headed across town and up Major Aitken onto the new found wee piece of singletrack on the way up, thinking i'd look for another exit. could see one and another possibility, but didnt venture into them as i couldnt see any actual trails. back up onto the road and into the rest of the climbing grunt. as i got up above the pilons, the drizzle started getting thicker. all the way up the Huntsbury to the road, then hit the summit traverse towards Vic. good fang round here, tho tussocks soon drenched my shoes, with rocks and matting getting slick too.
Hit Thomsons both sections and blasted down to Kiwi, then hit Old Dyers. great ride down the first section, flowy and pumpy, then the midsection with the ruts was saturated, with all the long grass leaning into the trail, drenching me even further. down the 4wd section was wetter than i'd have thought, so a bit of splatter resulting, then crossed the road and scrunted up through vic onto the road then down past the dog exercise zones and down the track under the tv/microwave tower behind the houses and into the top of cashmere for dinner. happy birthday Mum!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday night, quarry and a pair of crocs.
no riding for over a week due to being in Fiordland.
grabbed a lift with Pete, running a little late, so the others (steve, tony, warren, abacus-steve) had slowly headed up the over the quarry ahead of us. our lungs screaming, we chased, meeting them at the top. cruisy flow down, me chatting to steve, then up the paddock and up the zigzag into the new windswept houses. tarmac for a bit then over the gate and up the singletrack. i peeled off and rode the log, then caught back up and overtook everyone into the grunts. blew the first, but cleaned the rest, gasping for air a the top. then we blitzed the 'short course' track down to gate. unbelievable how fast the elite guys must be riding that to complete 12 laps in 30mins!!!!!
regrouped at gate, and headed back up singletrack then down. i led and we were chasing this older guy who we'd given a big lead. i caught up with him before the pond, and went to pass him on a straight bit, but then i bloody well hit a rut hidden in the grass and went down HARD. pretty much right next to him... twisted my handlebars/stem, so had to get the multitool out and straighten it up. steve tony and wazza continued on, but pete and abacus-steve stuck with me. then it was off again, this time me chasing pete. down (what was) 'new tasty' and onto the croc. fanging it. didnt let a little crash slow me up. couple close calls with rutty bits and neeaarly didnt clip out when i stalled in that rock tightspot, then on down, cleaning the steepie after the bridge, where steve et al were waiting.
then steve led down but i darted round him in the lower hairpins, then we hung a tight left and down into loose grave and some surprise rock stepping stones to a regroup where steve steve and tony all bailed on account of steve's gurgly guts.
pete warren and me headed back up a different trail this time, straight up to the zigzag into the tarmac then back down the croc. another good blast, with lungs just getting right... home by 8.30. nice wee jaunt.
grabbed a lift with Pete, running a little late, so the others (steve, tony, warren, abacus-steve) had slowly headed up the over the quarry ahead of us. our lungs screaming, we chased, meeting them at the top. cruisy flow down, me chatting to steve, then up the paddock and up the zigzag into the new windswept houses. tarmac for a bit then over the gate and up the singletrack. i peeled off and rode the log, then caught back up and overtook everyone into the grunts. blew the first, but cleaned the rest, gasping for air a the top. then we blitzed the 'short course' track down to gate. unbelievable how fast the elite guys must be riding that to complete 12 laps in 30mins!!!!!
regrouped at gate, and headed back up singletrack then down. i led and we were chasing this older guy who we'd given a big lead. i caught up with him before the pond, and went to pass him on a straight bit, but then i bloody well hit a rut hidden in the grass and went down HARD. pretty much right next to him... twisted my handlebars/stem, so had to get the multitool out and straighten it up. steve tony and wazza continued on, but pete and abacus-steve stuck with me. then it was off again, this time me chasing pete. down (what was) 'new tasty' and onto the croc. fanging it. didnt let a little crash slow me up. couple close calls with rutty bits and neeaarly didnt clip out when i stalled in that rock tightspot, then on down, cleaning the steepie after the bridge, where steve et al were waiting.
then steve led down but i darted round him in the lower hairpins, then we hung a tight left and down into loose grave and some surprise rock stepping stones to a regroup where steve steve and tony all bailed on account of steve's gurgly guts.
pete warren and me headed back up a different trail this time, straight up to the zigzag into the tarmac then back down the croc. another good blast, with lungs just getting right... home by 8.30. nice wee jaunt.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday evening, Major Hunts Traverse Fence Hidden OldSkool twice.
picked up Chris before 7 and we parked on Bowenvale Ave. tootled down and round to Major Aitken then up here. part way up, on a bend, spotted a wee singletrack snaking off into some gums. hit it, Chris got a pinch flat on the kerb, stopped to fix that and then on up the 'Reserve' singletrack, which appeared to finish in someones back yard. he was watering his lawn and said "up to the right", so we found our way out, and spotted where you'd go next time. nice, will be an interesting wee down next time we bail down this hill.
