I rode with our little group that meets at 5.30 to go into the city.
It was very windy and I felt tired from lack of sleep and other riding but being in the group etc jollied me along.
We had words with 3 separate lots of idiot drivers who either weren't patient with us or in one case didn't move out of our way (which every other car was doing and we were keeping left).
Some long & hard laps by three of our riders meant that we were up at Parnell in good time. From there we cruised through town until we go to New North Road and back into the head wind
I found myself at the front of the bunch with no one wanting to take over so I made the most of it and led until after New Lyn.
We stopped for a chat back at the cars and I rode the 8 kms home.
63kms

I did my usual short, hilly after work ride out to the end of Amreins Road etc.
I had what I thought was someone on an MTB chasing me up Crows. I got further ahead of him, then he started catching me (on the flat) so I put my (little) hammer down and took off up the steep bit and left him struggling.
Along Amreins (ups and downs) I spied him gaining on me in my mirror. I took off and left him again At the turn around I found ‘he’ was a teenager on a Roadie.

I had a wasp (?) sting my neck as I went down Pooks road. Not nice

Going down Vineyard road (narrow and windy) some dick in a car passed me really closely on a blind corner at the intersection. He’ll get a letter.

Still, apart from the wind it is a nice, sunny night for it

32kms

I had no work yesterday so I thought I’d give myself a challenge and rode up Mountain Road
It all started off so well, riding the up and downs and then climbing up towards the Fairy Falls thinking (my memory is very dim of the last time I rode up there) maybe this is as steep as it gets…it wasn’t
I had to ride in my 25 (I never use it), get off my seat and start my chest heaving.
My rpms were down to mid 40s at times.
I had to stop…. x 3 (oh the shame )

I guess it’s a good tester for my hillclimbing fitness. I was fine racing up Patamahoe hill on Saturday with the bunch but this has shown me I can aim for much more.

Anyway, I was glad to see the light of day at Scenic Drive and head down to Te Henga (two riders grinding their way up past the Quarry), climb back up Bethels road, McEntee and down Crows and home.

Riding 2 of my bikes in 1 morning – that’s not something I do every week

I put the repaired tube in the rear of my SingleSpeed for the group ride.
After doing about 2kms down the road the front tyre/tube blew out!
Disappointing but at least it didn’t happen half way through a fast corner.

The sidewall had split – understandably as the tyre has probably done over 9000kms (the matching rear had done 8500) over 4 years.
I put another tube in it and started to ride home slowly. It blew out too!
I walked home, keeping to the grass to wear out my Look Delta cleats as little as poss.
3.2kms, Ave 9.7kph, mx 40kph

Would I go for a ride on 904 or not? It is a lovely morning for it.
I went my normal after work way up Crows, Amreins etc and down to Taupaki.
I met the group and rode with them then off the front back to Kay, up Christian etc and home.
It was worth going out again
37kms

Loved getting out with the near new Diamante Pro tires on compared to the well worn Armadillo's this morning. Went for a Jaunt to the top of the Aka's (Waikanae side) down a bit and then back up again. About 300m from the top ....

We had a good, hard ride today
The weather is still pleasant and this morning there was very little wind = Perfect
This time we reversed (basically) most of the long ride – which made the hills seem slightly tamer thankfully (apart from Rabbit hill).

So – out to Kumeu, along the Woodhill Forest Road, up Rabbit Hill (very steep, I was in my 39 x 25, off the seat and heaving but I got to the top first by a few metres ), Peak, through Waitoki, up and down to Dairy Flat, the old HW1 to the Coatesville turn off, Ridge, Riverhead/Coatesville Road, HW16 to Westgate (lots of traffic there as the Trolley Derby was on), Don Bucks and back to the shop.

We had a few re group stops – which if they were on the flat or after a down hill the tandem would be there first, if they were after an uphill – I would be there first (it’s doing great things for my ego ).

It was good to see so many other riders out making the most of the remaining Summer weather.

At the shop I made up another drink and rode in to Jervois road to meet the whanau.

98.5kms from home, shop and back to shop at 29.5kph

Total 109kms

Yesterday: we were renting a shepherd's cottage in Orongorongo for the night so I rode there from Wellington - 47.5km with a nice gusty norwester. I was surprised to see so few riders out, only two, both wearing Capital Cycles jerseys.

I haven't ridden over that way in the last 20 years, it was a very pleasant discovery along the Esplanade that all the cars pulling out of sidestreets gave way and waited for me to pass before pulling out, and all the cars turning into side streets waited and turned behind me. Big cheer for Petone motorists!

Wainui Hill was hard - 2.25km from the bottom of the Gracefield Rd climb. I reckon it's steeper than Makara hill or Paekak hill - has it ever been considered for a leaderboard?

Then the big zoom down the hill and through Wainui - the Wainui drivers were as careful and courteous as the Petone ones - and hammer down trying to keep above 40kmh all the way down to end of the Wainui Coast Road. So beautifully lush and green in the first part of that road, but then it suddenly changes to be really bleak and rugged, but still beautiful.

What an awesome feeling it is to have a good blast on a good road bike!

Nice one Wombat. I blissed out on my ride tonight

Beautiful evening here in Chur Chur after quite a cool day. It seems the NWer touched down once the sun set - must be 20+ degrees out in the country at 8pm.

