Thursday night more McVicar meanderings

Nelson and me got up the hill tonight.  Almost a repeat of my last ride, but not quite.  Parked up top of Worsley's Rd and hit the dirt.  Rode up at a much better clip than Sunday, cleaning lots more of the mucky bits and feeling not so bad.  Nasty mess where those 4WDs were stuck the other day, but overall maybe a little drier than then.  Up the access to the B-Line Zone and off up the newby, apparently called Tommy's 2 (Tommy apparently being one of the guys building in there; nice job, fella).

Cleaned nearly all the climb this time, bar one or two bits and then I led off into the descent.  Swoopy steep, flowing through, lost it on one corner which Nelson cleaned behind me, then went up to show me how he'd done it again.  On down, more steepness, tho, nothing as steep as in Dave's.  Couple of wee jumpies that you need to know are coming.  I'd forgotten about them from Sunday, but remembered when I saw them and baulked, cos on Sunday they'd nearly thrown me over the bars.  Anyway, down we went for a while, then I figured we were at the point where it cuts back to the left and goes even steeper hangs a right and down into the wooden jump followed by the halfpipey bit and the mudmire, so, here we stopped and dropped the bikes and started scoping out another line off to the right.  I walked ahead looking while Nelson followed me down dragging a stick through the pine needles to guide us later.  I got bluffed, so we found a way further down onto a good bit and continued on down, eventually getting all the way out to where we could see the forestry road.  So, back up towards the bikes, tweaking bits and pieces as we went and then the into the first run.  Both stalled on a rock feature a third of the way down, so dragged the bikes back up a bit and carried rocks and placed them.  Then Nelson did a bunch more work and we gave it another go all the way from the top, all the way through.  I screwed up a couple of bits but the follow through finish is quite good.  Then we rode and pushed back to the top again and rode it again, this time me getting more, and I think Nelson cleaning it all.  Bit of a drop onto the road and back round under Fight Club and on back up to the junction.

Here we headed up the steep forestry bastard climb into a spitty drizzle and mist in the pylon clearing meeting two other guys up there.  Chatted with them and learned the Tommy's details mentioned above, and they continued on up and we peeled off into Fight Club.  Me leading, sweet run down through this, with excellent traction and it felt really easy compared to Tommy's 2, so we had a great run, startling a hare near the top, and a possum at the bottom, me putting the gap on Nelson in the top half, then him starting to catch me in the rougher stuff down lower.  At the exit, my front wheel was looking like it was going off too much to the left, so I stepped off the back of the bike as it went over the drop and it stopped and I kept going and my knee hit my seatpost quick release lever which embedded itself in my knee.  Fucking smarted.  i squatted and stood and moaned for a bit then got it moving and got riding.  had a look at it and it was that kinda white flesh before blood flows, but i covered it and rode on back up, pain subsiding as i rode.  Back to the Junction and in for the final descent, taking a low line below the tank and pretty much missing the worst of the muck there, then the final return to the main track and the worst muck of the evening, and back down to the car through a starfield of water droplets.  At the car, lifted my knee covering to discover a nice wee slit with blood.  And now, at home, its swelled up real nice.

Sunday gloomy afternoon McVicarage

I see a few of the others got out for a bit of a muckfest today, which I couldn't make, so once T was home headed out later in the gloomy afternoon - leaving home after 3.30pm.  Low cloud hanging around the tops as i approached the hills with Jet in the car with me.  My first attempt at taking him for a hill ride, parking at the top of Worsley's Rd, him blisteringly excited when i let him out of the car.

Off we headed, around 4, up the road and onto the dirt, which was not much like dirt and a fair bit more like mud, especially in places.  Bit of a creek running down the ruts and obvious 4wd churning all over the place.  Climbing was greasy, even on the ridges between the ruts, and my tires were hooking up as well as they could, which was pretty good, with minimal slip.  Jet was awesome, tho i had to call him back occasionally, but he got into it the further up we got, staying within 10 or 20 metres pretty much all the time.  There was one or two bits with barely any bikeable trail left on them, due to 4WD churn, coupled with creek flow and soggy muck, so one or two bits were walked.  Up where that 4WD was rolled off the trail (and another time we found one on it's roof), i rounded a bend and there the track was entirely blocked by the 4WD's responsible for all the previously encountered churn.  Luckily it was right where they'd trashed the fence and there was a line to ride in the grass between the track and the forest, so i rode past them then found my way back ontrack where a couple of alcohol-breath-ed youths were standing watching their stuck mates.  Off onwards up Jet and me continued and left up to the B-Lines.

Now, on Friday i was talking to a certain N. Sutcliffe, who has good knowledge of the trails in here, and hinted to me of a new one... (which I'll call FightClub2 until we find out a name)...  So, i followed his hints which involved a little extra climbing to usual, some bits of which were steep and greasy, then it headed off down.  Much like Fight Club in gradient and flow, tho steeper albeit not as steep as Dave's, lots of fun, and would have been waaaay more fun if it wasn't so wet, not that traction was that bad (until lower down).  For the more 'hardcore' bits i made sure Jet was behind me, but mostly he was good cruising ahead.  There was a couple of corners I walked due to total lack of traction.  Then, lower down a wooden jump over a gap I walked, and below that a totally saturated quagmire which would have just dirtied my bike that much too much, so I walked around it...  And finally, rode out the bottom at the same exit point as Fight Club.  Sweeet.  Now, if I'd made the trail, before it headed left across the slope and into the gully with the jump, I'd have run it more to the right, higher and thereby longer down the ridge further, but that's just me, and the forest is open enough that it wont take much to get in and do that (Nelson, next time?) soon.

From here, took the access track back up to the Junction, and headed up the steep 4wd track in the forest, grannying away all the way up to the powerline clearing, nearly to FightClub.  Turned around here cos it was just gonna get darker, and took the first left, then first right, back across the 4wd track and into one of my favourite wee swoopys, Jet on my tail, both of us having a great time, back down to the access track, back up that, and down and out the lower stuff which had a really fucking messy bit below the watertank, and from there on down is a bit ground out.  Finally, the blast down back to the car, Jet enjoying the high speed stretch, and seats down and in the back, "Goood Boy!", 5pm.

Thursday Eastern Night Time Ramble

Nelson and me got out to Taylors last night.  Had to turn on the power and the spa at the bach there for the weekend, and also figured the trails out that way would be the best bet after all this weather we've been getting.  Also, my first night testing out the new lights.  First up, the 'Tail, everything working smoothly so no broken chains or grinding.  Before we started we could see a fellow night rider above us on the trail, and we slowly caught him as we progressed to Boulder Bay.  But on the first swtchbck above Boulder Bay we stopped to de-layer, cos it was really quite mild, altho later i regretted this as the wind was getting around all the non-windproof bits of my top and freezing my kidneys and generally making be cold...  Anyway, he got a fair way ahead of us then and we didnt see him again until we were climbing for the Barracks and he was way up on the hill between us and Breeze Col. 

At top of Godley we decided not to take the Breeze Col trail, figuring it would be slick as pigshit, so we took the 4wd trail up and got onto the wee northside tight (newish) singletrack, followed by a nice descent down to Breeze Col.  It was on this singletrack and descent i had my 3led light on helmet and 2led light on handlebars, both on full beam and fuck it was bright, like daylight...  the 3led light has a broader spread, and later when i swapped them over to trial the 2led on head, i found that the 3led light is best on the head, more of that later. 

At Breeze Col we headed up the Godley singletrack, taking it past the pfmtbc rock rather than up the shortcut, and onto the new benched gravel section (which is bedding in nicely now) and over to Livingston.  Then straight up the guts rather than the usual bike track, where i walked a bit and then carried on up (on newly filled in U channels (no longer U's)) and on up to the top where we stopped.  Here, i swapped over the lights and as soon as i got going again, back down towards Livingston, i realised that the other way round was better...  the 2led light is just too tight a beam and focuses your eye a bit too much, similarly to my last 'new' light (which Andrew has for repair at the moment).  Excellent descent to Livingston, with the newly gravelled stuff REALLY fast.  Over to Breeze was good too, the climb not bad and the new gravel very fast again. 

Then into the snake, Nelson in the lead and a good run all the way down, tho half way down my back started getting really sore which took away from the enjoyment a bit.  Once out, it was back up the road to the truck parked at the top of the steps above the bach.

Little

Ak.

Yesterday i fitted a new handlebar and some grips.  750 wide, wiiiide... 

This afternoon i got out for a spin.  Rain due for Monday (day off for the Queen) so figured i had to ride.  Just me and the bike, no bag, not intending on going far.  Headed up Decanter Bay Rd, not a bad wee grind, minimal granny used (unlike this time when i just stood and pushed harder), then nice gravel road descent into Decanter, and then onwards up the road towards Menzies.  Climbed and climbed til there was a respite, whereupon i took in the view, enjoyed the blustery breeze and turned around and headed back the way i'd come.  This time tho i took as much off piste as possible, riding cattle trails mostly, just above above the road, til i rounded over the cattlestop entering Decanter and it was road the rest of the way.  Faaast descent into there, then clamber clamber out of there, stopping to check out the (past it) Cape Gooseberries (was hoping for some wicked anti-oxidants), onwards back up and over, jetting up to warp-speed for the latter half of the road back into the bay.  All up maybe an hour out and 600 odd metres of climb on.

Meanwhile, found and rather enjoyed this vid, Steve Peat mongering Santa Cruz's newest thoroughbred...

Sunday Bottle Lake shorty

Took O, H and Jet out to the pond in the afternoon and we Jetted around the inside.  The section that was blocked up last time i was in there was open again, making for a much more pleasant ride through.  Dog had a great time.  O had a great time, H, not so much.  Little guy struggles on the 20inch machine, clipping pedals and not having the grunt or momentum to make it up the bigger hills.  Started to complain a bit by the time we got to the wide open section 3/4ths of the way round.

Lack, thereof...

Since Craigieburn, a meeting on Tuesday night followed by bad weather since has put a stop to any rides, with few chances in the coming week looking particularly promising, forecast-wise. 

