Sunday, Coupla Rides, E with T and short Stooge on my lonesome

Nice hoon with my missus up across the tops and back on the ebikes today.  We rode up through Vic Park Rd together and I peeled off to the Skidder and rode up the gutser and out to the top, while she headed down to Dyers Pass Rd and up around Summit to meet me.  Together, glorious day, we rode out around, bitingly chilly wind in the exposed saddle places, while warm and basking and calm on the north east facing slopes.  Good bombs on the downs, and easy climbs on the ups, we headed to Cavendish Saddle, stopping for a nice view and then headed home again.  Me splitting off down through Vic the way I'd come up while she took the road and met me at 19th.

 E-xhilaratingly e-lectric 23 kms and 901 m e-scalated

Later, after vacuuming and hedging I took the Stooge for a go. Short and local, started by dropping down the 'zig zag' below us, out Derrynane Lane, up Longhurst into Harry Ell Drive, and up through to the bottom of Dog Park, out to Vic Park Rd, and from there the usual - up over 19th, skidder, gutser, Thompsons #1, back up road, "how are you so fast?" from a young'un struggling up the road as I passed - "lots of practice, I guess?" I replied.  

Down around the jumpies, down through rabbit into rocks, gums swoop swoop, all the way down to 19th, then below road, through, back on around coasting to dog park carpark and into the groove.  Still soaking wet but maybe slightly lessening? in the oaks, then lovely final hoon down to the bottom.  Clamber to road, and home. 

Stoogeliciously minimal 6 kms with 220 m scrambled.

Thursday Night Solo Jeht-Setting

Out for a hoon last night on the Jeht.  Headed up the usual way over 19th and admit I had to walk a little in the gutser.  Really didn't know where to go, and paused at top of Vic for ages before heading off down the Thompsons #s 1 and 2, then through Dyers up Summit Rd to just past Worsley's.  Hit the Crater Rim/360 trail from here, climbing up to a stile.  Took a wee look up the Trig track but it proved too narrow and steep, so back to stile and onwards along the lower track.  Fun descent after the next stile.  Straight through this saddle and continued along the next rocky section of Crater Rim, over this to the big saddle (where Kennedy's used to come out).  

Turned around rode the same both through to Worsley's.  Climb was good, descent not so much.  Up Worsley's Rd next and into the climb to top of Nun.  Brief breather here then into it.  Tyres were too hard but I stuck with it and rolled and popped and jazzed my way down the Nun, riding pretty good at the mo.  Into the lower reaches and some mental speed, and not.  Popped out the road and then huffed up to the top of Vic.  Descent-mode activated and good flow down around over the first jump, second not so much.  Down the rabbit paddock (sogggggy in the middle) and into the rocks, ping ping ping, then gums, nice back and forth flow, down all the way out to 19th.  Rolled down the road, took in Tawhairanui and then into the Dogparkcarpark trail.  Soggier than Saturday, somehow.  and the Oaks were disgusting.  Appalling how much water is flowing down through here.  I'm sure that water tank must be leaking, cos this has gotta be more than just run-off from the road, or general hill leakage.  All the way down through to the bottom, some newly tilted dead standing trees lowering the headroom in a couple of places.  Clamber to road, and home.

Withstandable, 13.1 kms and 472 m escalated.

Saturday Morning Tops-Tooge

After 2 weeks of actual influenza, my lungs were cooked. 

Headed up on the Stooge and was pleasantly surprised how capable of climbing I still was. Breathing wasn't nearly as difficult as I'd expected, and my strength seemed pretty good.  Up the usual, road, over 19th, grunt up from Skidder (cleaned with no stop!), some water at BrakeFree, up to Thompson's #1 and nice we hit down here.  Back up the road, still not really sure where to go, decided on heading out the Traverse.  Nice cruise around here, keeping good pace.  Up onto and rolling down Vernon, straight into the Witch with a nice lot of tech (one dab).  Across the road from here and over the gate, headed up towards the top of the Pirate track, just to get some extra.  Linda Woods Reserve, I believe.

