tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34468136265526854282024-03-12T22:49:12.391-07:00. Dedicated To The Post-Ride SwaggerTim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-48459091335678351562011-10-10T01:36:00.000-07:002011-10-10T01:36:07.619-07:00Raiding the Aussie's Trophy Cabinet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfJcipX3Y7LSI67FmluLF4KSVZkF8gf7H_062nr2-uTXhdvI5COrQNUSaGSy19d820lm8LJY8Z4oeoxBlelliIcmULzUEYHvURgT7rNljSABTOEKGGBANPdt-jxFXdA2y8U1DOWVqL-c/s1600/P1030579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfJcipX3Y7LSI67FmluLF4KSVZkF8gf7H_062nr2-uTXhdvI5COrQNUSaGSy19d820lm8LJY8Z4oeoxBlelliIcmULzUEYHvURgT7rNljSABTOEKGGBANPdt-jxFXdA2y8U1DOWVqL-c/s320/P1030579.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Riding in Australia can be a risky proposition. For a start you have the natural hazards; spiders, snakes, crocodiles, koala's with chlamydia, sharks - i could go on. But on top of that is the human hazard; the open pit coal mine smack bang in the middle of the trail, the SS Ute belonging to the guy who works at the mine, and the ever-present threat of hobo's...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Yip, it's a dangerous place alright. Which is why, when I went over to Adelaide a couple of weeks back for the Australian Single Speed Champs I made sure I packed T-Rex. </div></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">My logic was sound - no one wants to mess with the king of the dinosaurs - but execution flawed. It took a single pre-race lap of the course to convince me that racing on a tight, rocky and loose course with a couple of extra kg's of vision-impeding paper mache on my head would be a bad idea. </div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">With my secret weapon of intimidation ruled out I was left scrambling for something that would keep the other land downunder's flora and fauna away from me. Fortunately Melbourne's <a href="http://www.cyclingedge.com.au/">Cycling Edge</a> came to my rescue and loaned me a bike that would at least enable me to escape <i>rapide </i>if things went bad. </div></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Leaving my Santa Cruz at home was a big call, but the lure of not flying with a bike, and getting to try a titanium frame and carbon wheels was too strong. It was a great bike and i'm indebted to Peter and Paul (and the rest of the disciples) for the experience. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Confidence restored, we rocked up to the carpark on race day to what at first glance seemed to be a super-heroes convention. Rolling around on bikes were Hulks, Batmans, Robins plus a purple Superman. Turns out lycra is good for both comic books <i>and </i>bike races. Larkin and I were rocking the <a href="http://www.oli.co.nz/">Roadworks</a> jerseys so fitted right in with such illustrious company. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Organisation of the race was appropriately relaxed for an event where a national champion is crowned. The timetable very quickly went out the window but after a while things naturally sorted themselves out and we found ourselves awaiting a Le Mans style start while the help rearranged our bikes out of sight. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Following the start gun I found myself momentarily appreciative of the Edge decals on my wheels. Like most things Green and Gold they stood out like dogs balls and so I got a quick lock on the bike, allowing me to get up and going in a matter of seconds, rather than minutes as was the case at the 09 NZSSC. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The race went pretty well. With only five rather short laps I wasn't anticipating a race much longer than 1hr 40min, but still resolved to pace my first few laps, rather than fly or die as had been happening at the N-Duro's earlier in the year. Despite that, I took the opportunity to pass the two Aussies ahead of me at the courses high point and for a brief moment in time found myself leading a race I was only meant to be having fun at. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It was only a brief moment as a short time later I managed to highside myself right into a pile of fallen branches in what could be one of my most embarrassing crashes ever. See below. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">How do you crash there? </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Fortunately the Koala's had vacated the area prior to my arrival and so i didn't damage myself too much, or pick up any nasty infections that would have been hard to explain upon returning home. Nonetheless, it left me shaken and for the remainder of the lap I could only cruise while rebooting my systems and getting a feel for the bike again. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">From Lap 2 things started coming together though. I realised that I was probably riding strong enough to win and set about trying to progressively close the gap on the leading Aussies. Disaster struck for one of them at the start of Lap 3 when he punctured, leaving me to draw ever closer to the sole leader.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I was much stronger on the climbs, but he tended to edge away on the descents. When on the final lap he managed to maintain his lead up the main 4wd climb I began to question whether I would be able to get past. But no sooner had I done that when he pulled over to attend to a slow leak. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Taking the lead gave me wings and I gassed it through the first half of the course, catching a glimpse of a hard-charging Garth as I went. I was finally coming to grips with the small wheels and high tire pressures (so that I wouldn't be victim of a puncture also) of the Moots and started getting a good rhythm. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It wasn't quite good enough though, and Garth got on my wheel towards the bottom of the final descent. It was looking like a Kiwi one-two, with the placings to be determined by whoever made it to the top of the final pinch climb first. Leading in I fully expected Garth to attempt to pass, and when the trail opened up slightly I pulled over to the left to provide him with space if he wanted. He did, but had picked the left line and so was inadvertantly blocked by me! Yeah, i know it sounds bullshit on paper, but that's what happened. Honest! </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Garth didn't give up though and we had a great sprint along the flat paddock to the line. It was at that moment I appreciated the knowledge that he was running an equivalent gear ratio to me. So long as I could spin my legs faster than him then victory was assured. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And that's how I came to be the 2011 Australian Single Speed Mountain Bike Champ. Freaking glad that a tattoo wasn't a requisite with the title! The last thing I needed was some Kangaroo forever etched into my body. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Thanks to Paul and Garth for an awesome weekend. Lets do it again next year boys.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div></div></div>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-47156676383441847342011-09-12T03:05:00.000-07:002011-09-12T03:05:59.874-07:00Winter closeI know that Spring is meant to be the season of new beginnings and hope, but in recent years I just haven't felt it. Sure the days are getting longer and the lambs are out frollicking amongst the daffodils, but it's also wet and windy; two of the climatic conditions I enjoy least on the bike... precisely when the need for kilometres starts ramping up.<br />
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I can take some comfort in a remarkably mild winter enabling me to hold a great deal more condition than in years gone by, and in some really cool little happenings over the past month or so.<br />
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<b>N-Duro 3</b><br />
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The question on my mind in the lead up to the final round of the N-Duro winter series, was not so much how i would place but more whether i'd be back under shelter before the impending southerly storm reached Rotorua. As it was, the front stalled over Wellington, dumping snow on the surrounding hills and chilling the locals, leaving me to enjoy the comparatively dry trail conditions further north.<br />
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Except that there wasn't too much enjoyment to be had! Too much wine and not enough riding in the two weeks leading in to the race left me pretty undercooked, and immediately aware that i was in for a hard day within the first 50 metres of starting.<br />
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To make matters worse Mike Northcott decided to make an appearance and so i found myself chasing him through his second home; the twisty front tracks of the Redwoods. At that point I believed that provided I hung in for the first 20km i'd be able to edge away on the hillier second half of the race.<br />
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But then after gifting Mike a small gap by opting for a dry drivetrain and feet by tiptoing across the creek crossing on Roseneath I found that I was unable to close it. Fast forward 10km and the gap started widening as we climbed from one of the lowest points in the Redwoods to Billy T; one of the highest. By the top I was in an awful state and could only cruise the first half of the descent while attempting to recover.<br />
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I stayed upright though, and after a trip up Moerangi Rd found myself at the head of the downhill run home: Split Enz, Pondy New, Be Rude Not To, Lion Track and Exit. I still wasn't feeling great, and after fluffing my way down Be Rude it was with only a small amount of surprise that I spotted Garth closing in behind me on our way up Lion Trail.<br />
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Fortunately there wasn't enough track left for Garth to get past and I finished a short distance behind Mikey, who had also paid for his strong start and found himself struggling towards the end.<br />
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That concluded the series. With a 1st and two 2nds, I claimed the series, although it would have been a whole lot more satisfying if I had felt like I was improving with each race. But then each event took us deeper and deeper into winter, so I don't feel quite so bad about slowing down a bit.<br />
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<b>Snow</b><br />
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A week later I found myself in another beautiful part of NZ - this time Queenstown and without a bike. Instead I had a weeks skiing and snowboarding with Tamsin and her family to look forward to, and we couldn't have timed it better. The weather was stupendous, with bluebird days the norm, and fresh snow from the previous weeks storm.<br />
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It was my first experience riding down south, and it's going to make returning to Ruapehu pretty tough, with its ice and maddening crowds. In a week I equalled my total days riding over the past two years, and got better every day.<br />
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I even rented ski's for a day as a first step towards getting into a bit of back country touring (it's a long way away). It was fun, but hard on the quads, and after being beaten down a run by a pensioner because i kept stopping to rest I pulled the pin at 3pm before I did something stupid.<br />
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It was a great week though, and I can't wait to return in April for the Hawea Epic, and to finally ride the area in the week after.<br />
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<b>Wgtn 6-Pack</b><br />
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This was a Bushlove initiative to farewell Dave Aldred and Al Crossling who are shifting to Brisbane and Vancouver respectively. The concept was simple: 6 beers. 6 peaks - Crawford, Victoria, Albert, Hawkins, Wrights, and Makara. Lots of guys and gals. Lots of sifting. Some hard riding. Lots of fun.<br />
