Canterbury road riders: Where the hell are you?

**Spuds1234** · 8th June 2007, 18:02

Originally Posted by Oakie

Hey Spuds1234. You got rid of that ratty old bike did ya?

Sure did. My brother crashed it.

The guy that caused (I use this term lightly cos I still think it was my bro's fault) couldnt fix it, so offered to buy it for $400. I went DEAL. And got the money and the papers sorted quicker than I'd ever done anything else in my life.

Ive got a nice GSX750 Katana now that I intend to do up come summer. I just need to find a good plastic welder in Christchurch now.

Hows that nice 400 going that I was oogling at the supermarket going?

**Oakie** · 8th June 2007, 19:37

Originally Posted by Spuds1234

Sure did. My brother crashed it.

The guy that caused (I use this term lightly cos I still think it was my bro's fault) couldnt fix it, so offered to buy it for $400. I went DEAL. And got the money and the papers sorted quicker than I'd ever done anything else in my life.

Ive got a nice GSX750 Katana now that I intend to do up come summer. I just need to find a good plastic welder in Christchurch now.

Hows that nice 400 going that I was oogling at the supermarket going?

That 400 keeps going and going and going and just seems to get better. Slight problem a few weeks back when it lost it's high beam so I took it to the shop but it came back with no lights at all! That lasted a week and made life a bit nervous coming home in the early twilight but all fixed now. The 400 now has company in the garage at night with Mrs Oakie's EL250 parked beside it.

**Spuds1234** · 8th June 2007, 20:19

Man thats shitty work. Surely they would test it before they gave it back to you. Its not as if you wont notice that its not going.

**Oakie** · 8th June 2007, 22:35

To be fair, when I went to pick it up the low beam was going and the mechanic flicked it on to high beam to show it worked. It did then but I noticed after I got down the road a couple of kilometres (5.15pm Friday of course) that nothing was working again so I think his act of flicking on high beam shorted the whole thing out again. The following week instead of trying to locate the short they just rewired the headlight. No problems since.

**Rashika** · 9th June 2007, 06:31

Originally Posted by Oakie

I second that! Does the road get frosty at all in winter? (I plan to take Mrs Oakie over the road in a few weeks when she's a bit more familiar with her bike)

hell yeah its gets frosty! And then they usually do lay grit down as well, DE is right on that account. But it is still a really nice route, and I dont usually take it at anywhere near licence loosing speeds as it is just too tricky for that. I love the bit where it goes along the cliff and you feel like being halfway suspended up the side of the cliff (near where the gondola goes). there are just some really nice corners and you can get a good flow going. Just have to watch for the narrowness of it and the odd car on the wrong side of the road.

But in winter it is a bit scary... if you do go pick a nice warm day and take it slow and watch out for grit. It is probably okay this weekend but give it a week or two and they will probably have gritted it.

**Spuds1234** · 9th June 2007, 20:17

Originally Posted by Deviant Esq

I like going up over Dyers Pass Road and out to Godley House, because it's a nice ride out there, the beer's great value and the food is good... even if you just get spicy wedges.

Not too much traffic on the weekdays either which is handy.

Are you still keen to go? I shall PM you my number so you can send me a quick text to let me know if you will be able to go on Wednesday.

Where would you like to meet?

Is anyone else keen to go? The more the merrier.

**Ghost_Bullet** · 9th June 2007, 21:42

Originally Posted by Rashika

hell yeah its gets frosty! And then they usually do lay grit down as well, DE is right on that account. But it is still a really nice route, and I dont usually take it at anywhere near licence loosing speeds as it is just too tricky for that. I love the bit where it goes along the cliff and you feel like being halfway suspended up the side of the cliff (near where the gondola goes). there are just some really nice corners and you can get a good flow going. Just have to watch for the narrowness of it and the odd car on the wrong side of the road.

But in winter it is a bit scary... if you do go pick a nice warm day and take it slow and watch out for grit. It is probably okay this weekend but give it a week or two and they will probably have gritted it.

