Tuesday Night Nun Vic Skooled, More Down than Up

Nice mild night out tonight.  I took the car down to Bowenvale this morning, riding to work from there then home afterwards.  This way, Nelson could come straight to mine and we'd get more down than up.  

We headed up the usual byways through Vic, over 19th , Skidder, the gutser, and hit both Thompsons down to the Kiwi.  Up the Summit from here, Worlsey's Rd onto Nun, steadily climbed.  

Dropped in and I was coping with less than ideal lighting - not sure how much life this thing has so I'm wary of using much fullbeam.  We biffed and baffed all the way down, me taking it pretty easy but jumping a couple of lines I haven't ridden in a while.  Down near the end, from just before Capt Torpedo and Drainpipe there were some trail fairies (who we'd spotted below on our way up - Richie Goldworthy, apparently).  

Out through Kiwi and back up the road, dropped into Vic-top down around the jumpies and back up Worm, parking at the top as a few riders got going, including one grom down off over the big jump up here.  We followed him after a time, off down Upper Fenceline, exploring the zigs and zags (a couple of which I'd missed on Saturday).  When we got out to the access track, we pushed back up through where I'd gone up Saturday to just before Cool Runnings crossing, and dropped off to the right, down what must be the bottom of Tilted Sally / Flow Rider (according to Trailforks).  Nice flow through this taking us all the way to the fence-crossing and down into the open.  From here it was a blast around whatever that bit is called (Eastside?) before heading into the trees for the Bridges/NuBridges.  Down here, nice blast and then down valley and into the Hidden Valley climb up to Old Skool.  Chuff chuff chuff.  I cleaned all the hairpins - i think Nelson is still getting used to the long wheelbase of the Rocky cos he missed the very first one and tweaked on a root on the 3rd one.  So, so mild up here in the valley, and no wind (after a very windy day and night prior).  

Into the Old Skool and it was a ripsnorting blast.  This is where Nelson was choosing some crazy lines.  I was right on his tail and following and it was rough.  A little bit of grease around in the rutty straight sections, which led to some interesting handling, but made it out alive and we blitzed down the gravel and out down the road to the car. 

Choice ride for a Chooseday - 13.3 kms, 389 m climbed, ~600 m descended

Saturday's Stooge, Sunday's Troll

Couple of wee rides this weekend, one more than the other - interspersed by O's 21st...

Saturday, T left early for a walk, and I lay about for a bit longer, getting out the door finally at 8.30.  Toodled up through Vic, usual byways all the way to the top.  Txted T here to see where she was.  Into Thompson, nice flow then back up the road, getting the message she was on her way around the front of Sugarloaf, so I headed around the Summit and headed up into the Carpark.  Wasn't long and she turned up so I toodled down the front to top of Vic with her, boffed off around the jumps and up Worm, seeing her go past then headed off on my own journey down Upper Fenceline, wending my way almost all the way down this, zigging and zagging mostly back and forth before heading up the steep gutser that heads up the true right of the valley, up through the middle of lower Cool Runnings, and up through Rad.  At the skidder I bumped into Nick S from work and then I headed back up the steep to Brake Free and dropped off down through the rocks into the gums.  Pleasantly surprised to find all the logs across my usual favourite were cleared - rangers or mtbers had used chainsaws by the looks of it.  Nice flow down here then all the way down to 19th, across the road below for a bit then usual out up onto the corner and coast to Dogparkcarpark.  Lovely flow down here, jumping the jumps and flowing out through all the way to the bottom and the clamber back to road.  

A validly short 7.72 kms on 334 m climbed.

O's 21st Saturday night, left the car opposite where Dave was staying, so Sunday morning I took the Troll down slightly more interesting descendings then then across an urbane jaunt.  8.4 kms, 230 m descended, and 17 m climbed...

  

Thursday Mental Health Ride

Bailed work a little early, got home, set something running once home and headed up on the Jeht (with the new tan-wall tyres). 

Gaspingly hard to start with, but once I was going it wasn't quite so bad.  Struggle street to the rabbit paddock and above, then dived into Thompsons #1 and flowed down here, then back up the road.   Dropped around down into Vic-top, over the jumps and around into Worm, then stopped just through the fence on the start of the Traverse...  Hmmm, where to go??  

