Wednesday Night Local Short Stuff-about

Surprisingly short local with Nelson tonight, as in, it felt like a hell of a lot longer, because of all the steepness. 

From mine, we trundled up the road through 19th, Skidder, gutser and up to top of Vic.  Off down round the jumps and Worm, then headed down Pedalfine, with me, after some baulking, and then reattacking it, actually managing the steep rock section.  From the bottom of it, hung a left across and dropped in on the corner to check out a bit of the new bits of Rad.  Got to a trail-work closure and dropped out down onto the climbing trail, heading up to drop into Razza's.  Biff boff baff down this, veer left into a little bit of rad, then onto Brents, flowing back and forth in the macs (overtaking a slower rider in here).  Down out of forest, across to NuBridges, nice flow down here, me holding Nelson's tail, then down out rolling down the bottom of the valley, heading for Old Skool.  Oh... Track Closed sign on Hidden Valley bonus climb track to Old Skool, so we turned back up , heading up the nastiness of K2, climbing climbing.  When we got to Shazza's there was a few riders coming down.  First one went by on an ebike and Nelson yelled out, "Wazza!"  The followers were Andy and Wayno.  Good catch up here, then we went our separate ways, Nelson and me climbing up through the Rad Zone up to the Skidder.  Straight across into Latter's Spur Track, rolling across below the Rangerstation and some nice steppy bits in the bush, then out and over to Dog Park.  Into here, diagonalising across towards the eastern gate, dropping over some nice tech, then through the gate and down the fenceline, slick in a couple of spots and rather close to the barbed wire - roots still there but no more trees.  Over the stile, and below the H.Ell Drive houses, popping out at Scarff Place to climb back home.. 

Somewhat evanescent ride tonight, only 7.67 kms and 350 m climbed. 

Unexpected Thursday Short'n'Sharp

Wasn't sure I'd be able to ride due to my cold of previous week, but found myself feeling okay, at home with no responsibilities, so I headed out for a short one.  Up from home through the usual 19th Skidder and up the groveller.  Up through to top of Thomsons, nice blast down this and then the second one.  Turned back up the road to top of Vic and dropped down through the jumps, and lined up the see-saw but felt my balance wobbly and luckily stopped juuuust soon enough to not fall off it.  Pushed back up and lined up again and rode onto it but balance wobble nearly had me toppling off to the right and I rushed through it and landed heavily.  Ugh.  Up along the fenceline to the top of Pedalfine.  Dropped down through, greasy a bit, and bailed to the left below where we used to always bail to the left.  Across the wee slippery bridge and out onto the wide track, sidling across nearly to the end and dropping down to hit the top of Razza's.  Awesome wee drop down through this, then straight into the climbing again, grovel grovel back to the Skidder.  From here, over 19th way and then looking for the droppy path we did with the gheybois all those years ago.  I found it eventually and down through the super steep planted kanuka etc and this resulted in a bit of a prang, leaving a garked elbow and a tweaky wrist... Perfect storm of the kanuka and some roots, kanuka grabbing my handlebars at exactly the same time as my rear wheel slid on roots and I toppled smackdown onto the Latter's Spur track.  Straightened up the bars and headed along this, through past the playground dropping down to Dog park and into the Dogparkcarpark trail, greasy, taking the first left down the newly re-established and extended line, which is tight and slow, but kinda cool - out onto Harry Ell.  Down this and to the right out to Vic Park Rd then home.

6.5 km with 230 m climbed

Wednesday Night Moonlit Fat Solo Up On The Top

Headed, for a change, down from mine, into the Longhurst Reserve aka the zig zag, down the dirt, then Derrynane out, and up to Scarff Pl.  Into the Latters Spur track up below the houses, then over the stile and up the fenceline, roots'n'all, but no more trees ☹️ - barren.  The odd bit of walking then through the gate into the dog park.  Couple more bits of walking up the rockiest bits, then up towards the info-centre, around the wheelchair track, over and through to climb around the 19th, usual skidder, grunty mcgruntface, brake free to Worm to head around the Traverse, all the way to Huntsbury/Vernon. 

Briefly onto the road on the saddle, taking in the moon reflecting gloriously on the harbour, and straight over the stile into Scott's knob track, climbing, descending, on both forested tops, some fun in these bits, then across the pond saddle onto the non-forested section to the sugarloaf carpark.  Over the chain and stile and back onto Traverse to follow another rider, slowly catching him around to Vic.  Bypassed the jumps and seesaw, down rabbit, into the rock garden, cruising round into the gums.  Fun usual way down through here, then out to skidder and back over 19th.  Rangerstation, dropped down to the walking track below the road, climbing out to Tawhairanui walk track to the dogparkcarpark.  Straight into the fun twisty singletrack here, not crashing, popping both jumps and through the oaks to the climb, up to the lower dogparkcarpark to finish with a blast down behind the houses, home. 

