Ashhurst touring (long commuting) ride report 6 10 07

**cowboyz** · 7th October 2007, 09:55

Bonez has educated me in that a touring ride means you stop and look around and stay the night and stuff around so changed the name of my touring ride to a long commute ride.
Up Early Saturaday morning and it was just Meanie and I taking girl back to taranaki so no waiting around we were off.
Headed north into the dodgey weather report which was surposed to be showers and wind. I was hoping we would miss all the showers and the wind wouldnt be too strong. Well we didnt miss any of the showers. I think that we hit every shower up the west coast. The wind was fairly strong with the whole sideways thing going on for a bit. But my pillion was brilliant with no complaints and we shot striaght through to about 5km short of Waitara in just over 2 hours when Mr Police asked me to stop. I was going to carry on and tell him that the ride was clear on kiwibiker that there would be no stopping except for fuel but decided against that idea and got $170 ticket for endangering the lives of other road users at 122km/hr. Meanie had a bit of a giggle and pull up with me to take some photos. Carried on and dropped girl off in waitara and headed into town for coffee and fuel.
247km
2 hours 40mins including stop
92km/hr avg including stops.

Keen to get down to forgotten highway and police lights freash in mind we headed down to stratford at a leisurely pace. The weather had cleared into a beautiful day so keen on spending as much time on bike as possible. Turned onto forgotten highway and saw a sign that said twisty road 5km. Great I thought. Need some twisties to forget about the ticket. Well after the 5km there is another 5 km of twisties and then another 2km of twisties and then another......... This goes on for 152km. Fantastic! We came across some sheep and some turkeys and peacocks and wet patches and rocks in the road and a bit of gravel. I raced through the first section of the highway until I was starting to get tired and then I cruised through some more and then picked up the pace and then let it off again. It was great just being on the bike and no worry about the police as there is nowhere on the road that you can really get wound out. About 2/3 of the way there is a tunnel. I didnt have a camera on me and didnt realise Meanie had his so didnt take a photo but it must be about 100m long and very narrow and really really dark. I didnt much care for it in the middle. The ZG14 looks big out in the open but looks even bigger coming through the tunnel. Pushed on to Taumaranui for some more coffee and fuel.
437km
6 hours 21 including stops
69km/hr average

Started talking about meeting up with Chanceyys ride which was promoted as the cruisy version of our ride so we thought we better get a hurry on down to Oakune to see if they are still there. They werent so on towards home only to find them in Waioru.
542km
7 hours 25min including stops
74 km average

Joined Chanceyys ride and rode down to Taihape and noticed the increase in pace striaght away. Up until now we hadnt seriously ventured into speeds over 125km/hr and now we were up on 140-150km/hr. Felt like about 25 seconds on the bike as stopped 25km up the road and our previous stops had been 200km+ stops. All good. We were close enough to home now that we could relax. The plan was to head down tiptoe road and back up Mangawekas. We were going up mangawekas anyway so though we would tootle on behind. Several stops on the way to kimbolton and although speeds were now climbing into the low 200s averages dropped significantly.
645km
9hours 35min
67km average including stops

On towards the valley and through to ashhurst the group got split up a bit with 86 and bonez stopping for coffee at dogs place and the girls getting out in front we regrouped for a bbq at meanies to cleebrate Bonez getting older which went on into the night.

Finished up with.

719km
10hours 30 total time
68km/hr

**chanceyy** · 7th October 2007, 13:33

good write up cowboyz but dunno where or who was doing 140Ks

I heard a whisper but rev counter did not match wot I was being told

**Meanie** · 7th October 2007, 18:36

Yea was good alright,that tunnel scared the shit out of me though i thought it was closing up as i went further in
Nice pic at the bottom of your posts

**banditrider** · 7th October 2007, 19:44

Now I gotta finish off the Forgotten Highway...

Great ride by the sounds of it, sorry I missed it. The first time I went down the Homer tunnel it was a bit freaky too - downhill in the dark with the sound of rushing water all around me.

Did my own trip to the 'naki today but in the car so doesn't count really.

**cowboyz** · 7th October 2007, 19:49

the run was kinda a pre check on our bike fitness to see how we felt about the grand challenge. The first 300km was the hardest and then it got easier after that although our coffee/chat breaks still too long and lowering our average speed. Our moving average was about 93km/hr but just too long recovering at breaks.

**chanceyy** · 7th October 2007, 19:51

Originally Posted by cowboyz

the run was kinda a pre check on our bike fitness to see how we felt about the grand challenge. The first 300km was the hardest and then it got easier after that although our coffee/chat breaks still too long and lowering our average speed. Our moving average was about 93km/hr but just too long recovering at breaks.

you stopped

**banditrider** · 7th October 2007, 20:08

Originally Posted by cowboyz

the run was kinda a pre check on our bike fitness to see how we felt about the grand challenge. The first 300km was the hardest and then it got easier after that although our coffee/chat breaks still too long and lowering our average speed. Our moving average was about 93km/hr but just too long recovering at breaks.

