Level 3 Weakened Cruise(s)

On Friday did a bit of a fam ride with T, H and Hayles.  We cruised and perused the burbs and stopped for a beverage at the swing before cruising home, putting some power down a couple of times.  The singletrack along the river to Helmores Lane got me really chuffing, chasing Higgs.  Was good to get the puff up.  Weird shit with MMR, only shows in the Workouts, not the Activity Feed.  Have had this before, and cannot work out why it hides them.  Anyway, a worthy 12.3 kms.

Took Jetty for a cruise on Saturday, all the local wee spots.

Also biked with T, and Jet, to the stupidmarket at some point, not sure when... even used the Troll in it's cargo carrying capacity on the way home with the shoppings.

Monday took a lunch break and perused a few new local alleys.  Jet kept a good pace the first half, but coming back, he was Mister Slowpoke.  Still, nearly 5 kms...

Freshly frontwheel shod Ghetto Ratbike Speshy Globe cruiserrrr.

Front tire rubs on the top but will wear down faster than the metal... unfortunately not enough room in the frame for the back tire to be the same...  will have to find a smaller size.

Chooseday Ghetto Rat Jet Cruising

Tuesday, took Jetty for a spin on the Ghetto Ratbike.  Headed out, realised we didn't have a baggy, so home again, and a different route...  Pitcairn park was interesting.  Tiny street frontage, but opens right up into a big enclosed space.  Off lead he had a nice sniff about.  Then straight up home.  Lotsa wind, sun and interesting cloudscapes.

Level 3 Lockdown Weakend Alleyway Cruising...

Saturday saw us do a nice reasonable sized ride, at some relatively low speeds, with Bec and Tra'y.  T and me left here and zagged and zigged to Bec's, collecting her and a few supplies, and we roamed the wild city streets of Merivale and whatever that Bristol St, Holly and Onslow area is called, in search of enlightenment and good-times.  These two things came in droves (well, not really).  Meandered and cruised, Bec not the quickest treadler.  Scattering metric fucktonnes of people who were besmirching the toothsome pathways of North Hagley Park.  The rest of our travels were relatively dipshit-free, past Girls High, up Matai, Harakeke and dipping through Daresbury Park, then Weka, Makora and the backways of the (Fendalton?) bowling club.  Detoured the native tree streets (Puriri and Totara) to Riccarton House, where we parked ourselves on the river bank, watching the ducks, supping on a couple of beverages, and noshing some meat and sundried tomatos.

Fun had, we continued, through the streets, along the riverside at Uni (the fun singletrack bit), and then through the uni, discovering (again for me) the path through past the Uni Community Garden, all the native planting that was started when I was there (20-25 years ago) and marvelling at how big it is now.  Kahikateas of a good size already.  Out and back to Ilam Rd along this, then Coldstream Court, Gleneagles and through Cobham Intermediate, quick detour down Christchurch's most pretentiously built street (ugh! Chateau fucking Drive, what a bunch of disgusting 90s starter-castle McMansion tat! Zero taste), skirting an edge of Jelli Park and Burnside HS, and then as many alleyways as possible home.

A reputable 19.5 kms.

Another pointlessly measured cruise a little later for to walk the dog - nice for him.

I mean, look how happy he is:

Anzackery Weakened - last of the Level 4

Saturday - Zig and Zag, there and back, to the old hood to drop some (late) easter eggs off for Hayles.  15 kms.  I'd forgotten my MMR was on for about half an hour, so there's a long tail on the graph (or lots of squiggles if you zoom in to home).

Then, later in the day, another 9.3 kms with Gogo and T, we zagged and zigged, then straightshot down the railtrail into Mona Vale, round and out, then round Girls High, and stopped and had I a beer (Party & Bullshit) and they had coke (T's with a spot of voddy in it) on the river near the swing, as the sun got lower in the sky.  Ripper Autumn colours everywhere, followed on down river and then back up Mill Brook Stream Reserve and home via the streets and Railtrail.


Rocketship with Jet on Sunday, fast down the railtrail, but slow on the return up Westholme and Bounty..  Sniffed and peed on every landmark on the way home.

Yesterday, Anzac Day Observed, broke myself mowing the lawn (couldn't finish it) but after a good rest I fixed a flat on the back of the Ghetto Globe and took Jetty out for a short usual spin (no MMR, but short (3kms?).  He has to be on the lead the whole time so I try to travel so's not have any tension on the lead as much as possible.  This involves keeping up with him when he's bombing it, or detouring to a tree or post and hovering momentarily while he leaves his pee-mail to the other dogs.   At these pauses I try not to put a foot down to avoid the pain that gives me.  Reaaalllyy slow going on the way home.

Tuesday, just before dinner, Ghetto Cruiser around the hood with Mister Cutie here:

COVID-19 Locals

T and me got out on Saturday, nice leisurely cruise through suburbs un-explored.  Never really sure where we were headed the whole time, we snuck up on the the pylons that start/end at the Substation on Greers Rd, and proceeded to zig and zag through 1960s suburbs (same age as my childhood-burb) following the  pylons and looking at houses, all on very quite streets I never knew existed (altho, I realise now we may have almost ridden past an old (highschool) girlfriend's parent's house.  Farrington Ave, Wairakei Rd we struck out on our own away from the overhead wires.  Left into Charlcott, Everest, and Nepal Pl, into a park O used to longboard in, which has a pumptrack.  We meandered around this park, keeping Social Distance and then explored around a bit loop of newer suburbia.  This whole area used to be a wild wasteland - gorse, blackberry, willows; with a gravel quarry pit half full of water that was slowly filled in through all the years of my growing up.  Back into Nepal, avoiding people (so many people!), and more meandering, working through to find a small shortcut park, then down under the pylons again, and cut through to Memorial Ave.  Explore down an exclusive cul-de-sac and up to Burnside Park, but deciding against that and deciding to take the tailwind express home.  Back through backways and by-alleys to Burnside grounds, then back streets and alleyways home.  Very nice 12 kms thank you.

Prior to this there were a few more local loops with the dog after his miraculous survival of crashing into a car.  After a telephone doctor's appointment I had drugs to pick up, so T and me set off on Friday to the chemist in Bealey Ave next to the 24hrs.  This was a ziggy zaggy convoluted route there, followed by a very direct shot for home. 11.3 kms in all

Wednesday dog run...

Easter Monday Jet Car Crash

Yesterday, Easter Monday, T and me were out with Jet, short jaunt round the 'hood.  I was on the Rocky Mountain for the comfort of the travel and dropperpost for ease of on and off, and we'd run him down Windemere, around into St James Ave.  Up past the cul de sac to the railtrail he had lagged behind a bit, and I spotted a dog over the road, on lead, walking, then heard a car, and the thought in my head was 'hope he doesn't run out infront of that car', I looked back to check on him and then heard it.  BANG, yelp!, then sort of a scraping sound as the car slowed to a stop.  I was thinking 'he's caught under the front and smeared down the road.  We've got a dead dog'.  I think I swore and said, "stupid f'ing dog!"  but was heartbroken riding to the car as the lady got out, "did he get caught under the front" and she was no, and then there is T. on the berm, with Jet standing wagging his tail next to her.  The lady's car had a massive dent in the front guard panel ahead of the front left wheel.

Jet had scrapes on him and we were all in shock.  I rode home, got the car (with rack for T's bike), drove back, and we got driving, heading for home but got the 24hour vet on the phone and they said come straight in.  They checked him out and he was fine!  Amazing.

Addendum, double checked at our own Vet on Tuesday morning (already had an appointment for an ear thing) and he checked out fine.  He was a little slow and obviously sore for about a day, then totally back to normal.  Our insurance is covering the car damage, and it's a 0$ excess claim,which is pretty sweet (a Liability for Damage to another's property, on our house and contents).

COVID Townies...

Plenty of family time, riding about with the dog, Ghetto Cruising.  Getting out every day, similar stuff to this.  Never more than 4 or 5 kms, usually only 3, local streets, parks etc.  Keeping our social distance from everyone else that's out there.

Finally yesterday got out on the Troll and took myself for a jaunt about the alleyways near here...  Quite a blast, and found some cool wee low-ways and by-ways, piecing together a few alleys I knew about or didn't know about.

Think I'll just add local stuff to this one, as we go from here, unless I take myself out for a further trip, over 10kms or something, then I'll do new posts, and maybe tack short locals on each of those.


A few more short stints on the ratbike.  None as big as those previous.   Back still killing me.
 

Riding Hiatus - Prolapsed COVID19 Lockdown - Locals Only

Nothing but local short flat street rides for the month, by the look of it.  I'm getting out every day with the dog and Tra'y, jetting around the neighbourhood, connecting up the parks and alleys, cruising the sidewalks, keeping 2 metres away from everybody.

My back's still bad, or at least, my flexors and ITBs, quads and hammies are all screaming all the time.  No idea how or when I'm gonna fix.  So's probably just as well I'm only cruising.  Mostly on the Specialized GhettoGlobe, but sometimes on the Troll.

Mapped a couple, and haven't mapped a bunch.

Saturday Mt Oxf'king Wind'ord with a Sting in the tail(bone)

Mother nature got the better of us today... Beautiful day. Nelson, Kirsty and Wazzah picked me up and we headed out to Mountain Road.  Kirsty and Wazza walking, Nelson and me on the bikes, intending on going up the front, over the ridge and down to Wharfdale, where the walkers would go for View Hill and Nelso and me back to car to drive round and pick them up.  Hit the trail from Coopers Creek, cruising with the two walkers, but eventually I slowly loped off ahead.  Drop down to creek, and the pushing up the switchies from that, riding a fair bit, walking the odd bit, and proceeding to ride and walk in equal measures for quite a while.  Stopped and let Wazza catch me up a couple times, then eventually he caught me once it got steep and my pushing and carrying was slower than his walking.  Various walkers and runners were coming down through.