A valid 10.6 kms with not a bad wee 364 m ascended

Thursday Night, Last Ride as a 50 year old

Birthday-eve, out on my own.  

Usual slog up through Vic Park, sun creeping behind the horizon as I rode.  Up the grunter, and there's tape all around Brake Free, with a dude working on it, sculpting new berms and jumps and routes...  Up Worm and into the Traverse, a nice cruise, but after the dipper, the Dumby-fuck-ation has crept in, Teddington Shit compacted into a smooth as tarseal track surface.  Yay, not.  It only extends as far as the saddle, but it's made everything nice and easy for the fumbducks.  Good blast from here on round to the next dumbed down bit.  

Lights on, dropped into nee Four Pause Huntstbury DH, wopping and peaving down, gapping the gaps and into the tussocks, quick light re-adjustment, onwards down towards Old Skool squiggles.  Down all the tech, tho stalling on the newly steeperer bit due to wariness under lights.  Worked out the line, then crept into and rolled out the rest.  Bomb bomb the rest of it, very nice indeed.  Then, into Old Skool proper, blasting down the groove, eating my own dust as I rounded each hairpin.  

Out to the bottom, and straight back up the valley, but before turning up into the gully, I peeled left up the steppy walk track.  Half way up this and there's a hundred lights, runners?, below me, some of who were heading up the valley behind me!  Argh.  Rode the bits I could, walked the steps, and managed to beat them to the top.  Hung a right onto Hidden Valley Link track, bombing down this, but it's not as fun as I hoped.  Pine needles slippery!  As I descended the lights were all heading up the valley - musta been 50 or 100 people...  

I got to the valley bottom just as the last ones passed, so grannied up behind them to Hospital Corner where I grunted up to the right, climbing the evil K2 killer.  Cleaned up into the trees across, then worked my way up to the right of the 23 footer and then on up K2 from there, up up up, past Sneaky Ridge, 40 footer, and stopped for a couple of lights coming down Razza's, they popped down out of the forest and it was two young guys on ebikes, who then proceeded to whirr away effortlessly ahead of me, while I sweated and grunted on behind.  They peeled left where I turned right on up to Skidder.  

Down through Vic, poaching a couple of walky bits then down 235, funtimes, across the leafy oak forest, righthand climb, up the road, under the Dog Park into the forest, across to the Barbed-wire-Roots, bombing this, over the stile, below the houses, all the way down to the bottom, then, ugh, steep grunt up Longhurst and steeper Amherst home. Ugh!

A redoubtable 13.1 km, with 593 m grunted up.

Tuesday WFH Blackberry-Lunchtime Fatso

Quick, rather convoluted, jaunt up the locals on the fatty to blow out some of the cobwebs of working from home, or, actually, from work in general.

Down the zig zag, out Derrynane Lane, down Longhurst and in next to the mediterranean McMansion.  This alley has been trimmed, so is easy to get through now.  Stopped and scoffed a few blackberries, then knuckled into the zig zag climb.  Too low a gearing spun me out on one corner, then balance got me on another.  Then a couple of dalmatians turned up, runner behind them, let them go ahead and continued on my laboured climb.  Over the stile, up the barbed-wire roots, getting a real fright when my helmet caught a stick I didn't see, stopping my head and twisting it while the bike and body continued on.  Bloody violent and painful.  Some serious neck stretching to get rid of the crick, and continued on, failing most technical features.  Diverted slightly into the forest for a bit, then another nice runner opened the gate for me.  Left up through the dog park, again too technical on the steppy rocks.  

Up through Vic, detour zigging in the 19th memorial, and singletrack over to the skidder, then up the grinder.  More delicious blackberries up top here, then up through brakefree and up to the top, zig out and back on Worm.  Into the Thompson, nice fang, then back up the road, singletrack, and stop...  Hmm, where to.  Meh, should get back to work, so down the Upper Fenceline, good tech for the fatty, pretty rough.  

