Rusty Nuts Grand Challenge 2005

[RiderInBlack]

So where do you register and much is it ??

Links as posted before: Read up on the GC on the Rusty Nuts' Web Site. Enter GC

[Blackbird]

So where do you register and much is it ??

http://www.rustynuts.co.nz/default.aspx?PageID=41

Even for riders who have done it before, it's never, ever easy. That's why the Grand Challenge is aptly named. It's just as much a mental as physical challenge and Lee Hurley, the organiser, always manages to incorporate some horrible goat track in the middle of the night which really puts you on edge when you're at your lowest ebb. I find it's from about 3am until dawn that I get jittery when the body clock is trying to shut me down.

The phenomenal satisfaction from finishing on time it is hard to describe, let alone the relief from pain

[Hitcher]

The route is largely shaped by the availability of 24-hour gas stations at about 160km intervals. This means that East Cape will never be part of a GC, unfortunately.

Last year's "midnight goat track" was the Waioeka Gorge, exacerbated beautifully by a freezing cold torrential downpour. It was a toss-up as to which was worse; that, or the freezing cold pea-soup fog from Benneydale to Te Kuiti at dawn.

None-the-less it was a blast. Got to do it again...

[Beemer]

My husband will no doubt be lining up again - he's bike number 1 - one of only two riders who have (up until last year) done every Grand Challenge since the first one. Last year he had an intermittent electrical fault so he pulled out - Lee had phoned ahead to tell me he could rejoin the ride if he had another bike so when he arrived I told him to take mine. He was in two minds but thought he would have to ride back to where he'd pulled out and do the rest from there so he decided not to. Lee rang later to say he could have just ridden straight to the next checkpoint as the distance he had travelled would be more than what the others had done, but by then it was too late.

The rules state that you must start and finish the event on the same bike - so technically the guy who now holds the record is on a par with my husband as one year his bike broke down and he finished the event on a bike his mate had lent him.

And for all of those who think it is a race - IT IS NOT. There is no prize for being first back and if you receive speeding tickets during the event I think you can be disqualified. Safety is always paramount and riding like a moron usually results in an early finish - by accident.

Not for the faint hearted - you won't see me there apart from to cheer on the riders!

[texmo]

If you stay in the speed limit the whole time can you finnish within 24 hours?

[Beemer]

If you stay in the speed limit the whole time can you finish within 24 hours?

Of course, they wouldn't have still been doing the event all these years later if people had to break the law to complete it, the cops would have done them by now! The total distance is 1000 miles - roughly 1600kms - so that leaves you eight hours up your sleeve to allow for lower speed zones, rest stops, eating, check points, etc.

People have completed it on little scooters - one guy did it on a Suzuki RG50 in 2001 - admittedly he finished one minute inside the 24 hours!

The checkpoints are only open at certain times too - so there is no advantage to riding at warp speed nine and getting to the checkpoints hours before anyone else - because you will be sitting there waiting until the guys arrive to open it!

[Blackbird]

My husband will no doubt be lining up again - he's bike number 1 - one of only two riders who have (up until last year) done every Grand Challenge since the first one.

Does your husband have a white R100 RS? I've seen that bike on every ride I've done and presume the other guy you're referring to is Cameron Smith from Rotorua. Met him on the Southern Cross too this year.

About time Lee set a northern route again. He sent us up to Kaitaia one year and the following checkpoint was Dargaville. The ride in the wee small hours through the Mangamukas and Waipoua Forest was diabolical on the body.

[Beemer]

Does your husband have a white R100 RS? I've seen that bike on every ride I've done and presume the other guy you're referring to is Cameron Smith from Rotorua. Met him on the Southern Cross too this year.

About time Lee set a northern route again. He sent us up to Kaitaia one year and the following checkpoint was Dargaville. The ride in the wee small hours through the Mangamukas and Waipoua Forest was diabolical on the body.

Yes, the white R100RS is my husband's! I did an article on the ride in 2001 for Kiwi Rider - it was in the December issue.

