Fatty and skinny went for a ride. In to a few places they'd never ridden before - or not for a very long time.
Left Nelsie's and headed up to the first cul-de-sac, then down the walkway, over behind the shops, around the river, through Thorrington, and along the river again. Next it was up Bengal Drive to the top, and up Sassafrass (or Sasaram, whatever), and down across an empty lot onto an alleyway. We had a look around this to Chittagong Pl, then back down a 'secret' singletrack we found that led into a jumpy zone I'd heard about (this is the valley behind Princess Margaret's (where the ring-laser is)). Found some mad jumps and cool routes down this valley, arriving out the bottom above a derelict tennis court. We then rode back up the main park track bit, mucky as, and up to the alley we'd started at, and up onto Lady Poulson Ln.
Crossed Hackthorne down into MacMillan, and headed up to the steps down into Valley Rd - bumpedy bump bump to the bottom of these and hung a right to explore up to the top of Valley, dead end, so back down around and down, across Crighton and up steeep bastard Garth Tce to Dyers Pass Rd. Back into MacMillan past Marie's and up Whisby, then up Dyers and left into Hackthorne, climbing all the way into Vic Park. Part way up the track we dropped across the road into the bush, through onto Harry Ell track and climbed up this, stopping and pulling over a couple of times to let runners past. All the way up to Vic Park Rd, and hung a left back towards the 19th, and Ranger Station, then into the wheelchair track over through to the car park. Orienteering buffs were everywhere. Headed down through the picnic area, and across behind the slide and down the rocks to the dog park, passing through a whole tonne more Orientards. Over the dog park on the high track (dryer than the usual sidler), and down to the pines where we stopped just through the gate for a snack.
Then it was down the rooty barbed wire singletrack, tight bumpy fun - tricknical goodness. Over the stile and below the houses, riding through yards (it feels like), a bit greasy in places, but rode all the switchbacks perfectly, all the way to the bottom, and out onto Longhurst. Climbed up to Derryname lane, through and under Nainy's old place onto Takahe Drive and up this to the Sign of the Takahe, into the park, up over, and down back onto Hackthorne. Rolled down this a ways, then onto the footpath til we found the alleyway that dropped us down to Kidson, where we flew down to Dyers Pass Rd, bombing down this to just past Overdale Pl, and peeled left into the bushes at the top of the valley that dropped us down to Purau Place. Found some cool lines in here, nice singletrack - kinda, with, finally, a few steps at the bottom. Down Purau, around the roundabout, onto the river track, Ernie Clarke Reserve, around past the locked watertaps, through the library, over the bridge, Sandwich Rd, Birdwood, Martin Ave, over the bridge, through the reserve onto Centaurus and back around to Nelson's... not yet even 8pm.
All up, 18.7 kms, and 442m climbed - which felt like more...
Left Nelsie's and headed up to the first cul-de-sac, then down the walkway, over behind the shops, around the river, through Thorrington, and along the river again. Next it was up Bengal Drive to the top, and up Sassafrass (or Sasaram, whatever), and down across an empty lot onto an alleyway. We had a look around this to Chittagong Pl, then back down a 'secret' singletrack we found that led into a jumpy zone I'd heard about (this is the valley behind Princess Margaret's (where the ring-laser is)). Found some mad jumps and cool routes down this valley, arriving out the bottom above a derelict tennis court. We then rode back up the main park track bit, mucky as, and up to the alley we'd started at, and up onto Lady Poulson Ln.
Crossed Hackthorne down into MacMillan, and headed up to the steps down into Valley Rd - bumpedy bump bump to the bottom of these and hung a right to explore up to the top of Valley, dead end, so back down around and down, across Crighton and up steeep bastard Garth Tce to Dyers Pass Rd. Back into MacMillan past Marie's and up Whisby, then up Dyers and left into Hackthorne, climbing all the way into Vic Park. Part way up the track we dropped across the road into the bush, through onto Harry Ell track and climbed up this, stopping and pulling over a couple of times to let runners past. All the way up to Vic Park Rd, and hung a left back towards the 19th, and Ranger Station, then into the wheelchair track over through to the car park. Orienteering buffs were everywhere. Headed down through the picnic area, and across behind the slide and down the rocks to the dog park, passing through a whole tonne more Orientards. Over the dog park on the high track (dryer than the usual sidler), and down to the pines where we stopped just through the gate for a snack.
Then it was down the rooty barbed wire singletrack, tight bumpy fun - tricknical goodness. Over the stile and below the houses, riding through yards (it feels like), a bit greasy in places, but rode all the switchbacks perfectly, all the way to the bottom, and out onto Longhurst. Climbed up to Derryname lane, through and under Nainy's old place onto Takahe Drive and up this to the Sign of the Takahe, into the park, up over, and down back onto Hackthorne. Rolled down this a ways, then onto the footpath til we found the alleyway that dropped us down to Kidson, where we flew down to Dyers Pass Rd, bombing down this to just past Overdale Pl, and peeled left into the bushes at the top of the valley that dropped us down to Purau Place. Found some cool lines in here, nice singletrack - kinda, with, finally, a few steps at the bottom. Down Purau, around the roundabout, onto the river track, Ernie Clarke Reserve, around past the locked watertaps, through the library, over the bridge, Sandwich Rd, Birdwood, Martin Ave, over the bridge, through the reserve onto Centaurus and back around to Nelson's... not yet even 8pm.
All up, 18.7 kms, and 442m climbed - which felt like more...
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