Bypassed across all the DH tracks and Cool Runnings staying on the 4wd track across, feeding on more blackberries, then ended up out on the skidder site, hard left down into the wee singletrack through, then popped out the top of the "CAP this way" track, around onto the singletrack I'd come in on earlier, then around the back of the 19th, down, then left again, down onto the old access track below the road towards Old Dyers and Loess etc, down this, then up onto our walking route, past the picnic bench, then back up to the road.  

Across the park and nipped in the little track to the right of the slide, but rock tech proved too tech.  Took a few pictures of the excellent picnic bench here, then rode over the rocky descent to the carpark and down the fun Dog Park Car Park trail, swoop swoop, bomb bomb, across, climbing back up to lower and in the usual route behind the houses, fast bomb down and home.  

A very righteous or beatific 7.77 kms, with 288 m climbed. 

Wednesday Night Climby McClimbface, Vic Gov-Crash Nun Vic.

Great spin last night with Nelsie.  We headed down from mine, down the zig zag and across Daresbury Lane, then across Longhurst into the Latters Spur track, dropping for a start then climbing up the steep zigs and zags, below the houses.  My lower pulley wheel ate a cabbage tree leaf and ceased to work so I had to stop and deal with that.  Nelson had ridden on ahead and was walking back to find me by the time I got going again.  We continued up and he bloody cleaned the whole lot of rocks and roots along the barbed-wire-roots track.  We explored a bit into the forest and ended up sidling across to the bottom of the dog park and out onto Vic Park Rd, bugger all higher than if we'd come straight up from mine.  

Up to Skidder and on up the death-by-breathing climb, gasping I was barely able to stay ahead of another dude who was slowly winding me in.  Stopped for a breather at the waterfountain at Brakefree, then on up to the Thompson and Thomsons.  

cross Dyers and up the road to drop into the Governors Bay descent (which Josh told me the name of today but I cant remember).  Good drop down here til after the boardwalk, a volcanic bit of rock diagonally across the track threw my wheel to land on the dirt right on the edge and down I went.  SMACK on the knee, elbows, left hand, onto my front, bike off down the side of the track, my right foot still attached.  Nothing broken, extricated myself from the pedal, dusted myself off, grabbed (all I could reach) the back wheel of the bike and dragged it back up onto the track.  Ugh.  Yowch.  Got riding, somewhat gingerly, again and we rolled around til we were above the guy's house, looking good down there.  Amazing stonework.  A runner passed through, and then we got rolling again.  Nelson bloody cleaned the whole freaking tech-knuckle climb.  I cleaned lots for a start, then dabbed lots but rode some more, then walked a bit. In.Suff.Icient. Power.  Huff huff huff.

Onto the road again, climbing, climbing climbing around and up to die at the top of the Nun.  Big breather rest stretch here and off we shot, railing it and multiple times having weird off-balanced moments...  Crossed the Munter Park trail and proceeded to nail the lower section of the nun til we got stuck in behind some rubes.  Sidled out and hit the road.

Last substantial Climby McClimbface up the road to top of Vic, sloooowly gaining on a girl on a brand new Trek Slash (which looked very nice), brief chat with her, then a pause at the top before dropping in, popping the jumps, and down to water.  Then I led down to rockgarden and across to find a dead spar across the track...  darn.  Wasn't there last week!  Checked out a line above this too, then proceeded on down into the Gums, bombing back and forth out all the way down to 19th.  

Final coast down the road and into the DogParkCarParkLeader, tight and twisty, nice blast down and then last climb up to lower dog and in behind our houses, bombing down and seeing Tra'y and Jet out for a walk...  

Nice Trillium Deciduous on arriving home, yum!

A reputable 12.63 kms, and not a bad 483 m climbed 

Saturday Morning Solo Holliss Vic Old Skool

Lots of steep ups today.  Parked in Landsdowne Ave just next to Holliss Reserve and headed through this and up Holliss Ave.  Stopped and feasted on easily accessed blackberries for a little while just before the valley corner.  Then hit the real steep, getting steeper nearer the top.  Into the stairs, buddha buddha buddha buddha down, then along a bit and up, push push push push, more blackberries, push push push up the stairs.  Across Longhurst and into the lower Latters Spur track, climbing up under the houses and cleaning all the hairpins except the very last.  Ugh...  Clamber clamber clamber and finally at the stile, where I took this pic.

Looking across at where I would come down a little later...

Let a couple of walkers go on ahead, and then rode and pushed on up under the pines, over the roots and next to the barbed wire to the dog park.  Left and clambering up the rock section then up to the gate, and on up through Vic Park, past 19th, into the Skidder where I filled up water and rested.  Warm, and my cold wasn't doing my head any good.  Hit the steeptrack climb, cleaning it all, only just, then up past Brake Free and on up to the very top of Vic.