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LOTS of fun. The weather was great, the trails were good, and the pizza at the top of Wrights Hill was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Despite taking 8hours to ride what I would ordinarily cover in less than 4 I totally enjoyed the day and can't think of a better ride in Wellington that i have ever been on. Thanks to Bushlove for the entertainment. Dave and Al, we'll miss you.Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-81815327297279167442011-07-16T23:16:00.000-07:002011-07-16T23:16:46.216-07:00N-Duro 2Learning on Saturday night that Anton Cooper was racing the second N-Duro got me pretty excited. I think the last time we'd raced against each other was at Karapoti and I was curious to see how I stacked up against him now. I certainly felt stronger, and was on a course that played more to my strengths, but Anton is shortly heading overseas to prepare for the World Champs and could be expected to be strong. <br />
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Yes. I'm gauging myself against a 16 year old. I still can't believe it. <br />
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It was a pretty frosty start out at the Green Lake, although evidently not as cold as Saturday morning which had seen the airport closed until late morning due to ice on the runway. We warmed up pretty quick heading up Moerangi Rd though. I set a pretty ambitious pace and by the top it was only Anton and I. And that's how it stayed for the next 30km. Through Split Enz, Pondy New, Old Chevy, the Chinese Menu, Huckleberry Hound and Corners we were each unable to shake the other, despite a pretty high pace. <br />
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Change came with the recently reformed Be Rude Not To. Melting frost had made the surface extremely greasy and after an awkward off I lost contact with Anton. It wasn't a matter of luck - I was getting tired - and Anton only extended his lead as I tried to chase him up to Dragons Tail, then Yellow Brick Rd, and the final 7lm of gravel back to finish. <br />
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So it wasn't a win, but was a great race. A bit more base and life will only get better.Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-20517490523848057612011-07-13T03:03:00.000-07:002011-07-13T03:09:51.783-07:00Crossed upFirst it was track, then singlespeed, and now its the turn of cyclocross to be the hot variant of this great sport. Knobby tired road bikes have been popping up all round Wellington over the past 6months, encouraged in part by The Bike Hutt's CX series - now in its second year.<br />
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On Sunday I finally managed to make it to a race, and had a hell of a good time. I only had the <a href="http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/tallboy_carbon/">Tallboy</a> to ride and it was totally fine, but those 50min were enough to make me think that an <a href="http://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/hakkalugi/">Ibis Hakkalugi</a> would be a damn fine idea.<br />
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A Grade was 50min plus one lap. Various friends had described a cross race as an hour long mtb start, so thats the intensity i rode at from the gun. Alex Revell hang on for a couple of laps (3min a piece) but just as I was starting to relish a good battle the elastic broke and i went clear. That's when the beauty of cross became apparent; with such a short lap there were always riders ahead to chase and lap.<br />
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I'm now looking forward to the other races in the series. But with 5 of the next 6 weekends already booked to a mix of climbing, snowboarding and mountain biking I won't be there for all remaining.Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-78183965094966340262011-06-14T02:41:00.000-07:002011-07-10T01:29:14.128-07:00Rebuilding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">After an unsatisfying summer where I felt unable to string together a consistent stream of training, I have really enjoyed the past couple of months of 'off-season'. The weather has been absolutely fantastic in Wellington and has added fuel to the hypothesis that autumn may in fact be my favourite season. Typically the weather is settled and i'm able to live off the speed earned through summer and enjoy some great rides. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This year was different in that I finished the season feeling perhaps as weak as I have ever been on the bike. Hence the title of this post. There have been great rides, but it has also been bitter at times. I'm grateful for a couple of great little events along the way that have reminded me of why I love racing. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The <b>Wainui Wurldz</b> was an absolute pleasure and over three particular laps I finally started interacting in the race. One was chasing Alex Revell, and two being chased by Gavin McCarthy. Pushing the pace, calculating comparative strengths and strategising from that; I've been there so many times it should be impossible to forget, but i had. Those laps were a great reminder. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrQ2hPcRQCh0gmzZewGOmS8kAM7_u9BN8BEwKlw9fpyZfQ9Ixe1AnNBokjkoNoplHNenw9VuKO4CLBrT1X17JOllYVc0vwR1t-IDgEB_zoS0SrIWv3TNB1jb6RLmK3pF1VlXAU-FzkHc/s1600/5747801927_0ba3213f3d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrQ2hPcRQCh0gmzZewGOmS8kAM7_u9BN8BEwKlw9fpyZfQ9Ixe1AnNBokjkoNoplHNenw9VuKO4CLBrT1X17JOllYVc0vwR1t-IDgEB_zoS0SrIWv3TNB1jb6RLmK3pF1VlXAU-FzkHc/s320/5747801927_0ba3213f3d_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Jono Baddily</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then the first round of the <b>N-Duro</b>, held this past weekend. Just another totally enjoyable race. I took the lead from the start and was never challenged, to my surprise. Despite the greasy conditions I rode a smooth race and felt linked right in to the Tallboy. It was great to race in Rotorua again and if I can make it up for the other rounds I will. It's all part of the strategy to become more of a year-round cyclist once more. Further wins won't necessarily come easy but that's part of the allure, and now i'm minded to work to position myself to achieve. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-76615359544220429552011-05-03T03:17:00.000-07:002011-05-03T03:17:42.885-07:00West Coast Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I told colleagues at work that Tamsin and I were heading to Westport for Easter I was often met with a questioning look. Those in the know understood though, for within an hour of Westport were a bunch of incredible trails. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Time, health and weather conspired to prevent us from experiencing only a taste of what the West Coast has to offer, but what we did ride I loved and now can't wait to get back for the likes of Croesus, Big River, and - now - the Heaphy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Good Friday - Denniston Plateau & Brittania Track</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRchfI2XhjUI0eHaMrwhoAfFS4NhLvidH0UcVrAxZkMtjrE5W-AClbjGC8pgsnhpWw0M-TF90gc7SlsGLHPptN8YkfRJewkNXQxuuDUW41ekt4njF-0F_do5VL6CRX2e5wOovaxUlGco/s1600/P1020895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRchfI2XhjUI0eHaMrwhoAfFS4NhLvidH0UcVrAxZkMtjrE5W-AClbjGC8pgsnhpWw0M-TF90gc7SlsGLHPptN8YkfRJewkNXQxuuDUW41ekt4njF-0F_do5VL6CRX2e5wOovaxUlGco/s320/P1020895.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b></b>Friday had the best weather forecast and so we were keen to make the most of it. Looking back now, the Denniston Plateau was therefore an odd choice, perhaps better suited for those inclement days where you don't want to be too far from the car in case it does close in. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">DOC are working with local riders to put in a bunch of tracks over the old, worked over, Denniston Plateau where they once extracted tonnes and tonnes of coal. If you rode all that was on offer without stopping it would probably equate to 2-3hrs riding, but if you a visitor it's going to take much longer. Not because the trails are poorly marked (far from it) or anything like that, but because there is so much to explore. Mining detritus is everywhere. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4llyJo7ncgevfy32F4x9bdxOV3Nge67MHi7PHgUfh5TJkk-0DdWyBFbJKKMw2cgmLYvUmsVRm-r2mkg6P9NnsCXchuxAxd4DXHfbzPLs4SAW_FPBj7pvBW96B_rrM5-8Log8cXuq1BU/s1600/P1020914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4llyJo7ncgevfy32F4x9bdxOV3Nge67MHi7PHgUfh5TJkk-0DdWyBFbJKKMw2cgmLYvUmsVRm-r2mkg6P9NnsCXchuxAxd4DXHfbzPLs4SAW_FPBj7pvBW96B_rrM5-8Log8cXuq1BU/s320/P1020914.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The landscape is pretty open and it probably makes up for the 4wd sections of trail - much like Aorere Goldfields I guess. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all, the Plateau is well worth a visit if the weather precludes your first picks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBFM8kXfSEVUWUaYFcPoRsn80bviNeRe4pNr07Yn6jDJDYxn04dQKWV68QHpKMt5vuW6GZCZ_K4pagK4KYvFsT-pLimAfk_HGKoVUv6NvlNBF2yBOuej_AB-IjA6cX-Xq6wT-Jr54048/s1600/P1020890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBFM8kXfSEVUWUaYFcPoRsn80bviNeRe4pNr07Yn6jDJDYxn04dQKWV68QHpKMt5vuW6GZCZ_K4pagK4KYvFsT-pLimAfk_HGKoVUv6NvlNBF2yBOuej_AB-IjA6cX-Xq6wT-Jr54048/s320/P1020890.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWvQRegwBLd_n0zlHevCVRy3y_yWGSzQnZ4n4F-RFXb5bhecI9okFh43-1X90UrbudyVyggP3NDuu5g9zyttSnpy9HL_oYOZDE-Lh-6Q937Tjwk0tLpevE5yBrCP4SEHdaKmhHtJMnoY/s1600/P1020909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWvQRegwBLd_n0zlHevCVRy3y_yWGSzQnZ4n4F-RFXb5bhecI9okFh43-1X90UrbudyVyggP3NDuu5g9zyttSnpy9HL_oYOZDE-Lh-6Q937Tjwk0tLpevE5yBrCP4SEHdaKmhHtJMnoY/s320/P1020909.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the good things about the Denniston Plateau is that the <b>Brittania Track </b>is just down the hill. After getting our fill on relics of the early 20th century coal mining phase, we took a further step back in time and cruised up the old pack track to the Brittania gold mine and stamping battery. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImZlwiuRGCU5lwpPQET8LuUPKT3ZqYNW6SGLCfo4d-vy4raPywUmRoFEx_HdbqBFmoUVK1lL_RInKtLdyVhYiIeWtGzxHi8VZDxkHU78kIRpPYCYV24Hun3TujTVBr1kV7k2EHIHyYzw/s1600/P1020918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImZlwiuRGCU5lwpPQET8LuUPKT3ZqYNW6SGLCfo4d-vy4raPywUmRoFEx_HdbqBFmoUVK1lL_RInKtLdyVhYiIeWtGzxHi8VZDxkHU78kIRpPYCYV24Hun3TujTVBr1kV7k2EHIHyYzw/s320/P1020918.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DDXB3AyFs8bCqFeRdW4UumXh7HDK4b2I0iKM4nscorfFKDz3vcJONE0pMr7HlOwaiYTIOmrk5Pbyk8AMeBeuMdid4SwlIxq5XqNLhFdBuPOleBIwSIriWDgO4OmyQfSIdeaXVAmpREw/s1600/P1020924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DDXB3AyFs8bCqFeRdW4UumXh7HDK4b2I0iKM4nscorfFKDz3vcJONE0pMr7HlOwaiYTIOmrk5Pbyk8AMeBeuMdid4SwlIxq5XqNLhFdBuPOleBIwSIriWDgO4OmyQfSIdeaXVAmpREw/s320/P1020924.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xjUXGQP0KDDnokS44zbfJf7waZ527T99CEAb2zE_Ee-Q12pN89dIeQF9G3MOy1F4QXxEudGXT4EA1DldxbrayytkE3wbjE06R0Kyr8MacLSDqoOnZoAQNxQ3P-wB_vEkDnJaVc9rQk4/s1600/P1020926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xjUXGQP0KDDnokS44zbfJf7waZ527T99CEAb2zE_Ee-Q12pN89dIeQF9G3MOy1F4QXxEudGXT4EA1DldxbrayytkE3wbjE06R0Kyr8MacLSDqoOnZoAQNxQ3P-wB_vEkDnJaVc9rQk4/s320/P1020926.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Brittania is just a classic old trail, which is a hell of a lot of fun on a bike. 6km up, 6km down at a decent gradient on nice benched track in stunning forest. We loved it, even if we were reduced to travelling only 2km an hour for a stretch thanks to a section of roots, fallen trees and eroding trail. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Sunday - Kirwans Track</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday had been forecast to be wet so we spent it road tripping down to Punakaiki, along the way visiting Constance Bay, which at some point in NZ's history was apparently being considered as a suitable place for our capital city. I'm not sure if the decision makers had seen the same coast line as us: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccsvBFMrq73rriy6lHYeLB44V07iVVXuPy3ygcB9XL6R1lgeyZpKyPctul4NOy3O6L91eZmSz2XjKLZE2Gq1YQ7umNGpUPm1Fz0HXLHx5R41jGXxk0U5R77ckXfV2MAOzAu90G3V_9xE/s1600/P1020930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccsvBFMrq73rriy6lHYeLB44V07iVVXuPy3ygcB9XL6R1lgeyZpKyPctul4NOy3O6L91eZmSz2XjKLZE2Gq1YQ7umNGpUPm1Fz0HXLHx5R41jGXxk0U5R77ckXfV2MAOzAu90G3V_9xE/s320/P1020930.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sunday saw us heading inland, first up the Buller Gorge and then in towards Reefton to Kirwans Track. This trail was the highlight of my trip. It's so beautiful, like a longer version of Tree Trunk Gorge, but with more technicality and, unfortunately, more rain and mosquito's. </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw0dqRPY7-DTp4TFJOZGyR_BcCPlKuXT5bar_ckEvwuuwh1oSCzkrYEbJJyHJS0MXtTFIf4mt0opBRvKKQAmXuh36_zmGNdxkkTBL65Xk11pDjugNjqjvNn1mltLZSmB9DAm7SPsa90k/s1600/P1020978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw0dqRPY7-DTp4TFJOZGyR_BcCPlKuXT5bar_ckEvwuuwh1oSCzkrYEbJJyHJS0MXtTFIf4mt0opBRvKKQAmXuh36_zmGNdxkkTBL65Xk11pDjugNjqjvNn1mltLZSmB9DAm7SPsa90k/s320/P1020978.