Steve's birthday at Moon Under, so took the Troll on the back of the car and pedaled home, 8.6 kms or whatever, relatively late into the night. Sunday, rode back to get it... seeing Pete at his new workshop on the way, stopping for a chat, then bumping into Mike and Pia on Strickland and stopping for a chat there.
Bike back on back and headed up the hill to plant the garlic in what I hope will be my garden at the end of the year.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Monday, July 20, 2020
SingleSpeed glamming at the Bay
Over at the bay for the weekend with teenagers. Took with me a couple tires and some new Surly Sunrise bars which I chucked onto the Switchback. Glammed it up quite nicely:
Rides nicer, and looks the bomb with those tires, tho, their grip left a bit to be desired on the soggy driveway climbing home. Being 'Urban' tires, possibly it's the wrong application, but given most rides in the bay are road, or gravel, they should be okay.
Ride consisted of, out to wharf, back up Decanter Bay Rd to hairpin (visible across valley there), and then up to this bench. Weather didn't really allow for much more than that, nor my back and lack of strength and fitness.
3.1 kms, with a whopping 60 m of gain.
Ride consisted of, out to wharf, back up Decanter Bay Rd to hairpin (visible across valley there), and then up to this bench. Weather didn't really allow for much more than that, nor my back and lack of strength and fitness.
3.1 kms, with a whopping 60 m of gain.
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Hanmering the Anvil
Started out with the fam (T, Joyful, Anth (on O's bike) and Lynn (on H's Instigator)) and happy Jet the dog, down the path from just along the street, to the Dog Stream walk track, heading up river on our side, then across the road and over the bridge, up something that kinda becomes Easy Rider below the road, up through the main park entrance and ranger station etc, noticing a cool wee skills ("this is what the different grades of mtb trail mean"). Turned into Western Link and cruised through here. A first time doing any real hill work for most of these folks.
I led them into Swamp, all the way amazed at how happy Tra'y was with the riding. Lynne is an ex-regular, so she had skills and a bit of pep, and Anth was a total natural, even if not all that fit. Joy struggled on the hill work and anything techical. I dont think it helps that her tires are, like, 1.9s and her forks are sunken.
At the top, a bit of a relax and then I dived into Swoop. I bombed off, then thought to stop and see how they were coming. Tra'y arrived first, saying "That's waaay too hard for mum!" but the others progressed through and Joy was fine, had walked a couple of little things (and had a crash I think). I followed Anth for a sec, then we caught up to Lynned and I rocketted through chasing T, thinking I'd see her soon, but no. Miles down I caught Jet, who veered aside for me and then down at that big treestump jump I landed and slammed on the brakes behind her. Followed her down the hairpins but the second was sticky as and she doesn't 'get' them yet, so that was the only bit she bailed on. They all rolled in after in their appropriate order, covered in splecks of mud.
Across Western again (I spotted an exit from Meeny I've never seen before, so will explore that in future). At the Dog Stream, I bailed from them and headed up stream on my lonesome. Climbed steadily but 3/4ths of the way up I was thinking, hmmm, a bit hungry... Overtaken by a skinny friendly guy on a nice big brown Surly Ogre, made me jealous of his speed, then crossed the bridge and headed across the road and up the Fir Trail, having forgotten how fucking steep it is in places... ugh. Feeling a bit tired at this stage, and still insisting to myself to do Bigfoot.
Into the Bigfoot climb and reeaally not feeling up to it. Struggled a way, grunting and chuffing, climbing climbing, eventually I just had to get off and walk... Several corners, walking, riding a bit, walking... to the top. Obligatory photo taken,
hit the down. Wetness, frost, frost thaw, sticky, splecky, muckfest. Fun control on the greasy roots, popping, diving, loving every second of the zen state concentration, completely feeling the trail and the grip and contact patch of both tires, and the balance. Joyous! Into the trees, weaving past their trunks, around across, then out, and fuuucckkk it was greasy, and that sticky clay schit that sticks to the tires and flies off in globs... Ugh. Popped out the bottom and rolled past some other riders (also just finished ahead of me - hadn't seen them)) and down the road.