Time for the down.  Entry of the Traverse, then hard left into the swoopy double, pop and down to the see-saw, over this, into Brake Free, pop pop, ugh, speed broken by the first berm, then pedal across to the Sesame St entrance.  Straight in, pop the first jump then waft over the big one, pop, pop, around drop, around, wall-ride, drop, around, oop - miss that double, drop that, off the edge and down over the jump to skidder...  Into Shazza's, bomb bomb rail jump rail, across rail, around, down into Sneaky Ridge, lower speed than usual, droppity drop down through around, ooh, lots of leaves, jump, drop into Bridges, across and wending through Nu Bridges, and finally out the bottom, downvalley, hard right into Hidden.

Easy climb now with all the trail work, making for nearly like a rest bar the steepness, then past a mum and daughter up the steepest, cleaning both hairpins and gasping for air at the stile.  Into the Old Skool.  Across and little climb, bit of a rest, then fanging it.  Nice flow, good railing, fun times.  Blast blast blast...  First big left hand hairpin I could see an XC dude flying up the hill (to the point I almost wondered if he was on a leckie - he wasnt!).  Pulled up before the next hairpin to let him fly past, then dropped on down, swoopy pump pump waft, push fly.  Blasting over the rocks, around the bend and dowwwwn, weave weave pop and roll, finally out the bottom and coasting the rest of the way down.  Down the road, left into Wedgewood, right into Landsdowne back to the car.

Surprisingly short, less than 10 kms, with 399 m climbed.

Tuesday Victraverse Bowenvic Latters

Climby McClimbface.  Parked up at my folks place (which will be ours at the end of next year) and checked out the place with T and H. 

They'd brought H's bike, so they drove to top of Vic Park while I rode with Jet up the road and up from Skidder through to top.  H's rear brakes needs some serious looking at, lever to the bar and barely any response...  Usually a bunch of pumping and flicking fixes it up a bit but not tonight.  "You're just gonna have to use your front brake more..." "Okay."  So, off we went, down into the trees and we swept round to that first jump which I popped nicely, then down to the cattlestop, opening the gate for Jet.  Then down Brake Free, and into Sesame St, but peeling left into the gums, all the way down but not my usual lefty (cos the steep would be too hard with his brakes).  He did amazingly well, and didn't crash due to brakes once.  Bypassed the skidder site on that swoopy through trees, and then down the old (obviously hardly ever used) singletrack to the end of the road.  T was at 19th Memorial.  H rode from here on the road with her following and I booked back up into the park.

Up next to Sesame St, 2nd climb up here tonight, and I hopped up to BrakeFree just to try out that first Sesame jump again after last week.  Way over popped it and flew, actually dabbing the rear brake in the air, then landing with a stopped wheel, miles down the ramp, straight into the next pop, then finally gaining some composure as I flew over the next double...  Round the woodwall, and contemplated but didn't commit into the next double, popped off the ! drop and then around and straight back up K2 climbing, up, up, then up Worm and onto the Traverse.

Got riding around here, been a while since last in this direction in particular.  It was rush hour, I pulled over quite a few times to let others through.  One guy I didn't (he was descending, and had a perfect opportunity to pull into a wee spot, but missed it) and he looked very confused.  Meh.  Rest of the run was good, and got to the top of Fourpause with four paws intact and had a nice pause here.

Dropped in, fanging, wooah, a little overgrown, making for a bit of edge catching sketchiness.  First jump was further down than memory served, nice, then overgrown corners slowed me down into the second one, and the third I popped nicely, landing on the transition.  Bombed down through to the final one for a nice leap and landing.  Continued on, and MAN was it overgrown.  Wading through tire-deep grass, barely able to find the line, and not seeing any rocks under it all.  All the way through and down to the gate, over grown long grass as hell.  Over the stile and into the first shortcut, not so bad, second, hmmm, rocks???  dropped, into next steep one, better, but everything from here on down was too overgrown to function...  not as fun as usual, especially the lower switchbacks which you couldn't even see and had to go really slow. 

Decision time.  Left, down HiddenValley, or right and down Old Skool for some more descending goodness.  Obviously I decided on the latter, and had a smooth and fun blast down here, with a couple of very close calls. 

Straight into the climb up the valley, oh the grind, 3rd time in as many weeks, meeting several of those who had passed me on the Traverse, and then after some seat adjustments, up K2, cleaning, again, and on up past 40fter and zig and zag to the Skidder. 