Andy really enjoys the ride, he prefers to ride mostly by himself because then he can set his own pace and stop when he feels like it. He says the problem with riding in a group is that the rest/petrol stops are magnified - you have to wait for everyone before you can leave.

He'd love a new bike to do it on (I almost feel guilty when I realise I have had two new bikes in the past three years and he is riding bikes from the 80s!) but we paid over $20,000 to have our steep gravel driveway concreted so that's where his new bike went!

[Blackbird]

Yep, understand Andy's sentiments. Unless the riding group is really disciplined, it can be frustrating for other members. I wouldn't mind doing it solo some time just to see how fast I can do it (~18 hours with 2 riding partners was my best) but you're quite correct that it most definitely isn't a race. That's a disaster waiting to happen. However, I actually prefer to ride with a small group that I know and trust as it's great to share the experience with others, both at the time and in the future.

[Waylander]

Getting a flip face helmet so no worries about being quik at stops. And have saddle bags for my bike so can carry food and water in there. Only thing about me that might get peaple upset isI ride kinda slow apparently. hope to get back to where I was before my last wreck before October though so may not be an issue.

[Beemer]

Getting a flip face helmet so no worries about being quik at stops. And have saddle bags for my bike so can carry food and water in there. Only thing about me that might get peaple upset isI ride kinda slow apparently. hope to get back to where I was before my last wreck before October though so may not be an issue.

You don't need to worry about being that quick at stops - the first year Andy did it a mate of his thought they would be on the go all the time, so he would fill up the bike and throw $20 on the counter, not bothering to wait for change! Andy was the first home one year, while another year he finished in 23 hours 55 minutes!

The main reason Andy rides alone is because of his number - his has been the first bike away for many years now, so if he wanted to ride with his friends, he'd have to start well down the pack. He likes being first away because although he does get passed by some of the guys on faster bikes, he doesn't end up catching up to a huge group of riders a few hours down the road. I'm not sure what his fastest time is, forgot to ask him at lunchtime, but he usually finishes at about 8am Sunday morning - so about 18 hours with stops for food and petrol along the way.

[Dragon28]

So where do you register and much is it ??

Check out http://www.rustynuts.co.nz/default.aspx?PageID=1

[Hitcher]

The main reason Andy rides alone is because of his number - his has been the first bike away for many years now, so if he wanted to ride with his friends, he'd have to start well down the pack. He likes being first away because although he does get passed by some of the guys on faster bikes, he doesn't end up catching up to a huge group of riders a few hours down the road. I'm not sure what his fastest time is, forgot to ask him at lunchtime, but he usually finishes at about 8am Sunday morning - so about 18 hours with stops for food and petrol along the way.

Last year we deliberately took an earlier-than-needed first gas stop to avoid the pack refuelling at the first checkpoint. We had a pack delay fuelling at checkpoint 2 and again at checkpoint 3, but no great dramas at either. In fact it was nice to have a stretch and a walk around. But apart from that we rode at our own pace. We nearly came to grief timewise after having a very leisurely lunch on our way back through New Plymouth, completing in 23 hours 59 minutes. This involved a brisk pace from New Plymouth to Taumarunui and then an exceedingly brisk pace from Taumarunui to Turangi...

[Beemer]

That is one of the advantages of having such a big fuel tank - he can ride for ages before needing to refuel as the Beemer has a 24L tank! He did recall putting 23.5L into it in New Plymouth after being forced to ride at 90kph for 50kms to conserve fuel as all the petrol stations around the coast closed at 5pm on Saturdays!

He did get locked in a toilet once - the handle came off the door! Luckily he had his Swiss Army knife with him and dismantled the handle to get out!

[Waylander]

You don't need to worry about being that quick at stops - the first year Andy did it a mate of his thought they would be on the go all the time, so he would fill up the bike and throw $20 on the counter, not bothering to wait for change! Andy was the first home one year, while another year he finished in 23 hours 55 minutes!.... and other words.

Yea but with how slow I ride I can get in there fuel up eat and get going again and then leave before the rest of the group so that they catch up to me about halfway to the next stop lol.