You don't miss your water

So, here we go, is it Spring? The optimist in me says it is, the realist tells me that it's just an arbitary date and that the march of the seasons is far more gradual and subtle. The signs are here, blossom bud on cherry trees, magnolias in flower, the resident junior tuis are getting in vocal practise in the pre-dawn and there's a flush of growth on the lawn.

The drawing out of the days starts to mean that the more often shadowed roads are starting to dry out before mid morning. Wonderful for me, because it means that the Karekare Loop will be approachable on Sunday mornings soon.

Any Auckland cyclist worth their salt has ridden this at least once, and have been challenged by beauty of the loop. This is a loop that has variety writ large across it, scenic, pretty, quiet and glass free roads, a range of climbing and swooping descents.

I first rode it when there was a couple of kilometres of metal on Lone Kauri Road, but it wasn't long before that was sealed. The first acscent for me was an adventure, I'd looked at Lone Kauri Road on topo maps, but knew of no one who had driven it or ridden it. I'd ridden to Piha before, also had been silly enough to ride down into Karekare and back out via perilous plunge that is Karekare Road. I vowed I'd never repeat that on a bike again. But the line on the map, Lone Kauri Road drew me and I went back for bit of an explore, what I found was worth the white knuckle descent down into the beach.

As I found out later, there had been quite a few others going through that loop before me, but the metal sections had kept many away. Once the sealing of the loop was complete, then word spread and now it's ridden regularly.

The loop, as I ride it, has two reasonable length climbs, a number of ramps and the longer climb of Lone Kauri Road. It is very easy to add more climbing before the top of Scenic Drive by approaching it from the Swanson end, additionally after you return to Waiatarua it's easy to add a number and variety of climbs depending on the direction you take. Junior and I once threw in the second half of a reverse BCL, on that day we both had enough by the time we reached to top of Christian Road.

From downtown Auckland it's between eighty and ninety kilometres, and approximately fourteen hundred metres of ascending, depending on how you get in and out of town. My favoured route is up to Scenic Drive through Konini Road, then climbing up Scenic Drive to Waiatarua. Over the top and onto Piha Road, traversing across the tops of the Waitakeres, taking the plunge down Karekare Road, then climbing out from the beach up Lone Kauri Road to rejoin Piha Road. Back to Scenic Drive, then following it all the way back to Titirangi.

The beauty of Konini Road is threefold, it's a pretty climb, it carries little traffic and it avoids that nasty, uphill bottleneck out of Titirangi. It's two kilometres at an average of five percent gradient winding up through the bush.

But the whole reason for riding the entire loop is to ride up Lone Kauri Road. It is a multi-layered delight. Six point eight kilometres and gaining three hundred and fifty six metres, sounds like an amble. What it is however, is an opportunity to cook your legs and then ponder what has happened for several kilometres. The ramp out of the beach is a vicious five hundred metres averaging fourteen percent, after that it eases, but still has a couple of ten percent sections. Overall the gradient continues to ease as you climb higher and the last two kilometres average three point five percent. The climb is bush lined with occasional views revealing how high you have climbed and is very sheltered from any wind.

After that, there is a short, winding, fun blast back to the Piha Road. It's on this section of ramps and descents back to Scenic Drive that true fitness (or self control) is revealed. Dug too deep on the way out, or on Lone Kauri Road, and the rolling ramps will be your undoing.

The only caveat to enjoying this loop is the descent down into Karekare, down Karekare Road. It is a very steep one point eight kilometres. Averaging close to twelve percent, the road is narrow, winding with badly shaped corners and one corkscrew section that hits twentyfour percent. Traffic is generally light, but care needs to be taken as the road is close to one lane in width. Make certain your brakes are up to it, the road isn't wet and ride within your limits.

A view of the corkscrew section here.

It is this single, limiting descent that prevents me from enjoying the loop more often through winter.

Here's the profile-

Here's some directions from Mapmyride-

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/new-zealand/auckland/300124920693382219


I have started and finished the loop from the corner of New North Road and Sandringham Road. Oddly, short of thumping Mapmyride repeatedly, the program kept routing me through the Kingland Railway Station, so just use your noggin and ride along Sandringham Road. I have also routed it up the side of the end of the motorway at Mt Roskill to reach Maioro St, it's completely legal to ride this section and reasonably safe. Unfortunately this new road is not shown on Mapmyride so it's looks just like a straight line through industrial waste land.

Go, choose a day when you feel frisky, take a group and enjoy.