Bit of a loner tonight. Parked up on Parkridge and rode my usual way into Britten, hoping a ride would stretch out my lower back, which has been pretty bad last couple days. Not as bad as Nelson's tho, he's been laid out flat with his for the last week, hence why he wasn't riding with me. Climbed up and around the front, watching the sun disappear behind the mountains (and therefore not needing my sunnies) on the way up. Across the road and into the Mt Pleasant climb, stretching a few times on the way. Peaked and took in the view of the moon (behind clouds) reflecting on the sea.
Lights on, (head: full, handlebar: medium), and into the descent, super smooth to the stile, then into the rocks, cautiously negotiating what appeared to be grease, but finding plenty of grip and bombing the fun bits. Swooping through the tussocks, and then around and into Greenwood proper.
Down through the first lot of rocks, and my handlebar light packed it in. Battery either truly stuffed, or not holding a charge since I charged it after the Packhorse ride (when O had it). Next ride, to test whether charging it immediately prior to riding helps... otherwise it's a new one. Put the dead light in my pack and turned on my Lezyne (300?) flashy on the 2nd brightest setting - provides a hint of sufficient light. Rest of the way down was smooth, enjoying it all and taking in the view now and then. Getting quite dark by the bottom, and exploring the new swoopy bermed (not finished) corners leading into the new exit on Evans Pass (spits you right out into the traffic... look carefully!!!).
Tail light on slow flash, head light off, and up the Summit Rd, not seeing any cars the whole way til just as I got to the Richmond Hill pines.
Over the fence and down the ridge, nice speed swooping through tussocks, around into Frog Pond and at the stile met a very puffing dude climbing. Puffing so much he could barely talk to me, or, he maybe was just rude. Bombed down the trail from here, seeing that Andrew was right, the pines have been chopped, roots still in place tho, meeting a couple more riders climbing here, then a whole clusterfuck of them coming over the fence from Clifton Terrace. Rude arseholes they were too, barely an acknowledgement of existence from a single one of them. I continued down, wondering where the trail was that peels around to Richmond Hill, finding it at the bottom, so took it, dropping some more into the valley, then little bit of climb (carried momentum) and across under new houses, and then up a steeeeeep wee stormwater catchment terraced gabions to Richmond Hill Rd.
Steep road up here too, to the top of it, over a fence and up steeply to the pine trees, and around onto the old track we used to follow, up this lights off, moonlight only, and up past the stockyards, and up to the big Pines. Across the road, (the previous biker's lights were now climbing up the 4wd track in Greenwood), and into the singletrack climb up to the original Greenwood entrance. This was sweet to the top, finally along the road.
Onto Britten for a sweet sweet embrace of the descent. Flowy, smooth, surprising grip, and dew on the trackside grass all sparkly. All the way down, around, back and under the pylons and into the steep bomb down rocks to the final fence, over, and back to the car.
17.77 kms ridden, with a grand gain of 702 metres...
Lights on, (head: full, handlebar: medium), and into the descent, super smooth to the stile, then into the rocks, cautiously negotiating what appeared to be grease, but finding plenty of grip and bombing the fun bits. Swooping through the tussocks, and then around and into Greenwood proper.
Down through the first lot of rocks, and my handlebar light packed it in. Battery either truly stuffed, or not holding a charge since I charged it after the Packhorse ride (when O had it). Next ride, to test whether charging it immediately prior to riding helps... otherwise it's a new one. Put the dead light in my pack and turned on my Lezyne (300?) flashy on the 2nd brightest setting - provides a hint of sufficient light. Rest of the way down was smooth, enjoying it all and taking in the view now and then. Getting quite dark by the bottom, and exploring the new swoopy bermed (not finished) corners leading into the new exit on Evans Pass (spits you right out into the traffic... look carefully!!!).
Tail light on slow flash, head light off, and up the Summit Rd, not seeing any cars the whole way til just as I got to the Richmond Hill pines.
Over the fence and down the ridge, nice speed swooping through tussocks, around into Frog Pond and at the stile met a very puffing dude climbing. Puffing so much he could barely talk to me, or, he maybe was just rude. Bombed down the trail from here, seeing that Andrew was right, the pines have been chopped, roots still in place tho, meeting a couple more riders climbing here, then a whole clusterfuck of them coming over the fence from Clifton Terrace. Rude arseholes they were too, barely an acknowledgement of existence from a single one of them. I continued down, wondering where the trail was that peels around to Richmond Hill, finding it at the bottom, so took it, dropping some more into the valley, then little bit of climb (carried momentum) and across under new houses, and then up a steeeeeep wee stormwater catchment terraced gabions to Richmond Hill Rd.
Steep road up here too, to the top of it, over a fence and up steeply to the pine trees, and around onto the old track we used to follow, up this lights off, moonlight only, and up past the stockyards, and up to the big Pines. Across the road, (the previous biker's lights were now climbing up the 4wd track in Greenwood), and into the singletrack climb up to the original Greenwood entrance. This was sweet to the top, finally along the road.
Onto Britten for a sweet sweet embrace of the descent. Flowy, smooth, surprising grip, and dew on the trackside grass all sparkly. All the way down, around, back and under the pylons and into the steep bomb down rocks to the final fence, over, and back to the car.
17.77 kms ridden, with a grand gain of 702 metres...
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