Sunday Celebrating Andy's Birthday, with me on the Stooge

Left home on the Stooge at 7.30am, pre-sunrise, up into a frosty Vic to the Skidder and headed down Shazza's, flowing into Brent's, nicely nicely. Out of the trees, looking up the hill to see if I could see Tra'y who'd left 40 minutes before me.  No sign, so off thru the Bridges and down valley, then clambered up into Hidden bonus onto Old Skool for a grease infused hoon of fun.

Freezing cold, feet blocks of ice and colder still down Bowenvale Ave, around Centaurus to Rapaki 10 minutes early, trying to thaw my toes.  Brrrr!

Wazza, Andy and Jenna, Nelson, and finally Wayne, all turned up and off up we went. Jenna hooked up with her friend Avril who runs and we saw them again up top of Huntsbury.  Us boys went up the zig zag climb, Wayno suffering the remnants of a lung lurgy.  Boy the Elevator climbs high.  Down to the main track and on up the rest to the top.  Onto climbing around Vernon, soaking up the sun while chatting with Jenna and Avril, then off around the Traverse, good pace, especially by Nelson and the Electric Wazza.  Regrouped just before the Vic trees, and into the Thompson's and holding up just after the Kiwi, letting hoards of chain-free kids who were enduro-ing Pork'n'Puha. We followed them into Choir Boy and found them all clustered on the short climbs.  Past Pork and Puha the way was clear again and we headed down Gung Ho.  This wasn't familiar to me because it'd been years since I'd ridden it, and I think the only time(s?) I'd done it I'd peeled onto Askins part way down...  Anyway, the  Stooge was awesome, surprisingly so, keeping speed and handling all the rough with finesse.  Final valley bottom we were in amongst the chain-free groms and not holding them up. 

Coffee and brownie at the CAP then I bought myself a 10-ride pass and headed up the lift to finish with the Slummit Connector, onto the road, then up to and down through Vic. My usual go-to in the gums has more than a bunch of trees across it so I had to take the steep line to the left, which was actually pretty fun.  (Gonna be a fair bit of cutting in my usual... I could see at least 3 sizeable logs in the way, possibly more further down.  May well be easier just to haul my chainsaw up there)  Out to Skidder and down the road into DogParkCarPark which was wet and soggy in the oaks, but fun blast to the bottom and clamber to road to home.

A hard wrought 30kms, with an actual 717 m climbed (1117 m total (of which 400 were lifted))

Sunday Afternoon Stooge-about the Locals

Bit of a grimy day but enough of a lack of rain to get up the hill on the Stooge. Half'n'half clip-in pedals now installed, these aided control very nicely.  Good climb up.  On the road section I heard a couple of bikers catching me up from behind, talking away.  I was gasping and wondered, and as they passed, the first guy I saw was on a regular bike and I was, to myself, 'young fit fella's' then I spotted the second guy was on an ebike and giving the other guy a hand...  "Oh! I wondered how you were conversing so freely" I startled.  I kept crossing paths with them as I journeyed too.  Over 19th as usual, (boys at the skidder) then up the gutser and up to Thompsons #1 and #2, back up the road, dropped in, around, then down the rabbit paddock (the two boys bombing through Brakefree) to the rocks and gums, out to skidder (the boys jumping through), into Shazza's for a nice groove down and all the way down into the Brent's zone into the valley bottom here. 

Nose started bleeding badly here, and took a while to quell.  

Once sorted, climbed up the Corporate Ladder, and then up past the 40footer and around up through the Radzone, (where the boys popped out of Raceline or something and dropped on past), and I continued to the Skidder.  Then off over the side and down to the road at 19th, and below road for a wee hoon and out, clamber, coast, and into the DogParkCarPark, lovely flow through here, jumpings and out all the way to the bottom.  Schlepp up to road and home. 

A little over 7 kms and 275 m climbed.

Windy Wednesday Singlespeed.

