Logistics of Pie Ride 2017

The logistics of Pie Ride 2017 are coming along with just a few final details to iron out over the next week. How am I doing this? Well, I've been pouring over books (Pedallers' Paradise, Classic New Zealand Cycle trails, and Lonely Planet Cycling New Zealand) and maps, researching trails, and making sure to include places that I've wanted to ride. So I'll be heading from South to North and  I've now mapped out the majority of my course. Why? Well this will allow me to chase the fleeting Autumn weather instead of running face first into Winter on the South Island. This will also allow me to meet up with my brother in Taupo and ride through 3 of the places that we've lived in so far. This being Kinloch, Thames, and Auckland. We'll be missing Mt Maunganui and Wellington. However, he'll get to experience some great places that have a lot to offer​. We'll be able to tackle things at a little slower pace and I'll play tour guide for an area that I know pretty well. We are planning on doing some hiking, sailing, bonding, and of course lots of cycling. As one of my of cycling friends said 'You are mad and should be locked up'. So lots of cycling is to be had. Not to mention pies!

I'll be adding the planned route on the bottom of the post. Just so you know I've not added up the distances of the planned course as it is based off the road distances and I'll be on some trails that deviate from the road and will cause the total distance to be longer. The journey should take roughly 2 months, but I do have to be back in Auckland for an obstacle race at the end of May. Who knows, maybe I'll ride back from Cape Reinga to Wellington instead of hopping a flight or ride. This won't be strictly riding every day. There will be days off the bike to explore the amazing countryside. As well as my eldest brother coming over to join in on some of the adventure. It will be his first time over to New Zealand and I'm sure he won't soon forget the experience. Hopefully, we'll get to see some sheep roaming the road or possibly a sunset over Lake Taupo.

Even though I'm spending a lot of time route planning, I've also been busy getting my bike and gear ready while trying to get through my last few weeks at work. That in itself is a mission. My bike is at the shop getting a tune-up. It had to make a 2nd trip as not everything was completed the first time around. I wonder how often this type of thing occurs. I've got all my planned gear strewn about my office floor. It is almost all there. I've got a couple things in the the mail. I've got a custom cycling cap from No 16 Cycle Caps out of Australia and a Chrome book. I've got to pick up some front bags from Stealth Bags, a local Wellingtonian bag maker, that I'm having made. If you are interested in what I plan on carrying let me know and I can post it up. I'll definitely not be clean everyday, but I plan on doing some laundry along the way. Or at least hand washing things at campsites or hostels.

So I'm setting off from Auckland, on the 22nd, flying to Invercargill right after my last day at work. From there I'll be assembling my bike at the airport and then riding to Bluff after getting some supplies. In Bluff, I'll camp out overnight and then officially start the ride at Stirling Point on the 23rd of March. Then the craziness of the adventure takes over. The following will be a loose template of the adventure.

Official start from Stirling Point to Slope Point (lowest point of South Island) 91km
Slope Point to Balclutha 121km
Balclutha to Middlemarch 121km
Middlemarch to Waipiata 53km
Waipiata to Champagne Gully 108km
Champagne Gully to Makaroa Tourist Center 120km
Makaroa to Haast (78km) or Paringa 131km
Paringa to Otto/McDonald's camping area 103km
Otto to Empire Hotel 116km
Empire Hotel to Ikamatua 95km via West Coast Wilderness Trail and Pioneer Heritage Trail
Ikamatua to Spring Junction (??) to St Arnaud 170km
St Arnaud to Picton 128km (NZTA recommends that non-motorized traffic take the route North through Nelson, but when we were down in St Arnaud the traffic from the earthquake wasn't bad).

Take Ferry to Wellington and spend some time at home. Do laundry. Change out any gear that I need to. Check over bike and take to shop if necessary.

Wellington to Martinborough 77km

Martinborough via Alfredton to Ashhurt 106km

Ashhurt to Mangaweka 100km

Mangaweka via Taihape to Ohakune 117km

Ohakune to Ongarue 102km

Ongarue to Pureora (Timber Trail) 85km

Pureora to Taupo 58km

Taupo via Atiamuri Dam to Whakamaru Dam 68km or Taupo via Kinloch to Whakamaru Dam 59km (go past our old place and maybe say hi to the neighbors and friends)

Whakamaru Dam to Jones Landing/Arapuni 67km

Arapuni via Piarere to Matamata 35km. There is the Hobbiton set nearby that we can bus out to. I saw it several years ago, but may interest my brother.

