Got myself across to Steve's by 9am (via Stanmore, Nursery, Wilsons, Opawa) and found there him, Wazza and Wayno. We headed around and up cRapaki, taking it at a nice easy Steve's pace. We held back with him until the flat bit where Wazza and me headed over a wee singletrack above the trail, then for the final climb I pushed hard ahead and exhausted myself for a nice rest at the top. Somewhere on the way up cRapaki my MapMyRide died, stopping at 7.99kms, stupid thing. Off up Vernon, following a couple of real slowbos, and staying on their tails because we were holding back for Steve, but once we got past them I powered on ahead and around and up and around and over and stopped at the start of the Traverse. Quite a few people around here. I snacked and we regrouped, then onwards around the Traverse, keeping a good pace going, catching up to various oldies on the way round. Fun fang round and then I lost my chain just before the end, coasted to a stop and re-engaged, following the other three to the top of Vic. Into Thomson and Thompson, nice blasts through the two of these.
Up the road to top of Marleys, and time for a lap of the Nun, so lined it up, waiting for a young grom to put on his knee pads and get going, but these two older slower guys got in ahead of him. I headed in after him and never saw him again (til he'd popped out half way), but I caught the older guys in the rocky sections. Once past them I had a good blast down, only muppetting a couple spots. Good speed in the lower reaches. At the tree on the corner near the bottom a rooster clucked out in front of me and squawked and holla'd ahead of me for a few metres before getting out of my way. On down and through the jumpies, missing them, and avoiding my nemesis jump.
Back up the road and over and down the Body bag, getting some good speed down here, the bike feeling really smooth. Hung a left towards Braille, and then a hard right onto the newby Nelson and me had found. The guy was working on it, so I thanked him and he wished us good riding. We had a good blast down here, the boys enjoying the trail a lot. Dropped onto the trail at the end and fanged off down this. Wet spot where Nelson and me headed up for the Jumpy trail, and the 4wd below here got greasier and wetter and muckier the further we went. Total passenger material, with one loss of control by me when we passed a riding couple squirrelling their way up. Where the jumpy trail comes out the trail was dry again and bombed down to the road losing a lot of the muck off our tires. More removed at 60 whatever kph on the road, diversion on the mtb track on the left, then into the Farside tracks. The boys all took 1 Trick Lucy, where I opted for Utopia. I felt like it isn't used much, and was fun, but got me out the bottom quicker than them.
Down the road and stopped in for a coffee at the cafe in the Cracroft shops, then met Andy and Jenna around the road a bit from here and chatted, before heading around the river, across the Beckenham Loop and I peeled off up Eastern, Wilsons, Nursery, Stanmore home.
Steve'sMappedRide says he did 28kms, and over 720m or so altitude... chuck an extra 10 kms on that for my commute, and we're even.
Showing posts with label Utopia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Utopia. Show all posts
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Sunday afternoon Farside Jetting
Short ride for me today after a big night prior. Jet and me headed across to Worsley's Rd and parked just on the bottom corner. Didn't bring tools or bag cos figured I was only ever gonna be 5 minutes from the car. Headed up and rode the trail next to the road that used to be overgrown but is now clear. Jet had a lovely time running ahead and pissing on everything. First lap I went down Farside, the middle trail. Some muppet had left a bunch of manuka branches just down from the entrance, but the rest was good. Really enjoyed this trail, lots of swoopy ups and downs and good fun.
Back into the climb, going a little better this time, climbing in 2nd gear all the way. This lap I headed down 1 Trick Lucy (2nd left) and it was good, a couple of interesting and tight features to start, then twisty turny in the trees.
Up again, climbing well, and into Utopia this time. Sweet run down here. A couple of the wee ups a little tighter than Farside.
Climbing again, and this time into Valhalla, 1st on the left. Takes you quite low into the valley with some cool droppy bits, before climbing back out to the exit.
Once more, up again, and this time it into Fluffy Sheep. Fastest of the trails, and most direct route down too. A couple of the corners were a bit weird and a nice jump at the end.
