Tuesday 11 December 2012

It's Beginning to look a lot like Xmas

Imagine this scene...

It's Xmas morning. Being NZ it's summer so the sun is up and streaming in the windows onto the beautifully decorated tree in the corner. My 4 beautiful children sit on the floor - a large pile of paper, cardboard and bubble wrap surrounds them...

My oldest daughter Shelby is the first to speak

'Daddy - all the boxes are full of bike parts and there all for you!'

'Yes honey', I say 'Daddy plans to ride the divide so unfortunately this year all the toys are for me'

Now this is not strictly true - the kids will do just fine but I have been amassing the items required for my divide ride 2014. And it has been feeling a lot like xmas for a while now:-)

After Ollie's excellent effort on the Tour Divide this year I decided - as I'm sure a number of others will have done - to live by the mantra 'What would Ollie do'

My epic has moved on to a new home and my alloy trek 8500 26er single speed has been boosted by a further 26 shimano xt gears. It is bridging the gap while the new bike build comes together. Many thanks to my partner Sherilee for first giving me four great kids and then letting me 'borrow' her xt drivetrain!

Ollie has sourced the Ventana frame, niner fork, and gates drive and is taking care of the rohloff rear and front wheel build. (Is it weird that hearing his name now makes me drool - yep it is...)

Earlier in the year I took possession of my front and rear bags from Scott of Porcelain Rocket. Very cool. They've had little use up to now but will get out in the sun this weekend when myself and friend Mark undertake a little over-nighter on the weekend.

All going well I guess I may have the new bike in my hot little hands first thing in the new year. Possibly a good thing or the kids might not have a father to play with on the beach over the break.. Looking forward to racking up some k's in the new year!

It's beginning to feel a lot like xmas....!