Christchurch roads - terrible

[ODB]

So pretty newbie biker, have messed about on dirt bikes for a bit and finally did my road test.

Have fixed up an old CG125 and using it as a sometimes-daily (when I dont need to pick up my son).

Just wanted to have a rant about the appalling state of Christchurch's roads!

Not something I really minded too much when in my car to be honest - more of an issue now obviously!

Seems a heck of a lot of potholes - I try and keep my head pretty up and vision quite a bit out in front to get early identification of any obstacles and usually see the potholes last minute.

Technically should I be scanning the road up ahead and then flicking down to the road 20m or so out to avoid hazards easier?

Im generally more aware of road condition when Im going slower and coming up to stop at a junction but these bloody potholes have really got me questioning my hazard identification style!

Thoughts KBs?

[Crasherfromwayback]

Thoughts KBs?

Get a trail bike!

[Gremlin]

You are correct to be keeping your vision up, and not to look at the road right in front of your wheel.

Technically, you should then see the potholes etc further out and be able to make a smooth line through them... Uh... improve your forward vision?

[Jantar]

I have heard that it'll be another 4 years before Christchurch roads will be back up to standard. I happed to ride through part of the worst affected area a few days after the big one and I am glad I was on an adventure bike, and even then I was struggling for ground clearance over some humps. A road bike would not have got through some of those roads.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I was at work on my scooter on Feb 22. Its very surprising what a scooter will ride through given a committed rider....

[Oakie]

If you're using a regular route you'll get to know where the worst holes are quite quickly. I find it takes me about three jarring smacks on the neck to remember where they are. But yeah, scanning forward ... hard to say how far but to me it feels like 30 metres is about the distance I start to pick up the holes.

[far queue]

Yep, you can scan further out when you're out of town or on the "good" side of town but on the more munted side of town you've got to be watching a lot closer in or you'll miss them. So scan closer in more frequently and check further out less frequently. The opposite of what would normally be good practice, but just on the munted side of town. Also stay back from the cars more than normal or you won't see the holes appear in front of you in time to avoid them.

[neels]

If I'm riding anywhere east of hagley park, its on the trail bike or in the 4wd. The roads are indeed fucked, and not looking like getting better any time soon.

[Oakie]

If I'm riding anywhere east of hagley park, its on the trail bike or in the 4wd. The roads are indeed fucked, and not looking like getting better any time soon.

My commute down ANZAC Drive, Dyers Road, Garlands Road, Port Hiils Road, Centaurus Road to Barrington St is pretty good now. A few wee humps and hollows but the worst is definately quite acceptable.

[willytheekid]

agree the ChCh roads do! tend to hide the current 27 million dollars worth of repairs very well (you will pee blood for 2 days if you dare speed around New Brighton on a bike!)

[cynna]

bent one of my rims on the car the other day on a pothole in new brighton. my front spolier is smashed and has ripped the mounts out of the fender - the bumper shop didnt even want to look at it

also had to throw out my old helmet just after the feb quake - i would get bounced off my seat on the road bike over some bumps and my slightly loose helmet would smack down on my head


that new jump they just put in on pages road is great for those on trail bikes. cant wait to try it out

[McFatty1000]

agree the ChCh roads do! tend to hide the current 27 million dollars worth of repairs very well (you will pee blood for 2 days if you dare speed around New Brighton on a bike!)

Its all gone into the idiotic ilam road cycle lane outside uni I think - even though I cycle around there I find it more dangerous.
That and paying the genius who closed montreal, madras and fitzgerald down to one lane each on the same day. Brilliant work

[McFatty1000]

bent one of my rims on the car the other day on a pothole in new brighton. my front spolier is smashed and has ripped the mounts out of the fender - the bumper shop didnt even want to look at it

also had to throw out my old helmet just after the feb quake - i would get bounced off my seat on the road bike over some bumps and my slightly loose helmet would smack down on my head


that new jump they just put in on pages road is great for those on trail bikes. cant wait to try it out

I know four people that have blown tires/cracked wheels around the place now, have to wonder what the legal ramifications of paying for a service that isn't being provided are...

[russd7]

last time i rode in CHCH it wasnt the roads i had to be carefull of it was the ignorant f**kin cagers tryin to take my space on the road while i ws still occupying it, and im not a small chappie, got so fucken sick of hearing "people are so stressed from the quakes" i coulda smacked someone, gotta say im not interested in goin back again, just a bloody shit hole now

[granstar]

If only Invercargill's new roller coaster roads were as good as ChCh's post quake roads. Arseholes have bad habit of laying out spiffing roads, then digging them up a week later to do the pipe work, then patching with cow pats that peels off after a few months. Must be only city in world that delivers eggs scrambled.
Even then the new road layouts are so you'd have to be really pissed ( with piss) to miss the bumps of the drain covers all over the place.