30 odd degrees when I left work, headed for Washington Way to meet Nelson. Headed up and parked at the top of Huntsbury Ave.
Onto the bikes and off up, taking it pretty easy in the warmth. Not quite as hot as down on the flat, and a bit of breeze around, tho, hot drying nor'wester. Up onto the singletrack and up the landing-strip, then up the grovel to the top. Onto Vernon, serious headwind along the first bit, and tail wind descent to a completely empty Rapaki top. I was feeling sketchy, not trusting my rear tire at all, while Nelson flew on ahead. Clamber up Witch hill trail wasn't too bad, but I was suffering from the heat a bit. Descent was welcomed, then onto the singletrack above the road, fun trail around keeping the eye in on the tech. Tail wind across the finish of this and for a first time we gave the Tors track a go uphill. Hmm, bit of a walk to start, but was a good ride from the top of the steep onwards, altho the nor'west was blowing us off course a bit, into the hillside. Into Castle at what Nelson said would be a sedate pace. Ha! He ripped. I was doing okay, but favouring my recently frequently flat prone rear, keeping it light, but still fast. Awesome run down, around, then into the climb, and I noticed the burned smell of the fire over in Cass/Corsair Bays from earlier in the day. By the time we got to the top of Bridle Path, the southerly change had hit.
A lot cooler, refreshing, and nice. But boy, what a gale. Thought rain might be following soon, so we rode up the road, but then at the low ridge headed up onto the Tors track and climbed up this around above the road, then head into the descent the wind was ferocious, trying to blow us off the hill, downhill this time. Nelson got an annoying leaky hole in his tire so we stopped for a while before finally heading down onto the road. Across the saddle bit (before the walking track above the road) the wind was howling across, blowing us sideways, hard to stay on. Too strong to risk the singletrack. Around the road, and back into Witch, good climb, more air in Nelson's tire, then good descent, through Rapaki top, a few more people around this time, and the up Vernon - Nelson taking off ahead, and me just steadily plodding. I found him above the road near the end, pumping up his tire again.
Across onto the Traverse, and into the descent, bombing down the new track, jumping all the jumps, and then across the landing strip and into the singletrack descent. One more tire pump and down, over the gate, over the jumps and finished...
Onto the bikes and off up, taking it pretty easy in the warmth. Not quite as hot as down on the flat, and a bit of breeze around, tho, hot drying nor'wester. Up onto the singletrack and up the landing-strip, then up the grovel to the top. Onto Vernon, serious headwind along the first bit, and tail wind descent to a completely empty Rapaki top. I was feeling sketchy, not trusting my rear tire at all, while Nelson flew on ahead. Clamber up Witch hill trail wasn't too bad, but I was suffering from the heat a bit. Descent was welcomed, then onto the singletrack above the road, fun trail around keeping the eye in on the tech. Tail wind across the finish of this and for a first time we gave the Tors track a go uphill. Hmm, bit of a walk to start, but was a good ride from the top of the steep onwards, altho the nor'west was blowing us off course a bit, into the hillside. Into Castle at what Nelson said would be a sedate pace. Ha! He ripped. I was doing okay, but favouring my recently frequently flat prone rear, keeping it light, but still fast. Awesome run down, around, then into the climb, and I noticed the burned smell of the fire over in Cass/Corsair Bays from earlier in the day. By the time we got to the top of Bridle Path, the southerly change had hit.
A lot cooler, refreshing, and nice. But boy, what a gale. Thought rain might be following soon, so we rode up the road, but then at the low ridge headed up onto the Tors track and climbed up this around above the road, then head into the descent the wind was ferocious, trying to blow us off the hill, downhill this time. Nelson got an annoying leaky hole in his tire so we stopped for a while before finally heading down onto the road. Across the saddle bit (before the walking track above the road) the wind was howling across, blowing us sideways, hard to stay on. Too strong to risk the singletrack. Around the road, and back into Witch, good climb, more air in Nelson's tire, then good descent, through Rapaki top, a few more people around this time, and the up Vernon - Nelson taking off ahead, and me just steadily plodding. I found him above the road near the end, pumping up his tire again.
Across onto the Traverse, and into the descent, bombing down the new track, jumping all the jumps, and then across the landing strip and into the singletrack descent. One more tire pump and down, over the gate, over the jumps and finished...
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