Sunday Bowenvale Jeht Planing

Bonza, mate. Bonza! 

Left home at 1 on the dot and ground my way up the usuals to the top of Vic. Popped off down Thomson#1, enjoying the absolute cush and speed of the Jeht, weaving through the gap and into the hairpins to head back up the road to the top again.  Next, I boffed off round, popping the jumps and hauling straight back around and up the Worm to hit the Traverse for the cruise across.  I could see a couple of riders ahead, a long way ahead when I first got onto it, they were rounding the stile further ahead.  When I got there they were slightly less far away, then when I was coming around towards the Sugarloaf saddle carpark they were just negotiating the pond and then the rock feature after that.  I caught the young girl as we rounded towards Lavaflow and she stopped to let me by at that rock feature just after that.  I stopped at the top of HuntsDH and let her roll by to her dad(?).  

Dropped off down what was fourpause and had an audience just below the first jump, a guy riding up the gravel stopped to observe.  Wind behind me, quite quick down here.  First left into the swervy version of the landing-strip-adjacent trail, and enjoying the flow.  Onwards over the top of Ali Express, finding, after the cattlestop, a new route into the zig and zag, Sheepshit City it should be called.  Dropping down all the rest of the rocky sections, nice flow and bomb.  Strong winds on the zig and zag before the Old Skool proper, pushing or adjusting...  Stopped for a rest and saw a couple ahead.  Headed off, bombing, flowing, tailwind, fast and smooth, funtimes, the pedestrians were out of the way just before the cattlestop and I just rolled on through.  Nice flow, riding well.  Zig and zag back and forth flowing and pumping, flying then into the bottom and onto the grind, the endless steep, grovelling up valley, eventually out the top and over the skidder into the singletrack descent to 19thy, below road, through, coast, into dogparkcarpark, hello to Jo from work who was parked in my spot, and bombing through the curvy grooves, all the way down to H'Ell, clamber up, blast home

A congenial 12.5kms with 540m risen

Tuesday Night Bowenvale Loop

On my own on the Jeht, off up to top of Vic, feeling dreadful...  up to top and down around the jumpies, hanging hard right into Worm and climbing to Traverse.  Around here, uneventful other than stopping at the first high point and for a rest and to delayer when 10 dudes all rode past...  Glad I didn't meet them on-trail.  Nice blast from here, dont think I met anyone else.  Stopped for a rest at the top of HuntsDH and made up my mind where to go.  

Down.  Blitzy blitzy droppy drop down over the jumps in the ruts and then across the landing strip, twistier version, and dropping down AliExpress this time continuing down.  Baulked at the worst bit, and walked it.  Then a little lower down baulked at the highline, walked back and did the lowline, then good blaze the rest of the way.  Cautious Colin through the pylon switchbacks tho, for some reason, not liking the overgrowth of grass and narrowness.  Brief pause at the usual resting spot then off for the blast.  Feeling pretty good now, weaving the frame down through the trail.  Very nice.  Lower sections were fast and slow, and at the bottom I went straight into the climb back up the valleybottom.  Feeling not that bad now, getting into the groove.  Cleaned up to Hospital no problem then cleaned all of the steep start of k2 no issues either, considering how many times I've walked it in the past!  Around into the trees and it's easier in here now (someone's sawn off a thin tree that was a pest on the roots).  Up around the Texaco and on up the 4wd track, breathing a lot.  Met a couple of walking women up under Pono's and then past the 40fter and up through the rad zone climbing no problem.  Weird.  

At Skidder I thought, why not, and kept climbing - making hay while the sun still shone (was 8.10pm or so, and sunset was at 8.39pm), up to Brakefree then on up to the very top again!  Mad.  Down over the jumpies and then blast down rabbit paddock (through an attractive couple's photoshoot) and into the rocks, gums, fun times all the way to the 19th, then below road, fast through the woods,

Then road coast, spectacular heavens above, into empty Dogparkcarpark for an overgrown entry and then weavy blast all the way through, jumping all the jumps and taking it all the way to the bottom.  Excellence.  Clamber to road, and home, just before the sun actually set.

A bemusing 13.2 kms and 560 m strove.

