11 Days to go.

Just over a week and a half till we fly out to NZ for a week.

This week we have booked our flights and booked the accomodation in Rotorua.   Well that is the 5 day section of our 7 day trip so we know where we are staying.  We really should look into the first and last nights soon, in Auckland.

Pohutu Lodge is about one street away from the mtb bike trails.  As we are renting a car to gat about the fact we will be 3-4 mins from the city should be ok.

Today it was my turn to take out Mrs HBR's new bike.  I had to see how the set-up was because there is a significant weight difference between us.  I believe I will be happy enough to just adjust the seat height.

I did a short 2 hour / 20km tootle around Daisy Hill Forest this morning with a mate from work.  He was a long time 'roadie' who got into mountain bikes about 2 years ago.  He is pretty strong but currently lacking in 'obsticales' and navigation.  He seems to be picking it up pretty well though.

The ride, today, was the first time I have spent much time on a dual suspension bike.  I guess I expected it to feel a lot more different than I found it.  My riding buddy said the bike looked really smooth and effortless over the terrain.  That's what we would expect so I guess it was working.

Mrs HBR will get to take the bike out again and then it will be time to strip and pack it for the trip.

I bought a helmet the Lucas HBR today,  It's a cute little thing.  I will try to post some pics tomorrow.

Hopefully Lucas HBR will receive a 'wee ride' bicycle seat shortly and he can come out for a ride on the quiet bike paths in the near future.

I also picked a bike rack for the back of my car so I will be able to transport a bike from time to time.   Currently I have been borrowing Mrs HBR's car which the bikes wil only JUST fit into.   I cannot locate a  decent tow bar 2nd hand for my car as they always seem to be removed from sale not long after they are advertised.  I have priced up the roof rack version but that quickly mounts to 500 bucks. 

If there is a chance I'll see about fitting it up tomorrow and banging a bike onto it. 

Gee I have a few things to do tomorrow it seems, good thing it wil be another day.

2 weeks to go

We are in countdown mode.  We have about 15 days before the 3 of us fly out for New Zealand or as I was recently told, the island to the NORTH of New Zealand.

We fly into Auckland then rent a wagon before driving down to Rotorua for 5 days.  We will be packing Mrs HBR's new mountain bike and hope to get in quite a few rides while over there.  The plan is for Mrs HBR to ride in the mornings and I'll get out in the arvo or night.  She doesn't know I'm packing the AYUP's yet.

I said last time that I would add a photo of Mrs HBR Hanging Bike Rack now that it has been added to.

She now owns to Specialised bikes so she it really quite pleased with herself.

Mrs HBR managed to get out on Sunday Morning for her first real ride.  Thanks to Julie for going out even though she was not feeling the best.  The outcome of the shake down ride was we had to raise the handlebars on the stem about 10mm, this was lowered at the shop on set up but Mrs HBR found there was too much forward bias in the set up. She got the chance to take it for a quick run on Sunday arvo, locally, and found the set much more comfortable.

Did I mention we fly out in about 15 days???

Lucas HBR had an eventful 10 month birthday last Friday.   He managed a face plant off the couch onto the tiles in the living room first thing Friday Morning.  He landed square on his nose and mouth.  The front teeth cut into his upper lip and there was blood and blood and blood..  but not a broken nose.  Good thing there is a fair bit of cartilage there.  Neither of us could think of where the cold pack were, (in the fridge where they are suppose to be) so Mrs HBR improvised with some frozen peas in a Ziploc bag. 

We took him up to the hospital just to be sure.  Things seemed to be OK, there was no loss of consciousness and he would settle down with a lot of cuddling.  

Mrs HBR stayed home to keep an eye on him ands tried to get a photo of his fat lip.  He looked like a fish those lips stuck out so far. Unfortunately/ fortunately once he sees the camera he cant help but smile.  I can see he is still a little distressed even through the smile although I might just want to see that.  It was so sad because he was also a little congested with another flu bug so he was already a little down.

I am home today, Tuesday, keeping an eye on him again.   Nothing to to withe the fall.  We got a call from Day Care late Monday arvo about him having a temp of 38.5 ish, they had given him some  Panadol but it didn't seem to touch it.  I got home with Mrs HBR bathing him in a cool bath, he was still quite unsettled and upset.  I rang the doctors and we took him straight up.   Great, another virus.  He was still about 38.6 so we gave him some Neurophen and let him rest in just a nappy.  This seemed to do the trick.  After his dinner and bottle I out him down for the night, he took a long time to settle and drop into good sleep and woke a few times until we went to bed.  I remembered at 3 to go pull the blankets up again as he likes to shake them off.

He seems better today which is good.

His 10 month photo.

Bugger, turn your computer on it's side..  I tried multiple times to rotate the photo but it just wont.
 

The bike rack looks smaller somehow

It's been a long day.

Today Mrs Hanging bike rack succumbed to my badgering and we went looking for a new mountain bike.  We visited a few shops but ended up back at the first shop we went to.

This was one of the few times the sales staff accepted that it was not ME buying the bike and actually listened to Mrs HBR, accepted her as the person to deal with and did a good job answering all her questions. Quite refreshing.

This bike ticked all of Mrs HBR's requirements, it's not a GIANT and it is Dual Suspension.  Apart from those few things she says she was not too worried.  I found that a little funny because she really wanted a Specialised Dually for the past 3 + years.

What she was not expecting was she was about to buy a 29'er.  I've tried to tell her the 29" wheels will better suit her riding style and now she accepts it. HAHA.

With a fair bit of organisation she will be able to take it out for a ride next weekend, I hope.  Mrs HBR wasn't too fussed on the black and yelow colour scheme but I managed to remind her the colours match most everything to do with her and two wheels, her Ducati, her motorbike suit and her helmet.  I think that sealed the deal.

Why the new bike?  Well we had been talking about it for a while and had decided the best time would be just before we were heading overseas.

Well we took THAT leap as of early last week, We booked out flights to go Rotorura on the island just North of New Zealand.  Yes, we ARE taking the boy.  Rotorura has some of the best mountain bike riding to be found in Australasia by all accounts.  We are taking off for a week in early November and plan to take this bike.   It's a size that will fit both of us.

Here is Lucas HBR practicing for the NZ trip.

I'll have to update the Mrs HBR photo wall soon.  The new Dually just fits below the Specialised road bike Mrs HBR bought abut 4 years ago.