Wetnesday Whetted Mean Streets

Wet evening so not really any off-road options available, as such, it was decided a 'roadie' ride to be had.  I headed to Nelson's in the car with the Troll (still wearing its mudguards) in the back - useful for the conditions.

Off we headed up the hill - Santa Maria - Selleck - Assisi into Drayton and then up Mt Pleasant, grinding away to the top. Nice climb and there wasn't really any rain, nor traffic, around at all.  However, once we headed down the Summit Rd into the fog (headlights too bright, handlebar okay) the rain started to spit a bit.  Down to the big pines and through the gate and over the fence.  Sticky but surprisingly good traction track down to stile and then down to some more.  Mucksome track, it was.  Decided against Frog Pond and took the more ridge based track.  I walked a couple of tech bits, not trusting my traction, but Nelson boffed off down them no probs.  Took the lower exit to Clifton and headed up Revelation Drive to explore, as far up as we could, then back down to Galilee Lane, dropping down a wee ways, but not that far, before clambering back out.  Then down Panorama, surprised how far down York's old place was, and dropping down his old (private access!) driveway passed his house and dropped to the watertank, around this and then walked down the steps.  Then we were on Tuawera Tce and couldn't quite work out where the 'secret' alleyway was down.  Went too far down here, then turned back and decided to hit the driveway that led us to it - dropping down this (i walked the steps) onto Kinsey Tce, and it was left down Mulgans.  Tricknical cornering (dab, dab, dab).  

On the flat again, around Moncks and then up Augusta, all the way to the top, trying to work out where a shortcut through I found once was...  Ended up taking a driveway up (much to the chagrin of a dog) and around to a vacant lot but couldn't work out how to get across to Challenger Lane so back off down, around into Taupata, then up Egnot and Challenger, steeeeep.  Zigging and zagging on the road seemed to help, but it was definitely walking up to Daring Lane, onto Glenstrae and upwards, more zig zagging and Monck's Spur top, riding no problem, and out to Mt Pleasant Rd for a sweet descent down, Drayton etc back the way we'd climbed.  

Good ride, nice loop. Over 15kms and 670m climbed, a little of which I had to walk

Sunday On a Roll on the Troll

And another good blast out on the Troll again, venturing a little further from 'home' this time.

Off up the hill again, up the main road to Summit, left down here for a nice blast to the Richmond Hill pines.  Over the fence and down the trail to the lone pine, over the stile and down to Frog Pond, around this, only a couple of soggy bits I walked over, then down the root infested fenceline to the first stile and onto Clifton Tce, left into Panorama, around this then back onto Clifton and ducking into The Zig Zag for the descent.  Hard on the brakes, few steps at the bottom.  Then on the Main Rd around to Augusta, up this, Taupata, Egnot Heights, fucking steep, then up Challenger Lane, also fucking steep, then up the zig zag walking, to Daring Lane.  Up Glenstrae from here and onto Moncks Spur Rd, taking a call from dad, chatting while riding slow, then blast down back to thee house.

Rather good 12.5 kms this time, with 570 m climbed.

Wednesday Night Solo all over the place

Out on my own tonight and probably could have done a proper ride or even a fatty ride on the trails, but figured they were sorta off limits so just had the Troll in the car.

Parked at McCormack's Bay, usual spot, treadled around and grabbed some water and then proceeded to follow my nose...  Around the edge of the park, picking up a nice wee singletrack that petered out, so found my way to the bridge and followed the track from there.  Around towards town, and just past Mt Pleasant Rd headed up a steep wee 'alleyway' (aka Rangatira Tce), right onto Quarry Rd through the park and down The Brae, not realising I could have headed left on it up to St Andrews.  Along the Main Rd for a minute then ducked up Te Awakura Tce, crossed St Andrews and on upwards, around and up the alleyway to Cannon Hill.  Down this, fast, right at the bottom and along what's known as Ferrymead Tce, then across the bridge and into the towpath.  Met a guy on a commuter cyclocross in here, our lights clashing, then had the rest of the greasy way to myself.  Quite squirrelly in parts.

Across the Tunnel Rd bridge and back down the other side, super greasy and squirrelly along here, slick tires finding little purchase.  I proceeded around the ex-maori village site and then stayed on tracks that followed the Ferrymead Park Drive.  Took a wrong turn and found a greasy dead end, so back to the Drive and on up into Heathcote.  Up through the school and out onto Bridle Path Rd, up this as far as the Gondola turn off, and then back, lots of speed, down to Morgans Valley Rd.  Up this to the top, the steepness of the upper end proving a good work out on the Troll's gearing.  Turned around and bombed back down and hung a right on Bridle Path Rd, down to Cannon Hill.

Up Cannon, checking out Chablis Pl, and choosing to stay on Cannon all the way, again, steepness near the top giving a damned good work out.  Around the top of the Crescent and down to Freeman, then left on Major Hornbrook, right into Billy's, and right into Mt Pleasant Rd, proceeding up this til Drayton.  Down here into the McCormacks Bay tracks, sidling (surprisingly some climbing) around to the main valley track and taking this down, a bit greasy, to the bridge, then around and up the zig zags to Avery Place, the steep in here getting the better of me and making me walk for a stretch.

Up Avery and left on Glenstrae, right into Daring Lane, and down the zig zags we discovered a few weeks back, onto Challenger Ln.  I had a look up here at Defender Lane which supposedly has a way back up to Glenstrae, but it was a 'Private' r.o.w, so I left it to it, and turned tail and bombed high speed down Challenger - Egnot Heights, left into Taupata and then back to the car on the flat.

All over the place...  23 kms and 477 m of climbiness

Tuesdee Pre-Trees Meet Street Feat

Had to pick up H and drop him home, then met nightmare traffic all the way across town.  Luckily Nelson had had a malingering customer and didn't get away til late either, so we both arrived at McCormack's Park carpark within a minute of each other.  He had his clown-wheeler and I had the Troll and because of the wetness everywhere, we were gonna ride streets and alleyways/walkways. Also, I only had my bike mounted (non-superbright) lights. 

Headed up Glenstrae, steep and hardwork on the Troll's gearing (must get a smaller front ring for this time of year).  I took a few breathers at various spots, but made it to the levelling off, and we headed up and into Daring Lane where we had seen on gglmaps there were some zigzags down.  Entry of rough rock steps, but then sealed and smooth back and forth down to Challenger Lane.  Good bomb down this to Egnot, fast descent to Taupapa.  Around Augusta onto the Main drag and around to good old Mulgans Track.  I walked a lot of this, it's just too steeep to ride on the Troll. Up, up past the tanks and up past York's old place to Panorama, and into Brownlee Reserve.  Found the downwards trails in here and then it was onto  The Zigzag, weaving carefully down this (not seeing it at all very well), slick tires struggling in the wet leaves and dirt, but keeping it together with a restrained descent.  Amazing how long it is.  Reckon this'd be a good climb.  Eventually onto Nayland, and then around the Main Rd back to the cars by just after 7.

Collected some Thai and made the meeting in very good time

8.3kms, and surprisingly 330 m climbed

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.