January 2011

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Oparau National Enduro

Submitted by monica on Sun, 01/30/2011 - 20:32
Chris Birch Oparau Enduro KTM
Chris Birch Oparau Enduro KTM
Chris Birch Oparau Enduro KTM

I walked the special tests  (racing stages) for tomorrow’s National Enduro at Operau. They look really good with a few rivers to blast across. It’s just started pouring with rain too so that should be fun tomorrow. Monica showed up about 9pm after battling the holiday traffic.


After a month of trail riding I struggled to get into racing mode today, I was riding well enough but where is the aggression? It was a sweet ride with some really good trails. I eventually got a rocket up me and finished first in the Open two stroke class.

Tour of Duty Day Five

Submitted by monica on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 20:27
Chris Birch South Island Adventure Ride
Chris Birch South Island River Crossing
Chris Birch South Island Adventure Training

Last day of the tour today, it started off badly with a man naked apart from goggles and helmet waking us up by jumping around the room at 6am! More sweet riding from Naesby back to Tekapo and a six bike burn out to finish off the tour of duty.

Tour of Duty Day Four

Submitted by monica on Tue, 01/25/2011 - 20:18
Chris Birch Tour of Duty South Island
Chris Birch South Island Training

Alexandra to Naesby today, not that far by road but when you go by bike over the mountains it can take a while. The Australian guys on the ride struggled with the 4WD ruts in the grass and there was some funny crashing going on. That night one of the Aussies left his wallet on the table when he went to the toilet, his mates decided it was his round, emptied his wallet and shouted the bar. He took it pretty well.

Tour of Duty Day Three

Submitted by monica on Mon, 01/24/2011 - 20:15
Chris Birch South Island KTM Enduro Training
Chris Birch hides KTM from Altus

Today was all about the river crossings, we rode up a huge gorge with a perfectly clear river running through it, well clear until ten bikes came through and churned it up a bit. The longest day so far at 260k’s. Altus had a rough start to the day, he lost his bike in the morning. After walking around the property and even looking up the trees he found it tucked up under a water trough. The pranks have started.

Tour of Duty Day Two

Submitted by monica on Sun, 01/23/2011 - 20:11
Chris Birch South Island Adventure Ride
Chris Birch KTM Adventure Training
Chris Birch South Island Adventure Training

An easier day for the guys today, we went back down that shitty river track and I started things off well with a flat front tire. Rode some nice trails and with the group split up into A and B team we got to our overnight stop by the Otago rail trail at a decent time. I ate so much home cooked food I was unable to move for an hour. No regrets.

Riding over rocks - playtime

Submitted by monica on Sun, 01/23/2011 - 01:11

playing around on rocks down in Alexandra, South Island - Altus had to be shown how it is done!

Tour of Duty, Day One

Submitted by monica on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 20:04
Chris Birch South Island Enduro Riding

Night out in Queenstown was a blast but today was a write off. Caught up on sleep, did some washing and drove to Tekapo for the start of a five day adventure trail ride with High Country trail, called “Tour of Duty.” I bolted a number plate to the 300, fingers crossed we don’t meet too much law.

Tapanui Training Day

Submitted by monica on Thu, 01/20/2011 - 19:56
Chris Birch Tapanui Training
Chris Birch South Island Enduro Training

A change of scene today, we headed to Tapanui for a riding and training day with the Blue Mountain trail riding club. We rode a ghetto but fun enduro cross track and spent some time trying to climb the steep terraced hills. In the afternoon we made the sweetest figure eight track in a worked over field. We dug the rut deep enough to almost drag the bars. Queenstown tonight and the red bull base camp.

Women's Coaching Day

Submitted by monica on Mon, 01/17/2011 - 19:51
Chris Birch Women's Coaching Day
Chris Birch Big Yellow Van South Island
Chris Birch Dunedin Steepest Street Training

Ladies coaching today, we had a good group of nine riders. Everyone improved a lot, it was good times. We rode the bicycles home for some training and rode up the steepest street in the world. It was pretty hard work! Coming back down was definitely more me. The next day we had intermediate coaching again today in sunny Dunedin - I would hate to ride down here in winter as I froze my bones today without my jacket.

Extreme enduro practice down South

Submitted by monica on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 19:42
Alexandra South Island extreme training

We started today with a sweet mountain bike ride in the hills behind Alexandra, it was nice and technical with some tough climbs. We then headed to Dunedin to check out the venue for our next coaching day. Whilst checking out the farm I got charged by a big black bull, he nearly got me but the 300 was pretty quick off the mark, maybe he didn’t like the Red Bull on my helmet??

TWITTER

  • Whew got Powasol for post-Lesotho mission thanks @Powasol !! — 31 weeks 5 days ago
  • Finally got my hands on a 2013 300! So fresh and so clean — 31 weeks 5 days ago
  • the mission explained http://t.co/UYcoP2l8 — 31 weeks 6 days ago
  • http://t.co/Fu6tDg2O Only follow this if you like incredible science, massive bravery and really really cool stuff! 5 hours to go — 32 weeks 20 min ago
  • Need to work on my trailer packing skills, just dragged Mrs Birch's luggage down the street by a tie down. #notimpressed — 32 weeks 13 hours ago

COACHING

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