Things are happening in Gore- MLT Moonshine trail 2016

Welcome to my blog about biking in New Zealand! Note that it's written in Swedish AND English, with the Swedish version first, followed by the English version in italic font. Enjoy your reading!

Det 10:e MLT Moonshine Trail mtb racet i Gore holls for tva veckor sen. Det var forsta aret for mig, och jag ar glad och motiverad over min andraplats i Southland Isuzu 39km, bara tva sekunder fore trean, vilket race! Energy-gelen som jag fick av en snubbe i sista uppforsbacken maste ha varit laddad med 2 sekunder for benen! Moonshine Trail ar en rolig, malande, backig, harligt ben-brannande cykeltur i Gore, med en bra blandning av grusvag, traktorvag, och nagra vattendrag att korsa, lagom for att kyla fotterna. Jag kanner mig i bra form, dessutom hade vi tur med bra vader och glada funktionarer och fantastiskt arrangemang. Gore ar inte alls sa trakigt som vissa pastar! Jag hoppas komma tillbaka for Ships cone nasta ar, 3km och en sista harlig uppforsbacke extra innan mallinjen.

The 10th MLT Moonshine Trail mtb race in Gore went off two weeks ago. For me it was the first year and I'm happy to be the 2nd woman in the Southland Isuzu 39km, only two seconds between me and the 3rd woman, great fun racing! The energy-gel that I got from a nice rider in the last up-hill must have been loaded with a two-second boost for the legs. The Moonshine trail is a very enjoyable, grinding, hilly and wonderfully legburning ride in Gore, with a great mix of gravel road, farm tracks and a few river crossings, enough to cool the feet down. We were lucky to have nice sunny weather, happy cheering merchants and fantastic arrangement too. Things are happening in Gore- I'll be back for Ships cone next year, which adds an extra 3km and nice climb to the course.

Thanks for great photos from Gore camera club: Bob, Allan, Glennis, Leanne.

Farm track.

Race-face is on!

River crossing.

Southland Isuzu 39km. Great happy racing!

Knobby's range and Mt Benger A&P show

Welcome to my blog about biking in New Zealand! Note that it's written in Swedish AND English, with the Swedish version first, followed by the English version in italic font. Enjoy your reading!

I helgen var det Mt Benger A&P show (en show de har varje ar dar de visar gamla bilar, traktorer, har hasttavlingar, djurutstallningar, baktavlingar, karuseller, mat, ja allt man kan tanka sig). Det var ocksa den sista dagen for Goldfield karavanen, runt 400 hastar och fotgangare som har varit pa vandring en vecka, med start runtom i Otago, och slutar i Roxburgh. I ar ville Mt Benger A&P show arrangorerna att vi mountainbikare fran Roxburgh och Alexandra skulle gora en gruppcykling fran Alex till Roxburgh via Knobby's range, och sen vara med i paraden. Vilket tillfalle att utforska Knobby's range! Tyvarr blev det bara 5 av oss som cyklade.  Knobby's ar en fantastisk tur, lite over 4 mil traktorvag som ar lite knolig pa sina stallen, den ar perfekt for mountainbiking! Det var roligt att se sa mycket folk i Roxburgh, for showen. Jag hoppas att cykelturen som vi gjorde over Knobby's kan bli en arlig tradition, och jag hoppas att fler kommer med nasta ar.

Last weekend was the weekend for Mt Benger A&P show. It was also the final day for the Goldfields cavalcade, around 400 horses and walkers that had been on the trail for about a week, starting from around Otago and finishing in Roxburgh. This year some of the organizers of Mt Benger A&P show asked us mountain bikers of Roxburgh and Alexandra if we wanted to do a group ride from Alex to Roxburgh over Knobby's range and then join the parade. What a great opportunitiy to explore Knobby's range! Unfortunately the turn-up wasn't that great, only five of us ended up biking. It's a great ride, around 40 km 4WD, a bit rutted in places, over a few hills,  perfect for mountainbiking! It was a great day out and nice to see so many people gathering for the show in Roxburgh. I hope that this could be a yearly thing, to do a group ride over Knobby's range, and I hope that more mountain bikers would turn up and join us next year.

Roxburgh seen from Knobby's range, with mighty Mt Benger in the background.

Hogs back

Welcome to my blog about biking in New Zealand! Note that it's written in Swedish AND English, with the Swedish version first, followed by the English version in italic font. Enjoy your reading!

