Nooby sticking his head above the parapet! [Archive]

Mint Sauce

17th July 2007, 17:58

Hi All

Just thought I would stick my head above the parapet even at the risk of getting it shot or cut off.

Recent immigrant (english take away for a kiwi girl) and now settled in Christchurch.

Just returned to a bike after a 20+ year gap (old enough to get full membership of Ulysses). After some years of mountain biking in different countries just couldn't resist what the South Island has to offer for a dual sport.

So just bought me a Japper 2006 Dakar with 7600 km on the clock at a sweet price compared to new and now getting my wheels feel back again. It may look pretty and modern, have fuel injection and ABS but it's just an old thumper at heart.

So just a few questions:

No previous off road experience, so any guidance from some local riders on off road rides to cut my teeth on in the Cristchurch area?
Any suggestions for a playground to practice off road stuff?
Hints on what to carry for a day ride with off road and long weekends?
Any other nooby around in the same position want to share the learning experience?
Anyone who does mentoring on adventure riding in this area? Could not find anyone on the site?
Anything else anyone has to offer a nooby?

When I get up to speed hope to see some of you around on the trails.

Mint Sauce

skelstar

17th July 2007, 18:26

Welcome to NZ...you lucky bastard being in the SI (born there).

Hawkeye

17th July 2007, 18:27

Welcome to the mad house. Just one word of warning... Don't feed the animals.

Meanie

17th July 2007, 18:46

Welcome to kb and to our fine country Mint sauce
You have ended up at the right site, plenty of good people and contacts here

merv

17th July 2007, 19:02

mmmmmm lamb goes well with mint sauce.

Christchurch is a great adventure place - loved it when I lived there years ago.

cooneyr

17th July 2007, 19:02

Welcome to KB. Lamb to the slaughter bring the mint sauce aye.

There are a number of adv riders around chch. We seem to get out and about relatively regularly.

A good place to find a few gravel roads to try your hand at is around Banks Peninsular. Lees Valley is another good day ride. If you want to get muddy the north side of the Waimak (go over the bridge on the old main north road).

As for what to carry there are a few threads on here about tools and gear.

I don't think anybody here does adventure riding mentoring but you are welcome to join in on rides. Keep an eye out in the ADV section or the Meetings and Events section.

Cheers R

tri boy

17th July 2007, 20:28

Welcome to the site.
Your going to be spoilt for choice regarding rides down there. Just ignore the one eyed Cantabs. They don't know any better.:dodge:

Mom

17th July 2007, 20:32

Welcome to NZ and to KB Mint Sauce, I am certain you will find us all normal :shutup: You have chosen a pretty nice place to settle!

Transalper

17th July 2007, 20:42

Yea, welcome, quickest way to learn is to ride with us, I'm sure we are full of it, um, I mean full of good advice when there is advice to give, if it's wanted at the time.
Check out my youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=transalpernz) for some video of our more interesting trips... and some less interesting ones too.

sels1

17th July 2007, 20:48

Welcome aboard Mint Sauce. Plenty of fun roads around Banks Peninsula

far queue

17th July 2007, 22:17

A good place to find a few gravel roads to try your hand at is around Banks Peninsular. Lees Valley is another good day ride. If you want to get muddy the north side of the Waimak (go over the bridge on the old main north road). blah blah blah ...Yeah, wot he said. The Waimak is good for learning - nice and close, you can just play on the shingle roads and stop banks, or head out into the riverbed for a bit more challenge, or into the bush tracks and mud, etc - whatever takes your fancy at the time.
Yea, welcome, quickest way to learn is to ride with us, I'm sure we are full of it, um, I mean full of good advice when there is advice to give, if it's wanted at the time.
Check out my youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=transalpernz) for some video of our more interesting trips... and some less interesting ones too.Watch him, he just wants you to come along so he can catch you falling off on video :dodge: But all the same, tag along on a ride, you'll be most welcome. It doesn't matter if you're slow to start with, there's plenty of stops to regroup.

Oh, and welcome aboard.

426crasher

17th July 2007, 22:43

Hi ther mint sauce
Welcome to NZ from a fellow pommie. Loads of good places to crash your beemer round canty. I'm up for a ride along the wimak or around banks if you like.What part of the UK you from.