Last week did see a lot of tooling about town however.  Monday, errands took me an extra 10km around town to usual, Tuesday I added an extra 20 or so, and then another 10 or so on Wednesday.  Saturday night i biked across town (13km total) for frivolities at Chez deSpa.  Not to mention all the running of the dog around the river loops of a morning or four - that chucks in another 6 to 8 kms unaccounted for also.

Yesterday should have seen us doing a short ride to Charlesworth Reserve to plant some Trees for Canterbury, but alas, postponed to next Sunday.

On Monday night last I took the 1.5/1.75 slicks off the Troll and put a 2.35 Larson TT on the front, and a 2.3 Kenda K-rad on the back.  Balloon-stylez.  PHAT AS.  Far more sureity of footing in the dodgy conditions of late, with the main reason for it being the crap roads in my neighbourhood.  I've largely gotten used to them now, and figure if i'm pushing harder, it's making up for not riding the 20kms a day to and from Sockburn.  Dont seem to be pushing that much harder tho.  Am keen to eventually buy some purpose built slicks along the lines of the Big Apples.

Hopefully a ride of sorts can be cobbled together tomorrow or Thursday...

Saturday Muddy Mountain Madness

Another mission out to Craigieburn and the Hogsback today.  Tom was at mine just on 8 and we headed for Sheffield to arrive at the pre-specified time of 8.40something.  Met Nelson for transference to his car and the onwards drive to Castle Hill.  Pete and Steve were in the Falcon and Warren, Wayne and Tony were in Steel&Tube.  And so we met and left Nelson's car and transferred bikes and headed round to Broken River, nice clear day and a good hard frost.

Into Sidle 73, Nelson and me at the front riding crunchy ice around to the road and the endless climb to the snow.  Grind grind grind, meeting a bit of snow before the hairpin at the top, progressively getting deeper til the top where there was maybe an inch or two well deposited.  Regroup and layer changes here, sitting on tussocks, then off down the Edge...

Bit wet in places but mostly pretty good, all the scree faces were good to go, bit of snow on the first few.  Then Tom got a flat in the middle of one, fixed that and on we rolled.  Getting some pretty good speed up for a while, through the forest, when suddenly it was all anchors as we bailed up for the log.  Over this and on again, faster and faster, down, through where they've rerouted the trail, Nelson flying down the rooty drops and losing it on the bottom corner.  Next up it was some tight edges, then the last scree and into the climb for the saddle.  Ugh, this climb always gets me.  One section of steeper roots seems to always get me, walked it, and then got going again, getting to Nelson and Tom at the saddle, and waiting a shortish time for Pete and the rest of the crew to roll up.  Bit of a break for some kai and a chat.

I led the way into the Luge.  I was feeling pretty good, letting it roll nicely flowing down the way, opening up the throttle occasionally and not seemingly bothered by the slick roots.  I felt like i'd dropped the rest of them, and at one stage looked back and there was Nelson a wee ways back.  In the lower section, after the seat, it gets a fair bit rootier and that was when i felt the pressure building behind me, with Nelson and Tom both audible behind, but i offered Nelson the lead and he didn't mind.  Got to the bottom eventually, amped, and so everyone else rolled in, amped.  What a descent!  What a trail!

Climbing again, up to Jack's Pass to the Dracophyllum Flat Tack Track.  Some hesitation as to who was to lead, so Pete jumped in front and I chase in on his tail.  Was keeping him on a leash for a while, wondering about some of his dubious lines over the roots, til one of the roots got my back tire.  Nelson noticed it first - thought he heard hissing and commented but then thought it was something else, but then I noticed the wallowing rear and pulled up...  Nelson and Tom stopped to keep me company while the crew all bombed on past chasing Pete.  Once re-assembled we three got blazing, me leading down to the bridge, then the shitty little climb hit us and I let them pass then got completely dropped.  Made Draco flat and could just see Tom disappearing down through the scrub, no sign of Nelson, and so began the mudfest.  Fleck fleck splecking up and around all over everything and barely any control, barely needing to steer...  Into the bush, out of the bush again, back into the bush and climbing again, i was gasping, legs burning, struggling, tail end Charlie.  Finally out of the bush at the top and two women parked up and then across to the radio antenna tower and the crew all scarfing down some eats.  Another break here...

Then, Tom in the lead, followed by me, Nelson, Pete, blasting off down the hill into the forest and swooping.  Tom SO close to losing it in the first forest section, pushing across the not quite so muddy open land and in and out of forest in a long swooping section before turning round and heading down for the stream crossing.  Splish splash and through, the steep getting me letting Nelson past to chase Tom, Pete holla'ing he was stopping to film the others. Walked a few metres then got rolling again, round and up to the carpark, past the two women and on up the nearly greasy climb, mudweight adding pounds to the bike.  Wee walk due to lack of traction and lungs, and back on bike to top where we rested til all arrived. 

Next it was the hogsback switchbacks climb and out and up and up and up, bikes heavier and heavier with muck, trail with less and less traction as tires carried it all away with us.  Picnic Rock, greasy disgusting mucky mud and the descent began.  Not so bad in the moonscape, different spleck sounds at least, then a very greasy exit.  I saw Tom nearly lose it and thought 'what?  that doesnt look that bad?' then proceeded to lose it myself, greasy two wheel drift round a bend and onwards down.  Nice forest run for a bit then out in the open spleckings again and forest and bridge and long open greasy downhill some good jumps even, then around through forest and eventually creek crossing and climb to catch Nelson, and the women just taking off.

Bit of a regroup before the final traverse of some nice terrain, scree-gravel-creek-fan lack of mud being the highlight, and the final climb which started cramping my hamstring.  i stopped by the big dead tree to stretch and Pete went by and then I got moving again and the downhill started off slowly but accelerated til eventually dropping into the trees and had an excellent run down through them, into an open grease fest, then back into forest and eventually rapidly catching up to the pink woman and getting stuck behind her for the last 100 metres or so of trail.  At last, down the road to the car and a much needed rest.

Once again, lots of photos on PFMTBCblog, courtesy Stevo

Thursday Highway to Technicalia

Nelson picked me up and we noticed it was 7 as we approached Scarborough Hill heading to park at Taylors.  Riding around in the carpark my gears were behaving strangely which at the time I thought nothing of.  Leaving the carpark, Nelson was reaching up to turn on his light just as he caught a rut, heading straight over the bars onto the grass.  We laughed.  Then, up the first steep of the 'tail, snap goes my chain.  Note to self:  Heed those gears-behaving-strangely...  I removed the offending link and replaced the hole in the chain with a quicky, and on our merry way we continued...

Steve had raved about the new highway so gave it a look.  What a highway.  Zipped out to Boulder Bay on it and layered off on the first hairpin there, enjoying the view of the lights on the water and the glow from the sky.  Gruntsville, but not as grunty as it used to be, upwards, switchbacking once or twice then took a look and rode upon the first gun emplacement, then down and zig zag up again to the stile and barbed wire fence.  Thru the gate we popped down to the big guns and had a look around.  Nelson didnt think he'd ever been there before.  I was disappointed the underground ammo-store bit wasnt open anymore - its got some pretty freaky cracks in it.

Back onto the trail and we were surprised by the descending switchbacks down to the look out - seemed like a fair bit of altitudinal droppage, then up some steps and on up to the barracks and on up to the carpark.  Straight across, over the stile and on up the hill we proceeded to the Breeze Col track, around the Lyttelton side...  Not far in we shuffled some big rocks to make a really big rock rideable, then continued onwards down and around the technicalia.  Rocks and trail on this southface slicker and sketchier as we went.  At the flax we both were off, careful to pick our ways, then on the final grassy downhill both pretty slow cos of the overgrowth.  Both of us freaked out possums down here too.

At Breeze we headed up the trail above the road, taking the new left onto the tight narrow trail, which, when we reached the end of we turned around and rode it back to the original trail, and then turned around and rode the tight one again, faster this 2nd time. Then it was the speedy descent to the road again, the whole time me thinking, "hope the light doesnt go out".  Onto the singletrack below the road and blitzed it round here, with my light cutting out about 2/3rds of the way along.  Disconnect, reconnect, and run on low the rest of the way, constantly worrying its gonna cut out again, making Anaconda a bit slow and painful, truth be told.  Nelson had a good run, even getting some sketch out of the damp dirt, something i totally missed.  Out down the tail, again, me picking my way in the dimness, and him blazing out front.  All in all a good ride.  Roll on Saturday morning in the hills.

swtchbckr, 8. Sunday morning View Hill struggle, mountain walking.

This Blog, 8 years old, today... like sweet singletrack, 's been a long and ever wending journey

Took the Singlespeed over to the bach Friday, thinking i'd be riding on my own at some stage and figuring it's good for me to work it.  On Saturday, Tom, Lisa and Tane came over, so Sunday morning Tom and me headed out.  I knew i was in trouble as soon as the climb started.  Tom powered away with his gears, and i struggled away behind, getting all the way up to Chorlton eventually, then on up the gravel.  As soon as the real steepness started i had to get off and walk.  And walk.  And walk and walk and walk...  Rode occasionally when it flattened out now and then but sure walked a bunch.  Including bits i've ridden the singlespeed on before.

View from the top was, as usual, spectacular.  and then the descent began.  Rigid steel under me pinging away, providing a damned good work out, while not being too rough.  Picked up some good speed on the smoother gravel lower down, then we aero-styled it the rest of the way down into the bay.  Couple hours all up.  shame about the walking...

Once back at the bach, we took the boys and the dogs down to the beach, and had a bit of a dip in the sea.  VERY cold, but was bloody good for the legs - standing there chucking a stick for the dogs to swim after.

Wednesday Night Stealth Protocol

Bit of an explore tonight, first night light hill ride, for Nelson and me.  Picked me up after work and we parked up very top of Major Hornbrook, not Upper.  Rode up to Upper and onto Britten, climbing away like two climbing things, puff getting right up before we hit the trail.  Settled down into a steady slog to top, then round top of Britten, rocks slick as pigshit under dampened tires.  Nelson was struggling all evening with his tires pinging about the place.  Mine, not so much. 

