Rainbow Rage and Molesworth

Pictures Bike Trip North of the South Island 

Yeah! I finally managed to sort my pictures from the last bike trip down south over Easter. And ordered a new helmet and more importantly a copy of the Rainbow Rage DVD, which features the only German mountain-bike rider ever (me) been broadcasted on SKY. Now I can rest in peace after my TV appearance in the Southern hemisphere, following some minutes of fame in German television already. Not really the proper 15 min of fame, but at least it's a good start. 5:36 isn't too bad for the first time either, considering I was #18 in my group and #223 overall. And Karapoti wasn't exactly the right sort of training for that, next time I cycle long distances beforehand instead of granny gear climbs. The Rage was just the very first day to get the party started for more than a week, back on the good ol

d Cube. Overall I loved the Rainbow Rage, absolutely wonderful weather made it even nicer. Out of the three crossings of that track, I loved racing it most. And my Cube so much deserved at least one decent race, after it was too worn out last year to race it. Even tough I couldn't feel my hands on the last 40 km's down to Hamner, racing down Jack's Pass is a must for all serious bikers in New Zealand, being greeted by a lovely crowd that cheered me the last meters over the finish line. The coolest thing was that Mike Gane, the ride disorganiser in his words, shakes everybody's hands personally after the demanding 105 km's, respect for that.

So after a long day I decided to play around in the Hamner Forest with my hardtail, scaring Neil from Krank  a bit with my much better condition compared to Xmas. We had loads of fun gunning up the tracks and gunning down as well, especially down Big Foot (o: 

Monday I decided to start some serious biking again and gave the Molesworth a second try, after the little disaster on the trip with Jan. This time with two spare tubes, a spare tyre, enough food to survive another breakdown, enough tape and, most important, a tent. After I already cycled down Jack's Pass three times, I took the steeper route over Jollie's, which was a killer. The remainder of the day I made it to Acheron Homestead first, and then almost struggled to arrive on time at Molesworth Homestead. The nice DOC ranger was already on the track to pick me up, but fortunately I was just a few strokes away from the camp. A really but rewarding day! the Molesworth is one of the most beautiful bike trails on the South Island, beautifully remote, but nothing for normal tourers. I ate a lot of dirt that day, drank 7 liters of water and had a lot OSM's to eat, and was happy that we didn't made it up there the first time. It would have been a disaster to cycle that one only with backpacks, some angel from heaven must have known this last time and stopped us by bursting my tire. This time with panniers it was still demanding, but more enjoyable. After camping the second day was great as well, passing Upcot Saddle as the main obstacle and cycling a very undulating dirt road down towards Blenheim, The camp at Blairich was great, such a remote place (and free) deserved a second night staying there. Overall it was one of the best rides I had, the beautiful weather contributed wonderfully to that.

Escaping to the Wairarapa

Pictures here

Well, it's been a while since the last entry. Seasons have changed, and a lot of things happened in between. Would be great to share some lovely impressions from the two trips to the South Island in March and April with you. I might do later, but won't promise anything now. But let's get back to now, the reason why I haven't been posting anything is that my lovely work was pretty mental the last weeks. And too much. So I finally made the quick decision to pack my gear on Friday after work, get my good old Cube off the shed and get ready again (and once again justify having two bikes). Heading out on such a short notice was no problem, as the bike was still set up from my Easter trip, and some gear wasn't even unpacked.

I wouldn't call it an escape from reality, but maybe it was one! And I definitely needed no (more) people on the weekend, just time for me to make up my mind, to tidy up. Pretty egoistic, but don't we need that sometimes? I do! Let's call it self-consciousness. A healthy portion of that is essential in my eyes. And what is better than a demanding bike ride to empty the brain packed with useless problems on a sunny autumn day? I can't really think of something else. The main decisions are where to go, where to camp, what to have for breakfast, what for dinner? And essentially what beautiful spot is more suitable for the lunch break? Hard decisions. I made them, and all to my full satisfaction. No regrets this time!

