Sunday arvo cRapaki Shorty

O, for a Pride in Achievement award at school, had decided he was gonna make the top of Rapaki, so, took him across there today, and we toodled on up.  Was very good for him, nice and cruisy for me, in a nice low gear just plodding up, admiring the views all the way.  Incredibly busy, hoards of people all over it.  Quite surprising.  Hell of an easterly blasting away the whole way, but that kept us cool.  Probably took an hour, he stopped for wee rests a lot, but, got the top, and off down we went, him skidding and drifting-out the whole way down, loving it.  Well done that boy.

Friday Night Wharfdale clearing

Left work early and managed to get to Nelson's close to 4.20-30pm.  We loaded his car and hooned around through Oxford and Woodstock Rd and then up through the fords and gates to an empty carpark (no surprise there).  No idea what time we got there, maybe 5ish?  Off up the track, Spot climbing well, and Jet running off ahead and waiting and running ahead, veeerryy happy.  Trail quite wet in places but I was feeling good, but Nelson's heart rate was all up the wazoo on account of having imbibed a RedBull on the way to the trailhead.  Got to the gate and the first descent, bomb bomb bomb, yikes, skiiiid, stopping as my handlebar hit Nelson's ass.  A big tree across the track.  Out with the Pocket Chainsaw, manning a handle each, cut through the quite rotten log, wearing out our arms in the meantime, jumped on it a bit and got through it, and moved it off.  One down, how many to go??  Got riding again, and just around the corner the climbing began again.

Climby climby climb, in and out and round and round over the bridges, feeling pretty good.  Nelson's heart rate still out of whack.  Jet loving every sniff.  On a windthrown ridge we got to our next project.  A bit of a mess of branches and trunks, many snapped off and in-your-eye spiky.  Out with the saw and many branches cut and moved and a clear way through except for one large log, easily stepped over.  Jet was wondering what the hell we were up to, "come ON, guys!"  Onwards again, and lots of nice swoopy descending, trail in perfect nick, light starting to get low, especially in the gloomier spots of forest.  Another tree across, more work with the saw and cleared, and now it was time for lights.  Another smaller (but wedged) tree, another one cleared.

Up the rocky outcrop, largely unrideable down to the creek that follows, and the slog up out of that, skirting the slips and back on the bikes, onwards ever onwards.  Another tree cleared, arms and shoulders starting to ache from the sawing. All the creek crossings are a lot more rideable now, there's been a fair bit of work put in in recent times, since all the slips and tree-throw of the last year or two.  Rode on, loving the downhill bits and enjoying the climbs.  Approaching the the switchbacks towards the end, the mudpugs were unavoidable.  I think there was maybe one or two more trees moved before the end.  We were at the saddle about 7pm, moreporks calling.  Pitch dark without the lights.  Surprisingly, I discovered I had cellphone reception, so flicked off a couple texts to home.

Then it was time to head back.  After the mud and the first creek crossing, we picked up speed down towards the first corner, assuming Jet was just behind, but got round that corner and looked back.  No Jet.  Waited, no sign.  Walked back up round the corner, calling, no sign!  Started to freak a bit, called and whistled, and no show!  Oh noes, I thought, I've lost the dog :(.  Then, in the distance, his wee glowing eyes, trotting along down the track.  Dunno what had kept him.  But he trotted onwards.

Rest of the ride out was good, I kept him in sight a bit more carefully, which slowed me down at times I'd have liked to go faster.  Somewhere, there was a tree across the track at about waist height we'd left on the way in, thinking it too hard, but we got sawing and cut nearly all the way through it but then couldnt move it.  Eventually, we pushed over a dead-standing widder-maker nearby and managed to use it to smash through our cut trunk.  Then we levered and bruteforced it off the trail.  Brilliant.  Continued on up to the high windblown point before the swoopy best fun descent began.  Once more I got a bit ahead of Jet and worried we'd lost him again, but he showed and just steadily trotted past and on not waiting for me - I think his wee paws were getting sore from all the sharp rocks. Awesome flow through this section now down to the low.  Final climb to the gate I was slooow and tired, legs spent, and lack of dinner taking it's toll.  Good pace down from the gate, waiting a few times for Jet, before finally getting back to the car, low cloud skudding through that saddle.  Was after 9.30 or so by the time we got to Nelson's place again.  A beer and a feed there, then I wasn't home til after 11.  Drove through some really heavy drizzle at Swannanoa.

Grey Mt Grey Sunday

Missed any rides earlier in the week due to being in Hamilton for work, so was pleased when Miranda was organising something out of town, to which I suggested Mt Grey and got a few takers.  Jet in the car, rack on the back, round the corner and picked her up, and two others, Jon and Andrew were in attendance, travelling in Andrew's car.  We convoyed north through drizzle and nearly rain, then up into cloud shrouded Lake Janet, finding Nelson having just arrived.  A cold southerly blew through here.  On the bikes and climbing, climbing climbing.  I stuck back with Miranda who was cruising nice and easy all the way up.  Eventually we caught Andrew above the Lookout Tower, and then rode together up round to the radio towers, where we found Nelson and Jon taking shelter from the bitterly cold wind, entirely engulfed in, maybe, 50m visibility fog/cloud.