Sunday Solo Traverse Upper Hunts

On the Jeht, I headed off up the hill - feeling exhausted the whole ride - up through usuals and into Thompson's 1 and 2, upon the 2nd of which I nearly shat a runners pants. We discussed civilly. "Ya gotta slow down!" "So sorry bruv, I came in off the road a little hot."  We moved on. Climbed back up the road, down round the jumps, back up the Worm onto Traverse for the haul across. Breathing was strugglesome. Whole way round I was thinking I had covid.  Long rest at top of HuntsDH before finally dropping in, excellent run down, then all the way down to top of Ali express. 

Climb back to top of Huntsbury, grind grind, stretch-rest here, no-one around. Then off around the Traverse, again meeting no-one. Top of Vic, jumps, rabbit paddock, rocks, a wee douggie rest in the pine top of the gums then fun down all the way, below road from 19th, down into dogparkcarpark trail sweetness groove fest. All the way down onto the lower H'Ell, clamber to road home. 

13 hard pressed kms, with 460 well wrought metres climbed

Thursday Night Old Skool Lights

Choice old skool ride tonight. 

Up through Vic, 19th, Skidder and grunt to top.  Down quick spin around the jumpies and hard right into Worm, onto and across the Traverse.  Good around here, my climbing slower than Nelson's but the downs were fine.  Tired from a bad night's sleep.  

Top of Huntsbury/Fourpause, leaped off down.  Front wheel clanged on one rock leading me to worry about losing pressure, but it held.  Started down the fast flowy section below the jumps but Nelson realised his mistake and we rode back up to the 'proper' curly techier version, down this and over the edge onto the newer sections of AliExpress, down through the cattlestop and over more of the edge.  We dropped down the first tech to the next where we both baulked, it's become such a wheel-eating hole drop now as to be a bit scary, oh, and the wind!  Pushed back up to where AliExpress back-and-forth bits were out to the side, very un-ridden and full of twin lambs and mums ewes-ing the shelter of the tussocks and hill, and a few of them on the track, and poo everywhere.  Bopped and wove over this and then down the usual byways, wind slamming into us and at one point rutting Nelson almost off.  Rocky grinduro down and down then onto the barely cambered back and forth above the pylon, down onto Old Skool.  

Brief stop here at the highpoint before I launched off first and led the way.  Took some weird lines, nearly losing it on the cattlestop midway.  Got my groove on lower down, with a couple more massive pings off rocks.  Sure is bony at the moment.  At the big corner out towards the end we pulled up cos i noticed that the trail beyond had been well used.  Decided to go for a little explore.  Followed it along and found trails, then exploring further found a massive jumps park in the trees, higher up, below the Vineyard property.  Loads of sculpted clay berms and gap jumps, enormous gaps.  Completely invisible and hidden.  Amazing.  I was getting antsy about our bikes alone on the trail so we headed back and finished off the Old Skool and headed up valley.

Long and grinding climb ensued.  Cleaned and rode everything tho, that's a first for a while, especially Hospital K2 steeps (tho I did stop for a breather).  Eventually skidder, over 19th, down Tawhairanui, dogparkcarpark/235 all the way out to the H'Ell, clamber, last of the road home.  

A laudable 13.2 km, 544 m climbed, evening outing.

Saturday a.m. Up Across Down Up Across Down

Quick blat across and down Huntsbury and back.  First coffee, then I hit up the hill on the Jeht.  Up through usuals, 19th, Skidder, Gruntsville and up to top and into Worm onto the Traverse for the hoon across here.  Uneventful, a few oncomers but early enough that there werent many around.  Stopped for a bit of a rest at top of Hunts-DH.  Chatted to a slightly older dude who said, "Have you done the Ghost Rd?"... yep, "is it harder than this?"  They were relieved when I told him it's wider and less tech than sections of this (other than below Ghost Hut).  They left and I dropped.  A lot of wind about, bit gusty, but the first jump was all good.  2nd is almost inaccessible now due to rutsville, then 3rd and last couple are excellent.  Out onto the landing strip section, I mistakenly stayed on the straight-ahead and flowed out through it, but bailed off it an back up the landingstrip to taken in the more technical flow over rocks and around and down, then on Aliexpress all the way down to the gate below (for Old Skool).  Back up the climb for this pic.

