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  • When The Dirt Road Ends In A Grass Track

    When The Dirt Road Ends In A Grass Track

    At the of a dirt road is a grass track leading to a fenced in parking spot and a remote track leading to a large pond! Ok the large Pond is in fact, Lake Taupo. Zippy and I were just back from a walk towards the lake and back. Still learning about my Canon R5…

  • First-Time Ironman Taupo New Zealand

    youtube.com/watch I watch this video for the 1st during one of the great The Big Bike Film Night evenings in Taupo and if I can remember right. Late 2020 and for the first time I realised that I definitely had something wrong with my brain! Great watch and story 👍

  • Recovery Points & Towbar In One

    Well at long last I fitted up my TAG XR recovery towbar and it is so close that as TAG say I should relief the bumper in the two spots were the rated recovery points are, it fits without doing this but to stop any future cracks starting I will at the same time I…

  • The Solution // Craig Bierly’s Wanderlust Way

    So Right, live life when you can! Live it to the max now not later! I’m glad I have in the past! Life can change in a second! So live it now!

  • Supermarkets with a Brain Injury

    So since my accident Supermarket’s and shopping malls have been extremely exhausting and overwhelming. I have learnt to wear a cap, darker glasses, musician earplugs that cut out background noise and to be quick in and out again. In New Zealand we had so supermarket’s have A quieter Hour once a week with the lights…

  • Zippy My First Puppy/Therapy Dog

    So last year I was recommended at looking to get a therapy dog by a number of Specialists. But the one Specialist who could help organise one said I do not qualify because I was not bad enough with my brain injury. So after much debate and with my Mum’s dog expertise, on a dog…

  • Possible Effects Of A TBI (Part One)

    Repost @tbi.brain • • • • • •Washington State, USA Possible Effects of TBI (Part 1)! 🧠🤕There are many problems that may follow a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Physical and cognitive changes due to the injury are common issues patients face. In Part 1 of the series “Possible Effects of TBI,” we go over Apraxia,…

  • A Photo A Day Project Start

    Just out for a walk this afternoon. Enjoying nature for big to small.

  • Impact of TBI on Family #1of2

    Repost @tbi.brain TBI affects more than just the individual…It affects the whole family. There is a lot to talk about here, so stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow! Find additional resources for your TBI needs and curiousity by clicking the link in our bio and/or visiting our ‘TBI Resouces’ highlight on our page! 🧠✨

  • Impact of TBI on Family #2of2

    Impact of TBI on Family Members Part 2! 🧠 This post provides more ways on what you can do to help your TBI patient/family member, safety tips, and an important note at the end. PLEASE NOTE: Slides 4 and 5 are the same subheadings as Part 1, but have more info on both Providing Structure…

  • Fatigue After Traumatic Brain Injury

    Fatigue After Brain Injury Ever feel fatigued after a head injury? Here’s why, and how to decrease it! Find additional resources for your TBI needs and curiousity by clicking the PDF link below or the same document at the original address in the picture at thebottom.

  • First Overseas Experience

    In 1987 I left my parents home, hopped on a plane and flew to the UK. Yes that’s the first time I rented a room (bedsit) and started my first O.E. (overseas experience)Cycle Toured around and about the UK for over two months. Then found a Job and saved up for a Tour of Europe…

  • HOW HAPPY ARE YOUR FEET?

    So after 12 months of wearing barefoot shoes and also walking in my Bare Feet I love feeling the ground, yes the rocks, stones and the texture of the ground and Earth below my feet. I started walking in Vivobarefoot Primes Lite III Barefoot shoes, because my balance since my accident in late 2017 has…

  • What Is Aphasia?

    Thanks to @tbi.brain for explaining about Aphasia. I try to stay home or away from people when I’m exhausted because I do have mild and when exhausted I just can’t explain things or communicate very well, some people think I maybe drunk and I’m not! So what is Aphasia? Here’s some info on one of…

  • The Persuader

    Just arrived from the USA today is one of the upgrades planned for my Jones LWB Spaceframe 29+ upgrade project! Yes I’m going to be running a pair of Tumbleweed Persuader handlebars. I sold off my Titanium Jones Loop H-Bar handlebars because of my discomfort riding with them. I’m looking forward to hopefully being able…

  • Did You Know This?