Blast down the road, detour around the back of the slide, then into the lower Dog Park and over to the Harry Ell Drive track, but detouring to head all the way down the back of the houses, fast next to the trees, then over the stile and down the (VERY OVERGROWN) Latters Spur track below the houses all the way to the bottom of Longhurst.  Finally, climbing again, back up (STEEP) Longhurst, and finally up Amherst to our new house.  Phew.

A surprising 15.25 kms with even more surprisingly over 650 m climbed

Sunday Short and Slow Dog

Took Jet to Nelson's and we headed from his, up the hill to the first cul-de-sac and down the walktrack, then around Centaurus and up Holliss.  Up the singletrack below around the houses, checking out a new unnoticed-before track, then on up along the barbedwire roots into the dog park where Jetty had a nice play with all the woofs he'd met a couple days earlier.  Up past the rangerbase and up the steep skidder, past brakefree and up Worm to the top of Vic.  Into the Traverse, meeting a drone following a rider just before Lavaflow, then down the jumpy grease to the grasslands, and then down the next jumpy with some grease to the top of Hunts.  From here it was slow, down the road, and then down Vista and down the Whaka Tce track and back around to Nelson's.

12.something kms, 490m or so climbed. Good dog. Woof

Wednesday Solo Cashmere Vic Skool

Straight from work, parked up top end of Bowenvale Ave and rode back down this, left, right, left into Holliss. Stopped up the first corner and lubed my chain which was sounding rather dry.  Then into the steep going, grinding up the road to the top, and into the steps, which I rode down for the first time ever.  Don't know what I was ever so cautious about...  Brief roll, then up the first steps, and then up more steps, resorting to carrying the bike on some of them.  Then, across Longhurst Pl into the singletrack climb, cleaned all but one of the hairpins higher up under the houses.  Good ride the rest up to the stile. Then the barbed-wire roots track up to the dog park, cleaning more of the rocks than I'd have expected, then and up thru Vic Park, through the skidder site, and up K2 climbing up to and through Brake Free finally all the way to the top. 6pm here.

Down thru a few of the Brake Free jumps, then back out and down to rock garden, into the Gummies, usual left on my fave, and rocking on through back to the Skidder.  Into Shazza's, bermy bermy jumpy jumpy, and down into Sneaky Ridge for a nice bomb down the rocks and jumps and oaks, over onto Bridges, and the Nu, back and forth into the valley bottom.  6.10pm here.

Into the climb up Hidden Valley bonus, cleaning it all, climbed into Old Skool for a fun last descent which went quite well, and spat me out the bottom back to the car before 6.30.  Very warm...

Another 10km loop (like Sunday), with 396 m climbed.  Hot stuff.

Grabbed a No.3 from Noodle Canteen and headed to band practice. Gig on Friday!!!

Tuesday Fatty and Tally, mucky and splecky

Nelson picked me up from home (where I'd been all day with a sick O, and getting the fire installed) and we parked next to the river over off the bottom of Bowenvale Ave. Headed around to and up cRapaki, first time up here since Jan.  Struggle for me on the fatty and absolute ease for Nelson on his 29er.  Nice cold southerly kept the heat down once we were further up.  Vernon, uneventful, other than Nelson going over his bars... - he caught the front wheel badly on a rock and over he went, very suddenly. Rest of it was fine and we got to the intersection of the road and Traverse.

Options were, Scotts Knob reserve walking track, which would have been wet as, the road, or the Traverse.  Sign for the Traverse said Open, but I wasn't convinced, so I checked the website which also said Open, so, off we went round this.  Pretty mucky for a start.  Splecky as.  But, not so bad.  Fatty was good on the descents, fun in fact. Top of Vic, and we dropped into the Thompsons, then down through the macs near the end of Thomson 2, onto the H.Ell track.

Very nice cruisey blast down Mr Ell's track.  Rather damp and splecky in places, but a nice cruise, and no-one else met.  Across Vic Park Rd, and down a little further, til we found an upward trail which took us up towards the Ranger Station, a left on the usual transit bike track (19th to crossing of Dyers Pass Rd), down this a wee way to the corner, and up the steps to the Tawhairiki Track, boardwalk inclusive, and up this and across to the dog park.

Tech-fest down this to the top of the forest, greeaasy as in the tree lucernes before the gate, then into the forest edge trail, Barbed Wire Roots track around below the forest to the top of the houses, then down the trail below the houses, again, greeaasy as, front and back wheel skidz.  All the way down, and out onto Longhurst, across onto the steppy track down (and a little up) to Holliss, for a fast mud-flinging blast down the seal before a cruise back to the car.

