Tt2000 2017

[whatastoner]

Lets face it. SH1 south of Kaikoura is going to be shut for months. The road to Blenheim will be open so perhaps go inland Renwick to St Arnaud and down through Lewis. You may have to take an earlier ferry or hoof it. Racing down to the start is not the best way to begin the event though.

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[veldthui]

Lets face it. SH1 south of Kaikoura is going to be shut for months. The road to Blenheim will be open so perhaps go inland Renwick to St Arnaud and down through Lewis. You may have to take an earlier ferry or hoof it. Racing down to the start is not the best way to begin the event though.

Yeah. I just looked via google maps and it says it is the option. 457km so about 5.5 hour ride. Dont really want the early ferry as I booked the sleeper on the Bluebridge. I only have about a 6 hour ride for Friday at the start of the TT so the distance itself does not bother me having just completed the NI1600 and the 1KC. Just need to ensure I get there in time for the start.

[whatastoner]

I'm sure the starting time window could be extended. Say 12 to 2pm.

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[whatastoner]

In fact I always thought the start window was quite long. Need to look up previous TT's

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[wpoll]

I'm sure the starting time window could be extended. Say 12 to 2pm.

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True that...

You can start anytime you like, within reason (or until we finish our pie'n'pint at the Yaldy and bugger off!) and clock your journey time from that start time.

No penalty!

[whatastoner]

There you are. Straight from the horses mouth.

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[banditrider]

Diamond Harbour to Pigeon Bay via Port Levy Road? Yes, there's gravel but 40km difference - will it save me time or is the gravel fairly slow in there?

[sir.taz]

Diamond Harbour to Pigeon Bay via Port Levy Road? Yes, there's gravel but 40km difference - will it save me time or is the gravel fairly slow in there?

I want to know the answer to this as well

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[wpoll]

Diamond Harbour to Pigeon Bay via Port Levy Road? Yes, there's gravel but 40km difference - will it save me time or is the gravel fairly slow in there?

I rode this road last May and it was pretty good. But I was on a Dakar, not a Bandit. There's a lot of sections that are bare clay and it would be a 'mare in the wet. In the dry you should be OK but it'll be slow, and there are many blind corners, so you need to keep a sharp eye on the road ahead.

So? What to do? :-)

[sir.taz]

I rode this road last May and it was pretty good. But I was on a Dakar, not a Bandit. There's a lot of sections that are bare clay and it would be a 'mare in the wet. In the dry you should be OK but it'll be slow, and there are many blind corners, so you need to keep a sharp eye on the road ahead.

So? What to do? :-)

Cheers for that

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[banditrider]

So? What to do? :-)

Exactly...the gravel doesn't worry me - I'm after a time saving...

[FJRider]

Yeah. I just looked via google maps and it says it is the option. 457km so about 5.5 hour ride. Dont really want the early ferry as I booked the sleeper on the Bluebridge. I only have about a 6 hour ride for Friday at the start of the TT so the distance itself does not bother me having just completed the NI1600 and the 1KC. Just need to ensure I get there in time for the start.

Word out at the moment is the road to Kaikoura from the north will be open in a week to ten days.

[whatastoner]

I was over the pigeon bay road today. The gravel on the port levy end is a little slippy for a few k's then gets much easier. Single track so be cautious of locals and tourists. Met one car on a blind corner. Thank god for ABS. The next stretch of gravel I encountered today was at the Taumutu CP. Recently graded so was thick as. Hideous.

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[PistonBlown]

I've ridden that road a couple of times on my Spyder and it was fine despite it not being its natural habitat. I'll be going that way this time if its dry - as wpoll suggested its a different story in the wet, particularly the steep downhill bit with the clay. As whatastoner and wpoll said take it careful with the blind corners, locals tend to be relatively careful but tourists less so.

[PistonBlown]

I was over the pigeon bay road today. The gravel on the port levy end is a little slippy for a few k's then gets much easier. Single track so be cautious of locals and tourists. Met one car on a blind corner. Thank god for ABS. The next stretch of gravel I encountered today was at the Taumutu CP. Recently graded so was thick as. Hideous.

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Thanks for the tip on the Taumutu, will be careful on that one. Not been able to do any rides to checkout CPs and routes this time like I normally would so just hoping I'm not going to have too many surprises. Haven't even had a chance to practice riding while drinking a milkshake:-)