Ice Ride?

Another pretty nice day today (although there's some weather on its way) so I was co-opted into a wee ride with Colin...

Last night we made plans for looking for some gravel but this morning he rang to say that we had a relatively new rider tagging along so it was going to be a tarmac ride.  I was really keen to take the Connie but on getting home with the new battery discovered that it was the wrong one...

So, the Tenere ended up being the tool of choice and just before 11 I was invaded by a Beemer and a little KTM 200.

After a quick coffee we fueled up and decided to head off for a trip around the Apiti Loop.  I led off at a sedate pace (and on drier roads than last Sunday) keeping an on Eddie while Colin brought up the rear.

At the Takapari Road turn-off I decided to stop to see how things were going and if anyone wanted to go up to the top of the hill...

After a quick chat which included some discussion about road surfaces (including ice), we carried on around the loop.  At the intersection which offers up Apiti or Rangiwahia we decided to continue on around to Rangiwahia.

Climbing up out of the first valley I noticed frost in the grass and then ice on the road so thought I'd stop for a quick photo.

A few more words of warning were dished out and we were off again.  But dropping down into the next valley I noticed some really white stuff on the bridge and slowed down to stop for more photos.  Just getting off the bike I heard the nasty sound of a skidding bike and turned to see a little KTM sliding to a stop on its side - bummer!

Luckily Eddie was ok and the bike didn't go sliding off the bridge railings and into the river...

We picked the bike up and examined the damage to find a broken rear brake lever and bent footpeg.  Enter some kiwi ingenuity and the little bike was mobile again.

While there we had a few bikes come through the other way and we waved out to them to warn them of the ice.  Talking to a couple of guys on Guzzi's, they told us that they'd already been warned of the ice by a DR650 rider who had also gone down on the ice.  Later on I found out that he has been riding with Ian from work...Very nice wheelie from one of the Guzzi's as he left too.

Rather than carry on and potentially have to ride on more ice between Rangiwahia and Kimbolton we decided to stick with what we knew and headed back into Apiti in search of some lunch.  Unfortunately the pub was shut with guard moas out front handling security.

Unsatisfied, we carried onto Kimbolton where both the cafe and pub were doing a roaring trade to bike riders and finally got that coffee and feed.

After lunch, I led the guys across to Colyton before seeing them off and heading home.  Nice little pootle apart from Eddie's small issue...