At the treeline we hit some wind, which proceeded to get into horrendous galeforce once up in the alpine proper, at above about 900m... The other two had caught up by this stage, but Wazza and me were out front, and really struggling.  No way could I lift my bike up or I'd blow over, and he could barely stand.  Kirsty was scared enough to stop, and Nelson got up to where we were holding on to the hill where we all decided to give up.  Further up where the trail gets steeper and narrower for the final push, there was going to be no way we could have maneuvered with the bikes.  Foiled, we turned back down.  Rode a couple of bits I wouldn't have expected to, back to Kirsty at the treeline, where we all ate our packed lunches.

Into the descent.  Only a couple of walks on the really heinously steep stuff, and riding some surprisingly steep stuff.  Quite fun, but hard work.  Awesome descent lower down.  We stopped a few times letting the two walkers catch up.  Then after a particularly long jaunt, we stopped and Nelson tried to get his GoPro sorted.  Meanwhile, I rested on the ground, and felt a sharp 'stick' in my arm, which got sorer and then as I turned my arm to look, there's a fucking wasp sticking out of it!  OWCH!, gripped and squeezed it and biffed it onto the ground.  Damn!  (2 days later, my arm is twice it's normal size...).  Walkers all through and past, and we bombed on down, over taking two girls that'd passed us while stopped.  Catching Kirsty and Wazza out on the farmtrack, and rolling slowly with them back to the car.

Grand total of 9 kms, and 675 m climbed...


Addendum:  This trip caused the worst back pain of my life.  Sunday afternoon, Monday, and so far Tuesday - agony.

Addendum 2:  11 days later: Back pain continued, turning into not sciatica - shooting pains down both buttocks, spasming lower back, locked up hip flexors, some of the most painful days and nights I've ever experience.  2 half and one full day off work.  Osteo treatment number 2 seemed to help more, finally Wednesday 18th woke up feeling a little better, with glute pain subsided greatly but hip flexor pain still in evidence.

Addendum 3: Nearly 6 weeks later and I'm still broken.  Nortriptyline and Pregabalin with Brufen are my solace.  It's been a very long and unpleasant time.

Addendum to end all Addendums: May 19th, 2020.  MRI several weeks ago shows a prolapsed disc at L3 L4.  Foot issues meant that on this day my first appointment with a neurosurgeon is pending at 9.15 (i'm writing this at 8.47)...

Wednesday Night Squiggly a f

All about the tops tonight.  Parked up top of Major Hornbrook, below the usual Parkridge park, riding up through the park then up Clearview, Ridgeview and Upper Major to the non-bathtub entrance to Britten.

Around and up the singletrack, first of many climbs for the night.  Around the front and across to the cutting, then up onto the single, hanging a right and dropping down to Cavendish Saddle.  Climbed up something I'd never been on before, but it says bikes are allowed now, so gave it a look.  Too steep, so some walking, til the higher gate, and then it's quite good.  Around under the Gondola building, slightly lower than usual, with nice views out to the harbour, then into the usual steppy rocky descent down.  Took a couple of different lines this time, which bogged me up a bit, but got to the Bridle Path eventually.

Across, and up the walking track, climbing climbing, cleaning to further than usual.  Walked a bit, rode a bit, walked some more, before finally riding nicely to the ridge.  Around and fun fast descent, feeling pretty good on the bike.  into the climb, and climbing higher than the past, but still having to walk a bit Nelson's cleaned several times, up around and then right through the Tors track, dropping down and having a blast.  Same dab as last time, and then back up the road to Castle.  As I rode up here I could see a guy carrying his bike along the Castle Rock ridge.  Back and forth he went, checking his phone whenever he came back.  Then I saw the drone.  So, he's making some fake-arse footage of him epic'ly carrying his bike across the ridge???  Fake news!

Dropped into Castle and blasted.  Absolutely blazed it.  Smooth, flowy, awesome.  Around and up, climb feeling good last drop to road and around.  Nice cruise under the gondola and up.  Back into Cavendish Saddle and climbing up the back of Mt Pleasant.  Cleaning all and still feeling good, all the way to the top.  Did some yoga stretches here, pigeon for both legs, and some spinal twists...

Droppin' in, through the gate, over the stile, and flying, southerly wind pushing me a long down through the tussocks, line nice and clear, fast, raily.  Excellent bomb.  Taking it a little easy to the end, not really pedalling, then dropping down to Greenwood middle entrance here.  Short rest, ate the rest of my OSM and then hit Greenwood down.  Again, smooth and flowy, fast and furious.  Blasted down, lower back not getting sore at all.  Didnt even need a rest after Gloomy, just bombed on through, dropping down the rocks and flowing through the rest of the jumps and berms, all the way down.

Onto the road and climbing, long slog.  Getting a bit warm, delayered on the way up here.  At the pines, thought I wouldn't be a mountainbiker if I didn't get onto the trail, so over the stile and climbing.  Then short road, fill up bottle, and into the Britten.

Flying down through sheep and then across the front, same as last time.  Checked out further over onto some rocks.  Definitely scope for lines to wend down to the trail from there, but turned back up onto the regular final drops and rocketted down through this, over the fence, and on down to the car, nice big jump just before the road.

Convoluted ups and downs of a 20 kms, with 900m climbed - similar scale to last week.  A lot for a weeknight.

Wednesday Night Huntsvern WitchCastleTors Pause OldSkool

New Drive Train!!!  Another 30t oval, and new cassette and chain.  New gear cable, and pivots lubed and tightened (awaiting a rebuild kit).

Me on my lonesome last night. Parked after work on the river, bottom of Bowenvale, and headed up Major Aitken at a pretty steady clip.  Pushed hard never stopping, up on to the gravel, chuff chuff chuff, nice refreshing breeze up here, tho quite pushy, onto the singletrack climbing still then up the grovel to the road.  Across, into Vernon, letting one or two coming up past, then bombing down, short cut to end.

Rapaki-top, not too many around, straight into Witch Hill, too low a gear and dabbed, but cleaned up the rest of it.  Stopped for my first real rest at the high point, feeling hungry, so snack and water.  Rolling again, drop drop to road, across onto the walking-singletrack, enjoying the crisp gear shifting and buttery smooth suspension.  Up the road, short stretch, then dropping into Castle for a fang. 

Lovely blast, mostly totally on top of the game, ripping through and down.  One or two lapses, but mostly all good.  Climbing, bunch of joggers near the end, then up the road, nice steady pace, observing a dude riding below on the trail.  Up and around, and at the top there's a massive group of riders approaching.  I walked up entrance to the Tors track, riding near the top, and was clear before they arrived.  Descending time.  Lovely blast, tail wind down the Tors track.  Popped and cleaned everything that used to get me, but had one dab where I've never dabbed before. 

Onto the road, and bypassed the singletrack because a couple of walkers had just entered it.  Coasted along the road for a while, nice and restful, then carried my bike up onto the singletrack about where you climb through the fence for pirate track.  Rode the rest through, down, across the road and climbed well up the Witch.  Didn't even pause at the top, just adjusted suspension and bombed it, waft waft float over rocks, and good slam through to the end.  Straight across onto the Vernon climb, clambering away ahead of another guy leaving him behind. 

Massive posse accumulated at start of Traverse.  Tailender stopped to let the dust settle before heading off, then guy from behind blitzed through, so I rested slightly longer and hit it across.  Opened up the suspension, dropped the seat and dropped into FourPause...  Wind was pushy on the jumps, but cleaned them all ripped into the landing strip zone, bombing down, tail wind over the edge dropping fast down to the stile.  Then feeling super good, bombed down the rest of it, usual dab on the one rock lower down, then bombing down into the off cambers and onto Old Skool proper.  Brief pause at the high start point, then dropping in, trying to run my left leg forward, to give the muscles some new memory.  Tried this several times on the way down but man it makes the riding weird.  Amazing tail wind across the first long traverse, head wind through the second, and tail again for the next.  Smooth, quiet, tire noise only...  Sweeeet!  Blasted through the lower reaches and bombed out to the road. 

Long coast and easy pedal back to the car... A mondo 19.3 kms, with 850m climbed!  Not bad for an afterwork week night.

Saturday Morning Solo Holliss Vic Old Skool

Lots of steep ups today.  Parked in Landsdowne Ave just next to Holliss Reserve and headed through this and up Holliss Ave.  Stopped and feasted on easily accessed blackberries for a little while just before the valley corner.  Then hit the real steep, getting steeper nearer the top.  Into the stairs, buddha buddha buddha buddha down, then along a bit and up, push push push push, more blackberries, push push push up the stairs.  Across Longhurst and into the lower Latters Spur track, climbing up under the houses and cleaning all the hairpins except the very last.  Ugh...  Clamber clamber clamber and finally at the stile, where I took this pic.

Looking across at where I would come down a little later...

Let a couple of walkers go on ahead, and then rode and pushed on up under the pines, over the roots and next to the barbed wire to the dog park.  Left and clambering up the rock section then up to the gate, and on up through Vic Park, past 19th, into the Skidder where I filled up water and rested.  Warm, and my cold wasn't doing my head any good.  Hit the steeptrack climb, cleaning it all, only just, then up past Brake Free and on up to the very top of Vic.

