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.

Satur-Lab-E-Day

T and me headed out on our Ebikes - Down the hill via Lady Polson and Bengal, then through the wetlands, all the new cookie-cutter sloburban development that is now Halswell, exploring a few back and side streets, sort of trying to get to that wee hill with the steps but not quite making it, then around Old Tai Tapu Rd, finding a lovely section of river trail to the church, then busy main road between Tai Tapu and Lincoln, finally making our way into The Laboratory.  Here we enjoyed very nice salads, coffee, and a couple of beers for me and wines for her.  

Home via Birches Rd beside-road trail (nice!), then Trice's, Saby's, Candy's and back through Halswell Sloburbia, Wetland again, gentle up Happy Home, zoom down park, Pencarrow, climbing zig zag to Worsley's and then home up Bengal.  

An excellent outing, (I forgot to start MMR until Halswell, so it says 38km but was) just shy of 50 kms, with 360 m electrically-assisted climbing. 

Sunday Troll with T (on the E), Summit, Kennedy's, Library and Quarryman's to car

Needed to collect the car from P&J's after Paul drove me home after our gig last night.  

Rode up Vic Park Rd on the Troll with T on her E.  I took Thompson's #1 and met her down towards the Kiwi and we hit the Summit Rd climbing up and around, all the way to Kennedy's.  She wasn't sure, but managed fine, rough ride down, all the way to the end of the trail (I took the singletrack from the Siberia gate, then onto the road smoooooth flying.  Headed along to Te Hapua Halswell (that ends well) Library, where we got some books, and then snuck backways into the Domain and rode through this to meet the Quarryman's trail which we rode all the way, into the wind, to Pioneer Park where we caught up with P and J who were having a wee community planting lunch picnic.   Tracey rode home via Bengal while I chucked the Troll in the back and brought the car home.

Nice little 20 kms and I did 374 m climbing, (T added another 220 to that riding home)

Off to balmy Lake Poteriteri on Tuesday, so, no more rides for November...

Saturday Troll and Epic-nic

With me on the Troll and Tra'y on her e-commuter we rode up through Vic to the top.  I took Thompson's #1 and met her at the bottom of #2 where she was waiting.  Through the pass and up and around all the way to the Bellbird looking for a sheltered spot to sit for a picnic.  At the Bellbird we popped over and up to a nice stone seat out of the wind and had a magnificent-salad picnic.  

Back the way we came, she went down Dyer's Pass where I rode up top and down the gums etc out to Skidder and down.  Good run.  Then I took the dogparkcarpark trail down, cutting out the walking 'To Harry Ell' track.

Not much under 16 kms, and 475 m climbed.

Couple ebike rides over the weekend

As per the title... 

Saturday, T and me rode to brunch on our ebikes - down Dyers, Hackthorne, Lady Polson to exit down Bengal, across onto the Uni-trail, flowing through past Pioneer, then back streets and across the alley to Domain Tce, up past Hillmorton, under the motorway and hung a right, down along the bike track all the way to Lincoln Rd, where we went to Maxine's for delicious yum cha brunch, eating entirely too much.  Home via Addington back streets, out to cross Collins/Simeon crossing of Brougham, then Simeon all the way through cemetery park and Studholme to cross river, thru Thorrington and up the hill home.  Didn't map it - but it was around 17 kms.

Sunday, up through Vic, Summit Rd to Mt Pleasant, then Upper Major Hornbrook, down through the park to Cannon Hill, through past Ferrymead around the river, lots of nice squirrelly singletrack, then onto the bikepath all the way to Tannery where we saw stopped and went to the movie Lee at the movie theatre, then home the usual way across the back streets of Opawa, St Martins, Beckenham and up the hill, home.  

30 odd kms (see I started it up around the 19th), over 700m climbed. 

Saturday Troll with some e-Ladies

With Tra'y, Pia and Natalie on ebikes, I rode the Troll, and we headed up through Vic and along the Summit Rd to just past the Bellbird. Parked the bikes off the road just inside the bush and went for a short walk to check out the totaras and then the view of the harbour.  Back to the bikes and we rode all the way back. On the way up I took both Thompson's, and on the way back the girls went down Dyers while I went up to top of Vic and down all the usuals and we all met up again at 19th where I said goodbye to the visitors as I bombed off and took all the single-track home.