Boffed off down through the fence and hung a right, down Upper Fenceline, nicely nicely, then across top of Cool Ruinings, climbing up across to Razza's, dropping down this, then up the track to where Pedalfine crosses, and dropped down here, hanging a left on the 4wd track back up to bottom of Razza's, to drop into the extension of that, through across Brents and out the bottom of that.  Then up the Corporate Ladder, stopping to move some sticks on the singletrack bit (where i took this:

(everything is brown!)

Next into Sneaky Ridge for a bit of a hoon, talking myself through the ballbearings in the oaks, jumping out onto Bridges (or whatever it's called at this point) in front of a woman (orange top) and dog, then off down here into the pines, around into NuBridges, flowy flow, and fast down the valley.  Not sure why, but chose to do Hidden-Valley climb up to Old Skool at this point and clamber clamber, under howling pylons, nicely fun blast down, especially with the tail-wind bits (most of it), all the way, rolling out and up the valley for the climb, yet again.  Saw the woman in the orange top down here ("back up for some more, eh?").  Crawled up the steeps, cleaned it all, with a good breather just above Hospital, then on upwards, getting overtaken by a very fit looking, slightly older dude on a very light looking XC hardtail just before the pono's pylon.  He made it look effortless, in comparison to my huffing and chuffing.  Up around past 40fter and up around to the skidder, all the while suffering, but coping.  

Then across skidder and into lower(gums) singletrack and out to 19th, below road flow, coasting, rain just starting to spit, into DogParkCarPark, nice under the trees, and flowy, blazing alllll the way down to H'Ell and clamber, down to home just as the rain started proper - timing couldn't have been more perfect.

A bittersweet 11.7 kms, with a valid 496 m wrought height.

Tuesday, post Africa, Singlespeed Hour of Power

Excellent HIT SS (SSHIIT?) spin (29r front again) and walk up through Vic tonight.  Limited time, and really needing a blast after a very-sitting African adventure, riding the ebike to work hadn't pepped me enough.  

I clambered up the road getting the breathing going and up over 19th through the skidder and the requisite walk up the grunter.  Onwards up with another short walk in the pines and over into upper Thompson's.  Sweet wee blast down here then seated climbing up the road.  Dropped down around past the jumps and see-saw then trundled alongside the fenceline up to the top of Pedalfine etc.  A grom was just heading down over a new jump on this.  I headed down Upper Fence line, interesting but entirely doable on the SS.  Down around, one close call handllebar clip with post.  As I rolled past the top of Cool Runnings and was heading up I hung a left up a steep track and zigged back up to the jump on Pedalfine then up to the fence to see-saw, a bit of brakefree and down the rabbit paddock, rocks, gums, funtimes, all the way through out, then below the road from 19th, road coast to dogparkcarpark, straight into the bliss trail flying humming bombing, both jumps excellently cleaned and flying through the oaks, twisty groove all the way to bottom.  Clamber to road, and home.

A diminutive 6.4 kms and only 242 m escalated, but still a good hour of power.

Thursday Loco Local - Nun (much improved) to Short Vics

Hot day, thankfully cooling a bit by the time I got out.  Cooked dinner and headed out the door about 7.20pm. Up usual, road from home, 19th, Skidder, stopped to change into singlet on gutser, up top and into Thompson's #1, road, Thomson's #2, across below Kiwi and up the road for a slog to top of Nun.  

Dived in and, "whoooah! Huh!?"  Stopped, pushed back up and dived in again, this time taking the new left rock armoured section.  Into the rest of the old, it's all betidied very nicely with more-flowing jumps and better armour.  Somebody's been busy.  Once lower down, just above the CAP exit it reverted pretty much to the old boney I remembered.  Bombed all the way down back to Kiwi, onto the road again and climbing up to top of Vic.  

Down around the two jumps, hard right into Worm climbing back up to Traverse to dive down into Upper Fenceline, swoopdeswoop, around and across to climb back up the short amount to then hang a right into Razza's, dropping down, plompteplomp, nicely nicely, then dived into and over the Rad^Sick jump, peeling out to climb back up to try out the new extension to Shazza's.  Smooth as, not tech, and the berms aren't quite high enough to rail big speed through them...  Peeled right again to climb past 40fter and back up the steeps to skidder, over 19th again, dropping down road and into 235 for a nice hoon, riding good, climbing out, up road, dogpark dropping behind houses, fast, home.

Worthwhile 11.5 kms, with a smidge under 400m climbed.

