And, Third for the weekend, Harman's Track DH

The OG Canterbury DH circa 1986, Harman's Track, "4WDs only" at stupid speeds on the Stooge, trying to beat Tra'y to the bottom. Corrugations, speed, and gravel, then surprisingly early, seal. Then what seemed like ages down the valley, once on the (nearly) flat pedalling like crazy in top gear into a head wind. I could see the 'Give Way ahead' sign for the end, and then the Hyundai hove into view. Tra'y couldn't believe I was there already.  She thought she'd be waiting ages for me. Haha.

4.9 kms descending around 460 m, in 8 and a half minutes

Satoogerday Longish Way to Long Bay

Tra'y dropped me at the start of Cameron's Track about 10.20 am and continued on around the Summit and down Long Bay Rd to leave the car at the bottom of Hinewai, as she was to walk up through Hinewai. 

Just as I was about to head in, 3 hiluxes and a peoplemover (of all things) wide-birthed me and peeled in, obviously a crew.  They were slow on that first down, and dusty, so I let them get a good gap on me before heading off.  Quick down then a steady climb ensued.  Nice to peak and coast down again, steeper and faster as I rolled.  Turned into Lavericks Ridge Rd, down around and up to Panama Rock.  Stopped for a rest, snack and a phonecall here then headed off down Panama (fuck it's steep!).  Brake, pause, brake, pause, never getting too fast once down the first bit; concern for overheating brakes...  Nice rolling down the bottom half and then hung a hard right into LeBons Bay Rd, climbing, quite the grind.  Only a car and motorbike down, and maybe 4 cars up, otherwise road to myself, birdsong (brown creepers higher up).  Just past halfway up I explored into and checked out a good portion and back on Dawbers Rd.  Stopped when it was heading down too much.  Then back out to the main road and climbing again, grinding away, surprised how much climb it's actually got.  None of these other bays are like Little Ak with its 3 km solid steep, they all have brief respites in their steeps, or like Okains, only a very short section of real steep.  

Onto the Summit Rd finally and cruising, some level, some climbing, a pop and crackle of sport bikes, followed by a throb of a couple of Ducatis, and a couple of touring bikes, a couple cars.  Once at the first high point looking over Akaroa Harbour I messaged T to let her know where I was.  That was 12.30 and I thought I'd be a half hour to the car.  Onwards around the Summit and there were a couple more climbs, including the highest of the ride, around 670m, and then hail.  Squally hail, falling on me as descended to the Cabstand, then a bit more down through the top Hinewai carpark.  Bombed down the rest of the seal and onto the gravel for a short climb, then descending Long Bay Rd, glorious views everywhere, a couple cars, then down into the valley, quite steep, a little loose, and fun.  So much altitude relinquished.  Finally to the car, exactly 1pm, as I'd guessed.  Found the key where T had hidden it and loaded up.  Had to wait about a half hour for her once back up the hill.  Not bad timing, really. 

Hefty, 25 kms and 530 more descent than the 1074 m climbed

Measured Gale View from Friday's Stooge

Up to View Hill Rd on the Stooge not long after the southerly hit. She's a strong one; no rain, but. 

Clothing-wise, I was in stealth mode. Bike was the same shade of grey as the road and shirt the same green as the hills. Socks and shoes like dirt.  Unwisely, not enough layerings - even after donning the sky-blue vest.  Looking down at the bay:

Bombing back, tailwind pushing up a whipper-whorl of dust ahead that I coasted through at higher speed as it petered out.  Then a little lower down, still on the gravel the wind gusting from the side; hard work staying on, but the Speedbomb lived up to it's handle.  Then on the seal, nice and tucked and silly-fast to start with, but around the bend back into the teeth of it and even tucked it was slow going and gusty until the shelter of the bridge valley around with a tail wind again, lovely in the trees then smooth speed into Luke's Rd, up and over rolling fast, and back through Adrians.

Looking back up where I was from bach.

Twenty metres shy of 8 km and one metre shy of 300 climbed: measured

Sunday, Coupla Rides, E with T and short Stooge on my lonesome

Nice hoon with my missus up across the tops and back on the ebikes today.  We rode up through Vic Park Rd together and I peeled off to the Skidder and rode up the gutser and out to the top, while she headed down to Dyers Pass Rd and up around Summit to meet me.  Together, glorious day, we rode out around, bitingly chilly wind in the exposed saddle places, while warm and basking and calm on the north east facing slopes.  Good bombs on the downs, and easy climbs on the ups, we headed to Cavendish Saddle, stopping for a nice view and then headed home again.  Me splitting off down through Vic the way I'd come up while she took the road and met me at 19th.

 E-xhilaratingly e-lectric 23 kms and 901 m e-scalated

Later, after vacuuming and hedging I took the Stooge for a go. Short and local, started by dropping down the 'zig zag' below us, out Derrynane Lane, up Longhurst into Harry Ell Drive, and up through to the bottom of Dog Park, out to Vic Park Rd, and from there the usual - up over 19th, skidder, gutser, Thompsons #1, back up road, "how are you so fast?" from a young'un struggling up the road as I passed - "lots of practice, I guess?" I replied.  

Down around the jumpies, down through rabbit into rocks, gums swoop swoop, all the way down to 19th, then below road, through, back on around coasting to dog park carpark and into the groove.  Still soaking wet but maybe slightly lessening? in the oaks, then lovely final hoon down to the bottom.  Clamber to road, and home. 