Time for the down.  Entry of the Traverse, then hard left into the swoopy double, pop and down to the see-saw, over this, into Brake Free, pop pop, ugh, speed broken by the first berm, then pedal across to the Sesame St entrance.  Straight in, pop the first jump then waft over the big one, pop, pop, around drop, around, wall-ride, drop, around, oop - miss that double, drop that, off the edge and down over the jump to skidder...  Into Shazza's, bomb bomb rail jump rail, across rail, around, down into Sneaky Ridge, lower speed than usual, droppity drop down through around, ooh, lots of leaves, jump, drop into Bridges, across and wending through Nu Bridges, and finally out the bottom, downvalley, hard right into Hidden.

Easy climb now with all the trail work, making for nearly like a rest bar the steepness, then past a mum and daughter up the steepest, cleaning both hairpins and gasping for air at the stile.  Into the Old Skool.  Across and little climb, bit of a rest, then fanging it.  Nice flow, good railing, fun times.  Blast blast blast...  First big left hand hairpin I could see an XC dude flying up the hill (to the point I almost wondered if he was on a leckie - he wasnt!).  Pulled up before the next hairpin to let him fly past, then dropped on down, swoopy pump pump waft, push fly.  Blasting over the rocks, around the bend and dowwwwn, weave weave pop and roll, finally out the bottom and coasting the rest of the way down.  Down the road, left into Wedgewood, right into Landsdowne back to the car.

Surprisingly short, less than 10 kms, with 399 m climbed.

Wednesday Night Captain Godley Conda Godley Captain Anti-clockwise Alt-route Loop

Awesome ride tonight.  Did a core strengthening Abi yoga in the morning, and as a result the entire ride I didn't get a sore back!  Fantastic.  I'd also remembered to have an asthma puff in the car while I was waiting for Nelson to arrive in Scumnervale, which saw my breathing working well all the way through as well.  AND, I was suffering the beginnings, or skirting the edge, of a cold - scratchy throat, slightly sore sinuses.

Up Captain Thomas, Nelson telling me all about his Enduro event last Sunday, which meant he held back a bit so that I could huff and chuff along behind him.  Still, even tho I was talking occasionally too, I felt better for longer up this climb.  Once up onto the levels and after the short down, he cleaned the first of the tech rocks, which was astounding.  Good jaunt up the rest of it, me only just starting to wane near the top.

Reasonable length rest at Evans then across into Godley, clambering.  Too low a gear for me on the first rocks, then blew out again on the next, but cleaned up the whole rest of the track.  Really feeling stronger and no sore back and more power.  Yoga is good!  At the high point above Scarborough, another short rest, then decided to head up the ridge to the top trig.  Nice views from up here...
A different view of  Evans Pass:

1
Then down, awesome descent, with some great tech rocks and a lovely flow around the back, harbourside, across the slope towards the final very narrow steep singletrack descent on the wrong side of the fence back to Livingston Col.

From here, took the walking track around the back, harbourside again, towards Breeze Col.  This is a great section of riding, except for the nasty switchback climb, which I cleaned all of for the first time, albeit with a breathing break at the first hairpin.
Me just after that bit:

Someone had mowed past the stile, so we ended up on a narrow sheep track before we realised we'd gone too far.  Turned back, over the stile, and down the steps and rolling.  Across the Col, fun rocks, then climbing the Breeze Bay track, meeting a couple of runners and some walkers further round.

Next it was the skinny singletrack back to Breeze, around the front above the road.  Long grass made it a challenge, but fun, finished with a fun dropping down to Breeze.

Onto the road for a short section to get into the 'new' entrance to Anaconda.  Waited for a guy climbing this, then dropped in, swoopy downhill funtimes.  But eating Nelson's dust wasn't very tasty.  Fast and smooth swoopy swoopy through the 'Conda, blitzing it all nicely, and STILL my back wasn't sore!  Awesomesauce.  Down the 'tail, and Nelson a fair ways ahead now, I was coming around above the baches when I saw him rolling across the paddock...  not toooo far ahead.  Bomb, pop, and roll across the paddock myself, to fill up water at the fountain (where we ran into Nixie from work and her partner).

Into the climb up the road, then up onto the singletrack 'Sumnervale' track, only walked a little bit by the fence, then up onto the road, up the climb to Godley and into the return.  Best run back to Evans on Godley I've had for ages.  Every rock feature was just a floating roll over or pop.  No baulking or stalling like other recent rides.  Bombed down out the end, and across Evans-summit to the Captain.

Bit of a rest before dropping in.  Bit of dust again from Nelson, but a good run down and after the peskygate I could still see the trail under the dust (unlike last time!).  Awesome bomb down, just flowing and cruising, cleaning everything except the climb (which Nelson tried again, and got with just one dab).  Final blast across and down through the switchies, cabbage tree slippery, last descent, nearly losing it onto the bridge, and finished.  Nice.

A staunch 19.43 kms, with a bonza 858 m climbed!

Tuesday Pre-Trust Meet Cavendish Castle Pleasant Feat.

Quite intense Yoga session at work today, made me think I might not have much left for riding.  Headed up and parked on Parkridge.  Rode up to the Upper Major Hornbrook entrance of Britten and took myself for a bit of a tootle.

Up through Britten, dry as dry can be.  Around the front, and out the 'cutting' cattlestop, across the road, over the fence and up the singletrack to what's usually the climber to the aerials.  Hung a right and bombed it down to Cavendish Saddle, then attempted to navigate the overgrown switchback trail up the back of this.  Ended up walking the bike on it's back wheel up to the gate.  Rode most of the rest up the back and then through under the eaves of the Gondola Building.  Steppy descent to rocky descent, picking my way down and across to the Bridle Top, then off up the road.

Castle Rock, into the sweet sweet singletrack, flowing beautifully, weaving good speed into the whole shebang.  I think the yoga earlier had cored me up nicely.  Climb was quick and powerful, across and down the last onto the Bridle-top again.  Around the road this time, climbing around under the Gondola and up to the Saddle again, then back onto the singletrack and climbing up the back of Mt Pleasant.  Still heaps of power, balance, control.  Clambering well, and right to the top for this rather gloomy (it wasnt!) view. 

Awesome bomb down from the top.  Pumped good flowy speed out of the it all, then sidled around across above the ruins, and straight into the Greenline or whatever it's called.  Nice flow around this and climbing to the pines, then up Sheepshit Alley, still feeling good.  Topped up water at the tap and headed into Britten for a fast bomb down and across.  Found another new line off the hairpin, taking me waaay further across the reserve than last time, staying higher before dropping down and finding may way onto the original rocky fast descent under the pylon. 

Back at car dead on 7.  Phoned ahead for a meal, picked it up and went to my meeting.

An excellent 14.16 kms, with 621 m climbed.

Waitangi Morning Loopies

Parked off Barrington again and moseyed around through Craycroft and past the CAP entrance and up the good old Worsley.  Got off road after the bottom hairpin and rode up the grassy track to the top of Farside, where, I dropped in and bombed down for a wee reminder play (Loop 1).  At the bottom of this, I got back to climbing, this time on the road (easier, slightly quicker).  Up, up, up, onto the gravel and grovelling on up.  Gets more real before the body bag, and then it gets really real.  Walked about 10 m near the top, and rode out onto the road. 

Over into the climb for the Nun still feeling pretty fresh, standing and cranking even.  There was a dude up here to whom I said "nice clean bike."  - said he'd cleaned it after a mucky xmas break...  I gave him a good head start, taking a couple of pics for the MMR, then dropped on in.  Whooah...  Overgrown!  You cant see far round the corners at the start, so it was a little surprising, cos the broom has grown up so much.  It improves, but even lower down a couple of times I was thinking, "this is really getting neglected."  Kept good speed and was catching the dude ahead, he was stopped at the Park crossing and I continued on past him down the original lines (not bailing right for the Gnarly Nun ending).  Bombed on through and the popped up onto the midway carpark.  He rode past, looking pretty cautious.

I crossed the road and headed into the Governors Bay track (Loop 2).  Man was IT overgrown.  It's really narrow now, and visibility is super tight.  I was just thinking 'I wonder if I'll meet any walkers' when a runner appeared.  He wasn't sure if I'd seen him but no trouble, I'd stopped with plenty of room.  Bombing down, some nice tech in here now, and 2 extra wee climbs I didn't remember.  Stays quite high as you sidle round, and then I was climbing again, struggling with the steeps.  Cleaned lots, but walked the last to the top. 

Back on the road, I headed back up to the midway Nun carpark and dropped straight in, bombing bombastically the rest of the way out.  Contemplated the option of Capt Torpedo, but that entrance was still shut, so continued with my original plan, and popped up to the Kiwi for some water. 

Up road to top of Vic Park, and into the Traverse, cruising around this, and pulling over for lots of oncoming.  Overtook a dad and kid (out for first ride), and then bumped into Brad from work.  Finally got to top of Fourpause and was still feeling surprisingly good, having had plenty of power on all those climbs. 

Dropped into Fourpause and bombed it.  Excellent flow over first, third and last jumps (middle one into the rutted berm, not so much).  Down through the swoopy tussocks and then over the edge, way more grip than recently and down to the stile.  Over this, and dropping through all the bits.  Only one dab through that super tricky rock edge and lavishingly enjoying the rest of it down into the off cambers. 

Final singletrack buzz, the Old Skool Bowenvale at it's best.  Awesome run down here.  It's just so familiar and predictable.  Passed a couple runners and their dog near the bottom and finally rolled on down the valley, taking directional backstreets back tot he car to complete the largest loop. 

A triple looped 21 kms, with over 750 m clambered vertically.

Saturday Up Down Up Down

With Sunday expected to be 35 I figured getting out early today might be a good bet.