Labour Monday Vic OldSkool Labouring

Labour Day Monday, Nelsie got to mine just after 4 and we hit up the hill. To the very top.  Down around the yumpies, across the fenceline and dropped down Upper Fenceline.  Stayed high, across above Cool Runnings, Shroom etc, and dropped into Razza's.  Climbed up a little to drop down the lower reaches of Pedalfine, out of the forest into Flow and NuBridges, all tidied and smooth now, then quick bomb down valley and into the climb up Hidden-connector, me gasping, around to Old Skool. Whilst having our wee rest at the high point, we spotted some blue flagging tapes on the hill above and walked up off piste to check them out and work out what it might be for.  Looks like someone's planning a new skool line above the Oldskool.  Back down to the bikes and we continued our bomb down, the bony-bony old skool. 

Valley bottom hit, we headed up, ground up the grindings, above Texaco we checked out the big rock above, then back on track and back on up. Checked out the new Shazzas extension and pushed up the K2 to Skidder. 

Then over 19th and down 235 all the way out to the lower section. 

A fun wee 10.7 kms with some painful 441 m climbed.

Wednesday Steep Locales

Short and steep ride tonight, in two one-sentence paragraphs.  

Up from home, over 19th usual, skidder, steep, through and up to a quick duck down Thompson #1 and back up road, then down around the Jumpies, bypassed the see-saw, but headed up the fenceline to top of Pedalfine, over the fence and dropped down Upper Fenceline track, skirting across top of Cool Runnings and up the 4wd tracks, getting somewhat confused as to where I was briefly but working it out and dropping down through Razzas, across the Rad to Sneaky Ridge, mumpity bump down the rocks and roots and nearly losing it in the acorns, leaping into Bridges or flow or whatever it's called out there, around into Nu Bridges, spotting lights and silhouettes ahead, catching and overtaking a guy scurrying out of my way on the last corner rock, rolling down to his buddies, confusing them, at Hospital, then up K2, around the Texaco jumps, up the horrible steeps and up around the steep bastards to Skidder again.  

From here, back up the steep to Brakefree and down through the usual gummies, over 19th again, tarmac coasting then 235, a bit damp, nearly losing it again in those acorns, and finally down through the lower exit, road and home. 

Cray cray steepies, 9 kms with 400 m climbed.

Sunday Blustery calm

And another one. Bloody blustery easterly(ish) wind still howling across our house.  This time, same as yesterday(ish) up the usual, Vic Park Drive, 19th, Skidder, Grunter, Brakefreedom, then this time around worm and across to top, diving into the Thompsons, both, and down through the Kiwi and up the Summit Road.  Worsley's to Nun, greasy as a greasy thing on the way up to where I stopped for a nice long rest at the top.  Surprisingly calm once on the leeward side of the hill.

Dropped into the Nun, finding a) the rocks a tad slippery in places, and b) that I'm not sure I like this trail anymore.  It's rough as hell, unpredictable and not as fun as it used to be.  There are several blown-out corners which are tantamount to off-camber, and a couple of the older lines have completely disappeared due to the muppetry of the lowest common denomination.  Also, on the corner towards the CAP some trees have gone and all character lost.  I peeled out at the halfway (road) point and headed across the road.  

Dropped into Governor's, nice and calm over here too, though being in the shade the trail was very greasy, so I picked my way down relatively carefully, and especially so on the bit I crashed on a while back (a year and a half ago!).  Across the level was all good then the climb was very clean and open but I didn't have the power or balance to clean much of it.  Onto the road and dropped into a drain (only metres from the 'proper' track) to access lower Nun.  CAP's closed so no groms hanging around, popped out at Kiwi and across the Pass and up the Summit Rd to top of Vic.

Down around, over the yumpies and see-saw, peeling right like yesterday climbing up to top of the steep tracks.  Over the fence and into Upper Fenceline, getting down this nicely, and as I rounded the far corner a young guy suddenly appeared behind me - musta been chasing for a bit I had no idea.  I let him by and followed him down.  He stopped before Cool Runnings but I continued around across and dropped over into Razza's for a last bit of fun.  Unctious climb out of here and across to lower gums and down, leaping chain again and down and up for cruise down road into 235, nice blaze down here, even better jumps and then up to dogparkcarpark and down the back of the houses home.

