What's wrong with these two pictures"

Just in case it was too difficult to work out, the bottom pic shows the current tyre on the Tenere - a worn out Tourance.  The top picture shows a spanking new set of E-07's just waiting to be installed...

Enter a couple of devious BRR riders with a plan and I'm in trouble...it's not like I could pass on a ride is it"

Yep, yesterday an email arrived from Ross suggesting a wee gravel ride today and I jumped at it as I feel like I've hardly done any riding lately...Oh, and did I mention that its been raining on and off for well over a week now"

I left Palmy in fairly nice weather and arrived early in Bulls to meet the others.  Gas and a coffee purchased I parked up to wait.  First to arrive was Russell, followed a while later by Ross, Colin and John.  Oh, and by now it was raining...
Check out the knobblies on 4/5 of the bikes...After the lads had dealt to their own coffee's we took off and made for Fordell.  From there we cut back across Kauangaroa Road before turning off up Mangamahu Road.  Funnily enough the roads were fairly damp through here and fairly slippery - I took things pretty easy and allowed the DR boys to clear out for a bit.

Eventually we ran out of tarmac and hit the gravel.  Did I mention its been raining a bit lately"  Well, yeah, it has - even up the Whangaehu Valley.  Where there wasn't gravel there was either mud or slippery clay type stuff.

Th...