I see Poppi (AKA: Ultraromance) is in NZ at the moment. I wonder if he’s Breveting?
Just arrived in Wellington 
Dafuq
Spent today hanging out at Bicycle Junction (sw8 shop btw) - where dudes from the shop are riding the Brevet as well. Feeling prepared.
Mike, you and your rawland are famous. “Oh yeah, that guy who rides a cargo bike to random workplaces”
Dialed
keen to hear everyone’s short story of what happened soon. followed the blue dots fairly lazily, looked interesting.
Did tom. die?
Lol, kinda… Ended up finishing the Brevette
I’ll post my report later tomorrow (waiting in Blenheim all day tomorrow for Dan to finish)
Mike just rolled into town. Big ups for completing the brevet, dude
Well, back in Wellington after the brevet.
1152kms in 5 days and 8 hrs.
Happy to have managed my target despite some crazy weather.
More pics and thoughts when I get back to Melb.
hokay.
130 odd starters at Blenheim, lots of rigid 29ers, plenty of ;standard’ xc 29ers, quite a few fargos, a few CX’s a few touring bikes (one with 32’s -ouch), a SS fatbike and a couple of krampi.
Day One
Bit rainy, kinda funny mass start out of town with lots of groups of 10-20 riders.
Pretty eventful first 50kms, one rider (peg) went down on a corner, ripped her knee up = 6 stitches back in blenheim, Scott got a few punctures, cumulating in a blown sidewall right at the bead which (after I left him) he booted and held together with cable ties! -it held some 150kms.
I made it thru the Rainbow rd to Lake Guyon Hut on the St James trail, stayed with 2 other riders and 3 trampers. Borrowed their cooker had a hot dinner and a cup of tea.
190kms, 2800m up, 11hrs.
Rainbow Road
Down Island Saddle
Down Maling Pass
Day Two
Pretty rough trail but stunning scenery in the St James.
Came round a corner and had a WTF moment meeting Scott (me thinking he had gone back to Blenheim to get a new tyre) he had caught up and passed me in the night!
Pushed several hills due to the loose and steepness.
Scott almost made it to Hanmer Springs but the boot was rubbing and causing punctures, so he hitched the last 15kms once he ran out of tubes.
Big breakfast and caught up with alot of riders in Hanmer Springs.
Scott got a new tyre and we rolled out with the “coastal crew” -three dudes from Welly.
All good till culverdon when Scotts knee blew up and I pushed on with the coastal crew across the hot, windy and dry canterbury plains into McDonalds Downs Station.
Had thoughts of staying at Wharfedale hut but that wasn’t to be and I camped at a picnic ground with some other riders (no water)
183kms, 2300m up, 15hrs
Morning in the St James
Down into Lees Valley
Day Three
Got up at 5am to see one of the other riders had already packed and gone, later found out at 3am!
Took 1.5hrs to get to Wharfedale hut, slow going up a river bed, so good choice to stop the night before.
Wharfedal track was slow going, some wash outs, lots of hike a bike, not that great, didn’t see anyone till the very end. Last 5kms descent out was good.
Brunch at the Sheffield Pie shop, meet quiet a few other riders -some didn’t even wanna chat, but started riding with Peg (who had busted her knee and sat a day out), as it was gonna be windy thru Arthurs Pass and I needed some mates.
Passed the dude who got up 3am here - getting up and trying to MTB in the dark sucks its seems, also passed a dude who tried to ride the Wharfedale in the dark but got to a hike-a-bike slip and not game to risk in the dark had to backtrack a km to find a flat spot to sleep.
Porters pass was ok, but the section thru to Arthurs was crazy, strong headwinds, rain and general shitness, even a fire!
It got worse at Arthurs Pass, cold, wet but we did book a cabin in Jackons, so we pushed on up to the pass itself and down Otira Gorge which was one of the gnarliest descents I’ve ever done. Gale headwinds blowing torrential rain into our eyes whilst going down 15% viaducts. Poured all the way to Jackson where a hot meal and shower was awesome.
190kms, 2700m up, 14.5 hrs.
Morning in Lees Valley
The Wharfedale track:
Slippy
The nice descent bit
Things getting a bit shit
No pics of the section thru Arthurs pass, was too cold/wet to take the phone out.
Day Four.
Solid sleep on the road by 6. Really productive morning riding with Peg, did 100kms before brunch at Ikamatua.
Then we headed into the Waiuta/Big River track which was a highight. Really damp, muddy and mossy but awesome, a little hike a bike but not as steep/rough as the St James and not as frustrating as the Wharfedale track. Took 5hrs to do 25kms or so, but was great. ‘baby’s head’ rock descents, boardwalk, old shacks, it was great.
Burger in Reefton and then we pushed on to Maruia for another night indoors - was still pretty damp and cold.
215kms, 2700m up, 15.5hrs
Waiuta/Big River track:
Day Five
Nice climb up Maruia Saddle, and down to murchison, we started passing a few riders along here.
Big breakky at Murchsion, and re stocked for the 100kms with no towns to Tapawera - I foolishly bought 400gms of dates for some reason, and only ended up eating 8 or so!
Hike a bike up the 400m ascent of the Porika kinda sucked apart from the views, but the fully rideable descent was choice.
Some nice dirt roads into tapawera for more food and decided to push onto Richmond for dinner and Nelson for the night.
Made richmond for dinner which was 2 large pizzas, another 20kms or so thru Nelson to a campground up the Maitai Valley where 5 or so other brevet/brevette riders were camped.
250kms, 3000m up, 17hrs.
Up the Porika Track
View of Lake Rotoroa
Dinner in Richmond
Day Six
Started with the tough climb (ocassional HaB) up the Maungatapu track.
Sweet descent down to Pelorus Bridge for pies and cake and coffee.
Flew along to Havelock trying to roll turns with Peg at ~35kmph.
Windy ride along Queen Charlotte drive to Picton for a quick re-stock and to hit the last shitty bit. Straight into a 400m climb, then 2x 100m and 2x200m dirt climbs before a roll along the (very windy) flat into Blenheim.
Bumped into Scott who had camped nearby for the last 15kms into Blenheim.
160kms, 3400m up, 12.5 hrs.
Looking up where we were headed
Up the Maungatapu track
Sun on the Queen Charlotte
Stoked to be finished and to ride the last half with a similar paced rider was great.
Beer and snacks at the Square with other riders as the rolled in was choice.
Happy I hit my time target of ~5-6 days. We had some terrible weather and the MTBing was tougher than I thought esp. once tired and on a loaded bike.
Bike preformed well, no issues, happy with tyre choice (nanos), gear was all used except some emergency stuff I wouldn’t want to loose anyway. Only way to lighten up is spend crazy money on a new bag and tent which isn’t on the cards. Might try out full aero bars next big ride/race like this.
Body held up surprisingly well, got a little bit of knee pain in the last 10kms but only cos grinding into the wind.
Definetley reccomend when it rolls around again in 2017 (Tour of Aoteaora in 2016?!)
Those pictures are incredible, Mike!
Big congrats on completing the ride. I can’t imagine how knackered you must have felt at the end… Very impressive riding!
Big ups Mike!
+1 incredible pics.
It’s a year away but I’m pumped for Tour of Aoteaora.
Impressive mike! Thats some serious offroad kms!
+1 am committed to do it next year as well. For those that want to do it - you should express interest asap… looks like it’s nearly full
Thanks MikeD! Really enjoyed reading your report!
Posting from Hospital… Apparently I rode the KB on a collapsed lung :\
Report still coming…
Erg.