start a new irrisponsible thread - fastest speed on top section of Rapaki. with a tail wind i think 70 is quiet possible.

RHR_Rob wrote:I think we could start a new irrisponsible thread - fastest speed on top section of Rapaki. with a tail wind i think 70 is quiet possible.

who's going to be first to get a roadie on 23mm tyres down it

I think with full suspension, a bigish (46t+) chainring and skinsuit you could get well past 70k's

JohnnyC wrote:I think with full suspension, a bigish (46t+) chainring and skinsuit you could get well past 70k's

don't forget the aero helmet!

actually maybe the next retro DH race should be down old bowenvale (the 4wd bit - stop at the singletrack), that'd be good for some old school carnage

Fastest I ever hit (on a shingle road) when I had a speedo on was 89 kph. Would have been a similar gradient

I think you just have to wait for a Southerly (or whatever is going to give you a tail wind) and you would easily hit 80.

Now with hardly any gravel you can realy give it some - and at the mo it looks like all the sheep have gone to the lamb chops works so that hazzard is out once a few walkers complain the council may regret thier decision or maybe put up 30kmh signs at the top.

RHR_Rob wrote:Now with hardly any gravel you can realy give it some - and at the mo it looks like all the sheep have gone to the lamb chops works so that hazzard is out once a few walkers complain the council may regret thier decision or maybe put up 30kmh signs at the top.

What and put one of those flashing "SLOW DOWN" signs on there like the one at the bottom of Dyers Pass road that start flashing as soon as you go over 30kph??

I've got to 60 just by being a big wat fanker. You whippets should easily get 70.

DogsBollocks wrote:I've got to 60 just by being a big wat fanker. You whippets should easily get 70.

actually, us big fat buggers get much more speed than the tiny little whippets. They go fast up hills, but are slow on the downhills.

Trail wrote:

RHR_Rob wrote:Now with hardly any gravel you can realy give it some - and at the mo it looks like all the sheep have gone to the lamb chops works so that hazzard is out once a few walkers complain the council may regret thier decision or maybe put up 30kmh signs at the top.

What and put one of those flashing "SLOW DOWN" signs on there like the one at the bottom of Dyers Pass road that start flashing as soon as you go over 30kph??

Or maybe one of those that tells you your actual speed as you go past it - perhaps we could pertition the council for one......

crazychris wrote:

DogsBollocks wrote:I've got to 60 just by being a big wat fanker. You whippets should easily get 70.

actually, us big fat buggers get much more speed than the tiny little whippets. They go fast up hills, but are slow on the downhills.

Sorry, a big wat fanker whose only DH skill is terminal velocity. Surely a fruit fly on a DH rig and nads the size of my fist are gonna leave me and my XC sweet thing (mmmmmmm, biiiike) for dead. Would make an interesting experiment and make for much mirth and merriment. Maybe a partial closure of the top section could be in order. I'm thinking drinking, cheerleaders, ambulance's, bookie, dwarves..................

.................and the Westpac rescue helicopter

Trail wrote:

TonyT1961 wrote:

Trail wrote:I have never quite understood people riding down Rapaki when there are so many more interesting ways to get down the hill...

I am sure the walkers were impressed with your manly 65 kph.

Geez Zane, who are you, the hill police? Give me a break.

Firstly there was no walkers within 2 or 3 kms, secondly we were in a hurry as the rest of our ride around the crater rim had taken longer than we thought and thirdly, we wanted to see the new Rapaki from a different perspective.

I merely mentioned the speed as a statement of the smoothness of the surface.

Sorry I didn't clear it with you first, I didn't have your cell

Break given



On the lower section while going up I did notice a number of long skid marks going right into drains on the side! I am not sure that everyone can handle the extra speed the smooth surface allows for

I have ridden down Rapaki myself when running out of light returning across the top! Rapaki in the dark seemed like a better option than Vic park in the dark

I think Im to blame for one of those skid marks, was going a bit to fast and jumped the rocks that are before the corner and couldn't scrub enough speed off or get the front wheel to turn so locked up and aimed for the gutter ended up staying upright but bent my pedal and stuffed the tread in the crank.

Iv learnt my lesson from that experience

RHR_Rob wrote:I think we could start a new irrisponsible thread - fastest speed on top section of Rapaki. with a tail wind i think 70 is quiet possible.

Ive done more than that already!

Over 60 is easy on a trail rig, on mine its harder cos it has no big ring, but with a 46t or bigger front ring and moar travel/ moar rubber/ bigger brakes I reckon 80+ could be done