on up huntsbury to top, reasonably uneventful except for meeting a guy on a Simple (Soul's singlespeed sister). clambered straight up onto traverse and hoofed it round towards Vic, sun thankfully just set, reducing blindness.
dropped straight over the DH fence, hung a right and headed onto Upper Fenceline track for an explore. i'd not been down it for a year or two, so figured'd take a look. someone's been working on it, trying to stop the fall-line and they've dug in berms and jumps, but not nearly finished. bit crappy actually, and was a bit of a waste of altitude.
into Flow, Bridges, Chris taking our high line for a change, down the drop, and down to and up Hidden Valley track. cleaned it all up, round to pylons and Old Skooled it. At the stile, stopped for snackage and it was lights on time. rode the first bit without lights, which pinged and buzzed us down and then finally turned them on on some of the new section. good bomb down here trail in great nick.
at the bottom, we rode back up the valley track (steeper than i remembered), back up Hidden Valley, me blowing heaps this time, and then slaughtered Old Skool again. mint.
on up huntsbury to top, reasonably uneventful except for meeting a guy on a Simple (Soul's singlespeed sister). clambered straight up onto traverse and hoofed it round towards Vic, sun thankfully just set, reducing blindness.
dropped straight over the DH fence, hung a right and headed onto Upper Fenceline track for an explore. i'd not been down it for a year or two, so figured'd take a look. someone's been working on it, trying to stop the fall-line and they've dug in berms and jumps, but not nearly finished. bit crappy actually, and was a bit of a waste of altitude.
into Flow, Bridges, Chris taking our high line for a change, down the drop, and down to and up Hidden Valley track. cleaned it all up, round to pylons and Old Skooled it. At the stile, stopped for snackage and it was lights on time. rode the first bit without lights, which pinged and buzzed us down and then finally turned them on on some of the new section. good bomb down here trail in great nick.
at the bottom, we rode back up the valley track (steeper than i remembered), back up Hidden Valley, me blowing heaps this time, and then slaughtered Old Skool again. mint.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Sunday mornin', Hunts Vern on Witch Castle Green Thom
Met at Steve's (who was crook), smallish posse, Andy Tony Pete and Wahayno. rode round and headed up Chuntsbury. hefty climb, but not bad. Headed up onto singletrack and down towards Rapaki. good blast down here only meeting one person riding up. dabby but not bad jaunt round witch hill, then up road, and hit Castlerock. excellence ensued, absolutely flying down to the first hairpin, feeling totally on form, but then wondering whether i should trusting the on-form-ness. round the bend and i'm all over the place, rocks pinging my wheels around. round the next bend and still not quite right, then climbing and getting it right again.
round road onto Britten, spotting the new trail from the Gondola-top on the way. nice blitz round britten, getting the rocky bit first time in years. then to Greenwood. good blast down the first section, break for snackage on the ruins then hit the main drag. awesome descent. got round into Gloomy gulch and before the next descent looked back and didnt see anyone... eventually pete turned up, tony had a flat. so we sat and took in the view and chewed the fat til the others showed, then it was off again. good blast the rest of the way out.
Finally, onto the Captain. i started off good, but then i got spooked on the first rocky sections. got on okay after that, cleaning the usuals. the final blast was awesome. has been opened up a bit and some wicked wee jumpies all the way down, then into the darker stuff, meeting walkers and runners, easy easy, and down. long slog home by 12.30.
round road onto Britten, spotting the new trail from the Gondola-top on the way. nice blitz round britten, getting the rocky bit first time in years. then to Greenwood. good blast down the first section, break for snackage on the ruins then hit the main drag. awesome descent. got round into Gloomy gulch and before the next descent looked back and didnt see anyone... eventually pete turned up, tony had a flat. so we sat and took in the view and chewed the fat til the others showed, then it was off again. good blast the rest of the way out.
Finally, onto the Captain. i started off good, but then i got spooked on the first rocky sections. got on okay after that, cleaning the usuals. the final blast was awesome. has been opened up a bit and some wicked wee jumpies all the way down, then into the darker stuff, meeting walkers and runners, easy easy, and down. long slog home by 12.30.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Thursday Night, FINALLY a ride, Worsle Nun Gov Thom Gum Cool OldSkool
after working late and not thinking i'd ever get a ride again, amazingly i managed to get out. picked up chris after 7, drove to nelsons whereuponst our bikes we rode. headed across town to Worsley's, me realising how spending that long off the bike had left me feeling fat and slow... realising it even more so as we hit the climb and chris and nelson blazed off ahead of me. struggle struggle i did up to the dirt, gasping for air and feeling the burn.
hit the Worsley dirt, and trundled up balancing on the crests of the ruts, dying, but managing not to dab. the boys waited for me half way up, then we set off again, and by the time i was hitting the body bag they'd already crested it. legs screaming i managed to get nearly all the way up, but, practiced as i became accustomed to, i walked a little bit, then managed to get back on and ride to the top. ugh. darkness encroaching we cruised to top of flying nun and chris and me put our lights on.
