Category Archives: bikes

bikes, Canada, family, friends, MTB, national park, roadtrip, snow, travel, USA

A little on the late side

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So, I never quite made the time to compose a Christmas letter. This will have to do as some sort of missive for me to sum up the year & wish you all happy holidays. 2011 was separated into distinct thirds for me. The first of those was the end of my year living & working in the Canadian Rockies. That spur of the moment decision to go & bike & ski in the mountains for twelve months still rates as one of the best of my life – I had a great time with fantastic friends; the snow was good too & my skiing could do nothing but improve with all those consecutive weekends on the hill.

The middle of the year – the end of a long winter & the first of summer – saw the completion of a long held dream. That was, a roadtrip around the West (USA) with a bike in the trunk/boot visiting many of the famous riding spots & national parks. My aunt, Valerie, joined me from Australia & we managed 22000 km (almost 14000 miles), 13 states & 2 provinces and an awful lot of quality mountain-biking (for me). Scenically, the highlights were Bryce Canyon & Crater Lake National Parks. As always when I visit the States, spending time with old friends & making new ones stays on top of the many memories.

Naturally, it was tough to leave close friends & the beauty of the Bow Valley; the last part of the year sees me finally starting to get around to what I left home for two and a half years ago. That is, to get a job & settle in the UK for a while and take full advantage of the proximity to Europe. I’m back process engineering for the first time in four years at a small rubber factory on the edge of the New Forest (not far from Southampton at the south of England). Mum’s been over here for the last three months at university, so it’s been great to see her every so often. The hospitality of extended family (some of whom I’m still only meeting now) helps to lessen the distance from home – as does Skype & 1p/min phone calls.

That’s this year – 2012 will not be nearly as well planned out or active for that matter. I’m down to have surgery sometime on my shoulder (to tighten it all up – two dislocations this year), so that will curtail the biking & skiing a lot. That will just mean I have more free time to explore this part of the world. I’ve finally got an invite to a wedding (first since leaving), so I’ll be back in NZ for a couple of weeks near the start of September for what will be a flurry of visiting much-missed family & friends.

Best wishes for the new year.

around home, bikes, history, MTB, UK

South Downs Way & Winchester

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I parked just outside of Winchester this morning to get on the South Downs Way for a portion of it just to get out & enjoy the thinly clouded day. The route runs east from Winchester a hundred miles to Eastbourne on bridleways & some road – I imagine it’s very popular in the summer, but I only saw a couple of walkers & one other rider while I was out.

The first couple of miles were climbing on narrow roads, before getting to the east end of an MOD firing range & heading off the seal & starting to cross the fields on the top of the down. With all the hedgerows & green fields it was pleasantly English & the views improved as I climbed a little (there wasn’t really much climbing in the part I did). I was pleased to not get very muddy at all, I was expected the chalk soil would have different ideas – but it was mostly just damp & not wet, sloppy mud.

Back towards Winchester

It’s a little odd riding these sorts of trails in England – you never feel very far away from anywhere. That’s sort of nice when you’re by yourself. It was also very strange riding through some farmer’s fields & then suddenly being turfed in to the middle of a farm’s working buildings. There were dozens of pheasants scrambling out of the hedges & undergrowth, which was amusing.

I had a nice long descent down to the village of Exton, pity a lot of it had been rerouted a while ago (the signs said temporary, but they looked old) on to the road. Some nice big manor houses & deprecatingly named ‘cottages’ around here to look at while I snacked before turning around & heading back up the hill. Apart from the first part of the return, the riding was a lot easier than I expected – the GPS confirms I was very gradually climbing for a lot of the way out.

The River Meon flowing through backyards in Exton

I probably would have fitted, if my Sat Nav had have sent me down here

All in all a pleasant two & half hours & forty kilometres spent; nothing exciting as far as singletrack goes, but I imagine this will be a great route to bikepack during the summer. I must remember & come back & see if I can ride to Eastbourne.

Since I had parked at the Park & Ride lot, I could hardly not take the bus in to Winchester to see this historic town.  A cathedral town, it was once the capital of England & the seat of King Alfred the Great.  Lots of nice rambling streets & buildings doing their best to stay upright, it was pleasant strolling around.