Finally, one last climb, and back into Farside, which today I think was my favourite... It's got everything in it. It swoops up and down, isn't overgrown or too tight, but keeps it really interesting. Final blast out the bottom, through the fence and back down to the car - total riding time 47minutes.
Grand total of 6kms, less than 1 km per lap, and only a bit over 300m climbed... negligible but needed.
Back into the climb, going a little better this time, climbing in 2nd gear all the way. This lap I headed down 1 Trick Lucy (2nd left) and it was good, a couple of interesting and tight features to start, then twisty turny in the trees.
Up again, climbing well, and into Utopia this time. Sweet run down here. A couple of the wee ups a little tighter than Farside.
Climbing again, and this time into Valhalla, 1st on the left. Takes you quite low into the valley with some cool droppy bits, before climbing back out to the exit.
Once more, up again, and this time it into Fluffy Sheep. Fastest of the trails, and most direct route down too. A couple of the corners were a bit weird and a nice jump at the end.
Finally, one last climb, and back into Farside, which today I think was my favourite... It's got everything in it. It swoops up and down, isn't overgrown or too tight, but keeps it really interesting. Final blast out the bottom, through the fence and back down to the car - total riding time 47minutes.
Grand total of 6kms, less than 1 km per lap, and only a bit over 300m climbed... negligible but needed.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Saturday's posse catch-up, up, round and down.
Trundled across town to Steve's for a 9 oclock, and found there Wazza, Steve and Robin, soon followed by the arrival of Wayno. We headed around through Hanson's Park and up the usual route, Ramahana, Aotea and up. All sticking together and chatting catching up, for 't had been a while since I'd ridden with these fellas. Ground our way up the gravel and topped out, me starving hungry, scoffing half a one-square as the others rolled up in short shrift.
Was a big posse assembling up in the road, and a couple of young dudes headed thru ahead of us, so we got going. Took a while but I wound in the young dudes by our usual regroup spot below Sugarloaf. They headed out while I awaited the others, then there were a few riders coming the other way so we held off our departure. Then, these total dicks came up behind us and proceeded to totally fuck up any flow the oncoming riders had, going ahead of us. We ask commented on their rudeness and followed them, me continually winding them in, letting them off, winding them in, the rest of the way to Vic.
Into the Thompsons, blast blast blast, then ride chatting to the previously mentioned young dudes as we climbed up the road... I dropped back and joined the boys, mainly Wazza and we plodded our ways up the road then up top of The Nun. I led straight out thinking most of them were gonna bail in the middle, and had a rather wafty ride. Slow in the slow bits but fast and jumpy in the fast jumpy bits. Made it through the top half and dropped into the lowers. Riding really cleanly, lightly, til the stretch before the corner next to where the Governor's Bay trail comes up, and I double pinch flatted. Walked up the exit trail to that corner on the road and proceeded to start patching. The boys rolled up, all but Steve, with Robin continuing on, while Wazza and Wayne waited a bit, the Wazza left. I patched two holes, then found two more, so Wayne gave me a tube, then took off. So, I finished up and got going. We all met up with Steve at the top of Worsley's.
I led off down the 'Bag and bounced and rolled, trying to stay out of the ruts. With the forest closed we headed down the old skool main drag, first time down this for aeons (St Patrick's Day, 2011, to be precise). At the big corner, old entrance to the Guts climbing track, we caught up with Tim Prebble, who was manning the 'info' station (ie, his truck, with leaflets on the windscreen) about the new Park. Chatted a whiles, then headed on down the track, Epitaph, then road, and into Farsideville. I took Utopia, which I really enjoyed. The others all took various other ones, which they all really enjoyed too.
To finish, off down the road, and into Zero's for coffees (and greentea) and grub.
