NEWSLETTER 8

Hello everyone,

‘Boing Boing’ is not only the sound of a mountain bike nimbly jumping the obstacles of a Grade 4 Wairakei Forest track its also the sound of your step as you bounce along happy with the world because winter is becoming a distant memory! Yes spring is here and with it promises a summer of fantastic riding both on and off the road. Here�s the next newsyletter letting you all know what we�ve been up to and what others have been up to lately! Remember, if anyone would like to add something to our newsletter that�s cycling related please email us with it .

Contents:

1. Mission Impassable!
2. Bike Taupo goes to Town
3. Attention Road Bikes!!
   Broadlands Road Underpass
   Road Safety Campaign 2005/06
4. Off-Road Tracks  - They Get Better
5. Website Hotties
6. Submissions
7. AGM
8. Kinloch to Whakaipo Bay Track
9. Upcoming Events

Wrong! No route is impassable for Bike Taupo and we now have three operational tunnels.  Well, we are proud as punch with our cool new tunnel under State Highway One - enter from adjacent to Helistar car park. The track down to the tunnel is funky and fun winding down through cool bush to the tunnel entrance.  Now don�t be alarmed when you bike through the tunnel with somebody following you.  Talk about freaky - it sounds as though they are sitting on top of your back tyre.  A lot of you will have already tried out this new track so you�ll know what we mean!  As the tunnel throws you out the other side you enter another cool new track that winds back up to the road level - jump across Karapiti Road and you have Inwards Goods before you as a gate-way to Wairakei Forest mountain biking. The other tunnels within Wairakei Forest are the icing on the cake horses go over we go under.

2.       BIKE TAUPO GOES TO TOWN

The committee recently toured the gully systems of the town.  These mostly lie in the Richmond Heights and Botanical Gardens areas.  A fun afternoon was had as we leisurely biked around in abnormally warm balmy weather, pushing, carrying bikes in some parts and squelching through mud in others.  Jumping over hot creeks and scouring the odd cliff face!  Who knew such adventure could be had in the middle of town!  However, we had a purpose - look for potential routes for building recreational paths through these gullies.  The outcome - successful (of course!).  These routes will allow safe access for people on or off their bike to make their way towards the lake or other neighbours and particularly useful for school children getting to and from school.  So watch for news as we work with Council in the next few months to make our dreams reality.  Oh and if you have a stash of cash to donate for building these new pathways of opportunity, in exchange for some exposure then we need to talk!! (Contact details here)

3.       ATTENTION ROAD BIKES!!

Mountain bikes and road bikes are our children!  Although it may seem like our attention is focussed mainly on our youngsters the mountain bikes we do look after our older children the road bikes!  Yes you guys have been around a lot longer than you�re hyperactive siblings, it�s just that ripping up and changing road surfaces is a lot tougher than ripping up and changing dirt!  But, here are some things to look forward to:

• Broadlands Road Underpass:  We have advocated successfully for an underpass on Broadlands Road so the proposed Eastern Arterial will go over it, therefore not disturbing our precious newly widened road bike circuit.
• Road Safety Campaign 2005/06:  After such an effective road sign campaign last summer we have applied for and successfully been granted funding to run the same campaign this summer! Yay!!!  Because we thought it went so well last summer we have also nominated ourselves for the CAN Cycle Friendly Award.  So keep all appendages crossed that the award wings its way to us!

Oh yes - we�ve done more!! Of course with the help of our awesome volunteers and sponsors.

Remember if you�d like to lend a hand every now and then maintaining tracks; please give Pete Masters a call on 3772286 or Richard Balm on 3772121.

Rotary Ride is fast improving with new tracks around past problem areas now in full swing.  Check out the new entrance from Spa Park which makes the track it a lot easier to find.

Out at Wairakei those seven wise men are still doing the things they love - making new and improved tracks for you!  The next major for them is to tackle the old Hansel and Gretel tracks.  If you used to pedal around Wairakei around eight years ago you�ll remember these ole tracks well. 

Hands up who likes pedalling up to a gate, either hoisting your poor bike over the thing (and if you are unfortunate to have one of those heavy beasts with disc brakes boo hoo) or fiddling around with gate locks to get through to other tracks - not good.  Well fingers crossed that some cattle stops will appear on Karapiti Road doing away with gates.

Another change expected is that gnarly rather uphill Inwoods Goods track.  Let�s make it easier!!

5.       WEBSITE HOTTIES:

We must have the best web managers in kilometres!  Thomas and the team at OK Computer continue to update and make better our site.  SO THANKS GUYS.  Taupo Mountain Bike Club can now be selected on the side menu bar on Bike Taupo�s website.  This will get you into their latest news, race results and other important stuff.

6.       SUBMISSIONS

We�ve been submitting like mad. Not only the underpass on Broadlands Rd with the Eastern Arterial but also the Tongariro Domain.  What do you say to a recreational path from Control Gates bridge next to the river around to the boat harbour linking up with the Great Lake Walkway? YES YES YES Lets cross those fingers and toes.  Other hopeful changes are to the speed limits on Huka Falls Road and Acacia Bay Road.  The slower we can make the traffic go the safer our bodies on bikes will be.

7.       AGM

Bike Taupo�s Annual General Meeting is fast approaching.  It was to be in October but we are hopefully having it in November.  So mark this date in your dairies:  Wednesday 16 November 7pm Taupo Events Centre Clubrooms.

8.       KINLOCH TO WHAKAIPO BAY TRACK

We have official LIFT OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9.       UPCOMING EVENTS

•         1 October 2005 - Day Night Thriller, Spa Park, Taupo (12 hour teams - mountain bikes)

•         26 November 2005 - Great Lake Cycle Challenge (160km road cycle around Lake Taupo)

•         17 December 2005 - Taupo ? Ironman (triathlon)

 

Keen as Mustard?  Check out Bike Taupo�s website for more details.