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While we didn't make it to the hut, we probably weren't too far off, and from the turnaround enjoyed a fantastic descent back to the car. The Tallboy absolutely rocked. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="266" id="BLOG_video-FAILED-0" class="BLOG_video_class" contentid="FAILED" width="320"></object><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw1VchpScUpB5Gd9WwSMULJb8DqdK-MhBLhx6O7EhTQj3xQVuR6h0ELs1CjA4o-n1poCBxwuzeHyddVyxurUA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5gOHvMZt8789-_4ZwEVG7_KPMOTYHNwaHhCclIWJfIVmmniy3VM-U2wQuZAUoyUNSOKH2uxGKx0V8rlcmC4W1CbFczGASfj8-wpwBEQJ9GYp6oH6j3BI_Uj3XJxNdMPfExZdfmaUJKM/s1600/P1020983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5gOHvMZt8789-_4ZwEVG7_KPMOTYHNwaHhCclIWJfIVmmniy3VM-U2wQuZAUoyUNSOKH2uxGKx0V8rlcmC4W1CbFczGASfj8-wpwBEQJ9GYp6oH6j3BI_Uj3XJxNdMPfExZdfmaUJKM/s320/P1020983.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Special mention should probably be made of the swing bridge that needs to be negotiated early on in the ride. It's probably the loosest wire bridge i've ever been on making for interesting, and slow, crossings. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDTGqTaiq16grQubjVVoSSsVF0Ytg67Xlw6JQT-snEGpQJgvUl1G4cz0s0SMPO0f8CndvkhwhQw9qChLTmz6h5TSr28vMtTH_KQudcFNwDgmNjg9cNfXeS-JeXEg4J1LwViHfoMSUk_4/s1600/P1020984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDTGqTaiq16grQubjVVoSSsVF0Ytg67Xlw6JQT-snEGpQJgvUl1G4cz0s0SMPO0f8CndvkhwhQw9qChLTmz6h5TSr28vMtTH_KQudcFNwDgmNjg9cNfXeS-JeXEg4J1LwViHfoMSUk_4/s320/P1020984.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And that was the extent of our riding. On Monday we paid a visit to Charming Creek and ran the trail. It would be a great ride, but for being closed to Mountain Bikers over Easter. Like Denniston and Brittania it was full of mining heritage and beautiful country. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So that was Easter. I'm looking forward to the next one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-567211776722042402011-03-31T01:24:00.000-07:002011-03-31T01:24:28.096-07:00Karapoti<i>So this has got behind again. Rather than dump a bunch of races all in one hit i'll aim to drip feed them out over the next few days. </i><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Karapoti 2011 </b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
Jeez it would have been nice to win this again, but I just couldn't replicate my performance last year and was ultimately beaten by three guys who deserved to be ahead. You'll be able to read more about my race in the next edition of <a href="http://www.spokemagazine.com/">Spoke</a> but here are a few further thoughts:<br />
<br />
1. Does Michael Jacques need to shift the date? The weekend prior: great. The weekend after: great. <b>The</b> weekend: wet! Guess it keeps the mechanics in work, but i'd love to wake up to clear skies <i>one </i>day.<br />
<br />
2. That said, the Tallboy performed faultlessly, thanks to Oli. I'm still not totally sold on the big wheels, but definitely appreciated the extra climbing traction and descending stability they provided.<br />
<br />
3. I was bloody impressed by the integrity and ethics of Dirk and Anton when after Stu and I had a small tangle up one of the climbs causing him to go down they sat up and eased off the pressure for him to get back on. Not every racer would do that and it shows maturity.<br />
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4. Who wants to create a pool speculating at what point in the ten second countdown the first rider will go, dragging the rest of us with him? 5sec, 8sec?Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-39354175797037640542011-02-20T00:20:00.000-08:002011-02-20T00:20:05.985-08:00Coppermine 11<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The Santa Cruz Coppermine Epic was by far my favourite race last year, and since then I had been looking forward to returning to try to improve on my second place. Standing in my way would be the hot local favourite, George Bennett, in his last domestic race before joining his Livestrong road team in the States, last years winner Robin Reid, and a host of others including Richard Ussher, Ed Crossling and Alex Revell. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The start was typically frenetic as everyone jostled for position going into the Maitai Valley Walkway. I miscued the start but thanks to a tight inside line was tucked behind Robin and George by the time we hit the singletrack running upstream. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Those first few km’s saw a variety of leaders as guys tried their hand at setting the pace before the start of the ten or so kilometres of climbing that would take us close to 900m asl. At that point I rolled to the front, but it was only a matter of time before George launched a vicious attack in the pinch up to Tangatree Saddle, taking only a visiting Swiss guy with him. Mindful of how strong George is, and knowing what lay ahead I made no effort to follow and instead maintained my close-to-threshold effort. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">George extended his lead along the long traverse up the Dun Mountain Walkway until he was eventually out of sight. Swiss had dropped off and sat a hundred or so metres ahead of me, like a lure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone sat just behind me, but made no attempt to come around. In comparison to last year, when I felt totally stressed trying to limit Robin’s lead, I felt particularly comfortable and in control. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That opportunity to stay within myself paid off when we turned off the walkway and onto the steep 3km rocky 4wd up to Fringe Hill. Clicking into granny gear, I set about winding in Swiss, aided by the outstanding traction of the Tallboy’s big wheels and my new Maxxis Ikon tires. Whoever had shadowed me up the walkway was long gone and I went past Swiss about a km up the track, who was making tough work of the gradient. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I made good time up to Fringe Hill and while it felt far easier that last year, it was still a relief to hear the welcoming beats of Shapeshifter Dutchies and make out the silhouette of Chris Burr, resplendent in his beige suit, holding a cold beer for me. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdMyR0XMgSWE6qXEhI-xUugZ-Kf4UUaCUTlLvO2IMUL7Qs-M8n_X6s0JX74JOO74jiNwD32-73g21l4m1fA1MIATajta55NcLzwTTMr8Fom1lKWWRD5pY_Fpr44kv8daT56Id2tTQHKY/s1600/P1020742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdMyR0XMgSWE6qXEhI-xUugZ-Kf4UUaCUTlLvO2IMUL7Qs-M8n_X6s0JX74JOO74jiNwD32-73g21l4m1fA1MIATajta55NcLzwTTMr8Fom1lKWWRD5pY_Fpr44kv8daT56Id2tTQHKY/s320/P1020742.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>The view from Fringe Hill</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BDB2ALUsvRjaTfT9LxMJK4xTSJeseMhXhxikARggv72Y-TXi2Vumi4WQayprc5k7vCa_2W9dnhv_dfnRfsOzkai9xp_NOGNG2_jxRxNSPpnzDGVZioq1eghAqSCjzuVDMpzqx0XynHE/s1600/P1020743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BDB2ALUsvRjaTfT9LxMJK4xTSJeseMhXhxikARggv72Y-TXi2Vumi4WQayprc5k7vCa_2W9dnhv_dfnRfsOzkai9xp_NOGNG2_jxRxNSPpnzDGVZioq1eghAqSCjzuVDMpzqx0XynHE/s320/P1020743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The beer was cooling, mainly because half of it went down my front, and put me in a good mood going into my favourite part of the course – Black Diamond Ridge. This is 2km of rooty tramping track, with a long bike carry in the middle, but with beautiful technical beech singletrack on either side. I really love that riding, even if I’m not the quickest through it. My pre-ride with Richard was certainly of assistance though as I knew what was worth trying to ride and what should just be ran. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_3U8clvAutryG5moBQ9nqTjabb9LOKYeN9AhrI0u9Vb33eFRn7Seg63zLFg94ioC3u5ZCXa19cMGLEDbYDm2ZxQlIxCKN5L8EqYFcPBq8IdGyFxgY8sgwiNrXrMt2BpDq1m-j4Kni1w/s1600/P1020744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_3U8clvAutryG5moBQ9nqTjabb9LOKYeN9AhrI0u9Vb33eFRn7Seg63zLFg94ioC3u5ZCXa19cMGLEDbYDm2ZxQlIxCKN5L8EqYFcPBq8IdGyFxgY8sgwiNrXrMt2BpDq1m-j4Kni1w/s320/P1020744.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Black Diamond Ridge, during the pre-ride</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjsiRnk1qfPwGVlz_DlnANAC0VP_U13JfBKRetizrJmAIiRxEkPmXd1RgIZvOc5bqXutZMn40n66H52KnqrUQ6iLz9EIgMvcoAz8cI-FRVcKFv19x5iadLqIABmBvLCFwvb-oelhd53Q/s1600/P1020745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjsiRnk1qfPwGVlz_DlnANAC0VP_U13JfBKRetizrJmAIiRxEkPmXd1RgIZvOc5bqXutZMn40n66H52KnqrUQ6iLz9EIgMvcoAz8cI-FRVcKFv19x5iadLqIABmBvLCFwvb-oelhd53Q/s320/P1020745.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">I got through the ridge all to quickly and popped back out onto the tramway for a gently rising 5km up to Coppermine Saddle, and the halfway point of the course. George wasn’t to be seen ahead and I never spotted anyone behind, despite repeatedly thinking that I could hear a bike in the distance. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuaq6IEyLzp9GUWC6tl593FEmI73wpZKwr6mHRwfPeG0FphzE3xLvYSKqkfM2lLHl3sLSHISkUkbGUEb2qij-FwWzbFWx93hf9Bk9DJmzIGCn2BavsM3mQaxDpKH727baOdlVn_CguY0/s1600/P1020746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuaq6IEyLzp9GUWC6tl593FEmI73wpZKwr6mHRwfPeG0FphzE3xLvYSKqkfM2lLHl3sLSHISkUkbGUEb2qij-FwWzbFWx93hf9Bk9DJmzIGCn2BavsM3mQaxDpKH727baOdlVn_CguY0/s320/P1020746.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking back towards Windy Point from around Coppermine Saddle</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">At Coppermine Saddle I was told that I was some 3 and a half minutes down on George. I thought that maybe I could bring that back, but not at the rate at which I rode the upper sections of Boulder Valley. A lack of focus and too much conservatism saw me fluff repeated corners and it was with some shock that I definitely heard a bike behind, rapidly approaching. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzFn34zI-98nSGXTLHbMK_BQj9hRGGWElVazdgKPhAAEeBzCY3AjRZH7Hl5zn44b76mkrk-JJppAzRegef_J2nt0QVZc3tZGlJXfuGKrtUb4N887OyK4-oO-TPQqj7s6vvCe0vKnlBn8/s1600/P1020749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzFn34zI-98nSGXTLHbMK_BQj9hRGGWElVazdgKPhAAEeBzCY3AjRZH7Hl5zn44b76mkrk-JJppAzRegef_J2nt0QVZc3tZGlJXfuGKrtUb4N887OyK4-oO-TPQqj7s6vvCe0vKnlBn8/s320/P1020749.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>A smooth section of the descent</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">It was Swiss, putting me to shame on his hardtail, and who quickly came past. I don’t know whether he then scaled back his effort, or whether I upped my speed, but I was able to hold onto him from that point. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Boulder Valley is a long and quite rough descent, and my hands started to feel the strain. In fact, the rock garden sections came to be quite welcome as I could let off the brakes and just rely on the roughness of the trail surface to keep my speed in check while my fingers got a semi-rest. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Disaster struck for Swiss about two thirds of the way down when he punctured, a common ailment for many in the race. All I saw was him pulling over and reaching into his back pocket before I went past so at the time could only guess what happened. At worst (for me) he was stopping for something quick and would be right on my tail again unless I pushed it, so that provided extra motivation to hit the lower slope despite my aching hands. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The trail re-enters bush at the end and thereafter is the nicest part of the downhill. It gets smooth, straight and fast – heaven on the body and bike after the preceeding 7km. It was over all too quickly, and I shortly found myself on Maitai Valley Road, facing a final 6km of gravel road, and then 2km of singletrack back to the finish. Nothing particularly interesting happened through here, with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>noone ahead or behind, and all I could do was ride as hard as I could. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was a shock to pop out onto the event village and see George 100m ahead, rounding the final corner to win the race. So much so that I forgot about watching the trail and nearly rode into the marker rope! I couldn’t understand how he’d stayed out of sight, being only slightly ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all became clear when after the race when I learned that he’d dropped his chain at the spot I’d nearly crashed, and spent some time getting it back on, all the while expecting me to zoom past. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once again finishing second, is not quite what I hoped to do, but the desire to win will help bring me back to Nelson again next year. As if I needed any extra motivation. The Coppermine is just the coolest race out, and capped off a most excellent weekend in Nelson. Plus it is, I think, rather useful training for Karapoti… </div><!--EndFragment-->Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-20848360157181751072011-02-17T12:13:00.000-08:002011-02-17T12:13:46.061-08:00Racing, finallyJeez, these posts are few and far between. Not for a lack of news, but more a lack of time (and internet connection for that matter). I've got all three now, so here's a summary of what's been up.<br />