Limited time blow out needed, so hoofed out on the BFe up through Vic, over 19th, and up the grunter to the top, via Worm (which is good on the SS).  Down Thompson's #1 and back up the road chuffing away, then dropping in, down around, past the jumps, down rabbit paddock, rocks and gums.  Peeled out to Skidder and headed off down Shazza's all the way down it's 'new' extension and then walked back up K2 steeps...  Back over Skidder into the lower gum track back down to road, below road, lovely drift through the forest and then back up to road and coasting into Dogparkcarpark dropping through the overgrowth for a sweet hoon all the way through to the bottom.

Six and one quarter kilometres, and 230 m chuffed.

Saturday Ups and Downs, Locally

No false advertising here. Up to the top of Vic, down Thompson #1 and back up the road.  Down around the jumpies and over the seesaw, then down through the gums out to skidder, down Shazza's and Sneaky Ridge, then all the way down Nu-Bridges and from Hospital Cnr, climbing again, up around gasping, then back up the gutser and all the way to the top again, this time via Worm.  Back down around the jumpies, then across the rabbit paddock to my sunset seat for a view. Then back into the gums, bomb bomb bomb, through 19th, down the road and into 235 down and out.  Final climb up to road and mud-clearing speed down to home. 

Steep ups and steep downs, juicy, 9.1 kms with 409 m ascended.

Saturday Local Loopies

Nelson came over for an 8.30 start but there was a bunch of drizzle around, so we took our time getting ready, oiling and cleaning drivetrains etc. We headed out the drive and got a little way into the initial climb when I realised I needed my inhaler so we turned back home.  Once there, the rain kicked in harder so we stopped for a coffee and the weather had gone when we'd finished so off up the hill we went again.  I felt okay, given it was my first 'proper' ride since the covid (other than the Troll rides).  Plodded up, usual way over 19th, and up from skidder.  Nasty bugger this but I cleaned it and was breathing pretty good.  Up to very top and then down around the jumps and down through the paddock to the rocks and gums.  Greasy as trail in here, 2 wheel drifting.  I pointed out my log cut and we sidled out to skidder.

Dived into Shazza's, given the steeper ones were gonna be greasier.  Shaz's was not too bad.  It's been tidied a bunch at the bottom, directing you into Pono's which we didnt do.  Headed across into the Rad zone, and dropped down what could be considered the continuation of Razza's.  It is easy and sidles into Brents, to chuck you across to the far side, so down through the Macracarpas we flowed.  

Out onto Flow - Bridges - Nu Bridges, some tapes up for the Enduro happening on Sunday.  Down the bottom and into Hidden Valley Link track bonus up to Old Skool.  Dabbed in the top second to last corner.  

Old Skool was sweet.  Nice flow, nothing too drastic but a good pace.  Into the valley-bottom back up the trail.  Climby climby climb.  I managed all the steeps in the valley, but from Hospital Corner I had to walk a few metres.  Up under Texaco, then on up the 4wd, walking one little bit, then eventually up in the Rad zone another bit. Up to skidder and talked to a guy scoping out for the Enduro, then off into the singletrack to take us down to the road, then below road for a bit, and then cruising and into 235 for a fun blast in here.  Bit mucky on the downside of the first jump.  Then climbed up to Microwave and down the final blast behind the houses, home.

A well spent 10.7 kms, climbing a indubitable 442 m.

Sunday Fatty Mucking

Quick ride this afternoon. Headed out on the fat bike.  

Up through Vic, up the gutser through Brake Free, onto Worm and onto the Traverse.  Cruised around this as far as Four Pause /  Huntsbury DH, checking out the car below the track that'd scuffed a big chunk of track out.  I'd heard the chopper rescuing these fucktards on Friday night, flew over at 2.30 am, and could hear it hovering til it flew back over at 3.00am.  