    Is it cold? Not this cold in NZ! Do you know about this? During the cold winters, the Alaskan Wood Frog becomes a frog-shaped block of ice. It stops breathing, and its heart stops beating. When Spring arrives the frog thaws and returns to normal going along its merry way 😮 💚

  • Brain Fog & My Brain Fog Story

    So I had Brain Fog bad and did not understand why I was not right? Why on finishing my work day and starting to cook dinner that I would fall a sleep from exhaustion and had no idea that I was exhaustion? I would start shouting at work mates and not know I was? I…

  • Past Life

    When looking for something else I surprisingly found this inside an old book! A custom handmade very cool birthday card,  that someone or a number of someones found time to make when we were all on TT1 1993! TT for Training Trip, 1 for the first of two for 1993. So “Top Deck Travel” and…

  • Traumatic Brain Injury Classifications

    Reposted from @tbi.brain Instagram post. This post is about how each Traumatic Brain Injury is classified, and whether they are a result of a Primary or Secondary Injury. 🧠

  • My Micro 4×4 Camper Project

    The start of my Micro 4×4 Camper The Removal of my Suzuki Jimny rear seats, rear box, tuck the seatbelts away into the bodywork and secure with a few zip ties. Place on the bathroom scales and weigh them all up! Removed parts came to 16 kgs. Now it’s time to make the rear removable…

  • Why helmets don’t prevent concussions — and what might | David Camarillo

    I’m so disappointed in the bicycle industry! Why? Because they are chasing, light weight, aerodynamics, style, and to just meet the required standards to pass the design safety standards! Why not design a Helmet to protect the Rider too a much higher standard? Too far surpass the safety standards we have today? If my Helmet…

  • Ride: A Short Film About Cycling

    I so miss the Ride of riding a bicycle, but that’s life and I have rode more parts of the World then most people. So go for a ride and enjoy it, enjoy the hills, enjoy a head wind, just enjoy the outdoors.

  • Muni Means…MUNI

    I started Mountain Unicycling in 2004, because I was looking for a simpler riding experience! MUNI is fun and a challenge all in one, I last ride 6 months after my Bicycling to work accident in late 2017. I miss it so much 🤔 Life is full of circles.

  • Multitasking

    I once multitask and did all the time before I had my accident. Now I multitask in a new way go figure.

  • DEAR BICYCLE

    So right, this is a great video about the Bicycle! It got me thinking about how a Bicycle has taken me about this World. The uses a bicycle is used for every day about the world and how I have used a bicycle! For Work, picking up parts to going to a post office and…

  • A little Goes A Long Way

    A NZ Jimny (A little goes a long way) 2022 Suzuki 45′ Spec TVC video

  • Jones LWB Rebuild – Rebirth

    So a little bit of history on my love, hate, ok and love again affair with my Jones LWB Spaceframe adventure/mountain bike. So I have extremely long for my height, femurs and because of this are one of the few that need a slack seat post angle bicycle. Now I could have a custom built…

  • The Ultimate Barefoot Shoe Guide – Everything You MUST Know

    So right and thanks for your past videos, because I had a accident over 4 years ago and have been asking for help since with my balance!I could not explain the specialists how my balance was good at home inside (barefoot) and outside my balance issues walking had me having to walk side to side…

  • Sunset Over Lake Taupo

    Sunset over Lake Taupo just on dusk. Some how I timed it just right this time, a few days ago. I wish @fujifilmphotosnz made a full frame camera installed of a undersized and oversized sensor camera. I’m feeling it’s time to change to a compact Sony A7C or wait on A7C II to come out.

  • Moon Over Spa Park Taupo

    Looking north east from Spa Park in Taupo. Yes that the moon and the will smoke looking is steam from the steam fields. Taken with my old Fuji film X100t

  • Supermarkets with a Brain Injury

    Last winter I went for my weekly supermarket shop and forgot my Cap/Hat! It was an overload big time! Only listening to a podcast a few days later I realised that I normally wear my cap everywhere. I keep my visits short, later at night, and only if I have had a rest before hand.…

  • The Man Who Accidentally Killed The Most People In History

    I have found this very interesting about this one Man who has changed our world. And one how it was discovered by accident by someone different.