On up and up the grind of the gravel to the top of Huntsbury Track, and onto the Traverse the opposite direction.  Good blast with some nice tail-wind sections.  Back all the way and enjoyably through the jumpies, down through the gate (as oposed to the seesaw), into the first section of brakefree, railing the new berms, then out onto rabbit paddock and down the rockgarden, gums, blitzy blitzy out the bottom and then rolling down the road into a very busy carpark, weave through cars to hit the fun trail, all the way down and out to H'Ell, to clamber back up onto Vic Park Drive and home. 

Whole lotta fun - 11.7 km and 420 m climbed

Sunday Vic, Traverse, HuntsburyDH and Back

Nelson met at mine at about nine and we headed up the usual climbing route through Vic to the top.  Stopped in the rabbit paddock for a good look at the damage in the CAP, then moseyed the rest of the way to the top.  I was feeling a little tired/under-the-weather due to a hefty bbq the night before, but survived the thrawl.  

Dropped into the Traverse and cruised across the top, meeting quite a few on-coming riders.  Stopped at the top of Huntsbury DH and sat for a while, as many groups or riders, obviously regulars to the Park, tried to negotiate their way around the hill.  Too many skids observed - learn to fucking brake properly you muppets!  We set off down Huntsbury DH, which I didn't ride very well, tho managed it okay, jumping the first third and last.  Second one is just too rutted now.  Nice flowy through the fast tussocks then across the landing strip and over the singletrack around (not over the Rocky one), then down down down.  Again, jumps were skipped or ridden depending my vibe, which wasn't feeling up to much.  I think cos I was a little under the weather.  Got to the bottom and began the slog back up, all the way to the road, where we hit back on the Traverse.  Another good run around here, tho all the ups were really making be blow.

Across over the jumpies, see-saw and top section of Brakefree, then into across into the Rockgarden and gums for a sweet-ass flow down my local trails, all the way through like my last SS ride and under the 19th down the road, coasting smooth, then dived straight into the DogParkCarPark235 for a flowy cruisy bomb, again, allll the way down to H'Ell and clamber back to road the last bomb to home..

Satisfactory 13.5 kms and 485 m climbed.

Thursday Night Solo, Hunts and back

Up from home to the top top of Vic, half dying on the steep climbing.  Quick blat down round the jumpies and and hard right into Coffee Break climbing gently up to the Traverse.  Misty fog lingering in spots around here, with various views diminished, vanished or there.  Stopped up top of Huntsbury and had a quick snack and break.  Then dropped into top of Four Pause for a nice blat down this bony rutty trail.  Yumpity bump, missing the 2nd jump, and then whoah..., dude slowing me just before the bottom gap jump, bypassing it cos there's a guy lying on the ground on the landing pad. Not in a good way.  His mate was on the phone to the emergency services, describing where they were.  Raspy sounding breathing, so maybe his lung was punctured?  Nasty rasping sound... I couldn't help, wasn't carrying my space blanket (which I'd have given if I was), his mates had it in hand, so I took off, continuing down the 'easy' tussock route, through the cattlestop, part way down the singletrack then peeled left through tussocks and clambered over Rocky, nearly crashing, then down all the way, bypassing or taking various of the jumps, all the way to the bottom of the Huntsbury Track. 

Back up the gravel road expecting an ambulence up behind me or chopper flying over any minute, but none.  Eventually back up to the guys, dude still on his back, still sounding dreadful, - he'd cased the jump.  They said they were sending a chopper...  Ground  up the gravel grovel and up onto the Traverse again, bomb bomb, lots of runners and walkers, chatted with a girl in an Montana State Uni top, "MSU!  I lived in Bozeman in the early 90s. - started mountainbiking there, 30 years ago!"  On around Traverse, big group of walkers hustling out of the way, and then bomba domb down over the jumps, straight through the cattlestop and down the rabbit paddock into the rocks, and gums, wend wend, out to skidder, over 19th, then into 235 all the way through out onto H'Ell and down the road back up around to home.... 

Home about 10 minutes when I finally heard and saw the chopper past, weaving its route to avoid the foggy mist... that was a long wait for the poor injured dude. 

Vitally statistical 13.8 kms with 481 m climbed

Sunday Norwester Local Loner, Pinch-flats and Pump Problems.