A groovy 16.4 kms and not a bad wee 491 m climbed.

Saturday, Too Easy

We headed out with Dave and Jana and looped out Easy Rider... Dropped down Easy Rider all the way, staying on it this time (not taking Perserverence), cos it's the level at which Jana could handle.  Eventually got to Snakes'n'ladders and T and me took that eventually meeting Dave up at the corner.  T chased off after Jana and Dave and me rode through to Camp Track and back along past the DOC base and through the tech challenge zone, intending to meet the girls at the bridge.  They werent there.  We headed up the road a bit, no sign, then back and lo they were on T and my picnic table from yesterday.  Headed back to the house from here.

Started MMR a little late, so around 10km and 100m climbed.

Friday Hanmer Fat ride.

Sweet and slow, both of us exhausted from a week of sickness, we toodled around a few trails in Hanmer.  Cruised up Bristol St and dropped over to the pond and up to Swamp for a cruisy climb.  Really fatigued we both were, utterly spent.  And climbing's not T's forte anyway, so was good for her to get into this.  Down Swoop for a fun descent, fatty handling the whole thing beautifully.  Then it was off around Western Link track and over down through past the DOC base and through the tech practice zone to the road bridge.  I bombed back up to the car and grabbed us some eggy pie which I rode back up a different street, down to Dog Stream and back up to T on a picnic table.  From here we headed off down Easy Rider, fun down stream through onto Perserverence through to it's end.  T had had about enough now so we headed back along Easy Rider, then climbed back up to the streets and back to the car.  Hot pools soak and steam infusion followed and we were toasted.

An easy 14.15 kms and nearly 200m climbed.

Sunday Explore and SS spin

Tray and me out for a spin, both a little worn from yesterdays' big circuit, her on her E bike and me on the Troll this time.  

Bombed down Dyers, into Hackthorne, hauling up and hard left into Lady Polson, down and around the dirt/gravel bit into Chittagong, left up the rest of Bengal and down through the greasy wee path to the top end of Shalamar driveways.  Bomb down this, through the Stone House, out to Holmcroft, right on Worsleys, left into Hurunui, down here, right into Opihi and out onto Cashmere Rd.  I took her on a wee detour through the park and along the creek, across Penruddock, along the creek again out into Croftfield Pl, into Willowdell Reserve for a steep climb we both failed on out to Happy Home Rd.  Easy coast down here and I spotted an entrance to the new Te Kuru wetlands reserves across the road.  Big old meander around in here on the nicely chip-gravelled paths, eventually finding out way out onto Sutherlands Rd.  Up here to Milnes, through exploring new slobdivisionings when T said to me, "can we go home now?" 

So off we headed, more direct return, Sparks for a bit, into the Sparks Rd wetlands, bumping into a fellow LA-er, Geoff, walking his dogs, then slipstream time, me tucked in behind Tra'y setting the pace back along Cashmere Rd, around and hard right into Bengal for a steeeep climb for me, back up the way we'd come down except Hackthorne the rest of the way.

Down, about and back up.  17.2 kms with 265 m climbed.

Sunset Singlespeed Spin

After a bit of an afternoon nap had ensued, at 5 I decided I really needed more, so I headed out and up for a bit of a burn on the Singlespeed.  Clamber clamber, over 19th to Skidder then cut right across into the firs for the descent back down to road, across from skidder below for a bit then back up onto road to drop into Dog Park Car Park into the greasy fun, feeling good, singlespeed a perfect wee hack, both jumps in the oaks, even had an audience on the lower, then cut through and all the way down to Harry Ell.  Clambered back up onto road, fast bomb home.  - a proper groove.  Less than 4 kms, but an additional 100 m added to the day's total.