Time for the descent:  I led the way, with Jet, mainly just to get the hell out of the cold wind.  Down the first wee techy descent and onto the singletrack proper where we waited and watched the others appear through the mist.  Now, on down.  Nicely groomed as per my last time, tho very slightly soggy-er, rolling round and in and out round the ridges and through the ruts and over the rocks, realising perhaps this is actually quite tricky for a rooky like M.  But, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?  She was smiling the whole way down, whether through fear or joy, who can tell.  Kinda rode down out of the cloud as we were heading into the forest.  Used all of the new 'shortcuts' through the higher corners, and I made it round some of the corners, or just did the usual dab-plant-flick-roll through others.  We regrouped several times, letting everyone reassemble, but blazed the longer stretches happily, with either me, Nelson, or Jet out front.  Great run through all the good bits.  Jon ended up hangin' forward with Nelson and me, enjoying his new found passion (having only got a proper bike recently), and Andrew and Miranda took up the tail-end charlie role.  Again, regrouping many times to make sure everyone was still alive.

The order of the different sections all seemed different to memory, amazing how that happens.  The muddy section, must be about 2/3rds to 3/4ths down, was muddy as hell, tho maybe a tad drier than my last.  But the lead in to that muddy bit, and the bit after it both were entirely different to what memory held.  Lovely lovely riding tho, all the way through to the end.  We regrouped for a while on the big wooden bridge, before fanging out the bottom section.  Awesome.

Washed off some of the mud in the river then hit the slow climb back to the cars.  Again, I stuck back with Miranda while the other three powered off ahead.  Jet stuck with us.  All the way up, my front wheel was making a weird 'gloop, gloop, gloop' sound - water in the rim...  Hit the road and we were home about 1.30.

Gave the bike a jolly good wash when I got home, and lubed the chain good.

Huntsbury with O.

Then, in the afternoon, O said, "can we go for a ride??"  Not one to pass up my 10 year old son asking to go riding, we hit the road and parked up top of Huntsbury.  Rode up, him climbed well really well, and rolled up to the top of the landing strip, then headed down this, over the fence and onto the singletrack.  Blasting down, through the next gate, and he followed me right over the first jump (impressed!), and then followed me down all the singletrack, popping and bypassing each of the jumps depending.  On the lower couple, the drop leading to the wee double, he bypassed the drop then rolled over the double and went straight over the bars.  We rode back up and did it again, this time he cleared it but didnt quite have enough speed, and the back wheel hit the landing, but he made it...  sweeeet!

Saturday, Two Rides, Planting and Jet

Saturday morning, on the Spot, met the boys at Pete's - Steve, Wayne, Warren, Tony and Pete.  I led them down Patten St, and then into the red zone, cutting through to Halley Pl, then through to Keller St, then across Morris through to Robson, then across to Maling and eventually across to Avonside Drive just upstream of where the twisted bridge was.  From here we followed the river down stream, all the way.  Remained on this south bank all the way to Bridge St Bridge, then over and through what used to be forest along the Estuary edge and then eventually onto Rockinghorse Rd to the end, for to plant a shitload of trees, for Canterbury.  Good sossies and we rolled back round to Bridge St and slowly began to unravel, me departing the remaining three on Maces Rd, following that round and then Humphrey's to Joy's place to pick up the beemer.  Left the Spot in her house.

Drove the beemer home and got the fiat and Jet and drove back to Joy's, got the Spot, and headed up the hill to the Upper Major carpark.  Jet and me headed up through John Britten.  The Westpac helicopter was hovering around and once we were at the top we saw it parked in Britten Reserve, preparing or waiting for something.  Rode the singletrack round the top and onto the road, talked to some roadies watching the spectacle, them saying it was apparently a paraglider crashed on the cliffs...  Several fire appliances and cop cars in attendance, we rode down the road to Cavendish Saddle, and began the climb.  Half way up the chopper got moving, so stopped to watch them hover above the newly destroyed cliffs and winch up the paraglider and one of their crew.  Once they'd flown off, got riding again, Jet behaving well around the sheep.  Up to top of Mt Pleasant, and down down down, finding the most flow I've had on this trail, down to Greenwood and around to the entrance, then up the road and back onto Britten, Jet rocketing down ahead of me back to the car.  Great wee ride, and a good run for Jet.

Thursday night Muckvicars Vol 4

Rode over to Nelson's work and we cruised to the top of Worsley's Rd and got riding up the dirt around 5.40.  More wet patches than we'd expected...  guess not a helluva lot of drying has gone on of late.  Anyway, climbing wasn't bad around the main track then into the forest and up the Guts steep little mother trail.  Managed to keep my lungs inside me all the way up here.  From the cliff top through had some pretty greasy bits, and it was just starting to get too dark in the forest here.  At the rocky pretty much unrideable bit we turned the lights on and continued on up to the top. 

