Saturday Scratch - Pohangina Loop

After expecting the weather to be a bit unfriendly (forecast was not flash) it was nice to be surprised by a really nice day in the Manawatu. By 1pm I'd had enough of doing the boring stuff around home and it was time to get the bike out.

I decided on just a quick trip around the Pohangina Valley and set off for Fielding wondering if I should get some gas there - my last fill had been in Hastings last weekend. When I hit Fielding I decided that I probably had enough and that I'd be able to fill at Ashhurst on the way home, so off I went.

Leaving Fielding the first 26k's or so to Kimbolton are pretty straight and boring but once you turn off at Kimbolton you start to get into some better biking territory - plenty of corners and some great little hills. The stretch to Apiti was a great little warm up.

Turning into Pohangina Valley East Road I hit the first lot of new seal so started keeping my eyes peeled even more at each set of corners. This was just the start of the messy roads - there were a number of sections of un-signposted new seal. There was also a number of places where slips had been down over the road and of course plenty of mud thrown of tractor tyres. This is pretty par for the course through here in winter but it would be good if the road works at least were signposted. This was also the only place were I saw another bike out and about (a black M109), I dunno where everyone else was?

Once past the turn off to Pohangina the roads improved and I was able to have a bit more fun blasting back into Ashhurst. When I hit there I still had plenty of fuel so I carried on back to Palmy.

Still haven't filled up the bike after 312km and probably have 2-3L left in the tank - not bad. Anyway a good little ride of about 120km and back home by 2:30pm. Long may the good weather continue...