So Cape Palliser was the destination I chose Friday night, after Jan and me changed our plans last time we went down there and did the Aorangi crossing. And exactly right for a short but challenging two day ride. I took my camping gear as there isn't really anything down there. To be more detailed, I think the Wairarapa is the less touristy region in New Zealand. What makes it strangely attractive, remoteness is beauty. The more the better. Just cows, sheep and the odd farmer, exactly the right amount of attractions for a weekend to chill out. Amazing how such a simple world has such a huge appeal to me. But sometimes it is just nice to see that there is life away from the city: Away from all entertainment, non-sense and all the other shit that makes easy lives very complicated. Maybe I shouldn't do marketing for things like that, but somebody has to. And I am very aware of my responsibility, and with the occasional break, to get over some people in that business that act like total idiots without even a healthy portion of egoism, I can still justify my job at the moment. To sum it up: The Wairarapa was perfect, there couldn't have been a better place for that weekend.

Here the short summary of the trip: I took the train to Upper Hutt, jumped on the bike, cycled up the Rimutaka Incline, cycled down the same to Cross Creek with a nice fellow, who just bought a bike recently. This time I didn't fall off the bike while going through the tunnel, it's much better with lights. Then alongside Lake Wairarapa, stopping to have a ginger beer and a Twix in Pirinoa while listening to someone from Upper Hutt, trying to convince me of rugby (he didn't succeed). Listening to Kings of Convenience, Tori Amos and Shapeshifter, cycling down to the coast, stopping at the Pinnacles, listening to the Black Seeds. Then turning my IPod off, and just listening to the sea and using the last hour of sunlight for a more than enjoyable ride along the coast. When it was too dark to cycle I pitched my tent, wrapped myself up in my sleeping bag (which is worth the high price, I know now) and finally slept well. At 7! At the end of this day I came to the conclusion that: I should quit my job as soon as strategically possible, I should enjoy July and August in Edinburgh instead of cold New Zealand to do more cycling and: Cycling is just brilliant and a lot of people miss out on a lot of things if they don't cycle. And much more. But that's my secret (o:

The night was fairly cold, but the constant sound of the sea was brilliant to sleep. Waking up I was to lazy to cook oats, and still freezing, so I just jumped on the bike after I had packed everything. One Square Meals and bagels brought me over the day, as I had a brilliant one cycling along the coast over Cape Palliser to White Rock. Lost my sunglasses on the way, so that added a few k's to get them back, and the track along the coast is nothing for the faint-hearted. But a great adventure ride. Then up the White Rock Rd, up to Martinborough, and then one of the most boring roads in the dark to Featherston. Unfortunately missed the train by 15 mins, but hitching with the bike to Lower Hutt, then on the train and back home to have Gnocchi and wine. Thanks to Jan. It was just brilliant. It was pure freedom. That's what this country is about. Thanks New Zealand!

Song of the weekend: Tori Amos - Crucify

Achievements and Challenges

Karapoti? Done. 3:41:29, much faster than expected. My first official time in a race ever, after running a marathon in 2001 my biggest achievement so far (when it comes to sports).

Describing it with words is as challenging as the race itself, you have to experience it on your own. On the one hand it's a hell of a race, involving lots of pushing, mud and steep hills. On the other it is exactly that challenge that makes the Karapoti such a fascinating trip. Much more than a simple race it is about finding your own boundaries, combinig blood, sweat and (not for me) tears. If I will be still here in 2009 I will be back, and hopefully even faster than this year.

But now it's time to wipe the dust of the good old hardtail and prepare myself for another tough one: The Rainbow Rage on Saturday. Didn't really have time to train properly, but having ridden that beast of a track two times already, I am looking forward to finish at least unter 6 hours. That's the target, I will see how I go. A few days on the Molesworth afterwards, and maybe some inland exploring in Kaikoura, I will see what the South Island will offer this time. Still some roads left untravelled, hopefully I will be more successful on the Molesworth than over Xmas. Wish me luck, I will keep you updated. And last but mot least: I will be back to Scotland in July and August, so if there is anybody interested in rding Glentress, gimme a shout. That's still my No. 1 in the world , would be rude not to ride it!

Challenges and a fabulous week

Last week in a nut shell: Tip tracking, Makara Peak, exploring Mt Vic, National Champs on Mt Vic, Karapoti second try. Everything fabulous. A bit of rain though, but that made the tracks a bit better, not speaking of Karapoti. But thumbs up for Karapoti this weekend, my next race after that will be the Rainbow Rage in 2,5 weeks. Tip Track in 30:35 so far, doing my best to get better. Simply have a look at the pictures on Flickr, they are much better than any words. I shut up now, some more riding before the evil race on Saturday, looking forward to that. And THANKS to Katy and Neil from Krank Dirtwear! I have proper shorts again, hopefully they last much longer than my last pair of Fox shorts, that bailed out after a year. Bugger.

