Rimutakas in a bad state - 16 Jan 06

[skelstar]

Went for a ride over the Takas tonight around 5pm and a large part of it was melted tar. The Wgtn side was mostly melted at the bottom section (where it starts to get interesting), but it seemed most of the Feathers side was melted.

Not. Fun.

Coming back much later and they had dumped lots of pea-gravel with sparsely associated 30km/h ice/grit signs.

Naturally the ashphalt (sp?) is all good, although it has a mean black stripe on it, but the crappy surface they put on the rest last May is the part that melted. There was a thin strip in the middle of the melted lane that was safe as far as I could judge.

I imagine if I was more cynical, old and grumpy I would lament the state of the roading in NZ or something. All I know is that I wont be going all that quick on the hill anytime soon.

Disclaimer: best to have a look yourself...maybe it will be great tomorrow.

[Wasp]

doh, never thought the takas would be wrecked when i had the bike :(

cheers for the heads up, been thinking about heading up that way by myself

[Timber020]

Bloody hot day today, we were working in a big pine near a road overlooking the harbour on the other side of newlands. Tar stuck to everything, (including my now blacker lab pup) I cant imagine there would be many road surfaces around wellington that would be much fun to ride on.

[Steam]

What's riding on soft tar like? Like rain-wet slippery?

[skelstar]

I didnt go fast enough to find out. I dont really push my luck in bad conditions like that. Id say it was worse than rain-wet slippery. Much worse.

[skelstar]

Should point out it wasnt just 'soft', it was down right 'wet'.

ps-post not intented to sound dodgy.

[Shadows]

I headed over Horowhenua way to have a look at a bike. Large sections of the Akatarawa Road were the same, so I took it even easier than that road would normally dictate to the sane ones among us.
I coasted down the other side in neutral, enjoying the sun and smells and looking at the trees and shit. I even got overtaken by some dude on a bicycle who shouted g'day to me as he flew past. :o

[James Deuce]

What's riding on soft tar like? Like rain-wet slippery?

It's like riding on diesel thanks to the oil in the bitumen leeching to the surface of the soft bitumen.

Told you this was going to happen the first time the Sun shone on that road.

I wonder what the surface of the Pahiatua track is like?

[Kendog]

I even got overtaken by some dude on a bicycle who shouted g'day to me as he flew past. :o

Classic :scooter:

[Grub]

Darkman's going to be spewing that he can't get his Wednesday night Takas run tonight

[elle-f]

is anybody going over the takas today and stopping at the top? i am heading up there soon but it would be great to meet somebody up there.

yep, yesterday when we came over the hill at about 4pm the road was disgusting.

[Hitcher]

Mrs H and I went over the Hill last night for some dinner in Greytown. As well as lots of soft tar on the Wellington side, Fulton Hogan had gone mental with grit spreading on the Featherston side -- there are four good bursts of grit. Take care over there folks. I would recommend that TCWNR avoids the Takas tonight.

[Ronin]

Mrs H and I went over the Hill last night for some dinner in Greytown. As well as lots of soft tar on the Wellington side, Fulton Hogan had gone mental with grit spreading on the Featherston side -- there are four good bursts of grit. Take care over there folks. I would recommend that TCWNR avoids the Takas tonight.

Ahhhhh, So it was Mr and Mrs Hitcher we rode past last night :)



Love the bike

[Hitcher]

Ahhhhh, So it was Mr and Mrs Hitcher we rode past last night :)



Love the bike

So you were the three bikes that rode past in Greytown and then we rode past in Featherston?

[Ronin]

So you were the three bikes that rode past in Greytown and then we rode past in Featherston?

Yup Kinje and I dispensing words of wisdom to Lissa before her first ride up the hill. :scooter:

[Lissa]

Yea... they MADE me go up it... glad they did. Good practice for riding on gravel too :gob:

So would it be safe for me to travel the wellington side with the soft tar?

[sunhuntin]

I even got overtaken by some dude on a bicycle who shouted g'day to me as he flew past. :o

used to do that myself. great hills in wangas...peddle enough to get the speed, and then just relax! and hardly had to touch the brakes as the wind would slow me down. lol. weve got 4 good hills here, i used only 3 though. good fun. not as much fun on a bike cos of engine braking, plus the chance of much more braking!

[jimbo600]

Saw logging trucks going up and down the hill yesterday. I thought those fuckers were banned.

[skelstar]

Its wierd, but theres been dark-black tracks going up and down the hill for weeks. Feathers side mostly. Couldnt workout what they were. Now Im guessing it was from a hot tar-melting day a while back.

[Kinje]

Its wierd, but theres been dark-black tracks going up and down the hill for weeks. Feathers side mostly. Couldnt workout what they were. Now Im guessing it was from a hot tar-melting day a while back.

Probably. I've had a ride up on a hot day a while ago and it was a little dodgy in parts. But not nearly as bad as what happened yesterday. Had cooled down a bit and been gritted when we came through.

Grit is WAY worse to ride on than wet road!


So you were the three bikes that rode past in Greytown and then we rode past in Featherston?

That was us

[Hitcher]

So would it be safe for me to travel the wellington side with the soft tar?

Yes. Just take care and pick your route. Don't be afraid to move over and let cars and such overtake, rather than hold them up. Generally the surface is better between the wheelmarks, but it still pays to watch what's happening up front.

Good on you for going up and down on the grit last night. It was a bit deep and hairy in places!

[Lissa]

Yes. Just take care and pick your route. Don't be afraid to move over and let cars and such overtake, rather than hold them up. Generally the surface is better between the wheelmarks, but it still pays to watch what's happening up front.

Good on you for going up and down on the grit last night. It was a bit deep and hairy in places!

Thanks :) Been worrying about going up for ages.. we didnt know about the grit until we got there, wasnt worried too much until we got to the top and boys said how crappy it was. I just took it really really slow, lucky there werent too many cars on the hill. Did my jump in the air when I got to the top and a Weeeeeeeeeee. I usually drive over in a car, with music blaring, riding over on a bike is totally different and very peaceful.. I really enjoyed it, cant wait to do it again :) Will watch out for the soft tar and stuff.. and just take my time next time.

[jrandom]

I even got overtaken by some dude on a bicycle who shouted g'day to me as he flew past. :o

Amazing how much traction one can get from a 10mm² contact patch, isn't it...

I suppose it's some justification for spending $200 on a pair of bicycle tyres.

[Steam]

Mrs H and I went over the Hill last night for some dinner in Greytown.

Did I talk to you at the lights on the highway near Lower Hutt on your way back? I was the guy on the army bike with the light coloured jacket.

[Alice]

I even got overtaken by some dude on a bicycle who shouted g'day to me as he flew past. :o

I used to love doing that on my road racing bike, (pedalling variety) Its quite amusing to overtake cars, there is a hill here in Havelock North, Te Mata Peak which is my favourite descent, I would easily beat cars down every time, leaping the cattle stops on the way.
A few months back there where some motorbikes up the top and I felt like going over to them and asking them for a race down just to see who could descend the fastest, pedal bikes are so manevourable.

There is a large section of SH50 that has a similiar melted road surface. I dislike it in the wet also cause with water sitting on the surface it looks really slippery.

[Hitcher]

Did I talk to you at the lights on the highway near Lower Hutt on your way back? I was the guy on the army bike with the light coloured jacket.

I think that was you.