STRANGE ROAD CHARITY RIDE!! Paeroa

[cave weta]

This Sunday!! 11th november. This has to be the best run family charity ride around! last year 650 riders enjoyed this huge 35 km loop with several short cuts home. loads of friendly marshalls from the Thames Valley Motorcycle club. Fab food stalls and coffee, clean portaloos. It is presented by the Paeroa Lions Club and the proceeds go to Stem Cell Research (EDIT) woops! spinal cord research! (sorry medicine not really my field) and The Books in Schools program.
It is an awesome family venue with farmland and extensive views over the Hauraki plains. You can even see Huntly power station and Mount Pirongia from up the top! take a look at my home page- the main photo was taken up there!
The A grade loops are a blast with lots of rocky creeks and gnarly hillclimbs

It s easy for the Aucklanders to find- just head over the Kopu bridge and turn right at the Mobil Station, travel 11km thru puriri and hikutaia and Strange road is on your left at the begining of the long straight.

Tauranga riders- just head up through Paeroa on the Thames road and at the end of the long straight Strange road is on your right. its about 10km past Paeroa.

Ill be there taking photos all day, so wear your best gear and do something spectacular when you see me!
oh and pm me if you want a rental bike for any one like the missus or a teenager I can bring a maximum of 5 bikes with me- rental bikes and prices are on my website.
photos will be available at the end of the day on CD.- usually about 180 shots in hi resolution. See you all there!:ride:

[cheese]

How much is it?

[cave weta]

How much is it?

Its was either $20 or $25 last year. suppose same again would be expectable
$50 for families I think. I just checked www.silver-bullet.co.nz
but no price is given
I will see you there eh!- I know you do the miles!

[civil]

proceeds go to Stem Cell Research

So if I go I am supporting the Abortion Industry then? No thanks I will pass on this one this time.

[cave weta]

So if I go I am supporting the Abortion Industry then? No thanks I will pass on this one this time.

Settle Petal!:gob:
I'm a motorcyclist not an activist! -I hardly think its that contraversial??!! they dont kill foetus just to extact cells! Unfortunately- enough die natururaly Im told. And the whole idea of reasearch is to find answers and alternatives.

Now,- Books in Schools- Any one got a problem with the amount of trees that have to die to achieve this?

[deanohit]

Hell man, I may have to come. Would I be fine with my dual purpose tyre on the back or is it more for knoblies only?

[cave weta]

Hell man, I may have to come. Would I be fine with my dual purpose tyre on the back or is it more for knoblies only?

There are several creek crossings. One or two have muddy areas after them, but a man of your talent will sneak around the edge! The rest of it is a blast!
bring your camera- theres heaps of bikes and amazing views.

[deanohit]

Sounds good, will probably be there then with the vid-cam on the bike.

[Wellyman]

House Auction On Sunday BUGGER!
Oh and 2 day ride next weekend, im pissed off im missin this one.
WM

[barty5]

House Auction On Sunday BUGGER!
Oh and 2 day ride next weekend, im pissed off im missin this one.
WM

so you comin down to the 2 day ride then
you doin both days?

[civil]

I'm a motorcyclist not an activist!

So am I, but I have a conscience too. And fortunately apathy wont override my conscience.

Of all the ‘causes’ that could be supported by such a ride, is one that is morally questionable really worth it for the organisers? If so then I will have to pass on this one.

[Wellyman]

so you comin down to the 2 day ride then
you doin both days?
Yes I am, am staying at the bees knees or whatever the fuck its called motel, as advertised in the ads.
WM

[barty5]

Yes I am, am staying at the bees knees or whatever the fuck its called motel, as advertised in the ads.
WM

i thought that was just a bar???
were going to take the tents and one or 2 of the now 6 bottle of jack i have been given (thanks cheese for the last 1) ova last 2 months more than welcome to join us

[dammad1]

So am I, but I have a conscience too. And fortunately apathy wont override my conscience.

Of all the ‘causes’ that could be supported by such a ride, is one that is morally questionable really worth it for the organisers? If so then I will have to pass on this one.

Give it a rest!! If you dont want to go, then don't!

[dammad1]

And I just checked silverbullet and it says the are raising money for spinal chord research not stem cell research.

Does that make you feel better captain crusade?

[Danger]

Hey man if he feels that strongly about it its all cool. Each to their own.
Would have liked to have done this but I'm going to Riverhead. Have fun guys.

[A&R]

Its was either $20 or $25 last year. suppose same again would be expectable
$50 for families I think. I just checked www.silver-bullet.co.nz
but no price is given
I will see you there eh!- I know you do the miles!

great.
got to get the bike back together after the GNCC
probably see u there stuart- with the same gang as last time lol.
weather looks good so should be great.

[Wellyman]

i thought that was just a bar???
were going to take the tents and one or 2 of the now 6 bottle of jack i have been given (thanks cheese for the last 1) ova last 2 months more than welcome to join us
Where are you camping as there is no camping on site? I might pop over and say hello sometime saturday if I see ya around. I will be riding my gasser,red with black mx no plate on the front. So if ya see it , pop over and say hello.
WM

[barty5]

Where are you camping as there is no camping on site? I might pop over and say hello sometime saturday if I see ya around. I will be riding my gasser,red with black mx no plate on the front. So if ya see it , pop over and say hello.
WM

it says campin at whakamaru reserve we will have the large suzuki marque set up for both days its white an blue kinda cant miss it.

[deanohit]

we will have the large suzuki marque set up for both days its white an blue kinda cant miss it.

And your profile says you ride a Yammy? :confused: Some things not right here.

:laugh:

[barty5]

And your profile says you ride a Yammy? :confused: Some things not right here.

