Scouse Dave

Anyone doing this? In a moment of madness, I signed up for the 160km ride. Unfortunately, I then forgot to train for it.

So, here I am, glass of wine at my side, tomorrow's Thursday, race is on Saturday...you get the picture.

All I have to do is do 8 hours on the bike tomorrow and lose two stone by Saturday and the job's a good 'un!

Anyone fancy a nice, sedate, VERY long ride around Lake Taupo this Saturday???

hazeandsteve

I'm gonna be doing it mate.

Thankfully, I'm participating as a motorbike riding safety marshall, not pedalling like you ya loon!

Scouse Dave

Well if you happen to spot a fat bloke in a blue "Manchester Wheelers" jersey that's three sizes too small sweating like Gary Glitter's paper-boy, give me a tow, eh?

chocolate cake

I'm also doing the Taupo ride saturday, though thankfully I've managed a few long rides as the summer weather's improved. I didn't realise that the entry level 12,000 + that's an awful lot of bikes, I'm certainly not used to travelling in groups.

I'll be on a steel framed orange kona that I bought recently to replace a bike I brought from the UK which was sadly written off when a car knocked me off at a roundabout when I was commuting back from work nearly two months ago.

love30stm

my husband is doing it, he went to taupo on Wednesday, and not back till Sunday,,,aww bliss

Wiz'n'Ton

Well for all those doing this - good on ya! I hope it is going/ it went well for you. 20kms is bad enough, let alone over 100 of 'em.

Go the expats!

Scouse Dave

Piece of cake!

The beautiful weather helped - but what a well run event! Excellent marshalling, plenty of water holes, great course. Superb!

Saw a couple of crashes - nothing too nasty thank goodness. I had a near miss when a sheila in front of me touched a wheel and panicked, then another when a guy on a descent (about 70kph) lost his seat-tube bottle (to be fair, it wasn't his fault - he hit a great big hole in the road). Otherwise, a great day - I'll be back next year for sure!

Oh, and I ground round in 5:16 if anyone cares!

Welly Wife

Well done fella!! I hope the saddle sore'ness' clears quickly!!!

Scouse Dave

I'm well used to this stuff - did 80kms today, nice and steady, no saddle soreness.

For some reason. I've signed up for another one in January at New Plymouth - 175kms!

I have NO idea why I do this...

chocolate cake

Aye, certainly an excellently run event. I had a enjoyable ride, no near misses, and though I made the mistake of putting myself down to start in one of the slower groups and so didn't really get into any kind of groups to the last stretch, still pleased with my time around 5.25 I think, I've not seen the official timings.

I'll certainly be back next year too.

Also got on the mountain bike today nr Taupo some excellent tracks and certainly the best mtn biking I've done since I moved to NZ.

Any link for the New Plymouth ride?

Scouse Dave

http://www.roundthemountain.co.nz

hazeandsteve

Well done chaps, good effort.
There was, in case you haven't heard, a couple of sad incidents of which I know.
1. A girl lost her bearings reaching for a bottle rounding those sharp bends on the run home, broke her jaw.....ouch.
2. Chap had a stroke.
For the number of entrants, it's a very low percentage.
Much impressed by the wheelchair riders going up the Hatepe Hill, they didn't have the option of getting off and walking like many others.

We were told that the bikers made the vans pretty much redundant, maybe they should've carried tyres, tubes and links to help the stranded souls?