Parked on Ashgrove, bottom of Barrington, and headed through Thorrington, shortcuts and sidestreets, across to Major Aitken and up up up to the top. Had earlier thought I might do Lavaflow but decided against it so after a very short rest, dropped into Four Pause.  First rocks to encounter, and "crack!", busted a front spoke.  Continued on down, jumpy jumpy with a strong cross easterly wind, and down through the newish bits, over the edge and down to the stile. 

Checked the front wheel and sure enough, one broken spoke.  Slightly concerned for a weaker front wheel, I made my way like normal down the droppy fun blitz of rocks and steepness.  At the bottom, I hung a left into the Hidden Valley 'bonus' dropping down through the newly re-built lower reaches...  I guess they're high-waying it for all the new Lavaflow traffic?  From the bottom, turned uphill and straight up K2, righthander into the trees, and then up under the 23foooter. Ugh. Steep pricks.  Onwards up the the skidder where I refilled my bottle.  From here, chuffed on up the rest of the park, causing a CRUNCH in the gears.  Higher up, I passed through the cattlestop next to the see-saw, I found granny was a bit clickity, so stopped to look.  Oh dear!  A crack and bend in my biggest ring causing the chain to lift off.  I had to use a couple of rocks to pound it straight, and seemed to set it right, on up to the top.

Down, around, jumpy, see-saw, Brake Free and into Sesame St, dropping the big jump and bombing through the next few, wallride, past the double gap and then peeled off into lower gums, staying on the singletrack, down and thru and down to the road and down to Dyers Pass Rd and down to the Park.  Straight in and up the 4wd track (which was actually mostly down from here), easy climbing up to Gung Ho for the first time ever.  This was a nice blast.  Enjoyed the busy-ness of it, lots of interesting wee features, and I kept a pretty solid pace all the way down, even tho I was riding blind...  Didn't encounter anyone else in here at all.

Final lower reaches, down and out to the base, where I just sat and coasted down through all the hoards, down the road, around back to the car.

A valid 18.22 kms, with a worthy 691 m climbed.

Thursday McCormack's Pleasant Green Captain Coincidental Groupings

Good ride last night.  Met Nelson after work at McCormack's Bay, and we trundled up Glenstrae onto the hot dirt.  Sun beating into here and no wind meant for instantly exhausting conditions.  Stopped and tried to reach a few blackberries at the usual spot, then got riding again up, down and up up up.  Usual walk of the second hairpin, and then further up, in the upper zigzags I dabbed out on the 2nd and 3rd, but got the rest.  Nice breeze once up on the road.  Up this and up the reserve on the corner onto Ridgeview and over the fence at the bath trough.

Up through Britten, spotting Wazza's, Andy's and Bobbin's cars parked on Upper Major, so figured we wuz chasing...  Up around the front of Britten, spotting what looked like familiar riders on the singletrack above the road.  We hit the road there and headed back along the road and up Broadleaf, seeing the boys up at the gate, and actually beating Robin to it.  Our previous plan of heading over Cavendish and doing Castle and Tors out the window, we joined these dudes and got into the bomb.  Fanging like usual down from the top, dust obscuring my view of the trail in places.  Regroupling and then around above the ruins, then decided on a lap of these upper trails, down towards the pines, and back up Sheep's Hit Alley, clambering to the top.  Robin bailed here on account of his detached hand tendons hurting too much.

The four remaining headed back across old Greenwood into Greenwood proper, and proceeded to bomb like nothing else down.  Hoooned.  Nice rest after Gloomy, beautiful night just there out of the wind, and got going again for a fun filled rapid descent.  Hit the road, and Nelson and me were gonna take the Captain, while they were heading back up for their vehicles.  At this point a massive posse of riders appeared out of Rapanui Bush (reserve in corner of hairpin below), and turned out it was the Thursday Night Crew of old, and old (2016 ago!)....

Hooked in with them, Nelson leading the way in, and the others putting the pressure on, hard.  I got in about 5th and had Nelson's mate Mark on my tail, and I kept the pressure on the dude in front of me (Paul, maybe?).  We hooned big time.  Dust was a problem, breathing and seeing, the bit after the gate I just pointed and hoped, not being able to see anything with dust lit by sunshine.  Mental!  Around, bombing all the usual rocks and interestingness, and as I rounded towards the big boulder (before the rockydrops) I spotted Nelson retrieving his bike from below the trail (below the rockydrops).  He was just up onto the trail when I got there and he jumped in behind as the dude who was ahead of me cleaned the entire wee climb here.  Somehow I'd lost Mark along here.  We got rolling and chasing and fanged out the bottom.  When Mark rolled we realised why I'd lost him.  His chainring was majorly bent, so the chain wouldn't stay on.

Rolled on down to Sumner, to their cars parked on the Esplanade.  They all went to the pub, we tootled off, around the new boardwalk and bike path (that practically dead-ends at Shag).  Back to the cars at McCormacks,

A good effort, 21 kms with (according to MMR) 750m climbed (don't believe it, cos our peak was only 500 and we didn't do that much extra up and down (- there's always that weird spike around Moncks Bay)).

Sunday Short Snake Stuff

Quick wee ride with Gogo today. Parked my car at Breeze Col and we went for a ride.  Meanwhile, T was walking with Vanessa from Taylors, so her car was on the road above the bach there, and we both had keys for both.

Go and me started in above the road, climbing onto the skinny sidle.  Once around the ridge, overlooking the heads, we spotted T and V (and Jet) below.  I rang her and waved, then we bombed down to the Godley carpark, and waited for them.  I took Jet for a big drink from the tap at the loos, and the girls headed on along the bike track towards the car.  Jet chased them, and we overtook them and continued on.

At Breeze Col we headed up the road, I gave H a push, and then we dropped into the new Anaconda entrance, swooping and flying on down.  He was good, got pretty sore hands, but I think he enjoyed it.  In the tail he struggled a little on the rocks, and then he crashed on the very last corner below the big elder tree.  No harm done and we headed up the road (he walked most and I rode with his bike next to me), to the car.  We collected O from the bach where he was gardening and took the Hyundai home.

A massive (not) 6.3 kms, and 200 m climbed, (but with 330 odd metres descended).

Saturday Hot Muggy Morning Taylor's Godley

Nice ride from Taylor's today.  Dropped O off to do some work in the bach garden, and Nelson joined me for a ride.

We headed up the road and into the walkway, zigging and zagging up to the Godley Head Rd.  Was steep and bloody hot and humid with a hazy overcast but sunshine too.  Dry AF as well.  I cleaned everything, but did have to stop a couple of times for breathers.  From the road we headed up the usual 4wd track to the singletrack and decided to head back towards Evans Pass.  Good bomb around this, down, passing 2 couples near the end.  Then couldn't be arsed, in the heat, to ride the tech-rock back, so took the road back around to the climb, up this again, and a bit of a rest til just after the 2 couples had ridden past.  Gave them a gap and then bombed it down to Livingston, passing them having a break before the last full tilt descent to the saddle. 

Straight into the climb, moseying up and around.  Nelson waiting for me at the top, as usual.  Straight into the descent, bombing around and down to Breeze.  Here, we headed up the trail above the road, taking the barely visible skinny track around the sidle.  Long, dry grass, but good purchase under-tread.  Onto the emplacement, then up onto Breeze Bay track.  No walkers onboard, so a good hoof around, pea-gravel proving interesting on off camber corners.  Back into the skinny climb and sidle again, this time more visible thanks to our previous tracks.  Then a super fast bomb down to the Godley carpark, where we found snacking the 2 couples from previous.

Across onto the below-road mtb track, bombing around back to Breeze Col, then up the Godley singletrack climbing to the cattlestop, then over the fence (ants on my hands from the post) and down to the top entrance to Anaconda.  Swoop swoop, bomb bomb, into the old, more swoop, yumps and bombing, into the tail and fang wallop bomb to the bottom, spectacular jumps over the final grate.

Final road climb back up to the cars, and a good ride done.  A grand but sweaty 17 kms, with a bloody good 730 m climbed.

Thursday Pre-work Mental Health Check Up

Left home at 7.30am, drove and parked on the Heathcote next to the bridge opposite Bowenvale Ave.  Got riding up the Major and was hitting Kenmure at 8.05am, onto the dirt just after 8.10.  Beautiful morning, a little muggy but still and mild and calm.  Plenty of shade climbing that side of the hill at that time of day, and higher up, once on the dirt, the trees provided nice long shade all the way up to the pylons, whereupon it got a bit warmer.  Another thing I did, was a lot more standing and cranking a taller gear than I usually do, which seemed to keep the pace up.  Sure is nice to be fresh (compared to evening rides).  Seemed to break the whole climb up a bit.

Above the pylons, I did the usual swivel up onto the grass, then up the singletrack from the Rocky Ridge.  First stop and drink was when I climbed the fence.  Up the landing strip onto the gravel, grinding away, around to the start of Traverse.  No rest for the wicked, so straight into this and across to the top of Fourpause.  Another rest and drink here, then dropped on in. 

Nice blast down, excellent floats over all four jumps, (perhaps they're the four 'pauses' - from the rubber on the dirt), then blatted across the extension down the landing strip zone, and over the edge into the old skool dh.  Followed all the lines, but that one wee rock droppy angled thing is still baulking me...  Good flow down the rest of it, down through the hefty rocks before the water troughs without even noticing them.  I think i picked a different line to usual and it blitzed me through super quick...  Off Cambers, back and forth, then Old Skool Proper.  Blitzing, blazing, blasting, blatting, blistering down the trail, brief rest on the flat after the valley (where O had his gorse bush encounter), then all the way down and out.  Finally, down the road at a nice cruisey pace to the car...

