Canterbury Rides, Ride on the 23 Oct

[Transalper]

This ride is mainly shingle roads with a few choices of easy or harder options along the way and suitable for all Duel Sport bikes including the big 1150cc+ stuff so should be a breeze on your machine. We'll look after ya if you show up, and you can always bug out along the way if ya give up early.

[miSTa]

Bugger.

Got permission from the wife (still weird saying that), all relaxed and refreshed from the two weeks away and looking forward to getting out there with the chch dualsport crew. Only to reread this thread and discover that the ride on Monday is a more formal (and larger) affair. Not sure if I'm ready for that.

Getting out there with a few of you guys where I can learn and not worry too much about being the noob is one thing. Being on a big group ride is I think a little out of my depth just yet. So it looks like I'll be chickening out of this one. Might just go for a solo somewhere out the waimak or up into the port hills, get some practice in.

What a load of dribble, stop making excuses, back yourself and go and do it. The ride is for all all bike sizes and by including the big bikes (the real duelsports ) the trip is likely to be fairly easy going. If any is going to be making noob out of themselves it'll be me - I'm still learning the ropes on this whole off road thing . But I'm still going to be there.

[cooneyr]

Bugger.

Got permission from the wife (still weird saying that), all relaxed and refreshed from the two weeks away and looking forward to getting out there with the chch dualsport crew. Only to reread this thread and discover that the ride on Monday is a more formal (and larger) affair. Not sure if I'm ready for that.

Getting out there with a few of you guys where I can learn and not worry too much about being the noob is one thing. Being on a big group ride is I think a little out of my depth just yet. So it looks like I'll be chickening out of this one. Might just go for a solo somewhere out the waimak or up into the port hills, get some practice in.

What TA and Mr S said. Go and give it a go! The guys will look after you all the way. I was nervious as hell the first time I went along and they made sure I was OK. You have to make mistakes to learn!

Early warning for all - when I get my full on Tuesday (thinking positive) I'm thinking of organising a ride one day next weekend (28 or 29).

Cheers
R

[Ghost Lemur]

You guys have all made valid points so I'll at least be a starter.

If nothing else I can be the guy who makes Mr Sensible look good.

[laRIKin]

I'm sure that you will be fine on the ride G/Lemur and will have a lot of fun.

I will not be there unfortunately, as I have other things I want to do on that day.
I'm sure that you will have a great day and I hope the weather is better than it was today as I got wet and cold when I went for my ride today.

[PLUG]

route sheet rolled & installed ... check
full tank of gas ... check
gear sorted & ready ... check

locked & loaded ...

[Transalper]

Well i got some of me gear ready... taking my own lunch and that's ready... still have to bolt the routesheet holder on but that's ok, will gas up nextdoor to the shop... so hopefully i'll be almost on time... yay.

C u there.

[far queue]

route sheet rolled & installed ... check
full tank of gas ... check
gear sorted & ready ... check

locked & loaded ...

Back from a great day at the Greymouth St Racing ... check
umm ... now where did I put everything for tomorrow's ride ...
I'll sort my shit out and see you guys tomorrow ...

[laRIKin]

Well a change of plans meant I did the ride.

All in all a good day, fog, sun and some rain on the way home.
Some rain would have come in handy to keep the dust down but it was better than doing work around the house. (as if)

[miSTa]

All in all a good day and with what I think was a big turnout.

Managed to fell off just once (big long puddle in a huge 4wd wheel rut) and got stuck once (up to the axles in a big bog - took four of us to push me out) but I wasn't only one who stuck in the same spot. Great fun. Still not keen on deep gravel roads but getting more confident overall (still as slow as @#$% but who cares - I'm having a blast).

Ghost Lemur, good on you for turning up, you certainly seemed to be having a great time. BTW I always look good.

[far queue]

BTW I always look good.

You didn't look too flash at the end of the ride with mud from arsehole to breakfast.

[far queue]

Attended my first professionally run adventure ride - headed off from Canterbury rides and at the very first intersection half the group went one way the rest went the other – mmm so that’s how it’s done. Up Rapaki track, (much to the pleasure of all the MTB’s, walkers and runners – not) to the Summit Rd, into the clouds and rain, couldn’t see bugger all so took it easy, got soaked, descended from the clouds and slowly dried out again. The rest of the day was spent on the flat in the vicinity of Sheffield/ Rolleston on various paper roads, shingle roads, etc, with the ride finishing at Rolleston BP. Cooneyr, you should have been there, it was all in your backyard. From there it was a bit of a blat along the Waimak on the way home.

Lowlights
The shit weather on the Summit Rd – got wet
All the sealed roads
All the straight, flat, gravel roads
The big bog hole I charged through – bugger, wet again
All the dust
The rain on the way home – yep, wet again
Getting stopped by Mr Plod, sooooo close to home. I was silly enough to overtake a mufti.

Highlights
Rapaki Track
Having a blast on the high speed bits of paper road, river bed etc
Having so many other adventure bikes around
The guy on the XR650 and his endless wheelies
Watching the on the BMW get his timing so wrong as the big irrigation sprinkler thing tracked him perfectly as we rode down the track it was watering. Man those things can pump out the water. I stayed dry this time.
A great Venison Pie for lunch
Managing to run over a magpie on the way home – I hate those things
Mr Plod let me off with a warning

Pics
1. Outside Canterbury Rides, all set to go
2. and again - note Mr S's nice clean R1150GS on the end
3. mmmmmmmmmm, lunch
4. A little obstacle that caught a couple out
5. another play in the water
6. That nice clean R1150GS at the end of the day

[miSTa]

You didn't look too flash at the end of the ride with mud from arsehole to breakfast.

That's just proof that I ..., it's proof of something anyway.


Great photos btw, although you seem to be as bad as Lemans and have some sort of fetish perhaps for big GS BMWs

[laRIKin]

some sort of fetish perhaps for big GS BMWs

I have lot's of fetish's, some I'm not to proud of.

I have no pic's as I did not bring a camera as I was a real last second change of plans to turn up, so it was lucky I got there in time.

[Transalper]

It was a good day, and that's a good write up FQ.
I found the ride to be a little boaring when compared to the first Canterbury Rides adventure, but still worth it I think.
The first adventure had many hills and continuous winding, bendy roads with non-stop scenic views and is a ride i want to do over and over again. I doubt i'll repeat this last trip.
Could have a few good bits of video in there between the long dusty straights, just need time to pull it off the camera (got 2 jobs inline infront of this one but we'll see what i can do)