Hi all because I had my first experience at standing in as President the other night Gil tells me I’m expected to say something for the bulletin.

 

So here goes, Paddy who has been apprenticing to Bernie was away getting a new knee, hopefully you are recovering and hurry up and get back to your role.

 

Winter is upon us, thanks to whoever turned up at the last wood chop the weather was miserable that day, I had my sister-in-law here so we sought the sun on a day’s outing to Arrowtown and Queenstown.

 

Going back to our last meeting I certainly enjoyed hearing Mayor Tamah Alley explain what’s happening around our part of the world in respect of the CODC and local government change being talked about. Certainly, our elected council have their hands full trying to meet the current governments expectations.

 

 I’m in awe of our speaker Lindsay Breen on hearing his tale of adventure on his epic ride – The Tour Divide. Mind boggling to this weekend biker.

 

Thanks to those who indicated their attendance at change over night 23^rd June, no doubt there will be follow up for those that were absent.

 

The Charity dinner is set for August the 1^st at Orchard Garden, please start chasing up those people you’ve dealt with in previous years to get major and minor items for the auction and raffle.

 

We had a directors meeting on Tuesday, where we discussed the matter of our recipients being accountable after receiving financial assistance. Going forward we will tighten our follow up process.

 

The trust looked at the local BMX club’s application for assistance, they’re off to Australia for world championships, it was decided to give them $1,000.

 

 

 

 

The Tour Divide - thought to be the toughest bike packing race in the world.

 

Lindsay’s 2025 Tour was an epic 4500km (roughly 2700 miles) bike adventure from Banff, Canada to the Mexican Border at Antelope Wells, New Mexico.

 

The ultra-endurance racing scene is one of the various bike packing events worldwide. Although racing isn’t for everyone there’s no doubt that gathering people for a grand depart is one of the best ways to generate some excitement. In a sport where events increasingly require entry fees and sponsors, the Tour Divide stands firmly as a grass roots, mostly unofficial bike packing event.

 

 

As much as the fast folks are in the spotlight, it’s just as much about the riders touring the route and taking their time for photos, side quests, and experiencing the expansive route differently.

 

There’s no right or wrong way to bike pack, whether that means riding it in under 15 days or taking two months to reach the US/Mexico border. The Tour is here to celebrate everyone brave enough to line up at the start line in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

 

With over 160 rig submissions for the 2025 year, this Tour was the largest rig roundup to date. As always for this type of tour, added is everyone’s GPS/navigation device. When the event launched, it could be followed along live over on the 2025 Tour Divide Tracker, where detailed updates and photos from the event in the weeks ahead could be seen.

 

When Lindsay had ‘just’ 53kms to go; this is what the conditions were like – it was 44 degrees, a little bit of head wind and desert as far as the eye could see. A wonderfully authentic, but not easy, New Mexico way to end this adventure.

 

Lindsay finished the Tour in 22 days, finishing the epic adventure with a 220km ride and almost 1500m climbing in temps as high as 46 degrees.

 

 

The Tour meant about one month away in Canada and the USA. Starting in Alberta and ending in New Mexico. The Tour started in June 2025 and ended in July 2025. Lindsay reckons it cost him in the vicinity of NZ$ 10 to 12 K.

 

He learned navigation he said and fortunately had no mechanical problems with his bike. There were no close encounters with Black Bears mostly in the Canadian Rockies, but riders were warned about them and some people had been attacked before on previous Tours and some riders carried anti-bear spray with them.

 

Lindsay said that he rode about 200K per day on average and on his best day rode 300K. (some participants managed up to 400K per day sometimes). Many people dropped out of the Tour, it was pretty tough. Participants needed to consume about 10,000 calories per day and needed to carry quite a bit of water with them because of the heat they encountered.

 

They even had to ride (200K) through an American Indian reservation at one stage and unfortunately were not allowed to sleep in the reservation.

 

Basically, sleeping was difficult and sometimes riders would arrive in a town late like 10pm or even later in the early hours of the morning and then have to organise somewhere to sleep.

 

Lindsay reckons that it took him at least 10 weeks to recover when he got back home.

 

 

CODC Mayor Tamah Alley spoke to Club members and mentioned six big items currently on Council’s table:

Mayor Alley wrapped up by taking questions from members.