Hardtailin again

My good old CUBE is back on the map. Ok, not as attractive as the lovely chick, and not even as attractive as a cold bottle of Hamburg's lovely Astra. But hey, just managed to get back on my hard tail again. What a difference to the Stumpy. Back to basic, back to proper CC. Quite cool to ride still. Too small handlebars though (o:

Just took it up the Tip Track, sweet climb to do without rear supension and half of the travel I usually have. But great fun. Might be the better bike for the Rainbow Rage this year, race number 2 on my schedule after Karapoti, and before the 24h in Rotovegas (with some more people). Not made a decision yet, takes a few more rides on the old lady to truly love her again. But the CUBE is that bike which followed me all the way from 2003 till now. It really still deserves a big race before retiring.

What else is happening in Wellywood? A lot! Just tested the amazing seats in the Embassy for a tenner yesterday, and watched a great Fringe show: Familiar strangers. Essentially you walk around town and meet strangers on your way, played by different actors. Odd people, but a lot of those places where the play is staged have a very different meaning to me right now. Just watch it, it's more than worth spending the bucks! (That's exactly the best length for a review, isn't it?) Starts 6.15 at the Paramont Cinema, be there 30 min before.

Another great show that kept me off the saddle in the beginning of January: PAUA. Great comedy thriller at the place that pays me: Downstage Theatre. Just watch it, it's amazing. What ROAM did to the mountainbike community, does PAUA in the theatre space. Discovering things in a complete new way, throwing old conventions over board and creating a great and unique creative product. A great alternative to a good ride. But hey, doing both is much better!

Karapoti and other adventures

So after that sweet training up north, we tackled the Karapoti Classic on Saturday. First time in my life, to see what to expect in three weeks when the race is on. Having a few drinks the night before wasn't a great decision, so getting up at 7 and getting ready was a wee bit hard. But after a nice Midnight Espresso Latte we drove to Upper Hutt and met up with Nick and Mark, two of Jan's mates, who joined us for the ride. Loved Mark's white fur covering his saddle, ride with style, ey?

But now to the Karapoti: Not expecting anything easy I was surprised about the first bit, which was fairly easy. But the first real climb was a killer. Bottom gear and picking lines were essentials, but some sections are better to push. Leaving Jan behind us, as his knee didn't feel like biking, we finally arrived at the Rockgarden, and descending with some pushing again. The last bit was sweet to ride, nice single track, and some tricky bits. But overall not too hard, so I was wating for the biggie to come.

And there we go, don't mess around with Devil's staircase. Pushing, carrying, pushing, some riding, a bit of everything. Actually the second devils' staircase I've been on, after the evil bit on the West Highland Way in Scotland named the same. A little bit of rest on top, and then a sweet downhill all the way to Doper's Creek. And then the last hill, bottom gear and iron will in my mind. And I managed to (almost) ride the climb as a whole, which was pretty hard work. Together with two girls we met on top we cruised down the rest, waiting for the challenge to end. All in all it was a great ride, thanks to Nick and Mark, who did gave me a ride back to town as well. Having it ridden now, I think the 4 hour mark should be possible, with some intensive training the next weeks. VIVA LA KARAPOTI.

What a week! Adventures in Fartopolis

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." John F. Kennedy

Simple but true. Would John have had a fully, he'd have ridden the sweetest trails in Rotovegas, as we did last week. Taking a couple of days off and heading up to Taupo and Vegas with Jan and Marjolein was a very good decision, especially taking into concern that Karapoti is not to far away anymore.

Here the little training itenary: Saturday in Taupo, diggin our fat tyres into the Craters of the Moon trails, as a warm-up for the next day. Sweet stuff up there, I loved the structures built in the forest and the fast flowing single trails allover the place. Second day riding here was nice as well, more trails, more fun, and I hadn't come off the Stumpy in two days, hooray. Then we camped out next to the mud pools in Waiotapu, thanks to the friendly security guard named John who allowed us to pitch a tent in a public carpark in exchange for my Cateye. Together with Tanja, a lovely German girl who hitched with us down to the spot, we enjoyed an lovely evening. Anyway, she was more hardcore and wiser than us, slept outside under a net. We decided to squeeze ourselves in a tent, to experience that the combination of sulphur in the air and pretty warm temperatures doesn't neccesarly make a good sleep. But eating pasta fro the ground was cool, after Jan managed to drop them there and give them a bit more spice. Back to nature.

