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.

Monday-ised ANZAC Day

Quick loop up over some of the locals today. Hit the driveway, then up thru an incredibly busy Vic Park, sidling up my new usual 19th pathway, over to Skidder.  Delayered and got riding just as a couple entered the grunter, meaning I had to stay at their pace so's not to lose face, all the while telling myself, if i'm slower, it doesn't matter...  I wasn't slower, but it did seem to matter.  Huffing I was, and glad that I'd had a quick squirt of inhaler before I'd left.  

Up around to the Thomson and Thompson, medium cruise down this, still catching a couple guys just as I wound through the hairpins, and then chased and caught them at the end of the second one.  Down the road, the past them and up the road, on my own, to the Nun.  Nice big rest up here before heading in.  

Not on form, but rolling pretty good.  Blasty blasty all the way down to the midway, then up and out over to Governor's, taking this very easy, as it bit me last time and also it was greasy as hell, given recent rain.  Very easy...  even dabbed through where I'd crashed last time and took it easy round the back and into the climb.  Cleaned most of the climb for once, tho stopped a few times for air.  Didn't clean the very top, but did clean the step-up just before.  Back up the road to midpoint of Nun and then chased some Park-muppets, catching, releasing, catching, them finally they realised but I hooked up to road at Kiwi and down and across Dyers back up road to top of Vic,  

In the usual way, around over the jumps and see-saw, first few Brake Free and then rockgarden and gums, usual route, switching and swatching, bombing and drombing, through to 19th, then down road and into 235, bombing this with style and then hup hup, over and down the final run.  And home.

A smooth 11.8 kms done with 440 m climbed.

Snaffled some lunch then did a big walk up around the Sugarloaf...  Heesh.

Thursday Night Night Ride, Right?

Had been talking about doing Living Springs, til I remembered Dyers Pass Rd is shut at nights, which would have stymied our return...  So Nelson came up to my place anyway, and we headed up through Vic for 'the Usual'.  Climby climb, through my 19th Memorial route, into Skidder and up the shitfuckcrapgasp climb, refill water at Brakefree and on up round Worm onto the Traverse.  Good roll across here tho I was struggling entirely too much.  Annoying we both gave way to a descending E-biker, to whom I muttered under my breath but audibly, "Hmmm, e-bike, should give way to others."  Around we went and discovered the dumb-ification of the trail from the top of Lavaflow, basically Teddington Shit compacted to concrete-like surface, for the Ebikers I guess!?  

Also a re-route and new entry to what was Four Pause(forever now to be called HuntsburyDH).  Stopped for a look before heading down.  I then proceeded to eat dust.  And visibility was awkward due to said dust too.  Oh well, blast blast pop pop...  Good ride then across the lower to the cattle grate and I led into the Rocky Ridge trail, 'Rock Up', and we negotiated this with some skill and some unbalance (from me).  Bomb down, jumpity jump, avoiding the usual, and all the way to the bottom.  Then, back up the main drag of HUnts, tho, going through the gate and across onto sheep trails and back up the DH.  Stopped on the landing strip to watch for the Space Station (thought it was meant to appear at 7.27 (had that wrong - was 7.42!)).  It didn't so we climbed the road, hit the Traverse and headed around.  At the Sugarloaf place we often stop, I looked up and spotted it (7.44pm), just as it was fading...  On around, feeling a bit better, but still struggling with the dust (my eyes are red and sore today).  

Into Vic and across, just catching the gap jump (kinda almost from below), and when I landed "CRACK", feck!, my back end was locked out!  D'Oh.  Reached down and unlocked it and then from the rabbit paddock I led into the rockgarden and the gums cos Nelson was getting tired.  Bomb bomb, nice run, swooping around and through, all the way down, then onto trail below 19th, skimming through (meeting two climbing riders) then up onto walk track, and down the Tawhairanui Track, fair game at night, and across Dog Carpark into the fun twisty pylon descender, through, up, back up road briefly and down behind the houses at full noise to home.

