September/October Newsletter

AUG 25th WORKING BEE

This Sunday was the start of some thing new, The Club is now running working bees on the last Sunday of every month.

With this first one been sponsored by Fulton Hogan Takaka & The Mussel Inn it was very successful.

If you would like to sponsor or get involved with the Club working bees please don’t haste to contact us.

gbmountainbikeclub@gmail.com

JULY/AUGUST 2024 NEWSLETTER

MAY/JUNE 2024 GBMTBC NEWSLETTER

2024 Tour Te Waipounamu - Karen Le Sueur 

If you enjoy riding your bike and tramping the Tour Te Waipounamu (TTW) could be just the event for you! TTW is held every two years and starts at our very own Cape Farewell (the top of the South Island) and finishes at Slope Point (the very bottom point of the South Island). The 2024 event was the third time this event has been run. The event was created and is managed by long time member of the GBMTBC Brian Alder. Lets make no mistake, TTW is a race. If you are not racing for line honors, you will be pitting yourself against the course. Brian has designed a route that is challenging with a good healthy serving of taking a bicycle places no bicycle has a right to be including through some specular Private land that is only accessed during the event. 
This year Brian had just over 140 applicants for the race and had to whittle that number down to just above 80 riders. You couldn’t just sign up for this event! Prospective applicants had to demonstrate they were not only proficient riders but could be self-sufficient in the Outdoors. By the time the 28th of January came about only 58 of the original riders were on the start-line. This year I took up the challenge and pitched myself against the course. 
During the ride I coped with constant fatigue and pushing my body well beyond its limits. During the race I was expecting a good percentage of “Type 2” fun, but surprised myself by genuinely enjoying the course - including the set-backs like walking / scooting my bike 33kms after bending my chain ring near Tekapo and losing my whole sleeping system while descending a track at Craigiburn. The weather also tried to ‘dampen’ my ride with strong southerlies experienced in places, snow and heat to deal with - all in a days ride! I overcame all of this to finish the race in 7 days, 14 hours. 

‍March/April 2024 GBMTBC newsletter

Thanks again Tristan of T.G contractors for the use of your digger, Always helpful.

Thanks to Steve’s handy work we now have the sign board up!

January 2024 Newsletter

Track Fairies: There are a group of club volunteers who do most of the track maintenance work on the Rameka & Project tracks. It is very informal; we do any work that we notice needs to be done. We have a Whatsapp group where we say what work we've done; ask for any help that we need and record the hours that were worked. Anyone is welcome to join the group – the more people on this list the easier it is on everyone. If you are interested to join this group, text Karl 027 5541542 

December 2023 Newsletter

Odyssey Work 28/11

November 2023 News Letter

Odyssey Working bee 11/11/23

A big shout out to Fresh Choice Takaka & The Mussel Inn for fuelling all the amazing volunteers this @ the Odyssey working Bee.

OCTOBER 2023 NEWLETTER

Tony LeSueur, Race to the Rock 

On 2nd September 2023 I lined up outside the Brisbane Town Hall with a bunch of other foolish bikepackers. We were there to compete the Race to the Rock, a 3800km race that would take us north through the Glasshouse Mountains to Rockhampton then inland to ultimately finish at Uluṟu (Ayres Rock) 3800km away. This is a single stage unsupported race. The rules, follow the entire course, no outside assistance except what’s commercially available and that’s about it. 
It’s fair to say I was a bit intimidated by the event. The first 1000km to Rockhampton had lots of climbing. From Rockhampton it was into the outback with massive gaps between water (200-250km) and even bigger gaps between food resupplies 400-450km, and some of these resupplies were pretty basic. The only places with bike shops were Rockhampton and Alice Springs so any mechanicals needed to be fixed the side of the road. Outback riding was a big unknown with snakes, heat, flies and road conditions all being unanswered questions. So as we rode off and left the comforts of Brisbane there was some nervous energy buzzing around. 
Things settled down pretty quickly through and the misery of winter training paid off with 230km and 6250m of climbing cracked out on day one certainly softened the legs up. And it didn’t get any easier with the next two days spent constantly tackling steep little climbs. These took an unexpected toll on the body with all the contact points suffering, especially my feet and ass. The ass I managed by resorting to wearing two pairs of shorts. The feet just kept getting worse, but a steady supply of ibuprofen took the edge off. I tried to settle into a routine of riding 18 hours then having a six-hour break with about five hours sleep. 
On day four things flattened out a bit and saw me arrive in Rockhampton holding second place. I opted for an early day and grabbed a hotel, the only bed I slept in for the whole event, and I was badly in need of a shower. 
An early finish means an early start and I was away by 2am and heading for the outback. It got remote quickly with the next town 450km away. This theme carried on for the next 2800km. Get to a town, eat a mountain of real food, load the bike with another mountain of food that would survive the heat for 36hrs plus add nine liters of water, start riding, sleep, eat and repeat.
The vastness of the outback was striking, it just kept going. But for all its barrenness it was remarkably diverse. The bird life was amazing with emu’s and flocks of budgies keeping us entertained. The sunrises and sunsets were just out of this world. This made up for the state of some of the roads, like 200km sections of unavoidable corrugations, the heat and the ever-present flies that just wanted to get into any moist place. 
I was expecting a lonely ride but luckily, I met up with another rider who was my pace. We ended up riding the last eight days together which made the suffering more enjoyable. 
So, 12 days, 15 hours and 34 minutes after leaving Brisbane we rolled across the finish line at Uluṟu for 2nd equal. It would be fair to say it was a challenging ride. The body was a bit wrecked but the journey was fascinating, and the destination was amazing.