Saturday E-Summit, Sumner Loop

Tra'y, Lynne (on Hugo's) and me all on ebikes, leaving home around 11am, up through Vic to Summit, all the way across the tops, glorious day, but cold, even some frost on the road in the shade of Scott's Knob.  Lovely blast down to Rapaki-top then through up to Castle and down over Bridle-top and under the Gondola.  Stopped for a picnic at Cavendish Saddle, overlooking the LYT, then back on road up through the cutting and downhill alllll the way down Summit Rd to Evans, super fast blast down (over 80kph) to Sumner where we stopped at Beach and had an Espresso Martini each.  Back onto the bike track here, boardwalk past the surf club and onward around, first time for Tra'y, following the bike track around the Estuary and causeway and across the road at Ferrymead beach.  Squirrelly muck behind Ferrymead, under the motorway to the cutting, over the footbridge and back along to the otherside of the river to ride the rooty tree vibes around Heathcote opposite the fish factory and joining the Cycleway (T and me rode weekend before last) at the tankfarm, then along Tannery and then stopped into La Voute.  From here, usual routes home, Hawford, bridge, past the supermarket, roundabout, Buxton, bridge, Eastern, Corson, Malcolm, and up the hill.  

Bike said 41kms, MMR a little less...  over a grand in altitude too...

Sunday E cruise with T

T and me both out, up, across, down, across and up on our ebikes yesterday.  Thick fog from Sugarloaf all the way until we came down to house level on Mt Pleasant, was spectacular.  Then lovely and sunny down on the flat.  Little supermarket shop at St Martins then coffee and a danish from Bohemian Cafe, which we took to the river outside Beckenham Park.

Around 35 kms, no mmr, with according to google 630m climbed.

Andy CAPped

Second ride for the day, down in the car with H, parked up in the CAP carpark. Popped up into the office to check our passes.  He surprisingly still had 8 on his card, not expired, whereas mine had 5 left but expired, but the nice young woman on the desk gave me until the end of June to use them up - sweet as! 

Hit up the lift, seeing for the first time close-up the carnage from the fire, and we dropped into Summit Connector, then onto the road and into Choir Boy for a good bomb.  A few people overtook H, so I stopped to let them by too.  Down past 3rd Base, Askins closed, Gungho, and then stopped at Rere Pia, unknown and new to both of us.  In we dropped and it was fun.  Not too tech, quite fast, and quite readable.  Bombed it out behind the Cafe. 

Onto the lift again, turning on MMR half way up, and we dropped in fo rthe same again, doing better with a little knowledge of it.  Not bad. 

2 uplifts, 2 descents...  probably 8km each, so maybe 16kms and 800 uplifted.  So now I have 3 left and H has 6 (before Sept)

Saturday Sunday Paparoa, again

Higgs and me headed over Friday night to Taylorville, staying at Brunnerton Lodge before heading up thru Blackball to Smoke-Ho carpark.  Only a week or so off 2 years since I's last here... Weather was clearing, indeed, clear down in the Grey valley, but seemed to be lingering on the hills ahead of us and around us, so as we set up at the carpark there was a rainbow and a light drizzle.  Got rolling and on the first rocky descent a stone got caught in my mudguard.  I thought the front roll bag had messed with my rear brake hose and that the brake was on, but once I straightened it up I realised it was a stone...  removed, and on we headed.  The grunt of the climb began and Hugo did really good, plodding away.  He didn't walk much.  Took us about 2hr45 to Ces Clarke.  A little slower than last time but pretty good considering our lack of training.  

After a feed, off we headed along the tops.  More climbing, the odd walk.  My dropper started to play up (again, I was blaming my front-roll) but then a minor tweak of the barrel adjuster and I was happy.  One basin after another we trudged around.  On some of the final descent I stopped to wait and Hugo didn't show, and I had images of his teeth through his lips for some reason... :( So I started heading back and he appeared around a corner carrying his bike.  Derailleur well and truly stuck fast in his spokes...  oh dear.  Realisation occurred at my lack of 'safety' gear - no first aid kit (whoops), no duct tape (yikes).  Undid derailleur, removed wheel, managed to wrench the derailleur clear and then found that, reattached, he still had gears! - just didnt want to risk 1st or 2nd, so 3rd was his go to.  

Final blast to Moonlight was a joy.

Day two dawned, and we were the last to leave the hut.  Tho the 3 girls were not far gone with Georgia's troubles, so we passed them and continued on.  Nice descent, then up and down (quite a bit of up) in the goblin forest, then out onto the tops, views I never saw last time due to the weather.  