I's home by 12.45pm
35 kms with all that road, and 729m climbed
Was a big posse assembling up in the road, and a couple of young dudes headed thru ahead of us, so we got going. Took a while but I wound in the young dudes by our usual regroup spot below Sugarloaf. They headed out while I awaited the others, then there were a few riders coming the other way so we held off our departure. Then, these total dicks came up behind us and proceeded to totally fuck up any flow the oncoming riders had, going ahead of us. We ask commented on their rudeness and followed them, me continually winding them in, letting them off, winding them in, the rest of the way to Vic.
Into the Thompsons, blast blast blast, then ride chatting to the previously mentioned young dudes as we climbed up the road... I dropped back and joined the boys, mainly Wazza and we plodded our ways up the road then up top of The Nun. I led straight out thinking most of them were gonna bail in the middle, and had a rather wafty ride. Slow in the slow bits but fast and jumpy in the fast jumpy bits. Made it through the top half and dropped into the lowers. Riding really cleanly, lightly, til the stretch before the corner next to where the Governor's Bay trail comes up, and I double pinch flatted. Walked up the exit trail to that corner on the road and proceeded to start patching. The boys rolled up, all but Steve, with Robin continuing on, while Wazza and Wayne waited a bit, the Wazza left. I patched two holes, then found two more, so Wayne gave me a tube, then took off. So, I finished up and got going. We all met up with Steve at the top of Worsley's.
I led off down the 'Bag and bounced and rolled, trying to stay out of the ruts. With the forest closed we headed down the old skool main drag, first time down this for aeons (St Patrick's Day, 2011, to be precise). At the big corner, old entrance to the Guts climbing track, we caught up with Tim Prebble, who was manning the 'info' station (ie, his truck, with leaflets on the windscreen) about the new Park. Chatted a whiles, then headed on down the track, Epitaph, then road, and into Farsideville. I took Utopia, which I really enjoyed. The others all took various other ones, which they all really enjoyed too.
To finish, off down the road, and into Zero's for coffees (and greentea) and grub.
I's home by 12.45pm
35 kms with all that road, and 729m climbed
Thursday, December 03, 2015
Scorching Wednesday Night mechanicals
Nelson picked me up from work and we waded across the city's traffic flows to Worsley's Rd. Parked on the flat by the poplar trees. Still about 30 degrees, so energy sappingly hot. Up the road, slowly does it, then into Fluffy Sheep for the climb. Nelson gapped me and I struggled. Should have checked, but I was having a few niggles with my shifting... (had been on the way to work as well). On up the road and then through the gate and up the sort-of-singletrack in the long-grass then into the trees, where the shade was helpful, but the heat was so overbearing and was making me really struggle. All the way up I had to hold back so's not to puke. Nelson wasn't waiting for me until the top of the B-Line tracks. I felt like shit.
On up the further climb, past Debby/Alice's, and on up to top of Tommy2's and Throw The Goat. Another nice rest here chatting to a young(ish) dude on a nomad. Nelson was trying out his chest mounted Go Pro so followed me in. After the first couple of pedal strokes I went to change gears and they dropped straight down to top gear, with no response from the shifter. Hmmmm... Continued all the way down, fanging and weaving, dust plume choking back Nelson from my tail. Good run all the way down, altho the pedalling was a bit slow... We got to the bottom, arms pumped with braking, and quads burning with the non-stop descent, and proceeded to work out what to do with my gears... ended up with this fix:
pulled the cable through and out, and then attached it and wrapped it around the chainstay to hold it in 2nd gear (for the climbing).
Got rolling and it was super low for those bits of climbing, but got me up eventually to the junction (where there were heaps of peeps). It slipped into 3rd as we entered the Guts track, so I rode as far as I could and then had to walk. Rode again at the pylon gap and kept on up for a while past Fight Club and then walked again up to the clifftop. There were some others walking ahead of me so I didn't feel too bad about it. Nelson was waiting at the cliff top, (where some dickhead 4wders had recently had a fucking fire! dumbshits). On up the Original B-Line catching the guys that'd been walking, me managing to ride all the way to the rocks that always get me. Onwards and all the way to top. Then on further up again (walking this time) and we hooked into the newby with the canyon. Good run down the top bit then Nelson had a flail on the log, breaking yet another of his flash blade spokes! Onwards down, through, under, around and back into lower Tommy2's and the dust storm blast down here. Final climb out, slow for me, then across the main drag and into the jumpy trail in the trees. Normally quite pedally this one so I was slow down it, but got a couple of good jumpies near the bottom. then around, Nelson peeled off up to do Epitaph, while I just rolled down the grassy 'single' track.