A cracking 13.75 kms, with 491 m gained.

Tuesday Afternoon Jaunt, There and Back

At the bach for Easter, no bikes present, just walks and swims.  Home earlier than expected on Tuesday (teacher's only day for kids), so had time to get a daylight ride.

Up from home, keeping it puffing on the way up, then grovelling up the grovel from the skidder.  Up through for a water refill at Brake Free then up the Worm and onto the Traverse.  Not a bad ride around here, keeping the heart-rate up and pushin' on.  Paused at Four Pause for a pause, but decided to just stay up high today (couldn't face more climbing than necessary).  Across to Vernon, clambered up this and then blasted down, flying across the Rapaki-top and straight into the Witch, shifting down as I climbed then cleaning (only just) all of the tech and motoring around to the high point, stopping for a well earned break.  

Rolling again, up the road cruising nicely to the top of Castle, pausing only briefly before dropping in.  Slightly pingy blast down here, but cleaning it, no close calls and bombing down.  Brief pause for air at the hairpin then on down and a bouncy climb out, easing through the final swoops to Bridle Path top.  Grabbing some air looking at the view of Lyttelton, then back up the road.

Only til I got to where you can clamber up onto the walking track to climb up around above the road onto the Tors track, straight on blasting down this, tackling the tech with and audience of a couple of young riders down on the road.  Cleaned the usual stallpoint, but then stalled after it.  Bomb down across road onto fun singletrack above the road, nice run through this back to Witch.

Nice cleaning of Witch again, bomb down then climbing the road, ugh, around back to the Traverse, straight in, keeping on pushin' on, blaze blaze blaze, over the jumps in the top of Vic trees, over the See Saw, first couple Brake Free jumps then into the Rock Garden and across the top of the Gums past my cleared log from a few weeks back.  Rolling nice again.  Around, down through my favourites, all the way, then nice relaxing coast down the road and into the last blast from the carpark, swoop swoop, scattering a mum and two kids walking, final climb, up to Microwave tower and fast blast down behind the houses, home.

Good blast, a worthwhile 20kms with 762 metres ascended

Saturday Batter-day, Vic Traverse Chunt Skool Vixxed

Yes. T'was a good'un.  Up from home through Vic, climbing well but still gasping for air.  Left up Worm then haul around the Traverse.  Let a fair few through.  

Chatted with a dude with a Vizler dog for ages at the top of Lavaflow.  Then I rode round and hit the Four Pause down, popping good jumps.  

Down the landingstrip section of trail and then peeled right and found my way into the Rocky Ridge route in.  Still havent quite found the entire thing, but got more this time.  Down, nearly hit the bigger jump up top, but didnt.  Then bypassed all the wooden features lower down, but ended up on the line into a big rock jump part way down.  Then finished on the final jump hit no problem, and left around up the new route we've found. 

A zig and a zag near the fence saw me still have to push the bike up the rocks i could have ridden round.  Up through the cattlestop and left across the paddock to the route we often take to the single track just below the rockyridge bit.  

Up around and over dropping down to Old Skool.  Down the steep rocky bluffy bits I came across a couple of girls looking at the big droppy descent.  I came in and baulked, it looks way more heinous than the past, big wheel eating hole n all.  The girl pointed out a side line, which I thought looked okay.  A joke or two made about how embarrassing it would be if I crashed it.  Rode it, with aplomb and they both cheered.  Onwards down I bombed swooping it down through the rocks and off camber switchies, then into the Old Skool proper, hearing the girls above as I dropped in.  Nice run through this, all the fun.  Bomb bomb, spotted someone way below, thinking I probably wouldn't catch them, bombed a bunch more around down and he pulled over for me in the lower switchbacks.  Out the finish and straight back into the climb up the valley.

