Left work earlyish (4.30) and parked up Sumnervale. Nelson still got a bad back so was on my own. Headed up The Captain, getting the usual asthma on the first climbing section even tho I was on my lonesome. Stopped and de-layered and puffed inhaler below the cabbage tree, then got going again, a bit better. Rest of the climb was good, with it just getting dim enough to nearly need the light by the top, but not quite.
Across into Godley, requiring some lighting now. Mostly cleaned up all the rocks, but dabbed a few times, pesky lack of vis and struggly tiredness. Once into the smoother sections got rolling quite nicely. Bit of a rest at the top, before getting into the bomb. Full lights mode. Nice to Livingston, good climb out and better to Breeze. Straight through this and across to the climb, getting into the narrow-skinny-tight tussock sidle. Around and up to top of Breeze Bay track.
Nice flow around this, the lights of Lyttelton BRIGHT. Careful bomb through that last off piste corner, over the stile and straight across into the Conda. Easy flowings around to start, slowly winding up the speed, til the lower curves I was flying. Nearly lost one of the corners from looking too far ahead and mis-judging the approach, turning in too soon and flying over tussocks through the inside of the corner, lucky there was nothing out of hand in the way.
At the bottom of the Conda-proper, hung a right up the walk track towards Boulder Bay and climbed, climbed up the new walk track and half way up my gears made some clickety sounds. I checked and found a broken link. Kinda squeezed it together thinking it might be alright but 5 pedalstrokes later and it all unravelled. Tried to fix with just the chainbreaker but these newfangled chains have a big (relatively speaking) flange on the pin, and try as I might I just couldn't get the narrow bit of chain into the wide bit with the pin. Really wished I'd had my glasses too. All the detail was so blurry! Then I found a 10spd quicklink in my bag, removed the offending pin pieces and chucked in the quickie. Perfect fit. Rolling again, with a slightly tighter chain, and up to the road, and along this, mostly climbing and very dark. About 3 cars passed, all dumbarse boyracer shits.
Past the paraglider launch ramp and around through the cattlestop and up the climb, seeing a couple of lights up ahead just getting to the top. As I approached I saw a red bikeframe in their lights and yelled out "Warren and Wayne?" "Nope, Buggs and Dozer - is that you Steve?" "Yep,..." So, caught up and then we rode.
Excellent flow for me, I was just flying over everything, making for a smooth and fun descent - putting heaps of gap in between us. I took the walking track ending at Evans, and waited a little for the other two to roll in. Wazza's rear tire was too hard so he'd been pinging all over the place, and he was trialling a front rack (doing the Heaphy soon).
Then it was into the Captain. Another smooth flow for me, bombing everything and gapping the boys again. Awesome descent, feeling really good. Feeling the benefits of my new yoga routine, I think.
Just over 20 kms, with 825 m climbed. Not bad for a solo night ride.
Into the cars and off to Cassel's. The rain started just as we started driving and got heavier and heavier into the evening. Good Timing!!!
Across into Godley, requiring some lighting now. Mostly cleaned up all the rocks, but dabbed a few times, pesky lack of vis and struggly tiredness. Once into the smoother sections got rolling quite nicely. Bit of a rest at the top, before getting into the bomb. Full lights mode. Nice to Livingston, good climb out and better to Breeze. Straight through this and across to the climb, getting into the narrow-skinny-tight tussock sidle. Around and up to top of Breeze Bay track.
Nice flow around this, the lights of Lyttelton BRIGHT. Careful bomb through that last off piste corner, over the stile and straight across into the Conda. Easy flowings around to start, slowly winding up the speed, til the lower curves I was flying. Nearly lost one of the corners from looking too far ahead and mis-judging the approach, turning in too soon and flying over tussocks through the inside of the corner, lucky there was nothing out of hand in the way.
At the bottom of the Conda-proper, hung a right up the walk track towards Boulder Bay and climbed, climbed up the new walk track and half way up my gears made some clickety sounds. I checked and found a broken link. Kinda squeezed it together thinking it might be alright but 5 pedalstrokes later and it all unravelled. Tried to fix with just the chainbreaker but these newfangled chains have a big (relatively speaking) flange on the pin, and try as I might I just couldn't get the narrow bit of chain into the wide bit with the pin. Really wished I'd had my glasses too. All the detail was so blurry! Then I found a 10spd quicklink in my bag, removed the offending pin pieces and chucked in the quickie. Perfect fit. Rolling again, with a slightly tighter chain, and up to the road, and along this, mostly climbing and very dark. About 3 cars passed, all dumbarse boyracer shits.
Past the paraglider launch ramp and around through the cattlestop and up the climb, seeing a couple of lights up ahead just getting to the top. As I approached I saw a red bikeframe in their lights and yelled out "Warren and Wayne?" "Nope, Buggs and Dozer - is that you Steve?" "Yep,..." So, caught up and then we rode.
Excellent flow for me, I was just flying over everything, making for a smooth and fun descent - putting heaps of gap in between us. I took the walking track ending at Evans, and waited a little for the other two to roll in. Wazza's rear tire was too hard so he'd been pinging all over the place, and he was trialling a front rack (doing the Heaphy soon).
Then it was into the Captain. Another smooth flow for me, bombing everything and gapping the boys again. Awesome descent, feeling really good. Feeling the benefits of my new yoga routine, I think.
Just over 20 kms, with 825 m climbed. Not bad for a solo night ride.
Into the cars and off to Cassel's. The rain started just as we started driving and got heavier and heavier into the evening. Good Timing!!!
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