2021 TT2000 is on!!

[wpoll]

Greetings!

Had enough of being told by "Mum" that you need to stay at home? Well, now you can make good use of the time by planning your 2021 TT2000 ride! :-)

The 2021 TT2000 is now open for entries...

https://www.tt2000.org/

Have at it... :Punk:

TT HQ

[Racing Dave]

Nicki and I have been exploring...

[wpoll]

Nicki and I have been exploring...

Is the rail crossing (second image) at Ferniehurst, Dave? Different angle that doesn't look familiar....:msn-wink:

[Racing Dave]

Is the rail crossing (second image) at Ferniehurst, Dave? Different angle that doesn't look familiar....:msn-wink:

Sure is - I tried the photo in the way you have, but with the sun directly in the camera's lens it was hard for it to be a good one. Here it is again - same angle but further back. Big trees!

[Racing Dave]

Yesterday, Nicki and I did some more exploring.

There was a howling nor'wester and it was 26-deg C at Hororata but when we arrived at Mystery Checkpoint 1 (wherever that might be...) it was 10-deg C.

The joys of spring!

[Kickaha]

Sure is !

Did you go through the Hookhamsnyvy to Mendip ?

[Racing Dave]

Did you go through the Hookhamsnyvy to Mendip ?

Not this trip - shortest/quickest route only, when pressing on. On a TT2000, unlike for the Rolling Stones, time is never on your side.

[wpoll]

... There was a howling nor'wester and it was 26-deg C ....

When I scouted that chekpoint at Hazelburn, it was about 30-degC LESS than that!!! :eek5:

[arpa]

I just started the preparation for my first TT2000 next year. I was thinking to offer accommodation for anyone (I mean the riders of this event) on the way to the start, on the way home after finishing or even during the rally. It isn't too exciting, to staying in Christchurch, I know but if someone interested just send me a PM.
Also as a reasonably newbie to long distance riding, I could use some advise, like routing and these kind of "strategic" stuff. I've done the longest day ride last year, also some 600-800km day trips so hopefully I'm ready for this one too.
I don't know, it's probably pretty early to think about it, making plans but I found it kind of exciting, so let's talk about it.

[Racing Dave]

Also as a reasonably newbie to long distance riding, I could use some advise, like routing and these kind of "strategic" stuff. I've done the longest day ride last year, also some 600-800km day trips so hopefully I'm ready for this one too.

My advice, for your first ride, would be to just do the minimum distance, and you'll easily get sufficient points along the way. I'd ride 600km on Friday (finish by 10pm), 1000km on Saturday (start at 6am, finish by 10pm), and then 400km on Sunday (finish by noon!). Try to get good sleep.

Average speed is generally lower than if you were just going for a ride, as the many stops nibble away at the time. The routing you'll choose will depend on whether you wish to visit the checkpoints that are on gravel roads.

It's important to eat, hydrate, and take rest breaks.

Read the advice and follow the links on the Rally Safety tab on the TT2000 website. Plenty of good info there.

Have you found the Mystery Checkpoints? You'll ride past them anyway - might as well get the points!

See you in Oamaru - only 134 days till the start...

[FJRider]

I just started the preparation for my first TT2000 next year. I was thinking to offer accommodation for anyone (I mean the riders of this event) on the way to the start, on the way home after finishing or even during the rally. It isn't too exciting, to staying in Christchurch, I know but if someone interested just send me a PM.
Also as a reasonably newbie to long distance riding, I could use some advise, like routing and these kind of "strategic" stuff. I've done the longest day ride last year, also some 600-800km day trips so hopefully I'm ready for this one too.
I don't know, it's probably pretty early to think about it, making plans but I found it kind of exciting, so let's talk about it.

The basic simple theory is to take the shortest possible route ... to gain the absolute minimum points to qualify.

A number of south island maps will give you a "Hard Copy" version to think on and be familiar with as you plan possible routes.

You may add extra checkpoints in some areas if time permits. Mark these "Possible" extras on you map plan. Picking up extras ... may allow you to delete a few if you get behind time later.

Long distance motorcycling often encounters issues not of your making ... nor your fault in planning your ride. Allow for those ... and use the extra spare time later (if you can) to pick up points.