Clamber clamber, dude on e bike motored past in the steepest bits.  Stopped for a change and rest and snack at Hospital Corner.  Then got riding up valley, through the gates, past the no bikes sign and the trail is tidy as, upgraded and easy.  Still steep but not struggly tech anymore.  Last bit is tho, then across the easy rolling front to the bottom of Brents (exit from Vic Park to Flow/Bridges etc).  In here, then up the skidder trail next to Brents.  Ugh, walked. Too steep.  Phonecall from dad then riding up the rest, past the 40, up up around to the skidder.  

Straight through, then down CAP this way hanging a right off that and out to 19th, down road, into funnest local, bomb swoop flow, then around, up, and fast down behind houses.  Home.  

Almost exactly 14 kms, with (surprise to me) 595 m climbed.  Not bad.

Sunday with Oatie

A week off the riding, mainly due to weather and a field trip, which involved a couple of shortish walks in the Mackenzie country looking for critters...  

Sunday morning, finally O and me skudded out for a local spin. We headed up into Vic Park, wondering what event could be on given the number of cars parked all the way up the road.  Get to the gate and it's shut, road closed, "Gate stuck due to vandalism" sign on it.  Around and on up a nice quiet drive, up through past 19th, skidder and up the steep.  My breathing was big, tricky, troublesome, but I powered up and it was one of my best, least painful yet.  Up past Brake Free and up then across Worm and out of the trees onto the Traverse.

Good blast round here, only having to pull over a couple of times.  O was doing well all the way.  At the top of 4 Pause we pulled up and positioned ready for the descent. I dropped in, and bombed it.  Lots of fun, swoopy goodness, weaving and diving, jumping all the jumps, good flow.  O bypassed most jumps, just not quite confident on them yet.  Down the continuation next to the landing-strip then across through the cattlestop into the next section.  Stayed on the main singletrack down here, bypassed that first big jump, careened over the next one, through the next cattlegrate, weaving down under the pylons, skipping the wooden features, but jumping the rest.  At the bottom, I nearly launched the big finale, but hauled up at last second.  We had a good look and decided it wasn't so bad, so both went back up for another run at it.  O took it first, launched and no problems.  I followed, and I don't know what I've ever been worried about.  It really was nothing.  Will ride in future.

Back into the climb, chatting a bit with a South African (?) dude riding with his kid who'd watched us do the drop jump.  We left his kid behind so he turned back and O and me continued up the main drag.  Really didn't mind this climb either, except my lungs were feeling it.  Back onto the Traverse, and a great blast around this, all the way back and then decided to hit Upper Fenceline.  First steep after the fence/cattle grate got O, his brakes not quite up to the steep, but once back through the fence and on the trail proper he was all good.  Nice waft down through this and around into the trees and back across and then bypassed all the descending trails to ride back up out to the skidder.  

Climbed up over the 19th, down, around the road, and I dropped into the dog-park-car-park trail, railing and nailing it.  Awesomesauce.  Final climb back up and then the rapid descent behind the houses, launching the jump massively, and blazing down the final bits to the end.

The usual solid, 14 kms there and back, 485 m gained

Monday after working at home, I headed up about 4.45, walking with Jet, up through the dog park and on up through the skidder and up into the gums to finish off the log up there.  Wacked at it for a while and chipped my way through it, clearing the track.  Walked back down, a good pace with one or two bits of running, and back home by 5.45.  One hour, 4 kms, and a log finished. 

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. 

Sunday Tale of Two Ridges

Week off, basically, other than e-riding to work.  

Out for a solo today, headed up thru Vic, skidder, bastard climb, then into the Traverse, good blast round here, letting one or two people through.  

Brief stop at the top before dropping down FourPause, good tail wind, jumpy jumpsing smoothly, down the landing strip zone, and peeling off over the edge down towards Old Skool, dropping down to the spanking new cattlestop at the gate here.  Back up hill, switching left onto a well trod (possibly well ridden?) sheep trail towards the landing strip (new) cattle grate, and then into the singletrack here.  

Peeled left into the tussocks and found the zig zag up the back of  Rocky Ridge, following the tricky-to-follow line and down the rocks.  Nice flow through that.  I walked back up and took a photo of the 'armouring'.  