17.3kms, 540odd m climbed

Roasting Saturday Morning Cashmere Vic Blowenvaled

Had a little time to ride - had to be home by 10am. Parked on Eastern opposite Bowenvale and headed around to Lansdowne thru to Hollis and up. Steep grind up the seal, but with a bit of welcome shade part way up.  Into the walking track, stairs, ride, stairs, push, stairs. Across Longhurst into next section of walking track cruising up under the houses, up the zig zag, under more houses, and eventually into the barbed-wire roots next to the pines track up to the dog park. Up through this and then up to skidder site.  From here I followed a couple of other riders up K2, one walking, one riding and me stopping for a gasping breather before continuing.  Through Brake Free and I stopped for a rest in the shade on the rabbit paddock. It. Was. So. Hot.

Back on and down through rock garden, gums, and hung my usual left, but then further left into a new left off my favourite left.  Bombed down this, some nice wee bermies and a couple of pop-over jumps, then scrabbled into the lower sections of the usual, and then out to the skidder site.  Lots of people walking in here with tools, so I headed up the middle road over to Cool Runnings, that's been newly rebuilt. Passed more of the people heading in to work, apparently, on Tilted Sally. Cool Runnings was really dusty,but fun, - big table top jumpy flow. Then into Bridges where a guy came into the trail ahead of me off Sneaky Ridge jump and was a couple of corners ahead of me but I rounded one and he was gone, cloud of dust. Then I saw him on his back on the trail below! Stopped to see if he was ok. He'd pulled over to let me pass and had toppled over the bank!!  He said he was alright and started hobbling, said he was gonna take it easy from now.

I continued onwards down nu bridges then down valley and into the Hidden Valley Bonus climb.  Ooosh hot too, and up onto Old Skool for a good blast, finally cruising down the road to car. HOT ride.

11kms and 400 m altitude.

Monday Night Cashmere Vic Bowenvaling

No ride weekend due to weather and under-weatherment, and no chance of a ride this week due to being sole charge of children, so Monday night was the only option to get out.  Nelson came to mine and we had a bit of a feed before heading out.  Got to Holliss Ave at 7pm thereabouts, and headed up the hill.  Steep bastard of a road this, and I was soon wheezing like and asthmatic smoker, barely managing to keep any air in, climbed away behind but managed to keep on top of my gear and make it to the top of the road.  Into the walking track, first off, down LOTS of steps.  I hadn't remembered them, but Nelson rode them all, while I took the safety conscious route of walking.  Little bit of single track and some steps up, followed by some more, and then about 5 flights of them and we were on Longhurst Tce.

Across the road and up a little bit and into the singletrack here that climbs around below all the houses up up up.  One respite then steeeeep switchback that Nelson rode lots of and I walked heaps of.  On ever upwards, more up than I remembered and finally we were at the stile over to the Forest.  Here's what I used to called the Barbed Wire Root Kiss track, on account of when you're coming down the roots are jittery and the barbed wire is SO close to your hand as to be almost kissing it...  Anyway, climbing is an interesting one, we both managed lots of it, Nelson way more than me, but much getting off also ensued.  At the top, we both cleaned the last section to the gate, and then into the Dog Park and off up, more rocks meaning more walking for me, and less so for Nelson, then across the park to the gate and a couple of pops over the gutter and then off into the walking track that starts here.  Nice forested flow through this, eventually coming out above the climbing trail from the bottom of Old Dyers, dropping down more nice singletracks to it, and off up to the 19th Batt. Memorial.

Up the fire road to the skidder site and for a change, off up the Gums track.  Walked a whole bunch in there, but explored a little below the my fun wee favourite before heading onto the main track and then cutting through to the top of Sesame St and upwards onto Brake Free.  Up through this to beneath the see-saw, along the fence, through a gate and onto the climbing trail up to the Traverse.  Stopped here briefly wondering what to do next...