Awesome. 

This section is so good down to Pororari Hut.  Magic.  Still quite a long slog from Pororari, especially for Hugo, but man it was still good.  

YMMV, but Day One and Day Two on the MMR announces 17.7 kms and 34 kms respectively.  with 1124 m and 821 m climbed on each.  Them's some big climbings.

Welly Sunday Makara on Rentals

In Wellington for WoW.  Sunday afternoon, first nice day they'd seen for a while, Higgs and me made our way to Mud Cycles and rented an Ebike and an acoustic bike (only had the one e bike available) and went for a strop. Got to main entrance and realised didnt know the way in, given Koru was closed, so asked some folk and they led us around and up to the St Albans St entrance.  Climbed up Rimu and Miro, Sally Alley, Upswing, Aratihi.  Good climbs.  I was chuffing.  at the top of Aratihi I took the ebike to the top, it was fast...  Then we swapped back and jumped into North Face.  Good strop, then at the bottom of that we hit the bottom of Pohatu then SWIGG the rest of the way down.  Pohatu was the grade I would have prefered...

9.25 kms with 270 odd climbed.

AN(ZAC)dy CAP

Took H and Paul into the park today.  We rode up past the ranger station and dropped in the new entrance.  Sweet wee trail across here, then onto the new sidle trail, Locomotion, across to Loess.  Paul's first time in a 'park' environment.  He was cautious, but enjoyed it.  Hugo seemed to be on my tail the whole time, or never far off at least.  Loess was a bit sloppy in a few spots, but otherwise fun.

Went in, got passes for us all (old ones were heritage pieces), and hit the lift.  Busy.  Down around the summit connector, and Nun down, messy it was.  Into Capt Torpedo, good blast.  Lots of stops to make sure Paul was doing okay, Hugo never far behind.  They both enjoyed the long flowy blast of a roll down the valley-bottom.  Into the lift again, longer queue than last lift.  Again, Summit Connector, then road, and dropped down into the Captain again.  Hugo crashed bad on the first little lip, so he decided to go home, so Paul and me continued on bombing down again - same again.  Up the lift once again (seeing Josh my mechanic in the queue and at the top), and into SC, road, past Kiwi, up road to top of Vic and in.  Down around the jumpies, I went over the seesaw, down through the rocks - which nearly caught me out, through the gums, my usual way - Paul mastering the steep corner, out through skidder, down to road, rolling coaster to 235, good work done in here, flowy, and not too wet except around the oaks, and then up and down home...

Good times. 22 kms, over 1400 ascended (of which 1200 was lift assisted).

Sunday Mucky Stingy Wharfdale

Paul and me drove out to View Hill Rd carpark.  The ford wasn't too bad and the road in was a little rough for the i40 but we made it up to the end of the road no problem to find a pretty chocka carpark.  New experience for him opening gates I think...  and a LOT of wasps around (tho not as many as the fateful time with Tom).  

We got riding and there was a bit of water (read: mud) on the track in places so it wasn't long and we were pretty splecky.  Nice to get in here again, 5 years since last time (and 2 before that!).  Trail is in very good condition, with many of the old double round parallel post drains removed entirely, and only one tree across it (the bulky chunk of which I removed (a tricky shin height sapling was unyeilding)).   The cooler shady zones were all but wasp free, but the sunny dry faces were busy (and buzzy).  Chch under fog, we were in a beautiful crystal clear day.

One of the creeks we crossed had a hell of a slip through it too.  All the way almost entirely rideable now, all the creeks etc...  much better.  Paul crashed on one droppy in and out creek.  The rocky bluffy section around 2/3rds of the way out has been majorly worked on, entirely rideable up (used to be a very tech drop coming back, pushing from this direction) until around the corner it got a bit steep with loose exposure making it 'scarier'.  The creek crossing just past it was majorly shifted further up too, due to slipping.  Passed a couple of sets of walkers, one near the saddle.  The zig zags near the saddle, section used to be super rutty and big rooty holes, now fully rideable, smooth.  Seemed like no time and we were at the saddle, finding 3 quite young women (high school age) with music playing.  Very respectful, they turned it right down when we arrived.  Chatted a bit, we ate our sandwiches, the last couple we'd passed turned up.  The girls left.  We were visited by a nice wee tomtit.  Then we headed off.