Onwards down the Huntsbury DH, jumping jumping (avoiding one or two), blazing all the way down to the bottom of this.  Over the stile and back up the gravel grind.  

All the way up, and onto the Traverse after a bit of a back stretch.  Good blast around this, still feeling pretty strong.  

Stopped at the edge of Vic to consider a drop down through the Upper Fenceline again (like last time) but decided against it and headed across, over the jumps, and into the see-saw.  First couple of BrakeFree jumps and left down to the Gums.  Immediately over the cattlestop I hung a right up to the top of the pine trees (where Nelson and me had walked a couple weeks ago) and dropped down the 'track' entrance past the fallen treelog.  Bombed down my favourite gums line and swooped around and about down there not popping up to the skidder, but continuing on down through out eventually to the 19th.  

Down the road, Dog Carpark, squirrelled into the 'secret' track, swoop swoop, huh! jump is under reconstruction, across, up, up road, left and down, into the narrow slow track we walk on all the time 'Charles's Track' not open enough for riding, out to the bomb track behind the houses, speed, then home. 

Mint!!! 14 and a quarter kms with half a km of vert climbed.

Wednesday Evening Solo-loco

Out on my own tonight.  From home, down first and round Longhurst to Harry Ell Drive, up this steep bastard climb, then up the dirt track to the bottom of the Dog Park, skirted, then up Vic Park Drive.  Up from Skidder, ugh, cleaned, and up to top of Vic Park to hit the Traverse.  

Lots of pulling over to let riders through on this, tho on one climb I wasnt budging and tosspot arrogant dipshit had to stop to let me through.  He should have stopped further back to let me through and was so obviously expecting me to just get out of his way.  fuck him.  Good blast around, feeling pretty good, but ready for a break when I got to the top of FourPause where there was a dude waiting.  

He insisted I go first, so I dropped in, and had an awesome blaze down.  A group of girls were walking up and timed it perfectly to see me jumping the second to last jump, perfect air and landing.  Swoop on down through the landingstrip and then on through the cattlestop.  Bit of a detour here looking for that Rocky Ridge track, but no go, got lost in the tussocks so I just got back on the main drag and kept on going.  Started seeing more and more small groups of people, Orienteerers again, this time they were starting from the top of Huntsbury Ave, so I had a big audience as I descended like a wildthing down, and witnesses to my jumping prowess.  haha.  At the bottom, I hung a left and meandered around and climbed the way Nelson and me did on Saturday.  Slightly different route once up under the pylons, then stayed on trail all the way up, ugh climbing to the top of Huntsbury for a short rest at the start of Traverse.

Back along the Traverse, still holding a good pace, enjoying.  Pulled over a couple of times to let people through, or not, and cruised around to Vic.

Dropped down over the fence and down the fenceline, around into Upper Fenceline, enjoying the steepness and flow, longer than my memory had it, around and back into the trees, swooping around and back, down, bypassing a couple of DH tracks, and dropping into Cool Runnings, which I'd not done in ages.  The entrance is smooth as now.  Bomb bomb, swoop swoop, around and down and around and around and down, not making any of the doubles properly (speed must be so high for them!) and out the bottom.  Then, it was a section of fucking horrible climbing, getting better til about Rad^Sick, then last steep grund and up to Skidder.

Down the road from here, taking it nice and easy coasting, and into the upper dog park carpark, dropping int, swoopy swoop fun times, jump and across, climb, road climb, and into the last blast down behind the houses, blasting to the finish.

A veritable 15 kms, and 540 m climbed.

Saturday Cracker Day

Nelson met at mine and we climbed up Amherst, through the empty section, up to the Dog Park Carpark and on up Vic Park Rd.  Past the Finish Line for the Port Hills Ultra.  Skidder, and up, me doing pretty good not blowing out, but huffing a lot.  