Up, round the top, gail nor'westers blowing from behind then across, then down the ridgeline, first jump, not second, third, and missed the final due to waaay too much cross wind.  Hung a left on the older route and proceeded to get a flat.  Sat down to fix.  Double whammy snakebite, so two patches needed.  Did it, tube back in, pump pump pump ftttwwwssshhhhhh.  Damnit.  Tube out, re-glued the offender, held tight made sure it was done, then back in, pumped up and got riding. Down the old bypass trails, walking the steepest bit and dabbing a couple others, into Old Skool, bombing down into valley, and into the climb when the rear end started getting softer and softer, again!   Walked up to a seat at the walking track intersection and tore the offending patch off and re-did it, and then my pump fucked out. Tried to fix. No go. Ebike dude hoves into view, "do you have a pump?" "Yep", "Thanks!" to the rescue. His pump worked well and I got a tonne of air in my tire. 

Finally got riding again, up valley, chatting with him for a bit, then chainsaw Ranger on UBCO.  I pushed the worst bit of K2 yuck, feeling really shit, clambered around under texaco then on up the bastard steeps.  Found the Ubco guy's chainsaw blade-cover and carried it up to the 40fter, jamming it on a broom plant in good view of the track for him to find at a later date.  Last bit, stopped to let some fitter buggers ride past and then got going, through Skidder over 19th, into the dogparkcarpark and bombadiered down the left hander, lots of scrap from the trees and a few branches, then brief stint on H.Ell and climbed up to road, up and around down behind houses and home.

Frustrating 11.43 kms with 515 m escalated.

Sunday Arvo Flow

Nice wee ride out on my lonesome. Up the usual ups, 19th, skidder, gruntsville, to the top of Vic, down around the two jumpies, then back up Worm to the Traverse across, beautiful sunny day out ahead.  Stopped for a wee break at the top of Fourpause/HuntsDH, then dived on in.  Nicely nicely, but a couple of massive hits made me wonder if my back tire was gonna pinch or something.  Wove my way down to the 4wd, meeting 3 dudes on 'normal' bikes having just climbed up.  The pace they were making made me initially think they were on ebikes, but nope.  Down to and finding my way onto Ali Express, zig and zag, very under-used - no real sign anyone's been on it for a long time.  Back onto the usual bylines dropping down.  Another massive thwack rear end, pinch?  no, phew - but something was definitely up.  Air Pressure, I now think.  Otherwise a nice flowy cruisey blitz down Old Skool.  Speed, and flow, coast, hang back, rest, dive in, rail, flow, break, rail, flow, rinse and repeat.  Eventually out the bottom, and back up into the climb.  

Grind grind grind.  Pushed up from Hospital, then rode and cleaned around to Texaco, then took a new route for me, over to the right, onto the walking track.  Walked, and then decided to ride a bit, enough flatish bits that it's not a bad climb.  Spotted/connected where we used to ride down here, further over than I thought, and eventually made my way to the Eastside Bush 4wd track, meandered up, walking some, that to Skidder.  Over 19th again, relaxing coast down road, and into 235 for some super flowy hero dirt, avoiding jump to muck, acorns, climb to dogpark and final blast down behind the houses, rear suspension in need of work.  

A pretty good 11.6 kms, and 490 m climbed

Hungry Sunday Solo Hunts

On my own, no breakfast just coffee ( + green tea in the bottle).  Headed up the usuals, 19th, skidder, steep.  Up to top, and into Thomson#1 for a nice groove, then back up the road to top, down around the jumpies, hard right into Worm, and up onto the Traverse.  Good spin around here, stopping for a few (telling one group off for not giving way descending), then dropped into Huntsbury DH just after another guy had dropped in, slowly winding him in as we descended, flowing through the last gap right on his tail.  He hung a left on the older version of the singletrack just after that, and I followed, striking up a convo with him and him pulling over for me.  Bombed down through this then across the landing strip and seeking out the wee Rocky ridge entrance ways.  Climbed up the zig zag on the back of the knob to find my front wheel going flat.  Ugh.  Swapped out the tube and said gudday to Doug, and got going again, forgetting to unlock my rear suspension down over the rocks.  Down through the jumps, bypassing the odd one, all the way to the bottom of the dirt end of Huntsbury Ave.  

Turned back up the hill and climbed, and climbed.  Stopped for a rest under the cabbage tree below the rocky knob, snacked half a One Sq for 'breakfast' and continued on back up.  Gave some directions to a lost dad and son, then gravel ground to the top.  Back on the Traverse, good spin around stopping once for riders, feeling pretty strong on the climbs, then dove down the jumpies, see saw, brakestart then to rockgarden and gums dropping down through, out Skidder, road, 235, fun in there, wet landing off treebranch jump, then climbing, last blast drop behind houses to home.  Fun times.