Contemplated Detox, but really couldn't face that climb so over into Mach 1, nearly colliding with an e-biker, but after that, no one. Not bad roll down this, tho it's climbs were nastier than I've felt before, and the grease was appalling - passenger styles - lower down.
Finished off across Camp (again, couldn't be arsed with Basecamp, just wanted to get home), and then hit up the skills/grade 'demo' trails. They're a really good representation of what the various tracks are like. Over the road, and down Easy, then across the bridge, climbed up the walk-track hill with an audience of walkers, and was super relieved to be back.
A reasonably respectable 14 kms with a very steep (but always surprisingly little) 293 m climbed.
I led them into Swamp, all the way amazed at how happy Tra'y was with the riding. Lynne is an ex-regular, so she had skills and a bit of pep, and Anth was a total natural, even if not all that fit. Joy struggled on the hill work and anything techical. I dont think it helps that her tires are, like, 1.9s and her forks are sunken.
At the top, a bit of a relax and then I dived into Swoop. I bombed off, then thought to stop and see how they were coming. Tra'y arrived first, saying "That's waaay too hard for mum!" but the others progressed through and Joy was fine, had walked a couple of little things (and had a crash I think). I followed Anth for a sec, then we caught up to Lynned and I rocketted through chasing T, thinking I'd see her soon, but no. Miles down I caught Jet, who veered aside for me and then down at that big treestump jump I landed and slammed on the brakes behind her. Followed her down the hairpins but the second was sticky as and she doesn't 'get' them yet, so that was the only bit she bailed on. They all rolled in after in their appropriate order, covered in splecks of mud.
Across Western again (I spotted an exit from Meeny I've never seen before, so will explore that in future). At the Dog Stream, I bailed from them and headed up stream on my lonesome. Climbed steadily but 3/4ths of the way up I was thinking, hmmm, a bit hungry... Overtaken by a skinny friendly guy on a nice big brown Surly Ogre, made me jealous of his speed, then crossed the bridge and headed across the road and up the Fir Trail, having forgotten how fucking steep it is in places... ugh. Feeling a bit tired at this stage, and still insisting to myself to do Bigfoot.
Into the Bigfoot climb and reeaally not feeling up to it. Struggled a way, grunting and chuffing, climbing climbing, eventually I just had to get off and walk... Several corners, walking, riding a bit, walking... to the top. Obligatory photo taken,
Contemplated Detox, but really couldn't face that climb so over into Mach 1, nearly colliding with an e-biker, but after that, no one. Not bad roll down this, tho it's climbs were nastier than I've felt before, and the grease was appalling - passenger styles - lower down.
Finished off across Camp (again, couldn't be arsed with Basecamp, just wanted to get home), and then hit up the skills/grade 'demo' trails. They're a really good representation of what the various tracks are like. Over the road, and down Easy, then across the bridge, climbed up the walk-track hill with an audience of walkers, and was super relieved to be back.
A reasonably respectable 14 kms with a very steep (but always surprisingly little) 293 m climbed.
Thursday, July 09, 2020
Thursday Mucky Spleckie "I can actually ride!!"
Out on my own with just Jet for company. Rode up the road to Jollies Pass Rd, crossed over before bridge and explored a trail to the left and upwards. Walked cos was steep, and ended up (eventually) at the top end of Torquay Terrace (where we stayed last year). Dropped over to the big field (that was the event village when i did the 12 hour) and cruised over to and up Swamp, time to test these leg things. Hmm, not bad. Made the top in reasonable time, feeling pretty good.
A Wiemerana (dog) turned up and made friends with Jet (tho, they tend to be a bit arrogant), and I let it and it's rider head off ahead, giving them plenty of space. Into Swoop for a greasy mucky fun filled spleckfest. Nice bomb down, catching the Weimerana in the lower reaches, Jet bolted ahead and ran with her to the finish.