Top of Vic and around the Traverse, past the badly parked BMW that'd wrecked off the road I guess the night before and onwards.  Good run round here and into the Huntsbury DH, fourpause first, nearly landing on a couple of old ladies who'd taken it upon themselves to walk down the bike track.  Across the tussocks, through the new cattlestop and around rocky ridge and down, jumpity jumpsity jumps and swoop to the bottom.  Checked out a new climbing trail off on the west side of the ridge, lot of potential in here, bit of pushing up through tussocks, then continued our exploration on the westside up to the cattlestop and then on up Huntsbury, clambering out to the top.  

Across the road into Vernon, good blast down here, pulling up once for climbers, then straight into Witch Hill, one dab, good climbing.  Brief rest then onto the down to the road and up the road to Castle.  Port Hills Ultra signs everywhere.  Wicked blast down CAstle, me on his tail all the way, pushing hard, til the climb when he just powered away as I got bogged down in the rocks.  Still felt good tho, and climbed out, then we headed up the road.  

Stayed on the road, coasting fast (runners on the Tors track) til the little singletrack above the road, tech goodness around to Witch, and climbing this, brief breather, and on, blast down to Rapaki, and up the road from here.  

Onto the Traverse, good blast around, still plenty of power, but by the time we got to Vic was starting to feel it a bit.  Down over the jump, over the sea-sore, into Brake Free, water top up, then into Sesame.  I baulked the big jump, rolling over the left side of it but yumping the rest of everything til the gap, then taking a lefthand slowlane down to skidder.  Cruise down the road, and into the DogCarPark funtimes, swoopy swoopy down and across, picking too high a line but getting out and climbing up the short bit of road again, before blasting down behind the houses, and around home.

Grand total of 24kms, with a whopping 892m climbed

Sunday Super Short

Minute, as in tiny, 1.7 km lap with H, who's rather reluctant to do any uphill riding.  My Rocky is in the shop, so was on the Fatty...  We trundled up the hill from ours, into the Dog Park Carpark and down the fun trail towards Harry Ell, then up to the road, and home again.  Afterwards, I swapped to the Troll and we bombed down to the South Library just before closing so's for him to get a book or two.  T came picked us up.

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 

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

Sunday Morning Tops

Nice one on my own this morning... Headed up from home almost dead on 9am, climbing okay, pushing pretty good, and really forced my way up the steep pig from the skidder site.  cleaned it all but nearly puked by the top.  out the top and out Worm and onto the Summit Traverse.  Pulled over for anyone I met coming the other way, not too many thankfully, and made good time, and pulled up at the top of Four Pause just as two asian dudes with all the gear headed off down it, skidding and going very slow...  I let them go until they were nearly at the bottom before I launched in, and bombed, no skids, jumping all the jumps and generally enjoying the crap out of it.  9.30am at the landing strip when I pulled out and turned back uphill, grinding off up back to the top.  

Across the road and into Vernon, cruising around and then bombing, letting a couple of folk through at places, and rolling out across the bottom, jumping straight into Witch Hill, climbing, slowing down, slower then popping and weaving over the rocks, juuuust cleaning them all before onwardsly cruising around up, over and down.  Onto the road, bitter southerly hussing out of the harbour here, gale force across the saddle before the Tors.  Pushed the last stretch to the top of Castle where it was 10am.  Brief break out of the wind here, snack, then, spotting some (fast) riders entering the other end of the trail, I dropped into it, blasting and blazing, down around, and pulled up just after the first hairpin to let them through.  The first two were E-bikers, the 2nd 2, accoustic.  Got going again, kept a good pace on the climb, then out and down to the Bridle.