The usual, just under one hour, just under 10 km, and just over 420 m altitudes.

Sunday Hot Stuff Thomas and Bony Greenwood

Otie and me met Nelsie at Slumnervale and we fixed O's gears and rear brake before we got cracking. 

Off up the Captain, O coping well on most of it, tho getting off for some bits of steep.  Hot work until finally we were in some easterly breeze which cooled nicely.  I was feeling surprisingly good considering my Friday night epic - surprising what one day of recovery yielded.  Hit the Scummit Road and toodled, hot work and then the shade of Jollies Bush was a real relief.  At the Richmond Pines we headed over the stile into Greenwood, and O didn't want to go all the way to the towers, so he headed up the 4wd track towards the gun emplacements, and Nelson and me headed up Sheepshit Alley, then into Britten, around the top and straight up Broadleaf.  Nice views from the top of Pleasant, and chatted to a nice girl from who'd only recently moved to Chch from Rotovegas (with her nice Weimarana who carried her own water in a wee doggy backpack).  She was keen to know more about Chch trails.

Off we headed down, zip zip zip.  Hooked up with O then headed into Greenwood proper.  Excellent blast.  Bony bastard rocks lessening O's enjoyment.  Thankfully Nelson had stopped after Gloomy and we had a bit of a rest before blasting off down the rocks.  Fang fang, pop pop, clatter clatter.  Fun times.  Across Evans and into the Captain.  Woot fest, speedy dusty descending, tight on Nelson's tail til my phone rang, then off again and blasting.  Cleaning everything except the usual uphill, and blazing away down the dry dry dusty clay lower down.  Nearly lost it in the rut on the last big corner. Then, over the stile and down through Slumnervale park and back to the cars.

A delightful 15 kms, with 585 m climbed.

Friday Night Bonanza, *post number 1111

One-thousand, one-hundred and eleventh blog post...

What added up to a fairly sizeable total tonight.

First up, I parked in Hillsborough Tce and rode around and up Ramahana, Aotea and Huntsbury, then across Vernon, Witch, single-track above the road, Castle.  Back up the road and up onto the Tors, slippery down here with all the dried weed-eaten grass, and a wee low-speed OTB crash onto soft tussock.  Then back on the above-road-singletrack and through the fence and up onto the top of the Duncan Pirate Track.  Into this, and man is it dry. So dry.  Dry AF.  A tinderbox.  Hoped like hell my hot disks wouldn't set a fire.  In the forestry at the bottom I took a muppet route down.  Looks like there's been more work done in there.  Then back on the road and around and over Centaurus Rd hill and back down to the car.

A veritable feast of 18.5 kms and 807 m climbed.

Meanwhile, T and Beck were walking up Rapaki Valley and I txtd when I was back at the car.  T suggested I ride up and meet them.  So, drove around and up to the start of cRapaki Track and parked and rode, leaving my gloves and bag behind, because I was thinking they'd be on their way down and I'd meet them... But no... every corner, are they there?  nope.  Once up on the flat I spotted them, rang, "is that you near the top?" "is that you under the pylons? Hi! - come on up!"  "Ungh, okay"  Off I treadled, meeting them just shy of the top.  Grabbed a snack off them, then headed up to the new singletrack and bombed down (pausing part of the way down, out of view, for a quick chat with Douglas), waiting for them at the flat and riding with them til it got steeper and my coasting got faster and faster til I was bombing to the bottom where I waited in the car for them.
another 250+ m in another 8 kms...

Well earned, we went to Zaffron and ate.  mmm

Tuesday Afternoon End of Holidaze Halswell that Ends Well

Up and down a few times in Halswell.

A couple of girls in the carpark getting ready to ride and leaving before me that I proceeded to encounter multiple times throughout the ride.  Caught them up top of the dog park and I dropped straight into Download, then climbed up C2,  Dropped into Murph's, quite enjoying the flowy descent.  Around and into Upper Crust, a much better climb in my mind than C2.

At the top of this I caught up to the girls again, and headed up the Croc ahead of them, spotting them dropping behind me as I climbed.  Straight into the Low Rd, then through the gate and a drop over through Siberia (new lines...).  Stopped at the Kennedy's gate for a bit to wait for a runner to pass so I could have a much needed leak.  Then back up the 4wd track, to the gate, whereupon the girls were coming up Low Rd.

I dropped into descending trail.  I like how all the tracks are one-way now.  Makes for a better 'less conflict' ride.  Into the Croc proper, swoopy swoopy, and then into Deviation up slightly across then back and forth and whoopdedoo down to the junction.  Dropped into Spurious for a nice couple of technical hardware features, dropping all the way down to Upper Crust.  Clambering up here again, where I encountered a young guy on a 'leckie (grrrrr, lazy f'ck'n f'ck, grrmble).

I bombed down the top half of C2, testing the new bypass down in here, then, scattering a few walkers, dropped into Mish-Mash at a cracking pace, sliding in the dust, then getting confused a little by the drop-overs near the bottom, dropped, jumped, then left, and right, I hit Upload, steep wee grunter (from the top, spotting the two girls again in the valley below), then I climbed up the steep wee grunty corners in the start of the OG Crocodile and on up to the Coopers/Spurious/Deviation junction.

Here, the young 'leckie guy rolls through into Spurious so I follow and he drops over to Upper Crust to power lazily up, while I muddled about then headed up the entrance of C2 and out down through the dog park, finding the two girls at their car.

Effectively an hour's ride, with a surprisingly peasly little 287 m climbed in a subordinate 9.7 kms...

Tuesday Double Double Fence Fence Downhill Hill Downs

Day trip to Akaroa so I scored a couple of 'more down than up' rides (as per...).  On the Fatty.

First off, dropped off into the hell's teeth of a gale, along the Summit Rd from Okains top to LeBons top and over onto, for the first time ever, the Old LeBons Track. Double-fenced double-track, steep and fast, gated into 3 parts, of which one section had a lot of sheep, which stampeded ahead of me, impeding my view (and flinging the shit), then a rapid gravel road bomb to the bottom of the valley, down to Takamatua, across the main road then up the steep-arse Old French Road, over and down the Old Coach Road into Akaroa to find the fam.  A sweet 15 kms, with 367 m climbed, but 850 m descended...

We did our thing there, then on our way home, they dropped me off at the saddle between the Little Ak and Okains catchments.  I set off, climbing, little bit of walking, across the ridge then around the epic Totaras, to then enjoy the rapid descent, down View Hill Road to Chorlton, then the sealed road into Little Ak.  A bit under 10 kms, with 100 m climbed, and around 680m descended.

Boxing Day Mounting Grey

Sweet ride today with Nelson and Pete. 8.30 or so pick-up from mine... Jetted up and parked at the usual 'Lake' Janet, and got toodling up the road for a start.  Pete's first blood appeared when his leg caught the warratah at the gate. Turned off into the singletrack, stopping to clear some branches, then hitting the steeeeeeeeeeeep.  Gasping, no asthma remedy so gasping all the way.  Pete had a tumble getting going on one of the stretches, heels over head below the track, blooding his leg good for the second time.  Got to the lookout and some walkers turned up.  Got riding again, up the singletrack, best way to the top.  Up, pretty much in the clouds by this point

Dropped in and the down was magnifique.  Stopped and Pete went ahead and got the drone up, pulling in some footages, and onwards down, meeting some walkers on their way up.  Into the forest and switchback city.  All getting better and betterer the further we descended.  Somewhere along the way Pete blooded his nose on a lawyer too.  I led a lot of the lower stuff, all the way out to the end.  Nice.  Another drone flight over the river and then we were off up the road back to the car. 

Usual couple hours, 665 m climbed, in 13.35 kms...

Thursday Night Captain Green in the Parlour with the Candlestick.

Tires.  Tires, tires, tired of tires...

In the morning, the back tire was flat, so, thinking it was just a slooow leak (as it had been prior), I pumped it up and chucked it in the car and headed for work.  Parked, rode to C4 to get some beans and on the way there it slowly deflated, becoming too low to ride just as I arrived.  Borrowed a pump from one of the guys there, but that didn't work, so I walked myself and the bike to work.  End of the day, the pump in the bikeshed at work didn't work, so, walked to car.  Drove to Sumnervale.

Nelson arrived just after me and his front tire was flat too.  His was a valve-core issue which he couldn't fix so he left again.  I replaced my tube, and patched the one I took out - 15 or so minutes.  I started riding, and my tire got flatter and flatter...  I stopped up on the grass just off the cul-de-sac (before the stile) and patched this tube.  Another 15 minutes or so.  Then, as I removed the pump the whole fucking valve-core came out.  WHUUSH,  I struggled and got more air back in, got riding even tho the tire was a bit too low, at least it wasn't getting any lower.  Got up round all the switchbacks and sat down on the seat to pump it more, and the valve-core came out again, so I spent another 15 minutes or so messing with it, also discovering a loose spoke, which I tightened by hand.  Found that part of my chain-breaker managed to fit the valve-core, so got it good and tight, re-pumped and finally got riding.  It was getting close to 7 o'clock by this stage!

Good climb, finally, up Captain Thomas.  Cleaned everything I usually clean, and walked all the usual bits. Rested at the annoying gate, letting a couple of girls ride down through.  Headed up the Summit Rd, as far as the Richmond Pines.  Over the stile and up the 4wd farm-track to Greenwood.  Hung a right on this and stopped again, flipped bike, and got the spoke-tool out and tightened up several spokes.  Got riding again, up, around and hung a tight right on Sheepshit Alley, bombed down this, then around 'the Greenline' climbing back up to the start of Greenwood from the 4wd track.

