Grape Ride

[crazycanuck]

Hey you crazy kiwis Did ya take any pics?

[kiwi girl]

Unfortunately the camera got nicked when we got burgled a month ago and hasn't been replaced yet.

Marathon-photos were on the job though - here is a link to mine

http://www4.marathon-photos.com/scri...ide&match=4081

In my defense (and even though it is repetitive of the above - I feel the need to point out that the time that shows up is gun time - chip time was under 4 hours (just)


Yay -I've just checked back on the site and they have updated it so that anything that shows time now has chip time

[crazycanuck]

Looks like fun Sorry to hear some bogan knicked your camera

How were the hills? Good to see AV jerseys in NZ/Aust

[kiwi girl]

I found the hills pretty tough - I hadn't done nearly enough hill training. But the spectacular views more than made up for it

[RoadRaven]

Well done you...
Thats a very repectable time - I'm well impressed


I'm hoping to get down to it next year. I think 2 of my son's are planning on doing it as it is part of the NPS and I think they plan on getting into a team.

[Pip]

Back on the Team Estrogen forums after a post-Grape Ride road trip around the South Island. It was, indeed, lovely to meet Kiwigirl and both of us did really well. I knocked half an hour off last year's time and think I'm good for another 10-15 minutes off on a day with less of a headwind. I lost a bit of time on the ride out to Picton because I was coasting a bit to stick with a good pack of women, (including one with a very lust-worthy white, black and orange Pinarello) but then I lost them behind me somewhere on the hill up to Picton. Thankfully I managed to get into another pack on the last stretch into Havelock where the headwind was fierce. It turned into a tailwind from Havelock onwards and that was the fun bit. I felt like I was flying!

I won't be doing the ride again next year. I'd love to but on 27 March it's too early. I'm thinking I'm going to do the 130km ride in Buller on 17 April instead. It's on my birthday and it ties in with my husband and I heading down to Central Otago to help out on my father-in-law's vineyard. I can highly recommend it to any other newbies out there though!