Great ride tonight. Nelson picked me up from work and we parked up Bowenvale Ave. Rode round and up Major Aitken, listening to my back tire wearing down all the way up, and on up Huntsbury track, the top of Old Skool we met Craig, who'd ridden his 1989 Marin Muirwoods fully classic fully rigid up to meet us. On up to the top and Craig suggested we head up over Vernon... Walked a bit near the top, then messed up lots of the switchbacks down the burned out area, and rode out to the top of Rapaki... Thru the fence and on round Witch Hill, something we've not ridden since December 2010. Singletrack looks well used, is in mint riding condition, and there's only two big boulders that had come down.
On round the road and up under the ominous looking Tors, lots of rocks parked on the side of the road, and their dents, but only for a very short section. Half way up this stretch, Nelson and Craig took off at a mental pace, while i just slogged away, getting there in the end... Bit of a chat here and i led off down Castle Rock. Last time down here was on the rigid singlist in Feb 2011, a sweltering ride riddled with punctures... It. Was. SWEET. Great being on it again, really missed it and it is riding beautifully. Not a rock out of place, all how i remembered it as it rolled under the tires. At the end we hit the road back up the hill, over and down under Tors again, over the fence and onto the walkway. Good technical roll round here, dodging cowshit and onga-onga, clambering back up and over back onto Witch hill which rode even better in this direction, sun very low in our eyes.
Onto Vernon, regular gravel track up and round, Craig blitzing off ahead, Nelson sitting half way between the ever increasing distance back to me. At Huntsbury we hit the singletrack round, then picked our merry way down between the tussocks onto Old Skool descent. Nelson ripping it up down the top section, Craig rattling down the rocky sections. I got through first under the pylon and ripped on into the singletrack, enjoying it all down to the stile. Nelson took over here and bombed it over the rest of it. Right down the bottom in the second to last switchback my back tire went down... bah. couldnt be arsed changing it so close to the car, so walked it out, and walked most of the way down Bowenvale before Nelson got back up to me in the car, 2 hours after we'd met Craig at top of hill.
Daylight Savings is off this weekend, so next week, lights will be required.
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