Vilken harlig dag ute i Castle Hill i Canterbury forra helgen! Vadret var strunt i Christchurch, men pa den andra sidan om den forsta bergsryggen som leder in till Sydalperna var det klarbla himmel. Helt fantastiskt att det kan skilja sa mycket. Fotona nedan ar fran Hogs back, en superrolig, intermediate niva, inte jattelang men valdigt vacker mtb trail. Den finns i Castle Hill, 50 km fran Arthurs Pass. Annu en fantastisk del av Nya Zeeland, och annu en fantastisk dag ute i bergen.

What a nice day out in Castle Hill in Canterbury last weekend! Weather was crap in Christchurch, but with a snap with the fingers it turned into a cracker day, once over the first climb into the mountains. Amazing. The photos below are from Hog's back, a superfun, intermediate level trail, not very long but scenic, in the Castle Hill area, 50 km from Arthurs Pass. Another amazing part of New Zealand, and another amazing day out in the mountains.

The Big Easy

Welcome to my blog about biking in New Zealand! Note that it's written in Swedish AND English, with the Swedish version first, followed by the English version in italic font. Enjoy your reading!

Forra helgen var det dags igen, for Big Easy mountainbike race i Wanaka. Jag gjorde den forra aret och har sett fram emot att gora den igen. Min syster Marie var har i Nya Zeeland forra aret, och hon och min son Isaak skjutsade mig upp till starten vid Snowfarm (hon cyklade inte, men var fantastisk support). Jag ar ganska imponerad av att min gamla van orkade hela vagen upp utan att koka. Bra jobbat lilla van! Min syster ar tillbaka i Sverige sen lange, och det var valdigt tomt utan henne i ar. Jag hade hela tiden min lycko-sten (som hon gett mig i present) i fickan, sa hon var anda med mig hela vagen over berget.

De ganska snabba nedatlunatande kilometrarna i borjan, som tar oss fran Snowfarm till Roaring Meg ar en bra uppvarmning for klattringen upp till Mt Pisa summit pa nara 2000 m. Jag minns att jag var valdigt nervos for nedforsbacken forra aret. Vissa forstar inte hur jag kan vara nervos for en nedforsbacke nar det ocksa ar mer an 1100 m uppfor att oroa sig over. Jag ar ingen nedforsakare, och jag tar 2300 m nedfor (ackumulert vertikalt) over sten och elande pa storsta allvar. Jag minns att jag nastan hade kramp i fingrarna forra aret (fran allt bromsande) och mina ben ropade efter en uppforsbacke som omvaxling.

I ar kandes banan mycket lattare. Jag ar antagligen mer tranad (hoppas jag), jag har en ny cykel, har gjort mer nedforsbackar och jag var mentalt forberedd. Istallet for att bli overraskad av en till uppforsbacke runt hornet, sa blev jag overraskad av att vara pa toppen nar jag trodde att jag hade en bra bit till att cykla. Jag lar mig ocksa att ata battre da jag cyklar, det hjalper att ta gelen vid ratt tillfallen (eller att ta dem over huvud taget).

Vyerna fran toppen ar helt fantastiska och naturen med, och det ar otroligt att vadret var sa perfekt i ar igen. Nedforsbacken kandes inte lika svar som forra aret, det var riktigt roligt (sa lange jag far satta farten sjalv, utan att ha for brattom). Jag ar anda glad att nedforsbacken avbryts med nagra sma uppforsbackar da och da. Det ar anda fortfarande en hel del bromsande, atminstone for vissa av oss. Jag uppskattar de sista 12 km fore mal. Det ar jamforelsevis platt och otekniskt, och benen har fatt ny energi allt nedfor. Det ar alltid en sa fantastisk frihetskansla att komma nersusande fran ett stort berg.

Jag cyklade nastan 20 minuter fortare i ar och jag var riktigt nojd med mitt race. Jag cyklade i mal med energi kvar i benen, och superstokad efter en fantastisk rolig cykeltur. Det har racet ar antagligen det basta av de jag gjort hittills, det ar superroligt och inte for langt, inte for kort, inte for svart, inte for latt, och fantastiska vyer. Jag ser redan fram emot nasta ar. De har bra spot-prizes ocksa, och lunchen ar supersmaskig! En tur upp till Obelisk ar bra traning infor Big Easy, nedforsbacken liknar Prospect hill track (las om turen jag och Blair gjorde i Januari har).

Jag har tyvarr inga foton fron i ar, sa alla foton fran 2015, tagna av Silver Vision Photography och Marie.