RedKLR650

18th July 2007, 00:21

Hi All
Recent immigrant (english take away for a kiwi girl) :nono:and now settled in Christchurch. :shit:
Just returned to a bike after a 20+ year gap (old enough to get full membership of Ulysses). :gob: After some years of mountain biking in different countries just couldn't resist what the South Island has to offer for a dual sport.:bye:
So just bought me a Japper 2006 Dakar with 7600 km on the clock at a sweet price compared to new and now getting my wheels feel back again. It may look pretty and modern, have fuel injection and ABS but it's just an old thumper at heart. :love:Mint Sauce

So thats whhere all the girls are, overseas ordering takeaways..... :nono:

Anyway, welcome to the asylum, keep reading the threads on here and you'll meet all sorts of crazy wonderful people and if you ask nicely, they may just invite you on a few rides :-)

No, seriously, the adventure group from Canterbury are a great lot, and they have some pretty good rides too

Looking forward to catching up on a ride sometime

Stu ( Also a young Ulyssian ) :innocent:

Mint Sauce

19th July 2007, 13:38

clint640

19th July 2007, 13:44

The 1:50 000 260 series topomaps are probably what you're after, next up is the 1:250 000 ones. Most of us Adv-Geeks have them digitally: maptoaster, nzmapped or memory-map being the common ones.

& welcome to NZ! hopefully I'll be down south again over summer for some more riding.

Cheers
Clint

cooneyr

19th July 2007, 13:49

Well first of all thanks to everyone for the warm welcome to NZ, KB and Adveture Biking. Really appreciated.

Special thanks to Coonyer, Transalper, Sels1, farqueue and 426crasher for a mixture of ride info and invites to ride. Will come back by PM on the invites when I have had a bit more refresher time on the bike.

Someone asked what part of Pommy land I was from. Liverpool originally, but a long time ago; I can assure you no wheels have ever gone missing in any group I have ridden with!

Can anyone advise the best large scale map for the Banks? Something equivalent to the OS series in the UK is what I am looking (1km to 1cm).

A place to start for Topographical Maps is here (http://www.nztopoonline.linz.govt.nz/website/nzmgtopo/terms_cond.htm). LINZ produce all the NZ topos at the various scales. Otherwise for road maps there is Wises (http://www.wises.co.nz/) (sort of NZ version of Michelin maps).

Cheers R

tri boy

19th July 2007, 14:18

A place to start for Topographical Maps is here (http://www.nztopoonline.linz.govt.nz/website/nzmgtopo/terms_cond.htm). LINZ produce all the NZ topos at the various scales. Otherwise for road maps there is Wises (http://www.wises.co.nz/) (sort of NZ version of Michelin maps).

Cheers R
I totally agree.:yes: 1:50,000 scale breaks the areas down nicely.

Adux

19th July 2007, 19:20

tri boy

19th July 2007, 19:28

Welcome Adux. I'm sure the 400 will serve you well. Theres alot of clever cookies round here who will steer you in the right direction.:yes:

cooneyr

19th July 2007, 21:00

Hi mint sauce and all KB'ers

Another import from the UK here who would like to get into the Adv riding lark.
Got a road legal DRZ 400, bags of enthusiasm and not much skill.

Done a couple of trail rides, which are brilliant but want to start exploring this beautiful country more. Is the DR a suitable steed, with its limited tank range?
I think I need to up the gearing for adv riding, but any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Would love to tag along on a ride sometime

Cheers

Welcome to KB Adux. Seems that a Pommie import invite ride in the near future might be worth while.

I generally try and do no more than 200kms before a refil and just take a 5l plastic can if longer. There a few DRZ400's being used for adv riding but not many in chch. Most welcome to come along and see how things go.

Cheers R

warewolf

19th July 2007, 21:53

with its limited tank range?G'day and welcome a-board; hope you enjoy the ride! Some fuel options for you:

Safari Fuel Tanks (http://www.rvaqualine.com.au/page.php?sId=11)

Nomad Tanks (http://www.nomadtanks.com.au/Tanks.php)

or you could just use a couple of soft drink bottles (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=52730).

Transalper

19th July 2007, 22:03

...Got a road legal DRZ 400,...Is the DR a suitable steed, with its limited tank range?....There are tank options for the DRZ400...from justgastanks.com (http://justgastanks.com/search.php?word=drz400&go.x=16&go.y=2) if you want to do something about the range.
That's where I got two IMS tanks for mine and Js DR650s.