  • Learning To Read Again After A Brain Injury

    So many of my friends and colleagues have not understood why I have got so frustrated since my accident in August 2017! Aside from my balance issues walking and riding, I have not been able to read books because of extreme eye/brain failure.I can’t explain it very well but looking at a page I find…

  • Sledding Athletes Are Taking Their Lives. Did Brain-Rattling Rides and High-Speed Crashes Damage Their Brains?

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/26/sports/olympics/olympics-bobsled-suicide-brain-injuries.html It’s ironic that I got to ride in mixed bobsleigh in Lillehammer few times in (Summer) 1993! (Yes in Summer time was open for the public to ride and wheeled bobsleigh, down the Winter Olympics track) Cool a? Now the adrenaline and speed going through this bank corners was incredible and as a Adventure…

  • Henri & His Leica M3

    Inspiring. A different way at looking at the world around us. Enjoy Pete

  • Is this the END of hiking boots?

    The future is zero drop, foot shaped shoes and boots. Be foot happy and not fashion style driven unhappy feet.

  • Taking To The Skies For Climate Change

    Life is about taking risks! Be it like Danny here! Or Looking after the Earth for the future of us all. Remember the Sahara Desert was once a Rain Forest! Yes that’s right it was a Rain Forest once and I co drove from Morocco to Tunisia through the Sahara Desert and I saw no…

  • My Suzuki Jimny Story

    Well back as a kid in 1972 I first saw a Suzuki LJ10 or may have been a LJ20 in Wellsford (Northland) and if I had been older I would of liked one for myself, but at 8 years old I was too young! Anyway in 1998 I got my 1st new Suzuki Samurai (Jimny),…

  • My First Suzuki 4×4

    So after working overseas driving Double Decker Buses, Tour Buses and Overland Adventure Trucks I returned home to NZ and started building up a Fraser Sports Car ( NZ made Lotus 7 copy) I realised that I missed driving on Gravel Roads about Northland and a sports car was not the ideal vehicle to have.…

  • Welcome to Jimny New Zealand

    So welcome to Jimny New Zealand, My background is from driving offroad on our family farm up north mixed with riding dirt bikes all over the place. On my two O.E. ‘s I drove about the UK in a rough looking air-cooled VW kombi van, exploring the greenlanes of England. On my 2nd O.E. I…

  • Suzuki Jimny

    Well back as a kid in 1972 I first saw a Suzuki LJ10 or may have been a LJ20 in Wellsford (Northland) and if I had been older I would of got one for myself, but at 8 years old I was too young! So I did get my first Suzuki TS100 motorbike in around…

  • Morocco Adventure

    I tried a number of times to pass my UK DD Bus licence in the late 1980’s, returned home to NZ and once my Workplace closed down, I passed the NZ bus licence in 10 minutes!Flew back to the UK and drove DD Buses before moving onto driving with Africa Explored 🙈(renamed Africa Exploited by…

  • So Why Do We Do It ??

    So why wear shoes with padding? Why do we still have heels in a shoe? Why have arch support in shoes? Because we do not need any of them and to feel the ground under your feet is so much more fun. Yes that’s right Fun! Well for me my balance is back and I’m…

  • Four Years Today

    Well 4 years ago today my life changed riding to work. I would like to thank Mark and all my workmates over the last 4 years for their support at Top Gear Cycles. At long last I have support going forwards, help with learning about the new me. @postconcussioninc & @hopeafterheadinjury thanks for your podcasts,…

  • Walkabout

    Mount Tauhara and a sunny winter’s afternoon in Taupo.Out Barefoot walking in Vivobarefoot Primes Lite III Barefoot/Minimum shoes.Working on foot muscle strength and flexibility, before trying to run again.Why Barefoot or minimalist shoes?Because it’s helped big time with my Balance walking since my accident ending up with a sTBI.

