Monday Night, Worsley Nun Kennedys Croc.

last night turned out to be the only opportunity i'd have to ride during the week, so Chris came over and we drove out to Halswell. Parked up by the Quarry entrance, and cycled round Cashmere Rd, and into Happy Home Rd, exploring. found a park at the end with a blast of a down path, into a cul-de-sac, hung a left and dived onto the Cashmere Stream Esplanade Reserve, along, crossing Penruddock, and back into it, staying on the true-right, twisting and squirrelling through the tightly knit trees, finally out into the newly landscaped flood easements alongside the brandspanking slob-burbs that've sprung up in the last couple years. crawled our way up to the 'dam' and then into a new (to me) singletrack that grunted (and made me walk) up to the singletrack in that worsley valley park. grunted and chuffed up that then up the zig zags failing some, and cleaning a couple, and finally onto Worsley's Rd. legs tired from yesterdays blast i was a bit slow on all the ups.

once on Worsley's dirt, about 100m below the overhead wires i noticed my back wheel getting squishy... stopped to patch it (as i'd given Pete my only tube sunday), and drizzle started, lightly... got riding again, and felt a bit better, cleaning everything, including, surprisingly, the body bag. Chris had no trouble either.

Chuffed up to top of Marley's and seats down a bit and Chris put on his knee/shin pads and off we blasted. Chris immediately put a gap on me, and i struggled to keep control on some sections, just slightly off form due to low(ish) light and lack of ooomph in my legs. now and then i'd hear his noisy hub bzzzzing below me, and i felt like i was being left for dead. yumped a few yumps and railed the odd corner, but also faltered and baulked bits i never usually do. still, blasted out the bottom half and Chris said i was only like 20 seconds behind him (which isnt that bad i guess).

seats back up, and up the road. stayed in big ring and 3rd down all the way up, my new favourite cruising-climbing-slightly-too-tall gear, then towards Kennedys, via a nice poach..., then over the fence and rode along the freshly mown grass (and gorse that will dry for punctures) sapping our power up to the stile, over and down.

light drizzle messed with Chris's glasses, so i blasted off down ahead, juddering down to the first gate. over the gate and down between the pines (which SHOULD have sweet sidling switchbacky singletrack laced through them) and grabbing the 'highline' over and then down the final blast, absolutely flying down the single ribbon of hard packed clay, 60kph at least, bringing back memories of the old days. whooping at the gate, over and onto 'siberia'. climbing up and over and hitting what-ever-its-called down towards the top of the Croc. nice cruise down here, not pushing it too hard but not letting up either, then a final hard out blast down Crocodile. again, i was still not quite on form, but still enjoyed. struggled up, but cleaned, the uppy bit, then it was juuust getting a bit dim in the trees to really let rip. once out of the trees, we followed the bike trail all the way down through all the new rocks and terribly cambered teddington to the carpark, then round the road to the car. done by 9.