Then, turned back, taking it all in again, including climbing Vernon (instead of the road). Bloody good!  After Lavaflow at the saddle I left the bike for a sec and had a wee look across the road.  There's an out and back trail here I think we'll poach some time.  Back onto the Traverse for the finishing touches back to Vic, blip blop down over the first jump (not quite enough speed) and then down Rabbit, into rocks and gums for a lovely flow down around, Skidder, CAP track entrance onto OG back to 19th road, and then coasting to the dogparkcarpark, sneak between the cars and oooooohhh, noooo...  this isnt good...  mucky mucky. and then the Oaks at the end were an absolute morass.  Didn't continue and headed up the (also very wet) climb cutting to road, up to the dogparklower and headed down, super low slow and twisty Charles's Track then out behind the houses for the final blast. 

Slow and steady on the tech, big wheels rolling, torque control and a good strengthening workout- just under17 km with a not-at-all-bad 609 m climbed. Tschuite!

Thursday Night Jehtstahr Along the Top

Brief out and back tonight with a flat.

Uphill on the Jeht, clambering over 19th and through skidder past a bunch of riders into the grunty climb.  I could see the pollen under the lights up here, and worse still up top.  

Down Thompson's #1 and back up the road, then dropped down around the jumpies and up the Worm to hit the Traverse.  Saw a light coming my way further round so I stopped and waited at the start for him to roll through, then got going.  Quite windy, blustery.  Met a couple of lights at the Sugarloaf saddle then no one else for ages.  Got to top of Huntsbury DH and turned and dived in.  One harsh smack on the rear wheel in the top rocks making me think, "ouch, that'll be a flat" but then didn't seem to be until I landed the first jump and realised.  Stopped on the side and got to work, inserting my spare tube.  Down the rest, baulking the jump at the bottom, then back up the gravelly road to the top.  Met a dh-graveller on his way down.  

Contemplation of routes from here, decided over the top of Scott's.  Nice climb in the trees then a fun baff down to the col, then into the next where I met a runner on my climb.  Walked the couple of steps bits and then nice rolling the rest, lovely section of semi-tech singletrack in here.  Boffed off down to the next saddle and crossed over the fence back onto the Traverse.  Nice roll around here back into Vic, over the jumpies, the first section of Brakefree then out to the rocks and gums, all the way down, forgetting about the tree across the lower bit before skidder.  Then down, into the To CAP (shortcut entrance) and across the old to 19th, below road from here, into Tawhairanui across to DogparkCarpArk then greasey drop down through here, all the way to H'Ell and clamber clamber back up to road to home.  Nice. 

A pollen-moted 11.3 kms and 400 m climbed

Saturday's Stooge, Sunday's Troll

Couple of wee rides this weekend, one more than the other - interspersed by O's 21st...

Saturday, T left early for a walk, and I lay about for a bit longer, getting out the door finally at 8.30.  Toodled up through Vic, usual byways all the way to the top.  Txted T here to see where she was.  Into Thompson, nice flow then back up the road, getting the message she was on her way around the front of Sugarloaf, so I headed around the Summit and headed up into the Carpark.  Wasn't long and she turned up so I toodled down the front to top of Vic with her, boffed off around the jumps and up Worm, seeing her go past then headed off on my own journey down Upper Fenceline, wending my way almost all the way down this, zigging and zagging mostly back and forth before heading up the steep gutser that heads up the true right of the valley, up through the middle of lower Cool Runnings, and up through Rad.  At the skidder I bumped into Nick S from work and then I headed back up the steep to Brake Free and dropped off down through the rocks into the gums.  Pleasantly surprised to find all the logs across my usual favourite were cleared - rangers or mtbers had used chainsaws by the looks of it.  Nice flow down here then all the way down to 19th, across the road below for a bit then usual out up onto the corner and coast to Dogparkcarpark.  Lovely flow down here, jumping the jumps and flowing out through all the way to the bottom and the clamber back to road.  

