TJs recovery ride - I'm off again!

I bought a chair.  Local camping shops had never heard of the  helinox lighweight chair but one guy was fascinated and ordered me one in overnight delivery  450 grammes for a real chair.  Ill curse the weight on the hills but i need it on the campsite

What, no cushions!

Surely you want to un-tuck the shirt for cooling?

It usually is molgrips. When i remember.   I do hate a scruffy untucked shirt ?

Well thats one of the weirdest places I have ever seen. Hot water beach. Multiple hot streams running onto the beach. Did a hole and it fills with hot water. Floating rocks as well

Bought a chair.  Not sure ita allowed in bikepacking circles but this old man needs it

Looks like you have a full mattress and pillows in your tent as well!  😉

Not sure ita allowed in bikepacking circles but this old man needs it

This younger man would have brought the tie dye Helinox sunset model with him - not sure I could get up out of that one after a day on the hills.

I do like to be comfy retrorick

Should i buy a new camping mattress?  I have a cheap thermarest copy that weighs a kilo.  Found one in a shop here that weighs 350grammes.  £150.  More than makes up for the chair in weight.  Its thicker but less rvalue

Spotted in the pub

For £150 can you not get one that is warm and light?

Not here.  That's the best i could find.  R value 2.8.  It does have some insulation

No advice on camping mats, as I have a history of rubbish uncomfy but light mats. Light and comfy does sound good though. But just to say your trip looks great so far, top pics too. Enjoy it!

Should i buy a new camping mattress?  I have a cheap thermarest copy that weighs a kilo.  Found one in a shop here that weighs 350grammes.  £150.  More than makes up for the chair in weight.  Its thicker but less rvalue

Just make sure you have a suitable patch kit and that the lighter mattress isn't too noisy... some of the lighter ones are like sleeping on a crisp packet!

Heading off again in the morning.   Unfortunately really means roads for much of the next couple of days to get back to the trails.

Done a bit of rejigging of kit and am well rested.  Also had a small cancerous skin lesion removed from my back.  90% chance that's all that will be needed.  Histology report will be 3 weeks or so.

I'm at high risk of getting these due to sun damage from when I was a kid and unpigmented patches.  Check you skin folks!

I feel well rested and ready for the next section.  I should get to the south end of Lake Taupo tomorrow and maybe a bit further.  Campsites look in short supply tho.  Then I will head south east to pick up the Wanganui River trail

That chair looks ideal. It's one thing we missed bike packing in September, although we fell very lucky with the three camp sites in that two had benches at out camp plot, and one had some in the corner of the field. My mate said he was getting one next time as he'd been earlier in the year and had no-where to sit.

Always enjoy your travel thread, especially as it looks like I'm going to be off the bikes for some time after a silly fall on ice two weeks ago (even with ice tyres). Currently on crutches.

I have hot puddle envy, especially after today's commute.

Headwinds and hills todsy thru dull farmland.   Ho hum.  Still it sunny and warm.  Looks like a roadside camp tonight

I've effed it up a bit by listening to an old boy who told me there was good camping at this spot.  Its shit.   Too tired to go further and anyway its miles to an actual campsite.  Rowlocks.

Oh well.  I have food and a tent.  I'll survive

Lovely river tho

Found a wee corner to hide it wth an ok pitch.  Bit to visible as its nor allowed to camp here.

Venus i think

Venus i think

Please don't post a pic of Uranus... 🙂

Arse like rhino hide mate

Are you heading to Whanganui, TJ? But not doing the Timber Trail to the northwest of Taupo, which would pop you out at Ongarue? There's camping along the way.

This looks absolutely fantastic TJ!

Basically yes corroded.

Im halfway down the western side of lake Taupo heading for the whanganui river trail

You are around here somewhere are you?

Sadly not! Am in UK but rode around the North Island in 2023 (and grew up in NZ). I did some of Mountains to the Sea to Whanganui and then Remutaka Loop from Wellington, which I loved but wouldn’t recommend to you on account of a couple of big hills! Just interested in your route.
Didn’t get to the South Island but have heard good things about the Molesworth Muster through some sheep stations. And Alps 2 Ocean is largely downhill. Have you considered taking the train to skip some of the roads?

Another day of too many hills.  40 miles and nearly 3000ft of climbs.  I may have bitten off more than i can chew.

Fabulous scenery again today and at least i got a good descent.

Struggling to pick a route for tomorrow as the main road i am on looks very busy but the bikepacking route is much longer and plenty of climbing.

This is tough.

Pics courtesy of my blood swear and tears

This is tough.

The pictures (which are superb, by the way) look like it's properly undulating; huge respect for doing the ride.

Fair play TJ. Pics are great, you will be getting fitter and stronger, it will get easier, you just need to give it another couple of weeks...

Anorher couple of weeks?  Ffs ill be totally broken

You may be broken but the views are amazing..... keep going

Todays eff up.  I decanted some toothpaste into a smaller tube.  Or at least I thought I did.  This morning I tried to clean my teeth with sunscreen.   Revolting.   Oops

Hahahahahaha!

We have all been there. I knew a guy that did something similar and then tried to de-orderise with hairspray.

More hills. More views and a big breakfast. 8 miles and an 800 ft climb

Guess what.  The after breakfast session had another 1500ft of climbing.   I am at the national park village at a weird campsite. Basically the corner of a carpark with showers paid for by an app with no view

Tomorrows ride is 3500ft of downhill and a mete 1000 ft of climbing

Did you manage to do any fitness training before your adventure?Or are you getting fit as you plod on?

Some of those views would energise me.Stunning to say the least.

Traning consisted of sitting at my computer eating chocolate cake and getting fat.  Hardly rode my bike for months.   A mistake methinks.

Recovered quickly from todays exertions but the main climb hurt.

Off to find beer and chocolate cake.  Im sure it will help

Need a beer to decide routes.  I could go to the volcanic bit tomorrow and then get a train to Wellington or i could ride south.  Traffic will be too bad on the main road Monday I think.

Well that was random.   Stped to take a pic of some old Holdens and was made to drink beer by a fine bunch of bams

Its started to rain but i can sit in my tent in my new chair all comfy

Chucked it down allnight and due to continue most of the next 24 hours.  Ho hum.  Think i might go find a hotel

Treat yourself

Done booked for two nights.   Hide today.  Do the volcanic stuff tomorrow.

I feel the need to make a pun about this, but nothing comes to mind right now.

Recovered quickly from todays exertions but the main climb hurt.

You're getting fitter...

The bams look a fine pair to sink a beer with.

The bam on the right is me!

Just killing time today.  No point in riding up to the volcanoes todsy.  Its somewhere in this