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.

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.