Last weekend it was time again for the Big Easy mtb race in Wanaka . I did it last year, and this is one of the rides that I have really looked forward to do again. My sister Marie was here in New Zealand to visit me last year and she and my son Isaak drove me up to the start at the Snowfarm that time (she didn't do the race but was a fantastic support). I'm pretty impressed that my old van made it all the way up without overheating, well done van! Marie is back in Sweden since long, and it was very empty this year, without her. I carried the lucky-stone that she gave me though, so in some way she was with me all over the top of Mt Pisa.

The pretty fast going down(ish)-hill slope that takes us from the start at the Snowfarm down towards Roaring Meg is a good warmup for the climb up to the top of Mt Pisa at almost 2000 m. 

I remember being pretty nervous about the downhill last year. Some people didn't understand how I could be nervous for a downhill when there's a 1100 meter climb to worry about... I'm not a downhiller at all, and I take a 2300 meter descent (accumulated vertical) over rocks and rough surfaces quite seriously. I remember my fingers being almost cramped at the end of the downhill last year (from using the breaks) and my legs screaming for an uphill for a change. 

This year the course felt much easier. I'm probably fitter (I hope), I've got a new bike, done more downhills and I was mentally prepared. Instead of being surprised by another uphill around the corner, I was surprised by being at the top when I actually thought I had quite a bit to go . I'm also learning to eat better during the rides, taking the gels at the right time helps (or take them at all). 

The views from up there are just fantastic, the nature is rough and amazing, and I couldn't believe how lucky we were with the weather again this year. The downhill didn't feel bad at all this year, it's actually pretty fun, as long as I go my own pace. However I'm glad the downhill is interrupted by a few smallish uphills. It is still quite a lot of breaking though, at least for some of us. I actually really enjoy the last 12 km on the flat(ish) part before the finish. It's as if the legs have new energy after the long downhill, and it's just flat and easy. It's always a special refreshing feeling of freedom coming down from a big mountain. 

Isaak camping in
Albert Town.

I did almost 20 minutes faster this year than last year, and I was very happy with my race. I finished with quite a lot of energy still in my legs and feeling very good and stoked from a great fun as ride. This race is probably the nicest I've done so far, not too long, not too short, not too easy, not too difficult, fun and amazing views. I already look forward to next year. They have good spot prizes too, and the lunch is healthy and tastes awesome, yum! A trip up to the Obelisk is a good preparation for the Big Easy, the downhill is very similar to Prospect Hill track. Read about the New Year adventure that Blair and I did to the Obelisk here.

Unfortunately I have no photos from this year, they are all from 2015, some from Silver Vision Photography, and the rest from Marie.

Breakfast with Marie and Isaak in Albert Town, before the race last year. Photo: Maries camera.

Bikers gathering before the start of the Big Easy 2015. Photo: Marie.

Downhill, Big Easy 2015. Photographer Silver Vision Photography.

Me and my old green bike, Big Easy 2015. Photographer Silver Vision Photography.

The Obelisk

Welcome to my blog about biking in New Zealand! Note that it's written in Swedish AND English, with the Swedish version first, followed by the English version in italic font. Enjoy your reading!

ANTLIGEN fick jag komma upp pa Old Man's range och Obelisk igen! Som jag vantat  och tittat upp pa toppen. Jag cyklade sjalv upp forra aret (kolla in posten i min gamla blogg, har), men da det ar ganska langt fran allt, och mycket kan handa dar ute sa har jag vantat for att fa nagon med mig. Det ar inte latt, manga ar radda for den ganska stora uppforsbacken som leder upp till Obelisk. Men sa antligen lyckades jag overtala en cykelpolare fran Christchurch, Blair, att komma med mig (han var inte speciellt svar att overtala). Han var i krokarna och ar inte speciellt radd for en uppforsbacke (han visste nog inte heller vad han gav sig in pa).

Det ar hart arbete att cykla upp, vi fick stanna nagra ganger for att vila benen, och de ganger man far hoppa av cykeln for att oppna grindar ar mycket valkomna. Val pa toppen har man en fantastisk utsikt over Otago, over Alexandra, Clyde, Dunstan range, Mt Pisa, Old woman range... man kanner sig pytteliten dar uppe och bergen som jag annars cyklar och som ger mig mjolksyra ser ut som sma knolar.