At the top of Four Pause I debated with myself the pros and cons of heading down that.  The cons won, and I turned back, bombing back across the Traverse nice and smooth.  Into Vic trees, across and down the Rabbit Paddock, greasy af, got sideways in the worst spot, then over the cattlestop and into the Gummies, across and down my usual favourite.  Out to skidder and into Shazza's, bopping and grinding down this then straight into the climb past the 40fter, back up to skidder, then over and into the wee finishing track out to the 19th.  

From here, down the road and into 235, which some mongs have put little rock jumps in (Dumb), and then it was greeeaaasy mucky fucking quagmire, and even worse in the Oaks.  Climbed out and cleared the tires with speed down Vic Park Rd...  

Around an hour all told, dead on 10 kms, with 350 m climbed.

Saturday Victorius

Quick spin up down and up.   Up the road from home, and dropped down the connector just before the Dog Park, climbing up 235.  Up through 19th, then up the gutser, chuggalug, all the way to the top.  Around and down, yumpity yump, then see-saw, top end of #nuBrakeFree and then out and down Rabbit to Rocks, Gums #MyWay, across the Skidsville and into the Shazz.  Poppity Pop down here, a squizz at the Sick and then ploughing through the Brent, long time since last time.  Out of the woods and across Flow, a few mucky splotches, around and down, nuBridges all the way down.  

Hidden Valley Bonus climb, said closed, but it's been a while since rain so figured it'd be fine.  Steep bugger forest, good clean then around and into descendy mode.  Untrusting of slick so careful careful bopping and popping my way down.  A few walkers climbing, but no other riders (people abiding the signs?).  Straight into the climb back up Bowenvale valley, usual chuckles, then into Kfucking2.  Managed it, but did stop when it slightly levelled before the last few metres to the turn-off to the right.  That sidle was good, then the 23fter, and more nasty grunt, possibly the worst spot, good to the pylon, then more yuck, then a bunch of folk at the 40, and more shitty climbing.

Over the Skidder and into my usual connector, bopping on down to 19th then rolling rolling rolling down the road and into the 235, bomb slick bomb (kinda chasing another dude who rolled through the carpark at the same time, but I never saw him after I said You go first...

Down the road, tire cleaning, and home.  A worthwhile 10 and a half kms, up 437 m.

Saturday Local Solo Explorationing

Less than an hour til sunset, I took a quick loop or two up the back, down a bit and a bit of clambering off piste.  

Firstly, got the grind out of the way, up through skidder and up the grunter through Brake free and around to the first Thomson, flowy flight down here, around and up so smoothly, then up the road to top of Vic again.  

Into the descent, bomby bomb down around over the jump and next then seesaw down the first few brakefree flowpumpzoned, then cut out to the left and down towards the usual rock'n'roll, but hung a tight right after the cattlestop and into the top pines, dropping down the line I'd helped with cutting that log.  Around and bombing the usual favourite Gumline, flowing through and out to Skidder, straight across in Shazza's, twisty turny flowy drop down then across considering Pono's, but deciding on Sneaky Ridge.  Flompity plomb down here, enjoying it all, and over the jump onto bottom of flow or bridges or whatever, then dived up off onto the East Side walking track, pushing the bike up a few zig zags to a stile, up another zag onto a rideable sidle.  Along below the K2 4WD track (below pylon) good to ride til some mega steps, where I peeled left, carrying bike up through some open pine ground, popping up onto the 4WD.  

Clamber clamber, grinding up under Pono's, past the 40 footer and on up, more grind, then across the skidder into the connector down to 19th, rolling the road, relaxed as anything down to 235, dropping into here for a flowy bomby canter, slightly greasy following days past rain and finally the clamber out up to dog park and down the back of the houses home. 

A smallish 7.3 kms, and a worthy 308 m climbed.

Sunday Regroup with the Crew

Parked a ways along Cashmere Rd, near Opihi St, Nelson pulling up behind, and we rode to meet the kids at the bottom of Penruddock. Wayne and (friend? workmate?) Ben in Wayne's car, and Andy in his van, arrived, then Jenna hooned past off the hill and jetted onwards, After a little faffing Andy followed her and Wayno and Ben followed us around the river, then up through to Happy Home Rd and we caught up to Andy a little further along.  

