Oli wrote:

happybaboon wrote:Explosive decompression of the front roadie tyre while hitting a downhill corner at about 30km/hr... But, by using epic skillz, I rode it out

Now I just gotta find whatever it is that's making my wheel ghey up, cos it happened twice more before I made it home

Sidewall cut or rim tape.

Tyre appears fine, so I picked up some new rimtape yesterday.

Took the wombatessa for a recce of the Horokiwi hillclimb as preparation for the PNP club event on Tuesday at 5pm. OOOH, that is a nasty gutbusting bit of road - especially with a norwester shaking the trees and flinging the fog about.

It'll be tough if it's like this on Tuesday night.

My ride had it all today, rode out to Eyreton with Will Bowman and who managed to puncture after 1000m, we then spotted his Benchmark Teammate Alex Frame so we drilled it to try and stay away from him with little success. Then down South Eyre Rd a trailer came past to close clipping Alex whose mad skilz kept him upright. Then had to explain to a million people why I wasn't racing (cuz I have been on my bike 3 times in the 10 weeks). Good racing with Ruaraidh McLeod taking fastest time in the A/B group. Luke Weiblitz took the U17 event with George Tutton fastest time. Then it was the mad dash home with the gale force winds pushing us home. I was going for Alex's KOM (from Yunca Tour) but Bowman kept denying me. Then I cracked and need the 34x27 to get over the last overbridge. Buggered and glad to be away from the traffic.

Just a little pedal this morning in the sticky, humidity that lovely Auckland seems to pride itself on. From Greenhithe to Devonport via East Coast Road, Hurstmere Rd and Lake Rd then back via Cheltenham/Narrowneck with a coffee stop in Taka and then home to Birkenhead.

I was not impressed with the cars on the road today (then again it's been just as scary in a car as on a bike today) especially the one that pulled a u-turn in front of another roadie ahead of me in the middle of the Devonport shops. The rider managed to see what was going on and slowed down in time and hurled some abuse at the driver so all was OK but it's shit like that we just don't need!

rmare wrote:Had my longest and hardest ever ride today. From Pohangina over Saddle road to Woodville through Mangatanoka to Pahiatua and across the track back to Palmy. 87.3km took me 4hrs 15mins, so not too quick but just pleased I stayed on the bike the whole ride, no walking up hills. Planning to head across to Pongaroa at some stage so these hills should be good training for that.

wow red that's some ride! It was only a month or so ago you were pleased with ding 25km! I leave Feilding at 4pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and do the Halcombe/Colyton/Ashhurst/Palmerston Loop and join up with the pedal Pusher bunch that leaves the shop at 6pm, why not meet me on the road and we can join them together. I find its a good fast spin group which typically rides about 50km, and sets me up nicely for a run home to Feilding. All up my rides about 120km, so if you joined from your placeit would be a 70-80k run.

I was planning to get up 5 this morning and set off for Featherston, there was a classic car run on to Lake Ferry, and I've now got a rack to fit my Cooper S (real one not some dumb hatchback) so SWMBO was going to drive over giving me a 3 hour head start.Would have been 155km all up....but those best laid plans didn't work out...set the alarm,woke up turned it off and went straight back to sleep...SWMBO came and shook me awake about 5:30 to tell me it was pouring and howling a gale and she didn't want to drive over there in that weather.....yes there is a god, and I can blame someone else for me wimping out on a great ride!

Rode up Vineyard where I managed to catch and pass three riders (saying hello as I did so). One of them said “Go Gordie!” cynically as I did so…
Birdwood, caught another rider, Redhills – caught another guy, Taupaki Road and then up Amreins (friend riding down), turned on to McEntee and caught two more riders as a big bunch (30+ ) came towards us, Crows and at the end of Birdwood a bunch went past on Swanson which I nearly caught but I had to turn off to head home.

Good to see so many riders out before it got windy.

37kms

Hi cooper I'd like to take you up on that, but my riding times are really limited with two preschoolers around. I'm free Thursday mornings and usually one weekend day, maybe the occasional evening once hubby gets home from work, but I play sport Tuesday nights.

Went from Pohangina-Makuri/Pongaroa this morning, about 75km. All prepared for some hard long hills, but kinda let down. They were really easy, I pretty much got blown up them. Still a very nice ride, good sealed road and next to no traffic. I'd like to try it again on a less windy day, there and back.

rmare wrote:Hi cooper I'd like to take you up on that, but my riding times are really limited with two preschoolers around. I'm free Thursday mornings and usually one weekend day, maybe the occasional evening once hubby gets home from work, but I play sport Tuesday nights.

Went from Pohangina-Makuri/Pongaroa this morning, about 75km. All prepared for some hard long hills, but kinda let down. They were really easy, I pretty much got blown up them. Still a very nice ride, good sealed road and next to no traffic. I'd like to try it again on a less windy day, there and back.

kids...say no more, being a DINKY I tend not to think about such things. Might be able to do a Thursday AM by shifting my work...one of the advantages of being self employed! PM me or text me if you want

The womblings raced the Kevin Smith Memorial Handicap race in Otaki yesterday - 7 laps of a 7km circuit. It's a shame there weren't more riders there, especially from the Wellington Vets and from Levin - maybe the word didn't get out in time . . .

See http://www.pnp.org.nz/results/road/1212 ... ViJ1120C04

thats a great circuit.

hard time of year to make the room for racing if you have a family.

I agree - especially when it's the kids all going off to the races and leaving me behind!!

At last the weather cleared up so I managed to get out for a nice evening ride. Thought I'd see if I could get from home to the top of the Aka's in an hour. Nope. 1:07 for the 23km(ish). Was 32.30 for the hill climb from the corner at the church in near 100% humidity. I didn't take a photo at the top but had I it would have been nothing but grey. I could only see about 50m in front of me.

Great to get out and I did make it there and back in under 2 hours so I am happy.

fatwombat wrote:The womblings raced the Kevin Smith Memorial Handicap race in Otaki yesterday - 7 laps of a 7km circuit. It's a shame there weren't more riders there, especially from the Wellington Vets and from Levin - maybe the word didn't get out in time . . .

See http://www.pnp.org.nz/results/road/1212 ... ViJ1120C04

I have very bad memories of this event. It was during this event in about 1976/77 that I was in a bunch coming down the hill onto the, what use to be single lane railway sleeper bridge, in wet conditions and someone up the front discovered the danger of bitumen covered wood and water. Of the bunch only about 20% made it through upright, the rest of us hit the deck, with several of us going over the side and ending up in the creek. I broke my collar bone and pelvis put me off my bike for 12 weeks. I drove that way about a year ago and see that the original bridge is gone and its now a proper sealed surface.

Beautiful morning for the 33km commute that has now unfortunately been interrupted by work. I think this is the first time I have done it on a clear calm day, great views of the South Island, mixed in with the sounds of crunching glass by the armadillo's, Think I may drop a note to the council suggesting it's about time the cycleway (Paekakariki to Pukerua bay) got swept.
I'm all zenned out from the great ride, and am pretty pleased that the light cramps in both calf muscles at the start came to nothing.