Tour de Hanmer Springs

So, how do you stop an Irongirl getting bored with her long Sunday morning rides?  Easy - send her away for the weekend....

Last weekend marked the first of several overnight group rides that Coach Dave decided to organise.  The idea was to provide a change of scenery and yep, you guessed it, keep things interesting!  It's a very simple idea - just bike to a distant destination, stay overnight and then bike home.  Dave organised a van and trailer  as support vehicle, arranged accommodation and provided plenty of enthusiasm.  All we had to do was bring an equal dose of enthusiasm, our riding gear, sleeping gear, food and some cash.  Oh, and our bikes!

So this first trip of the year was to Hanmer Springs.  Usually a nice day trip from Christchurch (in a car), at about 145km and a steady climb to the alpine village, it would take we intrepid cyclists most of the day.  And while we all brought plenty of enthusiasm with us, it would be fair to say there was also a bit of trepidation lurking behind everyone's laughter.  For some of us it was the dreaded hills - would we cope, would we get dropped by the bunch and spend all day trying to catch up?  For others it was purely the distance - would we last the distance, would we keep up with the group or would we get dropped by the peloton and spend all day trying to catch up.  And would the others get bored standing around waiting for the stragglers?

Dave, however, was having none of anyone's hesitations.  We would ride as a peloton, maintaining a steady pace, have plenty of breaks along the way to regroup and, most importantly, have fun.

And so we did.

Safety was a prime consideration and Kate, who had volunteered to do most of the driving, soon found out that her visions of stopping for a coffee, muffin and read of the paper while she waited for us were just that - visions.  The trailer had been covered in signage, the van had an orange flashing light and this combination would stay on our tails the whole way.

Do you think there's some cyclists ahead?

Half of our peloton, ready and eager to get going

We departed Anna's just after 8.30am on Saturday and headed out to Rangiora then through Sefton before stopping at Ashley School to pick up the rest of the group.  Two hours after our departure from Christchurch we arrived in Amberley where we had our first stop for muffins and coffee at the Nor'Wester Cafe.  Yummy muffins and great, hot, coffee.  Just the fuel we needed to set us up for the first hill stage: Waipara to Waikari through Weka Pass. 

Nor' Wester Cafe

Bikes patiently waiting at the Nor'Wester Cafe

This section was my biggest concern and, sure enough, once we started climbing I got dropped by the group.  Not to worry, though, I had mastered six hill repeats up Hackthorne Rd last weekend so I wasn't about to be beaten by a series of climbs up Weka Pass!  Shortly after I fell back Simone also dropped off the back of the group and I slowly started to pick her up.  All was going well though - I wasn't dying on the hills, just getting up them more slowly than the others and I could still see them ahead.  About halfway to Waikari I realised I wasn't alone, though.  Heading up yet another climb a voice behind me suddenly said "slow down your cadence and your breathing."  It was Dave.  I had realised earlier that there was someone behind me but didn't know it was Dave that had dropped back to keep an eye on Simone and I and make sure we got through the climbs OK.  Soon I caught up with Simone, and Dave stayed with us both until we got to the final climb where he tore off like a jack rabbit to catch the others, calling out "well done girls, this is the last climb, you've made it to Waikari!"

We were both stoked to hear that news and, to celebrate, Simone said "I've got our theme song".  Next thing you know, the hills of Weka Pass are echoing to the sound of "Fat Bottomed Girls"  as we sung at the top of our voices while shooting down the final hill into the sleepy settlement of Waikari where the rest of the group were waiting.

It was then a relatively brief ride through to our next stop, in Culverden for lunch, a section of the ride which was made more entertaining by magpies carrying out bombing runs on us as we encroached on their imaginary section of the road.  We did, however all make it through unscathed and some of us were completely oblivious to the attacks - probably a good thing!

Time for lunch in Culverden

At Culverden we stopped at the Red Post Cafe for lunch and had a table around the corner to ourselves next to the open, roaring fire.  It was a great atmosphere and we very quickly realised that we shouldn't get too comfortable or else we'd never want to leave!

Simone - Does My Butt Look Big in this?

Once we were all fed Kate decided she was going to ride and so Dave took over driving duties and I somehow got landed the job of calling "time" every five minutes, the signal for us to rotate so that everyone gets a turn at the front of the pack.  We went well as a group until about the last 15km before Hanmer Springs where we hit some more hills and I got dropped again.  The whole group got spread out a bit at this point but we came together when one of the boys up front got a puncture, by which time people were generally starting to tire out a bit.  It was then every man for himself into town and a group of 8 very tired cyclists were happy to see the driveway of the house we were staying in that night (which happened to be at the end of two rather stiff climbs!).

We got in at about 4.30pm very satisfied with the day's efforts.  It was a pretty quiet night, dinner at Robbie's Bar and Bistro and then back to base where the guys proceeded to watch three television channels at once.  It must be a guy thing...but it was a tactic that ensured all the girls had retired to their beds by 9.30pm!

Sunday morning dawned chilly but with clear blue skies and not a breath of wind.  The planned departured was 9.00am but we were all organised and on the road by 8.30am.  After a steady climb the previous day, Sunday proved to be great fun.  We got some excellent downhill stretches and the pace of the peloton was marred only by one "Schleck" incident where Dave managed to drop his chain while leading the pack up a climb.  Unlike Contador, however, the peloton didn't attack but good-naturedly waited while he sorted out his mechanical...

Brief pause at just outside Waikari

The Red Post Cafe in Culverden hosted us again, this time for a morning tea stop where we devoured their entire supply of raspberry and white chocolate muffins.  Our apologies to anyone else passing through Culverden that day and missed out...they were yummy!!!  At the top of the hill at Waikari we paused again for a regroup and change of driver before a fantastic drop down Weka Pass and into Waipara - it definitely made the climb up the previous day worthwhile!

Finally we turned again onto State Highway 1 and and headed into Amberley.  The traffic was noticeably heavier on this stretch and Dave did a great impersonation of a herding dog as he kept us in single file and, at one point, sprinted his way to the front two riders who had decided it was OK to ride two abreast again.  In normal circumstances it would have been fine, except this time there was a 4WD sitting behind them, too scared to pass due to the police car sitting on his tail.  It was a very funny sight to see.

We hit Amberley 45 minutes ahead of schedule but thankfully our booked table for lunch at the Nor'Wester Cafe was ready and waiting.  Eight hungry cyclists plus one driver (and Pete, who had come out to join us for lunch) were soon tucking into dishes such as soup, eggs benedict, BLTs and toast.  And not much was left over.

3.00pm Sunday and I rolled into the garage at home.  Feeling strong, and tired (if that's possible) but very happy with the weekend's efforts. The weather cooperated, the company was great and, all in all, I couldn't think of a better way to spend a weekend...and ride 290km!