Don't put too much thought into it. We never really worry about average speeds etc - you get sent out on dodgy back roads where you won't maintain them and it my throw your whole plan out. Just break the ride up into sections: say distance to next fuel, distance to next checkpoint etc - don't freak out by going "Shit, there's 1599km to go."

Will let you know our average in about a weeks time...

**The Stranger:Me** · 7th October 2007, 20:16

Originally Posted by cowboyz

Keen to get down to forgotten highway and police lights freash in mind we headed down to stratford at a leisurely pace. The weather had cleared into a beautiful day so keen on spending as much time on bike as possible. Turned onto forgotten highway and saw a sign that said twisty road 5km. Great I thought. Need some twisties to forget about the ticket. Well after the 5km there is another 5 km of twisties and then another 2km of twisties and then another......... This goes on for 152km. Fantastic! We came across some sheep and some turkeys and peacocks and wet patches and rocks in the road and a bit of gravel. I raced through the first section of the highway until I was starting to get tired and then I cruised through some more and then picked up the pace and then let it off again. It was great just being on the bike and no worry about the police as there is nowhere on the road that you can really get wound out. About 2/3 of the way there is a tunnel. I didnt have a camera on me and didnt realise Meanie had his so didnt take a photo but it must be about 100m long and very narrow and really really dark. I didnt much care for it in the middle. The ZG14 looks big out in the open but looks even bigger coming through the tunnel. Pushed on to Taumaranui for some more coffee and fuel.

Now didn't I tell ya it woz good.
The tunnel is a bit of a mind fuck first time with the walls rushing past in your peripheral vision.

The other one I highly recommend is SH4 between Whanganui and Raetihi. Not as good as the forgotten highway (nothing is), however not bloody bad either.

Don't you just love getting snapped and 122, 2k over the 35 demerit threshold. Mind you I got 121.

**cowboyz** · 7th October 2007, 20:19

That will be interesting. I remember when I first heard about the coast to coast run. People were telling me how hard core it is and how much time you spend on the bike and I have done a few of them now and it is an wasy 300km with plenty of stops. Doesnt seem so bad at all. Not that that compares to the GC but the stigma around it scares me off it a bit. I guess I will just have to bite the bullet and give it a crack next year.

**Meanie** · 7th October 2007, 20:23

Originally Posted by cowboyz

I guess I will just have to bite the bullet and give it a crack next year.

Yep and itd be rude to not join ya

**banditrider** · 7th October 2007, 20:25

Sweet - 2 more nutters! I'll remind ya when I'm sending in me entry for next year!

**cowboyz** · 7th October 2007, 20:26

Originally Posted by The Stranger

Now didn't I tell ya it woz good.
The tunnel is a bit of a mind fuck first time with the walls rushing past in your peripheral vision.

The other one I highly recommend is SH4 between Whanganui and Raetihi. Not as good as the forgotten highway (nothing is), however not bloody bad either.

Don't you just love getting snapped and 122, 2k over the 35 demerit threshold. Mind you I got 121.

Yes. Yes it was fantastic.

You are talking about the paraparas and they are ok. Not my favourite piece of road cause it is wet in the winter and the tar melts in the summer so it is always slippery. Been up there a few times for a blast though. Fields track veers off the paraparas which is in no way could be considered a road but sealed (kind of) and very scenic.

And "love" wasnt one of the words that came to mind. no.

its all good though. thinking about setting up a late summer ride looping forgotten highway and awakino. that will be great.

**cowboyz** · 7th October 2007, 20:28

Originally Posted by banditrider

Sweet - 2 more nutters! I'll remind ya when I'm sending in me entry for next year!

just make sure Meanie is not behind you going through taranaki. He is a cop magnet. Just ask dogs.

**banditrider** · 7th October 2007, 20:30

Originally Posted by cowboyz

just make sure Meanie is not behind you going through taranaki. He is a cop magnet. Just ask dogs.

I probably won't be able to keep up...

**chanceyy** · 7th October 2007, 20:42

Originally Posted by cowboyz

Yes. Yes it was fantastic.

You are talking about the paraparas and they are ok. Not my favourite piece of road cause it is wet in the winter and the tar melts in the summer so it is always slippery. Been up there a few times for a blast though. Fields track veers off the paraparas which is in no way could be considered a road but sealed (kind of) and very scenic.

And "love" wasnt one of the words that came to mind. no.

its all good though. thinking about setting up a late summer ride looping forgotten highway and awakino. that will be great.

was impressed with paras yesterday real lack of pea metal & a few washouts & road works but nuffin major and bonus roads were pretty dry ..