We were almost there, welcome to Fartopolis aka Roturua. Leaving our gear at the Funky Green Voyager the other day, and then off we went, to the magic Whakarewarewa Forest. And as expected, Roturua definetly deserves being called Vegas. Heeps of Trails, for each and every abilityand here are my favs: Grinder, Tickler, A-Trail, Dipper, Exit, B Rude Not 2, Pondy Downhill and Split Endz, just to name the best ones. Cranking through Dipper is so much fun, even more than last time on a hardtail. And this time, Jan an me took the evil drop on Tickler with style, one more, one less (o:
After riding for almost the whole day chillin in the backpackers was great, waiting for another days riding . And more cool stuff to ride the next day, as Hot X Bun and Billy T. Another whole day on the bike, and still managed to crank through Dipper on high speed. Sometimes stopping riding is so hard, especially on such sweet stuff. A quick dip in the hot pools after two long days was a .....pleasure. But paying 20 bucks for that is a wee bit too much, next time I'll soak myself in Hamner again, for less than the half. And more pools. And without security cameras allover the place. Getting up at 6 the next morning and riding more stuff was inevitable, before we headed back to Wellywood. Back there I couldn't stop myself: Thursday Makara, Friday off, Saturday Karapoti, but that's the next post.

Sunset @ Mount Victoria

Mt Vic rocks. Yeah baby, what a sweet playground to ride some stuff and watch the sunset, while other people work on their belly downtown. Gnarly singletracks, hills that require almost more than bottom gear, and fast downhills, all combined with a stunning scenery and some amazed tourists. Almost perfect. Wonder why I haven't discovered those pleasures before, but there's always a reason. That seamed to be my claim for the week anyway. Was all a bit too much.

But after the last two days riding my motivation kicks in again. The killer instinct is back, and the pure will to tackle things, go a bit further and have shitloads of fun with that. Being a mad German sometimes isn't easy, but worth it. One more month to the hardest race in my life: Karapoti, here I come. So the next month will be hard, but having this race to aim for is more than a good motivation. Slowly my technique gets better as well, sometimes I just have to ride things without thinking, and it works. Let the bike roll. Same as in real life, the less you think about things, the easier they are. Doesn't apply in general, but most of the times.

Perfect Lines for better living

Ending a shit week and a crap day with a smooth downhill is a great pleasure! If hadn't known it before I should know better now: I need biking for my own well-being. The tougher the better. Pushing the limits. It's pretty amazing how much shit you can burn off your body with one bike ride. One perfect line makes your day, yeah. Thanks Makara for that! Can't wait to go up to Roturua on the weekend, riding some of the sweetest lines in this country. Billy T be aware, I'm coming. After a perfect ride up to the top of Makara Peak a more than lovely downhill and up again, with a final cruise along Swigg and Starfish, that weekend should be fun. 4 days on the saddle....more stories to tell soon. Viva la bicycle. Viva la Stumpjumper!!

Roaming on the South Island - Part 1

Back again to civilisation, what a pity. But hey, another great trip down south, absolutely fantastic. Even though not planned this way. All began with a nice and calm ride over the Cook Straight, some beers on the boat and a great night with other Germans in Picton. Seems there are even more Germans down here than last year, so I developed my English accent even further, to operate undercover in backpackers and kept listening to people taking the piss of crazy nutters like us. Great fun! But let's go back to the facts, we left Picton with more than good intentions, but my lacking navigation skills forced us to take a detour through Renwick, which was immediately compensated with some good wine and coffee, and a break. Cycling with everything on the back is a pain for the first couple of days, even when you carry enough food for a 4 day off road trip on the back. After that lovely break we finally left Blenheim and therefore civilisation on Saturday afternoon, heading over Taylor's pass down to the Molesworth road, and camped down at Blairich river. Great place to chill and heal sore bums, and sleeping without a mattress wasn't that bad either. Could have been a bit more comfortable, especially with the thought of the next killer day in my head. But getting up was easy, and so we cycled the last sealed bit and then finally hit the gravel. But not for long. Right after Camden Station I heard a huge BANG!!!!!!!!!, unfortunately right behind me, in walking distance to my back wheel. Woken up, I got off and couldn't believe my eyes. A huge crack made my tire on the back pretty much unrideable, specially out in the middle of nowhere, with no proper bike shop in walking distance. So plan B was on the agenda, hitching back to Nelson, getting a new tire and head off again...more to come soon.