Bloody good run around there today, (as you would know

)
No grit, and just the odd stone here and there on the road. It has been a long long time since I have taken that route on a bike, must be into years.., realy enjoyed it. Me rear tyre is looking close to replacement, and gettin into some corners like aorund them hills makes full use of the rubber.

**Deviant Esq** · 10th June 2007, 00:49

Originally Posted by Spuds1234

Are you still keen to go? I shall PM you my number so you can send me a quick text to let me know if you will be able to go on Wednesday.

Where would you like to meet?

Wherever's easiest. Are you close to town? I'm still keen, though it's entirely dependant on whether or not I'm selected for a jury. Got your PM though, will text you on the day, or earlier if I've been selected Mon or Tue.

**Spuds1234** · 10th June 2007, 00:51

Yea Im keen. Town is no problem. Its like 15 minutes away from my house.

You wanna meet at the Twisted Hop or some place equally as easy to find?

**Deviant Esq** · 10th June 2007, 00:54

Originally Posted by Spuds1234

You wanna meet at the Twisted Hop or some place equally as easy to find?

Where's the Twisted Hop?

I'm about 5 mins from the very centre of town - I live on Cranford Street. So wherever's the most convenient really, I'm not fussed. Somewhere central I suppose... how about outside the Cashmere club, on Colombo St? Good spot for fanging up the hill afterwards. Still, I probably won't be able to confirm until a matter of minutes beforehand, coz as I said it all depends on my jury duty.

**Spuds1234** · 10th June 2007, 00:58

The Twisted Hop is on Poplar Street, about 2 blocks down from the bus exchange. Nice we pub, brews all its own beer out the back. You can see all the beer being brewed behind glass windows. Its propper english ale apparenlty. All I know is its great beer.

The Cashmere club is a fine place to meet.

The short notice is fine. I will be up anyway at that hour so it shouldnt pose to much of a problem.

**Transalper** · 10th June 2007, 10:18

Originally Posted by Deviant Esq

....the Summit Road, it's a bloody goat track. Seriously rutted and covered with gravel (and grit at this time of the year), it doesn't do my confidence much good, though I have ridden it a couple of times... I prefer the better sealed roads around the bays...

You had my attention for a moment there.
By rutted i assume you mean corrugated.
Ruts run along the road usually dug out by wheels, when in dirt if they are deep you can drop in to one and keep on riding along.
Corrugation is the ripples in the road usually running accross the road so you bounce over them bump bump bump bump bump instead of dropping in to them.
Would the latter be what you mean?

**Deviant Esq** · 10th June 2007, 20:46

Originally Posted by Transalper

You had my attention for a moment there.
By rutted i assume you mean corrugated.
Ruts run along the road usually dug out by wheels, when in dirt if they are deep you can drop in to one and keep on riding along.
Corrugation is the ripples in the road usually running accross the road so you bounce over them bump bump bump bump bump instead of dropping in to them.
Would the latter be what you mean?

No, I mean exactly what I said. Rutted, potholed, badly resealed, gravel and crap everywhere, very uneven surface.... it's a bloody goat track IMO. I'm too busy worrying about where I'm putting my front wheel and what the road looks like so I can choose the smoothest, most gravel free and least bumpy route. I find I just don't enjoy it very much.

**Rashika** · 10th June 2007, 20:49

Originally Posted by Ghost_Bullet

Bloody good run around there today, (as you would know

)
No grit, and just the odd stone here and there on the road. It has been a long long time since I have taken that route on a bike, must be into years.., realy enjoyed it. Me rear tyre is looking close to replacement, and gettin into some corners like aorund them hills makes full use of the rubber.

yeah, was a nice wee blat, although ferkin cold even with the sun shining its wee heart out. Was funny... I was waiting for speedygirl and all of a sudden this Guzzi pulls up next to me, and the rider says..."thought I recognised the rear end of the bike"

But no grit yet, and I do enjoy that road even tho it takes a fair bit of concentration, its a nice challenge with a superb view