The hill climbing seems to be paying off. The climb up Koru at Mākara at the weekend was much easier than I ever recall it being.
I have been using Strava on my Fenceline rides, and while I find the times dubious, they are trending down. I would like to complete the leg between the Fling and Sawmill in less than 7 minutes. If I can keep riding I might be able to do this within a month. However, this will depend on how I perform on the new bike, as I expect it to be more challenging on steep climbs.