City covered in low cloud all day, but I found some sunshine on the hills, sort of. Parked at the end of Bowenvale Ave and headed up the valley. Was about half way up the valley-bottom gravel section when I realised, "SHIT! I've left the key in the car door!!!" Quickly zoomed back down, locked car, took key and got riding again back up the gravel bottomed valley. Up the steeps and then into the HiddenValleyLink-Bonus track, climbing away, cleaning it all but the last hairpin up top, then up under the pylon and up the steep bastard zig zag climbing track. What a prick. Did better than last few times, actually managing to ride all of it, but stopped multiple times to breathe, heavily. Saw only one descending rider, on the steep fun singletrack shortcuts. Clambered all the way up to the start of the Traverse and had a rest and small snack, on my back, with feet up on the fence, draining the lactic out of the legs.
Along the Traverse, bit of a cruise, but pushing, always pushing, steady hard. A bit of sunshine up here but cool sections of fog near the saddles, rolling through from the harbour. Straight through the top of Vic and down the Thomsons, both, to the kiwi and on up the road, steadily sticking with another rider ahead, only 50 m or so visibility most of the way up the Summit, down to about 20 m on Worsley's Rd. I rolled on up to the top of the Nun, which was also in fog.
Dropped into the Gnarly Nun, greasy as from all the fog. Rocks were slick from the damp dirt on the tires, making for a sketchy descent, getting brighter as I descended out of the fog that was really sticking to the hill here. Dampness got less as I descended too, making the final sections quite sweet. Into the lower Nun, bombing on down through back to the kiwi. Across the saddle and up the Summit Rd, where I saw ahead the backs of a couple guys I know... Namely, Steve and Pete! Pushed harder to catch up to them, puffing heavily. Pete on the new Yeti - sweet ride...
At the top of Vic, Steve continued on along the road, and Pete and Me dropped into the top, straight down to the cattlestop (next to the seesaw) and down into the rocks and gums, taking my usual favourite, bombing through this, then into Shazza's, and then straight down into Sneaky Ridge, bomb, drop, fun, into the deciduous section which was sketchy as, total loss of trail. Around, dropped onto Flow, and out the bottom back and forth down Nu Bridges, nice riding. Finally, I couldn't be arsed climbing Hidden Valley again, so we bombed on down the gravel valley bottom went our separate ways when I stopped at the car. Driving back into the dankness of a low cloud Christchurch.
An acceptable 16.2 kms with 650m climbed.
Along the Traverse, bit of a cruise, but pushing, always pushing, steady hard. A bit of sunshine up here but cool sections of fog near the saddles, rolling through from the harbour. Straight through the top of Vic and down the Thomsons, both, to the kiwi and on up the road, steadily sticking with another rider ahead, only 50 m or so visibility most of the way up the Summit, down to about 20 m on Worsley's Rd. I rolled on up to the top of the Nun, which was also in fog.
Dropped into the Gnarly Nun, greasy as from all the fog. Rocks were slick from the damp dirt on the tires, making for a sketchy descent, getting brighter as I descended out of the fog that was really sticking to the hill here. Dampness got less as I descended too, making the final sections quite sweet. Into the lower Nun, bombing on down through back to the kiwi. Across the saddle and up the Summit Rd, where I saw ahead the backs of a couple guys I know... Namely, Steve and Pete! Pushed harder to catch up to them, puffing heavily. Pete on the new Yeti - sweet ride...
At the top of Vic, Steve continued on along the road, and Pete and Me dropped into the top, straight down to the cattlestop (next to the seesaw) and down into the rocks and gums, taking my usual favourite, bombing through this, then into Shazza's, and then straight down into Sneaky Ridge, bomb, drop, fun, into the deciduous section which was sketchy as, total loss of trail. Around, dropped onto Flow, and out the bottom back and forth down Nu Bridges, nice riding. Finally, I couldn't be arsed climbing Hidden Valley again, so we bombed on down the gravel valley bottom went our separate ways when I stopped at the car. Driving back into the dankness of a low cloud Christchurch.
An acceptable 16.2 kms with 650m climbed.
No comments:
Post a Comment