|
|
New Zealand Update #2 |
|
|
Team Bikeman -
Race Reports
|
|
Written by Tom Lambert
|
|
Sunday, 01 April 2007 |
New Zealand Trip Update #2
 | | Lake Tekapo |
So it's been about a week of solid riding every day and I've been doing about 45-85km per day. I haven't tallied the mileage, but I assume it to be somewhere between 400 and 500 miles. I didn't bring a computer on this trip purposefully because I wanted to measure the distance in things experienced, not miles traveled.
Since my last update in Geraldine I went up to Lake Tekapo which has turquoise water. From there I rode the super quiet canal road (Mt. Cook is the furthest mountain to the right in the obligatory Bikeman.com advertisement picture) to Lake Pukaki where I camped in view of Mt. Cook which is NZ's highest peak.
 | | Canal road |
Most of the riding has been fairly easy, without many hills, but there has also been a few hard days. Like yesterday. I rode up Lindis Pass as part of an 85km day. 'The Lindis', as one local called it, is at 970 meters. It wasn't as hard as Porter's Pass with the gradients being slightly more gradual. From Omarama, where I stayed in a very quiet farm hostel, the climb to the top of Lindis Pass was 32km long, with the last 2km being the steepest.
Spent an interesting time last night in a rural hostel where I was the only person other than the weirdo hostel keeper who showed me his shotgun. Oh, I almost forgot to tell all about the annual 'Easter Bunny Hunt'. Last year's winning team bagged 1,600 rabbits in 2 (maybe 3) days. They hunt all night and I heard gunshots going off all last night.
Tonight and tomorrow night I am in Wanaka. It is busy here because of the tourists and it is Easter weekend. It is similar to our Labor Day weekend. The last hurrah of summer.
 | | Mt. Cook |
So, 7 days in a row of riding has taken it's tole on my body and bike. I'm just plain tired right now, and sunburned a bit on the ears. The bike is in the shop getting the rear wheel rebuilt as I've lost 7 spokes from it (one at a time) since starting. I'm sick of replacing them. hopefully this build lasts for at least a while. The bike shop prices aren't horrible here. About $70 US for a full build including all the spokes. Not cheap, but not horrible. I will have the rear shifter cable replaced as well as the housing.
Otherwise, I gave the bike some TLC the other day while camping in sight of Mount Cook. Checked to make sure all was OK, and it is! Just wish I had followed Anders' advice on having a beefier rear wheel. Most spokes have broken at the nipple, but one broke at the butt (double butted spokes). Additionally, mostly they have been breaking when dismounting and not while just constant riding. None have broken on any of the dirt or gravel roads that I've ridden on.
After writing the last post in Geraldine I returned to the hostel there to find that the hostel owner was taking spokes off of his own bicycle to give to me! what a nice guy. Rawhiti Backpackers was the place!
Until next time - cheers
Tomato |
|
|
|
; "Lake Tekapo")
; "Canal road")
; "Mt. Cook")