<br />
The <b>Kinloch Triathlon </b>has for the past few years been the first race of my summer season, and so it was this year. I haven't done much tri training this summer and didn't really expect to replicate or better my third place result in the Erin Baker race last year. On race day expectations mirrored reality and i finished 7th, over 15min down on Kieran Doe, who really blazed the course.<br />
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It wasn't too bad though. I was off the pace on the swim, but pulled back quite a few guys on the excellent cycle course. And then I ran pretty well, for me, doing 40min for the 10km. Kinloch turned on yet another great day for racing, and the local crowds were as supportive as ever. It's one of my favourite races, and i'm already looking forward to next year.<br />
<br />
Then last weekend I competed in the <b>Nelson round of the NZMTB Series</b>. It wasn't pretty. The Nelson crew had put together a really great course, but i just didn't have the legs to feature in the race. From my pre-ride I figured that I could hold 17min 30 laps through the race, and when we did the first in 16 flat (with Dirk and co already thirty sec up the road) I realised i needed to scale back my effort so as not to die. The race was thereafter a bit grim, as a steady stream of guys came past, and it wasn't until the final two laps that I started to feel reasonable. It's all good training though and, somewhat embarrasingly, I got $60 for my 13th place effort!<br />
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We've been on holiday since then, exploring the sites and trails of the Nelson / Golden Bays area, and have just had the best week. On Monday we knocked off the Rameka Trail, Tues the Aorere Goldfields, Wed Peaking Ridge where Mike once again reaffirmed the logicality of a Nomad or Mojo HD, and then yesterday Richard and I rode a lap of the Coppermine, in anticipation of the race this weekend. The course is riding mint and i can't wait for another crack at the race that i enjoyed most of all last year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLUu6xDQg7cVXWVW0eXQ9qZ_3YOMztSIAuBOgqnQpfP6LJAXXUR1MLStQED7jVvAiiN6ex9AFZ0XWt0ipe0Pm9PC8XQ1pCRx6mQi-jUeQvDblb615bVzI4qaCRdHTd-g_9I8QzaW4Tf8/s1600/P1020643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLUu6xDQg7cVXWVW0eXQ9qZ_3YOMztSIAuBOgqnQpfP6LJAXXUR1MLStQED7jVvAiiN6ex9AFZ0XWt0ipe0Pm9PC8XQ1pCRx6mQi-jUeQvDblb615bVzI4qaCRdHTd-g_9I8QzaW4Tf8/s320/P1020643.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Riding through Canaan Downs, at the start of the Rameka</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimndynFE9SPr8lE4SNtYFNs53yNYiGiXHJTaFbgBwwLwydKcsNXXDcUWBr2-jTsgeZ1R1jb2whP1by0eXS7IzEik_owf4udEDx0geIMyrgSmignwGD0McJn3Fk634hMwHwdOc1jgZt2iI/s1600/P1020649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimndynFE9SPr8lE4SNtYFNs53yNYiGiXHJTaFbgBwwLwydKcsNXXDcUWBr2-jTsgeZ1R1jb2whP1by0eXS7IzEik_owf4udEDx0geIMyrgSmignwGD0McJn3Fk634hMwHwdOc1jgZt2iI/s320/P1020649.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>We figured it was worth the bike push / carry to check out Harwoods Hole...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>... And it didn't disappoint. Would love to return with a rack and a long rope one day. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Back at the top of Takaka Hill, having ridden the Rameka Track, the outstanding Project Rameka Trails and Golden Bay Mtb Club tracks, and then back up the road. Great day.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Checking out the caves as part of the Aorere Goldfields ride.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Rolling with the Aorere Goldfields, Druggans Dam, and Golden Bay.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEx5wCrJuuL4QiY_sUf0kb6cxFhhSeBn-Pl9c23PPskQdwhyphenhyphenJKEY3FHwhu8K_67SGduXTWocj76b7LnBHsXcXxBO0S6sG90BHszUfFd1nsns7iEqz2ZKFComr7Osf5lY9f4kB__PYaMr4/s1600/P1020693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEx5wCrJuuL4QiY_sUf0kb6cxFhhSeBn-Pl9c23PPskQdwhyphenhyphenJKEY3FHwhu8K_67SGduXTWocj76b7LnBHsXcXxBO0S6sG90BHszUfFd1nsns7iEqz2ZKFComr7Osf5lY9f4kB__PYaMr4/s320/P1020693.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We also got in a spot of paddling, and a slightly less than comfortable night at the aptly named Taupo Bay.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZp6bg_m5hNXDNEcKLxB-HAuQfCj9Sy1e-EA3zZPwtaeBXdszQ4bECS0eYq0qbFHENKgm1DuyJbt-GS5YELnIdouR1fjB8QHORrO0cSBzmefb9zRUDEoAc1bsCqmGnTz_yNpVpVDBczaQ/s1600/P1020733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZp6bg_m5hNXDNEcKLxB-HAuQfCj9Sy1e-EA3zZPwtaeBXdszQ4bECS0eYq0qbFHENKgm1DuyJbt-GS5YELnIdouR1fjB8QHORrO0cSBzmefb9zRUDEoAc1bsCqmGnTz_yNpVpVDBczaQ/s320/P1020733.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div>So it has been a cracker of a week. There are still three days of holiday remaining before returning to the mundanity of Wellington and work so i'm off to make the most of it.<br />
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CiaowTim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-72890556241994425742011-01-20T01:27:00.000-08:002011-01-20T01:27:00.684-08:00ITubeSo I meant to post prior to Christmas, just with a quick update of what had been going on - having fun hitting the Underground Super D (Tallboy 4 Red Rocks 4 Eva) and Makara Peak Grand Loop Challenge - that sort of thing. But the pre-christmas madness got in my way and it didn't happen. Was glad to forego it though in favour of an awesome evening out at Fidels with the ace-est mechanic, sales rep, design lecturer, computer nerd and girlfriend in the World.<br />
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So I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. My break was pretty good, with plenty of time by, on, and in various lakes;<br />
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in the garage <b>slowly</b> progressing the boat;<br />
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and out on the bikes, although probably not quite as much as i would have liked.<br />
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Recognise these locations? Then your one of the lucky ones who have pieced together this wicked ride.<br />
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I had planned for the Napier round of the National Mtb Series to be my first of summer, but revised that when the flat hunting was going badly. Fortunately we struck gold a short while later and will be shortly moving into a sweet new pad that even has a garage (dream come true!). So I had a spare weekend on my hands.<br />
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The plan was to take advantage of that to get some quality training in, but to first fit in a tubing mission with some good friends. So, inspired by Jonathan Kennets Tararua Guide Book, four of us set off from the Holdsworth Lodge Carpark at 8am on Sat morning with wetsuits, lifejackets and tire tubes in our packs, destined for the upper Waiohine River.<br />
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It was a big day. Starting with a 5hr hike / run up over Mt Holdsworth and down to the Waiohine. That would be a pretty good day in itself, but represented less than half of ours.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOUWecAOSvLIt9m9L7luVOOpOMnLrF8H1MYl38k2L7forlMBPw_sDoZWi-cYZIZDfwYEiuFzwEhjIVGfmKeWAuFy4hje_f9kw7gLVbsPde9cC2Sum2V5q2UvowjIt_b0fSwVLbw5pbBA/s1600/P1020618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOUWecAOSvLIt9m9L7luVOOpOMnLrF8H1MYl38k2L7forlMBPw_sDoZWi-cYZIZDfwYEiuFzwEhjIVGfmKeWAuFy4hje_f9kw7gLVbsPde9cC2Sum2V5q2UvowjIt_b0fSwVLbw5pbBA/s320/P1020618.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6t0S_kF1279Z2cW14J1yjzJoopJ0ASvhAYVjWjpAA9gDAjOtjwk0xCXSa-H3mm8GKrNf8Cs0ZTzCmQKagA-58V8fqV8emUmQ-bff9Uj4Oldch_YN-KHGvsA-WWytbbfmauayVFH_7KeQ/s1600/P1020621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6t0S_kF1279Z2cW14J1yjzJoopJ0ASvhAYVjWjpAA9gDAjOtjwk0xCXSa-H3mm8GKrNf8Cs0ZTzCmQKagA-58V8fqV8emUmQ-bff9Uj4Oldch_YN-KHGvsA-WWytbbfmauayVFH_7KeQ/s320/P1020621.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>There's our valley!</i></div><br />
Next up was the 10km tubing section. The river was running a bit low so we tended to get banged around by the rocks, and by passed quite a few rapids, but it was warm and we made pretty good time. If 5hrs of constant paddling, jumping, standing, and balancing is good time. Fair to say, as awesome fun as the tubing is, we were pretty pleased to spot the Totara Flats swing bridge denoting our get out point.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1fW1pfqmns5WgiKlYMSB5JAaSXY2pnHjo46UPzwRdfO-XoRg1OPMHIV-8wMtqcUXN_MH6ohmvVgMHHWrO7aNkzU7rYKUK_hRCHtM6mVnisMuvul9RURqWNaqNoHdd7pGJl3S6b-Aheg/s1600/P1020626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1fW1pfqmns5WgiKlYMSB5JAaSXY2pnHjo46UPzwRdfO-XoRg1OPMHIV-8wMtqcUXN_MH6ohmvVgMHHWrO7aNkzU7rYKUK_hRCHtM6mVnisMuvul9RURqWNaqNoHdd7pGJl3S6b-Aheg/s320/P1020626.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Early exuberance</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LoMFiAd6MqMvQ2NM0ONjN-gE1YIdrlgou1qGsY4-_T0mpsmebH9_tQXO_s05hhvgsAX3ZaU06bSKrGwe86rGFywTA8vzHCwgDB99CR6dr4lmhp2r5ykEEgvjZ7x7GoSevHp9z6jwTXk/s1600/P1020628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LoMFiAd6MqMvQ2NM0ONjN-gE1YIdrlgou1qGsY4-_T0mpsmebH9_tQXO_s05hhvgsAX3ZaU06bSKrGwe86rGFywTA8vzHCwgDB99CR6dr4lmhp2r5ykEEgvjZ7x7GoSevHp9z6jwTXk/s320/P1020628.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1u-M2ixxiMZ_aAwuwCoT_585M-BakSbJEomWX-kcCFQ1ID7heCRElNX7Zd_tXII3K_JJ2vCufIz2UKyiPSJLIupoGBeKavOZYqWLssbtLDsoaBzfyYjZYUx9q_6TfGwMu-SWzR3Uje8/s1600/P1020631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1u-M2ixxiMZ_aAwuwCoT_585M-BakSbJEomWX-kcCFQ1ID7heCRElNX7Zd_tXII3K_JJ2vCufIz2UKyiPSJLIupoGBeKavOZYqWLssbtLDsoaBzfyYjZYUx9q_6TfGwMu-SWzR3Uje8/s320/P1020631.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Spot the tuber</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_0S0F8Y2TJQRb1XkmVCVZKtP0rC4W9eqSXWzd7Rq6thj-gMY8B3UN7yfQfWeo7qccjZiruIfTIBY8Aje4xVqQ1y_NrodPavow2W2yglRzcGL7AVpPKWcHHj7cC2FWfkMtWPaOkP7Yb0/s1600/P1020634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_0S0F8Y2TJQRb1XkmVCVZKtP0rC4W9eqSXWzd7Rq6thj-gMY8B3UN7yfQfWeo7qccjZiruIfTIBY8Aje4xVqQ1y_NrodPavow2W2yglRzcGL7AVpPKWcHHj7cC2FWfkMtWPaOkP7Yb0/s320/P1020634.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmn0lWkY5NO0bfWgimNnIrevn9xZ0MpylH7on1SAkOJnm60atL2zNc7nYDXgEyuMikHN8LkFY_lpo7wKE5lsOynD5UTUxl6z_RP0hgMYX9UkJkvpHPjQIkxtDZsdMbIW6aoLwIRboYok/s1600/P1020635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmn0lWkY5NO0bfWgimNnIrevn9xZ0MpylH7on1SAkOJnm60atL2zNc7nYDXgEyuMikHN8LkFY_lpo7wKE5lsOynD5UTUxl6z_RP0hgMYX9UkJkvpHPjQIkxtDZsdMbIW6aoLwIRboYok/s320/P1020635.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>2hours in, thinking we're nearly half way</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUZSU0LkNhdAyqx9efsEQYcS_74mgj2jdSULMXNqyfeLzJVR8Sj6Q1WdcjdrQAKz_Mei4OjHblgxXlpKwCtwPfwntDyoKu7WoJ5Aj_Ay6gQE8loIJ2nxRRMThr6rnQP5NuJTrFJM48OA/s1600/P1020637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUZSU0LkNhdAyqx9efsEQYcS_74mgj2jdSULMXNqyfeLzJVR8Sj6Q1WdcjdrQAKz_Mei4OjHblgxXlpKwCtwPfwntDyoKu7WoJ5Aj_Ay6gQE8loIJ2nxRRMThr6rnQP5NuJTrFJM48OA/s320/P1020637.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Last leg - Bridge is in sight!</i></div><br />
The final 10km tramp back to the car should have been quite pleasant. The anxiety associated with getting through the river was gone, and the trip was nearly complete. But we were also 10hrs in and energy levels were low. So it was a bit of a drag. The thought of ice cream and L&P at Carterton got me up the Totara Creek Track, and the prospect of dumping my water logged back and contents got me down the Mt Holdsworth Track. We ran that 5km because, well, it was downhill. It obliterated my quads though and it was only on Wednesday that i was able to get down stairs without needing a banister for support.<br />