A validly short 7.72 kms on 334 m climbed.

O's 21st Saturday night, left the car opposite where Dave was staying, so Sunday morning I took the Troll down slightly more interesting descendings then then across an urbane jaunt.  8.4 kms, 230 m descended, and 17 m climbed...

  

Matariki Jehtset Castle

Sweet ride out and back on the Jeht today...  (2 of 3 rides out the Traverse in a week - each time venturing slightly further).  Up on the Jeht again, feeling sweet to ride it, and smoothing out all the bumps is gooood, out the Traverse, Vernon, Witch, Castle and back.  Didn't hit the Tors, there were walkers on it, and stayed off the walktrack immediately above the road between Tors and Witch on account it was likely soggy.   Rode the road from Rapaki to Huntsbury, figuring I'd done the Vernon climb the other day, didn't need to do it again.  Traverse, good flow, and fun down through Vic, usual Rocks'n'gums droppy droppy.  Oh boy, the 235 / DogParkCarPark trail is even worse in the oaks.  What a wet mess under dead leaves.  All the way out to H'Ell and clamber to road, home.  

Rambled just under 20 kms, and scrambled just under 730 m

Wednesday Night Traverse Vernon-Stooge

Out and up on my own on the Stooge in the dark tonight.  Bad headspace so took it out on a ride, which improved it markedly.  Climb up through Vic, straight into Skidder - everything is still so wet, and took a bit of a breather here.  Some riders showed up and so I headed off up the gutser, around and up to the Worm.  Hit the Traverse and trundled on around this, not really knowing how far I might go, not really knowing how much I could be bothered with.  Got to the end and up onto Vernon and parked up again, puzzling and deciding.  Checked MMR and found I'd only travelled 5 kms and so thought 10 return isnt enough and headed off around Vernon, bombing nicely all the way down to Rapaki-top.

Turned around and headed back up Vernon, climbing pretty nicely.  Back onto the Traverse, cruising smooth with a good (cold!) tailwind, bombing the bomby bits, tho careful careful on the greasy rock before the pond.  Around into Vic, semi-cased the first jump and then down the rabbit paddock, into the rocks, and gums, and flow and smooth, alll the way down (through the 'closed' bit) and out to the gate.  Headed here back up to the Skidder and took the Latter's Spur track down, fun easy rolling, then took the lower exit, having to walk up the steps on Kill-your-mum-with-a-brick Alley then out above the dogpark, over the road, through the carpark and into the singletrack for a slightly-less-greasy-than-Sunday greasy ride down.  The oaks are still a total sodden mess, so gingerly sidled through there, then all the way out down to H'Ell, staying on it to the very last, down the steps, down the road, and around back up home.

Nice 13.5 km blat with 440 m climbed.

Sunday's Stoogin' About the Joint

Had seemingly sorted the dropper issue, as in, it's all in how you hold your mouth and other people have had exactly the same issue with that model, so took the Stooge up the hill today.  Cruised up to top of Vic, down the Thomson's, 1 and 2, then through the Pass below Kiwi, and dropped into the Choir Boy...  over took a couple people, and had some epic speed, then slow around to Locomotion which was closed and announcing that Loess was too!  Damn, both of them I had wanted to do...  So, off down Rere Pia, which was slightly rougher than is preferable on the Stooge, tho really not that bad, and mucky in a couple bits too, splecking me up real good.  Down into the park and cruised down through the carpark to find the Uphill track closed too!  Argh.  Now what??  Moseyed down through the wetlands then headed up Worsley's.  Been a while.  I cant believe we used to do it on the regular.  I poked my nose into the Farside thinking I'd drop down it and back up, but it really was too greasy, so off I continued up and up and up.  The gravel was a grind, then the body bag was even more so.  Walked a tiny bit at the top.  

