Db1k 2012

[bushy]

Well as a first time DB'er Ive gotta say what a bloody good weekend. Thanks Ryan!! and Matt for the Friday ride down. It was great to meet and put faces to names.
1700km in 3 days...might look at getting one of those comfy seats for the DR. Today was fantastic with snow/sleet/shit mud on the first pass out of Lawrence, to sunny over the Omarama, to pissing down over the Omarama, to just a great ride through the black forest, then torential rain from Ashburton to Rangiora.
The DR proved to be very capable (more so than the rider!) Nice bruise the size of a rugby ball on my hip from a wee spill on Friday.
Will definately be back next year.

[k14]

It was a pretty awesome ride. We had everything! Rain, hail, sleet, snow, dust, wind and a few spills! Me and Buddha did the full course with the Awakino Challenge in 23 hrs and 20 mins. Got into Fairlie last night at 1735. I think we were possibly the first back to ride the full circuit? It didn't look like there were any other bike tracks on the Black Forest track. Very sore today! Bring on next year

[zeRax]

So very gutted I didn't make it this year

Licence back in 2 weeks :\!!

Good job on organizing what I bet was another fantastic run, see you lot next year !



So green with envy and blue with disappointment >_<

[Skinny_Birdman]

Good times, and nice to put a face to a few names. I got through the snow but bailed at the old Dunstan Road and went back via Danseys, Black Forest and Mackenzie Pass/Limestone Valley. Once again a great ride. Thanks to the CooneyR family, ADVGD, TA and everyone else who helped make it an awesome ride. And boo to Mr Givi and his shitty crash bars. As with last year, a low speed drop onto soft clay (caused by snow-blindness - a new one for me)was enough to bend them into contact with the fairing, only this time the fairing has a dirty great crack in it as a result.

[cold comfort]

The DB1K is a great event to catch up with riders you seldom see, and meet a new bunch of likeminded people, it is one of the fun aspects of the event. This year was no different, it was great to meet new riders and put faces to KB names, I really enjoyed meeting a lot of riders from the North Island for the first time.

Agreed!

Another huge weekend. Many thanks Ryan for the massive effort organising and monitoring the trip. Sadly not enough time this year to complete much of the course or spend debriefing with the many attending. An earlier start next time for sure! So many stories of camaraderie and assistance enroute. (Without Struan Carl and Tim I wouldn’t have got as far as I did.) Great to see Aslan made it through after an off. For many the memory of the pain will be short lived and all be up for another round next year.

[Racing Dave]

When Skinny B and I were regrouping after the Lammerlaw snow, a chap in a 4WD said he'd found a small toolkit on the Old Dunstan, and from the timing it's probably from one of the one-day riders. If it's yours, phone him on 027 358-6222 and describe the contents.

Also, more detail required on one-day riders!

Cheers

[topo]

When Skinny B and I were regrouping after the Lammerlaw snow, a chap in a 4WD said he'd found a small toolkit on the Old Dunstan, and from the timing it's probably from one of the one-day riders. If it's yours, phone him on 027 358-6222 and describe the contents.

Also, more detail required on one-day riders!

Cheers

Cheers Dave,

I was wondering if anyone would find that, i'll give him a call tonight.

[cynna]

Thanks Ryan for another great ride. Ended up missing a couple of sections so didnt quite complete the course again - although we ended up doing 630k back to fairlie on saturday

[SE950]

It was a pretty awesome ride. We had everything! Rain, hail, sleet, snow, dust, wind and a few spills! Me and Buddha did the full course with the Awakino Challenge in 23 hrs and 20 mins. Got into Fairlie last night at 1735. I think we were possibly the first back to ride the full circuit? It didn't look like there were any other bike tracks on the Black Forest track. Very sore today! Bring on next year

sorry mate but i got back sat night in 18hours 55min one day challenge on my exc 450

[k14]

sorry mate but i got back sat night in 18hours 55min one day challenge on my exc 450

Yeah I was meaning of the sane people that did it in one day

Did you do all the challenge sections? What time did you leave on Saturday?

[Transalper]

Excellent adventure.
Had a great time, nice to catch up with and meet the people I met.
678.4 miles = 1091.78km = Fairlie to Fairlie, done the entire main route (no challenge sections) plus one small extra deviation care of XF650 down to the Kurow Creek for a look and crossing.
No spills and only needed a couple of pushes to keep the Transalp moving in the Omarama Saddle.
Will bring the DR again next time.

Pulled my track log apart and it reads a bit like this....

Saturday Total 13hours 23minutes....
7:38am Fairlie - departed the Gladstone (next year leave earlier and have breakfast elsewhere instead of waiting for them to serve at 7am)
9:48am Waimate
rivers are low this year but there's still some wet bikes at the slippery bouldery one.
12:46pm arrived at Kurow.... food, fuel, gossip.
...ohhh, mucked about for 1hour, 20 minutes... a bit long really.
2:06pm left Kurow.
through the Danseys Pass
4:12pm Nasby
some really nice fast flat smooth bits here and then the 'not suitable for vehicles' sign makes me laugh as we ride past in here too.
5:10pm Omakau
in to the land of many gates.
6:27pm Cromwell.... food, fuel.
7pm left Cromwell.
up the Carracktown track
7:50pm Duffers Saddle/Nevis Rd.
9pm Alexandra.

zzzzzzzzzzz

Sunday total 15hours 10minutes.....
7:12am depart Alexandra
Millennium track etc
8:51am Lawrence.... food, gossip, fuel
9:41am left Lawrence
long ruts are slippery this year, some snow, slow going but all good with the mild manner of the Transalp and this is why I put the knobblies on isn't it.
there's Jezza kneed it-ing his holed radiator in the worst weather to be doing that in... and a KLR resting on it's side... and again.
1:07pm Old Dunstan turn.
it was nice but now there's more snow and I'm getting wet this time
3:30pm Moa Creek
up past the falls dam and over the Omarama saddle. Hey Alane aren't chains supposed to be a loop like without ends?
6:02pm Omarama.... fuel, gossip, food.
7:22pm left Omarama.
through the Black Forrest, it's been graded an in as good a condition as I've ever seen it.
9:16pm passing the Haldon School
it's nice n easy but feels a bit too straight and long now.
9:37pm Makenzie turn.
getting dark and I'm getting slower.... are we there yet???
10:22pm arrived back at the Gladstone and

zzzzzzzzzzz

now I'm off to check out your photos.

[NordieBoy]

Home safe!

Sleep now!

[SE950]

sorry mate but i got back sat night in 18hours 55min one day challenge on my exc 450

Lift gladstone at 3,12 am i did two challenge stages, didn't have enough gas to get through to the church, that pissed me off, as i was in a good place with no offs or bike probs, at 51years old i was happy with just a sore butt, next time, this was my forth dusty and won't be my last, 10/10

[_Shrek_]

now I'm off to check out your photos.

[Padmei]

Home after nearly 3000kms of the Sth Island.

Main thoughts -
Fricking cold;
snow was cool;
had no idea where I was 90% of the time;
trust the GPS;
really good bunch of blokes & blokettes - great to catch up with old friends & make new ones.
fantastic hospitality from the locals & generosity of fellow adv riders.
Glad that noone had any major accidents or injuries.


Highlites-
The snow
That road from below the snow to the Poolburn(?) dam - damn that was cool- fast & flowing.
Ida valley - both ways
Schmidt holding together & looking so goshdarn horny