Hello from many, many miles away!

[oldmuthariley]

Hi all on cyclechat,
this seems to be the place for introductions so here goes..
i'm justin, 39 going on 40 and am currently living in Auckland, New zealand - many, many miles away from blighty.
I'm originally from Devon and have been here for 3 and a half years but will be moving back home in early 2011 (and shipping back some bikes which will be a bit of a headache!
I've been into cycling (in many forms) for years starting off with BMX as most kids in the 80s did, then saved up for a Carlton road bike, clocking up a fair bit of mileage on that. A year or two bikeless and then more BMXing a Ribble Scandium road bike and currently i have the following:
- 2009 Bob Jackson 631 vigorelli fixed/free with full mudguards for commuting and flattish training
- 1979/80 Gazelle champion mondial with modern campagnolo 10 speed and full guards (to be repainted as it got a factory respray at some point)
- 1990? Dave Russell 653 road bike - will be restored and built up with Record Carbon 10 speed when i return to the UK.

I love cycling including sportives, solo rides, commuting etc and am looking to join a road club and do some proper club rides etc when i return

anyway that's me!
cheers
Justin

 

[skudupnorth]

Welcome to the madhouse Justin,how does NZ hills compare with the ones you left in Devon ??

 

[bauldbairn]

Hello and Welcome to the CC forums Justin from central Scotland.


Scotland - just like New Zealand, only further away!

 

[punkypossum]

Hi there you lucky person, welcome to CC! I love Auckland (and the rest of NZ), would really like to go back after spending about a 1 1/2 months there a few years ago - is Ponsonby Fish&Chips still around????

 

[slowmotion]

Welcome.

 

[oldmuthariley]

Thanks all,
skudupnorth - the hills around Auckland are pretty steep but not that long - the city is built around a few volcanoes so the landscape is pretty fluid (if thats the right word!) - i used to live near Torquay and had a hilly commute and rode a bit up on dartmoor so am used to draggy uphills and fast downhills! i did a ride round a mountain in Taranki and that was mindblowing - amazing views!
Punkypossum - yep it's still there - i actually work on Ponsonby road and live in grey lynn so that's a few minutes away from me. i can often be found sampling the fish and chips over here - no cod though , they usually have snapper and tarakihi fillets and REALLY annoying for us ex-pats NO VINEGAR!! we have to take our own and you get quite odd looks from the locals..
we'll be living up in merseyside for a year when we get back - i fancy trying the Liverpool Century CC for a local club - does anyone have any experience of them?

cheers!
Justin

 

[punkypossum]

No vinegar is a good thing!!!! Horrible stuff

 

[oakroyd]

Next you'll be saying that putting salt on wrong! Don't want to be getting cramps now!

 

[mickle]

Yo Justin wassap.

 

[punkypossum]

Next you'll be saying that putting salt on wrong! Don't want to be getting cramps now!

Nah, salt is absolutely fine!