What is the condition of the Paraparas lately?

[sunhuntin]

im going to tauranga this weekend. im totally stuck as to which way to go... paraparas or desert rd. im looking at leaving home between 5 and 6am to get there around lunch time. i hate the paras, and im guessing at that time it will still be quite dark and maybe foggy. yet the desert rd has a chance of snow and also fog. i dont care how long it takes me to get there, so long as i DO get there.

so, what condition are the paras in lately? its been years since ive ridden them and they were doing road works then and there were some bits where the road had slipped away.

also, has anyone ridden long distance with a helmet on the helmet lock? i want to take both as itll be too cold for the open face, but i hate wearing the full face all day, so would change over once it warmed up.

thanks in advance!

[crazyhorse]

I've done that road in summer - oh so much fun

[clint640]

Went through about a month ago, heaps of roadworks, quite a few big jobs going on to straighten out some of the twisty bits (bastards!)

Cheers
Clint

[Headbanger]

If its been awhile (years) since you last done it then you will find its a much easier ride, Much of the poorly designed sections have been removed.

However, I would not do it in the early hours of the morning in the middle of winter, There are multiple spots that can and do ice up. Be very weary.

If it were me I'd suggest leaving the day before, around 11am.

[sunhuntin]

thanks guys. i would have left today except for work, damnit. and im not going tonight cos i dont think i would get very far before it got dark.

[Movistar]

thanks guys. i would have left today except for work, damnit. and im not going tonight cos i dont think i would get very far before it got dark.

Good choice. As Headbanger said, a lot has changed and don't expect a very clean machine at the other end!
Last time I went through (a few weeks back) the whole road in places was covered in sludge that had washed out of the banks and road works, greasy and sticks like the proverbial.

Still some bloody good sections, but by the end of the developments, it'll be another 3 star road...

[sunhuntin]

sweet. that makes me glad i didnt find the time to clean it! im rather happy the paras will be less twisty... i hate that road. i remember when i was younger, we were driving to rotorua for a holiday. mums car started having issues near national park, so we turned around the drove back. then we all got in dads car and away we went again. 3 times up and down the paras in one day... how the hell i didnt throw up i dont know.

[zahria]

There's your mistake... try it on your bike... its pretty good fun. I went through late last year and had an absolute ball.

[Movistar]

Don't get me wrong, it's still a lot of fun, just that by the time they finish, it'll be less fun than it used to be. Such is life.

[sunhuntin]

the ride went quite well! just got home this afternoon after leaving at 5am on saturday. i didnt get to national park till about 8. paras were fine... being dark i wasnt able to do anything except read the road. wore the full face for warmth, but the visor kept on fogging, so had to ride with it up. i did have a couple of small wobbles, but whether that was ice or me, i dont know. then had to deal with sunstrike on the road around the mountain. from turangi to rotorua was almost solid fog. wicked stuff... amazing the number of cars without their lights on.
coming back today, it was much better. quite strong wind in places, but not as bad as predicted. typically cold around the mountain, and it got colder the closer to home i got as well. could have brought home 6 wandering sheep, a skittery horse which literally flipped when i went past at 70k, a dog and 2 peacocks. they were all on or right by the road.

lovely roads over tauranga way. dunno why i havent been there before. great weekend too... got to meet leyton and his dad, and most of the rest of the family as well.