3 dirt bikers get their road bikes dirty

[merv]

Today I met up with Re-cycled and Scrosser starting at McDonalds Mana and we did a trip to the Gravity Canyon (Mokai Bungy) near Taihape. It pissed with rain most of the trip. We went up via Shannon, Ashhurst, Cheltenham, Vinegar Hill then back South a bit to peel off to go around to Simpson's Bush where Re-cycled got out his thermos - well prepared that man. Boy racers had been cutting up the park in there and it made interesting riding on our road tyres. By then our bikes were looking pretty muddy.

Then off to the bungy cafe for lunch - and yeah we are too chicken or too tight to pay for a flying fox or bungy. Flying fox hangs on a cable over 1 km long - amazing. Still raining.

Headed home back to Mangaweka for gas then took the back road via Rangiwahia and Kimbolton. Lynda you tar baby you'll be pleased to know that the road is sealed the whole way now if you didn't know that already.

From Feilding cruised home via Rongotea, Glen Oroua, Opiki, Shannon and then back on SH1. About a 500km round trip with probably about 400 km of it being rather wet. The weather forecast was for showers - yeah right.

Here's some of the pics.

[merv]

... and more pics.

[merv]

... and here's the last few pics.

[wari]

Loks like you had more fun than me today Merv ...

No such thing as bad weather eh ? ... :spudbooge :spudguita :spudbooge

[James Deuce]

Good stuff Merv. Lovely countryside that way any time of year.

[LB]

I'd wondered how you guys got on - great write-up, and (as always!) great piccies thanks Merv.

I had heard that last bit of gravel was gone (re-cycled, me, and half a dozen others did virtually the same ride two years ago and there was still about 6kms of very thick, no track type gravel).

Will catch up with re-cycled at work today.

[SPman]

Loks like you had more fun than me today Merv ...

After what you've been posting! :confused2......are you sure???

[Re-cycled]

But how do you get time to do that after a days ride ? I haven't even had time to clean off the machinery, let alone write about how I got it dirty. Whatever, it was a grand day out, sure enough.

[merv]

Well it was too cold and dark by then to be worrying about cleaning, I just put all my gear in front of the gas fire to dry and left the bike in the garage dirty. Now I have a real job ahead of me as both my bikes are filthy - still haven't cleaned the WR since it got wet and dirty and then I always have too many cars to clean as well and I am fussy enough to only do it when I have the time to do it properly. Sitting in front of the computer with the TV on waiting for Top Gear to come on was an easy thing to do.

[pete376403]

Well it was too cold and dark by then to be worrying about cleaning, I just put all my gear in front of the gas fire to dry and left the bike in the garage dirty. Now I have a real job ahead of me as both my bikes are filthy - still haven't cleaned the WR since it got wet and dirty and then I always have too many cars to clean as well and I am fussy enough to only do it when I have the time to do it properly. Sitting in front of the computer with the TV on waiting for Top Gear to come on was an easy thing to do.

And did you note that the Hayabusa powered car is still the quickest around the test track. Some of the other cars could be nice, tho

[merv]

And did you note that the Hayabusa powered car is still the quickest around the test track. Some of the other cars could be nice, tho

Yep I love those track tests on Top Gear and it is amazing the value of some of the vehicles they get to test and treat badly.

[merv]

Just thought, anyone interested in Gravity Canyon, check out their website at http://www.gravitycanyon.co.nz/

[Re-cycled]

Thanks for pointing that out Merv. I recommend their picture gallery to all comers. A sample is attached.

What an awesome, spectacular place, no-one should travel the Mangaweka-Taihape section of SH1 without taking an hour out to go have a look for themselves. The hour will get you there and back with time for lunch or a coffee while you revel in the scenery. And for a bonus the road in there offers a pretty good fang too. Well, more of a scratch actually, when I think about it.