Matamata to Te Aroha: 44km, Wairere Falls (on the way is worth a visit on a good day) and hot pools at Te Aroha to soak weary bodies.

Te Aroha to Thames 55km: See where we used to live and meet some friends. Hike the Pinnacles Track and possibly take a ride on the MTB that I helped build.

Depending on the day:

Thames to Coromandel 54km then a 2 hr ferry to Auckland but leaves at 4:30 on Sat/Sun as far as I can tell this far out

or

Thames to Orere Point 66km

Orere Point to Flat Bush 48km (Going to contact Shiv about staying with him as he lives out there)

Once in Auckland, contact my friends to see we can't go sailing with them or charter a boat.
Out of Auckland, the path will follow the Tour Aotearoa path for the portion through the rest of the North Island.

Then depending on time, energy, and Beth's patience, I may ride the course in reverse back to Auckland for O Rock and possibly Wellington.

How can you follow along? Well this blog of course. As it will be updated from the road. Strava will have my ride information uploaded when I have internet. Quick photos will be on Instagram, @viewswhileriding, and photo album(s) will be found by following the link on the upper right. The SPOT tracker will be on for the trip, while I have batteries, and the link can be found on the upper right to watch real-time progress. Well that about sums up what I've been doing for the last couple weeks as this has been getting planned out. Hopefully I'll get to put a few more miles in my legs and ride the trucker loaded before I set off.

Bike Tour Planning and Gear List

Faithful steed.

Itinerary

I don’t know how long to go, but I’m looking at 5+ months and even that may be on the overly optimistic side.  As once I get on the road, I may not stop.  I know there is a lot to see and do and I don’t want to just have to keep my head down and pedal for the next target.  I want to be able to appreciate my surroundings and if I feel compelled spend extra time in a place and possibly forgo another.  My tentative plan is to start from Tauranga after my contract ends.  I will travel down the East Coast of the North Island and then turn inland to bike to Rotorua, Taupo, and make it over to the west coast to visit Mt Taranaki before turning south towards Wellington.  I would be looking to camp along the way and taking a rest day once or twice a week for the first couple weeks until I see how my body handles the new demands, but aim at 100+ km a day.

Mid-January ride in MN, couldn't have been better.

On the South Island, I would like to do hit Milford Sound and then ride down the West coast and end in Invercargill.  I understand that the mountains down on the South Island are longer and more gradual than their steeper, but shorter cousins on the North Island.  It is also a less populated area and I would want to spend more time there as it looked awesome when I was down there earlier.  I would probably fly out of Invercargill to Auckland before I start the Australian leg.  I plan to bike from Sydney to Cairns along the coast to see the Great Barrier Reef.  I would also want to eat a kangaroo if that is acceptable.  From there I would catch a ride/flight bound for Nagasaki.  In the land of the rising sun, I would then bike from Nagasaki over Honshu to Aomori, with as many bowls of ramen that I could slurp down.  Beth is talking about visiting for a week over this leg of the journey.  I would plan on going through Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Nagano.  I would like to hit their mountain range and almost do a version of the continental divide there.  I have some friends there I would like to see along the way.  Then I would catch a flight to the West Coast of the US.  I am thinking San Francisco would be a good place to land and then travel East through Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota (to see my family), and back to Minneapolis to the life I put on hold when I started A Backpack and a Fistful of Cash.

Rough estimate would be about 10,000 kilometers.

New Zealand: 2,400 km

Australia: 2,800 km

Japan: 1,800 km

US: 2000 miles

Cost: Priceless

This shortly after my 2nd ACL surgery.  Left is smaller.

Expectations

What do I expect to get out of this?  An amazing set of calves and the ability to eat whatever I want.  There will also be the photographs and stories that will most likely come out of this bike ride.

Bike

·         Surly Cross Check: 56 cm

o   It needs some love before getting sent to me as its back in MN.  I would want a triple put on and possibly a new cassette as well as platforms with cages instead of my clip-less pedals.  Then just a general tune-up.  I have done all my multi-day touring on this bike and to put it frankly I love this bike.  Now only if I could convince Surly about a deal on a Pugsley for touring.  I could be on to something here.  Comfort and a slow, but reasonable pace on steel.

·         Lights

o   I have front and rear LED lights, but I could always slap some more on.  I want to be seen.

·         Bell

o   Will I want one?

·         Front and Rear Racks

o   Have rear rack that has seen a fair amount of use, but is sturdy.  It could use some duct tape love where there has been rubbing.