Into it and bombing.  Nice bit of work done on the edges all the way down, a tickle since the Enduro?  Smooth popping through the top rocky sections, cruising and bombing in turn.  Around, pumping okay towards Gloomy, but getting bailed up on the rocks just after.  Then rested the spine before the rocky descent, good flow through this and the airy bits, and off the drop, then slow to start around into Dave's zone, speed ratcheting up as I was bombing and flowing, feeling pretty good.  Wind got stronger as I headed into Evans Pass, gale across the saddle.

Across the road and back up into the Captain, and bombing into the flow again.  Rocked all the goodness on this, having an excellent run, except the usual climby bit just after the last of the rock drops.  Flow and ping the rest of the way down and back to the car...  After a bad start, a good finish, solid solo, 15 and 3/4 kms with 12m shy of 600 altitudes climbed.

Sunday Slow Short with Hot Dog

Lots of riding during the week, around town.  To TFC meeting, then home from Poms on Tuesday night.  On Thursday, work picnic at Kate Shepherd's house, home, then Moon Under Water and back. 

Sunday, took Jet across to Bowenvale Ave and we headed down then up Major Aitken Drive. He was a happy boy, bounding and trotting along beside and ahead. Higher up, once on gravel, he met Stella, a cute young black lab, who thankfully he didn't try to hump too much.  We left them to go up the singletrack usual, then up the landing-strip, and met them again on the gravel.  I plodded on ahead, thinking he'd catch up, but when I got to the bit I was going to walk up onto the Traverse, Stella and owner rode past but Jet was still way down the bottom of the gravel straight looking for me.  I whistled, he heard, and started running up, but went out of view behind a knoll and never reappeared.  I walked down, and he was nowhere! I stood there and whistled and yelled, and then saw him finally, waaay down in the tussocks.  He heard me and came puffing up, looking hot and exhausted...  We made our way to the Traverse and settled in for a little break. 

I took off down Fourpause, and bombed down doing the first 3 jumps then stopping and waiting...  and waiting...  and waiting...  He showed up, just trotting along.  It was hot.  I was worried about killing him with heat exhaustion.  All the way down.  Popped the jumps with expertise, then down the landingstrip zone, ride, stop, wait, ride, stop wait...  Down to the stile, then on down, stopping regularly to let him catch up...  He was hot!  Panting majorly.  Popped all the fun bits, the steepest big one with an audience of 2 women and a guy, who I saw walk it after I'd gone through.  Lower down I met a guy who'd lost his mate...  then found his mate lower still.  Jet was slow.  The nasty grass from last time has mostly cleared, so not as slippery on the off-camber bits now.

Old Skool.  Jet found water in the first gully, under the gorse.  I'd say it was pretty dirty...  A few more breaks and further down he rested.  I really thought I was gonna kill him from heat exhaustion!  Panting, lying down on the track...  When we got to the bottom of the valley, he went looking for the creek, but it was bone dry... Down Bowenvale a bit, and I parked him in some shade, tied him up, and bombed on down to get the car... 

Up at lunch at mum and dad's he drank and drank and I hosed him off.  Very happy he was.

A short, 9.33kms that took a long time.  409 m climbed.

Sunday Short and Hot, HuntsBowenSkool

Quick one this afternoon after a couple nights in Kaikoura.

Got over to Nelson's about 3pm, and we headed up the hill.  Grindy grind.  There was a dude ahead of us on Huntsbury Ave and I just could not catch him.  Nelson jetted off ahead, passed him, then eventually rode back to me.  Then did that again, meanwhile, I'm just grinding away at the same speed as the guy...  Stopped for a rest on our (now) usual spot (grassy track, just above the cattlestop above the pylons), and I stretched my sore arthritic back.  This helped me a lot, and my it didn't get as sore for the rest of the ride.

Up the singletrack, over the fence, up the landing strip, then UP Fourpause...  For a bit, then across to the top cattlestop and on up the Huntsbury gravel.  Into the Traverse, headwind across here, and then another rest at the top of the descent. 

I led in, and man got pushed sideways on the jumps.  Nelson didn't even do the bottom jump for that reason.  The landing strip descent is now mowed, but the dead grass is dry and slippery, making for some serious sketch, especially as you hit the first rocky descend-over before heading for the stile on the 4wd.  On down, dry grass proving sketchy, but thankfully missing from all the steepest rocky bits.  Super tricky down in the off-camber corners at the bottom tho.

Into Old Skool, all non-stop, passing a dude scrub-cutting-mowing the track and then bombing the rest of it.  Lovely tail wind across legs heading up-valley.  Finishing off down the road and around back to my car, and popped up to his for a quick beer.

A moderate 10.8 kilomenators and 408 altitudes altituded.

Thursday HunTraverse ThompsoNun Draino'd

Sweet wee spin tonight.  Left Nelson's just before 6 and headed straight up the road.  I'd had a massage earlier in the day and so my legs, glutes and lower back had had all the juice squeezed out of them.  By the time we made the top I was dissolving into jelly, and it was a struggle around the Traverse.  A little better on the descent on Thomson's, then onto the second half where the girl died last week, burned hole in the scrub right there...

Up the road, struggling again, and all the way up to the Nun...  Checked out the view from the very top of Marley's above here, then hit the descent.  Nice blaze, bomb bomb bomb, fuck it's bony.  Into the Park zone and madness ensued. Buncha buncha passing through and past.  STopped at the top of the end of Gnarley and watched a young dipshit lose it over rocks.  All balls no skill.

Followed, and overtook them down and then dropped into Drainpipe ahead of them.  Awesomesauce blast down this, catching a couple of guys, them pulling over then catching some more.  then getting stuck behind an ignoramous down the last remnants of 3rd base finisher..

A rather good 21 kms, with 628 m climbed.

Saturday HuntVern WitchCastle TorLava Skooled

Early-ish ride with Nelson. Headed up the road from his, then up the dirt, singletrack to landing strip and gravel.  Around across Vernon, meeting many, and through a packed Rapaki-top.  The Witch, cleaning bar one dab, and resting at the highpoint.  Then down and across the road, onto the Crater Rim 'walkway' just above the road, good tech, then up the road to Castle Rock.  Awesome bomb down this, turning around and back up the road from the Bridle Path top. 

Up onto the Tors, Nelson cleaning the climb, awesome bomb down this, usual dab over the only bit I ever dab on now, then up onto 'Crater Rim' singletrack again, better in this direction.  Across onto the Witch, then decided on heading up the road instead of Vernon due to the beginnings of tiredness.  Into the Traverse for a spell, and for a change, we heded down the Lava Flow.  Awe.Some.Sauce  Nelson took all the ubertech lines, while I doddled down the easier stuff.  Good times.  Then, we checked out the nice new exit off down to the right.  Lots of fun, steeper and steeperer and more and more off camber as you go, one last tricksy rock to pop then into steep exit onto the valley corner of Hidden Valley 'Bonus' link.  From here it was up, up, and up, around and into Old Skool for a wicked flow...

Bloody mint. 850 altitudes and over 20 kilomenators

Monday, I went to Poteriteri for a week to get eaten by sandflies and scratched by ferns and lawyers, oh, and to count birds.

Tuesday Victraverse Bowenvic Latters

Climby McClimbface.  Parked up at my folks place (which will be ours at the end of next year) and checked out the place with T and H. 

They'd brought H's bike, so they drove to top of Vic Park while I rode with Jet up the road and up from Skidder through to top.  H's rear brakes needs some serious looking at, lever to the bar and barely any response...  Usually a bunch of pumping and flicking fixes it up a bit but not tonight.  "You're just gonna have to use your front brake more..." "Okay."  So, off we went, down into the trees and we swept round to that first jump which I popped nicely, then down to the cattlestop, opening the gate for Jet.  Then down Brake Free, and into Sesame St, but peeling left into the gums, all the way down but not my usual lefty (cos the steep would be too hard with his brakes).  He did amazingly well, and didn't crash due to brakes once.  Bypassed the skidder site on that swoopy through trees, and then down the old (obviously hardly ever used) singletrack to the end of the road.  T was at 19th Memorial.  H rode from here on the road with her following and I booked back up into the park.

Up next to Sesame St, 2nd climb up here tonight, and I hopped up to BrakeFree just to try out that first Sesame jump again after last week.  Way over popped it and flew, actually dabbing the rear brake in the air, then landing with a stopped wheel, miles down the ramp, straight into the next pop, then finally gaining some composure as I flew over the next double...  Round the woodwall, and contemplated but didn't commit into the next double, popped off the ! drop and then around and straight back up K2 climbing, up, up, then up Worm and onto the Traverse.

Got riding around here, been a while since last in this direction in particular.  It was rush hour, I pulled over quite a few times to let others through.  One guy I didn't (he was descending, and had a perfect opportunity to pull into a wee spot, but missed it) and he looked very confused.  Meh.  Rest of the run was good, and got to the top of Fourpause with four paws intact and had a nice pause here.

Dropped in, fanging, wooah, a little overgrown, making for a bit of edge catching sketchiness.  First jump was further down than memory served, nice, then overgrown corners slowed me down into the second one, and the third I popped nicely, landing on the transition.  Bombed down through to the final one for a nice leap and landing.  Continued on, and MAN was it overgrown.  Wading through tire-deep grass, barely able to find the line, and not seeing any rocks under it all.  All the way through and down to the gate, over grown long grass as hell.  Over the stile and into the first shortcut, not so bad, second, hmmm, rocks???  dropped, into next steep one, better, but everything from here on down was too overgrown to function...  not as fun as usual, especially the lower switchbacks which you couldn't even see and had to go really slow. 

