Sunday On a Roll on the Troll

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

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

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

Wednesday Night Piecing it together to avoid the Closed bits

Cool wee ride tonight.. Pretty much all tracks out east closed (Godley, Captain, Snake, Greenwood, Britten) so we headed out that way anyway, figuring we'd piece something else together...

We parked on Nayland, and headed up onto The Zig Zag, but took Aratoni Track, first turning to the right.  A bit of walking, but a fair bit of riding too, eventually up some steps and out onto Clifton Tce.  Up this for a bit thinking to take the Zig Zag up to Panorama, but couldn't fathom the driveway entrance so continued on up Clifton til we hit The Frog Pond track.  This was greasy in spots but has some new drainage, and we managed to avoid most of them quite well, then up the ridge up to the big pines on the corner.  Stopped for a snack here and saw the ISS cruising by.

Next it was across the road up onto the climbing track which we took up to the Greenwood entrance.  Rolled into this and across and around, all in good nick, not mucky at all, to the 4wd track (before the ruins).  Here, we hung a right and rode up to the gun emplacements on the ridge which we toodled around for a minute or 5 before heading down the ridge on the 360 / CraterRim / Mt Pleasant Bluffs / Call-it-whatever-you-wanna-call-it Track.  Fast and flowy for a bit, then steep as hell and techy as shit, with a stile in there somewhere for good measure.  Across the top of Chalmers, over the next stile and on down between the macrocarpas sidling across the 360 walkaway section, all above Greenwood, across behind the bluffs they're messing with for the Evans Pass Rd, and then down the stupid-fast access track down the ridge towards the works buildings, to the end of Greenwood.

Through Evans Pass and decided against Godley Track (it being closed, and remembering how many bits I walked last time due to it being wet and closed) so stuck to the road, out, til we found a wee singletrack entrance which took us above the road for a bit around towards the 4wd track entrance.  Climbed over the fence before this following a natural line across to the 4wd track then up this.  And across the Godley track, on up the ridge (as per last time (too)) all the way to the top.  Nice views up here.  Here we were on the 360 track again.  Excellent descent ensued back down to Evans Pass.  (oh, while we were up here, we spotted some douchebag on Greenwood - much of his descending matched ours). 

At Evans again we headed into Rapanui Bush, hung a right and teched through to the Scarborough Bluffs track again (the Greenwood-douchebag seemed to follow us - but he missed our right-hander).  This time was excellent too, tho a bit wetter than last.  Nelson cleaned the lot, whereas I dabbed in similar places to last time.  Awesome descent, this track.  At the road we decided it'd be mucky below, so we hit the road down, high speed, flinging / clearing the mud from the knobs and down into the fridge of the valleybottom, then back to the cars at a cruisy pace.

An interesting 15 kms, with 570 m climbed...

Tuesdee Pre-Trees Meet Street Feat

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

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

Collected some Thai and made the meeting in very good time

8.3kms, and surprisingly 330 m climbed