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So it was a 12hr trip all up which left me a wreck on Sunday. And Monday. And Tuesday. So much for the good training i was going to do. It's ok though - this weekend is a long one and I'll be in Kuratau. The road bike is coming up with me and I think Iwikau Village beckons....<br />
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CheersTim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-69503706395398496432010-11-28T22:14:00.000-08:002010-11-28T22:16:41.848-08:00Huka. XL RadnessEver wondered what it looks like to see the win disappear in the last metres of a race while in a sea of cramp? It's something like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIcWftnYI_jEIHTuAGDHjHgzcVOLEpEmmoyi7zAHzo_LKtHGLFa0XC3BKc6hoGqSuo2HbKZtACSUBeemaS1LiZckSg5ULiPMrCP-dM5PHoYe_3OShkP1WOKfSIHBoHmlcr26tDGaxlbg/s1600/P1020276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIcWftnYI_jEIHTuAGDHjHgzcVOLEpEmmoyi7zAHzo_LKtHGLFa0XC3BKc6hoGqSuo2HbKZtACSUBeemaS1LiZckSg5ULiPMrCP-dM5PHoYe_3OShkP1WOKfSIHBoHmlcr26tDGaxlbg/s320/P1020276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'm stoked though. For Mikey, who finally got his win, and for myself. I had real doubts about my form going into the race and would have been happy with a top 5 placing. So to take second and have been in a position to win was hugely satisfying.<br />
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Saturday was a relief of sorts too for it proved that the Tallboy is definitely race capable. I knew it was fun. Now I know that it can foot it with the countries elite. Actually, i'd go so far as to say that it carried me on Saturday. On a course like the Huka, the Tallboy represents a potent advantage. I was with Mike and Dirk Peters for much of the race and it seemed to me that my bike was much faster through all of the flat stuff, and maybe even on the descents.<br />
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I'm not saying that i'm sold on 29ers yet. They definitely suit a place like Taupo. Time will tell if they suit other locales but I have a suspicion that summer is going to be wicked if I keep upgrading my engine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTD5XA9Pv8OlUKYEwUzqVYt3iyqC550US4e_FHd9SuNL6Z2Lh0h1syxABj2nViWneO5oBDC-mwX-BZ8mxxE1PV3JiY2VKP9EbjjglWQD3YZ05K-yVOIl-tDhBW4CZG9dcU9dFQKnMjGA/s1600/P1020275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTD5XA9Pv8OlUKYEwUzqVYt3iyqC550US4e_FHd9SuNL6Z2Lh0h1syxABj2nViWneO5oBDC-mwX-BZ8mxxE1PV3JiY2VKP9EbjjglWQD3YZ05K-yVOIl-tDhBW4CZG9dcU9dFQKnMjGA/s320/P1020275.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
You might have to buy the next edition of Spoke to hear how the race went down. A huge thanks to Oli for making time in one of the busiest weeks of his year to ensure the bike was really humming.<br />
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Thanks also to my sisters for not doing the road ride this year. It was great not having to service your neglected bikes the night before the race.<br />
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Taupo turned on an outstanding weekend, which faciliated plenty of this:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLj6G4nXpjVoQojibUr3KPsT4IJoMkhikmUEyDvu7KZlKlUSje6Mr-aL7fyc4CvY2G5WuXBq3rHduoMNKNLCwug8E0WRqUgiNlpBIuVYPFd2QI4oLJi2flhAIZCATPI6vApb0kPS-J9M/s1600/P1020297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLj6G4nXpjVoQojibUr3KPsT4IJoMkhikmUEyDvu7KZlKlUSje6Mr-aL7fyc4CvY2G5WuXBq3rHduoMNKNLCwug8E0WRqUgiNlpBIuVYPFd2QI4oLJi2flhAIZCATPI6vApb0kPS-J9M/s320/P1020297.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And this. The way we're going, we may have a boat ready for sea trials at the end of the Christmas break. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUN2l778H4CRkQa8VO_6CzOyc4_9SYJXADbsYmrlNPJ29qRSoRcNC1GaAUmAykEcWq1EM8tZ-w1saXGRItf0UVhtIhJMNqSDzPGyk6rM-0Ut54PfIkhDl9fUThVE1of8OHN_X1NM7h7Q/s1600/P1020308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUN2l778H4CRkQa8VO_6CzOyc4_9SYJXADbsYmrlNPJ29qRSoRcNC1GaAUmAykEcWq1EM8tZ-w1saXGRItf0UVhtIhJMNqSDzPGyk6rM-0Ut54PfIkhDl9fUThVE1of8OHN_X1NM7h7Q/s320/P1020308.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-85340243518254914042010-11-23T00:23:00.000-08:002010-11-23T00:23:59.457-08:00Going big<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ok, i'm just going to get this out there. I've got a new bike - a Santa Cruz Tallboy. Yes, it looks like a Blur, but one made for big wheels. Those big (Oli-built) wheels are pretty cool. They roll over things with speed, have heaps of grip, and when coupled with the suspension make the bike feel pretty amazing on the downhills. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivORr1Gk3EcGaoLCcbD0xjWKrlhnzoKv0f_jpvPqQf_xpggWVYmAMtn4hIvep81SiwmcVVMWidPC3pKmhhl9jslKNWFpJWDP4YRoTEbAaQBsD-lWPrBrkW44JiyYz_fEFfhjmV-_oTJaQ/s1600/P1020250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivORr1Gk3EcGaoLCcbD0xjWKrlhnzoKv0f_jpvPqQf_xpggWVYmAMtn4hIvep81SiwmcVVMWidPC3pKmhhl9jslKNWFpJWDP4YRoTEbAaQBsD-lWPrBrkW44JiyYz_fEFfhjmV-_oTJaQ/s320/P1020250.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I really need to spend more time on the bike before I provide any real analysis of its ride. Its safe to say right now that it's a very fun bike. Did I mention that it rocks the descents? Despite scaling up the wheels I seem to be riding roughly the same gears everywhere so I guess it must be reasonably quick.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Those gears are new XTR and it's good stuff. As you would expect out of the box. I spec Shimano not for it's performance out of the box though, but 9 or 10months down the track, in the middle of some mud bog in the middle of nowhere. I have every confidence that this new generation of XTR will perform as well as the old stuff, if not better, but i'll let you know exactly what it's like when that time comes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3ke9yKFyvRK_jMJXd0m1iVC69Crx-vyk8AiJpySJ_u1Hjd5HRGVqMsAULmTZDwJjN2dePAWPVRUAcTL2BLEGRbYYI509i0B7xjYaQ8fVuc9Mtrj3WvngargEO5YXP8H1C8K2vrbYUlQ/s1600/P1020251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3ke9yKFyvRK_jMJXd0m1iVC69Crx-vyk8AiJpySJ_u1Hjd5HRGVqMsAULmTZDwJjN2dePAWPVRUAcTL2BLEGRbYYI509i0B7xjYaQ8fVuc9Mtrj3WvngargEO5YXP8H1C8K2vrbYUlQ/s320/P1020251.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The brakes are off the hook though! Same great modulation, more power, and a new lever design that I just love.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oli built both the bike and the wheels and did an exemplary job with both. The wheels are a bit burlier than I have specced in the past, but I was pretty keen to maintain a stiff wheelset and my feeling is that we've struck the right balance. The wheels roll well and corner with no discernible flex. </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yeah, ok, cool. More words on this to come. </div>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-20357159754001900942010-11-03T02:15:00.000-07:002010-11-03T02:15:52.270-07:00Single Speed World Champs, 2010I'm sure you've read plenty about the Single Speed World Champs now (especially as it's some 10days after the event) , so i'll keep my take on the race brief.<br />
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In a sentence, it was a brilliant weekend of bikes, friends and great weather with a bit of racing thrown in. I tend to agree with Sifter that the emphasis on beer got a bit overbearing and juvenile but looking beyond that the Rotorua Single Speed Society put on a pretty awesome event. It's been a while since I turned up to an event in NZ as good natured and well supported as this.<br />
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I was back on the bike I used to win the NZ Champs last year; my fantastic Ibis Tranny. I'm the type of guy that prefers suspension, even when racing, but I particularly enjoy racing (and riding for that matter) the Ibis in a single speed configuration. It is just a fantastic handling, super fun frame that has the added bonus of being rather light and stiff.<br />
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The lightness of my bike offset the penalties of my worlds costume. It seemed only natural to turn up as a legit T-Rex so a month out I started dusting off my paper mache skills and knocking together what the internet told me a T-Rex head looked like.<br />
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It turned out to be rather large and rather cool, if I do say so my self. There were a few design flaws that became apparent during the race so maybe I should have done some testing. I wasn't quite ready for the looks i'd undoubtedly get from other trail users if I happened to randomly pass them by though so the head was confined to race day only.<br />
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Thanks to mum for busting out the Bernina and knocking out a pretty sweet body to go with the head. You may have already seen images, but my favourite can be found <a href="http://www.spokemagazine.com/2010/10/one-gear-a-little-bit-of-an-idea/">here</a>.<br />
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Anyway, about the race. My start was pretty average, being roughly opposite the gate out of the start corral when the hooter sounded. There was nothing for it but to try and work my way through the field, first on the field, and then up the evil climb. T-Rex's reduced peripheral vision was a slight impediment here!<br />
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By the time we hit A Trail, roughly a third of the way through the lap, I was nearing the sharp end of the field. From there it was just a case of riding as best I could and trying to hold the slightly too large gear I was running for my early-season legs.<br />
<br />
A downside of T-Rex is that his lower jaw prevented drinking. That made the beer stops all the more important as they were my only opportunities to take on fluid. That said fluid was a diuretic probably wasn't ideal. Another problem was that his massive teeth used to eat raptors and humans would tend to tip forward during descents, obscuring my view a bit. It made things interesting.<br />
<br />
I got through lap 1 ok, and as I entered Waipa carpark some naked rocker boosted out, already part way into his second lap. It took me a moment to work out that familiar face and scrawny body belonged to Cabin. Dam - he was way ahead of me and must have been since the start, as i'd never seen him.<br />
<br />
Other guys had worse starts than I though. On my way to A Trail one of those Avatar things cruised past, having taken on the form of Mike Northcott. And then later Spider Man boosted past me up the Pig Track as if he'd set up a tow line with his web. He was curiously riding Carl Jones bike - he must have leant it to Spidey.<br />
<br />
I started slowing down through that second lap and it was pretty nice to see the finish and to relax in the sun and watch the riders come through.<br />
<br />
If Saturdays ride was good then Sundays was awesome. Maybe due to the company. Maybe due to the slightly more relaxed pace. But Paul Larkin, Peter Burt and I rode Tahuto Ariki and then Hatu Patu and it was awesome. Paul and I don't get to ride together much anymore and so it was good to be rolling together again, especially on a day where we both had our flow on. It was good.<br />
<br />