Good rolling, nice riding.  On the fast stretch down just before the first hairpin I felt a wasp between my lips.  I blew hard quickly, but not quick enough, bugger stung me on the lower lip.  Ouch!  I pulled up and stopped, and stuffed a couple of antihistamines in me. Paul turned up.  We got riding again.  Joyful riding, but my lip started swelling and was getting quite uncomfortable as we went along.  Good riding tho!  I'd stop every now and then and let Paul catch up then get rolling and caning all the tech sections, floating and wafting over stuff.  Passed a mum and kids at low point before the final climb.  Climb climb climb easy as, then through the gate and bombing again, mouth closed (and swollen) avoiding unwanted guests.  Big group of youthful walkers not far from the carpark.  They turned up while we were dismantling the mud and mounting the bikes.  

Got driving and they ended up catching up and training through our gate openings.  

A swollen lip of 17.5 kms, with 670 m climbed

Saturday Shopping Expedition via the Top.

T and me both on our E bikes, headed up from home, through skidder and pushed up the grunter.  I started my MMR there.  Rest of the way up through to top of Vic and then zoomed along the Slummit Rd all the way to Mt Pleasant.  Down here, left into Upper Hornbrook, Views, Ridge- and Clear-, then ally path down to Major Hornbrook proper.  Bombed down here, around, Freeman and Michael, Canon Hill, alley way down to Te Awakura then down St Andy's to the lights, over the bridge and across onto the new cycleway.  Hung a left into Charlesworth, and detoured to show Tra'y the TFC extension.  Onwards around Charlies then straight up Spinwood all the way.  Across Woodham and around the river to Swann's bridge, then back upstream along the river all the way to Pikos whereuponst I bought some of my flour.  

From here, a visit to Pom's for a couple of beers (wine for her) and chips, then home along the river all the way past the strip, etc, the long way, Grove, church, Simeon, Thorrington, eventually with plenty of battery (surprisingly) to spare (riding on the lowest setting for a good portion helped, methinks).

Reasonable 35ish kms (i started MMR late) with over 700m climbed.

Saturday Morning T and R on the E and T

Beautiful ride today.  Up the hill with Tra'y, her on her E bike and me on the Troll.  Feels so good climbing on the Troll.  We rode hard through the Skidder and into the climb, with her getting miles up!  I walked up to her and we swapped bikes for the steep bit.  Back on, and riding climbing up all the way to the road.  Hung a left, and cruised nicely along to Castle Rock.  Here, she went off down the road and I took the singletrack.  What a beat up!  Hard work, but got smoother picking smoother lines, but feck it's rough.  Caught up to T just past the Bridle and we looked at the view and then turned back... There were people out everywhere, walking biking, running...

A bit over 20 kms, with an indubitable 762 m clambered 

Thursday Morning Along the Top and Back

T on her E and me on my Troll set out nice and early up through Vic, across skidder and up the gutser.  Both walked, I pushed her heavy bike and she couldn't believe how light the Troll was.  We cleaned the next bit to Brakefree then rode up to the very top.  Cruised the Summit Rd all the way to Cavendish Saddle, admired the view, then turned back.  Up Vernon we rode out around the wheelchair track which give some quite cool views I didn't realise were there.

At the top of Vic we continued down to Dyers Pass and bombed down the road, around down and into Vic Park Drive top-end, and back down through here.  I peeled off and did the 235 singletrack, enjoying the crap out of that, then out the lower end and home.

Lovely...  24.75kms and surprisingly 968m ascended.

In the afternoon we flew off up to New Plymouth for WOMAD.

Another Shorty with the Doge, and T, on the Troll

Ebike Tra'y and me on the Troll quick spun the doggy up the hill. He ran and panted. I rode and panted. Tra'y just toodled along. We parted ways and I took Jet down the 235 trail for a good hunk of fun. 

Just over a mile again.  One happy dog.