1000km Northern Adv Ride

[buggsubique]

Lads, I'm bored, spring's almost here and I'm basically up for a mission ride.

I loved doing Ryan's 09 DB1k down south but now I'm moving up here (again) and will unlikely be able to make 2011 down south.

So I'm trying to piece together a northern circuit, but as you'd expect, it ain't all that easy to keep off the seal, or even off highways for that matter.

I'm open to guidance and route suggestions here for my Northern 1000km adv ride. And its an Adv ride in a loose sense because so much of it will be on seal. The adv focus for me will be on plotting (and omitting) fuel stops, the endurance (doing it in one sitting), and thankfully having it interspersed with offroad and offseal sections.

What is not shown on the map link above is the track off Akatarawa rd to Otaki, possibly Link Rd up Tihoi way to Pureora - no roads / tracks are shown on GMaps for them. I'm also particularly interested in road / track connections between Stratford and Wanganui.

The route really only scrapes the barrell at 1000km, but hey, if anyone has any bright ideas or wants to have a play and modify the above route and post up the link then that would be awesome. Also keen for riding buddies too

Buggs

This link is the [http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=d&so...t=h&z=7]MASTER ROUTE [/URL](ie current planned route incorporating changes).

[Padmei]

Good on ya bubbs for the initait - intatia- thinking of the idea

[DR650gary]

When? How long for? Staying at? Back roads to Feilding then out at Vinegar Hill?

Keen.

Cheers

[Night Falcon]

Hummm nice idea...East coat via Junkmanjoe's patch up through herbertvile to havelock north via back roads (gravel & beach) then road to napier taupo turn off to mohaka carry on to lake wiakari Motu. not sure what central routes are any good but the loop back from motu to desert road gravity canyon connect to gentle annie (and it is now gentle seeing most of the gravel is gone) would be a great ride.

[gav24]

Bart took us on about 1000kms in 2 days of mostly gravel, twisty seal, a great pass, and almost a good few kms of beach (highest tide in 50 years stopped us!) all around the Ruahines - and could have been better with less rain, lower rivers and camping at the Hot Pools....
A great 1000kms
Not sure why I'm adding this, but it was 1000kms, and good adv riding, and in the North Island!
Yay the Bart man

[buggsubique]

When? How long for? Staying at? Back roads to Feilding then out at Vinegar Hill?

Keen.

Cheers

Yep, thought about vinegar hill, will keep it on the radar. Not sure when yet...but will be a saturday and soonish (ie before Xmas) and at this stage is intended to be a non stop ride (ie no sleepovers & hold the high 5's till the end). But as with Ryan's Ride, there's may well be interest in a 2 day option as well, so let's see.

[junkmanjoe]

yea mate we could work something out,,,, add a bit of gravel beach and grass tracks over my side...

ill take you round uruti point one day mate,

im also going to take a group up takapari road next weekend or so, my time is limited now, as we just landed another 23 million dollar 2 year contract with the company i work for, as well as finish the job we are on...

but im happy to come down and go over a few maps with you one sat arvo or sunday..

joe

[buggsubique]

Bart took us on about 1000kms in 2 days of mostly gravel, twisty seal, a great pass, and almost a good few kms of beach (highest tide in 50 years stopped us!) all around the Ruahines - and could have been better with less rain, lower rivers and camping at the Hot Pools....
A great 1000kms
Not sure why I'm adding this, but it was 1000kms, and good adv riding, and in the North Island!
Yay the Bart man

Cool, open to pushing the route east too...maybe end up being a triangle / coast to coast type thingee...

Where's yer routes Bart?

Edit: Here's a blank eastern route version - play with it and post the links. Could be pushing 1200-1300km, so would need to be very picky about how tough the off road routes became if a 1 dayer is to be manageable.

[cooneyr]

Onya Bubbs. Good luck coming up a route. Can be a bit of a mission. If you want any advise on GPS file prep or info on roll chart prep etc let me know.

Cheers R

[junkmanjoe]

i rode from my house up to flaxmere, across gentle annie to taihape and back down the komako valley up over the windmill track at woodville, down the pahiatua track and back home in one day, was just over 760km twazzz a long day in the saddle,,,

JMJ

[buggsubique]

Onya Bubbs. Good luck coming up a route. Can be a bit of a mission. If you want any advise on GPS file prep or info on roll chart prep etc let me know.

Cheers R

Cheers mate, we'll see how it goes. Not looking to do much more than GPS route plan for my legend cx (has open maps and autorouting etc). Will see how i get on and might hit you up.

[CrazyFrog]

Great idea Buggsy, is the aim here to rack up 1000K via any half decent route, or chase gravel for as much as possible?
I've got some good ideas for more gravel, mostly Wairarapa, Eastside, and Central Plateau area, but you'd most likely have to give the Naki a miss and backtrack down Whanganui River Rd. Your current proposed route has a shitload of sealed road, but they are nice roads nonetheless. Navigation shouldn't be too difficult and the alternate route would probably give a 60 seal/40 gravel ratio.
Also, does the start point have to be in Welly or would somewhere in the 'Rapa be more suitable? Ideas?

[pete376403]

Turakina valley road between marton and tangiwai is a good stretch of gravel, if that would fit in your plans

[cooneyr]

..... a 60 seal/40 gravel ratio. ......

Original idea for the DB was minimum of 50/50 seal gravel. Southern route is about 25/75 seal gravel

[junkmanjoe]

i think it would be quite difficult to bang up a 1000km route that takes in a heap of gravel to be ridin in one day

reason, most our gravel roads are narrow / tight with heaps of blind corners and not really able to be ridden fast. safely..
they are short roads mostly linking to a sealed road.

is easy enough to wast a full days riding around the rapa and only banging up 400 odd kms

north island is a lot tighter than the south wide open spaces, its only 750 odd kms from my house to auckland...

JMJ