Into the Nun, pretty good blast down, not too greasy and not too mucky, tho, below the road was a mess, or, at least, made me a mess.  Out at the Kiwi and onwards up to top of Vic, dropping, nailing the first jump, only just, then down rabbit, into rocks, through gums, excellent until just before you meet Sesame lower down I smacked a tree and nearly ended up off the side just winding in the loss of control before that happened.  Down and out to skidder, then down road to the Dog Park Carpark, into this trail and man was it messy.  Wettest I reckon I've ever ridden it.  The oaks were an absolute mess.  All the way down, bike loving it, out to H'Ell, and the clamber up to road and home.  

Good blast, just shy of 20 kms, and a healthy 673 m escalated.

Sunday Snow Troll Like It

Exercise needed and conditions bleak, so I put the mudguards on the Troll and headed up into Vic Park, along with half of Christchurch who were looking for the snow and slush. Mucky over 19th, with a few smatterings of the white stuff, and Skidder was a flooded muckfest, but the gums were quite bent over under the weight of it all, and the rabbit paddock was white as.  Thicker out of the trees, I managed to get to the carpark at the top 

and decided against riding along the road, which was grit and slushy snowy wheeltracks - no real room for skinny knobblies, and they wouldnt have been very safe.  I trecked up to my stony shelter and enjoyed the view, 

then headed on down.  Fun times, and through the gums was great, super sketch, took the 'main' route down here, but peeled off just before Sesame to take in my last zig and zag (with the old log jump) and out to Skidder, then road to DogParkCarpark, and into the singletrack for a fun sketch and surprisingly grippy descent.  Took it all the way down to H'Ell, out onto the road, rolling down and dropping down Takahe Drive into Kidson, descending to the school alleyway, climbing up this and through the school and then home on Hackthorne.  

Not much, 7.2 kms, and only 240 m climbed.

Thursday Night Surprise

Serendipitous ride this evening on the Jeht.  Wasn't expecting it, but opportunity knocked and so I pumped up my flat rear tire too hard and off I trundled.  Cold it were.  Trails a bit mucky after yesterday's rain.  Up through Vic to the top, via Worm at the last, then down the first Thomson.  Back up the road and up the track to my stone shelter, hanging a right just before it, up and over the stile and up to the carpark (past the couples or stoners in their cars) straight into Cedric's track.  Across this, over the stile, and down the greasy tech, lots of dabbing and scooting through slick tech to the next carpark.  Straight through this (more stoner boy racers parked up) and continued along the trail above the road.  At the saddle, I crossed the road, over the fence and onto the Traverse, climbing and cruising (avoiding puddles) all the way around to Huntsbury/Vernon saddle. 

Across the road here onto Scott's Knob, techy greasy rooty over this, slippery and slow descent to the next saddle, then up the steps of the next bit and more slow greasy tech, picking my way down and across the road again at the same spot as a little earlier.  Back around the pond and left onto the Traverse heading back to Vic.  Lots of puddles again along this way, avoiding where possible. Into Vic trees, barely gaining enough speed for the first jump, then casing the second one with no where near enough speed.  Down through the rabbit paddock and straight into the rocks, fast and smooth, and gums, slick and tricky. 

Out through the skidder, along the road and left into the CAP trail, then peeling off this down the usual singletrack out to the end of the road and 19th.  Below road from here, poaching Tawhairanui, then across the carpark and into my local, weavy blasty flow down through this, both jumps good, then out the 'To H'Ell' track early and fast tire cleaning spin home down road.

A moderate 10.7 kms and 415 m slipped upwardly. 