At Cavendish Saddle we headed up the switchbacky trail to the top of the Gondola.  This section is a good wee climb and well worth the effort, for a there and back, in future.  All fully legal too...  unlike what we did next.  From the gondola we followed round under the building to the Lyttelton side, and ended up riding right round it...  hmmm, then found the trail down, wondering where to go for a bit, then deciding on the Track Closed trail down the ridge towards the Bridle Path.  Some slippery steps, slick rocks, and then some sweet flowy bits, followed by a couple of walked bits and more riding.  I had an OTB near the bottom, nothing hurt.  then it was true stealthmode, up the road, no lights, to top of Castle Rock track. 

I led down this, excellent run, quite slow, but flowy.  Nelson, not so much.  On the climb out i had one wee dab, but otherwise all good.  At top of Bridle Path, we kinda couldn't be bothered riding back up the ridge to Cavendish, tho, it probably wouldn't be that bad.  So, we decided to see what all the fuss was about...  headed round the road.  Kinda freaky.  amazing how the trail weaving and wending through the rocks is all on relatively pristine tarmac, surrounded by mad mad rocks.  But, where the blasting has been done, round the corner, into the wind, walking bikes over massive piles of rocks with yet more above and below was just a bit nervous making.  Definitely not something I'll do again.  At the big fuck-you chainlink and razor wire gate/fence we clambered through the side and i was relieved to be out.  Then, once over the final gate, illegality was passed and everything was ok again. 

At the saddle we stopped in the lee of a flax and had some Onesquare then headed on up the trail to the top.  Not a bad climb, tho i was getting puffed and weavy near the top, and annoyingly the gear i wanted, ie, granny on front, 3rd down on back, slipped, so i was either spinning fast traveling slow or grinding slow and hard for the right speed.  Dunno what's up with that?  Onwards to the top, then due to Nelson's pingy-ness on the slickrocks I led off down the hill, my light starting to cut out now and then, which pretty much made Nelson have to stay behind me for extra lighting.  Eventually, once on the top of Greenwood back towards the top, and my light cutting out a heap more times, realised it was due to, not only a bad connection, but also the light binning out trying to draw more current than was left in the battery.  So, put it on low, and it never cut out again, all the last of the Greenwood then all the rest of the way down Britten, bypassing the gate and taking the 4wd tracks across the hill onto the downhill walking track, then zipping down the car.

Sunday Pleasant Green Gods

Nelson showed up to mine, and instead of wasting our tires on Linwood Ave, we drove to Ferrymead to meet the others.  I was tired after a rough night's sleep.  Passed Wayne on Humphrey's Drive, and then the three of us waited for the rest of the crew, composed of Pete, Steve, Tony, Andrew and Dallas.  Off up St Andrew's Hill we proceeded at a nice rate of knots, then Up Major through to Upper Major and onto the Britten Singletrack climb, around the top singletrack where we met a guy who borrowed a tool to tighten his cleats before we headed off down the road to Cavendish Saddle and into the grindy wee climb, which wasnt so bad.  Caught a group of old guys before the gate, regrouped, then hit the downhill, chasing Nelson, Pete on my tail down through.  Always easier to not be in 1st position on this descent, saves second guessing the whole time.  Great wee descent and pretty much straight into Greenwood, sitting on Nelson's tail the whole way down, Pete never too far behind.  Wrist was good on the descent, no pain, and obviously no need for a brace, which i'd tried 'in the parking lot' before the boys turned up and it was just too uncomfy.

At the start of the switchbacks Nelson thought his front end was washing around, and thought he'd let too much air out earlier, so stopped to pump it up.  When he'd finished, his back end started hissing and proceded to go flat-as.  So.  Tube change, and then Pete led off, me chasing, finding it hard to start with, but then he buttoned off a little and i gained on him around into the final straightaways down to the rocky pinches.  Pete mucked the first one up, allowing me past, and Nelson tight on my tail down the last blasts, was a fantastic run for me all the way down, felt like I nearly had everything in place.  Others were all complaining that they were off their games.

Onto Godley.  Nelson cleaned up the first lot, i screwed the pooch, as did all the followers.  Andy was probably the closest to getting it.  Good on the rest of it up, and a good fast roll round to the rocky knoll where we blatted down the slope towards the road, over the gate, down the hill to over the fence and stile and then down the walk track to Taylor's Rd, which was fun and smooth and entirely cleaned now that we take the hairpin properly. 

Clambered out of Taylors over and down Scarbro for coffee at .com and i needed to get home so Nelson and me rode before the others, pushing a momentous pace in top gear all the way, through redcliffs and out the causeway, only possible for me by slipstreaming behind him.  Saw Marie and then Mark around the Mt Pleasant Yacht Club heading out.

Home by 12.40

Thursday Dog Pond

Scored a new front tire for the singlist, a 2.25, bigger than the 2.1 i was rocking, but unfortunately not much... wish the shop had had the 2.5.  Anyway.  Installed it, chucked it on the car, chucked the dog in, and motored out to Bottle Lake.  Like a Jet, well, actually he is a Jet, down the first avenue and we headed in left.  Kept a good pace in just to warm up and it certainly wasn't too fast for him.  Stopped briefly at the pond that's in there and he had a good sniff about and i put more air in the back and a little out of the front, and we carried on.  Great blast through this next section but when we got to the end found a big blockage and Danger tape on the next section, bunch of trees dropped over the trail.  Thinning...  fuck it.  Nothing to do but go across the nearly 1km stretch of sand called Lima Rd up to Seventeenth Ave.  Rode some, but not much, way too sloppy.  Made me wish i had a Pugsley, and wonder how a Krampus would have done...  A right on 17th, and back down to the singletrack, Jet finally starting to slow a little...  Hung a right to head towards Spencer Park, and through this section i'd not been on for a while, then remembered i had my phone, and earplugs...  Got the sounds on, and it was a whole nother world.  Forest starting to get darker.  At the turn off for Spencer's a small rabbit appeared and Jet went after it.  I went after him, towards Spencers, but he came back over the first rise, so we headed back onwards.

Bursts of speed through sections but it really was getting darker, so on Muddy Rd, aka 13th Ave, i stopped and set up my light.  It worked.  Next section of forest i found good, then next, and then open(ish) bit with crappy washouts, then into what used to be Andrew's favourite.  Near the end of this i stopped and turned off the light and rode in the dark for a bit.  Fun.  Barely visible ribbon of silver in the darkness.  As i came out to the 20th/Golf/Foxtrot intersection there was a couple of walkers that Jet and me stealthed up on and past and on into the forest, just with a "hi" to them (i think they were 'high', truth be told) then it started to really get too dark, so light back on (would have looked cool to them)...  On through and back to base, no lights on the return to the carpark.  All up, about an hour on the bike, i guess...  maybe less.

Saturday Craigie Luge Draco Hog Mission

Spectacular ride yesterday.  Drove the Fiat to Sheffield, overtaking the two marked carloads of the crew on the Old West Coast Rd (Steve, Marie and Robin, (in TFC) and Warren, Wayne, and Andy (Steel&Tube)), met Nelson and transferred to his car then on we drove, the others coffee-ing up in Springfield, us gassing up, then all continuing on to Castle Hill.  Gorgeous cool autumnal day in the hills.  From Castle Hill, transferred us each to their vehicles, leaving Nelson's car for the later shuttle, and drove through to Broken River carpark.  Marie headed in ahead of the rest of us, and once everyone else was ready, we headed straight into Sidle73.  Nice lung grabbing initial few switchbacks then, as the name suggests, a good sidle round to the Craigieburn Rd.  Easy grind to start with, eventually turning into the usual granny grind, with my now usual right calf giving me gyp.  Cooler and cooler it got as we climbed up towards the snow, which had dusted the tops overnight.  Nice and chilly at the skifield carpark, where we all layered or delayered or relayered accordingly.  Last wee grunt past the lodges and up to the lifts and we were ready for the descent.

Nelson and me out front, and most of the time, Warren following us, we rocked it and blazed it and cruised it and it was sweet.  Sweeter than I've remembered it before.  The first screes weren't bad at all, only dabbed coming into one, where straight out of the forest there was a loose climb, and of course the final one.  All the forest singletrack roots were slick but I only felt sketchy once or twice.  The climb to Lyndon Saddle was a steep little grunt as usual, and i had to get off at one point cos my legs just didn't have it in them.  Ground out the rest of it tho.  At the saddle, Nelson said, Up Helicopter Hill!.  I was the only taker, so we left the crew and hiked and pedalled and hiked to the top.  On the way up I was like, no way, and Nelson was like, hell yeah.  On the way down I was like, Hell YEAH!  Awesome views from the top and an awesome downhill, techy and sketchy and fun and fully rideable.

We got to the bottom and found our crew had changed into a smaller and totally different crew - who said ours had taken off already, so we headed straight in for the chase, tho, given that they were probably already at the bottom was kinda pointless...  Awesome descent of the Luge tho.  Tight and rooty as always, the 'modern' wide bars nearly getting the best of us both a couple times.  I was tight on Nelson's tail all the way down, having to consciously back off a bit so's to see enough trail.  This I found myself doing again and again later.  At the bottom, grins smeared across our faces, we found the crew, and we all headed off up the road towards Jack's Pass and the Dracophyllum Flat (out!) track.

Nelson led in, but after about 50m got a wasp sting on the leg, so I took the lead and blazed.  What a descent.  Different to what i remembered, it's been so long and details like the wee climb in the middle and the ever increasing steep bit near the end, and the off camber corner BEFORE the off camber corner at the end all gone from memory and having to be reinitiated.  Last blast down to a nice new bridge and another nasty wee grunty climb up to the ' Flat' ensued, giving my calf gyp again. Another regroup here and we got going ahead of the crew of 29er guys following us.  Nice blitz across the Draco flat, swoopy swoopy then through a forest bit, into more frost flats, and into the forest again.  In here the new climb switchbacked us up across the old sloggy rut that used to pass as the track, and spat us out slightly east of where the track used to take you across to the ice-rinks.

