Sh22

[AD345]

I've been re-reading the chronicles of Thomas Covenant and it talks of white gold. White gold is a paradox which unmakes peace.

SH22 is white gold riding. It is a paradox of a road which unmakes the peace of my mind. It's close, it has low traffic volumes and follows the contours of the land in very promising ways. It should be nirvana.

Several times over the last few months I have gone adventuring along it looking for the road that it should be.

I have yet to find it.

In the summer there were tarsnakes and roadworks that just managed to foil perfection. In the autumn it was damp and greasy.

Today was to be the day, fine cool, clear and dry. I set off from the Drury end looking to get into the groove and enjoy week day riding. It started off pretty well, the last of the traffic disappeared behind me at Buckland and I had the whole road to myself.

A good run to Pukekawa promised a rare day to come, only one close encounter with a hawk to cast a slight blemish but I was feeling good and the 'pin was rumblin. Coming out of Pukekawa and heading up to the ridgeline there were a couple of driveways where dickhead cockies had spread several hundred metres of clay and cow shit along this public thoroughfare (no doubt muttering to themselves about the depredations of boi racers and diesel-spilled burnout as they did so - ah irony...).

So far so not terr......whoop! jeez! that hawk was clooose. Deep breath and onwards. Dear God - more clay and cowshit, are all bloody accessways at the apex of sweepers or what? Ignorant pillocks.

SHIT! I swear I felt that hawk brush my helmet........ahhhh no............more bloody clay.

And so it went, for kilometre after kilometre. Cowshit, clay, 7 goddamned hawks, several magpie and who knows how many suicidal quail. Its bad enough that the road is suffering from an extreme lack of maintenance - one uneven road surface sign speaks of bumps for the next kilometre - but the wildlife and rural ignorance towards other taxpayers using a public road conspired to once again deprive me of the best of SH22.


I shall return.

[Motu]

I think good roads will forever elude you.

[AD345]

When I die of fustration I shall hunt you down and haunt you

[PirateJafa]

SH16 is better tbh.

SH22 is a fucking goat-track. Rubbish road to be honest.

[AD345]

SH16 is better tbh.

SH22 is a fucking goat-track. Rubbish road to be honest.

yeah 16 is not bad, especially once past Helensville. 12 is better still and 14 is bloody perfection - its just too far away for a quick blat up and down.

[Spazm]

SH22 is the unbeliever and the "unclean one"

I still like it though.. i took it for a late ride a couple of nights ago on the daytona..

[beyond]

Thpmas Covenant Chronicles... the whole six volumes a top read

SH22 one of the top rides

[Squiggles]

SH16 is better tbh.

SH22 is a fucking goat-track. Rubbish road to be honest.

Im the opposite, i reckon SH16 is crap and enjoyed 22 last time i did it, then again i was pootling along enjoying the scenery. Noticed a couple of patches and shoddy bits but nothing special

[Big Dave]

Thpmas Covenant Chronicles... the whole six volumes a top read

SH22 one of the top rides

Last three were a bit long winded. We already knew he was a cooont.

[Big Dave]

State hwy 22 is a peach if - You have the right vehicle and the tar isn't melting.

Preferable one with long travel suspension and an upright ergonomic suitable for the condition of the road.

MR Jaffer's F3 bike ain't it, nor is the Kingpin - loverlay as it is.

Mine bike is. A motard is. Horses - courses (or deteriorating roads in this case).

[igor]

clearly need to ride to the conditions and the road dictates the conditions. It is you who has the problem not the road.

Q. do you turn around and go home when you come across road works. ??

[AD345]

State hwy 22 is a peach if - You have the right vehicle and the tar isn't melting.

Preferable one with long travel suspension and an upright ergonomic suitable for the condition of the road.

MR Jaffer's F3 bike ain't it, nor is the Kingpin - loverlay as it is.

Mine bike is. A motard is. Horses - courses (or deteriorating roads in this case).

Yess. It does bottom out a tad.

[AD345]

clearly need to ride to the conditions and the road dictates the conditions. It is you who has the problem not the road.

Q. do you turn around and go home when you come across road works. ??

wibble.

[R6_kid:Me]

I think Mr (not as big as he used to be) Big Dave is on the money. I remember doing it on my R6 a few years back, when it was still in pretty good nic. Back then the only thing SH16 had over SH22 was that it was 'down the road'.

These days if you want to attack SH22 you need something that will get the best of what the road has become, especially if you travel further afield down towards Raglan. I'm guessing the worthy steed he speaks of is the Buell XB12X? It certainly looked 'at home' the last time I saw a pic of it, chilling out on the side of SH22.

[erik]

SH22