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KoroJ's Blog

Can We Start 2012 Now.....Please???!!!

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I am happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine, in a bag
I'm useless, but not for long
The future is coming on
is coming on……..

Maybe!! After the MDA ride in early December my riding summer virtually came to a halt with just a couple of 2-up squirts up to Patea and back around Christmas.

At that point I had a new bike in the garage, as well as the old bike which I‘d just managed to list on Trade-Me, I had two flats which needed their interiors painted, after which we had a trip to a wedding (& some tennis) in Melbourne, so I realised that between a lack of pingers, a lack of time at work and a serious lack of riding conditioning…..the TT2000 was not to be for me this year!!

What a bugger! By the end of January I’d still done no riding and all I managed this month was two Slow Handling days (one for Tuesday Newbies and BRONZ – which no one attended & one for the Wgtn Uly’s – which saw about 30 turn up), then a nice wee Uly romp up Route 52 to Waipuk’ and back down SH2 on 19 Feb.

That was a good day with about a dozen riders departing from Brown Owl at 1010hrs, with me at TEC. The weather was overcast when I left home but I went through rain by Silverstream and the hill looked pretty dirty, so I kitted up, but with the both the clouds clearing and the temp rising a few degrees as we descended, I stripped back off in Martinborough.

The theme on this run was for riders to be able to peel off at various stops along the way, so the first couple peeled off at the Martinborough Square before we embarked on the Tablelands road for Faulkners Mobil in Masterton (with me still at TEC). We rode at an easy pace, arriving a 1146hrs.

Another rider dropped off here before we headed out through Te Ore Ore with me now riding near the front of the bunch and once again Ken was setting an easy pace, although I dropped back a bit to stay connected with the 4th rider. Route 52 has been in pretty good condition over the last couple of years and it is still good riding even though there were a few wet patches and by 1230hrs we were enjoying another stop and chat in Alfredton before dropping two more riders as we headed for Pongaroa. I rode near the rear over this stretch, which did have a bit of loose stuff scattered about and was quite hard to read but it was of no real concern with the easy pace.

Lunch for me was a pie and ginger beer, we dropped one more and I dropped back to TEC as five of us set out on the last leg of the outbound trip to Waipuk'. Once the road opened up after Wimbledon the riding got easier and my economy was pretty good at 18.2Km/Ltr, (although I would guess the Red would be closer to 20Km/Ltr at the pace we had been riding at).

Arriving at Waipuk' just before 1500hrs, I needed to get home so instead of joining the others for a coffee, I went straight to the Mobil for gas and hit the road for home down SH2. The traffic was light (not many opportunities to draught) and I was trying to keep the economy up so I generally sat around 105kph, but with a heading back into a southerly wind meant both the economy and temperature were dropping (from 23º to 18º to 12º) and although it looked pretty dark South of Pahiatua, I figured I couldn't be bothered stopping to put wets on. Consequently I got pissed on through Mt Bruce but it cleared again by Masterton so although the corduras are getting pretty tired, I didn't get too wet. I managed to maintain a reasonably brisk pace over the hill through heavy traffic and finally got home at 1754, managing an average of 90kph over the 257Km from Waipuk'.

It was a long day with me doing 584Km at a total average of 71kph and moving average of 83kph and even with all the stops my hip and butt were pretty uncomfortable, which confirmed my decision to bale from the TT2000 was a very good idea.

With us now being at the end of February, things are finally looking up. I've pretty much caught up at work an the empty flat is about to be occupied, so I might find a bit more time available for riding. The Red still hasn't sold (at $10K) so I've flicked it to an auction with no reserve and a starting bid of $7.5K so I'm optimistic that will sell on Tuesday next week. (If it doesn't, I'm not dropping any further and will either look to trade for a dirt bike or keep it and just keep racking up the Km's on the Red while trying to keep the Black pristine???)

This week sees Gremlin returning from the TT2000 + Sth Is tour with Toto, so it will be good to catch-up on Friday night, then we'll join the Cancer ride on Saturday morning, alkthough I'll just go to Woodville and back (or maybe even less if the weather turns out as wet as it is predicted to be). On Sunday I'm off to Rallywood for a dirt experience with the Uly's....I know I've sworn not to return to the Dark Side.....but the lure is strong!! Dave is to lend me a 200 so hopefully I won't wreck myself!?

I've also made an appointment for an anual 'grease & oil' on the body (even though it has been two years since my last, but I'm also to get another a referal for more x-rays and another inspection done on the hip, as after six years since the last check, that's now deteriorated to the point that it's affecting my riding comfort.

So...All in all,
I'm useless, but not for long
The future is coming on
Bring it on, Bring it on, Bring it on!!

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Comments

  1. Gremlin's Avatar
    We'll catch up on Friday then. Still, you're out and about and riding, so that's what's important

    Oh... and some of us started the 2012 riding year in early January