Cycle: 2009 R4 - Rotorua to Whakatane

Ride Data:
Distance:	90km	3812 Calories
Time:	3:14:39	27.3 km/h
Elevation:	Ascent: 369m	Descent: 705m
Ride Data:	Garmin Connect Player	MapMyRide
Location:	Rotorua, NZ	25 April 2009

As the cycle event season came to end, the R4 seemed a great event to finish on. Predominantly downhill, a scenic route, taking the lakes of Rotorua, Rotoiti, Rotoehu and Rotoma (hence the event name R4). Enjoy the sunny Whakatane weather and return to Rotorua to soak in the hot pools.

Such a great plan was hatched. Unplanned were the stiff north-easterly direct headwinds and rain. Added to the woe was a broken spoke. My first mechanical issue for some 3000km. Unfortunately due to the rain I could not disconnect the rear brakes to allow the wheel to freely turn so I just had a dig in as I rode the last 50km with my brakes on.



I could have done without some of the aggressive drivers on the road, in mostly V8 engined cars whom were obviously agitated at the thought of being briefly slowed down from bunches of cyclists in front of them. Even as a motorist myself, I have never worked out why many motorists will stop for a dog, but cannot even consider slowing for a moment for a cyclist.

In the wet, and into the weather I finished in 3:14, which leaves plenty of room for improvement. I was talking a few riders afterwards whom were an hour behind the previous years times in this event. Obviously, the atrocious weather was an statistical anomaly, so I am looking forward to coming back in sunnier weather, with a headwind and no broken spokes and finishing sub 3-hours. I am convinced that next year, Whakatane will be proving it really is the sunniest place in country :).

Cycle: 2009 Graperide

Ride Data:
Distance:	101km	4658 Calories
Time:	3:27:25	29.2 km/h
Elevation:	Ascent: 692m	Descent: 687m
Ride Data:	Garmin Connect Player	MapMyRide
Location:	Blenheim, NZ	4 April 2009

The Grape Ride is a relatively flat, 101km fun ride through the wine growing region of Marlborough.

It seemed an ideal event to try and work on increasing my recently disappointing pace. Having a best time over this distance of 2:42, I thought I had conservatively placed myself in the 3 - 3:30 starting group with bibs numbered 2000 to 2999. I was hoping to slip in at around 3 hours, but that is going to need to wait until next year. Yep, too fat, too slooow again. That said, on the plus side I am seeing my average cadence rate increasing which should help my speed and recovery in the long term? Fingers crossed anyway :).

The start was staggered and released in very small bunches. It was a very compressed starting area with thousand or so cyclists in the middle of the Forrest Estate vineyard. That said, they put on a great atmosphere with their location and sponsorship of this event. At the start area there is very little room to move, making it tricky to get into the exact place you prefer, e.g. near the front of your desired starting group, or for many it appeared even into their desired starting bunch. It took over 30 minutes from the gun, before the small bunch I was released with made it to the start line.

Mental note: Get to the start uber-early next year to be at the front of my starting group

Once across the startline, I quickly caught a bunch of 100 or so heading towards Blenhiem. The 20km/h along the flat was too irritating for me, so I cleanly made way to the front of the bunch. Through to Blenheim in good time at ~36km/h, with 50-60 passengers remaining.

From Blenhiem, the going was slower as we turned left into a headwind towards Picton. Our bunch had 4-5 workers at the front of our bunch a large trail behind us. As we hit the small hills on the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive the bunch soon broke up, and the mixed ability of the 20 or still on the front of the bunch became apparent. I saw the same people come past me on every incline :(, and then I went past them on each descent :).



Unfortunately, I dropped off the back of this group while eating and drinking into the headwind as we headed towards Havelock. I was unable to find my way back on and was really starting to feel my legs, possibly a result of the previous weekend hilly ride at Le Race.

Mental note, learn to use my drink-bottles with my left hand so that I can still change gears and stay with the bunch

Thankfully, it was an uneventful day for me, but I was surprised at the number of crashes that had occurred in front of me. I saw St John cleaning up three people who had heavy bunch crashes from what I could tell. Some concerntration lapses in front of me that made me pleased to be slow off the start-line. I was also directly behind someone's rear whell as their derailleur hanger broke, sending their rear derailleur going straight into their backwheel. An unfortunate and expensive ride for them today.

I really enjoyed the finish through a flat and twisting lane among the grape vines. I found it fun putting in my final dash through there.

I finished in 3:27:25 this year which leaves me a good half-hour to try and chop off my finishing time next year.

You can see more of this event in this Youtube Video - of people who were a long, long way in front of me.

Cycle: 2009 Le Race - warning: Mountainous

Knowing I needed to work on my hill climbing I entered Le Race to get some more practice. And yes, there was hill climbing. In fact, at one point I did actually dismount and walk. I have never done that during an event before.

The even began with a controlled start, and a green wave to get us through the traffic lights in Christchurch. The controlled section ended abruptly with the first climb of the day up the aptly named Summit Hill. In thick fog, I took the descent cautiously due to limited visibility.