Left home at 7pm and rode out into the country south of Christchurch for just under 2 hours. I was going to head out to Sumner but decided quiet country roads would be a safer and more peaceful option. I was right.

After watching the sunset as I rode into TaiTapu, I flicked on the (Cateye) Stadium and zoomed along country roads south of Taitap dazzling cows and horses. Pushed it as hard as I could, for as long as I could. I'm sitting here feeling completely knackered plucking dead moths and river bugs out of my teeth

A completely fantastic ride. Really enjoyed myself. Something self absorbing about hammering down the road with complete blackness all around you apart from your little bubble of light.

Nice ride over the Pahiatua track and back the saddle. Chased a guy for around an hour, getting within 30s on the steep bits and 90s on the flats. Was convinced I'd slaughter him on the climb up the saddle but had to wait for a tractor on the balance bridge and then cows a bit later. While waiting for the cows the guy turned off towards woodville. Boo. Had a rest at the bottom of the saddle talking bullshit to a few Guzzi riders. Needed the rest because my 23 cassette made the climb pretty brutal(which is why I put it on).

Had really good tailwinds, 2 min off my PB up the track and shaved another minute off up to the top of saddle.
Struggled a lot in the wind getting back into Palmy which put on about 10min.

Great day out after two weeks off the bike.

little chance to ride over the last week, busy at the Horse of the Year in Hasting. But I did get out for a jaunt with the crew from the Hub for the Tuesday night "Pain Train"......remind me any ride with the word "pain" in its tittle is to be avoided

I've since learned that I'd joined a group of super fit A&B riders out to 'out do' one another. I'm used to a sedate start and moderate 32kmhish pace spinning on the lower chain ring....these guys sprinted away at the start and didn't back off....at one point my computer said we were doing 48kmh and that was as we swung through the round-about at Havelock. I asked a lad before we set of about hills, he said a couple but nothing major...yea right! Cambell's Hill (? I think its called heading up Tuki Tuki Road) is not what I'd call 'nothing major'. Couldn't stay with these guys over the hills, (as a few others couldn't also), did the 55-60ish run in just under 1:30mins which for me is super fast.

5.30pm ride with the guys tonight (all 6 of us). Mostly a tail / side wind to the turn around (hence why I did my big lap from Kelston to Quay street, basically).
Hard head / shoulder wind home.
64kms

Al_Bushman wrote: I blissed out on my ride tonight ... After watching the sunset as I rode into TaiTapu, I flicked on the (Cateye) Stadium and zoomed along country roads ... Pushed it as hard as I could, for as long as I could ... A completely fantastic ride ... Something self absorbing about hammering down the road with complete blackness all around you apart from your little bubble of light.

I so totally agree - it's like the near death "tunnel of light" experience, or maybe a sensory deprivation thing. You just sit there spinning away, the same vibration from the road, the same purr from the chain, the same white line flicking dow the left side of your vision ... it's like being on rollers that jump you to a new dimension.

I hear you did a great job setting up a mortgage for a friend of mine recently, got him through all the hurdles and into his first home. Well done!

Did the Taupo 100K flyer today ....I was with an awesome bunch averaging about 37 or 38 Kph and was easily going to make my target of 3:30. (Not that I could have kept up that pace for the entire race but the intention was to hang in there as long as possible before making a graceful exit to the rear ). Then just past Rainbow Mountain I hit something on the road during a moment of in attention and got a flat . To make matters worse the Valve stem ended up in between 2 parts of the rim and I ended up needing a stick and a stone to bash it out the way it came. Ofcourse during this time all the faster groups that I could have backup up to went past. Once I got the valve out and the new tube fitted I spent the next 35 something K's trying to make up time. And ended up stuffing with 15 K's to go . Final ride time was 3:46 which I am fairly happy with considering I lost the good bunches.
Did I mention the head wind was at about 25Kph, sunny and damn hot?

Completely stuffed at the end .

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/28113824

[quote="ArjanH"]Did the Taupo 100K flyer today ....I was with an awesome bunch averaging about 37 or 38 Kph and was easily going to make my target of 3:30. (Not that I could have kept up that pace for the entire race but the intention was to hang in there as long as possible before making a graceful exit to the rear ). Then just past Rainbow Mountain I hit something on the road during a moment of in attention and got a flat . To make matters worse the Valve stem ended up in between 2 parts of the rim and I ended up needing a stick and a stone to bash it out the way it came. Ofcourse during this time all the faster groups that I could have backup up to went past. Once I got the valve out and the new tube fitted I spent the next 35 something K's trying to make up time. And ended up stuffing with 15 K's to go . Final ride time was 3:46 which I am fairly happy with considering I lost the good bunches.
Did I mention the head wind was at about 25Kph, sunny and damn hot?

Completely stuffed at the end .

Good work and a really good time for you – even considering the flat

Thanks Farty ... yeah i am pretty pleased ... not bad after only 6 months back on a roadie. If it wasn't for that wind I would still have made my target towing the the small bunch that had hooked in behind.

Oh I also beat the outlaw by over 1.5 hours so that means i have bragging rights for at least the next week.

And it means I am on track for my sub 5:30 at Taupo later on this year ... jUst need to get a lot more good miles under my belt