Chch Wednesday Night Cruises 2009-10

[Peeteey]

No offense taken, I agree with most of what you said, and there are ignorant twats in cars, on motorbikes, on bicycles.

*Whew* this morning I re-read what I wrote. Jeez, I've gotta stop using the computer late at night!

Anyway, back on topic, the long way to Greta Valley this week is it?

Cool, I've never done that run. It'd be a long-ish one right?

[Shadowjack]

About 170/180-ish kms, BK car-park to home (Papanui).
If anyone has a more accurate unit of measure than "-ish", feel free to correct me.

[KiwiPhoenix]

Good news! It'll be nice to be back on your own beastie again I bet.

Oh goodness yes!! I miss my bike, as much as I love being on the back I enjoy my own bike!

Oh dear, according to this I ride 5 ft from the kerb on my silly bike with silly little tyres

Now this I can tell you is true!!!! sorry dear!

About 170/180-ish kms, BK car-park to home (Papanui).
If anyone has a more accurate unit of measure than "-ish", feel free to correct me.

You are right it is about that, I am about the same (with a petrol stop in Amberley on the way home) Crap small petrol tank!

As for the road condition as of today, from Chch to Waikari turn off is all good and all the way down from the Greta Valley pub is good! No road works!

Just a heads up though, as I know there are people that do other rides, you may want to take note that the Leader Valley Road is very very gritty, they are re-sealing the road at various sections, so if you do this road you should be very cautious.

Going over the Waiua (sp?) bridge gave Ewan a wee salute on the way over!

[neels]

Now this I can tell you is true!!!! sorry dear!

I was referring to the bicycle in the garage, not the XJ, heaven forbid I ride that badly on both

[KiwiPhoenix]

I was referring to the bicycle in the garage, not the XJ, heaven forbid I ride that badly on both

Opps, sorry!! Nah, you were great on the motorbike, I had no problems on the back!

[Paulus]

Funny you should mention that. I live out in the harbour and the Cyclists (note, capital C) are a real menace. Well, I say menace, they're too stupid me be a menace I think, they just get in everyones way, hold everyone up then get shitty when anyone says "Do you mind?".

So, I started taking one of said little cameras in the car with me, particularly on weekends, and I have some great footage of these nutters.

I have made several conclusions.

1) - The normal Joe Bloggs on his bike purely to get from A to B is no problem whatsoever. They hear you coming from a mile away and move right over to the side of the road so there's plenty of room for us both. They're great, but they're so few.

2) - The more "Cyclist" gear they have, the more into the centre of the road they ride. Each piece of kit they have directly relates to about a foot more towards the centre line.
So from the curb: Silly bike with silly little tyres, 1 foot inwards, shirt with all thier "sponsors" on, 1 foot inwards, obscene hot pants, 1 foot inwards, silly helmet, 1 foot inwards, silly pedals that your feet lock into, another 1 foot inwards. So far, that's 5 feet away from the curb! Given each lane is only about 6 feet wide, you can understand why people in 4 foot wide cars get a little miffed at not being able to squeeze past.

3) - The more "Cyclist" gear they wear, the more other "Cyclists" they attract. They seem to go round in groups, or Gaggles if you will, and insist on riding side by side on these thin, winding roads leaving no one else any room and also seem to be so engrossed in conversation about how much more "Cyclist" gear they've got than other people, that they simply don't hear cars approaching from behind and thus don't move over.

The shirt with their "sponsors" on is a testament to their stupidity. A sponsors primary role is to pay for things/gear in return for advertising, like having a name on a shirt.
It's guaranteed that all these "Cyclists" paid top dollar for each of their shirts. They're paying a company to advertise for said company. Shouldn't that be the other way around?
I reckon the reason they ride round in groups of 3 is because they all have 1/3rd of a brain cell each.


Ok, I know this has turned into a bit of a rant. It's late and I find the "Cyclists" out here piss me off more than the mozzies. At least Mozzies know when to get out of the way!

I don't know whether you've deliberately set out to cause offense here or not but you've certainly succeeded and to be honest I find your attitude offensive. People like you really piss me off. Not impressed.

[Flip]

If the Leda Valley is gritty, sorry count me out. Its a grand to change the belt drive on my bike.

Has anybody been that way recently?

Cheers

[neels]

Opps, sorry!! Nah, you were great on the motorbike, I had no problems on the back!

