Pee Dubs

For what it’s worth I vote 11, 12, & 13 Nov.

So guessing May didn't happen. Anyone hanging about Welly for Q's Bday weekend & keen to do a day meet?

Just watching a bit of that vid (skipping through to find bits where they’re actually riding rather than being tourists!), and she’s going so slowly most of the time she makes it look harder than it really is. I’m sure even the slowest amongst us (possibly me on uphills!) would be significantly faster and more in control on our old pos’s than her on a modern “purpose designed” adv bike. More about style and “content” than starting on something small enough to build some confidence on - unfortunately relatively large adv’s are what’s selling these days, even to first timers.

I have some from the first two days. Haven’t reviewed it yet.

First incident, in wide angle

She's looking pretty minters!

100% keen

The Rainbow is open now too apparently. Not that it really helps us!

Slips? Even a short way up could be alright. I didn't include Kaituna-Tuamarina for return to Blenheim, so could still add that in if required. To go up to Tennyson Inlet / Okiwi Bay is probably too far in one day.

Day 1 is easy riding, twisty gravel roads and quite scenic, 3/10. Day 2 is as per last year, call that a 6/10 for knarliest bit of Maungatapu. Day 3 Porika and Braeburn tracks I haven't done. I know there's at least one super steep section that many big bike riders are pretty wary of, but hopefully small bikes should be sweet (just make sure you have decent brakes), maybe 7-8/10?

Yes designed with small bike fuel range in mind. Longest stint will be 140km from Linkwater to Titirangi and back.

I like this idea, if it's big enough for all of us... Route may dictate things though.

So what we did last year, except up the Rainbow from Hanmer rather than up the Molesworth (up being North, not up the river valley!). This would probably be the easy option, but nothing new / that interesting. Inland Kaikoura route still has a very large proportion of kms on SH1, and overall wouldn't be that interesting on small bikes imo. There's no other back roads route that I know of. Most of the Nelson Lakes National Park is walking tracks only. Motorcycles and vehicles are specifically banned. So the question is, are we tied to starting in Hanmer? Noting Rainbow is then our only option.

They said upper part of the road, but yeah weren't very specific beyond that. There does seem to be a whole lot of repairs spread out, there's multiple pictures of slips and washouts.

Ok so update on the road works, direct from the council infrastructure / roading department today. Unfortunately the Awatere Valley Road will be closed until late March, quite possibly into April, and no alternative route is available. So we probably need to rename this event cos getting through the Molesworth is out. As mentioned all is not lost, there are some other good roads down The Sounds to pest, we just have to link them all together into manageable day rides. I would propose starting either in Picton, or Blenheim with a transit to Saint Arnaud. E.g Day 1: Picton - Port Underwood Road and Tumbledown Bay, to Rarangi, Tuamarina, Kaituna first morning. Probably a quick 5km to Renwick for lunch, then Mount Patriarch in the afternoon. This is a relatively easy first day. Return to Blenheim for overnight, repairs etc. Day 2: To Picton then Queen Charlotte Drive through to Kenepuru Sound, then to Portage and back (if gas/time allows), through to Havelock, Pelorus, Maungatapu to Nelson. Could either stop in Nelson, or push up to Saint Arnaud for the night. Finding suitable accommodation up there will be the issue though. Day 3: This is the most problematic day - need to factor in transit to the start of the Rainbow. Rainbow Road to Hanmer. It could finish there, but obviously most vehicles would be back in Blenheim / Picton. A solution could be to do the Rainbow in reverse back to Saint Arnaud, but this would add another day or make it a very long single day (It's straight highway, mostly downhill, all the way back to Blenheim/Picton). Alternatively run the route backwards, but this way makes more sense to me. So this was just what was in my head as an outline, I haven't checked distances or planned fuel stops and overnights. I suspect the Rainbow both ways would be too big for one day... Welcome any thoughts or alternative suggestions. I would be really keen to figure something out. Cheers ears