Sunday Afternoon Stooge-about the Locals

Bit of a grimy day but enough of a lack of rain to get up the hill on the Stooge. Half'n'half clip-in pedals now installed, these aided control very nicely.  Good climb up.  On the road section I heard a couple of bikers catching me up from behind, talking away.  I was gasping and wondered, and as they passed, the first guy I saw was on a regular bike and I was, to myself, 'young fit fella's' then I spotted the second guy was on an ebike and giving the other guy a hand...  "Oh! I wondered how you were conversing so freely" I startled.  I kept crossing paths with them as I journeyed too.  Over 19th as usual, (boys at the skidder) then up the gutser and up to Thompsons #1 and #2, back up the road, dropped in, around, then down the rabbit paddock (the two boys bombing through Brakefree) to the rocks and gums, out to skidder (the boys jumping through), into Shazza's for a nice groove down and all the way down into the Brent's zone into the valley bottom here. 

Nose started bleeding badly here, and took a while to quell.  

Once sorted, climbed up the Corporate Ladder, and then up past the 40footer and around up through the Radzone, (where the boys popped out of Raceline or something and dropped on past), and I continued to the Skidder.  Then off over the side and down to the road at 19th, and below road for a wee hoon and out, clamber, coast, and into the DogParkCarPark, lovely flow through here, jumpings and out all the way to the bottom.  Schlepp up to road and home. 

A little over 7 kms and 275 m climbed.

Short Local Sunday pre-Sunset Stooge Scramble

Speedbombing up and back on the local singletrack. Sweeeeet!  

Getting later in the day, headed up for roughly half of yesterday's ride.  Up through Vic, both Thomsons #1 and #2 then back up Summit Rd and off to the wee stone(y) shelter, before dropping down through the rocks'n'gums, out below 19th then DogParkCarPark blast down through over the two main jumps (GREASY landing) and out the bottom to H'Ell for the clamber back to road and home.

Just over 6 kms, and dead-on 200 m excelled

Stooge-urday's First Shake-down - and 20 years of the blog!!! (and nearly 1500 posts)

Excellent breaking in of the Stooge Speedbomb+. What a beast. Climbs beautifully.  I've potentially got a too low first gear (30:48) but I did use it on the grunter from Skidder. I didn't want to stop riding. It handles really well, eats stuff unlike any other rigid I've ridden. The BIG wheels and tire combo rolls super smooth. 

Stopped several times for tweaks, mostly saddle height, but also saddle angle. 

A dream come true. 

Where most dudes my age are electrifying themselves, I've taken the step "backwards" with the fully rigid, uber-capable modern klunkerbeast.

To Rapaki and back, 13 and a bit kms with 460m elevated

Thursday Mental Health Ride

Bailed work a little early, got home, set something running once home and headed up on the Jeht (with the new tan-wall tyres). 

Gaspingly hard to start with, but once I was going it wasn't quite so bad.  Struggle street to the rabbit paddock and above, then dived into Thompsons #1 and flowed down here, then back up the road.   Dropped around down into Vic-top, over the jumps and around into Worm, then stopped just through the fence on the start of the Traverse...  Hmmm, where to go??  

Boffed off down through the fence and hung a right, down Upper Fenceline, nicely nicely, then across top of Cool Ruinings, climbing up across to Razza's, dropping down this, then up the track to where Pedalfine crosses, and dropped down here, hanging a left on the 4wd track back up to bottom of Razza's, to drop into the extension of that, through across Brents and out the bottom of that.  Then up the Corporate Ladder, stopping to move some sticks on the singletrack bit (where i took this:

(everything is brown!)

Next into Sneaky Ridge for a bit of a hoon, talking myself through the ballbearings in the oaks, jumping out onto Bridges (or whatever it's called at this point) in front of a woman (orange top) and dog, then off down here into the pines, around into NuBridges, flowy flow, and fast down the valley.  Not sure why, but chose to do Hidden-Valley climb up to Old Skool at this point and clamber clamber, under howling pylons, nicely fun blast down, especially with the tail-wind bits (most of it), all the way, rolling out and up the valley for the climb, yet again.  Saw the woman in the orange top down here ("back up for some more, eh?").  Crawled up the steeps, cleaned it all, with a good breather just above Hospital, then on upwards, getting overtaken by a very fit looking, slightly older dude on a very light looking XC hardtail just before the pono's pylon.  He made it look effortless, in comparison to my huffing and chuffing.  Up around past 40fter and up around to the skidder, all the while suffering, but coping.  