Expressive 14.8 km with 525 m climbed

Sunday Heated Head Loop

Feeling weary, took myself up thru Vic via the usuals, road, 19th, skidder, and gruntsvillian.  Across Brakefree and upwards to the top.  Peaked to the road and dropped down in, looping over the jumpies then straight into Worm and headed onto and around the Traverse to the top of Huntsbury DH.  

Dropped in, down upper HuntsburyDH, yumping the yumpies and then out onto the landingstrip zone taking the old line to the left over the rocks, and down.  New trail has been split off to the right for an out and back around but dead-ends, so back onto the dropster down to the cattlestop, and down Ali Express, attempting but failing the steepest rocky section I used to ride all the time.  Something about that wheel sized hole at the top gives me the willies every time.  On down the rest of it enjoying the tech, and around the off-camber ruts back and forth before hitting into the Old Skool.  

Nice blast down this, pumping the pumps and feeling pretty smooth.  Out the bottom and straight into the up-valley grind.  Very shortly overtaken by a young fit bastard, who proceeded to gap me all the way up the valley.  I bungled on, losing sight of him before entering the trees.  Grind, grind away, at Hospital corner I continued on up the valley.  Hot and still in here, I stopped after the bridge in a nice shady spot and somewhat unfathomably bumped into Doug. 

He's everywhere these days.  We had a quick chat and he headed down while I headed up, heat starting to get to me.  Walked a bunch and then rode the nice traverse across to the gulley below Brents.  Climbed up over the cattlestop thankful noone was descending hard, and then ground up the steepest bastard to the first 4wd section which was also insanely steep evil climb, stopping a couple of times for breathers.  Took a couple photos of cool fungi,

then ground on up the next not so bad steep to the Rad Zone.  Ugh, up to the skidder site, then easy over 19th again (due to trail closure on usual route), heat was hard... 

Lovely cool blast coast down road and into the 235 for a sweeeet descent in the shade on slightly damp dirt, jumpitty jump and oaked, then climbing granny, up road, last final blast down behind the houses and home.

Heated, nearly stroked, 11.9 kms, 502 m escalated.

Sunday Grease Skool

Greasy spin out with Nelson today.  Up the usual from mine, road, grass, over19th trail to Skidder and up the gutser, what a grind.  Up Worm and onto the Traverse.  Not many around as we'd left mine just after 8, so the usual 9am Rapaki crowd hadn't arrived out this far yet.  Good going around this, a few puddles around after the smattering of rain we'd got overnight.  All the way to the end of Traverse, then decided further east would be skittery, so we headed back to the HuntsburyDH, with trepidation.

Skittery AF down this.  Rocks with minimal grip, we skittered and pinged our way down, skipping one or two of the jumps each.  Over the final gap and then into the continuation, grabbing the old left and sketching around this trail, then across the landing strip and into the climb over the techy wee Rock Up.  Both bailed on the final descent as grip just wasn't happening.  Decided to climb back over and drop into AliExpress and Old Skool.  A bit sketch down the first drop to cattlestop, then into the 'new' detour section, which was one big greasy sheepshit.  One dab, but trickeriness was in action.  Further down, and more sketch on slick rocks, on and on.  Somewhere we stopped and Nelson put a bit more air in his tire.

Into Old Skool, and mostly good but the odd ping from rear wheels and keeping to the lowest line possible.  Lots of fun, and a bit of adrenalin to boot.  Straight into the climb, and the grinding grunt began.  Ugh, I've GOT to get in and build a climbing trail, it's just a bit ridiculous how horrible the climb is.  Grind grind grind noticing Nelson's rear tire was a bit low under the pylons, pumped it up.  Kept grinding and over the 19th.  He wasn't behind me, but then I saw him on the road below, nursing the low tire.  He continued down the road, while I peeled off at the lower dogpark carpark do run the fun down behind the houses, to home. 

Just shy of 13kms with a commensurate 542m clambered

Sunday Castle Bridle Return

Good spin across the top this morning with a bit of rain.  

Headed up the usual, 19th, Skidder, Grunter, up the Worm and then across the Traverse, into the wind.  