·         Front and Rear Panniers over trailer

o   I have a set of rear Ortlieb panniers that I love for their water-proof properties and a set of Jandd for their size and compartments.  If I had to choose today, I would pick the smaller Ortlieb as I don’t want to take a bunch of needless things.  Like a 13” flat screen and my Xbox for those rainy days.

·         Water Bottles

o   Have plenty

·         Fenders

o   Need to acquire some

·         Bike Computer

o   Have one as I want to track my daily distances and log them on C2CFit.com

·         Tools and spares

o   Tubes x 2

o   Batteries for lights

o   Replacement Bulbs?

o   Healthy Patch kit

o   Frame Pump

o   Spare Folding Tire

o   Nuts & Bolts

o   Lock tight

o   Zip ties

o   Duct tape

o Repair book

o   Brake Pads

o   Spoke Wrench

o   Spokes

o   Wrenches

o   Chain

o   Master Link

o   Lube

o   Chain breaker

o   Pedal wrench

o   Derailleur hanger

Camping

·         Sleeping bag

o   Mountain Hardware Cloudburst 32 (synthetic) or other

·         Tarp

o   Looking at using a tarp and bivy bag over a tent

o   http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/tarps.shtml

·         Bivy Bag

o   US Military Surplus

·         Closed-Cell Foam Sleeping Pad

·         Pillow?

o   Could always fill a dry sack with clothes or sleep on my folded up soft shell.

·         Para-cord

·         Tent Steaks

o   Pin down the tarp

Nutrition

·         Cooking equipment

o   MSR Pocket Rocket Stove and possibly a repair kit?

o   Gas canisters

o   BioLite Stove?  It is a cool little stove that turns heat into energy via an USB charger

·         GSI Dualist (Cooking and dishes)

o   Own a dualist and it is with me already and I can have company for a meal

·         Utensils

o   Have a Light my fire and titanium sporks as well as polycarbonate cutlery set

·         Knife & sharpener

o   Have a couple with me of varying weights and purposes

·         Means for water purification

o   Probably iodine or tablets no bulky filter for me.  I'll deal with the taste.

·         Water bladders or plastic jugs for long dry areas like Australia and Nevada.

·         Spices (Cajun, pepper, salt, nutmeg)

·         Scrapper and detergent

Clothing

·         Rain gear

o   Jacket

o   Pants

o   Gloves?

§  Saw some eVent mittens

o   Water-proof socks

·         Soft Shell x 1

·         Fleece x 1

·         Wool LS tops x 2

o   Heavy LS

o   Lite LS

·         Wool or synthetic SS x 2

·         Convertible pants x 1

·         Board Shorts x 1

·         Thermals

o   Top

o   Bottom

·         Underwear x 2

·         Wool Socks x 2

·         Cycling shorts x 2

·         Biking Gloves

·         Helmet

·         Bandana

·         Sun glasses

·         Shoes

o   Sandals

o   Salomon XA Ultra 2

Miscellaneous

·         First Aid

o   Ibuprofen

o   Blister care

o   Asprin

o   Bandages

o   Sun screen

o   Aloe

·         Passport

·         Visas

·         Glasses &  Contacts

·         Soap & Towel

·         Tooth brush & paste, floss

·         Sewing kit

·         Bike lock

·         Dry sack

·         Credit Card(s)

·         Airline Tickets/Reservations

o   See my itinerary

o   New Zealand to Australia to Japan to US

·         Maps & Compass

o   GPS?

·         Camera

o   Spare SD cards

o   Spare battery

·         Phone

o   International SIM Card

·         Headlamp

o   Spare bulb and batteries

·         Netbook

o   Would need to pick one up

·         Batteries/Chargers/misc.

·         Watch: Heart rate monitor and calorie tracker!

·         Music

o   MP3 player

o   Radio?

·         Journal

·         SPOT Messenger

 

This list is subject to change as it is my first attempt at writing it down.  It is a much more comprehensive list as my other tours were basically 3-4 days of riding with a bed at the end of each night.  I'll be camping almost every night and carrying my food or hitting up a cheap eat.  So there is a different dynamic and it will be a lot longer than I have ever gone before.