Decision time.  Left, down HiddenValley, or right and down Old Skool for some more descending goodness.  Obviously I decided on the latter, and had a smooth and fun blast down here, with a couple of very close calls. 

Straight into the climb up the valley, oh the grind, 3rd time in as many weeks, meeting several of those who had passed me on the Traverse, and then after some seat adjustments, up K2, cleaning, again, and on up past 40fter and zig and zag to the Skidder. 

Blast down the road, detour around the back of the slide, then into the lower Dog Park and over to the Harry Ell Drive track, but detouring to head all the way down the back of the houses, fast next to the trees, then over the stile and down the (VERY OVERGROWN) Latters Spur track below the houses all the way to the bottom of Longhurst.  Finally, climbing again, back up (STEEP) Longhurst, and finally up Amherst to our new house.  Phew.

A surprising 15.25 kms with even more surprisingly over 650 m climbed

Tuesday Pre-Trees Bowen-Victorian Sessions

Thinking we would meet workmates either at the bottom or at the Skidder Site for a bit of a skills session Nelson and me rode up Bowenvale Valley and K2 like I did last week...  Got news half way up that they were piking (cos the Park was closed and they couldn't Lift up, lazy kids), so we continued up the grind (which didn't seem as bad as last week (muscle memory??)), and got to the top of Vic Park ready for some action. 

Figured we'd keep it a skills session, and rode down to the first jump in the trees, scoping it out and clambering back up for another go.  Nicely cleaned first time round, then into the see-saw, which I baulked on first, then did the 2nd time round, no problem at all (wtf was I worried about??).  Don't know why I've been so psyched out by it for so long.  Into BrakeFree, and rode back up for the first few jumps to ride again - I reckon I rode it best the first time...  Then into Sesame St.  First big gap jump Nelson just piled over it no problem and I baulked.  We climbed up, back into it, I baulked again.  Back up, baulked, but rode down through the rest of it nice following jumps and wallride no problem.  Stopped and walked back up, right to the top again, and met a young fella here - got chatting, then I followed them in and GOT IT!  Again, WTF was I worried about?  It was easy.  Enjoyed the rest of the jumpies and wall ride and Nelson cleaned the big gap below the Wall, and then we got chatting again with the young guy, Michael. 

Headed into Shazza's, and stopped not too far in to check out a couple of the jumps in there.  Decided the wooden feature with a downhill landing was too dodgy.  At this point we were joined by a lovely young woman Michael knew (Hannah, I think?) who rolled up and decided to join us on our way down.  From here we bombed down the rest of Shazz and down and into Sneaky Ridge, which Mike hadn't ridden before.  He decided to try the No Road Bikes section, while the rest of us rode around it.  Then him and Nelson decided to do the big drop in the oaks...  Both cleaned nicely and then we hoofed off down over the wee jump onto Bridges (or Flow?).  Regrouped and bombed it across into Nu-Bridges, zigging and zagging down this to the bottom of the valley.  Hannah split into Hidden Valley bonus and the three boys fanged it down the valley, and we made our 7pm curfew to get to our meeting (after grabbing some dinner), juuust on time.

A massive 7.5 kms, with a huge 350 m climbed....  

Saturday Micro-tour to Sculptures - *Happy 1100 Posts!*

Was the day for the Fam to all go to Sculpture on the Peninsula at Loudon Farm, Teddington - Anth had 10 pieces in it.  I decided to ride the Troll there.

Left home 9.05 and perused my usual route into town, across the front of the Gardens and straight down Antigua, Strickland, Colombo to hit Dyers Pass Rd.  Low on the Troll is just right for this hill, not usually needing to stand up, unless to occasional popping into 2nd or 3rd to stand up and give the bum a rest.

At 1 hour in I was at the Sign of the Kiwi, hung a right and along the Summit Rd, climbing, then nice rolling coasting pedalling high gear down to the old top of Kennedys, before the surprisingly big climb up past the top of actual Kennedys and beyond before the fast drop down to the Bellbird.  Climbing again, to the photo point, and on around, nicely cruising, but keeping a good pace most of the time.  Met a lot of roadies along here, all looking surprised at my bike choice, and very few cars by this point.

Finally, just before the descent into the Bastard, I stopped and wound in my brakes a little, and the hit the descent - and what a descent.  Highest speed was up the top here, just over 63 kph, bombing - modulating the braking to occasional jabs just to keep the disks cool and the speed reasonable, opening it up a few times when the road allowed.  Quite a spectacular descent.  You feel like you've been rolling down for ages, and you're still really high up.

Eventually got to Gebbies and this is where more speed kicked in, over 60 kph for a time, with a couple of massive blasts down here, before it levelled off all too soon and the head wind kicked in (it'd just been a bit of a tail and blustery along the tops).  And then the brakes were making annoying rubbing noises, but I persevered to Teddington and hung a right and around to Loudon Farm.

Exactly 2 hours, door to gate... 34kms with 802m climbed...  a hot blitz.

Thursday Hot Solo Vic Nun Old Skool.

Drove from work and parked up top of Bowenvale Ave, not really having any plan as to where I'd ride.  I'd brought my ex-front Maxxis with me in the car, and so changed off the split, worn rear one first, and then got riding up the valley...  just past the bottom of Old Skool I realised I'd left my wallet on the dash of the car, in full view, so jetted back down to grab it, and then headed back off up again.

Struggle Street further up, but cleaned everything, then paused and headed up K2.  Managed to clean the rock at the bottom and keep my power on all the way up the gravel steep, then hung a right into the singletrack, pausing for a good breather here.  On up to the 20footer and another rest (it was WARM) while I looked at the jumps, then on up below the DH track and under the pylon and onwards upwards to the 40fter.  Continued past top of Rad^Sick and up round to the right, steeeep baaasssttaarrd, up finally to the skidder site where I had a nice rest.  3 fellas I'd been hearing behind me the whole way arrived and continued up the steep.  I followed.  Managed to clean it all still no dabs or walking, nearly puking.  On up past Brake Free and up past the seesaw and then up to the top of Thompson's where the 3 guys were waiting.  Brief chat then they took off.

I waited a bit, then followed in.  Down to the Kiwi and on up the Summit Rd, them not too far ahead.  Round and up to top of Worsleys, then up to the Nun.  The three guys were there.  More chatting, and another couple of guys arrived.  First 3 headed off, then me after a pause.  Eventually caught the tailender after the corner closest to the Park, and overtook, then went down to the Gnarly Nun drop down, just after a massive posse of the mtb 'elite' (including Mel (of Rich and Mel fame)) had bombed through so I was eating their dust the whole way down, and said as much to Mel at the bottom.

Off across Dyers Pass Rd and back up to the top of Vic.  The 'elite' all arrived not long after me, and I let them all head down first, they peeled across towards the big jumps, but I peeled left and down my usual route into the Gums and my favourite lefty.  Bombed swoopy swoopy in here, then Shazza's and then nice run down through Sneaky Ridge, jumping onto Bridges and into Nu Bridges, bomb bomb bomb, then climbed up HiddenValleyBonus, and up into the Old Skool for a pretty good run down here.

A very balmy and exuberant 14.6 kms, with 557 m climbed, all at my own pace.  

Thursday Night Eastern Beastin' Feast-yearn

Met, as per, Nelson, in Scumnervale after work, about 5, parked up and we rode off up Captain Thomas.  Good climb, asthma not so bad, but usual struggling once the going got steeperer for me up the first bits.  Once on the level things got better, and Nelson cleaned further than usual on the rockiest bits.  Usual near-death on the climb before that top swingy gate, but other than that the rest of the climb was good.  At the road, we knuckled in behind a couple of other guys, climbing the Summit Rd, and eventually caught and got chatting with them, riding the rest of the way with them up to the top of Broadleaf.  They were practising for the Enduro to be held up there next weekend.

Chatted some more at the top, for quite a while, then we led off keeping our blitz power on to stay ahead.  One of them was pretty quick, but the other guy not quite so much.  Tho, seemed on the techier rock stuff we would huss over they bogged down a bit, but on the smoother bits his speed was mental.  I was on Nelson's tail hard the whole way til the lead in across to Gloomy Gulch, then I was utterly blown and had to pull up, lower back killing me, allowing them to pass and go ahead.  Got started again, and saw that Nelson had pulled over below the dropjump, so he took off again once I'd caught him and we chased again.  He caught the slower guy before the rocky ups.  I wasn't that far behind, really...  Bit of a rest at Evans, chatting some more.  The faster guy was responsible for MtbTrailMagic on You Tube...  they took off down Capt Thomas.

We rode out Godley Head Rd, and stopped to watch their descent.  They kept a good clip.  Not long after this, we noticed my back tire getting flatter.  Good slash in the side of my tire...  Stopped and replaced the tube, got riding and it was going down again, but I leaned forward and managed to ride all the way to the cattlestop entry to the climb track, where we stopped again and I patched it this time - tube must have had a hole in it from last time!

Climbed up, gasping, to the trail, and we got rolling back to Evans.  Nelson jetted off ahead, and I stumbled and wheezed through the flatter rock bits, then actually struggled further down more than usual, even having one VERY close call with an OTB.  Bloody close.  Just couldn't seem to get a good flow on.  I took the final high-line walkway bit at the end. 

Across Evans, and into The Captain.  Better descent down this, sticking surprisingly close to Nelsie for a start.  Cleaned everything as usual, and bailed up on the wee rocky climb.  Final blast down the flat into the switchbacks was good, but the Cabbage Tree track was overgrown as.  Blasted out the bottom and finished down past the horses.

