So! We cannot conduct the planned NZ Cycling Forum anytime soon. And Jacinta won’t have us visit until …? We’re locked down, locked in! Let’s see what YouTube offers: memories, inspirations, dreams, … I’ve written previously in News about NZ’s 22 “Great Trails” (nzcycletrail.com). Below is a list of those trails, in the north-south sequence of that website, showing some … Read More
New Zealand Cycling Video
To maintain interest in New Zealand cycling until we can reschedule our planned forum, and to add to your lockdown entertainment/inspiration, here is a 22-minute video. But firstly, “Kopiko Aotearoa” is a 1,050km [+15,000M] brevet (timed, monitored, endurance ride) across New Zealand’s North Island, either direction. The route comprises sealed backroads, dirt/gravel roads, and trails. (For more info: http://www.touraotearoa.nz/p/kopiko.html; route … Read More
PUSHING THE 10KM ENVELOPE – Oz Wanderer
So we can’t ride beyond 10km from home. Woe is we! With help from website https://2kmfromhome.com/10km (thanks Victor!), I pondered how to win the lucrative President’s Artistic-route Prize, genre “Extremism”. From Greenwich shop cluster (near home), and notwithstanding harbour and rivers interrupting, I conjured a ride-route comprising four “leaves”, with VERY minimal overlap/retrace/repetition: 208km. The leaves are in sequence NE, … Read More
Parted from Prudence
“Prudence” is the full name of my e-bike, better known as Pru. Prudence is a Peugeot (the car company), and prudence led this old man to nurse the bod and buy an e-bike 4 years ago. On Monday (05.04.21), I rode an oft-enjoyed route, Katoomba to Meadowbank, accompanied by Alan Brien. After Penrith, my route passes through/near Cambridge Park, North … Read More
Leader’s Lowdown: La Nina and I
How bad is La Nina, with her ride-ruining rain and unpredictability?! How GOOD is La Nina: heat-tempering, dam-filling, bushfire-banishing, grass-greening? And how merciful is La Nina, giving me a dry-ish 3-day window? My Hunter trip was a sudden Plan B. On Sunday night (14.03.21), four of us planning a Tuesday – Friday northern tour despaired of the forecast rain, especially … Read More
Leader’s Lowdown: iNZid Revisited (Richard Kelly)
In February, I made my 5th annual NZ visit since a brother “migrated” to Tauranga. Each trip involves Tauranga plus some other areas – and plenty of cycling. This trip was confined to the north half of the North Island. All riding was on my brother’s e-MTB, “Ava”: hard-tail, tyres wide and well-treaded but not nobbly. Early, I rode two … Read More
Leader’s Lowdown – 2019 Tumut Classic – Greg Boyd
100Km – Sunday 13 Jan 2019 Following on from the Christmas/New Year no-cycling eat-fest and associated gain in Kilograms it was time to saddle up and get the legs turning. I believe this was the third running of the Tumut Classic and offered kids, 20Km, 40Km, 75Km and 100Km options. The thought of entering this ride was tempered with the … Read More
Leader’s Lowdown – L’etape Australia 2018 – Greg Boyd
Jindabyne to Jindabyne via Perisher – 1 Dec 2018 Leading up to L’Etape 2018, I was bemoaning the usual tale of not enough training and too much tasty food. I guess you could say, what else is new? ? Oh well, the extra kilos on my girth could provide more downhill speed! A slightly new course for 2018 seemed more logical than … Read More
Leader’s Lowdown – 2018 Bowral Classic – Greg Boyd
Maxi Classic 175km (178.7km) Following on two weeks from riding the Around the Bay 300Km course was the Bowral Classic and I clicked the box titled “maxi-classic”. This would be my third Bowral Classic and the new course for 2018 would make it feel like it was a new ride, albeit with some familiar sections. Thankfully the maxi-classic reduced the … Read More
Leader’s Lowdown – Around the Bay 300km – Greg Boyd
300Km Early this year Francis sent out an email encouraging we should all go along for the ATB300km – a new and longer route. Typically, ATB is very windy and then add in either too hot, too cold and often wet. Having previously completed the 210Km & 250Km routes, I was pretty much over the usual ugly Port Phillip Bay … Read More