training for a metric century or century

[Pip]

Hey Hilldweller, whereabouts are you based in Otago? I'm going to be down there in April - my FIL has a vineyard in Bannockburn and we're trying to time our arrival with the grape harvest. Will be taking my bike with me if you're nearby and want to ride together.

I hope you get your bike issues sorted. How frustrating.

[MillieNZ]

Pip - we must have gone up that damn hill around the same time, I swear the air stopped moving at the bottom ! We also haven't done much cycling since Taupo (crappy auckland winds), today Crazycanuck passed us slogging it out up the Hunua hills this morning ... got a Sarah Ulmer ride in five weeks so training time again YA !

RR - Will talk to Hubby about the Tour de Beautiful..... will keep you posted

hilldweller - you can do it

would be good to met up or even if we all ride different speeds/distances, catch up for a wine afterwards

I met fellow 'downunder' boardie Crazycanuck today Very nice to put a face to the name & seems they enjoyed the hunua mountain park .... i just enjoyed a rather large chocolate muffin and their company !

[Pip]

Crazy Auckland winds ....

As a former Aucklander now living in Wellington, and having spent this afternoon slogging it around the Bays into a wretched Northerly in a tiny gear and struggling to maintain 20kmph (at one point I was down to 13kmph - I suck at riding into the wind), I'm smiling gently at your Hunua ride! It must have been lovely out there today though.

I'm keen to catch up for a drink afterwards and I'm sure we'll all keep in touch over the next few months. Perhaps this thread really belongs in the New Zealand forum. I'm wishing now I'd posted something in there when I was training for Taupo and we'd all hooked up sooner.

The Graperide is a good first metric century ride because people of all levels of ability take part so it doesn't matter how fast or slow you are. Other than the false flat up the hill to Picton there's only one real climb - Mahikipawa Hill on Queen Charlotte Drive. QC Drive itself is quite undulating but with the bush and bellbirds and gorgeous views I wasn't noticing the pain last time! Plus they throw a great party afterwards.