That hurt: 230 km ride

So there are a couple of the 'rules' I hold myself to during these endurance rides to keep me honest, have a bit of fun and to challenge myself both physically and mentally. The first rule of Fight Club, don't talk about Fight Club......opps wrong movie (great movie if you haven't seen it, the ending will blow your mind). Rules of Endurance Bike Club:

1) Stop as little as possible: You would think it goes with out saying but it is amazing how quickly little stops add up. Approved stopping times: buying food, going to the toilet/ bathroom or cleaning your chain (I had to do this a lot on this ride) fixing a mechanical etc. 2)No sitting down, unless it is on your bike seat or toilet seat: On long endurance rides there comes unbelievable gravitational pull to any chair, bench or soft looking piece of grass to stop pedaling, sit down and relax. Whether that be while you eat food or just on the side of the road for a wee cry. Keep fighting that magnetic like pull and don't sit down unless it is on your bike seat or to take care of the call of nature. 3) Only take your helmet off once: The act of taking your helmet off signals one of two things in battle. The battle is over or you have surrendered to the enemy. Leave that helmet on until you have got the job done, it may sound simple and trivial but the first thing you see a tired cyclist do is get off their bike, sit down, take their helmet off and rub their head with their hands. All signs that the effort is over. You can take it off once to put your lights on when it gets dark and once when you lay down to sleep if it is a multiday ride. 4) Go over gates: In NZ at least there are usually a lot of farm style gates across the route to control free range stock movements. There is a lot of time to be made up going over rather than true these gates. There is however a special kind of gate/ fence in NZ call a deer gate/ fence, there is a rule review for these, check it out in the video :)