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.