Introductions - Girl newbie says hi!

Hello everyone! I'm new to this, not to cycling (I've been doing that since I was about 6) but to Cycling (with a capital C, lets get serious about it, if you know what I mean :) ) I've been reading the forums and learning heaps - thanks so much to everyone for the time they put in. My boyfriend is already a Cyclist and he has me all inspired. We are planning on doing some light touring-though I think "light" is a bit of a misnomer because a lot of it will be up and down... and up and down... mountains in New Zealand and doing lots of 1/2 to full day rides- and I am planning on commuting. So I'm now off to post some questions in the touring section...Ciao Zie

Hi Zie - welcome. There's some awfully good threads in the commuting forum to get you going on the commuting thing. That's how I found BF in the first place. Check the stickies, too - lots of good information in those as well.

Welcome to the forums Zie.

We all look forward to getting to know you a little better in the days to come.

Is your boyfriend registered on BikeForums yet? If he's not, make sure he knows what he's missing and get him to sign on. :)

Hey Joe Dog and Media Creations - thanks for welcoming me on board!

Welcome Zie! What parts of NZ will you be touring? Do you live there, or are you visiting? I spent a bit of time travelling both islands, and would be happy to answer questions about anything I can.

Cheers.

Hey Expatriate. I am moving to the South Island next year for a bit and planning to make the most of my time there. Ok, so questions. Where are some places you would recommend for touring (2-3 day rides mostly). And did you have a triple on your bike - how important did you find it for the whole NZ mountain experience??? Thanks

I toured both islands for about a month, but I hired a caravan. No bike. :( From what I recall, from Picton to Bluff, it's pretty flat. The east coast was flat, the west coast is where all the steep climbs are.

There's an organic restaurant in the CBD at Picton that has beautiful soups and breads. Timaru was another great stop. Cycling to Bluff would be a worthwhile experience. It's the farthest point south on the globe you can physically ride a bicycle to. Oh, you need to stop at the road sign for Shag Point - major photo op.

I'll post more as my brain warms up to all the places I went to. In the meantime, feel free to ask any questions. I'll see what photos I can dig up too. What parts have you considered so far?

Welcome!