Takarau Top Ridge Trail Ride at Ohariu Valley, Wellington (13 March 2011)

[mazz1972]

All details here....

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&ea=attend&e=2766&c=6

or here www.hmcc.co.nz

or here www.facebook.com/horo.mcc

There will be some awesome prizes sponsored by Alpinestars, Honda and Torpedo 7!!

[motor_mayhem]

I'm there, especially considering we went up for the Pohangina Valley Trail ride and got all the way to Ashurst only to find it was cancelled. 4hrs driving, $100 gas and nothing to show for it.

Ride this weekend sounds good :yes:

[kezzafish]

I'm there, especially considering we went up for the Pohangina Valley Trail ride and got all the way to Ashurst only to find it was cancelled. 4hrs driving, $100 gas and nothing to show for it.

Ride this weekend sounds good :yes:

wow, that's a bugger. why was it cancelled? ya shoulda hit tangimoana to make the drive worthwhile.

See ya at ohariu

[motor_mayhem]

wow, that's a bugger. why was it cancelled? ya shoulda hit tangimoana to make the drive worthwhile.

See ya at ohariu

Apparently it was too wet, so then we tried Taikorea and that was closed due to being fire season (go figure that aye). IMO they should make the call the day before as I can check but pretty sure there wasn't torrential rain there. I don't really know where Tangimoana is really or where to go when you get there.

[kezzafish]

233880


It's at the end of tangimoana beach rd. So you basically turn off SH1 and keep turning left until you get to a big sand drift that covers the road. Park here and ride the rest of the way. Ride over the sand dune and almost down to the beach. You'll see a track that runs parallel to the beach, follow this into the dunes and then into the forest. The pine forest runs from Tangimoana to Himatangi. There's heaps of trails in there and some good sandy hill climbs. you'll love it.
233882

As you can see. The turn off is very near Taikorea
233883

[Mungatoke Mad]

All details here....

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&ea=attend&e=2766&c=6

or here www.hmcc.co.nz

or here www.facebook.com/horo.mcc

There will be some awesome prizes sponsored by Alpinestars, Honda and Torpedo 7!!Entry fee ???

[Pornstar]

I'll be there, after my 2 month hiatis.

[kezzafish]

I'll be there, after my 2 month hiatis.

choooyce cuz

[Pornstar]

Yuppitty yup yup. hangin:yes:

[nomnomnom]

Just heard this advertised on the rock, entry fee $30

[mazz1972]

Entry fee ???

$30 main track
$20 kids track

HMCC members $5 discount

Prices include lunch

:)

[mazz1972]

Apparently it was too wet, so then we tried Taikorea and that was closed due to being fire season (go figure that aye). IMO they should make the call the day before as I can check but pretty sure there wasn't torrential rain there. I don't really know where Tangimoana is really or where to go when you get there.

Not always possible to make a call the day before, it depends when the rain happens!

[mazz1972]

CanTeen have arranged some awesome spot prizes - t-shirts, caps, water bottle, hoodies, jackets etc.

There will be a coffee cart onsite, but please bring cash for this as the mobile eftpos machine may not get reception.

Looking forward to a great day!

[pete.ktm]

awesome ride.

some pics @ http://www.kaseus.net/gallery/hmcc-takarau-top-ridge-ride

that tall guy in black picking up a ktm 2 minutes into the ride wasn't you was it kezza? lol.

[kezzafish]

ha haaa, sure was

[motor_mayhem]

Awesome ride, awesome views and awesome that it was so close to home. Please do more like it :woohoo:

Now I have to carve up my helmet cam footage and make a highlights package.

[mazz1972]

Awesome ride, awesome views and awesome that it was so close to home. Please do more like it :woohoo:

Now I have to carve up my helmet cam footage and make a highlights package.

Any ideas for a venue? Land around Welly available for a trail ride is rare as hen's teeth unfortunately.

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[mazz1972]

Any more feedback from anyone else who went would be appreciated!

[crfchick]

I agree! Was fabulous having a decent trail ride so close to home, great turn out too, and the track was fun although I didnt like that 2 way system at the start but I guess there wasnt much avoiding it!


Awesome ride, awesome views and awesome that it was so close to home. Please do more like it :woohoo:

Now I have to carve up my helmet cam footage and make a highlights package.

[pete.ktm]

ha haaa, sure was

Still got the mad skillz, lol

You roll down the bank or go and have a 'talk' with the guy that dumped you? the bike seemed to be on the ground with no kezza to pick it up for a while.

Only things about the ride i can suggest would be to have an international reference for what an 'A' section is. We had a guy who is just getting back into riding and the A sections put him off so we didn't do them the first couple of laps. Did them when he had had enough and they were great, and i'm no 'A' rider. Although we didn't push our luck and do the triple A loop - anyone do that? And i know it's really not possible to have a standard 'A' loop, maybe just a better description at the briefing of what they are, like "the first A loop has a steep rocky climb, the 2nd is a big downhill etc etc".

The two way markings were good when we took off and the instructions were still fresh in our minds but it maybe wasn't so clear when coming home stuffed after riding for 2 hours and a few cones had been knocked over, maybe a big orange paint job down the middle of the road to remind us.

Any idea how many riders there were?

It was good to finally see the wind turbines, shame we couldn't get closer or go down to the beach but i guess we're pretty lucky to be still able to ride 20 minutes from my house (well occasionally anyway).