Onto the road, and rolling rolling rolling down, taking the new grass 'singletrack' on the left of the road where it flattens off and heads around the corners, then down and into the Farside trails. I chose Utopia, and it was good. Swoopy swoopy, not too much pedalling (not that I could) to do, kept speed through corners and it was a blast. Finally, out onto the road and down back to the car, the last hundred metres or so rolling very slow.
693m altitude, 15.43 kms...
On up the further climb, past Debby/Alice's, and on up to top of Tommy2's and Throw The Goat. Another nice rest here chatting to a young(ish) dude on a nomad. Nelson was trying out his chest mounted Go Pro so followed me in. After the first couple of pedal strokes I went to change gears and they dropped straight down to top gear, with no response from the shifter. Hmmmm... Continued all the way down, fanging and weaving, dust plume choking back Nelson from my tail. Good run all the way down, altho the pedalling was a bit slow... We got to the bottom, arms pumped with braking, and quads burning with the non-stop descent, and proceeded to work out what to do with my gears... ended up with this fix:
Got rolling and it was super low for those bits of climbing, but got me up eventually to the junction (where there were heaps of peeps). It slipped into 3rd as we entered the Guts track, so I rode as far as I could and then had to walk. Rode again at the pylon gap and kept on up for a while past Fight Club and then walked again up to the clifftop. There were some others walking ahead of me so I didn't feel too bad about it. Nelson was waiting at the cliff top, (where some dickhead 4wders had recently had a fucking fire! dumbshits). On up the Original B-Line catching the guys that'd been walking, me managing to ride all the way to the rocks that always get me. Onwards and all the way to top. Then on further up again (walking this time) and we hooked into the newby with the canyon. Good run down the top bit then Nelson had a flail on the log, breaking yet another of his flash blade spokes! Onwards down, through, under, around and back into lower Tommy2's and the dust storm blast down here. Final climb out, slow for me, then across the main drag and into the jumpy trail in the trees. Normally quite pedally this one so I was slow down it, but got a couple of good jumpies near the bottom. then around, Nelson peeled off up to do Epitaph, while I just rolled down the grassy 'single' track.
Onto the road, and rolling rolling rolling down, taking the new grass 'singletrack' on the left of the road where it flattens off and heads around the corners, then down and into the Farside trails. I chose Utopia, and it was good. Swoopy swoopy, not too much pedalling (not that I could) to do, kept speed through corners and it was a blast. Finally, out onto the road and down back to the car, the last hundred metres or so rolling very slow.
693m altitude, 15.43 kms...
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Tuesday Lapping up the laps
An hour or so to use tonight, before a PFMTBC trip organising meeting at Pete's, so Nelson picked me up from work and we twisted and turned through heavy traffic to Worsley's Rd. Parked up just round the first corner, at the bottom of the Farside tracks. First lap, up the old skool dirt track close to the road, puffing like crazy, gasping in fact. Then took Valhalla, first time down here, not having any idea where it was taking us or how. Steep few off camber corners, dropping quite a bit of altitude, close to the old original zig zag track that used to be in here, then it peeled across the slope, dropping now and then, and climbing a little towards the end. Lots of interesting features, but quite low speed on account of the off camberness.
Back onto the road and up for lap 2. This time, the next track on the left, 1 Trick Lucy. I'd been down the top of this once before, but peeled back across to Farside that time. This time, all the way. Somehow it squeezes in between Valhalla and Farside and finds it's way down in a similar nature to Valhalla. A few very cool wee features on it, lots of fun. Ends up joining Farside towards the end.