Then across skidder and into lower(gums) singletrack and out to 19th, below road flow, coasting, rain just starting to spit, into DogParkCarPark, nice under the trees, and flowy, blazing alllll the way down to H'Ell and clamber, down to home just as the rain started proper - timing couldn't have been more perfect.

A bittersweet 11.7 kms, with a valid 496 m wrought height.

Friday Night Fat Trail Fix, then Troll to Dinner

As the title says, rode up on the Fatty with the hatchet and cleared the Gum section with the tree down.  Hard(ish) yakka:

During  

After

(more of my handywork visible further down the trail too 😁)

Once cleared I pushed up to the Rabbit Paddock and dropped over to my sunset seat for a juicy beverage and a chill.  Once done, I pedalled back over and boffed off down the rocks and into the gums and through my cleared section and fun times all the way down.  Fatty popping and weaving nicely, then below road from 19th and coasting to the DogparkCarpark blast, lovely berm railing and jumps through the oaks and all the way out to the very bottom - doing a tiny bit of clearance just above the final drop to H'Ell.  Clamber to road, and home.  

Got a text from T saying, come on down to Pia's for dinner, so I jumped on the Troll and took some backways down the hill, zigzag, Kidson, Whisby, MacMillan, Rhodes to Garth, Crighton through the park then down river into Ernle Clarke and over the bridge, Studholme, park, Stenness and I was there, for food and some another beverage.

8 and a half km in total, with a measly 154 m escalated

Wednesday Ada Troll, Cratered

Shitty day, shitty mood, shitty sleep, shitty day at work, mood: glum.  So, to clear my head I took the Troll up the hill... Grunted up through Vic (same pace as a girl running (ahead) until above the first gate where it gentles off a little and I passed her before the upper dog park entrance).  Up through the 19th and over to skidder and the usual walk up the grunter.  All the way to the Summit Rd for the nice roll down to the Kiwi.  Across the Pass and up the next section of Summit Rd, jollying up and up til it settled off.  Nice cruise down(ish) around to the first saddle where I took to the Crater Rim walkway and rode (and dabbed and walked) through the slippery rocky trail along adjacent to the road.  Nice bush, lovely bellbirds singing.  Explored off down Bush Rd to the left a wee ways, then back up to continue through the next saddle and staying on the Crater Rim up around the flank of Ada (past Ella's) through the previously burned section.  Very overgrown, ended up walking quite a bit of it, but rode some.  View towards Marleys and town (Sugarloaf on the right).

Left up the Ada track to the top, riding and walking.  Excellent view up here. 

Off down from here down to the road again, some fun, narrow then at the bottom wide speed.  Onto the road and towards home, rolling start, then tucked speed through the first saddle and fast standing cranking around to sitting climbing gently back towards Marleys and then faaasstt rolling coast down back to Kiwi, through the top and up, climb climb to top of Vic and off down the usual singletracks, rocks, gums (log needs cutting - still), then out to skidder, over 19th, down to Dogpark Carpark and weaving and jumping through this, ballbearings!!! (acorns), and out to home.  

A nice jaunt, all round - 14(ish) km, and a little under 500 m climbed.

Thursday Singlist Usual

High intensity single speed blitz up and back the usual routes tonight.  Roughly an hour (47 minutes ride time).  Grinding away testing the knee, which seemed to enjoy it.  Hard work in the steeps, really struggling with it all, I'm SO unfit - breathing hard and heart racing.  

Down Thomson's #1 then seated climb back up road, popped up to the rock shelter, quick talk with Doug and see if there were any blackberries around (nope), then seat down and bombing, so much flow.  Another log across my favourite so I'll have to get up with the axe this weekend.  Otherwise, lovely descending all the way, especially below the dog park car park, weaving nice and loosely through those curves, and awesome flow over the jumps and through the oaks and beyond.  Popped out on H'Ell and clambered to road and home. 

