Nelson worked til 3, and I had some errands, dropping O off at a party and his wheel off to Josh. Also stopped into Josh's shop to get some MarshGuardness and have a yarn. Met Nelson at Ferrymead Park, and we treadled around to McCormack's bay, heading up the valley in the heat. Thought I was gonna suffer the dreaded heat stroke again at that rate. But, managed to stay on top of it, drinking heaps of water throughout the climb. Walked a couple of the stretches in the upper switchbacks, heat just taking it all out of me. Up the road, and up the walking track in the gully, spitting us out up to climb over the fence by the bath water trough. Up onto the main Britten track and climbing, into fog. Rushing fog. This cooled a bit, but also because it was so damned humid it kinda didn't too...
Finally I made it to the top, and we headed around the front, all the way in the fog. Then around to the end of the original and across the road over the fence into Mt Pleasant reserve, breaking out into the sun, climbing then dropping down to Cavendish Saddle, for to climb up the sketchy switchbacks up the back of the Gondola. These are obviously not seeing a lot of tires over them. Nice long rest taking in the views at the top, with quite a few people around from the Gondola. Then, back on the bikes and down the steps towards the Bridle Path. Bomb bomb bomb and for the first time I found a good line into one of the bits near the fence we've always struggled with getting into. Across the ridge and finally to the Bridle.
Into the climbing walking track up the ridge from here, me cleaning more than I've ever cleaned before. Pushing a bit up through the broom then riding heaps, and around the top and fun descent down to the saddle, then the push up and then ride around towards the Castle Rock ridge for a quick rest before the best descent down below the Tors. Love that descent, especially the super tech towards the bottom.
Onto the singletrack above the road, cruising through this around to the end, then a new way, over the fence and up the farm track to the top, quite steep, and over the fence and finding out line through the tussocks to the rocky top, then into the descent. Fun trail, descendy and descendier, steeper and steeperer, techy and techier, all the way down to the pylon, then around into the forest and dropping down through the massive jumps then out past the horsies and onto the road, heading around under the motorway and up Heathcote Valley around and down towards Ferrymead and across the park back to the cars.
On to Twisted hop for some chips and a well earned beer. Yum
Similar size and distance to other recent rides... 18.5kms, with 716m climbed.
Finally I made it to the top, and we headed around the front, all the way in the fog. Then around to the end of the original and across the road over the fence into Mt Pleasant reserve, breaking out into the sun, climbing then dropping down to Cavendish Saddle, for to climb up the sketchy switchbacks up the back of the Gondola. These are obviously not seeing a lot of tires over them. Nice long rest taking in the views at the top, with quite a few people around from the Gondola. Then, back on the bikes and down the steps towards the Bridle Path. Bomb bomb bomb and for the first time I found a good line into one of the bits near the fence we've always struggled with getting into. Across the ridge and finally to the Bridle.
Into the climbing walking track up the ridge from here, me cleaning more than I've ever cleaned before. Pushing a bit up through the broom then riding heaps, and around the top and fun descent down to the saddle, then the push up and then ride around towards the Castle Rock ridge for a quick rest before the best descent down below the Tors. Love that descent, especially the super tech towards the bottom.
Onto the singletrack above the road, cruising through this around to the end, then a new way, over the fence and up the farm track to the top, quite steep, and over the fence and finding out line through the tussocks to the rocky top, then into the descent. Fun trail, descendy and descendier, steeper and steeperer, techy and techier, all the way down to the pylon, then around into the forest and dropping down through the massive jumps then out past the horsies and onto the road, heading around under the motorway and up Heathcote Valley around and down towards Ferrymead and across the park back to the cars.
On to Twisted hop for some chips and a well earned beer. Yum
Similar size and distance to other recent rides... 18.5kms, with 716m climbed.
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