Dropped down (nee)FourPause Huntsbury DH jumpy, making a couple of old lady walkers step aside (I'd watched from above as another biker had had to stop because of their ignorance), just before the final gap.  

Back up the gravel clamber and onto Vernon for a smooth bomb down, dropping the mother and child who were on my tail at the start.  Good bomb down here, only having to deviate once for some climbers.  

Straight across Rapaki Saddle and straight into the Witch, with an excellent climb here, one hand-dab.  Spitty rain started here, which was un-forecasted, and proceeded to be steady from here onwards on my way out.  Up the road and into a slightly slickly greasy Castle, pinging all over the place, but kept a good pace.  Bike handing well.  Rain stopped and I headed back up the road and climbed up onto Tors.  

This was a bit scary, with the exposure lower down and the rocks all slick; I was careful.  Down onto the road and onto the wee single track above it for a techy honky (brakes) cruise around.  Back over Witch and then, for some obscure reason, up Vernon, climbing climbing and sloooowwwlly winding in a dude ahead of me.  

Into the Traverse and it wasnt until the Sugarloaf saddle that I caught him and he let me by.  By here we'd ridden into rain again too, slightly wetter than the previous shower.  He was pretty much on my tail from there.  

Into Vic, and out of the rain, I pulled up to adjust bike and he bombed off ahead, me chasing over the jumps (he bailed on second one), then holding back for the See Saw to settle, over this, first couple of brakefrees then across the rabbit paddock and into the rocks, around through gums, usual route, lifting over the log, and all the way down, bombing.  Into 235 and it's not as greasy, but still a bit mucky, as last time.  Last climb, and descent behind houses - home.

Minty slog, 20.6 kms with 790 m climbed.

Wednesday Morning Recovery (for Nelson) Blat

Good spin out with Nelson still recovering from the 'vid.  Pretty much the same as my last two rides...  Up through the usuals, wee pop round over the two jumps up top then tight right into Worm for to head across the Traverse.  A few stops for breathers across to top of Huntsbury DH Fourpause.  

Good blast down this, jumpity jumping then old route down the twisting and turning tussocks back onto the Landingstrip.  Through the cattle stop onto the singletrack, then finding the Rocky route in, and managing to follow it successfully for a change.  Zig and zag up the back then a break at the top, before hopping over and down, familiarity breeding more speed for me, and blopping down to the bottom of the rocks.  

Right hander here and back up under the cabbage tree on the singletrack towards the landing strip again for the grovel climb to the top of Hunts.  Onto the Traverse again and zippity zip around this all the way back to Vic, dropping down over the cattlegrate to the top of Pedalfine and a nice fang down this, peeling off left where the log got the better of my balance.  Back going again, steep, sketchy and loose down onto the traversing 4wd track; nice roll across to skidder.  

nto the lower gums trail out to 19th, down the road, into 235 and bombity bomb down here, jumps and speed through the oak litter then turning upwards again for the last one out to the tower for the fast bomb behind the houses.

Strangely, more kms than Saturday's - 12, but less climbed - 391 m, even tho we went lower than I had then. 

Saturday Morning Around About

Solo Saturday, early(ish), no breakfast, green tea in bottle - time for some fat burning...

Up the usual, huff chuff, ugh on the grunter, around and up to the very top.  Pop down for a jump or two, then straight round into Worm, climbing back up to the Traverse.  Took this across the top, not meeting many people, then stopped and breathed at top of FourpauseHuntsburyDH.  

Into the down, bombing, jumping, grooving.  After the bottom gap jump I peeled left(ish) onto the old route down through the tussocks, over the rocks for more interest than the straightline bombing that's been built.  At the landing strip I just turned up and hauled back to the top, kinda chasing, but mostly just keeping up with another dude.  He headed up onto the road to look at views, whereas I jumped straight onto the Traverse back towards Vic.  Good bomb around this, taking it relatively easy.  At the pond I stopped for what turned out to be a couple of fat Ebikers, then didnt stop for and 'accidentally' shoulder-barged one of the next two.  

At the rest spot the Huntsbury dude had caught me up and we chatted about how ebikers havent seemed to have gotten the memo regarding trail etiquette...  Onwards around the traps and into the trees, over the jumps, over the see-saw, first bit of brakefree then rabbit paddock, rockgarden, gums all the way down, then down the road into 235 and a nice bomb down this followed by the climb out to the microwave tower and bomb down the back of the houses, home.

