Wolf
27th April 2008, 21:18
As Tegan is old enough to travel safely, we decided to make the most of the long ANZAC weekend and head South to show her off to the family. To give ourselves more time, I booked a day's annual leave for the Thursday.
Lacking a van or people mover with enough seating for two adults and four children, we decided to take Strayj's father's 7-series BMW and the trusty XT225 - Stray and the four kids in the car, me on the bike.
With the Beemer loaded up with clothes, drink, nappies, wipes and all the assorted other necessary things for travelling with children and myself on the XT, we set off, anticipating a nice drive/ride down to our first stop, my sister's house in Sanson.
We set out along Collins Road to Tuhikaramea Road and headed south via Pirongia and Otorohanga towards Te Kuiti.
Things went well, we got to Te Kuiti, stopped for a snack, drink and cigarette and a toilet stop for the boys and set off again. I only got part way up the hill heading towards New Plymouth and Taumarunui when I noticed the tell-tale wobble in the back tyre.
I stopped and Stray pulled in behind me. Sure enough, I had a flat.
I limped the bike back to the Mobil in Te Kuiti and filled the tyre. Within seconds it was noticeably deflated.
Fortunately I have a friend in Te Kuiti so we headed over to his place. He has no problem with me leaving the bike in his shed for a while until I can get it fixed so we take the back wheel off and bung it into the boot of the Beemer. We then continue on with two adults and four kids - 2 of whom are in car seats - crammed into the car.
After a hellishly cramped journey we arrived in Sanson. I took the wheel into Palmerston North but found no one able to repair it until Monday.
On Friday we continued south in the crowded car to my other sister's house in Titahi Bay. The weather was perfect for riding and I was seriously annoyed to be trapped in a crowded car while my bike sat in a shed in Te Kuiti. The large number of bikers we saw attested to how perfect the weather was for riding.
On Saturday I located the cause of the flat - a nail - and drove all around Porirua trying to find someone who could fix the tyre. I bought a new tube for $15, but again, there was no one able to install until Monday.
As we wanted to get back to Te Kuiti at a reasonable hour on Sunday, we headed back to Sanson on Saturday afternoon, again with perfect weather, and learned that my sister had a selection of tools with which we could effect a repair. Thus, armed with a solitary tyre iron, a screwdriver and a jemmy, we removed the holed tube and replaced it with the new one.
With one thing and another, we didn't manage to leave Sanson until half past eleven in the morning but we managed to make good time and arrived in Te Kuiti by 4:30. We put the wheel back on the bike and I was mobile again - heading home in the rain.
So, my triumphant ride to Titahi Bay was trumped by a nail and my bike saw the inside of a Te Kuiti shed while its back wheel saw Palmerston North and a large part of Porirua.
Lacking a van or people mover with enough seating for two adults and four children, we decided to take Strayj's father's 7-series BMW and the trusty XT225 - Stray and the four kids in the car, me on the bike.
With the Beemer loaded up with clothes, drink, nappies, wipes and all the assorted other necessary things for travelling with children and myself on the XT, we set off, anticipating a nice drive/ride down to our first stop, my sister's house in Sanson.
We set out along Collins Road to Tuhikaramea Road and headed south via Pirongia and Otorohanga towards Te Kuiti.
Things went well, we got to Te Kuiti, stopped for a snack, drink and cigarette and a toilet stop for the boys and set off again. I only got part way up the hill heading towards New Plymouth and Taumarunui when I noticed the tell-tale wobble in the back tyre.
I stopped and Stray pulled in behind me. Sure enough, I had a flat.
I limped the bike back to the Mobil in Te Kuiti and filled the tyre. Within seconds it was noticeably deflated.
Fortunately I have a friend in Te Kuiti so we headed over to his place. He has no problem with me leaving the bike in his shed for a while until I can get it fixed so we take the back wheel off and bung it into the boot of the Beemer. We then continue on with two adults and four kids - 2 of whom are in car seats - crammed into the car.
After a hellishly cramped journey we arrived in Sanson. I took the wheel into Palmerston North but found no one able to repair it until Monday.
On Friday we continued south in the crowded car to my other sister's house in Titahi Bay. The weather was perfect for riding and I was seriously annoyed to be trapped in a crowded car while my bike sat in a shed in Te Kuiti. The large number of bikers we saw attested to how perfect the weather was for riding.
On Saturday I located the cause of the flat - a nail - and drove all around Porirua trying to find someone who could fix the tyre. I bought a new tube for $15, but again, there was no one able to install until Monday.
As we wanted to get back to Te Kuiti at a reasonable hour on Sunday, we headed back to Sanson on Saturday afternoon, again with perfect weather, and learned that my sister had a selection of tools with which we could effect a repair. Thus, armed with a solitary tyre iron, a screwdriver and a jemmy, we removed the holed tube and replaced it with the new one.
With one thing and another, we didn't manage to leave Sanson until half past eleven in the morning but we managed to make good time and arrived in Te Kuiti by 4:30. We put the wheel back on the bike and I was mobile again - heading home in the rain.
So, my triumphant ride to Titahi Bay was trumped by a nail and my bike saw the inside of a Te Kuiti shed while its back wheel saw Palmerston North and a large part of Porirua.