Singletrack's forums are sponsored by...

Forum sponsored by Saracen

TJs recovery ride -...
 

TJs recovery ride - I'm off again!

435 Posts
95 Users
974 Reactions
4,355 Views
 ton
Full Member
 

looks cracking Teej.   what mapping thing are you using for routes.

and not jealous in the slightest.

 
Posted : 14/01/2025 8:09 pm
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Bunnyhoo

Strawberry.   As for wildlife yes but no idea what any of it is called.  Waders.  LBJs and a couple of big Raptors

Ton.  Various nz sites.   There is a good one of the bikepacking rotes.  Nz cycle trails

 
Posted : 14/01/2025 8:14 pm
ton and Bunnyhop reacted
Free Member
 

Speaking of wildlife, I hope you manage to avoid the sandflies.

Godless, bitey, winged bastards.

 
Posted : 14/01/2025 8:53 pm
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Bunnyhop.  I saw some of these

20250115_122450

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 4:34 am
Bunnyhop and Tracey reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Really not feeling it today.  Slogged another 40 miles to thd end of thevrail tral at Matamata.  Same scenery as yesterday afternoon continued all day.  Humph

20250115_085718

20250115_115916

20250115_121344

20250115_123233

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 4:40 am
muddylegs, RustyNissanPrairie, Bunnyhop and 3 people reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

20250115_182458

20250115_181727

The hobbiton film set is just a few miles from here but guided tours only

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 5:42 am
tall_martin reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Carb loading and rehydration

20250115_183943

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 5:43 am
ready, toby, slowol and 6 people reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Moonsaballon.  You have a pm

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 5:59 am

Full Member
 

Hi TJ

Just replied to the PM . I'm up for a ride on Saturday or Sunday if you're keen . Trip looks great so far ?

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 6:44 am
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Trip looks great so far ?

Apart from no motivation today.  Lovely people.   Makes Canadians seem surly and unhelpful.   Last night i was wandering around the town looking at google maps and a nice lady came out of a shop to ask me what i was looking for then directed me to where i could get food and beer.

Drivers are awful tho.  Not agressive but dont give ypu any room on the road particularly old folk in little cars.  Rednecks in utes give you more room.

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 7:38 am
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Looks like waikato river trails the next couple of days

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 7:40 am
Brainflex reacted
 mert
Free Member
 

Same scenery as yesterday afternoon continued all day.

Sounds like a trip i once planned (but never did). The blogs i could find of people who had done it basically said over the first 6-10 days (it's a 3-4 week route) was just a day or day and a half of rocky lumps and moorland then a week of trees to your right, the sea to your left... And to add insult to injury, it's not even interesting trees or sea.

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 7:41 am
Full Member
Topic starter
 

I once rode a .motorcycle the length of Finland.   A week of pine forests

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 7:51 am
Full Member
Topic starter
 

20250115_202614

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 7:55 am
Free Member
 

I once rode a .motorcycle the length of Finland.   A week of pine forests

Yeah we did that on the tandem. Barely any hills or junctions. Like riding in the Fens with bonus trees. 🙂

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 12:41 pm
llama and Bunnyhop reacted
Full Member
 

So that’s where Shergar went!

 
Posted : 15/01/2025 2:16 pm

Full Member
Topic starter
 

20250116_152649

20250116_160346

20250116_163417

20250116_163040

20250116_165208

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 5:54 am
anorak, cinnamon_girl, johnhe and 6 people reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

20250116_162725

20250116_171639

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 5:55 am
Full Member
Topic starter
 

20250116_160346

20250116_162057

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 6:02 am
anorak, Tracey, Bunnyhop and 1 people reacted
Full Member
 

Great pics of Hobbiton. I'd like to pluck up the courage to go back to NZ one day....spent a lot of time there but the last visit was 14 years ago for my Brother's funeral, not sure I could go back.

Hope you have a great time though TJ the scenery and the people are generally brilliant.

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 6:23 am
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Im only about ten miles from the town i stayed in last night.  Teady for some miles tomorrow hopefully.

AA.  Its tough when places have memories like that.   These trips i am doing are not the ones I planned with Julie.   The countries we planned to go to are off limits for now.

Next section is gonna be hilly I think.   Pray to the god of the granny ring.  Waikito river trails.

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 7:23 am
MrOvershoot, arrpee, Bunnyhop and 1 people reacted
Full Member
 

TJ your hair is a thing of beauty (no grey). Pls tell me that’s not a mullet :0)

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 7:45 am
 aide
Full Member
 

Loving the pictures teej, keep them coming, much better than the winter gloom back here

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 8:36 am
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Bunnyhoo.  Nope it's all long but there is loads of grey.  It just the top is still darkish.  Underneath its grea to white.

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 8:55 am
Bunnyhop reacted

 mert
Free Member
 

I once rode a .motorcycle the length of Finland.   A week of pine forests

😀 It was the end to end of Sweden that was being planned... So very similar!

