Dusty Butt route planners trip

[cooneyr]

.....Mmmmm - maybe you could contract that inspection out to someone living a bit closer ?????
Hey - where exactly was that deep ford??

Nope sorry - not leaving all the fun bits for you locals

...
I really have no idea what feeds it but it was big slippery boulders in the bottom.

How would you bloody know - ya didnt even get your feet wet!!! I agree about skipping it though. Not worth the risk of drowing bikes when it is only about another 3kms of gravel to the total and there is a sealed route option of the same length. This stream drains the Lower Manorburn Dam.

I have all the photos now so will get onto the ride report tomorrow lunchtime.

Cheers R

[Transalper]

....How would you bloody know - ya didnt even get your feet wet!!!....

Easy... I saw both you and el_scooto bumping up and down and slipping sideways... and could also see them boulders through the water from my nice n dry vantage point

[cynna]

Did you experiment with tyre pressures in that front wheel?

yes i dropped the pressure down that morning. maybe should have gone down a bit more as i lost the front coming down a winding road - not sure exactly how but i got to test out my jacket and helmet. they passed the test. had a wee sit down until Transalper come to the rescue. will definatley experiment a bit more before january.

could have dropped the rear as well as it handled the km's ok

[cynna]

heres a few pics

[cynna]

and a few more

[Digitdion]

Looks like a great ride guys. I am a bit guttered as I was planning to join ya's but had to bloody work. Work suck's but gotta feed the beast!

[cooneyr]

Day one of the ride report is now up over on Adv Rider here.

Cheers R

[Transalper]

Good stuff.

[JATZ]

Nice one CooneyR you b'stard I was sorta half kicking m'self for not coming and that just topped it off.
Roll on Jan 16

[El scooto]

Ps: Michelle i for got to tell you I have been retrained, I have the last two words in my house every time no matter what, (yes dear)

Hey Shrek, good to know that you have got the right answer.
By the way I don't need training I all good just the way I am!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S: maybe the last words should be yes my dear you are right as always!
Michelle

[cooneyr]

Second day's now up on Adv Rider.

Cheers R

[Ruralman]

Day one of the ride report is now up over on Adv Rider here.

Cheers R

Great photos and write up Ryan
Looks like your plans changed - I thought you were going to do the full length of the Nevis rd and back again on Sunday ? Where did you lose the most time?
Looks like to get through the DB one dayer its going to have to be a fine day and without taking on any diversions like the Serpentine Church (been there anyway)
Without wanting to be an awkward bastard or pessimist - have you thought about a contingency plan if its really wet and cold?? Because even in Jan it can snow up on the top of the Dunstan and Onslow roads and as you say the track gets very slippery. The reason I ask is that I reckon we could do an alternative lower altitude route on mostly gravel that would get you from Ranfurly to Lawrence - not so sure about Lawrence to Cromwell.
Quite likely if the weather is a bit iffy its probably OK in some places but I am a bit concerned about sending riders up into that high stuff when conditions aren't suitable and you really won't know from the starting point in Fairlie

[Transalper]

I remember some of them roads in the wet and snow a couple of Brass Monkeys ago.

[cooneyr]

Great photos and write up Ryan
Looks like your plans changed - I thought you were going to do the full length of the Nevis rd and back again on Sunday ? Where did you lose the most time?

We lost a heap of time on the Serpentine Rd between checking the oil in the XR650R and the slow going cause of the difficulty riding with a pillion. We were at the Lake Onslow huts at about 11.30, start of the Serpentine Road at a bit after 12 then at the gate on the old Dunstan Trail at about 4.00. Nothing that a prepared rider one up would not have blasted through in heaps better time.

I've not confirmed it yet but it's become pretty clear that the draft roll chart is a little on the short side - especially where there roads are pretty wiggly i.e. south side of Danseys. Given the original measurement for the original route is about 1180km and we have added in maybe 30kms due to under measureing I'm thinking of taking the Nevis out of the route completely. Down and back up the Nevis ads about 110kms of gravel that we dont need and it the only bit of the route that is two way i.e. potential safety issue. I'll confirm this once I get working on the roll chart again.

Looks like to get through the DB one dayer its going to have to be a fine day and without taking on any diversions like the Serpentine Church (been there anyway)

Once John, Michelle and I turned back the other two guys went up the Serpentine and managed to make it to the Old Dunstan probably 10/15 mins before us while stopping to take in the church. We didn't muck arround on the alternative of going back to the start of the Old Dunstan and over it till we met them. I recon that the Serpentine is probably just about quicker if you can handle the rutted and bog holed (mostly solid bottom) terrain. I would happily ride it on the KTM 950 with gear so anybody on a single cylinder with reasonable skills will be fine. Knobblies are pertty much a necessity up there though. End result Serpentine Road will be the Challange Loop and the Old Dunstan Trail will be the main route so take your pick. All of the one day riders that I know will have no trobles with the Serpentine Road.

Without wanting to be an awkward bastard or pessimist - have you thought about a contingency plan if its really wet and cold?? ...

This is very much up to the riders and what they think they can handle. There will be nobody else there to make the call other than themselves, so each group will need to decided what they want to do for themselves. As good adventure riders all should be carrying decient wet weather gear anyway. I'll do a sun dance the week before but of course there is no way we can ensure good weather.

There are sealed road options to get around high points pretty much the whole way along the route. The only two bits where things get a little awkward are getting from the Waitaki Valley (Kurow) down to Ranfurly and getting from St Bathurns back to the Waitaki. But even these sections can be got around via the seal if necessary it is just a bit longer than the DB1k route. For all other portions of the route the sealed roads would be quicker and easier than the gravel/dirt roads section. For example via seal Ranfurly to Lawrence, Lawrence to Alex, Ranfurly to Alex, Alex to Cromwell etc. are all quicker than the DB1k route.

Regards
Ryan

[_Shrek_]

while at the mates rally I ran into this old fella talking about his ride through the Onslow & how a hurricane went passed him 100+ ks faster than he was traveling, he said wobbled & then just as he thought phew, another one shot passed me, after that i kept a better eye on the mirrer

it was a v-strom 1000 Bruce, & he takes it all over the place has down most of the back roads down here,