Lake Taupo Challenge?

[salsabike]

Who's done this ride? My spouse, who loves NZ, was drooling over it on the web just now, so I said I'd ask around on TE. What's it like?

[SadieKate]

Ddi you try a search? The name sounded familiar. Looks like Snappypix, RoadRaven and others might have some info.

[crazycanuck]

Ahh the Round Taupo...http://www.cyclechallenge.org.nz/

We did it 04 and it was fun yet quite hard. I'd never biked more than 30km's prior to doing it and ended up doing the first 80km's which were the hilliest.( I did it on a team of 4 and decided after I'd cycled the first bit i'd continue on.)
The event is well organized and highly recommend it. It's HILLY...

The weather in Taupo & region is pretty unpredictable and expect wind, rain and more wind. The swim portion of th NZ Ironman held in Taupo was disrupted this year because of the weather!!!

YOu ladies in San Francisco won't find it too hard

I would love to do it again. I need to conquer the waihahahahahahha hill, laugh at the Tui (beer company in nz known for it's quirky signs) signs (one said: Remember you paid to do this! ) then marvel at the folks that do Maxi endro 640km's...

After doing the round taupo, you can venture on over to Rotorua to go mtn biking...

c

[salsabike]

Is the weather that wild and unpredictable in all seasons, or do you mean the time when this ride is held? Mr. Salsa dug up a bunch of pictures of it on the web, and it looks stunning.

[crazycanuck]

Ummm..The weather in 04 wasn't too bad. The ride in 05 was in the rain. I believe zubzub posted about the ride in 05 way back when.

I wouldn't take my chances the next time I did the ride. I'd bring wet weather gear, wind proof jacket and keep my fingers crossed for good conditions.

Are you going to do next year's ride??? People will think you're cool if you do it on a tandem. I only saw one couple on a tandem when we did the ride...

C

[kiwi girl]

I did it in 1999 and had a great time.

[RoadRaven]

A bit late in replying... sorry...

I have never done it myself, but my partner has, and I think it will be a 2007 goal for both he and my eldest boy to ride the "Classic" which is the elite race with prize money. (if this is so, I will probably do it as part of a relay team)

One of our Vet men from our club won the SuperEnduro (640km) this year (it starts the day before the "main event") - Jason completed it in 25hours 19mins (thats an overall average of approx 26kph - bear in mind his time includes not just ride time, but stop and stretch times, food and toilet stops... so his actual average speed if you just calculated ride time would be higher).

Here is a link to his write-up of it...
http://www.ramblers.co.nz/news/detail.asp?ID=70

Taupo (said toe as in big toe / paw as in cats paw) is a wonderful place to visit and to ride. This (for LOTR fans) is where Mount Doom is situated. The weather can be unpredcictable but the challenge is at a time of the year you can hope to have mild to warm weather.

This year the wind blew and blew and blew and made it very tough for all concerned. The year my partner rode it was a sunny hot day... last year it rained...

The lake is usually warm by the time of the Taupo Challenge, and there is now a mountain bike option for participating. And like CC says, some great off-road options at Rotorua (raw as in raw meat /tore as in I tore a muscle / roo as in kangaroo/ ar as in car) including some fabulous tracks through Redwood forests.

I think it is definately a good goal for 2007 if you didn't do it this year ... however, you need to make sure you start in the right group and try and be at the start of that group. The size of this event is astronmical now with over 10,000 cyclists participating. Thats a heckuva lot of people who haven't a clue about cycling protocols or about being aware that they are sharing the road with other cyclists. According to friends who have ridden in it, or have been involved in crashes, it can get pretty scarey if you are with people who are there for pure socialistaion and fun without the knowledge that should go with riding with others.

The next challenge is 24 November 2007
http://www.cyclechallenge.org.nz/

[DirtDiva]

They've expanded the mtb trail network in Taupo this year too. Never ridden there, but I'd say it'd be worth a look-see if you're there already and into dirt.

[crazycanuck]

YYAYAYAYYAYAYYAYAY...3 days & counting.... Mtn biking in the redwoods ahhhhhh...no pea gravel!!!!

I would like to check out the Whirinaki tracks near Minginui (?)

Hey dirt diva..are you going to be in auckland by chance over christmas?

Roadraven...I don't think we'll make it to Napier this time...Would love to catch up one day...

Hmmm...we should have a nz/aust TE meet up one time...cool..

c

[RoadRaven]

Wow CC!!!
Only three days? 2 I guess when you log back in!!!

I understand you not getting to "The Bay" it is 6-7 hours drive from Auckland and not really on the tourist track unless you are big into wine and into art deco.

You're right though - we should somehow organise a TE DownUnder gathering one of these years... It would be loads of fun!

Maybe it will have to be at one of the "main events" (like this thread is about) - but eventually (for me I am thinking in 8-9 years when my children are all adults) it would be neat to do some kind've "across-the-ditch" TE tour with both Oz and NZ "stages" and invite any gals from the Northern hemisphere to join us... that would be sooooo cool!

[nomummytummy]

Any TEers doing the CC this year?

[RoadRaven]

Not me... those mass starts are too scarey for me

RoadChicken

[DirtDiva]

Nah, I've got some dirt to ride on that weekend. (I could only get half-way 'round Taupo, too.)

[RoadRaven]

Yo... Diva... they have a dirt course now they runs conjointly as the round the lake course....

[DirtDiva]

That's the weekend I'm doing QCW though. Taupo's a long way to go for one ride too.