Canterbury Wednesday Night Ride

[maxf]

Akaroa still on for Weds? Or would the weather make it better for Thurs? (and also for those that partake tonight?)

Just stirring....

[Gareth123]

Up (the parents live in Blenheim) and about 5 1/2 hrs; that includes abt 1/2 hr for a 5" coach bolt thru the rear tyre (!) and Jollies Pass (wouldn't recommend going in that way, just I couldn't find the other Hanmer exit, neither are well signposted). Enjoyable even on the GS (see pics in the album) but

- little signposting outside of the actual DOC areas - you might want a good off-net GPS program to help let you know where you've gotten to...
- Jollies Pass is a bear - Fulton Hogan (I think it's them that maintain it for Transpower) had put ~3" rockfill on the road at one of the steep switchbacks... sliding back more than I was sliding forward, grrr...
- road itself is nice fine gravel but quite washboarded in long sections so guess you might want to allow for that in speed or adj the suspension. Woulds guess quite greasy in the wet?
- road condition obvioulsy changeable - I had the grader going thru in the opposite direction - got rid of the washboarding but was scraping out the gutters one side so only had abt 4ft of road
- even when dry the hills are all scree & will be draining away; expect about 4 fords, deepest was abt 15" (and I misjudged it & went thru abt 35 - nice good soaking on a hot day )
- not much room for passing (if any) so keep an eye out, esp on the Awatere Vly rd where some of the passes I'd guess would be abt 500m fairly straight down on the off-side

Rd itself is open 7-7pm, and after you've finished that you've got abt another 110Kms of gravel on the Awatere Valley Rd; main concern for me was getting out before the petrol shut at Seddon, I was wondering how much leeway I had after the full trip and topping up at Hanmer... In the end doesn't really matter, there's an unattended self-serve in the back of the Seddon Superette. Guess the whole issue would be how far on a tank in a lower gear doing 50-60?

Must admit after re-reading all the above that I've done my usual and put a downer on it - but I probably would re-do it, just not the worry of being ready for the loop back to Chch afterward (luggage, tyre issues, petrol, timing). And the Awatere Vly rd was OK but a bit of a downer after the Molesworth itself; might be better to do a in - up - back - down and return to Hanmer next time without all the non-senic farmland/ ravine sort of stuff after. YMMV!

My Girlfriend and I were thinking of going up to Blenhiem and staying a night there, day 2 would see us setting up camp in Molesworth at one of the camping spots. Day 3 would see us the rest of the way to Hanmer and possibly the rest of the way home. 2 up on the KLR will be fun through there

[Transalper]

My Girlfriend and I were thinking of going up to Blenhiem and staying a night there, day 2 would see us setting up camp in Molesworth at one of the camping spots. Day 3 would see us the rest of the way to Hanmer and possibly the rest of the way home. 2 up on the KLR will be fun through there

You'll be fine Gareth, it's a grade one gravel road. Biggest annoyance is other traffic including campervans that often just don't seem to see you sitting in their dust.
Jacks Pass (Jacks pass road on to Clarance valley rd) is the main one the tourists use on the North West and grade one, Jollies Pass is out of the Eastish side of town and is a bit rougher and less touristy, more 4x4ish.
There's a cost at the two Molesworth camp areas, $6 per person I'm guessing as usual for a DOC camp with only a toilet.
www.adventureguide.co.nz/articles/12/95/molesworth
That site has info on the rainbow if you wanted to get more serious.
Don't forget to adjust tyre air pressure down a bit nearer 20/22psi front, 25ish rear? if things are excessively bumpy or rolly polly, even with a passenger on board.

[2DriveSafe]

I finally had a response from my travel company friend and there are no ships in at akaroa apparently for new years day so should be an ok run - not sure if I want to go up over the hill though!

It takes me nearly an hour to get to BK before we even start so personally would prefer a ride straight out through tai tapu and on to little river etc - don't know how everyone else feels? Happy to lead a group that way and meet the others going over the top at little river.

Hopefully be two up as well

does anyone know what the weather and wind will be like?

[gloplg]

I finally had a response from my travel company friend and there are no ships in at akaroa apparently for new years day so should be an ok run - not sure if I want to go up over the hill though!

It takes me nearly an hour to get to BK before we even start so personally would prefer a ride straight out through tai tapu and on to little river etc - don't know how everyone else feels? Happy to lead a group that way and meet the others going over the top at little river.

Hopefully be two up as well

does anyone know what the weather and wind will be like?

You could meet us at Millars and hiway 75 corner where we have our first regroup. For those who don't know Millars Road it is the one on the left near the end of the straight after the Blue Duck road house.

See you there about 2.30 to 2.45 ish Duncan?????

[2DriveSafe]

We will still meet you at BK at 1.30 and then trundle out to millars and join you there

[SpeedMonger]

Hope you had a good ride, I went for a blat out North given the forecast. Nice but a bit blowy. The Scargill Rd was in good nick.

[Shoshoni]

Hope you had a good ride, I went for a blat out North given the forecast. Nice but a bit blowy. The Scargill Rd was in good nick.

That's good to know because Greta Valley Pub next WNR.

Weather wise it was all sunny and hot going over to Akaroa, by the time we were leaving it didn't look too nice but nothing happened except the wind picked up.
Traffic was a bitch cars only doing 80kph so I was using my knowledge of the area to bypass as much as I could

I didn't know anyone followed me up Pigeon Bay Rd but it looked like they were giving chase

[pouakai]

Yeah we followed you up the Pidgeon bay rd but not the stock route today. Was very nice on the summit rd - no cars and wind no problem.

Cheers all for the company today - good to put some more faces to names.

P

[Peeteey]

Hope you guys had a great ride! I was still in bed when you would have left.

I did get out on NYE and got to try a big bike I've tried before:




I guess now I've saving for one of these too!

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE

[Mully Clown]

Love the vid Peeteey. Especially the bike + inner monologue soundtrack.

[Peeteey]

Love the vid Peeteey. Especially the bike + inner monologue soundtrack.

Thanks man, I think I saw you out riding a while back ... I was talking with the missus about bikers and I saw a bike that I though I recognised. The missus said "You think you know all the bikes!", sarcastically, and that's when you went past. I said "Yup, that was a friend of mine's step son. His name is ... " and so on.

Needless to say, she didn't believe me

The monologue is because the Sony has shit sound so I wired a mic up and stuck it in the helmet. Makes the audio much better but I really need to remember it's there. That's just me talking to myself as I ride, which I do all the time

[Transalper]

..
The monologue.....That's just me talking to myself as I ride, which I do all the time

Talking to yourself while riding, commenting only on the actual current riding experience/sensations adds to your videos as do the little typed comments you put in others of yours post production.
That is much better than someone blogging a story or thought in a video of themselves riding which has nothing to do with the story and often seems to be distracting them from paying attention to riding well.

[SpeedMonger]

Looking like soggy Pizza's tomorrow

[gloplg]

Looking like soggy Pizza's tomorrow

Does Greta Pub do pizzas now?????