Stoogeliciously minimal 6 kms with 220 m scrambled.

Wednesday Night Local Short Stuff-about

Surprisingly short local with Nelson tonight, as in, it felt like a hell of a lot longer, because of all the steepness. 

From mine, we trundled up the road through 19th, Skidder, gutser and up to top of Vic.  Off down round the jumps and Worm, then headed down Pedalfine, with me, after some baulking, and then reattacking it, actually managing the steep rock section.  From the bottom of it, hung a left across and dropped in on the corner to check out a bit of the new bits of Rad.  Got to a trail-work closure and dropped out down onto the climbing trail, heading up to drop into Razza's.  Biff boff baff down this, veer left into a little bit of rad, then onto Brents, flowing back and forth in the macs (overtaking a slower rider in here).  Down out of forest, across to NuBridges, nice flow down here, me holding Nelson's tail, then down out rolling down the bottom of the valley, heading for Old Skool.  Oh... Track Closed sign on Hidden Valley bonus climb track to Old Skool, so we turned back up , heading up the nastiness of K2, climbing climbing.  When we got to Shazza's there was a few riders coming down.  First one went by on an ebike and Nelson yelled out, "Wazza!"  The followers were Andy and Wayno.  Good catch up here, then we went our separate ways, Nelson and me climbing up through the Rad Zone up to the Skidder.  Straight across into Latter's Spur Track, rolling across below the Rangerstation and some nice steppy bits in the bush, then out and over to Dog Park.  Into here, diagonalising across towards the eastern gate, dropping over some nice tech, then through the gate and down the fenceline, slick in a couple of spots and rather close to the barbed wire - roots still there but no more trees.  Over the stile, and below the H.Ell Drive houses, popping out at Scarff Place to climb back home.. 

Somewhat evanescent ride tonight, only 7.67 kms and 350 m climbed - as usual, it felt like more. 

Saturday Captain Godley into the Breeze and back again

Good wee ride on the Jeht today that was hard work. I'm so unfit! Climbing was tough, conditions good or sketchy. Lambs galore.

Parked on Wakefield and headed into the OG Captain T.  Muckiest I've ever seen it along behind the gabian wall, then up on the trail a lot of wetspots to negotiate.  Once out on the open section was a bit dryer, bar a few damp spots higher up.  I was muppetty, really struggling on the climbing, balance seemed all wonky, so dabbed way more than usual.  Out the top and onto the road, following a gravel couple, never quite catching them but slowly winding them in, until I peeled right up the ridge, lots of lambs and ewes.  Onto Godley and it was in pretty good nick.  Damp in shadier side, and very rutty, especially leading into the descent towards Livingston.  Good blast through this and then up the next over, dabbing once or twice, but making it through other tech.  Surprisingly good down to Breeze, only very slightly soggy on the last rutsville.  I've never seen so many people at Breeze Col.  It was insane the numbers walking up from Taylors.

Turning back up the road, cruised around to Livingston and had to don my vest as there was a nasty chill in the wind.  Para-sailers hovering smoothly at their launchsite, passed them and left up the ridge track again, passing a very sad looking ewe with a bunch of ropey stuff hanging out her rear end.  Needed some help but I didn't know what to do...  :(  Onto Godley heading for Evans, very wet in places, but once on the downward slope just the rock tech to deal with.  onto the road, and through the pass back onto the Captain, for a good cruise down.  Cleaned all the tech, but carefully.  Nice going once in the bushy section, navigating the wet sections carefully too.  Flow resulted and out to the car for a good finish.

Strugglesome 15.43 kms and 640 m climbed.

Thursday Night Solo Jeht-Setting

Out for a hoon last night on the Jeht.  Headed up the usual way over 19th and admit I had to walk a little in the gutser.  Really didn't know where to go, and paused at top of Vic for ages before heading off down the Thompsons #s 1 and 2, then through Dyers up Summit Rd to just past Worsley's.  Hit the Crater Rim/360 trail from here, climbing up to a stile.  Took a wee look up the Trig track but it proved too narrow and steep, so back to stile and onwards along the lower track.  Fun descent after the next stile.  Straight through this saddle and continued along the next rocky section of Crater Rim, over this to the big saddle (where Kennedy's used to come out).  

Turned around rode the same both through to Worsley's.  Climb was good, descent not so much.  Up Worsley's Rd next and into the climb to top of Nun.  Brief breather here then into it.  Tyres were too hard but I stuck with it and rolled and popped and jazzed my way down the Nun, riding pretty good at the mo.  Into the lower reaches and some mental speed, and not.  Popped out the road and then huffed up to the top of Vic.  Descent-mode activated and good flow down around over the first jump, second not so much.  Down the rabbit paddock (sogggggy in the middle) and into the rocks, ping ping ping, then gums, nice back and forth flow, down all the way out to 19th.  Rolled down the road, took in Tawhairanui and then into the Dogparkcarpark trail.  Soggier than Saturday, somehow.  and the Oaks were disgusting.  Appalling how much water is flowing down through here.  I'm sure that water tank must be leaking, cos this has gotta be more than just run-off from the road, or general hill leakage.  All the way down through to the bottom, some newly tilted dead standing trees lowering the headroom in a couple of places.  Clamber to road, and home.

Withstandable, 13.1 kms and 472 m escalated.