Chris led off, me second and nelson last. headed in, i felt sketchy as, nearly scaring myself on the steep rock drop corner, but pulling thru, conscious of nelson on my tail i put some distance on him, then would muck something up and feel him breathing down my neck again. one of the riser-corners i took the shortcut and nearly got thrown by something i didnt see hidden in the grass, managed to stay on, still feeling sketchy. on down and where i thought we were bailing (carpark), chris had continued down, nelson got by while i was off the track and we chased down chris who had a massive lead by now, me eating both of their dust down the lower section. regroup and trundle back up the road to the Governor's Track.
Top of the Gov's track, Nelson and Chris off first and me last. nice wee descent, lovely track, floating over the bridge, ducking branches, etc. sidled round to where the other down-track continues its switchbacky way down to the road. Nelson and Chris decided to head on down to take in all of it, whereas i couldnt be bothered with the grunt back up, so turned back getting a head start on them, back up the way we'd come down. couple bits i had to walk, below the bridge, steep wee steepies... then regrouped and finished off the lower section of the Nun back to the kiwi again, this time with Chris tight on my tail.
due to Guy fawkes, the summit road from kiwi towards rapaki was the busiest i've ever seen it. thousands of cars cruising it, bumper to bumper, fireworks going off in all the laybys. insane. we rode all the Thomson's sections for this reason. then it was down through Vic, bit of Brake free, chris riding it a couple times, then off down through the oldschool gummies. interesting rock treatment just before the trees. that should keep a few out. lost chris when we hung a left and nelson and me continued right down to the road gate, riding back and hollering for Chris at the skidder site.
then it was off up the middle trail to Cool Runnings, something i'd not ridden for quite some time. the other two hung a right for a higher line, but ended up on a completely different trail. i waited for them as they scrambled back to it, then off we flowed, railing the berms and out to Flow and Bridges, nelson and me sticking to the high line to the washout drop. then down to the new Hidden Valley connector (nice work in here!!!), round, screamed down Old Skool, and back to Nelsons about 10.30.
Excellent to get out on the bike again, but i gotta get my fitness back up, bad.
hit the Worsley dirt, and trundled up balancing on the crests of the ruts, dying, but managing not to dab. the boys waited for me half way up, then we set off again, and by the time i was hitting the body bag they'd already crested it. legs screaming i managed to get nearly all the way up, but, practiced as i became accustomed to, i walked a little bit, then managed to get back on and ride to the top. ugh. darkness encroaching we cruised to top of flying nun and chris and me put our lights on.
Chris led off, me second and nelson last. headed in, i felt sketchy as, nearly scaring myself on the steep rock drop corner, but pulling thru, conscious of nelson on my tail i put some distance on him, then would muck something up and feel him breathing down my neck again. one of the riser-corners i took the shortcut and nearly got thrown by something i didnt see hidden in the grass, managed to stay on, still feeling sketchy. on down and where i thought we were bailing (carpark), chris had continued down, nelson got by while i was off the track and we chased down chris who had a massive lead by now, me eating both of their dust down the lower section. regroup and trundle back up the road to the Governor's Track.
Top of the Gov's track, Nelson and Chris off first and me last. nice wee descent, lovely track, floating over the bridge, ducking branches, etc. sidled round to where the other down-track continues its switchbacky way down to the road. Nelson and Chris decided to head on down to take in all of it, whereas i couldnt be bothered with the grunt back up, so turned back getting a head start on them, back up the way we'd come down. couple bits i had to walk, below the bridge, steep wee steepies... then regrouped and finished off the lower section of the Nun back to the kiwi again, this time with Chris tight on my tail.
due to Guy fawkes, the summit road from kiwi towards rapaki was the busiest i've ever seen it. thousands of cars cruising it, bumper to bumper, fireworks going off in all the laybys. insane. we rode all the Thomson's sections for this reason. then it was down through Vic, bit of Brake free, chris riding it a couple times, then off down through the oldschool gummies. interesting rock treatment just before the trees. that should keep a few out. lost chris when we hung a left and nelson and me continued right down to the road gate, riding back and hollering for Chris at the skidder site.
then it was off up the middle trail to Cool Runnings, something i'd not ridden for quite some time. the other two hung a right for a higher line, but ended up on a completely different trail. i waited for them as they scrambled back to it, then off we flowed, railing the berms and out to Flow and Bridges, nelson and me sticking to the high line to the washout drop. then down to the new Hidden Valley connector (nice work in here!!!), round, screamed down Old Skool, and back to Nelsons about 10.30.
Excellent to get out on the bike again, but i gotta get my fitness back up, bad.
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