New bikes on the block- the Himalayan and CFMoto and check out the new Kove competitor
A variety of bikes set out from Taumarunui flooding in previous weeks, so there were definitely a few slippery sections to keep riders awake. Once we got out into the backroads around Ōhura, Aria and Ongarue, you could really see the benefit of adventure bikes. These are roads most people would never see unless they lived out there. For me, riding through that area is a bit special because my mother came from the King Country. Places like Piopio and Aria were familiar names from years ago, although back then we mostly travelled the main roads by car. This ride took us onto all the little side roads and gravel backroads you’ d never normally see, so even though I knew the district, there were still plenty of places that were completely new to me.
ACHIEVABLE RIDING The ride also crossed a couple of private properties, including Te Wharua Station. Those sections were actually really enjoyable. Mostly good gravel-based farm tracks, not horrible bog holes or technical hard stuff. The organisers had obviously put some thought into making the ride achievable for everybody. That said, there were still a few moments that woke me up. Some of the muddy patches in the valleys were four to six inches deep, and when hit unexpectedly, things got interesting pretty quickly. One corner in particular caught a few riders out. I’ d come around expecting normal gravel and suddenly it was straight onto slippery mud. But that’ s adventure riding. If everything was easy and dry all day, it probably
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