From here, another regroup, this time letting the, now interspersed with us, 29er dudes go ahead.  Blasted off, popping little jumps across the flat and into another forest section where the trail swooped and railed around down and through out across Texas Flat, with some really nice sections before railing round into a wee descent to a creek, where we found a couple of the 29ers walking through the creek.  Nelson powered through the stream splashing the other dudes.  I pulled up, changed down while they finished crossing, then rode through and out and up, past the other 2 then one of them on my tail made me nearly wanna puke on the climb.  On up along the terrace top and out onto the Cheeseman access road.

The Slogs Back...  Tired legs grinding, calf muscle screaming, on the zag after the zig I walked about 20 metres, then got rolling again and struggled up to meet Nelson on the corner.  Here we sat, and watched, as first the 29ers then finally, what? Steve, then Marie, and Robin were visible then climbed on up to us.  But where were the other three?  Finally they turned up, new pads being slipped in by Wazza at the creek crossing.  Supposedly at the top, we then climbed a couple short sharp switchies in a wee patch of bush then out into the open top, bit more climb, relief of descent, then yet more climb to Picnic Rock Lookout...  Another regroup before the best descent of the day, ripping down through a moonscape then into and long edge of forest ever sidling and descending, somewhere a bridge, then more descending fast and furious, back into forest, shredding!  Another creek crossing, with walkers, "you're doing well" they said(?).  Pinchy climb, then across a few scree washouts and the final climb of the day up to a big dead tree.  Nelson roosted, i sat, and we watched til the others came into sight, and then it was Warren and Steve the first to get to us, so as they were the drivers we all continued on and we ripped it up down the long open pedally ridge before blasting down through the last patch of forest out to the end, lots of neat jumps and near misses with trees...

An exhausted pile of bikers eventually rolling in, while the three drivers went off to get the cars...

Steve's posted on PFMTBC, with lots of pics taken by Robin's camera!

Thursday evening Reskooling some Old Skool...

Great ride tonight.  Nelson picked me up from work and we parked up Bowenvale Ave.  Rode round and up Major Aitken, listening to my back tire wearing down all the way up, and on up Huntsbury track, the top of Old Skool we met Craig, who'd ridden his 1989 Marin Muirwoods fully classic fully rigid up to meet us.  On up to the top and Craig suggested we head up over Vernon...  Walked a bit near the top, then messed up lots of the switchbacks down the burned out area, and rode out to the top of Rapaki...  Thru the fence and on round Witch Hill, something we've not ridden since December 2010.  Singletrack looks well used, is in mint riding condition, and there's only two big boulders that had come down.

On round the road and up under the ominous looking Tors, lots of rocks parked on the side of the road, and their dents, but only for a very short section.  Half way up this stretch, Nelson and Craig took off at a mental pace, while i just slogged away, getting there in the end...  Bit of a chat here and i led off down Castle Rock. Last time down here was on the rigid singlist in Feb 2011, a sweltering ride riddled with punctures...  It. Was. SWEET.  Great being on it again, really missed it and it is riding beautifully.  Not a rock out of place, all how i remembered it as it rolled under the tires.  At the end we hit the road back up the hill, over and down under Tors again, over the fence and onto the walkway.  Good technical roll round here, dodging cowshit and onga-onga, clambering back up and over back onto Witch hill which rode even better in this direction, sun very low in our eyes.

Onto Vernon, regular gravel track up and round, Craig blitzing off ahead, Nelson sitting half way between the ever increasing distance back to me.  At Huntsbury we hit the singletrack round, then picked our merry way down between the tussocks onto Old Skool descent.  Nelson ripping it up down the top section, Craig rattling down the rocky sections.  I got through first under the pylon and ripped on into the singletrack, enjoying it all down to the stile.  Nelson took over here and bombed it over the rest of it.  Right down the bottom in the second to last switchback my back tire went down...  bah.  couldnt be arsed changing it so close to the car, so walked it out, and walked most of the way down Bowenvale before Nelson got back up to me in the car, 2 hours after we'd met Craig at top of hill.  

Daylight Savings is off this weekend, so next week, lights will be required.

Monday More Fool on me

Well, didn't manage a last March ride, but today got on the switchback single69r and struggled up the hill.  Ground my way up to Chorlton, then on up View Hill Rd, walking a good stretch before crawling up above the old house up there.  Got to almost precisely the 500m altitude level, couldnae be arsed going any further so turned and rattled down again.  Probably just over an hour up and about 10 minutes down. 

Wednesday Ups and downs in Worsle's Playpen

Sweet ride with Nelson tonight.  Parked up top of Worsley's Rd, and straight into it, into the singletrack in the trees and a bit of a look around below the trail where there's a massive mad jump, and a few sections of berms and more jumps, none of it our style really.  Headed up an old 4wd trail in here and spat out at the junction with the historic board ride corner.  Out onto the main drag, we chuffed up here.  Nelson was very kind to me and stayed in a nice slow gear and i managed to stay on his tail the whole way up, sweating like a pig in the very muggy conditions.  Took the steep to BLine and zipped off down the left hand 'new' line, Nelson in the lead, me hard on his tail, following him over every jump, and finding my tires slipping strangely in corners and on rocks.  Into Fight Club and i stopped and released the 'town' pressure i'd put in to ride to work on, and we continued our merry way down, swooping and popping and sidling and offcambering our ways down all the way out to where the deep deep dust was those weeks back.  Nicely solidified now, and a good trail worn into it, we climbed on up and decided, upon looking out over the logging in the valley, that we'd get out of there now, so, at the junction point we headed off down what's now known as Dave's Trail, or as i've called it ACJoint...

Excellent run down this steep wee bugger.  Cleaned it all, bar one slight bail just after the whoopdy U drop, but otherwise, all good, even the section entering the final chute.  Climb out was okay, til we got into the bulldozer track, which was just as steep as the old trail, but a bit rougher and open.  They've felled down to below where our cool rockbridge was, alas, its now buried in loess.  About there, one of these days, i'm gonna get in there and make a sidling trail back towards the descent, zigging and zagging a couple times back up to the route out...

Dragged ourselves back up to The Junction, and had a bit of a snack then headed off back up the main drag, mingling with a good sized group of guys, one of whom i stuck behind for a bit, while Nelson hauled ass off ahead of all of them.  Got past the first guy, overtaking a second further up after i'd sat on his tail til he bailed in some rocks, then just rolling on up cleaning all the way, then to the highest point where I found Nelson chatting with another couple guys.  We let them head off while I caught my breath, then we headed off down the right hand old skool route, me in the lead, blazing down round and through.  Some fucker has mangled the groovy rock features though.  One of them has a big wheel sized hole near the end of it that i had to pop over...  anyway, down the rest, then just before heading under the pylons the sun was shining red on the sides of the trees.  Quite spectacular...(because of this?)  Then, into the final droppy swoopy fun track down and out, back up to Junction (again!) and on down and out towards the car, red sun setting just as I lifted my bike over the gate, 7.25pm.  When's daylight savings end??

Sunday Out East In Up Back

Nelson picked me up and we met the rest of the crew: Steve, Wayne, Tony, Andrew, Warren, Marie, at Evans Pass.  We were on time, and they were ready to go.  Off up Godley, straight in cold, hard yakka first climb which i blew and Nelson cleaned, then it was a sweet meander out up the rest of it.  Bit of a regroup at the fence, all dribbing and drabbing in, then Marie came through and carried on.  The rest of us stopped for a wee while and she got good and far ahead of us.  Good blast down to Livingston, keeping good time and pace and finally catching up with Marie on the climb out.  Some other dudes had gone past when we were back at the saddle, and as we climbed up to Steve's crash spot, one of them crashed right where he had.  Perfect example of nearly what happened to Steve...  Anyway, on over down to Breeze, speedy speedy.

Then it was above the road, climb climb climb nicely nicely and a new-to-me sidle around the hill. Very nice!  Blast down to end of road and onto singletrack coming back.  I was chasing Nelson but on the climbs he just has some sort of motor that accelerates, whereas I can just keep going but not accelerate.  Bah.  So, on the climbs he gets away and on the sidles and flats i just keep the gap, closing slowly maybe, most of the time...  Back to Breeze in good time and once we'd all dribdrabbed in off we toodled upwards.  Not a bad climb this, Nelson and me got the lead for the descent and had an excellent run down, as did the rest of them, then it was Livingston climb up.  Was okay, then i stopped and chatted to Tom on his new bike, and the others all got ahead and when i got moving again my chain snapped...  So, had to fix that with a couple links i had spare in my bag (thought i'd put that spare Powerlink in...nope).  Got moving again, and found the rest waiting for me way up on top by the fence.  Big group of Chch Mountainbike Club met us there and chat was exchanged and onwards we blazed.  Nelson and me had an excellent run back up and down this section, was my most flowy for the day, was very much on form.

Into Greenwood climb, hard yakka but honest and not that bad, good gradient and only one or two real grunts.  Was going okay for a while, but up above the top hairpins every rock seemed to screw me up.  Regrouped at the ruins and Nelsie and me headed to the top while the rest skived rested and headed down ahead of us while we struggled to the top and had a sweet run down, no stops.  I was keeping the gap even all the way with Nelson til Gloomy Gulch, where i think i usually need a rest, but, with no rest my back was getting sore and i was getting tired, so the gap increased and try as i might i could not shorten it.  Other than the pain experienced under the rocks at Gloomy, i had a good run the rest of the way, including cleaning the little pinch that usually gets me out.  A relief once finished lifting bike over the fence.  Coffee at DotCom.

Wednesday Dyers Nun Vic OldSkool

The 'crew' rode last night after the rain stopped, and had a jolly old time from the account of it...

I got to Nelson's work on the BFe and we rushhoured across to Holliss Ave.  Changed, and headed up the Ave, listening to my new tires wearing themselves out on the road.  Got to the end and our old route up through empty sections is no longer, so had to take the steps down, then along and up more steps eventually onto Longhurst Tce.  From here it was up the singletrack below the houses up to the forestry plot, where for a change we headed up to the right, following the top edge of the houses, then up through the trees to the dog park and into Vic Park Drive.  Over and down to the Old Dyers track.  Nelson sorted out a rattly disc Centerlock thingy, and we rode on.  While he was doing that we were passed by sooo many riders coming down.  and a couple riding up, who we passed further up.  On up to where they've chipped it, and lowest common denominated it, no wonder so many people are using it now...  Last grunts to the road are easier now, except for the steepness.