[kezzafish]

ahhh, sounds like someone else's crash now? was I down the side of a downhill right hander on the grass?

Triple A was a mother of a hill climb, twas awesome. The ride was sweet. The A sections really make these rides worth it for me as the dusty farm tracks get a bit boring in my opinion unless you're going flat out but the consequences were a bit tooo serious to go flat out for me. Awesome views. Thanks for putting these rides on.

[pete.ktm]

ahhh, sounds like someone else's crash now? was I down the side of a downhill right hander on the grass?

this you? surely no one else would have dropped it so soon, lol.

[kezzafish]

ha haaaa, great... photographic evidence. Yeah that's my bike but i seem to have abscondered? Must have been in a daze. That was the first of two. The second one was even funnier.

[Pornstar]

And what else kezza? hmmm?

[rossrc]

ha haaaa, great... photographic evidence. Yeah that's my bike but i seem to have abscondered? Must have been in a daze. That was the first of two. The second one was even funnier.

That was me trying to hide your shame... either that or I was trying to run you over... can't recall ;)

[rossrc]

Kezza, Maybe your bike has finally figured out that ginger on ginger is just wrong and was trying to spit you off?

[kezzafish]

yeah it'll be something like that ross. All i know is there's no way I was at fault lol

[Pornstar]

That long downhill through 3 paddocks with all the bumpys was sa weet. but the bit along side the coast with the 200m vertical drop had me impressed, grave results if ya muppeted it up.

[Pornstar]

Woo Hoo, Cheers Pete, your friendly nieghborhood pornstar made into one of your pics, and its got an upright Kezza in it too. Rare.

[mazz1972]

Only things about the ride i can suggest would be to have an international reference for what an 'A' section is. We had a guy who is just getting back into riding and the A sections put him off so we didn't do them the first couple of laps. Did them when he had had enough and they were great, and i'm no 'A' rider. Although we didn't push our luck and do the triple A loop - anyone do that? And i know it's really not possible to have a standard 'A' loop, maybe just a better description at the briefing of what they are, like "the first A loop has a steep rocky climb, the 2nd is a big downhill etc etc".

The two way markings were good when we took off and the instructions were still fresh in our minds but it maybe wasn't so clear when coming home stuffed after riding for 2 hours and a few cones had been knocked over, maybe a big orange paint job down the middle of the road to remind us.

Any idea how many riders there were?

It was good to finally see the wind turbines, shame we couldn't get closer or go down to the beach but i guess we're pretty lucky to be still able to ride 20 minutes from my house (well occasionally anyway).

We would prefer not to have the 2-way sections at all but without them there wouldn't have been a way to work the ride.

Just over 500 riders.

Opinions differ so much with grading A sections. We still get the odd person telling us the main (B) sections are too hard! Can't please everyone.

[nomnomnom]

I did this ride, it was my first time ever on a dirt bike :) at least one of yas would have probably seen me, i was the chick on my ass every 5-10 minutes lol! crashing wasnt too bad, just the fact that i was in peoples way everytime i crashed sucked! Lesson learned = dont crash!

Other than i though it was a pretty awesome loop. Took me ages and there were lots of different obstacles. I mastered uphill starts! My crash in one of the bogs was pretty difficult. The one with the steep downhill on rock, into bog/mud, then sharp right uphill again? Yeah, I hit a tree at the bottom of that trying to keep to the left of the sticky mud LOL bike stuck in mud, foot stuck in mud, gah it was terrible. But managed to drag the bike out and up onto solid ground, then get it started again (kickstart fun times) and then get to the top of the hill for a rest and my sweet sweet powerade mmmmm.

[Pornstar]

Thats the spirit. it does get easier. Riding that is, not crashing.

[andy mac]

Well done Nom3 but you must have an exhibitionist streak to have your first offs with 500 riders watching :rolleyes:

Maz - my comments about the ride organisation is the signs for the challenge sections should be bigger. I did 2 laps without seeing the 2 challenges before the AAA and other riders were the same.

I also agree with the earlier opinion that the challenge sections be described at the briefing. The AAA rating certainly scared me away off until lap 4 I started with much trepidation. The downhill demanded focus and I was totally stoked to get up the hill. Damn have to do another lap to do it again. :headbang:
Then arm pump and totally fooked. Time to go home.

Thanks HMCC for a top day :clap:

[pete.ktm]

Well done Nom3 but you must have an exhibitionist streak to have your first offs with 500 riders watching :rolleyes:

nah that was keeza, but he enjoys a bit of humiliation.

keep it up nom, everyone was a newbie once. just ride your own ride, the faster riders will find a way round you and someone will eventually give you a push if you get stuck (but maybe after getting roostered a few times).

[motor_mayhem]

Thanks HMCC for a top day :clap:

You took the wr there? It's road reg'd?

If so, I think I chatted with you while waiting for the bog to clear of riders.

[nomnomnom]

Hehehe cheers all, im not sure if I fell off in front of 500 people lol. I did come off nearing the top of the first gravel hill so i probably did have an audience, there was a lot of people standing at the top when I finally got up there!

Cant wait for the next ride tho, even though my legs are still all bruised up hahaha. Im fully itching to ride again!

[andy mac]

You took the wr there? It's road reg'd?

If so, I think I chatted with you while waiting for the bog to clear of riders.

Maybe but since I'm an impatient queue jumper :facepalm: it was probably my mate (Poms love queuing) who also has a reg'd WRR.