Big sky ride a widescreen epic
The going maybe a bit slower and the ride a bit rougher, but doing the Rainbow and Molesworth loop on two wheels is worth taking your time over, writes.
They say when you drive somewhere you’re watching the movie. When you ride there, you’re part of it. And the big sky country of the RainbowHanmer Road and the Molesworth Station is a widescreen epic.
Adventure riding might once have been the domain of those hardy souls who threw some saddlebags and a sheepskin on their trusty thumper to embark on some dusty trek wrapped up like Bedouin tribesmen.
But adventure bikes have evolved – even if there’s plenty of riders out there who still insist on slumming it.
Australia’s extremely popular Postie Run involves thousands of kilometres on CT90 ‘Postie Bikes’.
There are companies that offer overland tours of South America on Honda ‘Monkey’ bikes.
Ed March has garnered growing fame for riding across continents on ‘stepthroughs’. It’s less about skill than perseverance. (Check him out on YouTube, he’s unhinged but highly entertaining).
While, in theory, you could do this ride on a scooter, and we did see a couple of hardy riders trying to do exactly that, for four middle-aged riders the bike choice was a little bit about power, but a lot about comfort.
Two V-Strom 650s, an Africa Twin and a Tenere 700.
The two Suzukis are capable – like labradors. The Honda and Yamaha have a little more of the cattle dog about them.
Balance is important – staying upright is one of the main goals and torque is handy. Comfort though, when your ageing tendons have all the flex of a freshly strung tennis racquet, is key.
The Rainbow Road officially begins at St Arnaud, south of Nelson. It’s described as a wilderness driving experience, which translates to beautiful, but hairy in parts.
For many years The Rainbow-Hanmer Road was home of the Rainbow Rage mountainbike race, but from December 26 to Easter Weekend it’s open to all comers who want to chance their arm.
It’s a two-day ride, unless you start early and don’t linger on the scenery, but it’s not a head-down, bum-up sort of gig. It’s one that commands you to stop and pay homage to the view.
The ride is lumpy early on and strafed by fords and creek crossings.
The stretch from the entrance to the start of the Rainbow Skifield access road is narrow, but sealed.
Treat this as a warm-up because this is the last time you’ll ride at pace for a bit. The minute you leave the seal it rapidly gets rocky and rutty.
From there, though, slowing down isn’t such a bad thing. It requires a bit of