Ok cool. I get my new bike tomorrow and have to drive to Taupo so will get pics of that up as soon as I can.Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-84484929485882612252010-10-22T21:14:00.000-07:002010-10-30T21:38:50.658-07:00Up, down, all around<div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A day out from SSWC - the biggest deal in NZ mountain biking for a couple of years - i thought it would be a good time to recap on my early season racing.</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">First up was the second round of the PNP Spring Series in Wainuiomata. As always Marco and Al had put together a great course and this time they got the weather on their side. As my first race of the season, it was always going to be rugged, but it was nice to be racing in summery conditions, even if the legs were smashed!</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I got a better result a couple of weeks ago when I clocked the fastest time in <strong>Wellingtons Peaks Point Race</strong>, hosted by Northlands Revolution Cycles. The race was a little unconventional but the concept was basic - ride up 9 of Wellingtons peaks as quick as you can, any way you want. It was another beautiful spring day and I really enjoyed myself, first following Jonty and Alex from Revolution to piggy back off their superior knowledge of the trail networks, and then launching in to the lead on my way to Hawkins Hill. After 70km and a few thousand metres of climbing in 3hr 39 it was pretty nice to be greeted back at Revolution by Oli and a cold beer. </div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdRTqkTTPtxuBA8Es0ouk08fuvk9MRylRNJ3Y27hiY1iEqAhbCOpj8S-AV22ckLHe-C84MKkzuBIbVxgdVgllK0XnBoINeazTAMlYAtP5npwH5j72Jgr5uP2yuRL-7jkfxG49yQXGaEE/s1600/P1020206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdRTqkTTPtxuBA8Es0ouk08fuvk9MRylRNJ3Y27hiY1iEqAhbCOpj8S-AV22ckLHe-C84MKkzuBIbVxgdVgllK0XnBoINeazTAMlYAtP5npwH5j72Jgr5uP2yuRL-7jkfxG49yQXGaEE/s320/P1020206.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Self portrait central! First, Tinakori,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyX-wLgVeTThx4cw92v1hyphenhyphen0gaWjJaC1kGORXx8OoEJd04NMgXtg4fwMdM2KP_tLKM3zCcPUuTK-lnMVv9TbV_rSeev2KxYXWh6pj7pPgyFLwQ8EbuceSYljFTMOlfT7dtjuC0l0NV-BYI/s1600/P1020207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyX-wLgVeTThx4cw92v1hyphenhyphen0gaWjJaC1kGORXx8OoEJd04NMgXtg4fwMdM2KP_tLKM3zCcPUuTK-lnMVv9TbV_rSeev2KxYXWh6pj7pPgyFLwQ8EbuceSYljFTMOlfT7dtjuC0l0NV-BYI/s320/P1020207.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>then Kaukau,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9feycXx7FFpAjZZiR4_qnGIPCrXhxaPnPsCChJAcA1rZA1bBE8RJfO5dhSdA_TZBw23Rn5pSp22pI3Am8U_R9gYFFSbopM1RAhvX6NupzM5A45aI-W9UYd7TitnkctGuh4HaX_vDmGI/s1600/P1020209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9feycXx7FFpAjZZiR4_qnGIPCrXhxaPnPsCChJAcA1rZA1bBE8RJfO5dhSdA_TZBw23Rn5pSp22pI3Am8U_R9gYFFSbopM1RAhvX6NupzM5A45aI-W9UYd7TitnkctGuh4HaX_vDmGI/s320/P1020209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>chilling with the Revolution boys on Johnson,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5eBud9d2AFp0v7fQf6X2C0zwAhB3gKdjkKSQ1QNSsl96PTX4X3psG7fB9AxUGNZ3cFqVSUyX6NiuCLi4PZufqalq6MJqZS2bqi2uZv8Rj2w4xSkNK57XJQ3xB70bAdWLCbw2pQy6p24/s1600/P1020210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5eBud9d2AFp0v7fQf6X2C0zwAhB3gKdjkKSQ1QNSsl96PTX4X3psG7fB9AxUGNZ3cFqVSUyX6NiuCLi4PZufqalq6MJqZS2bqi2uZv8Rj2w4xSkNK57XJQ3xB70bAdWLCbw2pQy6p24/s320/P1020210.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><i>and then by myself on Makara after Dave took a speedier photo.</i></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBETsLoeanYJufEF2BIJfl_VIOayVhS2gHWMRFIpq-BGKxlKWulAJAv_2nVSLpaDMoC1VK2b8NbB-U7KVVgs9WlJJUa9smZuWULEPBiIvtdjm91jSxaOLFIi9_WajF6QXTZgdAf8cNtE/s1600/P1020212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBETsLoeanYJufEF2BIJfl_VIOayVhS2gHWMRFIpq-BGKxlKWulAJAv_2nVSLpaDMoC1VK2b8NbB-U7KVVgs9WlJJUa9smZuWULEPBiIvtdjm91jSxaOLFIi9_WajF6QXTZgdAf8cNtE/s320/P1020212.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Great views on Hawkins hill,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlqPEbaKZ-qU00JvAHvjcHtBo39aXcB4USTPB01TRSK0iOVCRWciIol-g5e_5cvsNpYmdxXSZtjo7TBDTx3-uYDpOM4iWFCbxv548yahAymYRq_2T34RBC65HpKmHX3i0AIX8m4I3zGc/s1600/P1020213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlqPEbaKZ-qU00JvAHvjcHtBo39aXcB4USTPB01TRSK0iOVCRWciIol-g5e_5cvsNpYmdxXSZtjo7TBDTx3-uYDpOM4iWFCbxv548yahAymYRq_2T34RBC65HpKmHX3i0AIX8m4I3zGc/s320/P1020213.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>and smart arses on Hawkins.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmILNqqD5ZGubSjIBWkkjIH8Sfs-Qneu6H24sWX1D_GUgPs287KO05WPrAMulglc4Fv5R2k3AUo5dWNEaadIA2BQ1AkyTGfg0k9agjc7EcBT-kklwnWvwoktrkXfkK_Uk8eWn9JeTiZks/s1600/P1020214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmILNqqD5ZGubSjIBWkkjIH8Sfs-Qneu6H24sWX1D_GUgPs287KO05WPrAMulglc4Fv5R2k3AUo5dWNEaadIA2BQ1AkyTGfg0k9agjc7EcBT-kklwnWvwoktrkXfkK_Uk8eWn9JeTiZks/s320/P1020214.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><i>About to get lost on Mt Albert.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEMEQtqoEJrKrv0w151wjxLLEcYGYaCD8cUNmZOWOKWZ5CuWgqSICYOJCztm6sVkFfOWMWzxLCAQdo3pMik3CmDB43oWULPLFERmNrUt0Z7DW2veLy4ZxvoYYNmlMTB3a3zLkDTwNgk8/s1600/P1020216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEMEQtqoEJrKrv0w151wjxLLEcYGYaCD8cUNmZOWOKWZ5CuWgqSICYOJCztm6sVkFfOWMWzxLCAQdo3pMik3CmDB43oWULPLFERmNrUt0Z7DW2veLy4ZxvoYYNmlMTB3a3zLkDTwNgk8/s320/P1020216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Contemplating life choices on Crawford</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuOlfSXKxCCjCPRPfb_TXywu2P22jigglobTyHUuYip5sSM8Co6cEJZQx9Njz__nm8pfNanQxJ9raZ3pxIjXZW-2V0EWN1tMHjw5JKrrpTi2_E9vgStsycqiUmwzSRs9MArcuKzHywFY/s1600/P1020217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuOlfSXKxCCjCPRPfb_TXywu2P22jigglobTyHUuYip5sSM8Co6cEJZQx9Njz__nm8pfNanQxJ9raZ3pxIjXZW-2V0EWN1tMHjw5JKrrpTi2_E9vgStsycqiUmwzSRs9MArcuKzHywFY/s320/P1020217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><i>Topping out on Mt Vic, the ride back to Northland all that remains.</i></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The last couple of races, over the past 2 weekends have been in slightly less enjoyable conditions. First up was the <strong>Motu Challenge, </strong>where for the second year running we were buffeted by high winds, rain and cool conditions. On the mountain bike we didn't have to fight the headwinds prevalent in 09 but it had no real bearing on how the ride bore out. As is always the case, the bunch fractured at the first climb and at the top it was only Richard Ussher, myself and a couple of roadies in the lead group. By the top of the second climb it was only Richard and I, and then it was only me when Richard unfortunately punctured on the following descent. The final climb was a grovel as usual but I held it together to gain a handy lead for Team BioSport which the guys only extended as the day wore on. We wound up winning quite comfortably. Thanks to Greg Pain from BioSport by supporting the team through the weekend. Much appreciated. </div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I probably should have worn more clothes at Motu because I was laid low with a dose of man flu the following week in the build up to the<strong>Whaka 100</strong>. It must have affected my thought processes too as i entered the 100km single speed category! On the day it became pretty clear that a SS isn't the ideal set up for a race like this. At 60km i was sitting in third overall and not too far from Cabin and Ed but the three long climbs i had already suffered up had done some damage and I was already starting to blow. I would have been ok if the remaining 40km was flat, but it's far from it. In fact, three climbs including the course high point still awaited me so things were a bit dire.</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I managed to struggle up Hill Rd and Frontal Lobotomy to Billi T with only a minimum of walking, but things really fell apart heading up Direct Rd and then down Hot X Buns. I was gone - just crawling and it was a disappointingly all to easy decision to pull the pin at 80km and head back to the car. I couldn't bring myself to face the final climb.</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hindsight always brings with it regret following a DNF, particularly when I only had such a short distance remaining. It's normally easy to forget how hard it was at the time, but on this occassion i'm still satisfied that i made the right decision. Today is the first since then that my legs feel recovered. Had I completed the race i may well have still been tired on the start line tomorrow. All the same, I can't afford to pull out of the Whaka 100 again. Like Karapoti, it's largely demystified for me now and i feel confident that next time I line up I will be in good shape and gunning for a result. I'll also have gears!</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tomorrow is the <strong>SSWC</strong>. I'm really looking forward to the race, though need to be realistic of my chances of a top result. I'm not at my peak and my choice of costume is probably not absolutely conducive to performance. No clues as to what it is, except to say that i should be relatively distinctive. If you see a big guy on an orange Ibis Tranny come say hi. It's going to be a great day.</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </div>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-19334405399505865612009-05-26T01:48:00.000-07:002009-05-26T02:32:15.865-07:00Wicked Wellington<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br />I left Wellington 48hours after arriving, aching, bleeding, battered, and absolutely invigorated. After a number of false starts over the last 18months things finally fell together and i got a fantastic weekend of running, riding, and catching up over the odd beer. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The weather didn't come to the party and with gale force winds forecast for Saturday we were forced to rejig our plans of a Southern Crossing in the Tararua's. Instead we ran from the Kaitoke Road-end into the Tutuwai Hut and back. Only 20+km. Only 4hours. </span></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhRiYaTFVtO52mr4WgQFue6o3Apl3xR53EWQZhxl6-pH2O4Si3xno0KS19HrC0g207T6lowRasIefKHkWOJZii0P_cnDOIu82Gc6Qk6UqyGiYzCFOi3zNiiQALkZsp5w2K5Ko1wNVHoE/s320/RIMG0041.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340055176041357746" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Thank God for the wind. I would not have survived the intended big run. It's been a while since i did a full blown trail run and even longer since i ran over 2hours. So i was quietly pleased when we made the call to turn around at the hut. Only half way and i was starting to feel it. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I wish i could report a second wind that drove me back to the car, but it wasn't to be. Things got progressively tougher until the crest of the final hill, when the legs finally gave out and refused to run any further. So while the others danced off ahead i walked the last 20min to the rather welcome car. Thanks to Dan and Josh for their patience. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">As tough as it was, i loved being back in the Tararuas. And the big run paid dividends the next weekend at the first N-Trail. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">Sunday was my verymuchlookedforwardto return to Makara Peak. After an absence of some 2years that alone was enough to get me pretty jazzed about riding. But on this ride the treats kept coming - one of which was in the form of my brand spanking new Santa Cruz Blur XC Carbon. <a href="http://oli-roadworks.blogspot.com/">Oli</a> had built it up the day before, using his magic touch to pull together what feels like an amazing bike. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">We had arranged to link up with Caleb Smith of Spoke Magazine fame and ride with his crew. Deliverance was on the ride card, and i was keen to get a feel for the bike on a more sedate descent before launching into that which is perhaps the most (in)famous of all that Wellytrack has produced. Unfortunately we fluffed around dialling the bike in and as we set off we were travelling in the direction of Salvation, the climb leading to Deliverance. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">Mini-gulp. Deliverance is a challenging trail, but i've always found that once past the first 100m there is little that really phases me. And so it was that i found myself proudly trying to keep up with Caleb on his full dialled yellow Santa Cruz Nomad. It turns out i can't. Paul Larkin had kept in touch enough to see me lose my line, slide off the trail and use a tree to the ribs as a brake to stop me tumbling into the creek. First downhill on the Blur and i was bleeding, battered, and examining the first scratch in the clearcoat on the top tube. Damn. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">It certainly wasn't the bikes fault though. The Blur Carbon is a huge step up over the already good aluminum Blur XC. It's lighter, way stiffer, and rolls super quick. This will sound ridiculous, and maybe even a little spoilt, but it's still waiting for it's second ride. Hey, i've been busy and the weather has been rubbish. Thursday is shaping up to be a ride day so it will get a full test then. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">After Deliverance we casually made our way up Koru and into Sally Alley where we parted company with Caleb and his crews. We took a photos before then though, some of which can be found at: </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="http://www.spokemagazine.com/2009/05/t-rex-carbon-blur-xc-spoke-photo-shoot/">http://www.spokemagazine.com/2009/05/t-rex-carbon-blur-xc-spoke-photo-shoot/ <br /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">We linked into Missing Link after saying our goodbyes, and savoured this great piece of track, now bathed in welcome sunlight. Then it was up Aratihi to a very windy Makara Summit, and onto an equally gusty Ridgeline. It was a very relaxed ride, but absolutely what i wanted. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">That, plus some awesome times with Oli, Paul, and Dave, was the weekend. Wicked. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-37470444191369941442009-04-28T21:52:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:58:24.985-07:00Xterra NZ TV Coverage<div>Spot the Tranny* - click <a href="http://tvnzondemand.co.nz/content/contact_tri_tv/ondemand_video_skin?tab=&sb=date-descending&e=contact_tri_tv_2009_ep7#ep_contact_tri_tv_2009_ep7">here </a>for the latest episode of Contact Tri TV, featuring the mens race at Xterra NZ. (Chapter 3)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">* That being my bike. Not necessarily what you were thinking. I'm going to have fun with this name. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-88832678584339097512009-04-28T00:21:00.000-07:002009-04-28T00:47:04.441-07:00Inked!<div>So here it is: the fruits of Saturdays labour<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4EZKEFpLqhEcbHDsmUSzLv0qxvwKTmuFZ-Unbn04-Mj_QGwTiGdAG5smlvgPc64uHujRndYpfRSCsiAhqRa36mP9BQstkFVCyxvYflECuldsGXSRItGBpSWZ0QYj3VGNcSacVeqTToY/s1600-h/RIMG0027.JPG"></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4EZKEFpLqhEcbHDsmUSzLv0qxvwKTmuFZ-Unbn04-Mj_QGwTiGdAG5smlvgPc64uHujRndYpfRSCsiAhqRa36mP9BQstkFVCyxvYflECuldsGXSRItGBpSWZ0QYj3VGNcSacVeqTToY/s1600-h/RIMG0027.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4EZKEFpLqhEcbHDsmUSzLv0qxvwKTmuFZ-Unbn04-Mj_QGwTiGdAG5smlvgPc64uHujRndYpfRSCsiAhqRa36mP9BQstkFVCyxvYflECuldsGXSRItGBpSWZ0QYj3VGNcSacVeqTToY/s320/RIMG0027.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329640503168232514" /></a> Yes, it hurt. But not to the extent made out but others. Thanks to Elton and Kellyrae at <a href="http://www.globusgallery.co.nz/Globus%20home.html">Globus Gallery</a> for providing such professional advice and service. It was fun.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdE3M84MtYTbKVXBu-glo7bb0ckgcr-0D0X7Gl7Xgp56jooqrHwBVCtLtMdIKh8nL1LhNWxwUS4NE4wR8hiSCcgRWu2lk9F6D_Yd1eWOT4poS9dLfE2lb4uSFG1qwrSUPYlzzN2m-J3qY/s1600-h/RIMG0021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdE3M84MtYTbKVXBu-glo7bb0ckgcr-0D0X7Gl7Xgp56jooqrHwBVCtLtMdIKh8nL1LhNWxwUS4NE4wR8hiSCcgRWu2lk9F6D_Yd1eWOT4poS9dLfE2lb4uSFG1qwrSUPYlzzN2m-J3qY/s320/RIMG0021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329640503415218402" /></a><br /></div><div>Thanks also to the Rotorua Single Speed Society, supported by N-Duro events, for putting on such an awesome weekend. I'm not allowed any more tattoo's, but i'll definitely be back next year. <br /><br /></div>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-23996177574694157842009-04-28T00:16:00.000-07:002009-04-28T00:20:54.099-07:00Success at the 2009 Rest of the World Singlespeed Champs!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; ">I should not have won this race. Not because of the (inconsequential) order in which i consumed weetbix and beer but for the simple fact that my experience on a singlespeed is limited to three rides. For all its emphasis on fun and frivolity, the NZ Singlespeed Champs attracted a talented and strong field, a number of whom had been training specifically for this event, and had schooled me in the process on at least one occasion. I was there to have fun. I don't think i ever seriously contemplated that i could win the title.<div><br /></div><div>Minutes into the race and that belief was reinforced as i emerged from the confusion of the Le Mans style start to see riders stretching up the road as far as i could see. Congratulations must go to whoever relocated my bike as they did a great job - i just couldn't find it! It's a feature of the event that the bikes are rearranged and so i was expecting it, but figured that my Ibis was distinctive in orange and i wouldn't have any difficulties. It turns out that there are a large number of orange bikes out there. I know. I ran to nearly every one before finally stumbling across mine! </div><div><br /></div><div>From there it was a case of chasing, right up until the last lap. I really put myself in the box getting back on to the second bunch before we entered the first section of singletrack and from there it was just a case of picking off riders when i could. By chance, the course consisted of three of my most favourite Rotorua trails - Pondy, Old Chevy and Yellow Brick Road - and i had a ball taking the Tranny through them. In contrast to my Xterra ride, i just felt connected with the bike and really smooth. My Maxxis Monorail tires provided exceptional cornering grip and i took full advantage. </div><div><br /></div><div>The racing was tight heading into the final lap. I was with Matthew Gorter and Eric Drower was closely chasing. Both are talented mountain bikers who have been doing great things on the road recently and i didn't want them to be too close coming into the final BeerCut. I can't skull to save myself. Matt was proving difficult to shake but when he had a small crash on Pondy i was able to gap him and break the elastic binding us together. With half a lap remaining i started to entertain thoughts of winning and tattoo placement, much in the same way as Cabin had done last year before being caught by Garth. History nearly repeated itself when Eric clawed back some 20sec in the dying stages of the race and all but chased me into the beer tent. I was fortunate to have just enough of a lead to exit in front and make the sprint for the line, caught quite nicely by Graeme Murray:</div><div><br /></div><div> <a href="http://gallery.me.com/bluedogtv#100056/IMG_3066&bgcolor=black" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">http://gallery.me.com/<wbr>bluedogtv#100056/IMG_3066&<wbr>bgcolor=black</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, i was pretty excited to win. </div><div><br /></div><div>So i now have a tattoo. It's pretty cool and if you have a snoop around <a href="http://vorb.org.nz/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">vorb.org.nz</a> 's excellent coverage of the weekend you should be able to catch a glimpse. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to Pearl Izumi for their great riding gear, Ibis Cycles for the amazing Tranny, Oli Brooke-White for his mad mechanic skills, and Maxxis for their great tires. </div></span>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-29290624959326718992009-04-28T00:08:00.000-07:002009-04-28T00:13:46.579-07:00Xterra NZ 09<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; ">A week on from Xterra NZ and given my silence you'd be forgiven for wondering whether i was packing a sad about my performance. Fear not - I can't say i'm happy with 4th but nor am i disappointed. I bet Terenzo and up until the run i was still in the hunt. I was average but it was an awesome race to be a part of.<div><br /></div><div>I was really looking forward to the race and it was great bouncing around the Xterra village before hand, catching up with friends and greeting friendly faces. It feels to me as if a real Xterra community is starting to develop in NZ. Thats reflected in the increasingly strong fields, but also in the great atmosphere surrounding the event. </div><div><br /></div><div>That being the case, it was natural that i found myself on the shore of Lake Tikitapu in a great mood while waiting for the starters gun. I was caught a little unawares when it did eventually go off but very quickly got into a pretty handy group with clear water ahead. For the first time, Pro's were wearing different coloured swim caps to the age groupers and it certainly put my mind at ease seeing only one yellow cap ahead. Unfortunately, there was another yellow head shadowing me - Richard Ussher, competing in his first Xterra. He'd come off Ironman NZ so i was expecting him to swim pretty well. Imagine then how stoked i was when he disappeared on the stretch back to shore. I'd dropped him! I put the hammer down just to make sure before happening to look a little further. Oh. There he was - still level pegging, but a couple of meters to my right. Talking to Rich after the race, we established that he'd been thinking pretty much the same as i had!</div><div><br /></div><div>So despite our respective efforts, we both exited the water and headed out on the bikes, only 90 seconds down on Terrenzo. That was a real boost as i think he pulled over 2 and a half minutes on me last year. I had borrowed Duncan Milnes fantastic Quintana Roo wetsuit as mine was getting a bit sad after three hard seasons and i think that was a big contributor. </div><div><br /></div><div>I need to take this opportunity to tell you about my bike. I've had it for a few weeks now and i've been incredibly tardy in not telling you about it earlier. It's fast, orange, and has a name that i'm hesitant to repeat around my parents - Ibis Cycles new carbon hardtail, the Tranny. Built with all the good things, like Shimano XTR and Fox forks with the fantastic new 15QR dropout, by Wellington's resident good thing, Oli Brooke-White of Roadworks / Jazz Apples fame. It goes like stink. Or at least, normally. </div><div><br /></div><div>As we climbed in pursuit of Terrenzo I just felt flat. What had felt effortless the week before was feeling anything but. Rich was riding like a demon and though i tried i couldn't really shake him. We caught Terrenzo at the start of Hill Rd, at the top of which Rich took the lead, leaving me to hang on. I managed to sneak in front heading into Billy T where i seemingly tried to take myself out of the race by first rubbing a tree and then nearly fully connecting with another. I think the effort up the hill might have left me a little cross eyed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now in the lead, i set about trying to ride smart and hard, though i still wasn't feeling the flow. It was never more apparent as when Scott Thorne came up and passed me on Split Enz. I couldn't even hold onto him. It was a frustrating thing as i don't normally relinquish my lead once i have it. My problems got worse while rounding Green Lakes. Scott was in the distance and now Rich was rapidly catching again. Compounding my problems was an errant stomach that felt anything but settled. It was shaping up to be an ugly run. </div><div><br /></div><div>Rich did catch me and we spent the last couple of km's lapping out and slowly bringing Scotts lead back a bit. Even then, Rich was doing at least 2/3rds of the work. Into transition and all cameras were on Rich as speculation mounted whether he could catch Scott. I had a slow transition and headed out onto the run not at all confident that i would even be able to foot it with the others. My stomach was tight and i just didn't feel the flow. </div><div><br /></div><div>The less that is said about the run the better. I lost 3min to Rich and Scott in the first lap and was passed by Cabin shortly after. At that point my mantra changed from 'beat Cabin. Beat Cabin' to 'beat Terrenzo. Beat Terrenzo.' As is often the case, i started running more freely in my second lap and could finally do my fantastic Pearl Izumi Peak XC shoes some justice. I did manage to hold Terrenzo off, but not by much: as i exited the bush out onto the beach i looked back to see him not far behind. Fortunately i still had enough space to hold him off and claim my second 4th in as many years. </div><div><br /></div><div>I need to make it clear that i'm not disheartened by my result. I fit my training around a busy life and demanding job and feel that this summer i struck the right balance. I still believe that i can win again in Rotorua but to do so i need to be consistent and build a great base through this year. My running needs to step up. The good news is that i believe that i'm in the right place to achieve this so hope to keep you entertained with my progress over the next 12 months. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow is the NZ SingleSpeed Championships. It should be a great day out, hopefully with much beer consumed out on the course. The Tranny gets its name from its ability to be converted from a geared bike to a singlespeed in less than 20min and so thats ready to rock. I've had a couple of rides on it as a singlespeed and i have to say that i really am enjoying it. The simplicity is cool and i'm having a ball focusing on carrying as much speed as possible through the corners. I don't expect to be challenging for the Tattoo but will be going out there to put the hurt on. I'll tell you about it next week. </div></span>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-13369920845377941212009-04-03T01:37:00.000-07:002009-04-03T01:47:12.129-07:00AyUp 24hours of N-Duro<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTPYi4Z-Ues8v0QetAOmRRtSDQNTSNiYaA29JKKhR4gwGu8La7gFmTOay0KGFfd_H1IRh0ZK5xMHbQ_iEpxn1G6iB8riplnZ9xwbpirFfS7TrizPtvPDKUYgq7QB8yUvDhBrEgGEq6BA/s1600-h/24hr_trophy.