BY THOM DODD
(Bike Friday’s dealer is training for an Ironman in New Zealand, where he plans to compete on his Bike Friday)
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Since my last blog, I have had some amazing rides (about 600 km worth of winter riding at its best!!)
The days have been cold so no problem overheating, clear (and in New Zealand when it is clear there is nothing, absolutely nothing in the air), sunny and most importantly mostly dry.
My long ride (164 km) last week took me to an additional beach, Pauanui (paua = the NZ Abalone, nui = big, although the species here is considered big at about 4 inches whereas the species of abalone I used to snorkel for off the north coast of California are small unless over 7 inches).
The day was so stunning that the distant Pinnacles to the west looked as if I could reach out and touch them.
All in all I went over six hills of more than 200 meters, returning to sea level between each, and several more of 100 meters plus.
It was a great ride, and very quick even though I had switched to a larger rear tyre for winter riding conditions.
Two days later my usual weekly 80 km ride was in even better conditions, where the islands 30 kms out to sea looked as close as the fields I was pedaling beside.
I tacked on an extra 10 km with a jaunt on a metal road (that’s what dirt roads are called here) out of Kuaotunu connecting Gray’s and Ring’s beaches — Rings beach baches (a bach is a beach home for people who have to live elsewhere)Â have the feel of being from another planet where time stands still and is really a slice of paradise.
The week before I had to travel to a friend’s north of Auckland, so I rode early on leaving day and headed over the 200-plus meter Tairua hill and then the 400-plus meter Kopu-Hikuai road to Kopu — the road goes over the highest point on the 200 km race called the K-2, which is held here in October.
I got to the Kopu bridge 5 minutes before my wife and our 10-year-old friend, which gave me time to break down my New World Tourist to throw in the boot (what they call the car’s trunk here) for the rest of the day — only 70 km for me, but had no time for more.
Set the bike up for a gorgeous ride to Long Bay through all of the little beach towns on the East coast of the North Shore, which is the area north, across the harbor, from Auckland.
A superb ride – so thankful to have such a portable bike.