Just about 19 kms, with 710 m climbed.  

Tuesday Kaniere Canaries in the Mine

Parked and promptly killed my phone in the boot lid - I put it on the spoiler to catch the MMR satellites and then stupidly forgot all about it an opened said boot - not noticing it slide into the gap.  Then once we were ready to go, Nelson completely unknowingly closed the boot, crushing half my phone in the process.

Hit the trail.  Tech city.  Flat(ish), just lots of little ups and downs, to start.  One of the most fun trails of the whole trip.  Slippery roots, slippery rocks, low speed, hard work.  Tech.nic.al.  Big climb towards the end, with a fair bit of pushing, dragging up rocks to a platform, then a little more climb before a technical arsed descent, followed by a cruisey cruise round to find Steve looking sleepy in the car. 

Amazingly, my phone caught it all, even tho at that point I could only see half a screen...
10.12 kms, 305 m gained.  Screen progressively became unuseable over the next day, and on the way home utterly impossible to see anything on it.

New phone purchased the next day.

Blue Monday, Spurring On

Wet night and morning, but cleared a bit, so Nelson and me headed south of Greymouth to Hoki and up to the Station carpark for Blue Spur.  Had a doozie of a ride in there...

Climbed up the access road, first left into Doolittle, fun little doing, descent back to the road, climbed back up, then left into Seesaw.  Excellent blast down this into the valley.  Up the valley, shoes off 3 times to cross the stream, then up Elevator, and UpCycle, which was really cool.  Then up the main 4wd track again, climbing seemingly forever, passing the starts of all the tracks we'd hit on the way down. Eventually the very top of Edge.

And, down... First The Edge, then a climb on 4wd to Stagg's Drop, which Nelson immediately crashed on, tumbling down and disappearing into the bushes below the track, landing completely upside down.  I had to drag his bike up, while he tried to untangle himself upright.  This was a fun trail, one of the better ones.  Next into Bad Boys which had a heckuva lot more climbing that it should have.  Then the Cutting which was quite good.  Out of here, we headed up a bit over and down the road to the tech top of Tunnels, and dropped in.  Awesome wee trail this, tho a few too many ups in the middle bits.  Through the tunnel, and then out the valley out to Tucker Flat Rd, right here, and along, then up a couple of steep corners back to the car.

A reputable 15kms, with 414 climbed (felt like a lot more than that)...

Sunday's Undeniably Platitudinous, Denunciably Platonic Denizens of Denniston Plateau

Day two of the annual trip.  Checked out of Holiday Camp, so our departure was 10am, headed out of town via petrol pump, and up to Denniston Plateau. 

Nelson's gears weren't working so we waited around a little while he faffed.  Steve set off, with Robin and Pete, while Andy and me waited about a bit longer, but then Nelson said it was gonna take a while, so we set off in chase...  Up the road, fourth right, into Loopy, ex-bulldozed track, wide, but eroded and rocky, short climb followed by fast and rocky descent, with the boys in view across on the next climb.  Pete saw us, turned back to film us on the groveliest wee climb section, which I cleaned!  On up, and over, and met up with the other two.  This trail did this down and up thing a couple more times, then hung right onto Rocky, which dropped over and down.  Pete went ahead to film.  Then we all followed, me first.  Turned to look back and saw Steve have his tumble here.  Damn.  He picked himself up and we climbed over and down, and met Sullivan's Track.  Hung a left on this and climbed steeply, and technically, up and then across and around about the place, with Pete heading ahead to get the drone up for some filming of us.  Eventually back to the road, and Steve and Robin continued on to the car, while Pete, Andy and me checked out Lunar.  This was excellent.  Narrow, hard to follow, technical, and interesting.  Climbed out of that, back to the road, back to the car.  First lap, a smidge under 7 kms with a puny 126 m climbed.

Out with Nelson, without Steve or Robin, for the next lap.  Back up the road, and dropped into Lunar again, and sessioned a couple of sections, and tweaked a bit here and there.  Tidied up the markings too.  Then, climbed Miner's, up and down and up and over, then peeled off into S.O.B, which was techy as all fuck.  Pete flew his drone, tried to capture us riding it.  Got a bit of footage. Then down the rest of Miners, wet and sloppy, to Burnetts Face, and climbed back up the road.  Looked at Teapot, which we should have ridden, but didnt...  Second lap, tiny bit under 11 kms, and only 175 m climbed.  (certainly feels like more when you're doing it).

Saturday Heaping the Heaphy

First ride of the annual trip...  This year featuring the smallest group for a while: the three originals - Steve, Pete, Andy, second original - me, 3rd original - Nelson, and later addition - Robin. 

We'd driven to Westport in POURING rain on Friday, checking into the Holiday Park motel units and having a jolly old time of it.  Up early, and departure time of 7.30am set... 

Day dawned not raining enough, and with a good hour's drive to Karamea, we were on the trail about 9.30.  Nice climb from Kohaihai, followed by a nice descent, then it's just up and down the whole way, with a few flatter bits in between.  We all kinda took turns hanging back with Steve, who's struggling these days, but soon spaced out pretty good. 

At the halfway shelter, Pete chucked his drone into the air and promptly lost it.  It lost touch with his base, climbed up to it's ceiling and sat there til the battery ran down enough to send it down.  It came back into view after about 10 minutes and he kinda guided it back down, but then it crashed in a tree.  I'd seen exactly where it had landed, so we guided Nelson and Pete through the bushes up to it.

On riding again, and easier stretch from the first half, ending at the Heaphy Hut where we cooked up Dehy-meals for lunch.  The 3 less ridey turned back here, and Nelson, Andy and me continued on.  Nelson, I think, had the intention of getting all the way to Mackay's.  Andy was happy to turn back at Lewis, while I wanted to get a little bit of altitude - having come all that way, but knew I'd die if I went too far up.  So, we said our goodbyes to Andy at the hut and headed on up.  That was about 1.35pm, I said I'd go up til 2, which I did.  Nelson kept on at it and I turned back and enjoyed the fuck out of the surprisingly good quantity of down hill.  Then enjoyed the cruise back to Heaphy Hut (back over the bridge not quite finished with the 3 DOC guys working on it), but trying to keep a bit of a pace on, thinking maybe I'd catch up to Andy somewhere. 

Stretched and snacked for a few minutes at Heaphy, then hit the trail again, dead on 3 I think.  Again, reasonable pace kept up, but towards the end I started to really flag.  Type 2 fun was being had along here, suffering and wishing it was over.  Finally got to the top of the final climb and with glee, flew down the trail, detouring left onto the wee loop track and riding this around to the bridge, over, up, and on the final approach to the car park, there's a rat loping towards me on the track.  I veered, ran over it, feeling it under at least my front tire, but when I looked back it was a blur leaving the track!  (later Nelson saw 'a rat' near a culvert just a bit further up the track).  I suspect it was poisoned - dopey, but amazing it didn't die with me squashing it.

Andy was in the car, had been there for 20 minutes.  Then we waited 1 hour 10 for Nelson, who had indeed made the Mackay Hut (his mmr is from hut back, ie, half)!

MMR stuffed up big time, putting me as having started at Heaphy Hut, heading south down the coast then, back north again and finishing at the highest(ish) point that I got to...  mental. Somehow i gained 32000 calories... The mileage is too little, but the altitude may not be wrong.

Sunday Quick Dog Loner Juggle Tings Proper

Didn't know when I'd get to ride.  Was told 5pm would be fine.  Then, at about 2 T said Vanessa had cancelled, so I could go earlier...  Drove across with Jet in the car and parked on Eastern just over the bridge from Bowenvale.

Jet on the lead, headed around to Major Aitken, and up.  Kept him on for a while, cos he was kinda giving me a tow, and cos the road narrows a bit further up.  At the hairpin, quite a way up, I let him off and he ran free from then on, right til the bottom of Bowenvale at the end.  Up Kenmure and up Huntsbury to the top.  Up the gravel, climbing pretty good, my own pace, not too hard, not too soft.  Up onto the singletrack and up the landing strip then up the gravel, and before the top cattlestop we peeled right onto the wee climbing singletrack, walking a stretch, then riding the last zig and zag to the top of Four Pause.  Schlumphfed down here for a rest, small snack, and took a pic.

Onto the bike, Jet in behind, and away we rolled.  Good fang down this favourite trail.  Better traction than the other night, and I did the jumps a bit better too, even with the easterly blasting across the track.  Waited for Jet after the final jump, and then down through the tussocks, weave weave, and dropping off over the left down to the gate, Jet not too far behind.  Over the stile, and blazing, down, drop, weave, pop, drop, sidle.  Skipped that one bit that has the blown-out rocky ledge, using the 4wd briefly instead, then back into the rocky descent down to the water troughs, where I stopped and encouraged Jet to have a good long drink.  Off again, back and forth on the off-camber over-grown corners, and then onto the Old Skool proper.  Bomb bomb bomb, jumpy, pumpy, flow across and back and across, and from where we watched O's crash (almost a year ago!) I stopped to wait for Jet, and then when I got started again, couldn't clip in, making those rocks tricky.  Got clipped, and bombed on down the rest, stopping a couple times for Jet to catch me.  

Bombed down the gravel to the end, and waited.  Jet got straight into the creek opposite the jumps, and soaked and drank, then off down the road, he took his sweet time sniffing and peeing on every. single. tree. down. Bowenvale Ave.  Felt like it took longer to get down this than it had to ride Old Skool...

Only 9.25 kms, with 404 altitudes gained.