Steve doing a shortened ride again, meeting us up the top... I parked at Ferrymead Bridge and awaited the boys. Wayhayno arrived first, then Andy in his van, parked next to my car, then Robin, then Pete and Alistair, then Nelsie. We toodled up St Andrew's Hill, Nelson putting on the gas and me struggling to keep up a bit, while the others all just chatted away behind. A couple of breathers here and there as we had plenty of time before meeting Steve at 10. Top of Major Hornbrook all but Robin took the singletrack under the pylons. Everyone walked the steepest bit. Then it was across and here we met Steve (who'd done a wee loop of his own across the lower slopes). We set him to lead, and he gave us a very nice pace up to the top. Then I led off around the top/front and up to the road cutting and up onto the climbing track.
Long break here then off up the zig and the zag and the rest to the top of Mt Pleasant all at various speeds. I led down, having a lovely ride, flowy and fast and smooth. The new gate and entrance flow quite nicely. Lower down, in the tussocks I had a great run. At the ruins Steve peeled off to ride the skinny tracks before heading back, and the rest of us bombed off down Greenwood, Nelson leading the way. I started off with a bit of a gap behind him, but I slowly (and surprisingly) reeled him in until for a while I started stalling on the traverse with muck before Gloomy. He stalled on the rock in there, so we regrouped just there til all arrived. Then off down the rest of it, fast and fun. Heard a loud noise above me when Pete dropped the drop, but continued on and bombed the rest of the way, reeling in Nelson until the two rocky ups. Got to the bottom and watched as one by one the rest of the boys (except for Pete and Andy), plus a few randoms, rolled in. We could see them waaay up the hill just below the drop. Turned out Pete had burped but also holed his rear, stopping to pump it twice on the way down. Nelson and him worked on it for a bit once he was down.
Here at Evans, Pete, Alistair and Robin scooted off down the Captain, leaving just four of us to hit up the Godley. I had one of my worst times up and out the rocky climb and sections beyond. Smacking pedals left right and centre, generally struggling to keep forward motion. Was pretty fucked off by it all before too long. We stopped at one point and watched the boys below negotiating parts of the Captain, and could see that Pete and Alistair didn't appear to know Robin was following them. At the highpoint, where we had a short rest, we discussed options other than Taylors, but decided to continue onwards, and from here on down I had a much better run, with uber-speed down towards Livingston - reeling in Nelson again!, albeit gradually. A better climb up from here, but gasping for air, then a sweet spin down to Breeze.
Finally, Anaconda. This was fast and smooth runnings. Heaps of fun, I think we all railed it better than ever. Brief pause before the 'tail, and Nelson and Andy careened off ahead. I was knackered before we even started the climb out of Taylors. Pushed hard with lots of huffing and puffing, up and over, then we dropped into Nicholson Park, taking the steep(fun) route down to Flowers and then out the between-the-houses track to Whitewash Head Rd, bombing down this, down the road and bunnyhopping onto the footpath narrowly missing pedestrians and wheelchairs and children on bikes and in prams and pushchairs... haha. Nice slow meander along the Esplanade and the other three peeled off for coffee, while I had to get going.
Pushed it hard all the way back to the car, which seemed to take forever and absolutely killed me.
Felt longer than 27.7kms but I can believe the 935m climbed...
Long break here then off up the zig and the zag and the rest to the top of Mt Pleasant all at various speeds. I led down, having a lovely ride, flowy and fast and smooth. The new gate and entrance flow quite nicely. Lower down, in the tussocks I had a great run. At the ruins Steve peeled off to ride the skinny tracks before heading back, and the rest of us bombed off down Greenwood, Nelson leading the way. I started off with a bit of a gap behind him, but I slowly (and surprisingly) reeled him in until for a while I started stalling on the traverse with muck before Gloomy. He stalled on the rock in there, so we regrouped just there til all arrived. Then off down the rest of it, fast and fun. Heard a loud noise above me when Pete dropped the drop, but continued on and bombed the rest of the way, reeling in Nelson until the two rocky ups. Got to the bottom and watched as one by one the rest of the boys (except for Pete and Andy), plus a few randoms, rolled in. We could see them waaay up the hill just below the drop. Turned out Pete had burped but also holed his rear, stopping to pump it twice on the way down. Nelson and him worked on it for a bit once he was down.
Here at Evans, Pete, Alistair and Robin scooted off down the Captain, leaving just four of us to hit up the Godley. I had one of my worst times up and out the rocky climb and sections beyond. Smacking pedals left right and centre, generally struggling to keep forward motion. Was pretty fucked off by it all before too long. We stopped at one point and watched the boys below negotiating parts of the Captain, and could see that Pete and Alistair didn't appear to know Robin was following them. At the highpoint, where we had a short rest, we discussed options other than Taylors, but decided to continue onwards, and from here on down I had a much better run, with uber-speed down towards Livingston - reeling in Nelson again!, albeit gradually. A better climb up from here, but gasping for air, then a sweet spin down to Breeze.
Finally, Anaconda. This was fast and smooth runnings. Heaps of fun, I think we all railed it better than ever. Brief pause before the 'tail, and Nelson and Andy careened off ahead. I was knackered before we even started the climb out of Taylors. Pushed hard with lots of huffing and puffing, up and over, then we dropped into Nicholson Park, taking the steep(fun) route down to Flowers and then out the between-the-houses track to Whitewash Head Rd, bombing down this, down the road and bunnyhopping onto the footpath narrowly missing pedestrians and wheelchairs and children on bikes and in prams and pushchairs... haha. Nice slow meander along the Esplanade and the other three peeled off for coffee, while I had to get going.
Pushed it hard all the way back to the car, which seemed to take forever and absolutely killed me.
Felt longer than 27.7kms but I can believe the 935m climbed...
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