Thursday Night Fatty and Skinny Along the Top

Cool ride tonight... Literally, quite cool when we left.  Nelson had his Scott, and I was on the Fatty for a change.  

Rode up the walking track next to Vic Park Rd, up into the 19th and had a bit of a walking explore around up there at the top to see where all the trails went, finding one we'd done with the gheybois a couple years back, and making mental notes of the access route.  On through the Skidder, following a red flashing light ahead, Nelson catching her (Mel), and me grovelling up behind gasping for air.  Took the worm to the top where her and a dude were hanging, then we hung a right back to the top of Vic road, crossed to the walking track to that shelter and climbed up to the carpark on Sugarloaf.  

Onto Cedric's track across (I'd done this route a few months back on the fatty), which was all good chuffing.  Feels good to be on singletrack that is unfamiliar.  Tricknical over the fence where it meets Gilpins, with super slick rocky sections, then short up to the carpark, across this and onwards along the craterrim track, no recollection of ever riding it in this direction.  The 2nd section, into the bush, walked a bunch, rode some, good times, been vastly improved from what it was years ago when we used to ride it of a night, occasionally.  The 'tech' bit that dropped down to the road has been majorly tamed and was all rideable (where 10 years ago it wouldn't have been in these conditions).  Across along and up onto the Scott's Knob section.  Again, some rooty walking then all good riding, fun cruise through to the top of Huntsbury Track.

For a change, we climbed up the back of Vernon, pushing the last steeply rocked to the  top.  Then over and super technical switchback city, with waaay too much exposure, and finally a controlled braking blast down to Rapaki-top.  Back onto Vernon track and climbing, huffing and chuffing around the way to the top, across onto Traverse and a nice cruisey flow around this, the new 'dumbing down' of it actually performing as desired in these conditions, making it truly, "all weather."  Bit mucky as we approached Sugarloaf, but beyond that, not bad.  I found a tube and it's strap at the jumpy flow section before the final flat to Vic.  

Into Vic, and down to the rabbit paddock, into the rockgarden, and down through the gums.  Nice riding, fatty feeling pretty good the whole way infact.  Before we'd left, I'd topped up the air to 'just moving the dial' and so they felt quite hard.  Realised I should have changed into the Surly tires I have, they'd grip good in the mud soft dirt.  Down the trail below the skidder, out to 19th, onto the trail below the road, popping up onto the walking route then down Tawhairanui, mostly good surface til the very end, ugh.  Then decided to bomb down the road instead of '235' because it would be greeaasy, and the road speed would clean off our tires.  Hosed bikes at mine.

A very enjoyable 12.4 kms, with a surprising 466 m climbed.