Saturday, February 25, 2017

Up Next: Pie Ride 2017!

What is this? Well we sold our house. I quit my job. I got a (temporary) sugar mamma. I've got my bike ride to do. I'll be riding from Bluff to Cape Reinga. This is the opposite direction of what is typically done. There are 2 reasons for this. 1: winter is a factor and I want to get over the Southern Alps with less chance of snow and cold weather. 2: my brother is going to join me for a segment of the ride. I've got just under a month until I kick off the ride. I'm busy trying to wind down work while getting my gear and route sorted. So here is what I've dubbed Pie Ride 2017. I plan on fueling the ride with pies the occasional slice while trying to find the best of both. Well maybe not too many pies. I am after all taking my tramping cook kit and a vegetarian on this adventure. Do they even make vegetarian pies? I don't know as I generally go for a nice Steak and Cheese or a choice Pork and Kumara.

First, I've brushed off the old touring post and started to review what I was planning to do several years ago. My tentative path has changed quite a bit. As I'm not leaving from Tauranga. Rather I'll be flying to Invercargill from Auckland and then riding to Bluff to officially start the journey at Stirling Point. From there I'll be biking back up toward Invercargill before turning off on the Southern Scenic Route through the Catlins with a stop at Slope Point (Southern most point of South Island) then up to Middlemarch. From there, I'll be riding most of the Otago Rail Trail before turning off towards Wanaka. Then I'll be riding down the West Coast. There are some tracks to get me off the highway, but I'll be on Hw 6 for long stretches. I'm still debating adding in Old Ghost Road, but I'll see how I feel and how my bike is handling the trails around that point. Otherwise its on to St Arnaud and then to Picton either via Nelson or Blenheim. I'm researching the pros and cons of each. There is an adventurous trail for mountain bikes from Picton that I was thinking of taking, but the reviews make it look hard as. Then you have to deal with crazy traffic with several one lane bridges. Then take the ferry back to Wellington. Stop in at the house and regroup and possibly swap our gear as needed.

I'll type up the North Island in the next post as that is a little more fluid once I'm past Auckland and prior to Taupo. This is because I don't know how long my brother is now coming over for and I want to show him some stuff off the bike as well. However, I do have to be back in Auckland the weekend of the 27th of May as we are running an obstacle course called O-Rock that weekend.

What am I riding? Well my disc trucker that I got from my friend Bri of course. I'll be rocking some new Soma Cazadero tires with 2 rear panniers. As well as the recently purchased handlebar bags from, a local Wellingtonian bag maker, Stealth Bike Bags. I have already picked up a top tube bag of his off of TradeMe prior to our cycle trip over the holidays and it worked pretty slick. I kept my wallet, phone, light, and snacks in it. Right now I'm revising my gear list and I've sent my brother several maps from Google with the course as best as I can determine. Then we have to finalize when he is going to arrive so I can make sure to meet up with him in Taupo. Then it will be back through my old stomping grounds.


4 comments:

  1. possibly multiple cameras. gopro on bars then an old point and shoot and mobile phone.

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  2. Hope your journey is filled with all things wonderful! Have fun and enjoy every minute

    ReplyDelete