Riding months in Christchurch?

[grusomhat]

I'm heading of to Christchurch this year and am taking the bike with me. I don't have the greatest storage for the bike so I plan on bringing it back to Napier for the months that I am unable to ride.

So what I would like to know is, what months are generally unrideable in CHCH and the SI? I also need to sort out when my rego expires so I can have it put on hold at the start of not riding it.

EDIT: At this stage I'm thinking just winter?

[sefer]

Maybe you better tell us exactly what you feel will prevent you from riding? What exactly are you expecting? Huge snow drifts or something :p

I, and I'm sure most others, ride all year. There are some places it pays to be aware of, as the higher hills nearby are often gritted for ice (whether there is ice or not), but nowhere you can't ride.

[McWild]

Yeah, how bad does it have to be to be considered "unrideable"?

[grusomhat]

Maybe you better tell us exactly what you feel will prevent you from riding? What exactly are you expecting? Huge snow drifts or something :p

I, and I'm sure most others, ride all year. There are some places it pays to be aware of, as the higher hills nearby are often gritted for ice (whether there is ice or not), but nowhere you can't ride.

Haha, I realised after I wrote that that I sound like I was expecting canadian type weather. No, just not really keen on riding in freezing weather.

Would you recommend heated hand grips and a large dose of HTFU? Because heated hand grips I can do.

EDIT: More to the point. The new cost of registration is going to sting and I can really justify having the bike registered if I can't use it at least 2-3 times a week,

[onearmedbandit]

Never had the need for heated hand grips myself, nor anyone else I ride with. We get the odd bit of snow (it's still a talking point when it does snow here in the city), some frosty (and icy in same shaded parts of the city) mornings, but it isn't really that bad.

[ukusa]

I'm heading of to Christchurch this year and am taking the bike with me. I don't have the greatest storage for the bike so I plan on bringing it back to Napier for the months that I am unable to ride.

So what I would like to know is, what months are generally unrideable in CHCH and the SI? I also need to sort out when my rego expires so I can have it put on hold at the start of not riding it.

EDIT: At this stage I'm thinking just winter?

The shit summer we are having has created a lot of undesirable riding days already!
Normally (if there is such a thing) Christchurch is the driest of the main centres. We do get a lot of frosts though, mostly July - Sept. This usually only affects the mornings as they day usually comes out fine (if a little cool). The surrounding hills can have grit spread during these months though, and sometimes through Oct/Nov as well.
Saying that, last August we had better riding weather that we have now!

If I was putting reg on hold, I would probably choose June/July/August.

[grusomhat]

The shit summer we are having has created a lot of undesirable riding days already!
Normally (if there is such a thing) Christchurch is the driest of the main centres. We do get a lot of frosts though, mostly July - Sept. This usually only affects the mornings as they day usually comes out fine (if a little cool). The surrounding hills can have grit spread during these months though, and sometimes through Oct/Nov as well.
Saying that, last August we had better riding weather that we have now!

If I was putting reg on hold, I would probably choose June/July/August.

Thanks, that's what I was hoping someone could tell me.

I'm thinking now though I may just keep it registerd and hope for the best :D

[Silage]

I ride every day commuting to work. In winter I have one exception - if it has rained in the night and then cleared and frozen I use another form of transport as there can be sheet ice. As for more discretionary riding, then I first take a look out the door and at the weather map and then...

[sondela]

Thanks, that's what I was hoping someone could tell me.

I'm thinking now though I may just keep it registerd and hope for the best :D

I'd keep it registered, in winter you get beautiful days just perfect for going out on the bike, just gotta dress warm is all.

I put pretty much the same sort of miles on the bike in any month, this is meant to be the middle of summer, and I've done more riding in July!!

[ukusa]

good idea if you can afford to as last winter produced alot of above average temps & great riding weather. Pity about summer though.

[Virago]

January - stupidly hot. The Mad-Dog Nor'wester brings stifling heat from inland.
February - slightly hotter.
March - not quite as hot, but the nor-wester flattens any structure, or person silly enough to venture out.
April - slightly windier.
May - the first of the winter frosts.
June - frosts most mornings.
July - expect snow.
August - less snow, but more frosts.
September - The nor'wester starts again.
October - Slightly windier.
November - Nor'wester getting stupidly hot again. Expect thunderstorms.
December - Mad Dog Nor-wester time again. Drives everyone insane, all car drivers become homicidal.

[grusomhat]

January - stupidly hot. The Mad-Dog Nor'wester brings stifling heat from inland.
February - slightly hotter.
March - not quite as hot, but the nor-wester flattens any structure, or person silly enough to venture out.
April - slightly windier.
May - the first of the winter frosts.
June - frosts most mornings.
July - expect snow.
August - less snow, but more frosts.
September - The nor'wester starts again.
October - Slightly windier.
November - Nor'wester getting stupidly hot again. Expect thunderstorms.
December - Mad Dog Nor-wester time again. Drives everyone insane, all car drivers become homicidal.