:laugh:

yeh i know marque was cheap only $200 so couldnt say no just havent have time or spare cash to cover it over yet but it is blue and white so half way there did think about a can of red paint puttin a big ring with a slash throught it

[Rupe]

anyone know if this event is still going ahaed? Might go down for it.

[dammad1]

anyone know if this event is still going ahaed? Might go down for it.

Did you end up going?

We went down, it was awesome the first loop but the rain came and the second loop was really slippery with some up hills near impassable by most, I got through it all before they closed the track and took people back the other way and then it was a mission getting out of the carpark as it was to slippery for alot of cars to get up the litle hills to get out.

But it was still all good.

[deanohit]

Good one mate! Just as well I didn't go then, the dually on the back wouldn't have handled it I reckon.
Went and had a successful days fishing insted.

[Rupe]

Did you end up going?

We went down, it was awesome the first loop but the rain came and the second loop was really slippery with some up hills near impassable by most, I got through it all before they closed the track and took people back the other way and then it was a mission getting out of the carpark as it was to slippery for alot of cars to get up the litle hills to get out.

But it was still all good.

Yeah turned up just as the rain did. Too slippery for me, took a few good tumbles and struggled after that so went home.

[cave weta]

Ah yeah- bugger the rain! My first loop was brilliant too... those looooong hillclimbs in the pines had my ears popping! And was it a bit of a laugh watching people slip n slide on those wet boulders after the creek crossings!?

I stopped to help lots of younger riders there, and the Young Auckland lady on her new Polaris500 quad- balls of steel that girl! It was only her 3rd ride on it.

Guy on the RMZ250, who who came off even before the first river crossing! ha ha!! He hit a rock in the long grass and went end for end! -Mate you were just too far away for me to photograph.- would you come back next year and do it again for me?

It was a 33km loop with so many river crossings that I lost count. The pines were magnificant, open and clean with wide buldozed tracks winding up and down some hills that made the less expeienced who ventured in there wonder how they would get home in one piece! It was while I was in the pines that the rain started, just enough to be refreshing. But once out into the farmland again I realised that it was raining a lot harder and would be too much for some folks. As I got to the top of the range, I stopped for a while and counted the cars and trailers snaking out through the valley, heading to the main road in the rain. Buggerit! There had been about 600 riders at briefing and the first lap was a blast, with lots of good photos but with this many pussying out I would have the place to myself by lunchtime.

A quick slurp from my Cameback and I was back on the bike for the 15 minuite blast through the fields, raceways and farm tracks to the carpark again. the rain had made a great job of sorting the dust. But the lush grass off the main line was greasy and slick. When I topped the last rise into the carpark I was sad to see that nearly half the cars were leaving or already gone! I went over to the Lions club barbie and had myself a burger with a large flat white from the lady with one of those mobile barrista setups in a Nissan snailcar then headed out again.

About 12 kays into my next loop, after crossing a few streams and noticing the difference that rain and a few hundred bikes can make to an easy crossing. I came across a quad upside down in a tree- OMFG!!:crazy: it had slipped off the track and endoverendend down the hill and mid bounce had been caught out by a titree. Howzat! Rider and helpers talking about coming back on monday with a chainsaw and some ropes.

A couple of kays more and it was the end of the day for me. I was weaving through some mature titree single track and rounded a corner to find a row of about 30 stationary helmets shrouded in clouds of steam. The Coromandel clay was claiming it's victims! The hill up out of this place was devouring bikes. there were tired riders, overheating bikes, clogged tyres, bogged quads and frustrated experienced riders. Who, if they could have got a run at the hill, just knew that they would have made it. But the word had gone out to close the track and the marshalls were behind us redirecting riders down a short cut home and working their way up the group, turning people around to come out the bottom. What a shit of a way to end the day!

But huge thanks to the organisers and the marshalls and the ladies at sign in and the ambulance staff and the farmers and the dude who spent 30 hours buldozing the pine tracks. :clap::clap: If the weather Gods had played the game and listened to Jim Hickey's forcast we would have had an exellent day.

It was great to see a few KBers there, A and R and Deano, good to see you guys.

[cave weta]

Right ! and here's the photos!


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This one just shows half of the briefing- there were a similar amount to the right of this shot. There were just more pretty girls on this side!:wari:
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[dammad1]

I got up the hill just as the crowd was forming at the bottom and all the guys that were struggling to get up the first bit were better off staying there as it just got worse, I would get up one hill come around the corner and there would be another one! It was a real struggle and the bike got mighty hot i even filled up my camel back in one of the troughs so a had some water to cool it down.

The first loop was mighty thou, that long up hill through the pines was my favourite had it totally singing up there.

[A&R]

We didn't arrive until about 10:30 as the kids couldn't decide on what to do !!!:doh:
ended up with 3 bikes on board and only me and the eldset daughter in the car. AK was sunny and so we were expecting a great ride.
just as we got there it started to rain. :Oi::doh: thought what the hell so got changed signed on and off we went.:niceone: It eased off for a bit as we blasted around the short kids track. Then off we went round the big loop. Kirsty was doing great. navigated all the river crossings and the hills until the looooonnnngggg hill out the last crossing. There were bikes all over the place. like stuart said above some knackered, some fustrated all buggered. we managed it to the top after getting help an helping numerous others up the hill. She didn't want to do the rest of the loop after that.. and I had to admit I was pretty knackered now. So we wnet back on the easy loop had a bite to eat and drink. gave stuart the $20 i owed him and went to go out again only to find the track was shut!!!! :Oi::oi-grr:
So a bit dissapointing after travelling 120km ( in a V8 landcruiser!!) spending $50 and travelling back 120km for two hours riding, dripping wet, smelly, bikes lagged in shit was it worth it............. mmmmm debatable. hopefully better next year. Roll on Glen Murray. The only good thing is we didn't get stuck getting out :niceone: good old toyota!