Planning the next year: A Rough Estimate

Unique thoughts happen when riding

So Beth is leaving in about a month, well we are going over to Australia and the South Island for the last bit.  Originally the plan was for Skog to visit from the August 25th till Sept 11th and for Beth to return on the 9th and me to return on the 12th.  Those plans have now blown up.  Beth is still going home on time and so is Skog, but we'll be jumping around like Mexican Jumping Beans up until that time.  Beth is going over to Australia for a couple of weeks and will be departing before Skog gets here.  I'll be heading up North of Auckland for a couple days for some adventure.  Once Skog gets here, we'll be looking to play on mountain bikes in Rotorua and summit either Mt Taranaki or Mt Ruapehu.  Depending on the time, we might try to fit something else in before heading over to Australia ourselves.  We'll have about a week over there before we head down to Queenstown.  We'll be trying to hook up with my friend Michelle for some snowboarding even though she has been working 12 hour days, 6-6.  From there we have no set plans.  We may get to several other spots, but we'll let our plans be flexible.  I wont be returning home for some time as I have gotten a contract until January.

The kicker is I really want to bike back.  I understand that to most people this concept is either beyond them or they think I'm a nutter.  Yes, this is a long and some what crazy sounding task.  It will test my resolve and may hurt the bank, but I've been tossing some quick figures together and well here they are.  I have not estimated what it would cost other than when I looked at a plane ticket for multiple locations it would be under $3000, which didn't include my existing flight that needs to be changed.

New Zealand: Tauranga to Invercargill to see New Zealand at a slower pace: approximately 2400 km.
Australia: Sydney to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef and eat a roo: approximately 2800 km.
Japan: Nagasaki to Aomori to sample as many different varieties of ramen as I can: approximately 1800 km.
US: San Francisco to Minneapolis to get back home: approximately  2000 miles.

So Grand Total:  ~10,000km at first glance at Google Maps

I figure about a month or just over for each leg other than the domestic one where it will take as long as it needs to take.  I wouldn't be getting back until it was Summer time in the US.  I know that it would be a long time away from Beth.  About 10 months, but I'm sure we can handle it.  I just hope my bike and bum can handle the daily riding as I have never done anything like this before.  Sure, I have done a few multi-day trips back home, but never sustained riding.  The plan would be to do 100+ km a day with a rest day here and there.  On riding days I would bike about an hour then get off the bike for 5-10 minutes of stretching before resuming.  Then breaking at mid-day for some off the bike fun.  The days would be longer as it would be summer in the Southern Hemisphere, I could bike for a longer time in the sun and not do any night riding.  I would also try to camp as much as possible to keep the trip as cost effective as possible and allowing my budget to go to my already bottomless pit of a stomach.  I'm busy typing up a list of gear and planning what I think I would need.  I've already talked to Gabe, our friend/bike mechanic/beer brewer/tenant/dessert eater, about getting my Surly Cross Check up to the task.  Its time to make a decision as my ticket already needs to be changed ASAP.

Some what jokingly, but kind of seriously said...

I wouldn't be riding my road bike rather it would be my Surly back home.

So the other day I said to Beth that I should bike back home.  She originally thought just back to our place in the Mount, but I was meaning Minneapolis.  I would love to have an epic touring experience and the timing couldn't be better.  I don't have a real job and I will be coming back to the States, just via a different means.  I would get to experience the trip back in a different capacity and get to see many of the nooks and crannies that you don't get to experience as you cross over imaginary borders as a passenger in a plane or car. 

To those of you that read this blog: have you done bike touring before?  I've done long weekends before, but never an extended trip.  How much planning did you do?  What did you find the most satisfying event of your experience?  The worst?  What do you wish you did differently?

I'm assuming I would need the following:

• Bike: Surly Cross-Check 
• Back Panniers: Ortlieb Backroller Classic Panniers
• Front Panniers: Orlieb Front Roller Panniers
• Cycling Clothing: jersey, jacket, bibs, socks, and shoes
• Rain gear
• Some normal cloths (shorts, pants, etc)
• Tools - wrenches, chain breaker, spoke wrench, lube, tire lever, pump
• Tire stuff: spare tubes, spare folding tire(s), and patch kit
• Replacement equipment: brake pads, spokes, chain, etc
• Duct tape
• Knife
• Compass & Maps
• First-aid kit
• Tent/Hammock and tarp
• Sleeping bag and pad
• Food stuff: burner, fuel, pan, spork
• Camera 
• Toiletries including contact stuff
• Bike maintenance skills
• Other stuff?

Beth just caught me making this post and said "grrr" and then laughed as she walked away.  I think this opportunity would be better than the alternative which would be an out-and-back or a RTW trip opposed to just a point-to-point trip!  I think I can sell her on the point that I'll be back in half the time and half the cost!  Is it wrong to start planning for your next adventure when you are on one?  I don't think so,  you have to have a goal in life and mine is to get out the front door and do uncomfortable things.  Just no doing things with amusement parks including clowns and then heights.