A Perfect Day.

I’ve just completed my second official Randonneurs event, actually I didn’t just do it, I also hosted it, and it was one of those perfect days when everything went right.

Gethyn on the right, like a tethered race horse eager to get going.

It was a 200km ride and I am now finding that distance easy, I need to do a 300km event now. The ride had a section of steep hills, a section of riding down valleys, a section of riding along the coast, often right next to the beach, and a section of fun cycle tracks. We left at sunrise and finished at sunset, as we have now passed daylight savings, and the days are getting shorter. The weather was perfect – fine, warm and not a breath of wind the whole day. We all rode at the same speed – no one got left behind, although our friend and neighbor – Gethyn, was so strong he went off ahead and finished two hours faster in an awesome time of 8 hours 45mins. So a great day was had by all.

Craig, Niel and I at our Kohatu stop.

The café at Kohatu was an oasis in the ‘middle of nowhere’. We had a pleasant stop in the sunshine there, where Craig got a belated breakfast. The hills and farms are very dry and brown from the lack of rain, but it was still a very scenic route. Our second stop was at Riwaka, and we had a third stop at Ruby Bay beach reserve. The Great  Taste Trail from Rabbit Island and along the edge of the Waimea Inlet to Richmond and back to the start / finish at Brightwater was a lot of fun, and you almost feel like a kid on a BMX bike.

So anyone out there, who would like to do a scenic and fun all day ride – look me up.

Niel, myself and Craig at the lovely Ruby Bay beach reserve.

Niel is doing a 600km ride the week after next, so while he is away doing that, I will do a ride of at least 250km. That will be my last big ride for a while as I have surgery at the end of the month on my knee, and then it will be winter. But I already have training plans for the end of winter and spring.