Back up the road, grind grind, then at the top, checked there were no walkers or runners around, and pushed up to the Tors track.  Then I spotted a million walkers on the road before the saddle...  time to get moving.  Nicely nicely across and down the steep tech.  Botched something past where I used to always botch, dabbing over a bit, then struggled to get my foot in til the last few metres, rolling through the crowd of parents and kids, and clambering up onto the wee-singletrack-above-the-road.  Once peaked, good roll and cruise through this back to Witch, into the teeth of the gale across the road and onto Witch, climbing, then continuing, non stop.  Down to Rapaki-top and steady pace around the road, riding with then pulling away from a bunch of older riders.  Was overtaken by a couple of bolshy E-bikers as I overtook a group of 3 riders (one of which on a Levo with Rohloff combo).  Watching later as those bolshy ones went down the gravel road of Huntsbury...  i mean! what's the point!?

Into the Traverse and bomb bomb bomb around, good pace  still on the climbs, but starting to feel a little jaded.  Into Vic and popped the top jump, then down past the see-saw, couple jumps of Brakefree, and back to the Rockgarden and Gums, favourite line, all the way down single to 19th, then down road, and into the new bonus, strugging past a car parked nose up fully into the entrance to it.  Final climb, then bomb down behind the houses, having to bail up to negotiate a clusterfuck of walkers at the end.  

20 kms in 2 hours, with 771 m climbed.  Pretty good.

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.

Quick Vic with Otie

Ffffff is how I struggled up the hill.  Out with O.  He blasted off ahead, young and fast, I gasped up behind.  Stopped before the dog park to help a bro out with some air (his front tire was losing air), and then we rode on, up past 19th, up through Skidder site and up the steep.  Cleaned it, phew.  Then up top of Vic. 

Bombed the first of the Thompsons, and back up the road.  Then into the down, bailed on the jump, walked back up and we both did it nicely.  Check.  Down past the seesaw and first few jumps of Brake Free, then across to the gummies.  I lost O in the top, but then he found me, and then down my fav line through the gums, and he pointed out where Sophie crashed last time they went up.  Swoop swoop around and back to the Skidder site where we bumped into a few guys i know. (Nick Sutt., and ex Cacti Daryl).  O and me headed from here up the trail to the top of the 19th Memorial, and over down to the ranger station, around the road and down to the newby from the dogpark carpark, fun swoops through there, then up and over the last down behind the houses and home.

Quick, 5.7 kms loop with a couple hundy metres climbed.   

Thursday Evening, more Testing of the Limits

Met Nelson up thi hill at what will be our new house in a few weeks time, for another test run on my fitness for riding.  I've been riding to work every day this week so was already a little tired so wasnt expecting massive results, but was surprised with how it came to pass...  

We headed up through Vic Park me only remembering to turn on MMR in the approach to the Skidder Site above the 19th and Ranger Station... (all that altitude wasted!).  Up the grovelly K2 next to Sesame St, nearly getting the better of me but I chuffed on through it.   Nelson is at 'race weight' at the mo, just with a little less strength, so he hauled ass up the hill.  Up past Brake Free and on up to top of Vic.  Thomsons, 1 and 2, and then up the road heading for Marleys.  My ass was starting to get rather sore on this climb.  Slow up the last bit of road then big stretch and rest at the top before heading up the entrance to Nun... 
Into the descent.  Felt pretty good, but trying to get my head around holding my body differently to how I always did, and this affected traction, balance, weight distribution a lot.  Tricky getting used to all that.  Good blat down and we pulled out road for a break and to let some Park rubes down ahead.  Once they were clear we dropped in and I was amazed at how sore my forearms were getting.  Really sore by the bottom...  Got a lot of condition to get back.

Up road, drudgy climb and into top of Vic, down around, dropping through rock garden into Gummies, taking the old line (which gives way more bang for buck than the droppy swoop trail i did the other week) then out to Skidder Site and up top of 19th again, dropping over down and out next to the Ranger Base.  Around the road and into the top Dog Park carpark, finding the new-to-us trail in the bushes, which, super fun, swoops back and forth down into the oak forest above the 35 corner Harry Ell track.  Into a brief climb up to the lower Dog Park carpark and then the last blast down the back of the Amherst Pl houses.

So, if you add in the extra bits, about 10kms with 360 or so metres climbed.