after a surprise child-free night, T and me went to UTRV for eggs-bene (mmmmm, goooood), and she was gonna give me a lift all the way to Slumner, but when we saw Steve, helMark and Tony on Ferrymead bridge, figured we'd just get to the end of the causeway. unloaded bike and i waited for the boys. tootled round to Do'Co' meeting Andypandy and Wahayno there and hearing that the Hubbatronic Goatinus was already topping Greenwood and wouldnt be joining us.
test riding the Camelbak M.U.L.E for the first time.
cruised round and up Richmond Hill Rd. its quite steep, but stayed middle ring all the way up. then up gravel and paddock... (hmmm, steve, i think i still prefer the track that goes round to top of Clifton/Panorama from there, then up that singletrack under the trees, no gravel, and no paddock...but nevermind). anyway. up road with a tail wind and Mark discussing wheelies, and then onto the 'wood.
I had an excellent run down here, chasing steve who'd headed down a fair bit ahead of us. i finally spotted him as i rounded into gloomy gulch, heading down the other side. the chase was on. i pushed faster than i have for a while and by the time i got to the gap in the fence with the jump just after it (just before heading into that little valley with the stream), he was only just heading across the other side. it was about here i could hear a clattering from my rear end, figuring it was that pesky cassette locknut again, so i pushed on down and arrived at the final stile as he was just hopping over it.
cross road and quick fix (luckily i hadnt turfed the cassette tool when changing bags). then onto Godley. blew the rocks first try, bout the same point as i made it to the other week. mark headed back for another go, so i did too. blew it even worse, trying a line on the right that proved too steep. the rest was awesome. felt very good all the way out, and flowy smooth most of the time on the downs. excellently fast run down to Livingston Col, feeling mark breathing down my neck, so i kept the speed on. over to Breeze, going good, but blowing a rock weirdly on the techiest section.
onto the snake, i led off, but into after the first couple of corners (of the anaconda proper) i felt Mark behind so pulled up to let him pass (turned out he wasnt as close as he'd sounded). with him past i stuck to his tail, popping awesome air, nailing the downs, and hammering it round the curves (some of which are seriously messy). then i led down the 'tail, flowing good and easy.
felt surprisingly good climbing out of taylors, and we all had good flight down nicholson, along the front to coffee at the Do'Com.
Mark went off to play on the Captain, we lost Steve to a burpy tubeless rear tire and his girls, leaving tony and me to ride on meeting a sweeet tailwind across causeway, then i bailed at Ferrymead Bridge up to the G's.
M.U.L.E, - review. good pack. comfy, carries everything i need, sits well, popped up bumping my helmet a couple times when bunnyhopping, but should be able to be adjusted out, and sometime i might try the waist belt.
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