Nice early 11.6 kms, with 407 m climbed.

Sunday, Sunny day around and back

Up from home the usual route - side track, road, 19th, skidder, evil grunter, up through Brakefree to the top of Vic.  

Quick paste around through the jumps then back up Worm and onto the Traverse.  Around here, stopping a couple times to let people through (mostly on E bikes, seemingly - lazy curs), then stopped for a rest at the top of Huntsbury DH.  

Into here, blasting down, good flow, popped first jump, somehow missed second, good over third, then excellent over last, into the new fast flow down beside the landing strip, a lot less convoluted than the older route.  Peeled right and had another rest in the landingstrip, then on up onto the ridge and into the Rocky route, cleaning the climb and the rocky over drop down to the main trail, down popped jump, pulled up on big one, rolled back up, in for a second go, and still peeled around it at last second.  Blip blop down and through, pulling out under the pylons and turning back up hill on the main drag, then up onto the grass and up onto the single track.  

Across the landing strip and down towards Old Skool, enjoying the hell out of the tech rocks, then climbing back up the 4wd, then up Huntsbury proper to the Summit.  Onto the Traverse again, nice flowy blast around this way and into Vic, jumps, seesaw, first few pumps and bumps of Brakefree then out and down rabbit into Rockgarden, Gums all the way.  Onto road, down to 235 and lovely weave down through here, hard right up to dog park microwave and blast down back-of-houses firebreak home.

A passable 13.2 kms with 458 m clambered

Thursday Night Local Canonical Loop

One of my locals with Nelson tonight, from the Cashmere Canon. 

Up the usual 19th Skidder grunter combo, through the Brakefreedom, Worm and onto the Traverse.  Not bad around here, tho was struggling to start with on the first climby bits.  Around we went, and just after the pond Nelson's pedal hit a rock, it skipped his bike very slightly sideways and then the gear he was in started to 'tick' on each revolution.  It only did it in the one gear, so he wasn't too worried about it for the meantime.  At the Lavaflow-top we stopped and he got to seeking it out.  Took ages to find, but eventually found that somehow, one tooth had bent slightly outwards.  So, strategically applied rock, hit with a bigger rock, and all fixed.  

Into HuntsburyDH, both of us struggling with seeing what was coming and I felt like my bike was locked out.  It was so rough and the jumps have all got weird-arse tops now, making them unpredictable, not to mention the ruts on the landings...  Ugh.  Over the bottom gap and into the landingstripzone, weave weave, getting more flow here, then bony as down into AliExpress.  Dropping out into the newer section, sheepshit galore, then down down down, bony and rough.  The lower off-camber switchbacks are getting rutted as fuck.  Straight into the Old Skool, still feeling rough, and struggling with seeing - just not used to night riding yet.  A few shadier spots were looking greasy.  Across the back and forth pumpy section was starting to get pretty fatigued, and into the last shady rocky section towards the big hairpin closest to the houses care was taken in the greasy rocks.  We stopped for a hand-rest just round this corner.  Into the final, down, across, back and forth and out the bottom, into the climb back up the valley.  Grind grind grind.

Up K2 to the 23footer and I said, "lets go up this fenceline."  Push push push, ugh, steep as fuck.  Part way up I said, "you ever seen that rock wall feature?"  "Nope."  So, parked the bikes against trees and proceeded up and across to check out the steep feature I'd found another time.  It looked dodgy as hell, not as steep as I remembered, but damp red brick volcanic with moss and pineneedles.  Decided it would be possible on a DH bike for a start, but maybe rideable on a normal bike, in good conditions.  Wandered back to our bikes of which we could see Nelson's wee front light guiding us back.  Big push onward upward, up up up to the track and gate.  From here a steep(er than remembered) climb up eventually to the skidder site (ridden not that long ago by me).  From here took the singletrack down to the road, then below and sneakily through Tawhairanui Track to the dogparkcarpark and I let Nelson lead into 235 where I crashed last week.  Nice bomb through here, not crashing this time, and pop pop over the two jumps, then scuffing through the oaklands to the exit down the lower way.  Onto the dirt track down to home.

Some weird and not necessarily wonderful ways, 11.23 kms with 491 m clambered

Sunday Evening Classic Huntsbury Old Skool Lap

Tired and weary, with sore arms from chainsawing on Saturday, I couldn't face a Vic Park climbing ride, so I drove down and parked in Bowenvale Ave. 