From here there was a long flat section to Little River in which I had the support of a large bunch. That said it was one of those large bunches where the rotation at the front was not working as well as it might for optimum speed. That said, I was pretty happy with how things were going until the ascent up to Hilltop where I twinged my back slightly. In most cases this would not have been a problem, but for the steepness of these climbs needed 100% commitment. Yup, I ended up walking and having some short rests. Duvauchelle Peak, near killed me I tell you!!! Most of those around me were able to make it up these hill on this day either. I have never, ever seen so many cyclists walking during an organised cycling event before.




I would like to improve on my 4:37 next year and make it up all those hills. It was a tough and challenging course and one of the most scenic I have ridden. These are serious hills, you need to be ready for mountainous climbs to do well in this event.

I also have Garmin data for this ride, but Garmin Connect doesn't provide options to embed ride stats yet. You can find my full Garmin Connect data of this ride here.

2009 Kapiti Cycle Challenge

2009 was the year of the inaugural Kapiti Cycle Challenge. It was an enjoyable and well organised event that I am looking forward to entering again next year. The course includes some of my favourite road cycling routes in Wellington. I love riding the Akatarawa Road, even though my hill climbing is so often found wanting - especially lately.

This is a great course, starting with 18km along the flat before the dramatic climb over Paekakariki Hill, with a long descent before a less dramatic climb up SH58 over Haywards Hill. A quick descent into the Hutt Valley and another flat 12km, before the long climb over the Akatarawa Hill and a technical descent back down to Waikanae. Click here to fly over the Kapiti Cycle Challenge course in Google Earth.



This report is from the back of the bunch. You can find an excellent write up from the front of the bunch at roadcycling.co.nz.

We started in the sun in Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast, a rode into a southerly to Paekakariki with plenty of bunch protection. The climb up the Paekakariki Hill is steep and arduous, and at on the ascent of this hill most of field rode straight past me. Many thoughts about if I lost some weight and why are so many cyclists entered my head as I approached the summit.



We hit a damp, drizzly wind tunnel on the decent into Pauahatanui, which saw me get past a some of the underweight anorexics who didn't like riding into the wind much. Soon I found two helpers and the three of us worked into the wind together, past two sizable bunches before the ascent the Haywards Hill. Unusually, on this occasion it was the two riders that dropped off the pace rather than me. This was refreshing for me, but we had been working so well it was a shame they could not hang on.

It was raining as I rode up the Hutt Valley and the Akatarawa Road. Once again as I neared the summit of the Akatarawa Road I had a number of other riders come past me, although I picked up a couple of them on the twisty descent back down to Waikanae. It was a pleasure to be back on the sunny Kapiti Coast.

As usual, I would have liked to have gone faster, especially as in comparison to my training rides over the same course without drafting or traffic control. All the same I thoroughly enjoyed the days riding on a great course.

Garmin Connect doesn't provide options to embed ride stats yet. You can find my full Garmin Connect data of this ride here.

Cycle: 2009 Ruapehu Classic

I had intended to ride in an event around Taranaki two weeks earlier which I missed due suffering from bronchitis.

It was touch and go as to whether I would make the start line for the Ruapehu Classic. With a perfect weekend of weather forecast I made a late decision to go for it anyway.

With the start at 7am I thought could make it through to Waiouru (30km) by 8am. After that it would be time to climb up the Desert Road. I was apprehensive at riding the section along the Desert Rd since it is the main north-south highway in New Zealand and many drivers seem to drive fast there. Rangipo (80km) by 10am was in my thoughts. From there with downhill in reserve I thought I could pull out a 6-hour finish time.

I hit Waiouru at 7:59am, right on schedule - yay me! Then it was onto the Desert Road. I have to say riding along here was a pleasure. In the morning in the middle of a 3 day weekend (Friday was Waitangi Day) was a pleasure. Generally good, smooth seal and plenty of sun with awesome views as I rode with the mountains of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro to my left.

I was finding myself drifting to the back of the bunch on the climbs and easily back to the front on the few downhills. This mostly being due to keeping my head much lower than those in the surrounding pack, so the aerodynamics took me straight through the bunch each time.

My heart briefly raced as I went downhill approaching a 25km/h signposted corner. It was all sweet and under control until my rear wheel rolled over a small rock on the apex of the bend. I saved the fishtail and stayed upright but slowed substantially as I regathered my senses and saw the entire bunch ride straight past me on the immediately following hill.

Of course riding by myself made it a bit harder, but I was still through to Rangipo at 9:45, well ahead of schedule - yay me!!

By myself, once I turned left at Rangipo it got very tough going. Heading up hill past the Ketetahi exit from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing I was really struggling. The rougher chipseal was of no help whatsoever either. In agony I persevered on to yet more climbing up to the Mangatepopo entrance to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.



Soon I was done. Regardless of mostly downhill ahead of me I was shot. This is the first time I haven't finished, and may it be the only time! I found some shade and called on my parents bring my car around and rescue me. While I was waiting another chap was pretty exhausted too. So we gave him a ride back to Ohakune with us.

Garmin Connect doesn't provide options to embed ride stats yet, but here is some HTML fun that should return the correct Adobe Flash object?