New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[patham]

Gabs never phased me.

Nairobi was an eye opener, but Mombassa blew me away. I would have parked the car and walked the rest of the way, if we did not have a Driver used to the hustle and bustle.

 

Change of continent, but I did some work in Vietnam for a few years. Hanoi was absolutely crazy as well. The mine's expat staff, who all had local licenses, were only allowed to drive in the location of the mine, for the trip to the airport to Hanoi they had to have a local driver.

 

The airport run got better when a new dual-carriageway highway opened up, as most of the hot spots could be avoided. But with my own two eyes I saw a truck going down the wrong carriageway once. He knew he was in the wrong, and was concerned enough to be in the slow lane with his hazards on, but that was the extent of his caring....

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

I once did a job in Tanzania for MSF.
They gave me a driver for the trip from Dar to Mbeya which was awesome to relax and see the sites. Or so you would think.

The vehicle, an Avanza type van, was restricted to 80kmh with an alarm at 80kmh they beeped incessantly. A normal person would drive at like 78/79kmh, not my sadistic driver. He rode flat foot all the way, seemingly spurred on by the constant beeping!!!!
I thankfully had earphones and an iPod.

[vanniri]

Here's a strange bad, given that folk seem to be looking for that:

 

The lack of beasts of all sizes.  You drop a crumb in Africa, there's competition between ants, flies, birds, a lizard and whatever over it.  Probably the ants (and crumb) get eaten by the bird.  Here you drop a crumb, a week later it's still there.

 

I try and spend some time in the bush here.  It's flippn impenetrable.  And compared to Africa, empty.  There are a couple of birds, of about 4 species, and aside from one of a couple of variety of deer, and possums, and occasionally wallabies, nothing.  It's like all the ecological niches are empty.

 

In Africa at sunset, you get a set of evening sounds - guinea fowl and pheasants all putting themselves to bed etc, here - nothing.  Just gets dark.

 

It's kind of like being in primordial forest waiting for dinosaurs to evolve.

Similar experience in Europe.

 

South America was a blast, even then the African diversity with the change of the day is unmatched.

[davetapson]

Yeah, so at risk of being fired from the forum - got invited by a buddy to use his wife's eBike to ride out Puhoi valley, back down the Waiwera valley via the far side of the Island.

EBikes are where it is at.  Normal bikes are dead.  They just don't know it yet.

https://www.strava.com/activities/5070686274

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by davetapson

[WrightJnr]

Yeah, so at risk of being fired from the forum - got invited by a buddy to use his wife's eBike to ride out Puhoi valley, back down the Waiwera valley via the far side of the Island.

 

EBikes are where it is at. Normal bikes are dead. They just don't know it yet.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/5070686274

 

 

100%

[Wayne Potgieter]

Took the family up north for Easter Weekend. We spent some time at a lodge in Paihia.

 

Managed to sneak in a trail run and some kayak adventure. The kids also convinced me to parasail.

 

Here are some photos - we really are quite privileged to live in such a beautiful place.

Edited April 5, 2021 by Wayne Potgieter

[Wayne Potgieter]

I miss slap chips. Like proper slap chips with vinegar.

[davetapson]

I miss slap chips. Like proper slap chips with vinegar.

The Saffas in Browns Bay rave about Sherwood Takeaways - you need to ask for 'soft chips' - but they didn't really have the slapness that slap chips require... for me anyways.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/JGwBuu9Lukmaq6QH6

[hayleyearth]

Yeah, so at risk of being fired from the forum - got invited by a buddy to use his wife's eBike to ride out Puhoi valley, back down the Waiwera valley via the far side of the Island.

 

EBikes are where it is at. Normal bikes are dead. They just don't know it yet.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/5070686274

 

 

We did an overnight bike trip a couple of months back, easy gravel trails, only 87km... I was shocked to see so many roadie looking guys on e-bikes all the way. We were 2 of maybe 5 or 6 people on pedal bikes. Crazy I think. I can't imagine riding one myself yet, maybe when I'm old, fat or lazy one day.

[patham]

I miss slap chips. Like proper slap chips with vinegar.

 

Confession time people. How many of you read this simple statement and immediately the taste buds were triggered, and you started salivating?

 

I can't be the only one surely ?

