Coast to Coast Ride - what to expect?

[mazz1972]

Hi KB'ers

There is a group of six of us doing the Coast to Coast ride (Himatangi to Akitio) this Saturday, and wondering what we can expect?

Is there much gravel road? What sort of turnout does this ride usually get? Any pointers for people who are used to only riding in a small group? Are there usually many yahoos etc?

Any feedback - good or bad - from people who've done the ride would be appreciated!

[merv]

I've been on most of these rides bar a couple and one of those I missed was last year's. Comments on that here http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=19042

Here's the pics from the prior year 2004 http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=7094

The crowd has varied from a couple of hundred up to about 600 I think depending on the weather and I've always quite enjoyed the rides. Probably half them I've been on its rained on the West side and that's typical for the weather here and the reason I've missed a few in recent years I've got up, looked out the window at the shit weather and gone back to bed again. Last year we had our work Xmas function on that day so I had to give the ride a miss. So my count is 8 out of 11 held.

After some deaths many years back the ride has run with a police escort and seems to run quite smoothly. I've always been happy riding in crowds so have never had a problem though I've tended to run as close to the front as I can sometimes right up behind or maybe just a few bikes behind the police car escort.

The route either runs on the North route (Feilding area) or the South route (Foxton - Shannon area) and they alternate it - but the lunch break is always at Woodville where they provide a sausage and a drink as part of the entry fee. Then the run goes to Akitio where previously it went to Herbertville and again they alternate between a Northern route (Dannevirke - Weber area) or Southern route (Mangatainoka - Pongaroa area).

I do the trip as a round trip covering typically 500km or so as I'm no camper and the ride home is the longest part so try to get away around 3pm from the East coast.

The route is sealed the whole way. Once the event has finished at Akitio on the dirt bike you can go the directly out to Pongaroa on the South side road from Akitio which was still gravel the last time I was up there so on the road bike I normally just go in and out on the sealed Northern road.

If the weather is good Saturday I would recommend you give it a go.

[mazz1972]

Many thanks for your info Merv....I will have a read of your other post re the 04 ride. Cheers

[skidz]

As far as I'm concerned, there are too many idiots out there that just get out for the ride and then put the bikes away until next year. I hope you's have a great time but be very careful out there. Remember to keep scanning the area around you as some of the bikes think it's a race and come up on you very fast.
RIDE SAFE.

[mazz1972]

Thanks skidz, someone made the same comment to me yesterday. We'll stick towards the back and try and let those types go on ahead!

[MattRSK]

Here ya go.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ghlight=akitio

[quickbuck]

.... . let those types go on ahead!

Just like one Ducati rider did on the other side of the Pahiatua track last year. Turned (or didn't in his case) to shingle real fast, and.....ooops.....

As a rule though, the roads are all sealed (according to the map), but I can't comment on what the roading contractors are up to.... There may be some 30k zones.

[Beemer]

Went on it in 1999 - got overtaken and undertaken at the same time by two morons on a blind corner. Got around a few more corners to find both on the side of the road with their bikes in a ditch. Gave them a two-fingered salute, tooted and kept riding!

I may head up to the start this Saturday but won't be going on the ride as we've got friends coming for an early Christmas celebration.

[mazz1972]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Definately going as long as the weather co-operates....fingers crossed!

[Grub]

The guy at work whose fault it is I'm going said that they often just do the Himatangi-Woodville part.

Look in the calendar, I posted the organisers comments and notyes about the ride. Being one of the star attractions in the Woodville Xmas Parade sounds pretty cool to me :

Brett

[Sparky Bills]

Ill be going.
Hope its good weather.
See you there!

[Jace970]

If this is your first ride middle ofr front the whiplass affect of a group rideahpens at the rear .. if you hang there you will find the speed...

[skidz]

If this is your first ride middle ofr front the whiplass affect of a group rideahpens at the rear .. if you hang there you will find the speed...

Yep, best to be up near the front especially if you're not used to this type of riding. As in most big group rides the crazies wait for a while so they can play catch-up. SAFE RIDE TO EVERYONE GOING.

[Beemer]

Unfortunately it looks like the weather is going to be shite...

[mazz1972]

Have already posted this in another thread, so hope I don't get a smack on the wrist for putting it here also...

Six of us headed out from Himitangi on our dual-purpose bikes for our inaugural Coast to Coast Ride. Still being a learner (but minus my L plate for the weekend) I was a bit apprehensive about the weather, as I’ve thus far avoided riding in the rain, and haven’t ridden such a distance. We had been warned about “idiot” riders so was very wary of that as I rode along.

Yes it rained a bit but I coped with it rather well once I got used to it. Apart from some back road somewhere in the middle of nowhere where the temperature dropped to sub-zero and my visor and glasses fogged up.

We didn’t pike out at Woodville like it seems many did, as we’d booked a beach house for the night at Akitio so there was no turning back. More rain in the afternoon but it seemed to warm up a wee bit, instead it blew like hell and just got worse the closer we got to Akitio. Went over the wee bridge just before Akitio wondering if I would make it to the other side or end up as part of the railing.

We left in the middle of the pack, but with me not being the speediest, we got passed by practically everyone else. (Ok so I am officially a nana rider!). Some of the road bikes sound just awesome as they zoom by.

We sent to the prize giving and then to our warm and dry beachouse for a hot cuppa and down came a hailstorm. So it was on with the wet weather gear for the first time just to walk down to the club for the bang up $10 meal and cheap drinks.

What an awesome ride! Some of those roads are just made for bikes. Didn’t see any of the idiots (they probably were all in front of us to be fair).

Sunday weather was much improved and we made our way back via Waihi Falls – my first time on gravel so was drearily slow, but it was worth it as the falls are gorgeous. The road from there through to Dannevirke is just awesome on a bike once you get past the gravel part. Definitely worth a detour if your bike can handle gravel (the beauty of a dual purpose bike) From there back pretty much the way we came, with a stop in Pohangina for a cuppa.

Feeling a whole lot more confident with my riding now, much better with the cornering and getting up to speed faster.

Hope to be there again next year!