Not as steeply as yesterday, 12.4 kms with 481 m climbed

Good Friday Good Local

Good Friday for a steep up down repeat local spin.  Up the usual, 19th, skidder, Worm, around for the couple of jumps, over the see-saw, hard right and across along to top of Upper Fenceline.  Nice spin down this, staying high across and across, then right into Razzas, the ending has changed slightly, but the closure of the other week hasn't wrecked it.  A right at the bottom of this, climbing briefly to the corner to drop down the lower Pedalfine all the way through to the bottom of Brents.  Horrible climb up side of Brents, then into Sneaky Ridge, great drop down here, then flow bridges nu bridges, and back up K2, ugh ugh guh. to skidder and down usual ways funtimes...  hard and steepo

Steep AF, 8.08 state with a measley 320 m clumb

Monday Night Vic Explorations and Old Skool

Great ride tonight with more down than up. Drove down and met Nelson in Bowenvale Ave and we left his car there, driving his bike up to mine. We faffed a tad, oiling chains then got rolling, and in the process I completely forgot to turn on Map My Ride!

Up into Vic Park, observing the scour on the walking track from the previous week's month's worth of rain that had put all the gravel of the track down on Vic Park Drive and outside the Tahake.  Up the usual 19th route over to Skidder and up the guts.  

At the top of this we dropped for the first time (for me) into Radi Garden.  Steep and tech, but not as evil as some, not bad.  Spat out at that Rad^Sick corner, we drudged up to (what we now know is called) Razza's for a fun wee down this, buffing the rhoids.  Back up to the Rad^ corner and along the lower of the two 4wds, then up a steep one, which took us up to the top of Cool Runnings.  Nelson climbed his bike up a steep piece and we looked around up there, SO MANY TRACKS, and then I walked back down and he dropped it.  From here, strangely, we found ourselves riding up Upper Fenceline, all the way up to the fence and then pushed up to top of Pedalfine.  First time tried a new down - Cowabunga which may also be called Shrooms, looking at and choosing various options at each road, all the way down.  Eventually we got to the bottom after various harrowing or exciting adventures, and rolled out the bottom onto ?Bridges, taking the lower old techier line, then down Nu Bridges too.  Decided here to head up valley briefly and walked up the walking steps onto the surprisingly fun flowy zip thru to the Hidden Bonus for the final(ish) climb, to Old Skool, and down this at not quite warp factor 10.  I was following Nelson and noticing that he kept muppetting through rock sections incoherently, so now and then I blasted up behind him through smooth "dont take his line" lines.  Good blast down the bottom corners, and onto the main drag for a cooling roll down to the car parked in the shade.  

No maps, but estimate about 8-9 kms ridden, with around 300 m climbed, but an additional couple hundred descended...

Saturday Arvo Vic Park Meander

Nelson came over in the afternoon and we headed up into the Park. 

Up the road, seeing Sophie's parents and little bro walking up Vic, quick chat, then onwards up the road.  My route around the top of the 19th and over to the skidder, then up the grunter guts climb, to the top of Vic. 

 Across to the edge of the trees and dropped down to the top of the black and double black lines, looking down Cowabungaitis and wondering...  Decided tho on original plan, upper fenceline.  I was untrusting of the slick but Nelson bombed off down ahead.  Around and across, looked into Roam (which got very mucky below the massive log drop), and Flow Rider, but dropped into Cool Runnings, wafting down with a brief sessioning of one step-up feature.  Then down all the way into the gulley.  Climb out, this time through Cool Runnings towards Rad^Sick, which is steep but maybe not as steep as the other way I went last time I ground out of there.  

At the 40fter we headed across into Ponos, which was very sloppy in places, especially where there was water and muck on redrock, sliiiccckk as.  Out to the 23fter, back up the 4wd climb.  Zig and Zag around and up to Skidder, then up the grunter guts following a mum & daughter(?) who were walking faster than me, but the same speed as Nelson.  

Then it was around a 'new' access to Sesame St, dropping down this, pop pop pop, and out through skidsville down Vic and into the 235, ducking under the tree and not too greasy til the wet spot in the oaks.  Clamber back up to the road and upwards, lo and behold, there's Sophies folks and bro again walking down.  Lolz all round.  Into the descent behind the houses, a little sloppy in one section but the rest good.  Back home.

A pretty steep sub-8 km, with only 336 m climbed.

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. 

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.