On the bike, easy down the road and round along the footpath, then noisy-tire-tread- climb up the smooth tarmac Major Aitken.  Good pace, and around the hairpin most of the way up I could see my house on the one bit of road we can see from there.  Into Kenmure and then up the steep to the dirt. Through the new cattlestop and slightly over, below the lowest jump, and into the West Side climber Nelson and me have coined.  Clamber up here, out of the howling easterly, and eventually trickily navigating a Zig and zag-wise route thru the tussocks up onto the ridge. On up the single track, landing strip, then up the gravel to the top. 

Brief sojourn across the Traverse then into DH mode.  Popped and wove down the rocky way, not flying on the jumps as much as I used to, the landings of the first two are just so rutty-shitty now, but the lower two are all good.  Down next to the landing strip, into "Alley Express" (closed, supposedly, even tho it was fine by this stage of the day) over the edge, down through the cattlestop and down the new(ish) bit of Alley Express, back and forth, all the way down til the off cambers then into the Old Skool for a schooling in gravity.  Good blast through, but caught the rear wheel on some major whacks.  (it was flat the following morning).  Finally out the bottom, nice fast coast on the gravel then onto the Avenue and coasting back down to the car.

9.5 kms and 420 m climbed.  Good enough.

Tuesday Night Vic to Hunts and Back again

Good outing with Nelson tonight. 

Met at mine and headed up through Vic, usual grovel up from skidder.  Rode right to the top and took a quick turn down over the fun jumps, veering hard right above the see-saw to cut onto Worm, climbing back up to the Traverse.  Across around this all the way to top of Huntsbury for a bit of a pause and breather.  Into the descent.  Blitzy over the rocks, first jump and wind threw me randomly and my landing was on the cusp of the rut, SO close to crashing and careening off track towards the cable fence.  Somehow managed to wind it in and kept going, but my second jump landing was sketchy as fuck too.  Third jump I had it more under control and the final gap was fine.  

Down the 'landing strip' trail on the left, and through the cattlestop, up onto the first rocky knob, slow speed tussock navigations across through and up the back of the main rocky knob, picking our way onto the ridge, rocks tech good, dropping down onto the singletrack and bombing winding and wending, Nelson jumping all, me jumping some, fanging all the way to the last drop at the bottom (after navigating a random couple who didn't seem to know what getting off the track meant).  

Around onto 'our' climbing track (over the western side of the ridge) back up, tricky steeps in tussock then back up onto the single track, climbing past the rocky knob and on up the bastard gravel to the Summit Rd intersection, for a bit of a stretch.

Onto the Traverse again back the other way, Nelson losing me on the climbs but me holding my own okay on the downs.  Good rest just before the trees, then we headed down and into Pedal fine.  First couple of corners, we took an alternative line off to the left, which led us on neat corners droppy down and out onto the 'middle' 4wd(ish) track, and for a second wondering where we were.  Along this for a bit to the entrance of Rad^, but peeling off to drop across down fun steep rooty Razza's.  Popped out the bottom of this and it was back into the steep climb around up and across to the skidder.  

Over into the lower-'gum's continuance, out to 19th, and coasty coasty down the road and into 235, pinging good down here, jumps and out onto the Harry Ell exit up to Vic Park Rd and home.

A pretty steamy 14.4 kms, with what seems measly, 530 m ascended.

Finally A Friday Ride

Jeez, that was a gap! Already a ten-day into December and the first ride of the month. Various weather, social commitments and mystery ailments being the reason... 

Anywho... Climbed up into the mist. Climbing, ever climbing. Across the Traverse, poached a bit of Crater Rim Walkway from the saddle, over the first hump to road (by pond) then into the next with a bit of walking ("if a biker rides a walking track and no one's there to hear it, did the biker make a sound?"), up in the trees for some down, then back across the road onto the Traverse again, around to top of Huntsbury DH FourPause, grabbing a bunch of down with some jumpies, down into the new AliExpress descending, back and forth, again and again, then the Old Skool, lovely pumpy flow down here.  Out the bottom and into a heap more climbing, climbing climbing.  Up K2, up through the Rad^SickZone, Skidder, and finally the garnish, a little down, out the 235 finale.

Not a bad wee 11.5 kms ridden, with 518 m clambered upwardly.