a whole week to a nearly non-starter sunday

woke up to rain, so we called off the intended 9.15 at Sumner meet, and decided that as Matt and Tony were both looking for new bikes we'd meet at 10 at C1 and then proceed to raid the bikeshops... i had Otis, who had his first ever 'fluffy', and a marshmallow and a small chocolate fish (which came back to bite me on the ass later with him acting like a 'normal' kid, ie, a little shit, from the sugar crash). anyway, the rain cleared entirely just after 9 and we would have been fine riding, but thems the breaks. (alas, Matt had seen the 6am and not having a synoptic forecasting background suggested to steve to call it off...at 9 i jumped onto the weather radar, and if i'd seen the 6am radar earlier i would have said that it was gonna clear, and then the 9am reading was dead obvious!) too bad. anyway, after the boys i went to Yum Cha with Tra'y and Cas and O at the Foo San, and whilst there it rumbled thunder and flashed lightning and rained and hailed and passed, then to T's G.ma's and it blew like hell while we were there, was a helluva system.

anyway, on with the riding. had to inflate front tire, was very low, then i biked over to Derek(from work)'s place into a strong headwind. we proceeded to, and up, worsleys, which wasnt too bad. he keeps a good pace, so we got up pretty quick. some 4x4 drivers not far below the body bag. i blew out on the top section, just didnt have the steam i needed. i think cos of tiredness and the lack of carbs in a yum cha meal... anyway, topped marleys, where i changed my front tube, finding a nasty wood spike (gorse or barberry (from last sunday's)) in the tire. then down down down. track condition perfect, no dust, just damped down enough. Derek asking for downhilling tips, as i was leaving him behind the way he would leave me behind on an uphill. to the kiwi, sweet runnings, some fun new design on the lower sections of the 'nun. then we toodled back up the summit and down the 'new' section of track into Gov's bay, then up road, up summit top of vic, down through gums, down to the lower section of Cool Runnings, then out. good ride. tho, i was in trouble for saying i'd only be 2 hours and nearly taking 3...

glad to get out, a week off the trails is bad.