New Zealand. Fixed

Have held a dream of going over to NZ with my bike and combine a holiday with working in the vinyards over there, helping create some of the wines I've been selling (and love drinking). After a few emails it looks like I've got the green light and intend to go over there Feb in time for their harvest in March/April and work for up to four months. I realy want to combine it with a cycling/camping holiday so looking for some feedback/advice etc

Isn't there a Wellington fixed group? I seem to remember one of them posting here. Would be good to get in contact with some riders there to get advice and maybe arrange some rides for when I get there

Should I take my bike with me? Is it worth the (presumed) baggage excess and lugging about, since I'll have to stop in HK or something on the way.

Want to blog and upload pics while I'm there so want a little (and cheap) notebook to take with me, preferably light as a feather since it will be in the backpack while I ride about.

Lastly, MTB or fixed? Originally planned tyo use my MTB but all I've been doing recently is riding fixed, but there's a lot more countryside than road and the mud should be less deep.

Lot of Qs I know, but answer them dammit!

Hmmm can't help you with bike choice. Wellington has lots of hills around it so if you are riding fixed, you'll get to have the whole 'frisco boys experience. Maybe you can do a blog on downhill spinning, macaframa style.

haulage-wise, you'd be surprised. With many airlines they'll let you take sporting equipment as extra luggage without charge for long haul flights. I'm flying virgin to Aus and they have confirmed there will be no problems with me taking my bike on the plane. Weight limit 32 kilo (more than normal luggage!). So that is 9kg for the bike and another 20 in clothes, shoes, tools that I'll squeeze in. Nice.

Re hong kong stop-over, they have an oversize luggage service at the airport there, you can drop your bike off there for a few days. I dunno the daily charge but will find out in a week, ask me after that.

Cheers man. I think I'm planning to pile into Christchurch, as I've got rellies there, but that's all up in the air. I'm thinking fixed might prove impratical for the terrain plus I really do want to get out in the country. Maybe I could try to do a conversion on the cheap over there.

apparently BA and i think Virgin Atlantic allow bikes on for free

recommend a old think pad for cheap and light travel, x series, depends how much you want to spend

x40 for £200

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBM-ThinkPad-X40-Laptop-1-4GHz-40GB-WiFi-Extras_W0QQitemZ110320337809QQihZ001QQcategoryZ177QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem?refid=store

x30 for £110

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBM-THINKPAD-X30-P3-M-T-X30-1-20GHz-LAPTOP_W0QQitemZ230308539332QQihZ013QQcategoryZ177QQcmdZViewItem?refid=store

i know there's a few fixed riders in Auckland but can't speak for Welli. have a friend who cycles (geared) there so will pop him an email. PM in a weeks time to see if he's responded

why not those brand new compact laptop? you know the one that cost between £150-300, those 'netbook' to be specific.

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?0&page=ProductList&category_oid=-35074&show_all=true

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1543271350.1228926452@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdeadeflfkgfejcflgceggdhhmdfol.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=719237&category_oid=-35074

80GB, 1GB RAM, Windows XP, decent processor, very small and light.

I'd go with one of these asus eee PCs. Cheap and light. Comes with linux (can run xp though if you must)

Bike wise I'd take a mtb as I think you would have the opportunity to do some really nice mountain biking out there and explore the country side. Pair of slicks for the week pair of off road tyres for the w/e. Build a cheap fixed up out there if you really want to. Personal choice the one though.

beware acer. very shite. i used to support them and my flatmate and workmate both bought them and had problems since day one. shitty build quality as well. i used thinkpad for djing and travelling cos they built strong.

Also if you are carrying camping gear in hilly places gears are good.

I think theres quite a big scene in Auckland - one of my best mates is from there, and he introduced me to fixed when i lived with him in Colorado - he always seemed to be posting up a lot of pics of rides out there on facebook, although he lives in Denmark now

where in colorado did you live vv?

I'd go with one of these asus eee PCs. Cheap and light. Comes with linux (can run xp though if you must)

apparently compared to the other competitor, the EeePC is no longer that good.

NZ is a beautiful place you are a lucky man. I went through Blenhiem a few years back. Would love to explore the South Island by bike. Dont forget to post plenty of pics when you are there.

Personally I see all my travels as an opportunity to source bike gear usually unavailable to me.
This being the case I'd buy a bike bag and a big suitcase.
Put a toothbrush in the bike bag, a pair of clean undies in the suitcase, and bring the cases back full of goodies ;)

Seriously though, if your bringing a bike, I vote MTN bike.

I lived in NZ on and off for 15 yrs, if you need any guidance sing out, lived in Wellington and Auckland but traveled most parts of it extensively,there is def fixed Auckland but not aware of Wellington fixed

BTW, Feb/March are the hottest months so travel light on the clothing and use lots of sunscreen, NZ sun is treacherous

P!mp, come with! Cheers for all the advice guys, good food for thought. Think MTB has to be the option, with maybe an option of a cheap fixed once I'm out there (and maybe to bring back smallfurry). Buying an Alpkit DryDock bag to lug it all around, and will have to sort out tent (a fourman is good for festies, not good for your back). Should be an amazing few months, then back in Blighty for Orbital at the Big Chill. Cameras? About time I stopped relying on my phone. Used to use an SLR (with film) but prolly too bulky to lug around. Thinking I'd get good suggestions here

And cheers Bellezza, will defo take you up on that closer to the event

I think the best way to go is to bring a fixed rear wheel with a couple of cog (16t and 19t), this way if you found a beater in NZ, just wack on your rear wheel and instant fixed from next to nothing.

I've been gone almost 4yrs so don't know about wellington but I know a bunch of people in auckland who ride.
wellington is very arty so I'm sure there will be a bunch of hipster kids who ride there.
there is a velodrome as well.
Auckland is very hilly , wellington is hilly but flatish in central.

If you have a decent MTB i would suggest taking that, there is so much to ride there.
If you plan to ride any amount of distance (between cities take gears)

look at www.trademe.co.nz for bikes to maybe pick up there. People use that rather than ebay there.

Make sure you go down to the south island, obviously you will if your into wines though i guess.

P!mp, come with! Cheers for all the advice guys, good food for thought. Think MTB has to be the option, with maybe an option of a cheap fixed once I'm out there (and maybe to bring back smallfurry). Buying an Alpkit DryDock bag to lug it all around, and will have to sort out tent (a fourman is good for festies, not good for your back). Should be an amazing few months, then back in Blighty for Orbital at the Big Chill. Cameras? About time I stopped relying on my phone. Used to use an SLR (with film) but prolly too bulky to lug around. Thinking I'd get good suggestions here

And cheers Bellezza, will defo take you up on that closer to the event

Would love to come along but GF, mortgage, kids, job etc. Maybe one day again. The South Island on fixed would be a killer I reckon unless you are super fit. Would love to ride the Pacific Highway btwn Picton and Christchurch though.

+1 for Trademe.co.nz

Jimmy, also, if you are in Auckland, have many friends who could give you a place to stay if you need one

Thanks people, this is precisely the sort of response and info I was looking for

Theres definitely a fixed thing in Ak, theres a bunch of websites/blogs to be found somewhere... but if you're going to be picking grapes you'll probs be kinda rural in the South Island somewhere Nelson/Marlbrough/Central Otago (pinot!) so a MTB would be rad. And yeah most places have a lot of hills, Ak and Wellington in particular.

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