Tuesday Nunning

Nice ride tonight. New commute sees me covering a LOT more ground than the past, so that means I should be fitter than ever soon, and gives me an excuse to eat lots again... anyway. donned my facemask and tootled over to Steve's through the dust whipped streets.

loaded bikes into the TFC van and we cruised to Tony's, checked out his broken house, and loaded his bike and headed up Hack and Dyers to park up at the Kiwi. Wayne was awaiting us. onto the bikes and off up towards Marley's, picking up Mark (on the coiler) on the way, and catching up to Ben (on the kula?) on the way and finding Marie at the top. Mark lead off (on the kula?), followed closely by me. He said he's had smoother rigid forks than those on the kula so let me go and i blasted on down. felt damned good to be on the bike again flowing the familiar rocky trails again. it's been so damned long. (wish i'd managed to get a bike and ride in Wellington, but never quite managed it).

Peeled off at the midway carpark and regrouped. Ben headed down, and the rest of us went up for another go. cold southerly wind whipping across the tops too, with rain threatening.

so. from the top again, similar order, Mark leading off (on the Coiler) and me following (not quite so closely this time). for some reason, at a similar point to last time, Mark pulled up so i took the lead for a bit, but further down with him breathing down my neck i pulled up and let him under. good blast down to the carpark again. this time, Steve continued down past us, so we gave him some room and let chase. me first. excellent pursuit, catching him just at the top of after the big fast no brakes swooper, then sticking close the rest of the way, making sure he's jumping well. he was.

regroup at the kiwi, with Steve, Tony and Wayne getting into vehicles and Marie, Mark and me heading up the road into Vic. Mark and me took upper Thomsons, then Marie and me headed straight over the rocky first bit, i peeled down over the seesaw and into Brakefree all the way through. then the other two headed down Sesame and i turned back up to the rocks and Gums and that lovely wee narrow splitter in there, and on down and back up to the skidder site. nice nice nice. then final singletrack out to the 19th battalion, playing a little down then that last singletrack speedy descent behind the houses from the microwave tower. i peeled off to my old's for a car, they headed on home.

family away, so plan is ride Thursday, and sunday... plus 30kms commuting a day. w00t!