Monday Night Roadlings

Nelson picked me up from home after work and we headed out and parked where we usually park for riding McCormack's Bay. I had the Troll and he had his skinny-tyred commuter. Hit Glenstrae, hard climb up, standing to the first hairpin where I was gasping, then we swapped bikes for the next leg, up to where it flattened off, then swapped back for another standing working hard the whole way climb up to the Moncks Spur turn off. Up this top of Moncks Spur section, sitting mostly but slogging away, to Mt Pleasant Rd.  This dragged on all the way to the top seeming oh so much longer than I've ever seemed to remember it.

Summit Road, and jacket on, ready for the downhill.  Rolled off, coasting nicely, sometimes tucked, raising up for airbrakes into corners, or not, then coasting again, I barely pushed the pedals at all, my superior weight propelled me effortlessly downward, easier and faster than weight weenie Nelson, who said later it was like he was wearing a parachute.

At Evans we explored a nice little section of singletrack. skinny and slick town tires greasing around all over the place in the short mucky section, and fun tight rolling the rest, coming out at the first hairpin corner.  Then it was off down the road at greater speed well over 60kph, wondering if I was going to get taken out by a possum on the road, and then a cat, doing a good rate of knots into the 50 zone, and rolling down into Scuznor, tucked and coasting for as long as possible past Van Asch.

Rolled around thru Moncks Bay, drafting each other through Redcliffs (til Nelson dropped me) back round to the car.

1 hour round trip, 543 m altitude climbed, thru 15.3 kms.

Finally some Sun(day)shine

Short ride today.  Days and days and days of extreme rain, flooding, snow, etc, and finally the day dawned blue skied and frosty, black ice frosty.  I leaped on the Troll and headed for Steve's, slipping once, squirrelly styles on the Stanmore Tuam corner, but surviving and making it to Steve's just after 9.10, to find them gone, and a couple of message on my phone.  Made contact, they were on Ferry Rd (just cruising), so hit the chase and caught them tootling along just before the bridge.  Up St Andrew's Hill we cruised, warming up nicely, delaminating a little part way up.  The Alfine 1st gear did me well, and 2nd and 3rd a couple times before the top.  All the way up to Summit Rd, enjoying the views and the sunshine, then change of gloves and hat on and off down the road for an easy going coast, bit of grit, but thankfully no ice to be had.  Loads of water everywhere, pouring out of the hills, creeks where there's usually nothing, flowing across the roads - so it was good having mudguards.

Evan's Pass and a rocket ride down the road, a bit of grit about here too and one river crossing it where they'd done the massive blasting.  ...and, alongside the containers, Dot Com, at like 10.40.  Coffee etcetera enjoyed by all and back round the ways.  I was at Joy's at about 11.45 and the others headed their respective directions. 

Later, from Taylors, with H and T and Joy, we walked out to Boulder Bay.  The track has been thrashed by the rainfall.  Soggy bits, a few wee holes, the steps have lost half their fill, plus the odd slump of sloppy muck sprawled across the track.  Should have dried out a bit by Tuesday, maybe.


Addendum
My Fat Franks arrived the day after this post, and have now fitted them to the Troll.  The ride is superb.  Smoother, quieter, more comfortable, and faster.  2.35inch, brown, and came with built in kevlar puncture resistant strip.  Couldnt ask for a better town tire.