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 9:20 am
Full Member
 

Loving the pics mate.

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 9:45 am
Free Member
 

How's your mental health holding up Jeremy?Other side of the world, on my own, I think I might have some anxiety. Still,judging by the photos there are some real upsides.They are certainly improving my morale.

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 4:28 pm
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Heads pretty good now Im actually on tbe road and being in a ( sort of) English speaking country helps.

Brains are weird

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 4:44 pm
MrOvershoot, Yak, matt_outandabout and 6 people reacted
Full Member
 

AA. Its tough when places have memories like that. These trips i am doing are not the ones I planned with Julie. The countries we planned to go to are off limits for now.

Yeah, you would think time would help, but despite the loss becoming less raw or whatever the barriers we put up just seem to get bigger...I'll smash the **** down one day.

In the meantime, grab a Waikato Draught and raise a glass to Jon the Pom for me..it tastes like knats piss but he used to like it ?

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 5:03 pm
Full Member
 

looking great, love the pictures of Hobbiton  🙂

 
Posted : 16/01/2025 6:05 pm
Full Member
Topic starter
 

40 odd miles and a couple of thousand feet of climbing.   I'm bolloxed and hiding in some bushes for the night.  Couldn't make the campsite

 
Posted : 17/01/2025 5:39 am
retrorick, Tracey and sandboy reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

20250117_111024

20250117_110709

 
Posted : 17/01/2025 5:47 am

Free Member
 

hiding in some bushes for the night.

Is it Tuesday already?

 
Posted : 17/01/2025 7:20 am
 mert
Free Member
 

Wonder what TJ will wake up with... Kiwi Drop bear maybe?

 
Posted : 17/01/2025 12:07 pm
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Sitting having my coffee waiting for an stwer to turn up to join me for the days ride.

 
Posted : 17/01/2025 7:29 pm
slackboy, cinnamon_girl, Bunnyhop and 8 people reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Well that was tough.  12 miles on the trail took well over 3 hours0.  Poor old moonsaballon was very patient with this slow old man.  I have camped another 7 miles or so further on as the campsite near the trail end was shite.  Need to make some route decisions now.   Tuesday is due to piss it down so a couple of days in a hotel sounds good

20250118_102705

20250118_100924

20250118_163755

20250118_160452

 
Posted : 18/01/2025 3:59 am
Yak, aide, hightensionline and 10 people reacted
Full Member
 

Great to meet you TJ . Took me just under 2 hours to get back to the car which wasn't too bad . The deforested section was the worst with the sun .

I really enjoyed the day but I can how with a fully loaded bike that section would be hard work . I met another couple of tour riders on Shands and they were looking to bail onto the road so it's pretty tough work .

 
Posted : 18/01/2025 4:31 am
Yak, cinnamon_girl, matt_outandabout and 3 people reacted
Full Member
 

PXL_20250117_232216519PXL_20250117_213426203PXL_20250118_003325628only the one stop for hair care !

 
Posted : 18/01/2025 4:33 am
Yak, slackboy, akeys001 and 9 people reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Bet it was nicer going back but i don't feel to bad about my lack of speed if it took you two hours to get back

Nice to meet you and ta for coming along.

 
Posted : 18/01/2025 5:28 am
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Decisions decisions

Connection ride over to the timber trail and the timber trail itself sound great but 3 big days out.   Its due to pass it down all day Tuesday.oe 3 days time.   Hmm.  Taupo and a comfy hotel sound a good bet. I can pick up the trails further down.  Two leisurely days to a tourist town and couple of nights in a hotel sounds good.

The river trails have been good but pretty tough.  Today's was beautiful and entertaining but hard work.  Lots of granny gear action and too much pushing up hills.  No dragging bikes thru swamps tho

 
Posted : 18/01/2025 7:55 am
jwray reacted

Full Member
Topic starter
 

And I need an effing chair

 
Posted : 18/01/2025 8:15 am
Full Member
 

It’s a long trip, you want to enjoy it, so if you are not feeling it/want to avoid the rain then there is no point being miserable for a few days. Park the bike up, freshen up in a hotel and recharge ready to go again.

 
Posted : 18/01/2025 9:15 am
integra, matt_outandabout, Tracey and 2 people reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Road to Taupo it is.  Only 45km but a lovely 700m of climbing.   I love my granny gear

 
Posted : 18/01/2025 9:09 pm
sandboy, andy4d, arrpee and 2 people reacted
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Gaddamit.  I hate hills.  Im in the wrong country aren't I?

 
Posted : 19/01/2025 4:09 am
Free Member
 

Lols

 
Posted : 19/01/2025 7:28 am
Page 4 / 10

Secret Diary Of Benjamin Haworth Age 47 3/4

Last Minute Tuscany

Digital Detox

singletrack issue 159 cover image

Issue 159