Winchester Cathedral – Jane Austen is buried here

This 18ft diameter, 1 ton piece was originally a (round) table & depicts Arthur & his twenty-two knights

bikes, MTB, UK

Bike Build – On-One 456

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I got the good news earlier in the week that my broken frame will be replaced under warranty by GT in New Zealand. That does, however, leave it in NZ & I wasn’t all that keen to wait for it be posted over & indeed to pay a few hundred dollars for that to be done. Considering I’m not really going to need a full-suspension bike down in Hampshire, I looked around a bit for a second hand hardtail to buy. John & Rich had last week recommended On-One’s steel 456 frame, so I was pleased yesterday to find one a few miles away for fifty quid. I picked it up yesterday, it’s got a few chips in the paint & a small dent in a chainstay (chain suck) – but is in good enough condition to be useful for quite a few years yet.

So today was spent taking all the parts off my broken frame & then putting most of them on the 456. I had to buy a new headset (last one was had it), seatpost (different size), & cable outers. So all up, I’m back with a nice little bike for a shade under a hundred pounds. Score.

I’ve gone 1×9 too (that’s a single chainring in the front); when I get paid I’ll probably convert to singlespeed & maybe get it repainted.

bikes, MTB

Well, it’s had a good life

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Looking back through more than four years of photos, it’s pretty clear just how much my little bike has been involved, how much it’s been used & how much it has travelled. Apologies for the gratuitous photo dump – but I’m feeling nostalgic & really don’t care. But after over five-thousand kilometres, five continents, fourteen countries (including ten US states & two Canadian provinces that are bigger than most of those countries), many great friendships made & strengthened and more memories besides – I think I can be excused. (The frame cracked badly on Monday & that bike is no more, in case you’re wondering.)

Brand spanking new, June 2007

With British riding buddies, John, Rich & Andy – Craters of the Moon, Taupo

Many, many days at the Redwoods – Rotorua

Four day weekends were good for travelling – with Luke, Craigieburn, Central South Island

Also with Luke near Oxford, Central South Island

Near Pokhara, Nepal – February 2008

With Luke again at the end of the 42nd Traverse, Central North Island

Packed up for another plane trip – off to UK & Europe, June/July 2008

Three countries in one day – Switzerland, Germany & France

Road-trip around the UK with Mum & Dad

Glentress, south of Edinburgh

Exmoor National Park, SW England with John, Andy & Rich

Back in NZ making a splash on the Wires Track

End of Luck at Last – one of many rides with Pukekohe riding buddies Mark & Roger

After a late Christmas, hitting Coronet Peak near Queenstown

I still maintain this is the best ride I’ve done – Queen Charlotte Walkway, Easter 2009, top of the South Island

Two & a half years since I left NZ – exploring San Diego

I met many riding buddies online for California riding – this friendship still going strong, cheers Chip

9am & it was already 40ºC/110ºF – riding near Las Vegas, June 2008

Cannell Plunge, CA – still one of the top rides I’ve done in the States

Joining thousands of cyclists taking over Central London for the Mayor’s Skyride – over Tower Bridge

Visiting Adrian – Kenya, November 2009

A bleak, wet & freezing ride on Exmoor – right at the end of 2009

Somehow I ended up moving to Canada – it was a lot rockier & the riding was fantastic, May 2010

Minnewanka Trail, Banff National Park

Visiting school friends in Kelowna, BC

Razor’s Edge – just out of Canmore & one of my favourites

Last Canmore ride of the season before the snow came & took the riding away for six months, October 2010; the end of a great summer riding with Alex

The snow was beautiful, but it wasn’t good for riding on this bike

It was good for snow-bike-angels

After the riding hibernation, what better return than a three-month riding road-trip in the west-USA? The world famous Slickrock Trail, UT, May 2011

I rode around the top of the Grand Canyon! Well, a little bit of it.

Emma & Brent (Kiwi mates) were doing a similar road-trip in reverse; we met up near San Luis Obispo, CA

There was a little bit of snow still at the start of the Downieville Downhill, but what a ride!

McKenzie River Trail – central Oregon

Definitely looking forward to the next bike, whatever that may be. I just hope it’s soon.