Off down towards the rabbit paddock, and as we moseyed down this I spotted a trail off to the left, hmmm, followed it and found several rabbits, thinking they were hiding from me.  Nelson joined me and we cruised back across to the Rock Garden with freshly dampened tires.  Then we were blazing down through the Gummies, hung the favourite left and bombed it down through there, ducking and weaving around the trees.  Eventually back onto the skidder site, and off up towards the top of 19th Battalion Memorial, like we've done a couple times now with the Thursday night boys.  Followed our noses over this and down the sketchy trails, including one steep wee mofo through a shrubbery you can't see out of, left on the walking track across into the forest and then down to the right, and then a hard right and down steps and fun blast through the woods, veering left around and finally down a bunch more steps.  Following down more to find the steep fun trail we'd done a couple weeks back.  Finding it and dropping and dropping, magnificent trail reminiscent of all our (reportedly mostly deceased-) favourites in McVicars.  Finally the super steep finale, Nelson planted himself into a tree, then struggled to get moving again down the last bit I walked.  Clambering through the forest now over and through, then back on and dropping down onto the last bit of descent finally onto the main valley drag, above the fordy bridge the dude died at.

Climbed here, up to the creek crossing and up into Hidden Valley Link track.  Bollocksed the climb out of the creek, good round the corner and up to the second hairpin, bollocksed that, bollocksed the wee rock up, then the next one, then the first of upper corners, then just out of the last one, then dabbed on the final climb to the stile.  Bloody balance was all out and my lungs weren't working properly...  Had a good rest here, then headed onwards, around and down Old Skool.  Bloody good blast.  Rode it well, in very good condition, sounds like way less sketch and slop than the boys yesterday, all in all having a nice run after all that bad balance.  Final drops, peeled left and looked at where Nelson had crashed a few weeks back. 

Finally, down the bottom of the valley, and down the colder and colder Bowenvale Ave, detouring across Wedgewood, Landsdowne and taking Gunns Cres back around for a final drop Holliss and the car.

1 hour's riding time, 11.3kms, 421m climbed.

Wednesday Dyers Nun Vic OldSkool

The 'crew' rode last night after the rain stopped, and had a jolly old time from the account of it...

I got to Nelson's work on the BFe and we rushhoured across to Holliss Ave.  Changed, and headed up the Ave, listening to my new tires wearing themselves out on the road.  Got to the end and our old route up through empty sections is no longer, so had to take the steps down, then along and up more steps eventually onto Longhurst Tce.  From here it was up the singletrack below the houses up to the forestry plot, where for a change we headed up to the right, following the top edge of the houses, then up through the trees to the dog park and into Vic Park Drive.  Over and down to the Old Dyers track.  Nelson sorted out a rattly disc Centerlock thingy, and we rode on.  While he was doing that we were passed by sooo many riders coming down.  and a couple riding up, who we passed further up.  On up to where they've chipped it, and lowest common denominated it, no wonder so many people are using it now...  Last grunts to the road are easier now, except for the steepness.

Then it was up the road for a short time, and onto the wee walking track above the road, which is nice, saves the tires, couple of wee steeps, and when it met the road again we crossed and got onto the next section of walking track, up the steps, down the steps up up and around to the road and on up to the Nun.  Another group of riders on the way up to here.  They took off and we waited a bit, then we were off.  Down, just taking it easy as seems to have become the custom.  Annoyed at the braking bumps people who cant ride properly leave behind, grrr, but otherwise a nice run.  I was tight on Nelson's tail for the lower half, like about a bike's length, making flying over the new doubly jumps certainly interesting with no forewarning of what I was getting myself into.

Up to the upper Thomson's, cruising up and then with plenty light left we headed around the Summit, blazing away, me gasping on the climbs.  Around to the top of Lavaflow we went, then turned back and headed into the sun.  Did a little better on the way back, and had a great run on the last downs towards Vic, where we blazed into the dark trees, greasy under there, Nelson over the seesaw me down through the cattlestop and on down adjacent to Brakefree as Nelson hopped and popped, then bailed and joined me.  Off down over the rocks and through the perfumed and fragrant gums, my favourite little lefty and around down round over the jump around back down into the next section and then on down all the way to the bottom.

Back up the road to the skidder and straight into Spazza's, nice blast down there, round into Brent's taking the right hand side, and into the bottom of rad^sick, poaching the lead when Nelson took the line that spits you into a jump, me leading, bypassing the creek jump then straight across into Flow.  Brief blinding by long grass, letting Nelson ahead again down into Bridges and Nubridges and on out and down.  Bit rough down the bottom of there.  Then high speed down to Hidden Valley Linker.  Both botched the start, but rolled on up the rest.  Caught up to a woman on a red Nomad around the 2nd hairpin and she let me pass for the steep climb through the trees, which nearly killed me.  Caught the rest of her group at the fence, Nelson and me rested while they carried on.  Felt a bit dizzy when i stood up again, but we continued on, blazing and wafting and hauling ass down OldSkool, juuust catching the woman again at the bottom.  I had one very close call going between those rocks at the beginning of the last switchbacky section near the bottom.

then it was down Bowenvale, Wedgewood, Landsdowne and through the park to the car.  Done and dusted.  And sore in the neck.