Then it was up the road for a short time, and onto the wee walking track above the road, which is nice, saves the tires, couple of wee steeps, and when it met the road again we crossed and got onto the next section of walking track, up the steps, down the steps up up and around to the road and on up to the Nun.  Another group of riders on the way up to here.  They took off and we waited a bit, then we were off.  Down, just taking it easy as seems to have become the custom.  Annoyed at the braking bumps people who cant ride properly leave behind, grrr, but otherwise a nice run.  I was tight on Nelson's tail for the lower half, like about a bike's length, making flying over the new doubly jumps certainly interesting with no forewarning of what I was getting myself into.

Up to the upper Thomson's, cruising up and then with plenty light left we headed around the Summit, blazing away, me gasping on the climbs.  Around to the top of Lavaflow we went, then turned back and headed into the sun.  Did a little better on the way back, and had a great run on the last downs towards Vic, where we blazed into the dark trees, greasy under there, Nelson over the seesaw me down through the cattlestop and on down adjacent to Brakefree as Nelson hopped and popped, then bailed and joined me.  Off down over the rocks and through the perfumed and fragrant gums, my favourite little lefty and around down round over the jump around back down into the next section and then on down all the way to the bottom.

Back up the road to the skidder and straight into Spazza's, nice blast down there, round into Brent's taking the right hand side, and into the bottom of rad^sick, poaching the lead when Nelson took the line that spits you into a jump, me leading, bypassing the creek jump then straight across into Flow.  Brief blinding by long grass, letting Nelson ahead again down into Bridges and Nubridges and on out and down.  Bit rough down the bottom of there.  Then high speed down to Hidden Valley Linker.  Both botched the start, but rolled on up the rest.  Caught up to a woman on a red Nomad around the 2nd hairpin and she let me pass for the steep climb through the trees, which nearly killed me.  Caught the rest of her group at the fence, Nelson and me rested while they carried on.  Felt a bit dizzy when i stood up again, but we continued on, blazing and wafting and hauling ass down OldSkool, juuust catching the woman again at the bottom.  I had one very close call going between those rocks at the beginning of the last switchbacky section near the bottom.

then it was down Bowenvale, Wedgewood, Landsdowne and through the park to the car.  Done and dusted.  And sore in the neck.

Sunday Mt Quite Grey - BFe's First outing

Well.  Assembled the BFe Friday night and finished it off on Saturday night, ready for this morning's early start.  Left home about 8.10 and got to Sefton just after half past, waiting about a minute before Nelson showed up.  Transferred to his car and we zoomed round to Cramptons Bush Rd, noticing a Lake Janet access Closed sign early on...  Figured we'd just ride up, and did.  Parked at the gate (closed for fire risk) down low around 280m alt, and treadled up the road to Lake Janet at around 460m then on up Mt Grey Rd to the top in around an hour.  Bit of rain about, really quite refreshing.

Top of Grey (radio tower - 929m), could see a a fair bit of rain out over Waipara basin, and so we hit the singletrack down, gnarling our way round through the tussocks and spaniards (one spiking my hand), boggy bits nearly dry, but still with some bog to them, and on the last section before rounding over into the bush (700m) the rain came down.  Switchback-City ensued, and we cleaned some and dirtied others.  Seemed to get down in no time at all, getting to the wee ridge with the look out very fast.  On downwards from here and loving every second of the trail. Out the bottom of the singletrack (~280m (again)) we flew, and before heading up we snarfed down a bunch of blackberries for a rich fresh antioxidant blast. 

BFe seems more planted, firmer, power transfer is more direct, i guess cos the frame is less flexy.  Seat feels a bit more solid, which shows how much flex there was in the old Soul back end.  Otherwise it handled exactly the same - excellently.

Climbed back up the road to "Lake" Janet, where we started up the road (as if for a second lap) and hung a hard right just before the gate, into the fir forest and down a nearly invisible singletrack.  Found a bunch of big holes dug, the fill of which had been used to make jumps nobody would want to ride...  several of these til finally out the bottom, back onto the road for a (i would say) 80kph+ blast down the gravel back to the car.

So, over all, a 650m climb followed by a 650m descent (one or two ups and downs in there), then a 180m up and over...  830m altitude climbed...  not quite the tonne we were thinking... but still pretty good effort well worth the doing.

Saturday Mt Greyish

Nelson finished work at 3, flicked me a txt and i departed and we met in Woodend from whence we convoyed to Sefton, deposited the Fiat, and proceeded on up to Lake Janet in the Rally 'Rona.  Parked up and i got the Soul out and wheel back on, then tootled around on it while Nelson changed and faffed about a little.  Something didnt sound right.  Like there was a stone in the frame, rattling when i wheeled it around, but not really there when i was riding it.  Tapped the frame and shook it and pin-pointed the location of the noise, only to find a crack.  And another crack, and another...  Damn.  One either side of where the down tube meets the head tube, and one right under that junction.  Figured the risk was probably too large to tackle what we'd had planned, so we settled on something much smaller and tamer, but still a bit of a ride...  Basically we went Old Skool.  Up the old track that zigs and zags from the "Lake" up to the Look Out tower.  A lot of it was unclimbable.  We took a turn on each other's bikes and Nelson's was way better for climbing...  I cleaned a bunch more than i would have, and than he did, no the last couple of zigs and zags to the top.

Considering the 'drought' that is embracing most of the country, it was surprisingly damp up there.  The top was ensconced in cloud (which slowly lifted while we were up there), and the forest and vegetation was all dripping.  Rocks and roots were slippery, adding to the 'fun' factor of the whole schemozzle.

At the top, we swapped back and headed on down, me being pretty cautious on the old loading of the front end.  But pinning it now and then. and enjoying the old skool-ness of the whole trail.  Been many many years since we rode that track, at least 10, if not 15.  With a bit of tidying it would actually be a more enjoyable and interesting way up to the Look Out than the forestry road.

So now the hunt for a new frame ensues...


UPDATE:
New frame found.  A Cotic BFe.  Picking it up Wednesday night, ready to rebuild Friday and Saturday, hopefully.

UPDATE UPDATE
New frame home...  it is exactly the same geometry as the Soul.  AWESOME.  swapped dragon_style my Stinger for the ISCG  one that mounts on the frame, also, a phatter seatpost, which i bought with the frame too, another Thomson layback just like i had on the Soul.  Mine will now possibly do time on the Troll, if it fits.

Tuesday night up down up down up down

Rode from work to Nelson's work slightly earlier in an attempt to beat traffic, which we just about did.  Made our way across to the hills then around them to Quarry Park, parking up in the shade of the hebes (now called Veronica, i learned recently) and then rode upwards through the fields to the bottom of C2.  Nelson had only ever come down it, once, and i'd only been up it the once, so off up it we went.  I was grunting even back in the fields, let alone when the real climb began.  What is it with me and climbs these days!?  Anyway, made our way up it then up Crocodile to the start of Kennedy's then on up the singletrack, peeling off at the pond next to the tank and taking the oldskool way up to Siberia.  Blatted over that then back up top of singletrack and down down down.  Good run all the way down, no slowing down just flying hard out flat out fanging, then into C2, the wee climb stuffing me, and leaving me non-plussed for the lower section, which, i have to say, i'm not that impressed with.  a couple of the berms just aren't high enough, so you have to tenderly go round them much slower than you want to, and pretty much the last one, before the dash down to the wee jumpy before heading across the open bit, has no camber at all, and a bloody great root tracking through it.  Anyway, first time down, so maybe i just aint got the flow yet, maybe.

Round two, we headed up the original track, ie, not C2, and were much faster, even with the descent and extra climb into the 'crocodile' switchbacks.  Clambered on up up up, this time staying on the singletrack all the way (past the pond and tanks), and on the usual steep grunty wee section, SNAP, there goes my chain...  picked it up, pushed my bike up to the kennedy's proper, and walked on up to meet Nelson at the gate.  Turned out it was my Sram Quicklink, again.  second one in a year, or so.  Spliced in a couple extra links i had spare in my bag, and Nelson did a quick blat of Siberia, chasing a young whippersnapper on a crabon 29r who was doing laps, with his dad doing slower laps.  I finished my job and we headed over Siberia and were overtaken by said whippersnapper on the climb back up and then i led down the singletrack flat tack full speed ahead.  all the way down and down the old version, pausing on the bridge to let Nelson pass me, then i proceeded to clean the climb, yay!  On down, losing my cool on account of the climb, and really botching the lower switchbacks before the end. 

Round three, this time, back up C2, faster this time, even tho i was more tired, seemed to be getting into more of a groove.  Up up up, starting to struggle near top of Croc, then we went up the granny inducing oldskool kennedy's climb.  hah!  not bad, but a grind.  all the way out to the gate.  No Siberia this time, i just couldnt be arsed.  Then it was down time again.  Nelson in the lead, flat out, full tilt, yet again, rolling all the way down, and sunstrike proving a bit of an issue on the worst of places, where that nasty rocky pinch used to be.  Nelson nearly lost it i think; lost sight of the trail for a good long second.  My visor and sunnies were working a treat, but it was close.  then second round down C2 this time, a little better, but i still reckon you have to slow too much for the berms, and that final corner really needs some work.  I guess winter might sort it out a bit.  The final climb i was faster this time than the first, but it still hurt, and then we rolled out to the car for a well earned stretch. Sun was just sitting on the treetops as we cruised homewards.