[davetapson]

We did an overnight bike trip a couple of months back, easy gravel trails, only 87km... I was shocked to see so many roadie looking guys on e-bikes all the way. We were 2 of maybe 5 or 6 people on pedal bikes. Crazy I think. I can't imagine riding one myself yet, maybe when I'm old, fat or lazy one day.

That was my point of view too. One of my buddies is a fanatic cyclist, cycles every day etc.

 

His cycling group slowly converted to ebikes but he held out for two years or so until one of his buddies eventually said to him "look, just try my ebike"

 

He's converted, and showed me his fitness profile - probably 20% up on when he was riding a normal bike.

 

Can only ascribe it to being able to exercise for longer in more useful fitness zones, while having more fun.

 

They also have more weight and big fat tyres which means you can smash your way around places like Woodhill with impunity.

 

If we weren't still trying to get into the property market I'd not think twice.

[patches]

That was my point of view too. One of my buddies is a fanatic cyclist, cycles every day etc.

 

His cycling group slowly converted to ebikes but he held out for two years or so until one of his buddies eventually said to him "look, just try my ebike"

 

He's converted, and showed me his fitness profile - probably 20% up on when he was riding a normal bike.

 

Can only ascribe it to being able to exercise for longer in more useful fitness zones, while having more fun.

 

They also have more weight and big fat tyres which means you can smash your way around places like Woodhill with impunity.

 

If we weren't still trying to get into the property market I'd not think twice.

 

I think that's the tricky part. I have seen cycling groups at Woodhill where most of the riders have eBikes and maybe 1 or 2 don't. It doesn't seem to work. The ebikes gun ahead on the climbs while the conventional crankers slog it out and the group becomes segregated pretty quickly.

 

Myself and my riding buddy have observed this on a number of occasions and came to the conclusion that if one of us got an ebike, we can't be friends anymore

 

That said, when Pivot was having a demo day, I signed up to test their Shuttle Team ebike. Not because I was in the market to guy one (good heavens no! the things is $20k), but exactly the opposite. It was the bike of theirs that I was LEAST LIKELY to buy and the most different from my current bikes, so I wanted to see what it was all about.

 

Unfortunately they sold the demo bike a few days before the event so I didn't get the chance.

 

Would still like to try one though.

[davetapson]

Would still like to try one though.

I was looking at a beautiful piece of property in Dairy Flats with an agent, and he said to me "Don't come and look at this property if you can't afford it, it will break your heart" (yeah, too late.)

 

Same with ebike - don't ride one if you want to keep riding your old bike - it will break your heart.

[patches]

I was looking at a beautiful piece of property in Dairy Flats with an agent, and he said to me "Don't come and look at this property if you can't afford it, it will break your heart" (yeah, too late.)

 

Same with ebike - don't ride one if you want to keep riding your old bike - it will break your heart.

 

haha! I have a few colleagues that live out that way. They love it. Good proximity to the Riverhead trails too!

[davetapson]

haha! I have a few colleagues that live out that way. They love it. Good proximity to the Riverhead trails too!

The strange thing was, as you are riding along (we did quite an ambitious ride), you pass folk on normal bikes (like your own bike!) and just think 'shame...' - but it's not a patronising thing, it's a realisation that normal bikes are just dead dead dead.

 

And this is me riding a borrowed, medium size, female oriented frame with flats (I've not ridden with flats for 20 yrs)...

 

You can choose the power settings the bike is using - my fanatic mate tries to leave it in 'eco' which is enough to overcome the mass of the bike plus a (fair) bit, I just used what I needed to be able to keep up - he's a machine, I'm not.  I did manage to finish the ride on one battery, he used just over half and the third guy, who'd been carrying a spare battery (in case I ran out) used a battery and a third or so.

 

So a group of unmatched riders can go out and as long as the good riders aren't hooning it on max power, the weaker riders can keep up.

[Dubber]

Yeah, so at risk of being fired from the forum - got invited by a buddy to use his wife's eBike to ride out Puhoi valley, back down the Waiwera valley via the far side of the Island.

 

EBikes are where it is at.  Normal bikes are dead.  They just don't know it yet.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/5070686274

 

 

Agreed - and I haven't even ridden one yet !