Up to reefton it was pristine. Some weird new yellow markers must be a new bike guide and I like it ! On the other side of the road plenty of fine gravel so I took some mental notes for the way back. I did not plan to ride black spur avoiding the tourist seeing its a 26C & blue sky day. Haven't ridden for a while so I rode really carefully. There were so many bikes around and I really tried to keep to the left in case someone ran wide. There was one ktm guy who did this and passed the white line but he managed to control it.
On the way back I came across a group of 6 guys doing "the pace". very disciplined and smooth and I tagged behind. Love it. But after a while one by one they signal me to pass as my pace was bit quicker, perhaps they hate seeing dual white xenon headlights looming on the mirror -- as you do. Getting to the leader this one guy was different -- he was very fast and smooth so I just stayed comfortably behind him and learnt a few. We passed the peak and after sometimes I found out my pace is getting marginally quicker so I pass him somewhere safely. He stayed with me for a while but by the 80 zone he was about 3 bends away. My 10,000km-worn shinko's performed beautifully during the whole ordeal
The highlight of the trip was the chicada, though. There must be millions of them, in the helmet sounding like bearing 'whirr' I actually stopped to inspect my bike!. Off the helmet well they're really LOUD, never experienced anything like that.
if this is what's in store for summer ......then BRING IT ON !!!
http://www.ksrc-au.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=17813&hilit=