Sunday Morning Huntraverse VicHidden Oldskool

Sluggish start to the morning, and a patch to do, left home at 10.35am.  Rode Stanmore Nursery Wilsons to Ramahana Aotea Huntsbury climb.  just chugged away at it and made the top by 11.25am.  Short rest, letting a dad and son get ahead along the Traverse, but getting away before a big group showed up, then caught father and son before Lava Flow and they generously let me past.  Bombed round the traverse, catching a guy going really slowly just before Vic, into the trees, yumpity yumpity, over the see saw, a couple of brake free leaps and then off down into the gums all the way down my favourites and then all the way down to the end of the road, and back up to the skidder site all in 15 minutes!  mad.  Had a rest and an Ozzie dude on a Crack'n'fail got talking to me for a while, Sam.  Good bloke.  Asked about bikeshops open for new chain, and I said probably BASIC be the closest.  He'd been riding around our area for a week or so, done Hogs Back, and Hanmer, as well as most of the Port Hills trails.  He then asked if he could join me so we headed down through Shazz's, Brent's, Flow, Bridges-new and into Hidden Valley Link, stopped and munched a few blackberries, then up and over Old Skool.  He loved it.  Stopped and chatted a few times on the way down.  Good rider, right on my tail most of the way, and i wasnt going slow.  chatted riding down Bowenvale Ave, exchanged details, and he peeled off to the bike shop, that was at about 12.30.  If ever we're anywhere from Brisbane to Byron Bay, look him up for a ride.

Saturday Bottled afternoon

Took O, H and Jet out to Bottle Lake and met up with Tom and Tane, Mark, Margaret, Rata and Matai (tagalonging) and we all skedoodled around the sandpit.  Barely saw Jet most of the time, cos i was staying back with H most of the ride, and he was off with Tom, Tane and O.  Stopped at beach for a good long play for the kids, and Jet who met and played with every dog that turned up, then onwards we proceeded.  H, Jet and me took the route back that I'd done on Wednesday morning, and the others all took the longer way round.  The boys bet us back, but probably mainly cos H and me stopped and ate blackberries next to the pond in the middle while Jet cooled off. 

Thursday Evening, up over and beyond

Nelson and me ventured forth and proceeded to ride something kinda similar to what the boys did on Tuesday, only, extended higher and further...  We parked up top of Worsley's Rd and headed up the multi-choice singletrack.  I chuffed away, sore from yesterday's spill, but managing the climb okay.  Nelson wasnt stopping and so i had to just plod along behind.  Turns out he'd spotted some guys we'd seen as we were getting ready at the car, and was chasing.  He caught them at the bottom of the 'bag, where they were stopped when i plodded through.  Nelson was about half way up by the time i got going.  Eased into it, but when the going got steep i decided my seat was too low, so stopped (and rested a little) and put seat up a little, then got going again and got a fair way up, doing okay, til finally i could do no more.  Walked the last 20 or so metres.

Cruised through to top of Nun and Nelson led off.  We both took it pretty easy, having not been down here for a while (well, over a month, anyway).  I found myself riding it rather effortlessly, not really pushing it too hard, but trying not to brake too much, so i'd be coasting round the corners quite slowly, then letting the speed just build up, very little pedaling.  A good run, with speed definitely gaining, for me, towards the bottom, and surprisingly catching up to Nelson lower down (in all the new stuff...) 

Trundled up the road to the 'halfway' spot and headed over to check out the trail down into Gov'nors Bay.  Hmmm... Closed due to rock fall...  yeah right.  Trail's been cleaned and it was actually a pretty sweet wee run down.  Cut grass a bit slippery, but otherwise sweet, not a skerrick of damage evident.  We continued all the way down to the driveway on the hairpin, and discovered the trail that continues down from there, but it's shut, and kinda barricaded, and cos it's private land, we left it alone and headed back up.  Ugh, what a climb.  My tire was getting soft so i pumped it up, and ended up walking pretty much all of the switchbacks.  There was a time when i rode most of them, alas.  On up we went in the direction of the Kiwi, cleaning most of the trail.  At the top, we turned around and headed back down, then round and back up the way we'd come down earlier.  My tire was getting low again, so stopped and pumped it, rode it abit longer and then finally it blew...  Walked from below the boardwalk/bridge to the top, where we changed it and wrapped electrical tape around my rim a few times (rim tape had slipped).  The tube i put in blew just as i'd gotten it up to pressures, so patched the first one and slapped that in.  This is the one that had the slow leak, which continued to slow leak making me fucking well pump it up another 5 times or so.  FUCK!  Shut up, Steve, yes i know this wouldnt happen with tubeless.! From here we headed up the walk track above the road, and it was fun.  Then up Marley's and over Worsleys.

Dusty blast down Worsleys, saying gudday to a guy on either a Jeffson or a BlackSheep, anyway, lovely machine, and then up the sideline to top of Hidden.  Pumped more air in, and off down we went, like the boys (linked above) took the old route down.  Awesome!  More air part way down, then off down the trail that shall not be talked about, topping up air near the top, and loving the swoopy blast down, to... a Keep Out tape, and trees cut across the trail.  Into 6 inches of powdered dirt, loose climbing til we got back onto the old track.  Tootled up and swooped on down to the end, and back to the car, just on 8pm.  My tire was flat when we got back to mine.

Wednesday dawn Jet patrol

Sick of the lack of riding and flab that's been building up on my front, so got up at 6 and took Jet out to Bottle Lake in the Fiat, singlespeed on the back.  We blatted down the first avenue and hung a right.  He's so fast, but once on the singletrack I kept him in behind and we hoofed it round and out through the slowly lightening forest.  To start off with it was nearly too dark to see any trail detail, but by the time we'd gotten to the gazebo on the top of the hill it was okay.  Fast blat down from there and into some new trails on account of logging, then along the beach front, slowing down on the wide track for him to just lope along happily.

Headed back in and where the internal trail meets we hung a left and headed back through the new section towards the pond and then finally back to the car, Jet cruising a fair bit slower for the last little while.  Good boy!

KEE-RASHHH!!!
Then, having a nice ride to work, enjoying the wrecked city scape along the poplars past ex-Centennial Pool and i rode over a beer can on the road which clung to my front wheel and rotated up into my mudguard, so i tried to knock it out with my foot which sent it wedging even harder into my tire and 'guard, spinning up, locking the front wheel, mangling the 'guard and sending me straight over the handlebars, smack-down onto the road, bike clattering over on top of me.  Lucky i was wearing gloves or my hands would have been mangled.  Elbows got garked.  Nose hit the ground and immediately started bleeding, visor part of my Surface helmet cracked, shin got garked by something and was leaking blood down into my sock.  Front wheel is toast, taco'd and bit crunch in the rim.  Mudguard is toast.  Got my shit together, removed the mudguard and managed to ride home slowly, wobble wobble wobble...  The worst of it all?  I scratched my brand spanking new Oakleys.  Damn IT!

Thursday up the hill

from work, trundled across town on the Troll, and headed up Hackthorne Rd to the Takahe, then on up into Vic Park to the big field with the slide for an extended family fush and chups.  Quite a climb on a heavy townie.  Managed about 8kph most of the climb, with occasional bursts of 10-12kph.

The internal workings of the Alfine?

Toosdy nite Townie

Nelson and me townied, me on the Surly, him on his skinny-tyred singlist, across to Steve's place's vicinity where we found Wazza, Pete and Robin awaiting us.  Away we trundled, Ford, Fifield, over the river along a path, over the river along Eastern, through Beckenham Park, back up to Fisher, cross Colombo, backstreets through to Somerfield Park where we picked up Andrew and Tony, then straight line northish across Brougham through to Hagley Park where we found Wayno and onwards around South Haggles, through the middle of North.  Wayne found some dog poo and put it all over his tires, then tried in vain to remove it.  On down Armagh and through Vic Square, somewhere none of us had been for a couple years, and out via the Pallet Pavillion, then Peterboroughed Kilmored to Poms...  Beer was consumed, and Trip plans discussed.  To Kaiteriteri/Rameka and Nelson we'll a-go.

ThursNight Packhorsing Springs

Cotic'd to work, then got to Nelson's work and we trafficjammed our way to Dyers Pass Rd and Gravel road in is obviously very well used now, by lots of logging trucks.  Then the open singletrack is overcrowded with thistles that are very conveniently at handlebar height - yowch!  Sweet wee blat down into the forest, loose and rooty and sketchy, dropping a ways before the clamber up to a stile.  Over this and up the paddock edge and over to a massive stockpile of logs where once was tall shady forest.  The trail has changed here, quite good, bombs down and meets the old trail where it goes into the dark fir forest.  I stopped and got the sunnnies off in here and chased onwards, walking up the tight switchbacks then getting going again, up and over past the wee bach in there, then on into the last climb that goes on and on and on.  Over the stile and a little bit of a rest, then up round the open exposed edge trail.  Awesome, keeps you on your toes.  Cleaned all the rocky sections and we were at the hut about 40 minutes after we left the car.

Didnt spend too long at the hut, and hit the trail back, picking our way round the slope, carefully but interestingly.  Into the forest and the speed gets up quick, flowing and rolling and swerving and swooping.  I shoulder/handlebar barged a tree (that'd knocked off Nelson on the way up), and had one close call on some particularly sketchy roots that were scattered all over the track just after a fast corner.  The climbs made me suffer, but the descents were sweet.  Return to the car was 1 hour 20 after we'd left.

Drove down the road and round and parked up Bamfords and headed into Living Springs.  Round School's Out, checking out the wee "technical" 'drop' side trail, then up to the pines.  Swapped bikes on the climb and i got to see what all the fuss is about these new fangled full suspension bike machine things.  Sag was a bit soft for my fat arse, so the pedals kept clipping the trail, but i liked the way bumps were absorbed...  Swapped back at the top of Rhymes with and we headed round into Mississippi.  Sweet flow motion tho lots of sheep shit.  Then round into Zanes and fun times.  Bottom of Zanes we headed round and did the droppy thing again then up the steep bastard farmtrack leading to Mississippi.  Walked a bit, and tried forks down and up, and down was definitely easier climbing.  Then it was across Rhymes With, and down through the Pines, 8.30ish, and pretty dark in parts of the forest, then blitzed down to the bottom and clambering the last shreds of power out of my legs round to the car.

Waitangi Day Taylors Godley

Having stayed over at Taylors, and it being a public holiday and all, i managed to get out in the afternoon.  Headed up the snake's tail and ground my way up the snake proper.  Cleaned it all but man it got me huffing.  Out to Breeze and on round below the road, picking up a good pace and climbing pretty well before the descent round and out to the end.  From here i climbed up above the road and on up to the closed trail round the back.  I knew the rock guys had been blasting it in recent times so figured it might be okay to go.  It used to be such a sweet run.  It still is, except for the few big fuckers of rocks semi-blocking the trail, and the section in the middle where all the rocks have tumbled down, chewing up the trail.  A couple more boulders, and the rest of the run back to Breeze was good, other than the long grass.

