Friday and Saturday around Wellington

Friday was a nice day for the bike.  I went into the city for lunch and then a bit of a run around.  Saturday afternoon a short run into the Hutt and then fueled the bike for the Sunday Ulysses ride. 

The bike has now done 16705kms.

Haywards loop and GPS test

A nice Sunday afternoon in Wellington although weather around the country has been and still is rough.  That is one of the things about Wellington; it tends to miss really bad weather when the rest of the country is getting beaten up.  3.30pm and I went for a ride up SH2, over Haywards, up to Battle Farm and then back around the southern side of  the inlet and home on SH1.

On this ride I was checking what average speed I could maintain on what is mostly open road.  This is preparation  for the Capital 1000 Cruise and other rides coming up.   The total trip was 66.5kms, Average overall speed 54km/h, moving average 71.2 and stopped time 17mins.  The stopping was at traffic lights and when I readjusted the ear plugs.  Disturbing me is the difficulty to reach a respectable moving average.

Afternoon ride to Martinborough

Rain was predicted for Wellington and generally fine for the Wairarapa.  At 2.00pm I called Alan and we decided on a short ride over the hill to Martinborough.   I put on the wet weather gear but didn't need it.  There was no rain and a fine day in the Wairarapa.  I got home at 5.30pm.   Another satisfying ride.

Sunday

The day after the big one in Christchurch and father's day.  The forecast was for 140kph winds gusts during the day and rain from late afternoon, - just enough time for a small ride if I stay off the big hill.

I left home mid morning and got a call from Alan while riding around the inlet.  He was up for a ride so I headed to his place and the we went for a quiet ride up Whiteman's valley at back over Haywards to Pauatahanui for a coffee.  From there we road the inlet and SH1 home.

A 149km ride in strong wind.

Ulysses short ride and wet.

The forecast was for rain and although when I left home it wasn't raining. I meet up with a small number of riders at Brown Owl. The only two for the road ride was me and Koroj. The others, on adventure bikes, were to ride up to Mt Dick and then would meet us for lunch at Wild Oaks in Carterton.

My ride, following Koroj, was into Martinborough, Middle Road to water towers and then back across Masterton to Chester Road and back to the Wild Oaks. We arrived for lunch at 11.50 and the 4 adventure riders arrived 45mins later. Koroj and I headed back to Wellington at 12.47pm and I got home at 2.05pm. It was an enjoyable ride in the rain and my wet weather gear all works well. Yesterday I had a pinlock visor fitted to the helmet and no fogging. I should have got a pinlock visor years ago.

The bike needs a wash. The trip was 266kms and odo is now 16226kms.

Haywards loop and coffee

Mid afternoon I fitted in a ride. SH2 to Alan's and then over Haywards to view the Battle site on the Paekakariki Hill Road and then back to Pahatunanui for coffee. The run home was Grays Road (60km/hr), Mana and SH1.

Another week of work and no rides to look forward to.

Friday to Featherston

A fine day at last and no work for me. On this ride I set up the helmet cam and got some good clips there and back. The trip home was over Haywards and back around the inlet.

A good ride.

No rain

The forecast was wrong and a day of rain did not eventuate. Mid afternoon I took a run up SH1 to Paekakariki and back to Pauatahanui via the hill. There was a traffic jam in Pauatahanui so I took the time for a coffee and then headed home via Grays Road and against the almost stationary traffic. Once at SH1 Mana traffic was almost at a standstill. I waited in line for 5 minutes and then filtered through to the roundabout and found a solid line of traffic from Wellington with most circling to the inlet road.

The traffic problem was due to SH2 being blocked at Horokiwi. I had a good ride though and was pleased that I wasn't in a car trying to get through Mana.