Hmm, maybe I'll leave the bike in Napier :)

Alright I've decided I'll keep it down there. I have to update my rego as I lost my sticker/holder and It's only got a couple of months left so I might as well just top it up and get a new holder for free.

[imdying]

Naw, you never expect snow here.

It's year round riding here, just thermals and thicker gloves for 2-3 months is all.

[Mikkel]

Yep, although you'd better keep an eye out for grit in the winter months...

...oh, and buy a motard! :headbang:

Summer has its own issues - melting tar and melting brains. When the heat comes up the tar starts leaking and cars execute the most amazing stunts you could imagine.

[grusomhat]

Yep, although you'd better keep an eye out for grit in the winter months...

...oh, and buy a motard! :headbang:

Summer has its own issues - melting tar and melting brains. When the heat comes up the tar starts leaking and cars execute the most amazing stunts you could imagine.

I know what you mean about summer, bloody worse than winter. You never know when a roads going to be melting tar or freshly laid chipseal.

I'll get a motard one day, just need to get though the sportsbike phase of bike ownership.

[Oakie]

I ride every day and ease thru the winter months with my heated hand grips.

[NZPETE]

Best Riding months in Christchurch - or anywhere in New Zealand for that matter. January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. TOUGHEN UP !!!!!!
Pete

[shrub]

I don't recall there being a bad month. A few bad days here and there - a few days in summer it's too hot, it snows one or two days and sleet is no fun which happens a a few times. Overall I reckon there are probably 20 or 30 days a year when riding is too hard, but otherwise it's all good down here.

Winter you need to pick your roads though, as grit is a guaranteed sphincter tightener

[FJRider]

About June, Lyttelton harbour freeze's over solid ... traffic gets a bit tricky then. But the twice daily passes of the snowplough on the MAIN streets keep things moving. Highway one gets three times daily ... on good days ...

but down in Central Otago ... it doesn't get below zero degrees ... often ... :innocent:

[SMOKEU]

It gets a bit cold down here riding in the mornings or after 1700 in winter generally speaking.

[Cynic]

I have piked out on riding to work a couple of times in the last couple of years. Only once was it a necessary call and the others were being over cautious. The one time it was necessary however was as previously described, cold rain in the evening then cleared and sheet ice formed on roughly everything. Even the 4x4 was frankly untidy on the way to work that day. Best thing to do is watch your daily route to work through Autumn, the bits where the road stays wet longer than the rest after light rain are going to be a bastard in a frost so figure out an alternate route to work or be extremely careful on those bits when it starts getting properly cold...

[cruza]

I'm heading of to Christchurch this year and am taking the bike with me. I don't have the greatest storage for the bike so I plan on bringing it back to Napier for the months that I am unable to ride.

So what I would like to know is, what months are generally unrideable in CHCH and the SI? I also need to sort out when my rego expires so I can have it put on hold at the start of not riding it.

EDIT: At this stage I'm thinking just winter?

wouldn't it cost more to get back to napier ? :rolleyes:

lovely sunny afternoon, nothing much on..........oh yeah f....ing bikes in napier.
come down ride heaps , i'm sure some garage space will turn up, some good bods down here

[Berries]

Would you recommend heated hand grips and a large dose of HTFU?

Not sure about the hand grips.

Even further down south there are no unrideable months. There's just a few days in winter where you might have to change your plans, but hey, work sucks anyway.

[grusomhat]

wouldn't it cost more to get back to napier ? :rolleyes:

lovely sunny afternoon, nothing much on..........oh yeah f....ing bikes in napier.
come down ride heaps , i'm sure some garage space will turn up, some good bods down here

Um shit I didn't really think that through did I. You are in fact correct. Anyway I've decided to keep the bike in CHCH and just ride it year round. I actually do have a garage in their that I can store it in if need be.

Thanks everyone

[HenryDorsetCase]

Maybe you better tell us exactly what you feel will prevent you from riding? What exactly are you expecting? Huge snow drifts or something :p

I, and I'm sure most others, ride all year. There are some places it pays to be aware of, as the higher hills nearby are often gritted for ice (whether there is ice or not), but nowhere you can't ride.

not this skinny white boy. July August and most of September are usually "off" for me. I'm too old to freeze my nuts off, or worry about ice and grit and shit, or to willingly ride in the rain. been there, done that, own a slightly damp and smelly t shirt with the logo on it. Riding for me is a sunny day, pure pleasure thing, like masturbation.

[ukusa]

apparently January's good riding weather, if you like getting fucking soaked!
Advice must have been based on last year.