Back onto the road and up for lap 3. This time, skipping over Farside, and taking Utopia. Woot. Had done this once before with jet back in November, so it felt vaguely familiar. It blends into lower end of Fluffy Sheep which we got onto the next lap.
Back up the road for Lap 4. Into Fluffy Sheep this time, the first time either of us had been down this (tho I'd been up back in Nov.) Sweet wee blast down here, quite flowy and swoopy. A couple of really small 'jump' features, and smooth.
Lap 5, into the original Farside. Bloody brake ruts in the first steep section, but the rest of it was alright. Usual woopdewoops and squirrelly drops.
Lap 6, gave Valhalla another go, with me in the lead this time. Good spin down here again. Gonna take a while to get used to those off camber corners tho.
Lap 7, final lap. This time 1 Trick Lucy again. Haha, this time, Nelson missed the entrance, so I led the way down with him well behind me. Had a good run down and finished it in no time.
Each lap was about 5 minutes or less up, and 5 minutes or less down. Seven round trips done in 1 hour. Total altitude of the trail network is around 60 metres, so we did a bit over 400 m in total. Not bad for an hour's up and down. (updated with more accurate information from the boys doing it a week later and MapMyRiding it, measuring the altitude more accurately(ish) than my Topomapping guestimation).
Grabbed Noodle Canteen and a couple of beverages on the way to Pete's and made it there only minutes late. Wellington seems to be the go for the Annual Trippage this year...
Back onto the road and up for lap 2. This time, the next track on the left, 1 Trick Lucy. I'd been down the top of this once before, but peeled back across to Farside that time. This time, all the way. Somehow it squeezes in between Valhalla and Farside and finds it's way down in a similar nature to Valhalla. A few very cool wee features on it, lots of fun. Ends up joining Farside towards the end.
Back onto the road and up for lap 3. This time, skipping over Farside, and taking Utopia. Woot. Had done this once before with jet back in November, so it felt vaguely familiar. It blends into lower end of Fluffy Sheep which we got onto the next lap.
Back up the road for Lap 4. Into Fluffy Sheep this time, the first time either of us had been down this (tho I'd been up back in Nov.) Sweet wee blast down here, quite flowy and swoopy. A couple of really small 'jump' features, and smooth.
Lap 5, into the original Farside. Bloody brake ruts in the first steep section, but the rest of it was alright. Usual woopdewoops and squirrelly drops.
Lap 6, gave Valhalla another go, with me in the lead this time. Good spin down here again. Gonna take a while to get used to those off camber corners tho.
Lap 7, final lap. This time 1 Trick Lucy again. Haha, this time, Nelson missed the entrance, so I led the way down with him well behind me. Had a good run down and finished it in no time.
Each lap was about 5 minutes or less up, and 5 minutes or less down. Seven round trips done in 1 hour. Total altitude of the trail network is around 60 metres, so we did a bit over 400 m in total. Not bad for an hour's up and down. (updated with more accurate information from the boys doing it a week later and MapMyRiding it, measuring the altitude more accurately(ish) than my Topomapping guestimation).
Grabbed Noodle Canteen and a couple of beverages on the way to Pete's and made it there only minutes late. Wellington seems to be the go for the Annual Trippage this year...
Sunday, November 02, 2014
Sunday Worsley & Far Side Jet sprints
Needed to keep it short this morning, and nearly got out really early, like 8am, but eventually what with one thing and another it was about 9.20 I found myself over near the bottom of the hills, heading for the top of Worsley Rd with Jet in the back. Parked up and headed up behind a couple of motorbikes. Clamber clamber, with the newly working forks working bloody well. These are the white 55s that gave me so much gyp on the trip - Josh chucked in a coil instead of the positive air component, and she works a treat. Up the grind, and before the powerlines came across one of the motorbikes. He was fiddling around in the front of the bike, and it wasn't going... rode on up, eventually catching up and passing a young running/walking couple, her giving Jet lots of pets. Ground out to the top where the other motorbike was waiting and he asked about his mate and I said it looked like trouble so he was gonna head back down..