  • First Modern Olympics, Greece

    Panathenaic Stadium, is All-Marble was build to hosted the First Modern Olympics in Athens, Greece in 1896 Panathenaic Stadium is also known as Kallimarmaro can seat up to 50,000 people. Is white in a horseshoe shape and stands triumphantly under the shadow of the Acropolis and remains the world’s only arena made completely from marble.…

  • Life

    Well i’m glad to have traveled overseas and have had some extraordinary adventures. From having a Gun to my forehead crossing into Italy from former Yugoslavia in 1987 to four person bobsleighing in Lillehammer in 1994. Driving to Euro Disney (Disneyland Paris) from the day with a Contiki Bus full of only three staff members…

  • Retro Ritchey (ATB) Ascent Build

    Mid winter’s day ride aboard my Retro build up Ritchey Ascent, with Nitto Bullmoose handlebars, NOS 1990’s Ritchey Brake Levers, Brooks C15 Cambium saddle, Kent Erickson Titanium seatpost, Paul Components Thumbies Shifter mount’s and Shimano 9 speed Barend shifters. Build the retro way with Shimano XT 3×9 mixed set-up. Wheels are DT Swiss 350 hub’s,…

  • Old Stock Brake Levers

    When building a modern retro ATB (all-terrain bike) or now called a MTB (mountain bike) you need NOS (new old stock) parts to help made it retro.Here are my NOS 1993 Ritchey Brake Levers.More photos to come of my Ritchey bike Build.

  • A Sunny Winter’s Day

    A beautiful sunny winter’s day with snow on the mountains in the distance.

  • Sun Is Shining So Time To Go Walking

    So yesterday my new pair of Altra Lone Peak 5 turned up from https://www.furtherfaster.co.nz/ Thanks to their help over the phone the size is bang on! Thanks team. So the Sun was shining in Taupo today so I planned to go for my first short walk towards Huka Falls and back again. I enjoyed the…

  • Why Not

    Why can we not have our Brains unplugged for a moment and have a reset? I have thought about asking this same question!

  • Back On My Bike

    First ride in months and with the new Ritchey Venturemax XL 52cm handlebars and vintage Bar-Con shifters and all are temporary until new Surly Corner Bar handlebars arrive in New Zealand.Then it’s all new Shimano XT 2×12 groupset and Paul Components Klamper Brakes.Looking forward, but my Jones LWB Spaceframe is far better riding with a…

  • Surly Corner Bar

    So it’s been a compromise running Shimano XT 2×11 with drop handlebars and over the weekend to have fitted new Ritchey Venturemax XL (52cm) drop handlebars. But to make them work I’m having to go back to my parts bins and run old Suntour Bar Con Power Shifters (6 speed barend shifters) in friction mode…

  • Jones LWB Spaceframe

    So this is my Jones LWB Spaceframe bike that I have improved with changing out the over stuff Jones Truss Forks to much more comfortable Jones Unicrown Forks. I have also upgraded the handlebars from Jones H-Bar Loop to a Salsa Woodchipper handlebars and only because the Woodchipper drop handlebars come in a Max is…

  • TRACKS

    So fingers crossed that the tracks straighten up. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel

  • Bikepacking new zealand page

    So a Page for Bikepacking New Zealand is up and running after I closed down it’s own website https://overlandadventure.nz/bikepacking-new-zealand/ more video’s to come in the future. The links below will also now all sent you to my main page, but a link is in the site menu at the top of all pages http://bikepackingnewzealand.co.nz/

  • Chain Cleaning

    Now this is not the right way to clean a chain, So do not do this and go for a ride instead

  • I Over Did It Again Today

    So right, and still trying to workout my new limits still after 3 years.Help is on it’s way I hope and I have my fingers crossedI can at last see a future for me.

  • Grass Up The Middle

    Today’s walk to the Dam and back, close to Hatepe (close to Taupo) even grass up the middle along some of it.A great change of places to walk.Beautiful winter’s day out again.

  • The Mountains

    A Beautiful clear winter’s day in Taupo again with the mountains lightly covered in icing sugar (snow).

  • A Winter’s Day

    First International Yacht arrived in Taupo boat harbour today.It’s been a long time since the last International Yacht can to Taupo.A Beautiful winter’s day with a view of the mountains in the distance. Please Note: Taupo is a Lake so just having a Joke

Get travelling, get away. Easily.