Around Cashmere Road, Jenna still well ahead (we eventually caught her up on C2), into Halswell Quarry Park, and up the trail to the Crock Entrance.  Climbing away, Nelson, as usual, leaving us all behind.  Up C2, up the Crocodile, bit of a rest and regroup at top of Kennedy's Bush Rd, then on up the Low Road, Siberia, and up the evil grunt that is Kennedys.  Nelson well ahead, steaming.  I plodded away, overtaken by a guy on a Meta (titanium?) and one on a Switch-enabled Yeti (not sure which model).  New (temporary) brakepads obviously(!) dragging me back.  Cleaned the whole climb in one sitting though, ouch, gasping for air, really struggling and only just managing it.  At the top I sought shade next to a parked car and rested and we waited for the others.  

Around the road to the Nun, Jenna bailing to meet us at the Kiwi (sore back?).  At the top of the Nun, Robin was waiting for us (having come up Huntsbury and across).  Good blast down this, me trying to a) chase Nelson (marginal, but I kept him in my sights) and b) stay ahead of Andy (which I managed).  Dusty, and rough as guts below the Park exit.  Refilled my empty water bottle at the Kiwi and we headed up the road to top of Vic.

Down and around over the jump, then I followed Nelsie around and did the see-saw, and a couple jumps on Brakefree, then across to the Gums, dropping down the quicker entrance to this, bombing down back and forth and out to the Skidder.  Andy and Jenna split off here, across towards Cool Runnings, Nelson jumped into Dazza's, and I led the rest of the boys off down Shazza's.  We dropped out and down to Sneaky Ridge, hussing down the rocks (on which Robin crashed, uninjured), and Nelson took the No Road Bikes drop in front of an audience of girls.  I wasn't even gonna think about it, so took the usual route around.  Into the oaks and out onto Bridges or Flow or wtf, and then bombing down Nu Bridges back and forth out to the bottom of Hidden Valley Link Bonus, where we waited in the shade.  Wayne and Ben showed up, then Robin, then a call came in from Andy...  Jenna had crashed! Hard.  Faceplant and suspected broken wrist (turned out later after ED, not to be).  

Robin bailed down, Wayne rode back up to get Andy's keys, and Ben came with Nelson and me (having never ridden bonus or oldskool before).  Grunt arse climb up Hidden, then excellent blast down Old Skool.  Popped and weaved, pumped and cleaved our ways down leaving Ben at the end of the road and jetting back to our cars.  

A much longer than I'm used to 25 kms, with a worthy 730m climbed.  I sure felt the effects of it for the rest of the day.  My legs were rinsed.

Fat Local Tuesday

Up the hill on the fatty with no bag no water. Sucked down some water at the Skidder and decided to mix it up a bit by heading off down Shazza's to the 40, easy rolling, gently gently on the fat tires pinging, then climbed back up the zig to Skidder again. From here, up the fucker-puker-climb, nearly at the top of the steep when my nose blew it's foo-foo valve which made me have to stop to stop the bleeding.  Took a while to settle it down. Once under control I got going rolling again, up past Brake Free and on up round to drop straight into the top Thompson's.  Rolly roll down this and then back up the road to the top, and hmmm, no bikes you say?  is a fatty a bike??  up the walking track to the cool stonework shelter I think I've never seen before and then up to the Sugar Loaf carpark, and on across the trail across the front (Cedric's Track).  Techy drop down to the Gilpin's track and across to the road.  Across back onto the Traverse, back to Vic Park, dropping down through Brake Free, left into the Gums, usual gummy trails in here all the way down through to 19th, then angry bees down the road and into our new local Dog carpark descent, climb, up to Microwave tower and down the back of the houses home.