Obelisk ligger pa nastan 1700 m over havet och tack och lov ar det grusvag de 12 kilometrarna och 1300 m stigning upp. Den 20 km langa nedforsbacken som leder tillbaka till Clyde och Alexandra ar en traktorvag, rolig och precis lagom teknisk och med helt fantastiska vyer over Centrala Otago.

Vi parkerade en bil vid Synes Rd (vid foten av berget) och en vid bron i Alexandra for att slippa cykla stora vagen till starten av berget. Hela rundan tog ungefar fyra timmar med stopp. Vilken fantastisk start pa det nya aret! Blair har fangat allt pa sin Strava, kolla garna in lanken:

https://www.strava.com/activities/461002406

Jag ar nastan alltid sugen pa en cykeltur upp pa Old Man's range, sa hojta till om du vill ha sallskap!

FINALLY I had the opportunity to bike up to Old Man's range and the Obelisk again! I have waited and waited and looked up towards the top. I biked it last year (check out the post in my old blog, here, sorry it's written in Swedish only), alone, but since it is quite remote and lots can happen out there I wanted to have someone with me on the ride. It's not easy, many people are a bit scared of the big uphill that leads to the Obelisk. But finally I managed to convince a biking buddy from Christchurch, Blair, to come with me (he wasn't very difficult to convince). He was around and he's not afraid of an uphill. He might not have known what he was about to face either, but he also said after that he'd do it again, so it can't have been too bad! 

It's bloody hard work to bike up, we had to stop a few times to give the legs some mercy, and the gates that we had to get off the bikes to open were most welcome. The climb is so well worth it though, the view over Otago, Alexandra, Clyde, Dunstan range, Mt Pisa, Old Woman range and so on is fantastic and you feel so small up there. The hills I sometimes bike and that gives me lactic acid looks like small bumps down there. 

Obelisk stands almost 1700 m above the ocean and luckily the 12 km and 1300 m climb up to the top is gravel road (even though pretty steep in places). The 20 km downhill leading back to Clyde and Alexandra is a 4WD, heaps of fun, not too easy, not too tricky and with an amazing view over Central Otago. 

We parked one car on Synes Rd (at the foot of the mountain) and one by the bridge in Alexandra, to avoid biking on the big road. The ride took us about four hours with stops. What a great start of the new year! Blair caught everything on Strava, check out the link:

https://www.strava.com/activities/461002406

I'm almost always up for a ride on the Old Man's range, so give me a shout if you are keen!

The climb. You can see the road far down there, and Butchers Dam and Flat Top Hill even further down.

Blair on a rock. Alexandra far in background.

My bike on the Old Man's range adventure.

Me and my bike on a rock.

My bike and the Obelisk. I have a similar pic from last year, with my green bike.

Old Man's range.

Blair and I after the climb. A nice downhill is waiting yeay!

And from here it goes (mostly) down!

A good place to be.

Roxburgh Gorge Trail

Welcome to my blog about biking in New Zealand! Note that it's written in Swedish AND English, with the Swedish version first, followed by the English version in italic font. Enjoy your reading!

Sa... aven om jag namnde att jag inte haft mycket motivation till att cykla den sista tiden, sa tog jag mig anda ut pa en 44 km tur igar, fortfarande med Lake Onslow backen i benen. Jag har inte cyklat Roxburgh Gorge Trail pa sakert ett halvar, och det har var forsta gangen pa mitt nya vapen. Det var helt enkelt superroligt! 

Roxburgh Gorge Trail oppnade 2013, och gar fran Alexandra till Roxburgh, med vattentaxi nagra km i mitten. Jag har aldrig tagit vattentaxin, men det ar aven en kanontur att cykla fran Roxburgh till Shingle Creek och tillbaka. Stephen Jeffrey (som aven ar min sambos chef) och andra inblandade har verkligen gjort ett kanonjobb med att bygga trailen. Den ar otroligt valbyggd, den ar rolig och vacker och uppforsbackarna ar inte jobbiga, de ar riktigt inbjudande. 

Roxburgh Gorge Trail fortsatter som Clutha Gold Trail efter dammen i Roxburgh, och gar sedan anda till Lawrence (dar de har den basta glassen pa sydon). Jag brukar fortsatta Clutha Gold Trail till bron i andra anden av Roxburgh, for att gora turen lite langre.

Pa vag hem igar fick jag annu en gang tillfalle att gora molnnerden i mig lycklig, genom att beskada en fantastisk rosa/orange kvallshimmel over Roxburgh.