You can check out checkpoints on Google maps street view. Sat view for some of the gravel ones.


Start building up longer (and longer) day rides with "Practice" checkpoints to get yourself in the right frame of mind as to what you need to do. Also include night rides too. You may find yourself alone in some very remote areas ... in the dark. And pass some very friendly (and open) houses of hospitality ... and I can assure you ... you would love to stop. Thus ... take a large bag of self control ... and an equally large bag of confidence.

Not wasting time will save you time. And reduces the need to go faster to make up time.

Remember ... you are not proving anything to anybody else.

Lastly ... enjoy the ride ...

[arpa]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your comments, I'm probably the most frequent visitor on the TT2000 website since I made my mind up. That was pretty helpful as well. So I made up V 1.0 rout so I have a solid starting point already. At least something to be able to modify. I probably making up a second one with opposite direction, just in case, it might worth it to have something ready.
Living in CHCH, I'm fairly familiar with the area, I/we already been pretty much everywhere what I plotted up, so finding the spots are not going to be an issue. I fall in short of mileage by 20km (based on the plan) which means we have to make a few extra miles before the finish. Of course I kept everything flexible and hopefully we will do better than I expected. Well I saying we, as my better half decided to come with me. Which is fine, we did some great rides last January (some of them was even more than 2000km in 48 hours) so we will be fine. Here is my plan if someone interested, feel free to comment on it.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Vfy5HbbL2w4HtYIjerEwRjL8Uh52Jhif&usp=sharing
Getting accommodation is still in progress, I'm not even sure if I make any booking for Saturday night, as that is the most flexible day. I'll keep family ready that day to find a place to stay while we riding. Is it a good idea?

[Racing Dave]

Nicki and I carried out a few more days exploring last week. This time in Otago and Southland.

[Racing Dave]

... and some more.

[wpoll]

Great pics, Dave! :corn:

The Glenkenich sign has an addition - the second panel with "Siding" on it. Most odd... This sign changes nearly annually!

[biggo]

You do have an advantage being in the right island for some weekend scouting :drool:

However you will miss out on the frustrations of your GPS leading you astray in the middle of the night ! At least thats what happens to me LOL :cool:

[Racing Dave]

However you will miss out on the frustrations of your GPS leading you astray in the middle of the night ! At least thats what happens to me LOL :cool:

A GPS is a fine thing - until it isn't! I use one + a rolling paper route sheet (easy to add notes) + my feeble memory. All good fun!

A few years ago, when nearing Chch on the Sunday morning, the last checkpoint was near the Selwyn River. I'd mis-programmed my GPS but I was so tired that when I realised, it took a serious thinking to remember which bank of the river it was on, and how to get to it. Still made it back before noon...

[arpa]

You do have an advantage being in the right island for some weekend scouting :drool:

However you will miss out on the frustrations of your GPS leading you astray in the middle of the night ! At least thats what happens to me LOL :cool:


That is what we just done yesterday (Sunday) to try our luck. So we span around to complete our "Friday" rout (apart from the way up from the start) just to see how we can improve things. Don't forget this will be our first time checkpoint rally. We learned a couple of thing for sure. Even we did not left Christchurch and got lost... embarrassing but hey that's why the practice...:Oops:

We made 52k points worth of checkpoints which pretty much highlighted the mileage will be lot more difficult task.
So what we learned, the most important to get the coordinates set as target rather than just the name of the places... Sherwood and MacDonald Down gave us a bit of headache, however when I read the descriptions later at home... I should do it before we left...
At the mean time it was a very great day out, we went places what we never seen before.
<blockquote class="embedly-card" data-card-controls="0" data-card-key="f1631a41cb254ca5b035dc5747a5bd75"><h4><a href="https://www.relive.cc/view/vNOPP8JG2YO?r=embed-site">Relive 'Practice ride for the TT2000 next year'</a></h4></blockquote>
<script async src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>

[biggo]

That is what we just done yesterday (Sunday) to try our luck. So we span around to complete our "Friday" rout (apart from the way up from the start) just to see how we can improve things. Don't forget this will be our first time checkpoint rally. We learned a couple of thing for sure. Even we did not left Christchurch and got lost... embarrassing but hey that's why the practice...:Oops:

We made 52k points worth of checkpoints which pretty much highlighted the mileage will be lot more difficult task.
So what we learned, the most important to get the coordinates set as target rather than just the name of the places... Sherwood and MacDonald Down gave us a bit of headache, however when I read the descriptions later at home... I should do it before we left...
At the mean time it was a very great day out, we went places what we never seen before.
<blockquote class="embedly-card" data-card-controls="0" data-card-key="f1631a41cb254ca5b035dc5747a5bd75"><h4><a href="https://www.relive.cc/view/vNOPP8JG2YO?r=embed-site">Relive 'Practice ride for the TT2000 next year'</a></h4></blockquote>
<script async src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>



Love the video thing thats really cool do you have tracking device to work that ?

[arpa]

No, app on Android phone (IOS also available) and just start tracking. Most of the functions are free, however I signed up for the trial period to see if it is worth it. Unfortunately editing the video only for the paid version. I edited old GPX file from sailing what I recorded with a different tracker and seems working fine as well. In general, not bad at all. If you gonna try it don't forget to turn off the highest speed option on the final video to avoid further implications...

[Racing Dave]

I always find it interesting to see others' routes - your loop in North Canterbury is almost the exact opposite direction to when I did my trial run.

What is the significance of the photo taken at the bridge, after the MacDonald Downs checkpoint?

[arpa]

I always find it interesting to see others' routes - your loop in North Canterbury is almost the exact opposite direction to when I did my trial run.

What is the significance of the photo taken at the bridge, after the MacDonald Downs checkpoint?

significance... hm the scenery perhaps. Also I always wanted to stop on the middle of a one lane bridge just for the adrenalin spike, what if someone is coming, what if I hold up the busy traffic... well that wasn't the case there but as I said, that was a practice day.
Seriously I was thinking about to reverse the loop, based on the timing, just to keep the "easy highway" part to the end of the long day (we will heading to Oamaru on Friday morning). On Sunday i wanted to avoid traffic there as much we could.

[arpa]

I just working on the next weekend's route, which is CHCH to Benmore and back. I appreciate the fact this lot more than hop on the bike and get around the block... just like we did last weekend. So the next one will be a little more organized and by February hmm, who knows, we might going to be prepared....

[Racing Dave]

I'm glad that the bridge photo is innocuous and not part of the TT2000 course; I'd be upset if I'd missed something.

As far as preparation goes, remember the seven Ps. Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

See you in Oamaru in February!

[arpa]

I'm glad that the bridge photo is innocuous and not part of the TT2000 course; I'd be upset if I'd missed something.

As far as preparation goes, remember the seven Ps. Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

See you in Oamaru in February!
Yes, seven Ps... It's new for me, but I can see the point. Luckily plenty of time until February so we can squeeze in some planned trips as well. I kinda like the idea of trying to find spots. It seems tag-o-rama is like this. I might need to dig in a little. By the chance, do you know any specific place to start looking?

[Racing Dave]

By the chance, do you know any specific place to start looking?

I don't want to sound too flippant, but I looked here: https://www.tt2000.org/2021-checkpoints-info.html

[arpa]

The last free weekend before Christmas what I've been able to spare for a ride. A few checkpoint cleared and we polished our/my navigation skills. Pretty close now... still a few mockup. Also I keep forgot to resume tracking after a longer stopover. Nice day, we clocked 906 km, with a great average speed.
<div class="embedly-responsive" style="position: relative;padding-bottom: 78.2227%;height: 0;overflow: hidden;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjAJ5BZJq/widget?r=embed-site&url=https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjAJ5BZJq?r=embed-site&image=https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjAJ5BZJq/png?x-ref=embed-site&key=f1631a41cb254ca5b035dc5747a5bd75&type=text/html&schema=relive" width="1024" height="801" style="position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;width: 100%;height: 100%;"></iframe></div>

[wpoll]

Hi Folks,

Registrations for the 2021 TT2000 rally close in 24 hours (at midnight on 31st January 2021) - so if you are still thinking about joinng us (all 240-odd of us!!!) then now's good... :yes:

Cheers,

Wayne @ TT HQ