Stephen Prendergast

I'm very mindful of having few health issues and how that means I get a chance to keep doing the stuff I like. That's a great place to be and often something you lose with most of the more serious cancer diagnoses. There's plenty of options to help the Cancer support organizations in NZ and I'd urge you to get involved at some level. To yesterday.

By the time I'd nabbed a rest after a draining 80km I felt up to the flat return to town to recover the car. So back on the roadie and clipped in. Fairly casual cruise in to make today's effort 5h20m of riding. Been a while since I did that. Thanks again, I've "enjoyed"  the challenge but looking forward to a more diverse set of exercise for the rest of the year. Total km was 771. That's much more than my normal monthly total so I'll try and bank that. 

THANK YOU EVERYONE ! We've passed the $1000 milestone, and I am so grateful to all of you who have supported me to get there.  I set out this morning on my Pugsley. I love this bike. It's taken me down the US Continental Divide, the length of NZ and through East Africa. It's a monster and has tyres to suit.  That's what I'm riding in the photo. However ... it moves like the large SUV it is.  That's a difference of 6km/hr in comparison to my road bike. Hence it hasn't done as much of the work as I intended. This time last year I was living of it, as I rode up through Africa. Not something the road bike was made for. Que séra !  So off into the blustery NW it was. I'm finishing the month with my favourite circuits so tomorrow its off to Otorohaea Trig which is a decent loop. I'm also dropping the car in town for a service, so I'll be mixing and matching as I ride the road bike home then swap to the Pugsley  for the Trig. A nice 75 km combo. I'm might be needing a lift back in to town to pick up the car  :)  ! PS Despite it being an SUV it also has wings !

Rides 9 & 10 took me to 621 km completed. Not too much novel in these routes as I collected a few more km. Wind a little kinder, fortunately. I should be getting stronger but it doesn't feel like it at times. Thanks to all of you for your support and messages and of course the donations. The $1000 mark is within reach.  A few more days to go so there's at least a few more km to come.

Spring winds continue but a nice push home ! Headed north and looped back via the old state highway past Ohinewai. Fortunately was still able to come back to the Huntly town centre road which is no longer in use. Big push home , which was welcome.

Blustery morning W winds. Replaced the rear tube in the roadie - confirmed snakebite , arghh. Elongated Little Naike in reverse. Hopeful for a push home. Might need to reconsider the low sprocket for the Glen Massey hill. Reasonably useful but wind affected on the turn west heading to & leaving Huntly.
Still schilling sponsorship. Details in yesterday's post.

About 50m from home the rear went soft on the roadie. Bugger. That'll teach me to sit out the gales on the weekend. Back home and switched to the OG for a 5 km/hr penalty.  Out to Old Mountain Rd which was closed due to logging, Cemetery Rd closed due to resealing so a bigger loop up past the zoo. Stopped for a scone a it was 50km. SW had gone Westerly so a beat back home. All support welcomed for my Blue September rides. Ride map on Strava. https://strava.app.link/1pAt6vCJHWb

Better weather was inbound so another NE loop from times past. Rutherford Rd was a new section and a picturesque rural setting. At 69 km Just missed the roundup, not too shabby. The road bike is getting a few more miles right now but there'll be space in the rotation for everyone. Sponsor me to raise money for Prostate cancer research this September!  

Beaut weather playing catch-up after last week's weather dulled my enthusiasm. The Little Naike loop which doesn't go near Naike. Still a good loop especially on the roadie. Racing saddle brings some new sensations , fortunately only minor discomfort. I'm a few km behind target so some extra to do this week.

After some decent ski days, actually a great day and a good day, I was ready for some more km s to chip away at the 1000 km target. With a NW rolling through I opted for minimal elevation and road km s. Rolled out the Pugs again, set up for the Wahoo and phone. I listen to a bunch of pods while I'm riding current favourite Season 3, '13 minutes to the moon' . Highly recommend. Nice push down tenfoot road before a short Gordonton Rd section to Horsham Down Rd back to Te Awa cycleway. 3 hrs , decent effort would be more interesting with a trip up the rife roads. 

Adapting one of my regular circuits I checked on some of the local no exit roads which also had "google" through routing. No chance ! It was super windy and riding the Pugs, my traveller of choice, I smashed into some decent gusts. Knee pain followed. At 65 km I was close to home, on Te Awa the river path, and encountered a couple of downed trees blocking progress. The Pugs is an old hand at difficult terrain.  No luggage made it a literal breeze. By the time zI hog home it felt like a century, crap weather, big rubber and limited build up (like casual). Day 2 will be a rest day with some skiing to follow with the new snow and the fairly ugly season to date.Back on the bike on the weekend. Ka kite !