Prep and leadup to the Tour

My build-up to the tour was mixed to tell the truth. My training plan had worked well. I had managed to crank out a number of big weeks  back to back and also ride the Waikato river trail as part of my training plan. Resting the 2 weeks leading up to the tour ended up working well and I felt really refreshed when I started.
I'd also had a bike fit done in November and I'd had no knee ligament issues since even though I was doing a lot of cycling.

I took what I had done and learnt from the Kiwi Brevet in 2015 and tweaked,changed and kept what worked. The training rides are useful to test that your setup works and the bike is comfortable.

The major mods were adding custom spacers (built by my flatmate) to the aerobar arm resters in order to raise me up about 60mm when using them thus making my back and neck less bent and so I would be more comfortable when using them. This ended up being the most important change I would make to the bike.
I also decided to go tubeless 3 days out from the start. After visits to 2 different bike shops we'd managed to make the tyres stay up and not leak air.
The day I left for the tour I also bought a new pair of specialized MTB shoes, another purchase which was invaluable, since my current shoes didn't really fit properly and were a bit soft.
Basically I had a massive weekend prior to leaving on the Monday and pulled everything together and packed all my gear. I was as ready as I could be but it was a complete stress zone as I had hoped to be ready,tested and sorted much earlier in the play but due to more important commitments the tour prep needed to have a back seat for a bit.

I'd also organised a friend to drive us up to the start and had gathered 6 other TA riders who were in need of a ride so plenty of organisation had been done prior to getting to the start line, not to mention having a fund-raising BBQ in order to introduce people to the aspects of the ride and also raise money for CAP, which was my chosen charity to ride for.

DAY 1 – Cape Reinga to Herekino

DAY 1 – Cape Reinga to Herekino – 120KMS / 6.5 hours / 21k average

Shuttling from Auckland to cape Reinga via the “Burton Bus” was achieved the day before wave 2. After camping the night we did a 2PM mass start in baking temperatures from the lighthouse carpark. Everyone was very very exciting and a number of people looked pretty tired even before they had started (Likely due to having ridden to the start from quite a way away).

The first bit of drama was descending down to 90 mile beach and a water bottle fell out of my modified water bottle holders and promptly cracked meaning I just lost valuable water which was required for the beach. My jandals fell of 1 minute later. After securing the load better I hit the beach and joined up with a bunch of other TA riders and we rode down the beach in a V formation (like birds) to shelter from the swirling cross and head winds.

The beach was the hardest bit of the ride so far. Yes it’s flat but very exposed, and very monotonous and it was 4+ hours of battling the wind and blowing sand as we did the 80k to the get out point. For many riders this could be the hardest section of the whole ride and it’s right at the beginning. I was pretty shaky once I got off the beach but much better than others who reportedly fell off their bikes and couldn’t move!

I ran out of water with an hour of beach to go but miraculously spotted a fisherman who was happy to give me some water!!!

I met another fellow TA cyclist (Stu) and he told me he was going to stay at the school over the hill from Ahipara. I met him there in the late dusk and we slept out on the classroom deck and jumped the locked gate to clean ourselves in the school pool. This was gold and Stu was a godsend since I had really no idea where I was going to stay but I knew I wanted to not camp alone in the far north! It’s pretty dicey up there and I was surprised the caretaker didn’t come and pull a gun on us. The other good thing about staying there was that there was a thick fog in the morning and since we didn’t need to setup our tents they were not we unlike all the other TA riders who camped down the road.

DAY 2 –Herekino to Pouto Point

DAY 2 –Herekino to Pouto Point – 225KMS / 17 hours total / 18.8k average

The problem however with staying at the school meant I was 50k behind where I intended to be on day 1. We headed off at 5:30am through the thick fog and surprisingly cold conditions. The sunrise over the far north was absolutely beautiful as we climbed above the mist and looked down at it in the valleys. I will never forget this morning.

The rest of that day turned into a 17 hour cycle with some serious climbs through the beautiful Waipoua Kauri Forest in serious heat. The goal was to get to Pouto point that night and make the 8AM ferry crossing for the next morning so I could get to the CAP offices thu afternoon. The final  25k unsealed dusty, continuously hilly road to the point was brutal and long. It took hours in the dark with tons of traffic spewing dust all over us and I was so thankful for having 2 other TA riders to spur me on and share the suffering with. We finally arrived at 10:30PM at the backpackers. It had been a 225k day, much longer than I originally anticipated however I heard later other people badly wanted to get on the ferry also since it only goes twice a day and they arrived as late as 3AM in the morning!

I have less to write here even though it potentially is the longest day I will ride on the whole trip. A lot happened but after 2-3 hours sleep the night before it all seems a bit of a blur.

I did have my first icecream of the trip today however.  Someone said they were going to sponsor my icecream eating so I am counting!!!