I was getting worried, I thought you'd been stalking me and seen me in my lycra

[thepom]

Paulus ... or anus....you wear lycra too?..you piss me off with your holier than thou attitude and peeteey is spot on....

[Footless]

Greta Valley via the Leader????
About 280km round trip??
Will need to have em cracked open!!!!!!

[Paulus]

Paulus ... or anus....you wear lycra too?..you piss me off with your holier than thou attitude and peeteey is spot on....

Sure do. Nice work - you're an insult machine.

[Hey wait for me!]

Without wanting to start anything or get into anything really, what i can say that i personally witnessed today on the ride home from Hokitika was this. We were riding in Staggered formation not that far out of Hokitika. It was extremely windy. There was about 6 of us. We came up behind a double trailer truck that was getting blown around pretty badly as we all were. We came around a bend and up ahead i could see 2 cyclists riding side by side and both looking at each other and obviousily chatting. They were approaching a left hand bridge theat narrowed across the bridge and right on the bend as well. They didn't move into single file as the truck approached or even stopped talking or looking at each other actually. Because they were riding 2 abreast the tandem truck had to swerve out across the road and had to take the corner on the opposite side of the road and we also had to swerve around them. Up until when i went past them neither of the 2 cyclists moved into a safe single file to make it safe for them or anyone else. If a car was coming the other direction the truck driver would have had to make the decision to lock up the trucks brakes, or hit the cyclists or hit another vehicle head on. I personally use to be a search and rescue officer for The Royal New Zealand Coast Guard, a base officer. I also had a job as a skipper of a charter vessel and had the responsibility of peoples lives in my hands on a daily basis. Safety for yourself and the lives of others is not to be taken lightly. Whether on the water, road, or air when i personally see a situation unfold like it did today it really let down the "Cyclists team" you might say. The point is there are good cyclist and bad, good car drivers and bad. The same goes across the board. If the good cyclists want to stand up for their rights well fair enough but they need to educate the bad cyclists of the habits that are causing the mayhem. The same as in our community when the good motorbike riders try to teach the inexperienced or the over experienced riders sometimes as well that hey its not just your safety to worry about. You need a license to drive a truck,car,bus,taxi,moped and motor bike on the road and we're all trying to share the same spot and get back home safe again to our families. I ride cycles and motorbikes and see the different situations often as we all do. I have riden Dyers road many times and when the road is narrow up around the top riding 2 abreast is asking for trouble. If there were to motorbikes riding 2 abreast up that road it would only be a matter of time before the inevitable would happen. We ride in staggered formation for that very reason "safety". Each rider has good visability and has the use of the entire width of the lane. Riding 2 abreast narrows both riders room and their own safety, gives themselves less room and also anyone trying to pass from behind and on coming traffic also. Anyway thats my 2 cents worth..... Not wanting to offend anyone just facing facts

[Peeteey]

Sure do. Nice work - you're an insult machine.

Guys, hold it!

@thepom - Whilst I was trying to raise concerns about some things, the way I went about voicing them was totally inappropriate! The last thing I want is for what I said to cause further harm and rifts. Offense was not what I intended nor do I want this to turn into a slugging match!

This is obviously an important subject to some people but this is not the place for such a debate nor is the way I went about starting it appropriate.
We should be able to discuss things in a rational, mature and adult way but my comments were definitely not any of those.

I apologise to all for what I said, it was totally out of line.

[KiwiPhoenix]

I was getting worried, I thought you'd been stalking me and seen me in my lycra

now that I would pay to see, ok, maybe not!!!

Greta Valley via the Leader????
About 280km round trip??
Will need to have em cracked open!!!!!!

Normally for the Greta Valley ride, we ride through Scargill. I don't know the condition of the Scargill loop, only the road before and after!

Flip, the note for the Leader Valley road, was just for caution as I know that there are a few people that like that road and was giving a warning so you can take it easy!

[phoenixgtr]

Sheesh people!! Do I have to play Dad again?

This is not the place for a shit slinging match about cyclists. This is a discussion thread for the Weds Night Rides. Now I don't want to hear the word cyclist again, unless it's directly follows the word "motor".

Ok, now we'll head to Greta Valley this week, via Waikari & Scargill. I'll put a google map up soon and by bajeeezuz I'm going to come this week!!