Kiwi Brevet 2010 Day 1

Day 1

Noon start at Blenheim Square. 5 hours to Picton? Surely you jest? It only took 75 minutes to bike down from the ferry last night. But on the Port Hills road—gravel hill to the next bay, then start up again. And again. And again.

I'm having serious tire envy here

This one just leaves me speachless. . .

Paved but still hilly to Havelock, then cruise to Peloris Bridge for the start of the first adventure—the Magataupu track, Murderers rock.

Front gear cable housing split in 2, leaving me with no front ring choices.

Sat down for a snack at 10:30pm with the guys from Revolution bike shop and Rodney at Murderer’s rock. Then decided to push on over the hill to Nelson for the night. (My theory—I can walk my bike perfectly well in the dark, and I can’t ride up OR down this hill in daylight.)

3am meal at McDonalds in Nelson with the teen/college after-party crowd. Then on to Richmond for the night—tiptoed into the house, and found a lovely blow up mattress available for my use. Up at 8am for the next day’s adventure. Fellow rider with shop skills fixed my gear cable housing front gears with a quick snip using cutters at the house.