Tour Aotearoa, 3000km Length of NZ. Feb/March 2016

Tour Aotearoa

hmmm

Faaaark.

TC: Can’t see or hear the word “aotearoa” without getting Splut Inz’s 6 months in a leaky boat stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

…and there goes my day.
Tyranny of distanccccceeeeee…

phwoaaarrr.
would do.

i was about to say i can’t because of timing of life, but i’m a year out. seriously considering this. would have to do the 15 day option, but yolo.

It’s not a stage race, its kays not days, self supported so you can do it as fast or as slow as you want.

Yeah, I’m def thinking about one island at least.

Edit: I think the numbers/colours refer to section in Kennet Brothers books.

My mate Jamie is keen. He’s mates with the organiser and a mad endurance kinda guy, right into Orienteering.

Also, my wife’s kinda keen, but maybe for next year rather than 2016… Cool…

I’m gonna give the Kiwi Brevet a go next February and see about how I’m feeling about ToA after that. My brother did the Brevette this year and is amping for next year’s Brevet AND '16 ToA too. I hope I’m the same.

At the moment I look at that map and just think what a farrrrkkkin long way that is.

Team FoA is a go!

…this is pretty cool. Definitely keen, just a bit too far away to plan it in. Why would you announce an event nearly 2 years before it happens? Anyway, good stuff…

Cos it’s a long and challenging ride that for many requires a lot of goal setting and hard work.

Pff, show up on the day with tarck bike and bivvy, no problemo.

You watched that skate vid didn’t ya?

ftfy

More details on the route announced.
New Zealand Great Rides and Country Roads

Tour Aotearoa: Tour Aotearoa update - the route

Hornsby station is a long way away for a bail out option :wink:

Booked in, mentally.

Hey. Wait. This is in 2016. I thought it was this Feb. I could do this.

Am having a good look at the route now though, with an idea to copy some of it for our tour there this Feb.

yep, this Feb (2015) is the Kiwi Brevet.

I’m keen, looks a great event.

tom. tells me that he’s in too (… provided his current ailments ain’t still giving him grief).

I’m hoping to jump in when it swings by my neck of the woods, acting as his domestique between Thames and Whanganui ;). I’d love to do the whole thing but my boys are too little to consider leaving them for such a length of time.

I’ll be back doing the KB in 2017 instead… and have set myself a goal of riding the TD before I’m 40 (which will be in 2021). Got the UM bug for sure.

Just a heads up, for those considering riding this just be aware that some NZ ‘cycleways’ are no walk in the park, they certainly not rail trails. I was really taken a back by the level of technical riding required for a few sections of the Kiwi Brevet (mainly St James, Wharfdale, Waiatu/Big River). Certainly there’s no DH trails but there is proper backcountry singletrack, including steep and loose rocky descents, slippery roots and sections with exposure, not to mention steep and sustained climbs that’ll have you pushing your 25kg bike for kms at a time. Whatever bike you ride you’ll want some sturdy tyres that are wider than 2.0" (and 180mm rotors mightn’t be a bad idea on some of those BIIIIGGGGGGG descents). Can’t even begin to imagine the amount of misery of those riders that chose to ride it on a CX or touring bike. I must have passed 10 riders fixing snakebites on the first day of the Brevet… And that was even before we got into the St James.