Short and sharp, 5.8 kms with 205 m gouged out of the acclivity

Sunday Shortish Nun and back.

Testing the Jeht out as a non-mullet, running the 29 rear I got off trade me around the time I got the frame. It's only running a 2.4 Minion on a 30mm ID rim though, so is a far cry from the balloon I normally run. The minor change in geometry felt minor but it was noticeable but probably was hardly anything.  Handled ok, except the tire was definitely lacking sufficient grip in some dust-on-rock corners. I'll try the 2.6 off the front some day soon for size, see if it fits in the frame and if it does then get a new front, otherwise a 2.5 for the back (which is what's recommended as the maximum size)...

Off up through Vic, climbing from skidder made harder by the low gear now turning a bigger wheel.  I was slow, and puffed, but managed everything with only one breathing pause halfway up.  Thompsons one and two, then through the Pass and on up Summit Rd, grinding away to the top of Nun, where I peaked and looked at the view.

Nun was sketch dust, but bike handled mostly nicely, albeit rear wheel slide due to lack of bite, and then some dudes came in from the park, looking hot, but actually slow-bos, and got on the lower end ahead of me, making me have to catch up, hold back to increase the gap, then catch up again... 

Good faff up the road to Vic-top overtaking a bunch of riders, surprisingly cos I was feeling pretty spent - it was HOT - and then dropped down into a nice jump thru, down to the rocks, and gums (doug), and on down the usual below the road from 19th - coasting into the dogparkcarpark for a nice cruisy roll through here, trail riding well.  Just ahead of the final corner, the end of the trail before dropping onto lower H'Ell, there was a dead log across the path.  I stopped and moved it, and in the process, tweaked my already sore wrist - not to mention putting a nice vertical scrape on the back of my calf.

A whopping (not) 10.5 kms, and 345 m escalated.  Got home hot and was hot for hours afterwards.

Sunday Arvo Solo Local Singlist

Up on the BFe for a blow out blast, getting all my blood and air flowing hard. Up the usual way to the top, walking the usual little bit.  Headed straight into Thompson's #1 for a nice wee flow, then back up the road and dropped down around, past the jumps, then down through the rocks and gums all the way out to 19th, below road briefly, then into the Dogpark Carpark trail, jumping all the jumps in here, then grunting up for a second lap of the main bit, finishing with - down all the way through to the bottom, surprising a young woman (or they/them?) peeing on the end of my track just above H'Ell... rolled out to their male friend and said, "I just gave her a fright." 

Minimal 6.3 kms grueled and 217 m wrestled from the hill in 32 minutes.

And then i got Covid...

Friday E-tour with T, then a Short Saturday Sunset Figure-of-8 Dog Fat-Spin

So, Friday, T and me on our ebikes headed up thru Vic Park Rd, down onto Dyers to turn right at the Kiwi and all the way around the Summit to Gebbies, bombed down to Teddington and along towards Governors. At Allandale we hit the Old Coach Rd along the waterfront to the Jetty. Out to the end of this, then up the hill, checked out Nainy's old driveway, then up to the pub, Otoromiro, for several drinks and a yummy meal. Finished with back up and over the top and home. 

Not bad 35 kms and over a grand's climbing.  And good to know what the ebikes are capable of...

Saturday evening, on the loose end of a few beersies, I took Jet up on a weird little short, puffy fatty-spin up a little local loop-about. Surprisingly, a sweet little workout given the low speed. Granny (or slightly taller) ups, and short-shrift wee blitzes of flowy groove, between waiting for the geriatric old man dog, downs.   Hope it isn't too hard on his weary old joints. 

However, a lovely taste of what I should get up to every night - really... Close encounters with gorgeous setting sun rays through the trees, and kereru.  Ridiculous how much fun a rigid bike can be. 

Less than 2 kms and stupidly only 55 m of altitudinal gain, in a whole 32 minutes.