Jag kan absolut rekommendera Roxburgh Gorge Trail till den som ar intresserad av att cykla. Jag skulle dock inte ta med min 8-arige son, da det ar branta stup pa sidorna, aven om cykelvagen ar bred och lattcyklad.

Las mer om Roxburgh Gorge Trail har.

So... even though I said I didn't have much motivation for biking lately, I did another 44 km ride yesterday... still with the Lake Onslow hill in the legs. I haven't been on Roxburgh Gorge Trail for probably half a year, and this was the first time ever on my new weapon. It was fun as! 

Roxburgh Gorge Trail opened up in 2013, and goes all the way from Alexandra to Roxburgh Dam, even though you have to take a water taxi for a few kilometers in between. I have never taken the water taxi, but biking to Shingle Creek and back is a good entertaining ride. Stephen Jeffrey (by the way my partners boss) and people did a brilliant job building the trail. It is very well prepared, it's fun and beautiful and the climbs are not hard, they are constructed in a way so that they are very inviting.

Roxburgh Gorge Trail links up with Clutha River trail, that goes all the way to Lawrence (where you can get the best ice-cream on the south island). I usually keep on riding Clutha Gold trail to Roxburgh bridge, in the other end of Roxburgh, just to make it a bit longer.

I can absolutely recommend a bike ride on Roxburgh Gorge Trail for anyone who's interested in biking. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking my 8 year old son out there yet though, since there are steep drop-offs on the sides, even though the trail is wide and very easy biked. 

On the way home I had again the opportunity to make the cloudnerd inside me happy, by watching a beautiful pink/orange eveningsky over Roxburgh.

Read more about Roxburgh Gorge Trail here.

Hidden valley.

View of Old Man's range.

Roxburgh Gorge Trail.

Shingle Creek.

Roxburgh Gorge Trail.

Nice evening sky over Roxburgh.

Lake Onslow- a reboot ride

Welcome to my blog about biking in New Zealand! Note that it's written in Swedish AND English, with the Swedish version first, followed by the English version in italic font. Enjoy your reading!

Jag har inte haft jattemycket motivation att cykla den sista tiden. For mycket PhD jobb, resande till och fran Christchurch och for mycket tid hemifran suger energi, och det blir inte mycket kvar for cykling. Igar tog jag tag i det igen, med hjalp av min cykelpolare BigT, och vi cyklade 41 km med 1000 m stigning upp till "Traktorn", pa berget med utsikt over Lake Onslow. Vadret var bra nar vi lamnade Teviotdalen, men molnen var laga och uppe pa berget var allt tackt av tjocka moln, blott och blasigt. Det var lite skillnad mot sist jag cyklade upp dar, du kan lasa om den turen i min post "Lake Onslow- an unexpected evening ride". Jag gillar det oforutsagbara vadret, det gor att jag kanner mig levande. BigT blir snabbare  varje gang jag tar en cykeltur med honom. Jag far snart problem att hinna med honom.

BigT hade tillstand fran landagarna att cykla ner pa deras mark, genom hagar med koskit och tjurar. Jag ar inte jattefortjust i tjurar sa det var bra traning for mig.

Jag jobbar just nu med moln och hur de formas i min PhD. Det var en perfekt dag for en moln-nord som jag att studera molnen fran bergen.  En bars sitter fint efter en cykeltur som denna, och jag kanner mig som en ny manniska igen.

I haven't had much motivation for biking the last few weeks. Too much PhD work and travel and being away from my son for too long drains the energy, and not much of it is left for biking. Yesterday I conquered it though, with the help of my bike-buddy BigT, and we did a good 41 km and 1000 meter climb up to "the Tractor", on the hill overlooking Lake Onslow. The weather was okay in the  Teviot Valley, but the clouds were low and up on the mountain it was all covered in cloud, wet and windy. A bit different compared to last time I climbed up there, read about it in my post "Lake Onslow- an unexpected evening ride". I love the changeable weather, and a bit of nastyness just makes me feel more alive. BigT is getting fitter each time I see him doing an uphill, I will soon have problems to keep up with him!

BigT had got permission from the farmers to go downhill through their land, crossing paddocks of cowpoo and bulls. I'm not very found of bulls so that was good training for me. 

At the moment I'm working on the formation of clouds in my PhD. This was a perfect day for a cloud-nerd like me to study the clouds from the view up the mountain. A nice beer is not the wrong thing to throw down the throat after a bike ride like that, and I totally feel rebooted.

No view of Lake Onslow today.

Some cool cloud formation far away over the mountains and Teviot Valley.