Sweaty Fatty, 8.6kms, with 350 climbed

Tuesday Evening Vic Old Skool

Quick hot local blat.  Up from home, through to the Skidder site, and dropped into Shazza's.  Nice flow in here, popping the first few jumpies nicely, and swooping round all the corners, wary of the loose dry dust and leaves and bark shards.  Across the 40footer space, and into Sneaky Ridge, flap flop down the rocks, boogity woogity through and around, oak leaves strewn asunder, and whoosh over the fence into Flow or Bridges or whatever, and around into Nu Bridges, ziggy zaggy down into the valley, tech rock flowstyles.

Feeling pretty good, flowed around into bonus Hidden Valley climbing, cleaning all the switchies, huffing and chuffing up to the open lands, spotting another rider departing the stile as it hove into view.  Straight over the stile and caught the guy as he switched back up towards the pylon for the oldskool bastard climb, while I bombed on down the Old Skool descent, enjoying the fuck out of it.  Some awesome pumpstyles across the upvalley slope, tail hot nor'waster behind me.  Then bombing on down and out the bottom, straight back into the climb.

Ugh, up, up and more up, then K2, ugh, walked to the sidle turn off, climbed back on and rode up to the 23footer zone and on upwards, quite a few stops for breathers, as was getting tired by now.  Eventually, got to the start of Rad and a couple riders passed by, climbing from Cool Runnings area, talking to one, then following him up to Skidder, wherein I dropped over to the wee climber track back up to 19th, down the road, dropped into my upper dogcarpark newby, bombed down that, climbed out to lower dogcarpark and bombed down the last, getting some nice air on the ramp behind the houses...

A worthy local 9.5kms, with 378m 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 Pre-Trees Bowen-Victorian Sessions

Thinking we would meet workmates either at the bottom or at the Skidder Site for a bit of a skills session Nelson and me rode up Bowenvale Valley and K2 like I did last week...  Got news half way up that they were piking (cos the Park was closed and they couldn't Lift up, lazy kids), so we continued up the grind (which didn't seem as bad as last week (muscle memory??)), and got to the top of Vic Park ready for some action. 

Figured we'd keep it a skills session, and rode down to the first jump in the trees, scoping it out and clambering back up for another go.  Nicely cleaned first time round, then into the see-saw, which I baulked on first, then did the 2nd time round, no problem at all (wtf was I worried about??).  Don't know why I've been so psyched out by it for so long.  Into BrakeFree, and rode back up for the first few jumps to ride again - I reckon I rode it best the first time...  Then into Sesame St.  First big gap jump Nelson just piled over it no problem and I baulked.  We climbed up, back into it, I baulked again.  Back up, baulked, but rode down through the rest of it nice following jumps and wallride no problem.  Stopped and walked back up, right to the top again, and met a young fella here - got chatting, then I followed them in and GOT IT!  Again, WTF was I worried about?  It was easy.  Enjoyed the rest of the jumpies and wall ride and Nelson cleaned the big gap below the Wall, and then we got chatting again with the young guy, Michael. 

Headed into Shazza's, and stopped not too far in to check out a couple of the jumps in there.  Decided the wooden feature with a downhill landing was too dodgy.  At this point we were joined by a lovely young woman Michael knew (Hannah, I think?) who rolled up and decided to join us on our way down.  From here we bombed down the rest of Shazz and down and into Sneaky Ridge, which Mike hadn't ridden before.  He decided to try the No Road Bikes section, while the rest of us rode around it.  Then him and Nelson decided to do the big drop in the oaks...  Both cleaned nicely and then we hoofed off down over the wee jump onto Bridges (or Flow?).  Regrouped and bombed it across into Nu-Bridges, zigging and zagging down this to the bottom of the valley.  Hannah split into Hidden Valley bonus and the three boys fanged it down the valley, and we made our 7pm curfew to get to our meeting (after grabbing some dinner), juuust on time.

A massive 7.5 kms, with a huge 350 m climbed....