So let us get you started exploring, do you have any interest in a play in the snow behind Hanmer..

far queue

19th July 2007, 22:47

Another import from the UK here who would like to get into the Adv riding lark.Bloody hell, yet another pommie git. I hope you lot aren't all bringing your rellies down here too are you.
Seems that a Pommie import invite ride in the near future might be worth while. Shall we go to Oxford for tea and scones ol' chap?
I generally try and do no more than 200kms before a refilHell, that's not even half a tank :dodge:
So let us get you started exploring, do you have any interest in a play in the snow behind Hanmer..You sadist :cold:

But, all piss taking aside, welcome aboard Adux. There's plenty of places to have fun here, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

cooneyr

20th July 2007, 08:05

Shall we go to Oxford for tea and scones ol' chap?

Golly gosh what a brilliant idea aye what! Perhaps we should venture through Lees Valley, t'would make a brilliant outing and we could stop for tea and scones at Oxford along the way.

Any of you pommie fullers up for it along with the usual crew? Early August? Will start a new thread once I have cleared with the master of ceremonies. :Punk:

Cheers R

far queue

20th July 2007, 10:06

Perhaps we should venture through Lees Valley, t'would make a brilliant outing and we could stop for tea and scones at Oxford along the way.Sounds good to me.

Early August?August 11, 12, 25, 26 are all good for me at the moment.

426crasher

20th July 2007, 15:20

Lees valley sounds like a good august bash, or being that i'm a pommie import too, should read a jolly fine trip out what. A pint and pie sounds better though,don't do the tea n scones stuff as i'm scum from Hull and not from the posh part of the UK i'll have you know!! Welcome to adux and your dr400 is a "kin" fine steed indeed for this awesome bikin land. I'm up for a bash most times.

Adux

21st July 2007, 09:03

Thanks for the advice and words of welcome.

Bit short notice for me for the ride in the snow (thats my excuse anyway) but up for a ride in August. Can't make the 11,12 but other dates should be good.

Thanks again, look forward to riding with you

Transalper

21st July 2007, 10:19

I'm an impatent kinda guy waiting for trip weekends to arrive...except on the day when i'll be ready when i'm ready. I'd rather do something sooner like next weekend so might just have to find some entertainment then too.
All those other dates you lot have mentioned are good for me too.

McJim

21st July 2007, 11:01

Christchurch!?!

Wow - you're a brave bastard. I've been there 3 times - all three times the gridlock was worse than Auckland.

I always see it in the news too - seems to be full of boy racers, drifters, hookers, rapists and murderers.

Thank god I live in South Auckland. I'm a Glaswegian and I'm afraid of Ch'ch! :rofl:

Welcome to KB.

far queue

21st July 2007, 11:57

I'd rather do something sooner like next weekend so might just have to find some entertainment then too.I'm free then too. CR was looking at August dates - I guess he has to get his leave application in to the war office with plenty of notice.

Mint Sauce

21st July 2007, 12:09

Well I didn't realsie this post would have so many Poms putting their head up too.

No I'm not intending bringing the rellies. First I knew about coming to NZ was after after a quiet but strange tasting drink with a kiwi girl, woke up to find myself bound hand and foot in the bottom of a waka, next thing thrown trussed on to the shores of the West Coast!

For other people new to the off road side of this, I found this web site while idly searching around.

http://www.flamesonmytank.co.za/navigation.htm

Has some interesting stuff on tyres and tyre pressures for differing situations plus some techniques and tips for off road riding.

Transalper

21st July 2007, 13:43

Christchurch!?!

Wow - you're a brave bastard. I've been there 3 times - all three times the gridlock was worse than Auckland.
Huh? I've been here 38 years and have never run in to a gridlock. There is about an hour around 4:30pm to 5:30pm when I don't tend to drive but even then still no actual gridlock, maybe I'm just blessed.

Transalper

21st July 2007, 14:07

....
For other people new to the off road side of this, I found this web site while idly searching around.

http://www.flamesonmytank.co.za/navigation.htm

Has some interesting stuff on tyres and tyre pressures for differing situations plus some techniques and tips for off road riding.
Hey that's a really good site.
Thanks.

cooneyr

21st July 2007, 14:09

I'm free then too. CR was looking at August dates - I guess he has to get his leave application in to the war office with plenty of notice.

Yep - the boss is doing shift work so have to plan these things. After this weekend I have leave for the 4/5th and then the weekends from the 18th on.

Cheers R