Sunday Rides

Rules

• Whole group stays together until we turn for home
• No erratic riding
• Signal intentions and any road hazards
• Minimum of two riders to stop and help fellow Tarbabies with breakdowns
• No more than two abreast at any time
• Keep alert when following close

Time & Distance
The January and post Taupo rides are about 65km, most other rides being about 80km with the Akatawara rides extending to 130km. The short rides are of about 2.5 hours duration, the 80km rides about 3 hours Box Hill & return with the 130km rides extending to about 4.5 hours. Average riding speeds vary from 25-30km/hr depending on route and conditions.

Routes
All rides leave from the corner of Box Hill and Station Rd, Khandallah, generally at 8:00am following a short briefing from the ride organiser. Initially, they head north to Porirua via Johnsonville and Tawa or via Station &Onslow Roads to the Hutt Rd before turning north to Petone & the Hutt or south to the City & the Bays.

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Porirua & beyond
All rides progress through Johnsonville and Tawa to the first regroup stop at the summit of Raiha Street, left at the junction with Main Rd and Keneperu Drive and then down via Prosser St to Titahi Bay Rd. From here, we either turn north to the main highway to Paremata and the Bays or south via the Mungavin overbridge and Cannons Creek & Whitby roller coasters to Pauatahanui. The Whitby route includes a regroup stop at the summit of Joseph Banks Drive. From Pauatahanui, we proceed past Battle Hill to the Paekakariki Hill summit lookout regroup stop. Returning to regroup at Battle Hill, the common route is via Grays Rd (regroup at summit) to Plimmerton and back along the Main Highway to Porirua via the Parumoana overbridge. We then return via Kenepuru Rd to Tawa, Johnsonville and Box Hill.

Variations include Titahi Bay Hill, Karehana Bay to Whenua Tapu, Pauatahanui to Haywards and return via SH2 and in the months close to Taupo, Moonshine Rd, returning via SH2 or continuing on to Akatawara Valley Rd.

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Petone & the Hutt
All rides leave the Hutt Rd at Petone with most continuing along the Esplanade, Randwick Rd & Cambridge Tce to the Eastern Hutt Rd towards Upper Hutt. Leaving Fergusson Drive at Silverstream, we proceed via Alexander Rd to the Wallaceville hill for the first regroup at the summit. We return via Whitemans Valley and Blue Mountains Rd to Silverstream for a regroup stop before continuing down Fergusson Drive to SH2 to the Korokoro lights where we turn back towards Petone and then along Hutt Rd back to Onslow Rd and up to Box Hill.

Variations include Korokoro, Normandale & Belmont Eastern hills, Wainuiomata Hill & Coast Rd, up Blue Mountains and down Wallaceville, north from Wallaceville via Mangaroa and Maymorn towards Te Marua before returning down SH2 and in the months close to Taupo, Akatawara Valley Rd.

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City & the Bays
We enter the city along Thorndon Quay, turning past the Railway Station to Customhouse Quay, the along Jervois Quay and Cable St to Oriental Parade. Care must be taken along this route to regroup if split by traffic lights, especially if the peloton is large. From Oriental Parade, we will either continue around Evans Bay Road or climb up Mt Victoria via Grafton Rd & Thane St for a regroup before returning down Alexandra & Crawford Roads. From Cobham Drive, we turn through the Mirimar cutting and left up Mapuia Rd to Mt Crawford and a regroup in the prison carpark. We continue along the summit road until dropping down to Worser Bay. Turning right, we head for Seatoun and the Pass of Branda and then through Breaker Bay, Lyall Bay, Houghton Bay, Island Bay, Owhiro Bay and up Happy Valley Rd to the summit at Brooklyn for a regroup stop. Continuing down Ohiro Rd, we then climb Aro St & Raroa Rd to the summit for another regroup. From here, the ride either returns to Box Hill via Wilton, Chartwell & Ngaio or continues through Karori to Makara, returning via the Takarau Gorge & Johnsonville to Box Hill.

Variations along with Mt Victoria and Makara include Houghton Bay hill (with optional Hungerford Rd) and Messines Rd (with optional Wright Hill).

Akatawara Valley
A return trip to the summit of the Akatawara Rd is about an 130km ride and generally leave at the earlier time of 7:00am from Box Hill. Akatawara is an add-on to either the Moonshine ride or a variation of the Hutt ride, either continuing up Fergusson Drive directly or after Maymorn or up Blue Mountains, down Wallaceville. If required, a regroup/refuel stop is made at the Akatawara Rd with a further regroup at the summit and again at the Brown Owl shops before returning down SH2 as per the Hutt rides.

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