Then off up the entrance to the B-line talking a bit to a dude who'd just come down bodybag. Him and his mate went down, I went up, grindy grind to Debbie Does Dallas -lead in, and fanged off down here. Slow to start but gradually speeding up, and then down past the ruins and into the Douglas fir darkness then out. Below the big cliff stopped and had a wee look at a trail being built just above this one. Got going again down the steeps into Alice's Restaurant where I baulked the usual couple of corners cos they're just so damned steep. Saw 3 riders across on T2 briefly, and then spotted them on the climb out.
At the junction I followed these guys up the guts track, riding all the way, but they'd lost me by the time I crossed the pylon gap. On up to the cliff top, a young DH couple hangin' out sayin' hi. Sat on the cliftop for a bite to eat and a wee rest before heading off down Wayne's World and then across and down into Fight Club (passing the young couple pushing back up on the way). Fight Club was a blast, suspension just soaking everything up beautifully. Out the bottom and back up the exit track to the junction. Nor'west wind was starting to pick up, so figured the forest might not be too safe any more, so we headed on back down the usual to the car. Loaded the bike on and we drove down the road.
Just before the bottom corner I pulled up and parked. And rode up one of the new downhill tracks in the Farside network... Fluffy Sheets or something. Anyway, decided on the way it wasn't that great for climbing, but stuck with it. At the top I explored, first, off down 1 Trick Lucy but it descended in a direction I didn't like, and looked like it was gonna leave me in the bottom of the valley, so, pushed back up onto Farside and pushed to the top of that. Into Utopia I flowed. Very familiar feeling, like farside, with some sweet wee swoops and dips and off camber corners, and then it spat me onto Fluffy Sheets near the bottom. Back up the usual next-to-the-road off-road track, meeting some very tentative riders coming down, and cleaned out the top in no time - much better than going up Fluffy Sheets. Here I dropped into Farside and had a real blast down this, arriving back at the car in no time, 11am-ish and headed with my hot and tired doggy, home.
Then off up the entrance to the B-line talking a bit to a dude who'd just come down bodybag. Him and his mate went down, I went up, grindy grind to Debbie Does Dallas -lead in, and fanged off down here. Slow to start but gradually speeding up, and then down past the ruins and into the Douglas fir darkness then out. Below the big cliff stopped and had a wee look at a trail being built just above this one. Got going again down the steeps into Alice's Restaurant where I baulked the usual couple of corners cos they're just so damned steep. Saw 3 riders across on T2 briefly, and then spotted them on the climb out.
At the junction I followed these guys up the guts track, riding all the way, but they'd lost me by the time I crossed the pylon gap. On up to the cliff top, a young DH couple hangin' out sayin' hi. Sat on the cliftop for a bite to eat and a wee rest before heading off down Wayne's World and then across and down into Fight Club (passing the young couple pushing back up on the way). Fight Club was a blast, suspension just soaking everything up beautifully. Out the bottom and back up the exit track to the junction. Nor'west wind was starting to pick up, so figured the forest might not be too safe any more, so we headed on back down the usual to the car. Loaded the bike on and we drove down the road.
Just before the bottom corner I pulled up and parked. And rode up one of the new downhill tracks in the Farside network... Fluffy Sheets or something. Anyway, decided on the way it wasn't that great for climbing, but stuck with it. At the top I explored, first, off down 1 Trick Lucy but it descended in a direction I didn't like, and looked like it was gonna leave me in the bottom of the valley, so, pushed back up onto Farside and pushed to the top of that. Into Utopia I flowed. Very familiar feeling, like farside, with some sweet wee swoops and dips and off camber corners, and then it spat me onto Fluffy Sheets near the bottom. Back up the usual next-to-the-road off-road track, meeting some very tentative riders coming down, and cleaned out the top in no time - much better than going up Fluffy Sheets. Here I dropped into Farside and had a real blast down this, arriving back at the car in no time, 11am-ish and headed with my hot and tired doggy, home.
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