Singlespeed Heck

Singlespeed Heck, cos it really wasnt quite as bad as hell...

Twas a good ride last night. I've swapped the Mary bars off the geared switchback onto the singlespeed switchback (involving a new rear cable and outer, reusing the old rear cable and outer on the front). this was my first ride with them on the singlespeed, which i was on cos i thought we were meeting fellow singlespeeder Alister. But he had crossed wires and thought we were riding thursday, so didnt show, so, ended up being me, Al and Nelson, and then these other two guys who happened to be meeting at C1 as well, who Nelson has ridden with on the HQ shop rides, Roland and Jeff (and actually were in the group the other week when my pedal broke). anyway, we all tootled across to rapaki, met another guy on the way (tv1 cameraman who was also on the illfated broken pedal ride), and piled up the hill. i was good to go for a while, cleaning the road happily with Al, then hitting the trail fine, cruising to first gate, where i over took some people and one of them said, astoundedly, "*gasp* singlespeed!" I was good for a while, but then i blew my energy a about half way between Roger's Track and the Manuka, so i walked a little bit, much to the joy of the others, who said things like, "Oooh! Look at all my gears, i think i'll change down! ah thats better" Then i got back on and gasped and struggled til the flat bit where i picked up the pace and got my breath back. with a good run up on the straight i made it 3/4s of the way up it and had to get off and walk again, feeling a severe lack of energy... still made it to the top in pretty good time to the others waiting.

they went off round to the left and back, and i made a start on the singletrack to the right, walking up the switchbacks, then riding, then walking again from top of farmtrack, off piste to the top of those next two switchbacks. then i waited. and waited and waited. finally, nelson hove into view, shortly followed by the rest, and from then on i was in my element, pushing them all hard, all the way round to the sugarloaf saddle... the singlespeed absolutely sings around the singletrack. from there, nelson and i lost the others completely, we were hummin'!

then down through the gums, and did cool runnings. personally, i liked it in the old days when it was all gnarley and rooty and technical... but yep, i'll concede, it is fun. we all stopped while this guy (who was riding in a different group we kept seeing) on a Felt (7 inches in rear, 6 up front) did that wooden structure drop...twice. roland filmed it. should be on their website, which is www.angrywad.com . then out the gulch, round the sidle, down 'the washout' and out the valleybottom. speeeedy. love the way the singlespeed just floats over everything, i'm very impressed by its handling.

then rode home with Al, with a DODGEY incident with this young C*NT in a car who came flying up behind us on Eastern Tce, and practically forced us off the road at the intersection with Tennyson St. little shit, wanted to smack his car up. i told him what for, and we gave him evils the rest of the way along Eastern, and he pulled over and stopped half way along. Al gave him a silly wave as we departed...