Across for the Timberlands climb. Yes, managed that. Still feeling pretty okay. Then into Red Rocks, cleaned all the climbs but was definitely feeling it at the highest point. Into the down and funtimes. Really good handling, zen state of bike handling, tire engagement, feeling everything, at one again, niiice, yay! I love it!!! and then into Eeny (as opposed to Meeny), wafting and squirrelling through this. Then out onto Western, hung a right, and around the big field the way I'd come in, trying out the Torquay to Jollies trail downwards... short, but FUN. Then down Easy, across river and up to the house.
Not a bad, nearly 8 kms, but only 201 m climbed.
A very dirty dog...
A Wiemerana (dog) turned up and made friends with Jet (tho, they tend to be a bit arrogant), and I let it and it's rider head off ahead, giving them plenty of space. Into Swoop for a greasy mucky fun filled spleckfest. Nice bomb down, catching the Weimerana in the lower reaches, Jet bolted ahead and ran with her to the finish.
Across for the Timberlands climb. Yes, managed that. Still feeling pretty okay. Then into Red Rocks, cleaned all the climbs but was definitely feeling it at the highest point. Into the down and funtimes. Really good handling, zen state of bike handling, tire engagement, feeling everything, at one again, niiice, yay! I love it!!! and then into Eeny (as opposed to Meeny), wafting and squirrelling through this. Then out onto Western, hung a right, and around the big field the way I'd come in, trying out the Torquay to Jollies trail downwards... short, but FUN. Then down Easy, across river and up to the house.
Not a bad, nearly 8 kms, but only 201 m climbed.
A very dirty dog...
Tuesday, July 07, 2020
Tuesday Choosing the Family loop again
Very similar to yesterday's ride except this time we had Joy, Anth and Lynn join us. And we left the dog behind because he'd had a big walk already.
Headed across and into Easy Rider and just did a nice lap of that, taking in Snakes and Ladders again, then across into Basecamp, and home down Alligator Alley, and (seemingly the wrong way - given all the traffic we met) on Easy Rider (met SO many families coming our way), dropped down and climbed back up to the house.
An easy nearly-9 kms, with a whole 100 m climbed.
Headed across and into Easy Rider and just did a nice lap of that, taking in Snakes and Ladders again, then across into Basecamp, and home down Alligator Alley, and (seemingly the wrong way - given all the traffic we met) on Easy Rider (met SO many families coming our way), dropped down and climbed back up to the house.
An easy nearly-9 kms, with a whole 100 m climbed.
Monday, July 06, 2020
Monday Hanmer Easy Riding Body Testing
Trying out this mountain biking lark again having not ridden properly off road since the 7th of MARCH. Tra'y, Jet and me took a 9.5 km jaunt around the forest tracks.
Easy Rider climbing away slowly to Snakes'n'ladders, then across the Heritage trail to Basecamp, blat round this and then down Alligator Alley, going all the way down a long fast descent to Perserverence, then back along this back up to the house.
Longest ride for Jet and me for a LONG time. Body did pretty good coping with 9.5 km and 101 m climbed. Try it out harder tomorrow.
Easy Rider climbing away slowly to Snakes'n'ladders, then across the Heritage trail to Basecamp, blat round this and then down Alligator Alley, going all the way down a long fast descent to Perserverence, then back along this back up to the house.
Longest ride for Jet and me for a LONG time. Body did pretty good coping with 9.5 km and 101 m climbed. Try it out harder tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 01, 2020
Another week of Non-Eventualities
Around the traps a few times with Jetty-puss for late-lunch breaks. Nothing to speak of, but blogged instead:
Three and third kms of clearing out his pee-mailbox.
A couple of very local kms, dank and dogolated.
And, yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Returning a couple books, nice wide open cruise of 3.2 kms.
Downpour showers coming and going today, so sadly no outing for either of us.
Three and third kms of clearing out his pee-mailbox.
A couple of very local kms, dank and dogolated.
And, yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Returning a couple books, nice wide open cruise of 3.2 kms.
Downpour showers coming and going today, so sadly no outing for either of us.
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