The Long Way Round Adventure Ride

[Waipukbiker]

According to the event directors, allow at least 150 kms between available fuel.

[Clubman]

Cold - Went out for a ride on Monday over the Wairarapa with This Taupo ride in the back of my mind about how cold it would be and how my gear would stand up . Well I can say I had warm hands from the new gloves I recently purchased & My legs where good with Jeans and Spidi over pants But where I felt the cold was through my jacket .I was wearing a Spidi jacket with a Oxford chill out top and still felt the cold - So I'll be better prepared for Taupo . Some might say I'm just getting old and soft - Not that my Wife says anything

[DR Girl]

Cold - Went out for a ride on Monday over the Wairarapa with This Taupo ride in the back of my mind about how cold it would be and how my gear would stand up . Well I can say I had warm hands from the new gloves I recently purchased & My legs where good with Jeans and Spidi over pants But where I felt the cold was through my jacket .I was wearing a Spidi jacket with a Oxford chill out top and still felt the cold - So I'll be better prepared for Taupo . Some might say I'm just getting old and soft - Not that my Wife says anything

Had to laugh at that. Could be fairly chilly. I'm sure I will envy those with hot grips as I do on the MMMMM
Will look out for you.

[mazz1972]

For anyone not wanting to replace their grips but wanting toasty hands, there's these

[Steelie]

Finished wiring up the Heated Grips yesterday. Test ride this morning and all good, except one side is warmer than the other?
Shall be a bloody asset for this and the MMMMM .

I should be good for Friday ride from the north. Any suggestion on adventurous roads to take to Taupo ?

[Waipukbiker]

Hot grips for my lil ole kwaka, hmmmmmm Wonder if they make a 6 volt version........Yeah Right

[cooneyr]

Right so just under two weeks away. Who's travelling up from Wellington and which way are you going? I'm on a ferry across on Thursday nigh and have all of Friday to explore. I've never done Napier-Taupo Rd (SH5) nor the Napier-Tihape Rd (Gentle Annie). If not bucketing down I'm thinking of doing one of these but am looking for an semi interesting way to get between Welly and Napier that doesn't involve SH2 or hours grovelling in mud i.e. I'm after gravel roads.

Also on the Sunday I'm exploring around Taupo for a bit but have a 8.25am Monday morning Ferry so want to head at least a bit of the way south Sunday arvo. Plan to leave around lunchtime and thinking of Wanganui River or a gravel road somewhere to the west of the Tauraua's/Ruahine's. Also want to have a look in Palmy to remind myself why I hated living there so much in 2000 when I had my first job post uni.

Any Wellingtites have any plans and mind a straggler hanging on? I'm on a 400+km fuel range 450EXC and don't mind if we take all day and don't see a coffee or pie shop etc at all. Of course if you must have your latte hit I'll tolerate a few minutes sitting still

Any ideas welcome otherwise I'll take the GPS and just get lost somewhere trying to avoid highways.

Cheers R

[Gremlin]

I wouldn't see much point in SH5, it's one of the most policed roads in the country and is pretty much as boring as hell... I'd even do the Gentle Annie twice, as you see different things going different ways. Remember it's all sealed now, but the last trip through, guys reported it was wet and quite slippery, so take care if it's been raining. Do you need to be in Napier or Taupo? The ride is out of Taupo...

Other option is Wanganui way, or Forgotten Highway area, lots of gravel in there to get lost in... You could spend the night in Palmy, to remind yourself, and it gets you south

[cooneyr]

I wouldn't see much point in SH5, it's one of the most policed roads in the country and is pretty much as boring as hell... I'd even do the Gentle Annie twice, as you see different things going different ways. Remember it's all sealed now, but the last trip through, guys reported it was wet and quite slippery, so take care if it's been raining. Do you need to be in Napier or Taupo? The ride is out of Taupo...

Other option is Wanganui way, or Forgotten Highway area, lots of gravel in there to get lost in... You could spend the night in Palmy, to remind yourself, and it gets you south

Only mentioned SH5 because I've never been there. Guess it means I'd be no mates noddy if I went that way Gentle Annie definitely high on todo list for that area. Only worry was that its reasonably high so if weather bad then might be fun. Mangaohane Rd on the western end looks like a more interesting alternative though I'd miss the other Erewhon in the country (real Erewhon is down here by the way and it is proper gravel only access).

Forgotten Highway is another good idea on the to do list. Maybe that is the bad weather route and the good weather is the Gentle Anne (with Mangaohane Rd). Both about 600km to get between Taupo and Welly.

Sunday route still looking like SH1 with maybe Tangiwai to Hunterville via Papanui Junction? I'd rather spend the night in the bush in a bivy bag than Palmy but will probably suffer it.

Anybody keen?

[Box'a'bits]

SH 52 is a viable alterative to SH 2 & is an interesting ride. There are a lot of greats road you can link to from there. Just map out the windy bits you want to see before you go.

SH 5 is great to go thru if you've not done it before. There are some good road linking to that from Taradale.

Don't go up the West Coast - snooze material to until you are past Palmerston North. Then the roads get interesting - if yu are going that way head up Pohangia Valley past Ashhurst

Sorry, not going to the Long Way Round ride.

[Waipukbiker]

Im in, Just registed, so who else from HB is going???????

[Gremlin]

Don't go up the West Coast - snooze material to until you are past Palmerston North. Then the roads get interesting - if yu are going that way head up Pohangia Valley past Ashhurst

Good point actually... Here's an idea, take as much or as little as you want... http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?saddr=...,7,8,9&t=m&z=8

Plenty of roads out the back of there that look interesting... gawd, it's when you do things like this that you realise there are so many roads you still haven't done

Apparently the section around the Manawatu Gorge, Hall Block and North Range Rd are quite rough, so perhaps not the best idea when loaded up in winter...? I posted a thread on here about, when heading north from welly, then got distracted with other roads...

It's simple really... come up more often... I go down south every year and bite off another chunk...

[Howie]

Couple of other options here, although the km get up pretty high by the time you get to Napier.

http://goo.gl/maps/FRbr (point K is worth a look if you enjoy waterfalls)

http://goo.gl/maps/zLLV (between points S&T you can ride along the beach if the tide is right)

[cooneyr]

SH 52 is a viable alterative to SH 2 & is an interesting ride. There are a lot of greats road you can link to from there. Just map out the windy bits you want to see before you go....

Was thinking route 52 (not highway any more - highways are the sponsors product). I when up and down 1 a few times in 2000 and know the yawns well!

...Apparently the section around the Manawatu Gorge, Hall Block and North Range Rd are quite rough, so perhaps not the best idea when loaded up in winter...? I posted a thread on here about, when heading north from welly, then got distracted with other roads...

It's simple really... come up more often... I go down south every year and bite off another chunk...

Know North Range Road pretty well. Spent 6 hours extracting a 4wd from a hole one day. Also previously done the Ashurst north bit on my way to head up the track up the Ruahine's (can't remember its name now). Still thinking east coast and Gentle Annie if WX OK.

Why go to the NI when there's such horrible riding down here. Nothing to see - nothing at all

Couple of other options here, although the km get up pretty high by the time you get to Napier.

http://goo.gl/maps/FRbr (point K is worth a look if you enjoy waterfalls)

http://goo.gl/maps/zLLV (between points S&T you can ride along the beach if the tide is right)

Some good stuff there. Might mix and match to keep time/km under control.

GPS going to be loaded with routes and see where things get too.

Cheers R

[cooneyr]

Im in, Just registed, so who else from HB is going???????

Clearly I'm thinking of heading through your area. If my route works for you let me know.