DAY 3 – Pouto Point to Mangere (Auckland)

DAY 3 – Pouto Point to Mangere (Auckland) – 93KMS /  6.5 hours / 21.6k average

We were treated to a beautiful sunrise and calm still morning as we waited for the boat to take us across the Kaipara harbour. 30 riders piled onto the fishing boat and we relaxed for 3 hours until we got to Parakai. I was immediately cornered by the Burton family from church who had driven out from Torbay to find me. What a lovely surprise! Time was ticking to get to the CAP office before it closed so I pushed hard whilst eating on the bike and only stopping at Mt Eden cycles to purchase  new water bottles and get a few bike niggles fixed by the amazing mechanic (Clarke).  I was 2^nd into Auckland off the boat that day.

I had been so tired the previous day I had forgotten to charge my phone and I needed it for navigation through the maze of Auckland's streets! Fortunately my solar charger provided a bit of juice and I charged it at Mt Eden cycles and CAP again.

I got through Auckland unscathed although I knew all the streets and am used to the traffic.

I made the CAP offices at 4pm, although I had to ride down great south road in rush hour (nerve racking) and take a 20k round trip detour but it was completely worth it and I was quite overwhelmed with the reception I received, the amazing cake and the interest in the ride. After learning more about CAP, eating cake and chatting I headed off to a waiting dinner of yummy Thai green curry which I had ordered via John C in the morning. Andrew rocked up to service my bike and replaced a few parts which was an absolute blessing. It was fantastic to stay with John and catchup with a few friends at the same time and have a nice comfy bed. It was nice to not finish cycling in the dark for the first time on the ride so far.

DAY 4 –Mangere to SH1/SH29 junction

DAY 4 –Mangere to SH1/SH29 junction– 235KMS /  14 hours / 24.2k average

I met Stu and some other TA riders at 7AM and we fought growing traffic and headed out of Auckland past the airport. Another stunning sunrise lead to a clear and stinking hot beautiful day. (Its been 28c every day since I started).

I lost the guys for a bit and took a few wrong turns but then eventually caught them at Kawakawa bay after a coffee and pie injection at Clevedon. We opted to take the longer but scenic coastal route around Hunua which turned out to be a great decision due to the view and shade it offered and we picked up a few more TA riders and I moved to the front to lead the Peloton along the coast of the firth of Thames.

From the Miranda turnoff everyone scattered and I ended up cycling the rest of the day solo which was completely fine. Once we had left the Hunua’s the rest of the days ride was pretty well flat and with a growing tailwind to blow me down the Hauraki rail trail I was making a great average speed, however I did have to stop lots for food and also drunk through over 10 litres of water which meant it did take me some time to cycle the 235k and get to the stop point where SH29 meets SH1 (Piarere).  Whilst the rail trail is dead boring once out of that monotony it was simply stunning cycling through the lovely quiet roads of the Waikato in the twilight whilst I recovered from a massive Turkish rice dinner in Matamata. I got to the end of the days ride at 9PM, switched off the tracker and jumped in Bevan’s wagon.

Another amazing event for the day was meeting Jack and Libby S (parents of the late Michael S who I am dedicating my ride to) whilst on the way to Matamata. They had deliberately taken that route to see if they could spot me and it was a miracle that I had decided to pull over under a big tree as they were coming past.

DAY 6 – SH1/SH29 junction to Pureora

DAY 6 – SH1/SH29 junction to Pureora – 135KMS /  11.5 total hours with 8 hours riding time / 16.9k average

After a wonderful rest day at Bevan's I stopped being a ghost on the map and switched my tracker back on and proceeded through the Waikato river trail. A bacon and eggs second breakfast got me all the way to Mangikino and I passed most of the 15 TA riders who had left the Rhubarb cafe 5 minutes before I arrived.

Because I knew the river trail well I was realistic about how hard it would be. It took me the estimated 5 hours to do it and I really enjoyed the trail and the technical bits as a result. Other riders would and were severely tested and caught out by it for the lack of knowledge. The day was again another hot and humid stinker.

The only minor issues today were losing a bottle down a bank and crashing into a closed gate. I learned later that other people had also not seen the silver gate on the white gravel road either.

There was nowhere to buy food for the next 170k that I knew of so I stocked up well at the Mangikino 4 square.

After an extended break I rode with other TA riders to the centre of the North island. We were definitely in remote country now. Overgrown tracks and lots of ferns and even kaka were calling and swooping around. It was awesome for its remoteness and beauty. Today featured a heck of a lot of climbing and a considerable amount of riding was off road. The pace was slow as a result with my average speed being much lower than the other days.

After visiting the centre of the North island I pushed onto my dodgy accommodation and found it to be pretty good actually despite having to figure out from the locals where exactly the key might have been. Hot showers and a comfy bed are always welcome after a big day in the saddle. I shared the cabin  with Bryan Prestidge who rocked up without a booking not realising you needed prior arrangement. It does pay to be organised!!! Today I did feel pretty tired and slept really soundly after getting a reasonably early night.