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTPYi4Z-Ues8v0QetAOmRRtSDQNTSNiYaA29JKKhR4gwGu8La7gFmTOay0KGFfd_H1IRh0ZK5xMHbQ_iEpxn1G6iB8riplnZ9xwbpirFfS7TrizPtvPDKUYgq7QB8yUvDhBrEgGEq6BA/s320/24hr_trophy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320383623031156514" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTTROtXoHXkrIy58K39-K5svwgz_f48wahWDBaeyFFtJg_Jq2VmuEAInA6ivkRnt3R1Ek_O5iwMZ96CbBcAJkFJBiw1DUcOzTMqtSND6GUu3PR4YhSderCuJurqxch3GCWzuZE6IWmds/s1600-h/IMG_3687.JPG"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;">Cabin asked me to be a part of team Major Debt for the Ay Up 24hr N-Duro at around the right time; pre-christmas. It had been well over a year since i'd done a 24 and over that time the memories of 4am laps in a cold Whakawerawera forest, sleep deprivation and temporary cessation of hygienic practices had been superceded by recollections of the thrill of emerging through the ardor as overall winners. And because, at that time, the race was some months off it was easy to say yes and not properly consider my options. My mind is responsible for great things at times. <div><br /></div><div>Fast forward to yesterday (does that work?) and what i had once more let myself in for was starting to dawn on me. Not that i cared that deeply; it was 12.40pm and i was about to go out for my first lap. The fatigue, the subtle morphing of big ring climbs into middle ring grinds, would come later and for now immediate task at hand was to build on the lead that Cabin had hopefully gained for us in the first lap. </div><div><br /></div><div> Lead he did, but only just. Ed from RnR Sport Wellington was hot on his tale and took the lead as we swapped transponders. RnR were also a team of 4, but all guys in contrast to our mixed status. That lap set the tone for the next 18hours - close competition and hot times as we battled for the overall lead.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I mentioned last week, i had been hoping to unveil my new race bike this weekend. Unfortunately delivery delays mean that it won't be revealed until next weekend. But if you visit <a href="http://oli.co.nz/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(42, 93, 176); ">oli.co.nz</a> you'll get a sneak peak. Instead i was taking the Mojo into competition for the second time in it's life, and in as many weekends. Chasing Ed hard around the early flat tracks such as Tahi and Creek Trail required a little more front weighting than i would normally apply to a race bike with a steeper head angle but once i had that dialled the Ibis ripped, and continued to perform over the day. The 5inches of rear travel came to be appreciated through the night. </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTTROtXoHXkrIy58K39-K5svwgz_f48wahWDBaeyFFtJg_Jq2VmuEAInA6ivkRnt3R1Ek_O5iwMZ96CbBcAJkFJBiw1DUcOzTMqtSND6GUu3PR4YhSderCuJurqxch3GCWzuZE6IWmds/s1600-h/IMG_3687.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTTROtXoHXkrIy58K39-K5svwgz_f48wahWDBaeyFFtJg_Jq2VmuEAInA6ivkRnt3R1Ek_O5iwMZ96CbBcAJkFJBiw1DUcOzTMqtSND6GUu3PR4YhSderCuJurqxch3GCWzuZE6IWmds/s320/IMG_3687.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320382532202394242" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><div>Ed and I duelled through that first lap, swapping the lead intermittently before reaching an unspoken truce late in the piece and backing off ever so slightly. We came in with the fastest lap of the day, mine being faster by a matter of seconds having started slightly behind. And so my day started. We very quickly fell into a rhythm as a team, opting to ride double laps on subsequent cycles to provide adequate recovery time for teammates, and to justify the putting on clammy gear and warming up routine. The afternoon was pleasant, and the evening too, helped in no small part by the fantastic Ay Up light systems lent to us for the weekend. These lights are amazing and a huge step up on anything i've ever had before. </div><div><br /></div><div>A diet of sausages, hot cross buns, rice, banana, divine carrot cake, pasta bake, lollies kept us trucking through to the start of Sunday. Heading out now into the crisp early morning darkness to complete laps was by now not as appealing a prospect as in the afternoon. Fatigue was beginning to take a toll and while the laps rewards were still there to be grasped the challenges of Princess Anne Rd and the Lion trail were becoming a little greater. The Lion trail is a weird climb. The gradient is forever changing, which on the one hand keeps things fresh, but on the other gives already tired legs further reason to complain. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was on lap 2 during those night sessions that a thought continued to cycle through my mind; why oh why would you want to be a solo rider?</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to the Hiace Modular Sleep System i was able to bed down through the night and grab a few hours of shut eye. I rode through dawn and, as the sun rose, calculated the prospect of riding further laps. We'd managed to crack RnR through the night and were carrying a 20min lead heading into the last 4.5hours. All of the team had performed with consistent lap times and as the morning sun emerged from the fog we could begin to contemplate easing back a bit. In the end, Cabin finished for us as he has started - in first place and with enough style left in him to wheelie across the line. </div><div><br /></div><div>Highlights:</div><div>- Having clean and dry Pearl Izumi shorts to pull on for each of my turns. It's a small luxury that means a great deal in the wash up after. </div><div>- Carrot Cake cooked by Major Debts sous chef, Tamsin Gilbert</div><div>- Real coffee from Paul Anthony Larkin</div><div>- Riding Dragons Tail, for what may have been the first time. And then 2nd, 3rd, 4th...</div><div>- The sweet beats right through the event. No 'Dirty Dog' or Now Thats What I Call Music Volume 2001 here. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lowlights: </div><div>- Running out of rear brake pad. </div><div>- Running out of go juice. </div><div>- Wasps trying to steal my buns. </div><div><br /></div><div>So it was a good days racing. Thanks to my teammates Cameron Durno, Nic Leary, and Mark Leishman for a job well done, and thanks to my sponsors and those helpers that supplied me with the gear to get through the day.</div></span>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3446813626552685428.post-86684550925484264682009-04-03T01:17:00.000-07:002009-04-03T01:35:56.290-07:00The season so far<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvcgVK83xTOA7eQZj2Wn64bpbVAsH2Mq_Y6bsrsIzotEzDBqWDovNKma96mAStPXNfUB8_povUOp2rW7JAVrZFcrccDPJJO1UfG1cCoiXYWvr9nMogAV8P3NZ6MfIFm9Vjl55zA0Sjgw/s320/P1010515.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320379785906009410" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><div>Right, time for a season update. Summer has been pretty good. I've changed tack a little this time round and scaled back my racing over January and Febuary in favour of a strong build up in the preparation for Xterra. I'm happy with this strategy so far; i've trained well, have really enjoyed the races i have done, and can't wait for the next month. It's going to be a veritable Roto-fest; AyUp 24hr Teams race this weekend, the Highlander next weekend (doubling as NZ Marathon Champs), Xterra NZ on the 18th, and Singlespeed Champs on the 25th. It's times like this i wish the road between Rotorua and Taupo wasn't so mind numbingly boring. </div><div><br /></div>Summer highlights:<div>- The Whitestar Intrigue. The best weekends racing i've had for a while. The ever capacious and ever capable Primevil swallowed up three dudes + bikes + camping gear and got us to and from Colville where we enjoyed two days of primo racing. I won the Point Series on Saturday, came second in the Marathon to Scott Thorne on Sunday, and just loved camping on site with everyone. Highly recommended for all. </div><div>- Learning how to paddle a K1. Emphasis on learning. I can now travel a record 200m before tipping out. I'd better improve before winter hits. </div><div>- The weather. How sweet has it been? Hot at times (see below), but so good for training and lakeside BBQ's.</div><div><br /></div><div>Summer bummers:</div><div>- My IT Bands flaring up over Christmas, demanding a cessation of all running and riding temporarily. But out of this has come some really positive outcomes. I now stretch. I know regular massage keeps them happy. And i've changed my running style markedly. That's meant that i now run faster. Regular PB's have been great encouragers. </div><div>- Working in an office with air-conditioning (likely to change to a Winter highlight). Sure, i stay cool from 7.30-4, but then i bake up like a little crispy thing when training after.</div><div>- Kinloch Tri. This relates to my performance, not the event itself. That rocks. I didn't. Especially on the run, where the recurrence of my ongoing problem with stomach cramps left me wondering whether i've actually progressed in the couple of years that i've been doing triathlons. But, fast forward 6 weeks or so to the Bayfair Tri, and it finally came together. Xterra is still 4 or so weeks away so i'll be super sorted by then. </div><div><br /></div><div>To ease back into race mode i competed in the Triple Cross and Bayfair Tri over the weekend. Triple Cross was first up, on Saturday morning and sadly i wasn't competing as an individual. I'll need a few more pay rises before i can afford something with two wheels and a motor other than my legs. So i was riding as part of the Penny Homes team. John Kirkcaldie had an awesome start but it wasn't too long before i drew level on the Mojo. Then we hit the downhill and he was gone again. I guess thats what happens when your up against the course designer who also happens to be one of NZ's finest downhillers. But as we ticked the laps off i gradually drew away to set the team up for eventual success. John went on to finish 2nd as an individual. </div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-OdJUfpCYuXsy_XoWo0Y6Htl3OuB_heS6Y66CUvOGAlfPn_riCUKlwLHg537TtZBPNzPUAZAam42F4IvEXvY94BN6RnS8XPAFDA9tJg9x6_VNzzeVjgqubgG_-Lei0cAzuOy9KiH2JI/s1600-h/P1010512.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-OdJUfpCYuXsy_XoWo0Y6Htl3OuB_heS6Y66CUvOGAlfPn_riCUKlwLHg537TtZBPNzPUAZAam42F4IvEXvY94BN6RnS8XPAFDA9tJg9x6_VNzzeVjgqubgG_-Lei0cAzuOy9KiH2JI/s320/P1010512.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320379792240292738" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><div>Sunday saw me dipping my toes in the sea off Tauranga at the Bayfair Tri. I was a little too comfortable through the swim but once on the bike i started to wind it up. A friend had kindly lent me his Zipp 808's<br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTorpeLbpbOYO12AM8xpSlN2cL_rnwv821m6SHU6w-0E1swUld-IFZH268Oq3GR9YBO635VnJajP6aa7ZigDIaoXiQfBtcKsNdSwTgznvibkLDeNbDEj9sYBp4e9BW1VhzQ6Z7P2Ze3bs/s1600-h/RIMG0026.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTorpeLbpbOYO12AM8xpSlN2cL_rnwv821m6SHU6w-0E1swUld-IFZH268Oq3GR9YBO635VnJajP6aa7ZigDIaoXiQfBtcKsNdSwTgznvibkLDeNbDEj9sYBp4e9BW1VhzQ6Z7P2Ze3bs/s320/RIMG0026.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320379779575616162" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span><div>and i was keen to make good use of them. I didn't catch the leaders but did ride the fastest split and headed out onto the run feeling good. It was my first run with Pearl Izumi's XC race flat, the Peak XC, and as i made my way around Mount Maunganui i very quickly fell in love with them. I'm looking forward to the Xterra run if only to pull them back on. I finished 8th in the end, in 60.40, and encouraged by my performance. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As mentioned, this weekend i'll be racing as part of a team with Nic and Cabin (because they have their own blog surnames are redundant) and Cameron Durno at the AyUp 24hr teams race in Rotorua. I'll also be debuting my new race bike. It represents a bit of a change for me and i'll be looking forward to showcasing it in the weeks to come. Stay tuned for more details. </div></span>Tim Wildinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11925614390949803578noreply@blogger.com0