Once we have had enough caffeine to fuel a race horse we get moving. I have no phone reception up the Maitai. Hopefully I get a new bike today. We have a look around at the market then continue to Evo. Annoyingly there is not much they can do till Monday. The guy is pretty sure that I can just have it, but has to wait for head office on Monday. Honestly, some of these people just need balls. Why doesn’t someone just say here you own it, take my money and say come back for it tomorrow when I have sorted it with logistics and management. The unknown is killing me.

No point waiting for a maybe, let’s find a bike. We head to Tahunanui to a guy who fixes up bikes and sells them on the market place. He has a bike I liked but he wants $550. For a hundred more I get a new bike and warranty. No thanks. Also he reckoned he could fix my bike by just replacing the chain. Which I now know from speaking to 3 different people is not possible. So this bike is probably not well serviced and he only half knows what he is doing. We say we will let him know. Cycle back to the beach and find some shade.

While there we found the bike we had found on trademe sold. But the guy had listed a second bike! A Liv (Giant for women), just older. Well we didn’t muck around I tried to call him then pressed the buy now. He called back with his address, well here we come!

It is on the way to Picton and there is a really horrid steep windy hill to climb to his place. The last part toom some huffing and puffing. I was so sweaty when we reached the top. Mike is a really nice guy, daughters bike that she hasn’t really used since they moved to NZ. I am not surprised living on a hill like this! I take it for a test run, it feels really good. $250 take my money. We spend the next 30min moving all my gear from my bike to the new bike. Kelvin will come pick up the old bike and sell it for me.

Problem finally solved, but now let’s quickly get into town and see if it needs work! We make it 10min before closing and the guy quickly replaces my chain but the cogs are good. Wahoo! We will take in to rider18 tomorrow and get it properly looked at. I now have hydraulic brakes and bigger wheels 27.5″ riding is feeling a lot different!

Legs are sore, 30km done today. I need a zero day soon!