Back at Breeze, and only a half hour in, figured it'd be piking if i headed back down 'conda then, so headed on up the trail towards Livingston.  All the way over.  At Livingston, i explored the trail that heads towards the Harbour, strange W's on posts...  Had always wondered about this trail.  It sidles along for a while, quite nicely, climbing gently, but around the hill it heads up.  Couldn't be arsed heading up so turned back and rocked back down to the trail, headed up over round to Breeze, then offered an in to a couple other riders who were 'chewing the fat', they declined, so i headed on down the snake, having a better run than the day before, flying down, then cruising the last of the snake nicely.  Back up the road to the car, sequestered bike inside it, then trotted down the steps, into my togs and on down to the beach and straight into the water.  Beautiful.

Tuesday evening Taylors Lap

Quicky for me on my own cos people no one showed.  Thought Wayne and/or Warren might, but they never turned up.  So, headed on up the sweet wee grunt up from Taylors to Godley Head Rd, cleaning everything except the two usual hairpins, and having one wee breather before the small ribbonwood-land near the top of the singletrack.  Up the gravel grind, round the road, and up up up.  Txt from Marie saying she couldnt make it and it was off down the hill.  Excellent turn of speed down to Livingston Col where i noticed my rear tire getting softer, and softer, til finally just before the climb out i had to stop and change tubes.  Fucking rim tape...  Got moving, then more air needed, then got moving again on up the hill, over, past the spot i tumbled off last time, then on down to Breeze, where it really was pretty breezy, and a fast blast down Anaconda, still not grooving on the new bit, then along and up the lower track into the bach. Still all under an hour, even with the flat...  The rain of Monday, and Tuesday morning had done nothing to the trails.  It was amazing how dry they were...

Thursday, hottest day of the year, pretty much

Nelsie and me got out tonight.  I rode the Cotic to work and then got to his work at about 5 in the sweltering heat.  We drove to Redcliffs and parked up, then rode back round to McCormacks Bay and hit the dirt about 5.45.  Bloody hot, hard work getting up the grunts.  Cleaned the first hairpin, not the second, then due to the heat i blew a few other pinches, but got most of the upper 'pins.  Off up the road all the way to the Upper Major, then up the singletrack, wind picking up something wicked.  Hottest damned easterly i've ever felt, that's for sure.  At the top, in the shade, we decided to hit up Broadleaf Lane and climbed some more, grovelling up the gravel and through the gate and over the stiles and then it was down down down.  Wind pushing all the tussocks over, i followed Nelson down, and it sure is easier following someone than leading down here.  When you're leading you're always second guessing it, wondering which way it goes next, but following is sweet.

Into Greenwood, dust not too much of a problem cos of the wind, but couldn't follow too close or i couldn't see the trail.  I stuck pretty good to his tail til the climby bits after Gloomy Gulch, where my legs were struggling and he got away.  But once on the down again i managed to gain on him just a little.  He sure was haulin' ass tho.  The lower sections were okay, tho i blew the first rocky up, losing more ground from Nelson.  Lots of pain by the bottom, sore hands, sore feet, sore legs, sore arms.

Into Godley and i didnt have the balance nor the legs to clean the start.  Once past that tho we both clipped along at a good pace with no more issues at all.  Excellent blast round til the fenceline and i just had to rest and eat something.  Off down towards Livingston, Nelson handed the lead over to me and i fudged my way through the rutty-ness, sunshine and shadows making life difficult til finally onto the Teddington Shit section and i got my mojo back.  Excellent descent after the last wee wooden feature and a blazing descent to the col.  Gave the lead back to Nelson for the climb towards Breeze, and he left me for dead.  Then once the descent began again i couldn't even see him ahead anymore.  The wind, long grass and a rut got the better of me and i tumbled off.  Straight back on and got moving again, rounding the corner to see Nelson miles down below me just polishing off the PFMTBC Rock, which i then proceeded around the slope above then back down and over and then carefully speeding down avoiding dirt ridges, over the sheepstop and flying onto the road.

Headed out the lower trail towards the Heads.  Good times on the downs, but really struggling on my ups.  Legs drained, pained to push the cranks.  Final blast out to the end and three riders hanging out.  Lo and behold, another Cotic Soul!!!  W00t!  And Nick Singletrack on his Heckler.  Stopped for a good chat with them then we headed back towards Breeze, them on our tails for a start.  Got to Breeze and they weren't in sight but we stopped to rest and they turned up and more chatting ensued. 

Time to part our ways, they were heading back up top of Pleasant, and us down Th'anaconda.  Excellent blast, dust from Nelson obscuring my trail ahead, especially when we came round into the sun.  Nelson was going so fast he lost the trail and i sloped past and took the lead, him tight on my heels.  I dont think i slowed him too much, tho maybe he was just being polite.  Railed all the berms, yumped the yumps and we flowed down and down til we didnt flow anymore.  Slammed on the anchors to get round the first corner of the new section, then flowed briefly before having to brake hard again to get round one of the later ones.  They could have built it a bit more flowy!!  Straight into the 'tail and picked our ways over the boney rocks and out and down.

Legs, wiped.  Climb out of Taylors, hard.  Still, surprised myself and didn't resort to using my granny.  We made the top in pretty good time then tucked in for the blast down the road, catching a car at the bottom.

I'd thought of my friend Miranda as i'd been flying down the road, cos she lives in Sumner, then as we trundled along the waterfront,who should we bump into?  Stopped and chatted for a while before hauling our sorry asses around the road back to the car.  All up, with stops for chats and breaks, 3 hours.

Saturday Morning Ken Nun Club Line

Droved to Andy's and awaited the rest.  In short time Steve, Wazza, Wayne and Robin turned up, then the 6 of us headed round the foot of the hill to Halswell (that ends well) Quarry and up the C2, which i must say is a mighty fine wee section of track.  Good efforts, once again, Chch Singletrack Club.  The sun was sunny and the day had plenty of hotness in it and we clambered up in good style, with the worst of the heat being on the Crocodile proper, especially down in the valley steeps.  Once up on Kennedy's there was some respite in the form of a breeze or three. 

Dabbed on the wee pinch above the pond then pretty well cleared the rest.  Waited to close the gate, then piece by piece we ventured over Siberia and regrouped down there ready for the climb.  Not bad, picked my 'new favourite' gear, granny and 3rd, mostly and just trundled on upwards.  couple stops before the final grind.  Surprised myself and actually cleaned it, something i'd not done for a long while.  We regrouped again and then cruised the last to the road, and on up top of Marley's.  Robin was feeling the heat so wandered off to shelter under the big pine, while the rest of us rocketshipped off over the Nun.  Had a good run down here, leaping very nicely most of the way, even overtaking a dude part way down, in the rocky section.  Back up the road to the top.

Rested in the nice cool wind and ate some OneSquare and the others all were scared of the wind so bombed off down, so i chased, and met them again at the top of B-Line/Hidden/FightClub...  I led the way, Steve having only ridden it once before, and enjoyed the tech challenge of it a little bit greasy.  Kept you on your toes.  Got all the way through the worst rocky section, only to have a stick thrust itself between frame and rear tire, very effectively putting the brakes on.  Onwards down and decided to bail on the lower section, if the previous dampness and sketchiness was anything to go by, and bombed on down the old usual, off first to the left, then the right, swooping down through the dips and woops out to the wee climb back up and out the finish.

Final blast down the road, me peeling off and taking the somewhat overgrown dirt sideline, allowing the boys to get well ahead before catching them and all stopping back at Andy's for a coffee. 

Almost exactly a year since i was last on Kennedy's proper (down, not up)...  crikey.  and 4 and a half years since i climbed it!

Quick Monday evening Taylors catchment circuit

Found myself over at the Taylors bach for the evening, so hit up the road, randomly finding my dog coming out of someone elses driveway, so ran him back to the bach and they'd lost him...  headed up the road again, and onto the walking track up.  Clean clean clean, not a dab, a couple of wee breather rest stops but the lower range of gears had it good for me the whole way.  Over the top stile and up the gravel, even easier, over the gate, with heaps of flyingmen wafting around, checked them out briefly before going round the road to the gate and up up up to the Godley trail.

Downhill now, minding the edges of the ruts, just think of it as a skinny board, no wavering, roll roll roll, a fast bike's a stable bike, 'n all that, onwards down, finally picking up some more flowy speed on the teddington shit section, boogying over the last woodfeature then railing it down to the fence gap.  Tried out the upper line but it just doesnt go anywhere, found the old attempts at making a zigzag track in there, they're certainly not getting ridden, so back onto the main track for the funky wavy back and forth down to finally Livinston Col.

Clambered around and up out of there and over towards Breeze, long grass keeping the track oh so narrow and tight, again with the ruttiness, til finally branching round and back over the PFMTBC rock and on down, minding the tire-catchers, over the cattlestop and onto the road.

Next up, down from Breeze, again with the overgrown lonnnng grass heads, clipping handlebars, trail a distant grey dirt thing below, slowly building speed round, through over a washout and round finally into the Snake.  Lots of speed, bumpitty bump, jump or two, railing, trailing, never flailing, eventually into the new section, oh dear, not as flowy as further up, gonna take a little to get the hang of, and then yay, into the tail, still very long dry dry grass heads, back starting to play up, soreness aching its way into my ride, making the last descent to the bottom quite excruciating.

Rolled through the carparks and struggled back up to the car.  Back to the house, togs on, down to the beach with the dog and straight into the surf.  Fantastic!  What a way to ease out the lactic and relax into an evening of a couple of good beers and some nice wine.

Sunday's sun daze early shorty

To avoid the heat of the forthcoming day, Andy arranged an early start, four of us meeting at top of Worsley Rd at 8.30 - being Andy, Warren, Dallas and myself.  We got going up the track, Dallas having a couple of tumbles (one Andrew cut him off), moseying all the way up to bottom of Bodybag then heading off up for the BCDEF-lines.  Took the lefthand, "F-Line" down, me stopping a wee ways down wondering if the others had gone the old way, taking off my sunnies at the same time it being so dark in the forest.  They'd also done the same and soon got down to me, and we headed off again.  On down, grooving all the grooviness, then peeling right, across into the Club de Fight, loving the crap out of it all the way out to the bottom.