Tuesday slightly messy hill ride of interesting adventures

Relatively regular posse of boys assembled at Steve's, Pete and me having ridden together from his place. Assembled were Robyn, Dallas, Wazza, Andy and up turned Stu and Tones. Steve popped out the gate to proffer his regrets due to spousal illness and dependent dinner preparation. We trotted off round Hansen Park and on up Ramahana Aotea etc etc. Robyn was dying, having had an severe osteo session yesterday and lacking hill fitness, and threatening to bail part way up Huntsbury Ave. I convinced him to struggle a little further up and then enjoy the downhill of Major Aitken, allowing himself a bit of a loop back round through town. the others were well ahead by this stage so i was chasing, catching the first ones on the final sealed grunt, and the others waiting at the roadend.

Up the dirt, patches of snow still lingering, they musta been pretty big drifts to start with. Lots of water running down gutters and track a bit of a stream in places. Little bits of slop, but not bad overall, with dry lines to choose most of the way.

At the summit we watched as runners and some other bikers came along Vernon towards us. we took off along the summit towards Vic Park before they regrouped. The odd puddle, but overall the track was way dryer than it was wet. One or two of the usual troublespots could have done with a quick spade session, but too much fun was being had to stop.

Into top of Vic, and down and incredibly soggy Coffee Break, me being the only see-sawer, then down the quagmire paddock and into the rockgarden venturing forth to the gummies. Couple of dodgy slop-festy bits but high dry lines to be had, and the little squirelly left hander was fun greasy with Pete offing on the steep corner and me offing on the next. we bailed out early to the skidder site, cos the left round to the log jump was treacherous.

Down through Vic Park we headed into the dog park down through the gates and followed the barbed wire and bounced down the roots loving every second of that trail. out under the houses and lots of borse and groom leaning in the top section. past storm damage had been fixed up and a new section of gravelled switchbacks lead us down further than we've been before, spitting us out opposite the Hollis Ave track.

we opted against lots of steps, and I led the now mucky boys down someone's drive and then through an empty section down to Holliss for a fast tarmac buzz into the cold of the flatlands.

Homeward round Eastern, the others peeling off over the footbridge and Pete and me back to our 'hood. Grins all round.

Wednesday Foggy rapaki - vic, cashmere, hollis

Nelson and me hit Rapaki about 6.30, both on the geared bikes. hard work to the top, neither of us feeling 100%, me cos i'd been up since 5am, full day in wellington (meetings etc), him cos of a cold. and i think the dirt was just a tad soft, coupled with a head wind, made it all difficult. Lots of funky fog up rolling over saddle at top of rapaki and on round first section of Mt Vernon. Decided to give the single track a go, and found it in surprisingly good nick. The summit trail is holding together beautifully, with the stretches of teddington chip hard as nails. There were probably 3 short sections from rapaki to vic park that were mudbaths, only short tho, and the rest of it was sweet, no damage, no harm done. Nick Singletrack the ranger is being very protective with notices on vorb warning us to keep off. I'd be keen to get up there with him and fix those few sections that need it, and then rapaki to vic park would be clean and ready to roll in all conditions. The worst bit was just before top of farmtrack, there's two small gulchy (kinda ex-slips) bits, one of which they filled with good sized rocks not so long ago, that was really bad in there, cos there's never been any tedd chip put in, and the only other standout bad bit I can think of was below sugar loaf, not far round from where we often stop at that sign.

Anyway, got to Vic Park, floated through the pines, then down through the gums, which were in good nick, ie, the trail is soft but we werent cutting it up, and the gum leaves provide exce;;emt binding material and traction (surprisingly). then down the wee singletrack from jumps to 19th Battalion War memorial and on down past the ranger centre, then *ahem* down through the dog park, down the side of the pines above cashmere, riding the roots and trying not to gark our arms on the barbedwire, overlooking bowenvale ave, then down the funky ass singletrack to Longhurst Tce. Cabbage tree leaves also make excellent trail binding material... then we explored a walking track (that was 80% unrideable due to steepness and steps) which connects through a wee reserve into Hollis Ave. yeah, we were a bit spleckled with mud at the end of it, but we did very little damage to the trails because they're holding together very very well.