Wednesday Working bee 11/10/2023

Great working bee on The Odyssey this arvo. Big turn out, and top quality work.. Thank You all

Cheers to the Mussel Inn for the coldies

SIX CORNERS CHALLENGE 7/8 OCT 2023

A self-supported bikepacking challenge. Connect the six rideable corners of Golden Bay in 36 hours, Tākaka to Tākaka.
The Six Corners are: Cape Farewell Lookout, Brown Hut (start of Heaphy), Anatori River, Tōtaranui Beach, Rameka Track top (Pages Saddle) & Trilobite Hut ). Each of these are awesome places and iconic NZ landscapes, all worthy of a visit in their own rightThis year the GBMTBC committee had one member up for the challenge, Karen Le Sueur who finished ALL six corners in an incredible 27H 39MINS, Well done Karen we are all very proud.

Not to be out done the rest of us decided to split the corners between us, Bruce Chick - (Takaka to Upper Takaka / Canaan Rd / Page saddle). Daphne Dijk & Frankie Knowlson - (Upper Takaka to Trilobite hut). Fraser Wilson - (Takaka to Totaranui Campground). Karl Thompson - (Pakawau Hall to Anatori River). Jen Thompson - (Collingwood to Cape Farewell). Steve Cottle - (Takaka to Collingwood). Mel Chick (Collingwood to Browns Hut). All return trips, We had a burst showing our support for yet another great Golden Bay Event.

September 2023 News Letter

1000 Trees

GBMTBC sharing the love around our community. Here”s our members & supporters out planting 1000 trees on a glorious spring morning. What great community team work - we call it a win win. Thanks Dos Rios for providing this opportunity & donating to our the exciting PIKIKIRUNGA TRAIL project

August 2023 News Letter

Gold Creek loop, Canaan Downs 2023

Golden Bay Mountain Bike Club has been busy up in Canaan Downs.  The week 7th-11th August we employed K.P from Trail craft N.Z &  A few hardy volunteers (Karen & Tony) and did an  upgrade on part of the gold creek loop ,or( the family loop).We also had Jo from DOC up on the tools.  We stayed the week up on the hill & had a ball we really did. T.G contractors  were very generous, carting in gravel to site that we applied with 4 power barrows. If you haven't been on this trail it's a must do & an awsome trip, walk it or ride it about 6km of easy trail across some farmlands & into some beautiful beach forests. Thanks to you all who were involved, you now who are.!!!!

Above the Pack Track (SHOOTS) 2023

Thanks to DOC & K.P from Trail craft N.Z 

winter warmer 2023

JULY 2023 News Letter

Social Rides news - JULY 23

The social rides have been going well with some new members joining the group.  Although rides numbers have dropped off a litte (due to the cold weather) most of the rides have still gone ahead, and participation at the rides have mostly been from our female members (is it too cold for the men)??  This must be a first for any MTB club in NZ. The GBMTBC Committee is always keen to hear about ideas for new areas to hold rides in (so long as the Club has full permission from the landowners for us to pass through their land), so if you have any suggestions please forward them to Karen Le Sueur.  Over the last month Karen and Mel have been doing some reconnaissance at Aorere Goldfields this trail in both rides as well in the wet and the dry. 

JUNE 2023 NEWs LETTER

trail maintenance 6/2023

Golden Bay Mountain Bike Club has been up on the trails doing some maintenance, pruning back the canopy so we can all enjoy the trails and be safe . We've even had a tomo (hole) to fill in and with the help of Mark E carrying a pack full of river rocks up from the creek (1.5km) and a few others lying about we filled it up, “sorted !!!!”

The historic Rameka is in great shape and G.E is also getting some of the overhang trees and branches trimmed over the next few days. I hope you're getting out there on your bikes between shower. Pedal on!!!!

Rameka Shoot May 2023

Kaiteriteri 6 Hour, Tie Dye Fun

Working Bee Pikikrunga Trail

The River Run

Building Bridges

Wednesday Working Bee #NBS10for10

Working Bees now powered by The mussel Inn