Back up the nice climb to the mains again and i led them down my ACJoint / Dave's Track steep bugger that it is.  A couple of sections baulked me this time, but i managed my crashpoint, tho not the next bit before the final chute.  Andy got most of the steeps, but Warren and Dallas need a little practice.  Otherwise a great steep bugger of a downhill, followed by a grunty crunchy climb out, me cleaning it grannywise for the first time with no walking.  Andy rode it pretty much all too, alas the other two didnt quite have enough in the tank.  No worries guys, first time i've managed to ride up it all!

Back up round the rest of the climbs back to the top again and we headed off down back to the cars.  All in all a good ride, short, but sweet.  Back to Andy's for coffee.

Tuesday night quicky

Nelson to mine from work, and we 'rona'd to Hillsborough Tce.  He had his old bike cos the new one had rearwheelbearing issues and was at the shop.  Had word from Andrew the others would be meeting at Kaizuku (or whatever its called) to ride up Huntsbury.  Nelson and me had other plans, but as our routes were similar, kinda expected to meet up with them.  Up Hillsborough, up The Crescent (noting, on the way to the gate, that the brown wooden place on the right, at the top, is for rent, $225 a week, seems pretty reasonable for a cool ass location!), and onto the Farm Track. 

Grunt began and at the first rise i needed to layer off.  Much better, off up we continued, grind grind grind, mostly in 2nd, sometimes granny, sometimes 3rd.  Nelson, of course, powered off ahead and we didn't meet til the top.  I cleaned it all, for a change, not burning out except for once.

At the top we sidled round the fence and met the small gate i'd never noticed before, crossed the road and up onto the groom-assed track that is now Mt Vernon which we continued our climb over to cross the road again and stopped for a nibble amongst a couple of posses of other riders, including Daryl who we had a bit of a chat to.

Got going, me out front, and bombed it, tail wind speedsters, feeling good.  Nelson caught me on the wee climb and then again after the pond, and at the usual break point i gave him the lead.  Weird fuck up at the dipper, i slammed on the brakes cos i remembered it had washed out all that time ago, but no, it was fully rideable, which, if memory serves correctly it may have been last time i was through.  Anyway.  around after the next cattlestop Nelson nearly lost it because some other riders parked on the side of the trail distracted him momentarily.  Fun descent past them, over the wee yumpies and then blast round into Vic, dark trees, and up to top. 

Here, we decided to keep it a short ride and not go do a lap of the 'Nun, and so headed straight down to the see-saw, a few BrakeFree's and then across to the rockgarden, into the Gummies, the gum leaves on the little left hander track all slippery and interesting, then finally all the way down and back up onto the skidder site.  Nelson continued all the way down the rest of the single track and rode back up the road to the skidder site.  Here, i checked out the jump Bex had cased a few weeks ago.  She'll be out of Burwood Brain Injury Rehab Ward soon, i hope.

Next up it was me first into Shagga's, nicely cleaned up, berms all tidy like, and then on down Brents, keeping right and getting in on the last breaths of Rad^Sick, then Bridges, Flow, New Bridges, blaze blaze pump pump, over hanging grasses nearly getting me near the bottom, then the blast down the 4wd to the hard right, change down, through the creek, and...  stall!  Bugger.  Nelson out front for the climb and grind grind for the two and a half minutes to the top.

Around onto Old Skool and oh what fun.  Good wind action, getting rid of dust quickly, i sat tight on Nelson's tail all the way down, hopping and pumping all the same spots.  Was really fun.  Finally, through the rutty end, and rolling down the gravel to the road.  Riding back to the car we spotted Andrew's and the other's vehicles parked up at Kaizuka's.

Good ride, short, 1 hour 50 mins, taking it reasonably easy.

Wakamarina, the hard way... 5th Jan 2013

Second ride of the year was with Nelson, who drove up specially.

We took two cars out of The Grove, heading to Havelock and then up to Canvastown where we left his.  Back round through Havelock and on down to the North Bank Rd and round into the Onamalutu road... Up this past the Onamalutu reserve and into the gravel and onwards up, finding a fucking sign saying ROAD CLOSED - Access to Wakamarina Track CLOSED...  DAMN.  Considered parking up and riding anyway, but it seemed pretty serious, so we drove back, all the way to Canvastown then all the way up the Wakamarina Rd to the end to ride.  Was about 11 by the time we made it up there, a good couple of hours after having left Queen Charlotte.  Ugh.

The ride to ensue was possibly the most draining ride i've ever completed.  We rode up the 4wd track for a start, which becomes the track proper a km or two in.  Open and hot and dry to start, it enters lovely shady cool forest and is a nice gradient, mostly up.

At the Doom Creek turn off we decided to take a look at this.  Wow.  What a trail.  Awesome benched, ex water-race, trail, into these spectacular gorges, some small, waterfally ferny bushy gulches, and a couple of sizeable water crossings nigh on impossible to keep feet dry.  Some insane exposures, big drops off the side into gigantic-boulder strewn gulleys.  Good final descent, rough and ready, down to the main track, and on up this we cruised.

Mostly climbs, but a surprising number of descents, usually into small to medium sized creek crossings, most of which not rideable.  Eventually making the Devil's Hut.  Dropped down for a look, and filled in the intentions book just for the hell of it.

Next up, the climb.  Ugh.  I had no memory of most of the track.  Nelson and me did this about 10 years ago.  We couldnt even remember the bikes we were riding.  Anyway, it was too steep to ride, all the way up.  We probably pushed for about 1.5-2 hours, up up up.  Cleared two big windfalls on the way, which was good.  Also opened up a rotten log so's to be rideable.  Midway we bumped into two separate walking parties, first off a dad and two sons, then a couple.  Nearing the top we ran into two solo riders, and then a group of 4 from Nelson (turned out they knew Stu), one of them on a Fatbike (cool!).  (They'd all entered the proper way via the alternative access, Bartlett's Rd, apparently a 45minute detour from the usual Kiwi Rd).  We continued upwards, finally making the 1066m top.  I was dead.  This was about 3pm or so, i think.

At least it was (kinda) all down hill from here...  The descent is crazy.  Starts out really rooty, bumpy, you can hardly take your eyes off the ground to see where the orange triangles are and where the trail's going.  Around where we'd met the group there is a mad practically vertical face of roots which there was no way i was gonna ride.  Dont think Nelson did it either...  Then it was pretty much good to go from there on down.  One or two bits i think i had to get off, but i cleaned waaay more switchbacks than i did all those years ago, my skills having been honed over the years, and a better bike i guess.  there was less than a handful that i had to stop on to turn the bike.  All big giant red beech and rimu, blechnum ferns, open and lush forest, very Lord of the Rings-esque.

And it all just came back at us so damned quickly, steep, interesting, challenging, and bloody hard work.  I think it was about a half hour from leaving the top to making the hut again.  Topped up water here and then headed on down the rest.  The climbs getting harder and harder, and the heat increasing the lower down we got.  Eventually stopped at one of the creeks and i could have climbed in.  Good dunking of the head and washing arms etc sure helped out.  The steep ass rocky switchback descent to Doom Creek was a challenge, the top corner getting me spooked, but cleaned the rest and then died walking out up the steep dry hot switchbacks leading out.  Once back in the shady forest again tho, it was mostly downhill, past the 4wd end and on down the open section back to the car.  Skulled a Poweraid i wish i'd taken with me and then we headed on back, after first stopping at the end of the road campground and having another dunk, this time, walking into the river to cool the leg muscles.

Got back home to The Grove around 6-6.30.  A LONG day.

Cullens Up, over, bit of Waikakaho and back - 2nd Jan

Hip happy new year, y'all.

Left the bach at The Grove and rode the road to Linkwater, then up Cullensville Rd to the end.  Howling northerly blaring away, nice tailwind up to the end of the gravel.  Checked out a little of the history of the place and headed on up the trail.  Excellent benched track built between 1888 and 1893 by the goldminers, makes for a sweet ascent.  Some of the exposure is pretty heinous, but the views get better and better as you climb.  At the end of the good miner's track, the zig zags begin, and are just steep enough to require lowest granny and are unsustainable effort-wise in the long run, making you have to resort to walking.  Walk walk walk, zig, zag, zig, zag...  up, up, up, up, finally entering the native bush high up.  More climbing, clambering over rooty roughness and the trail starts sidling.  Little riding, mostly walking bike or carrying, til finally a couple of stretches of riding before finally hitting the saddle. 

Descent into Waikakaho is steep and rocky.  Excellent track tho.  Lost altitude very quickly, meeting some walkers high up, and a kaka, i rode down past the old town site and on down to around 500m alt, when the trail heads mainly down quite a dry ridge, tui going OFF in the red-flowering rata.  Decided here to turn back and head up.  A fair bit of riding, and a bit of walking, took a hell of a lot longer than the ride down.  Met some more walkers (who i'd somehow missed previously) at the old town site and headed on up.  Eventually got to the top again and trundled up the rideable bits, and scooted (one foot clipped in, sort of a prolonged dab) more than i had in the other direction.  Along this top bit, wind was more of a gale than it'd been previously, and i bumped into another rider, turning out to be a friend of Al's (Paul)...

Once at the sign to Private Land, rode all the stuff i'd walked up, down down down fast wee blips, switchback, fast wee blip, switchback, back and forth, down down down.  Eventually, made the miner's cliffcut track.  Some sections as i approached corners the wind was roaring and i'd come round the corner and almost be driven to a halt.  One of these, i rode round and not far up the trail were the first walkers i'd encountered earlier.  Rode on by and lower down met a family of lots of kids and one parent.

Down, out, into the (now stronger) wind to Linkwater, occasional gusts on the gravel road whipping up massive dust clouds into my face.  Well earned Powerade at Linkwater and off along the tarmac i headed...

Arrived back the the bach 5 and a half hours after i'd left... knackered.