We rested here a bit, then some irish dude turned up, and headed back down, and we headed up the access to Tommy's2 track.  Part way up we found a trail leading off to the left, so checked it out.  Headed down and rolled through the edge of the water tank clearing then back into the forest, past two old stone ruins (wtf?) and then into the douglas fir of Debbie Does Dallas, but instead of wending downwards, suddenly it switchbacked round and upwards, through some terrain we'd never seen and suddenly we're on the main original track, up hill from the clifftop, but below the tricky rock garden.  So, wondering where the hell Debbie had gone, we headed back down this new track, finding where Debbie crossed it, and walked down her a bit to see what she was like, but deciding not to risk the tree falls that might be further down riding, so walked back up to the bikes, and proceeded to ride back up it.  I walked lots, Nelson rode lots, on upwards all the way back up to the top Tommy's2/Hangloose access track.

Up to top of this, one or two greasy bits on the way, and found the lead in to Mr Sutcliffe's new steep track, probably best left til summer, and so we chose Tommy's2, and it was a hoot.  Traction was pretty good, not much slippage.  Steepness was awesome, and it was rideable pretty much the whole way down.  Only one or two wet slops.  Out the bottom, down a newer drier line, and onto the climbing exit track.  Good for a start, but sloppier as we climbed, til the last stretch which was horrendous.  Got to the top of it and decided we didn't wanna climb back out of there, which ruled out Fight Club, so we went back up the guts track all the way again, this time my legs were hurtin' bad all the way, even walked a bit before the cliff top.

At the top it was into Tommy's and down down down.  Some sections of flow, but lots of stopping and starting, and second guessing what was where and which to choose.  Rolled out the bottom on a cool new section to the pylon clearing and then into the forest on the left, swooping back and forth down here to the final section, ripping down it nicely, a couple of new lines in here, then past the tank and swooping through the bottom section, done, back to the car before 8.

Sunday Mornin, Snortin' Badly

Only Steve and me today.  A bit wet, I biked into town on the Troll to pick up the car from where T had left it last night, then got to his place and we took the Trees van to Lyttelton.  8.50 sailing of the ferry to Diamond Harbour, and from here we rode, in the drizzle, to Orton Bradley Park for a TFC planting.  Nice road around there, hardly any traffic and a good distribution of ups and downs.  The drizzle lifted precisely at 10 when the planting started.  At the planting we rode up a soggy paddock, my town tires not gripping so great.  Planting was very quick, not too many plants and quite a few people.  Rode up to have a look at where the new 'family' track is going to be, but couldn't really tell.  then back down to the cottage for a muffin.  All done, and back on the bikes and back round to DH, where we stopped for coffee, tea, and some grub, before heading down and arriving in perfect time for the 12.30 ferry back to the van and home.

Thursday Hunting Vernon's Witches in the Castle

Finally, after several days of no rain, and a lot of wind for maximum drying, the last of a month saw us hitting the hills again.  Rode from a massage to Nelson's work and we had a smooth run in light traffic to top of Huntsbury.  Got going, still nice daylight, musta been before 5.30, cos I'm pretty sure the sun was still up, if not, just gone...  Rode up the jumpy singletrack checking it all out for later's descent, then on up the single round the knoll and onto the airstrip, then gravel grind to the top.

Into Vernon, and lights on even tho they still weren't quite necessary, but by the time we were lower down they were.  Very gusty at the top there, making balance interesting.  Spot's cush seemed bottomless as I wafted down the trail behind Nelson.  Didn't feel that fast, but I think we were ripping.  As we got round to overlooking Rapaki the wind was behind us so we had that blissful silence, nothing but the tires scuffing over the trail surface and the occasional clatter of the chain.  Dusk truly fallen as we passed through the top of Rapaki, a few other lights about the place, and straight into Witch Hill.  All open and tidied up, the first entry ruts now a big mound, and then into the usual rocky goodness, maybe slightly tidied.  I cleaned it all, but I think Nelson muppeted along a bit, and I had a good run all the way round, suspension doing it's thing wickedly.

Onto the road and rolling, tail wind, and it was like 6.05.  Good pace around and up to the Castle where we stopped for a short snack, getting moving before some lights that were approaching arrived.  Turned out they were roadies, passing us above on the road as we approached the first hairpin bend.  Into Castle Rock, which had seen a working bee on Sunday, lots of drains cut, and not too many rocks moved, tho one or two newly armoured (previously) soggy bits.  Usual ping pong down here, I certainly got a good flow on, and the eyeopener for me was the climb, which I rocked on up, suspension assisting speed and flow, no stalls or stops as per hardtail stylez.  Bridle Path top, we turned around and rode back up it, cleaning lots, but losing balance before the top, as usual (and i was going so well too!).  At the top I suggested, how bout another run and back up the road, so, that was what we did.  Back down, Nelson's turn leading this time.  I'd left a bit of a gap and all the way to the first hairpin I barely made a dent in it.  Nelson thought his run was better than the first one, but I reckon mine wasn't quite as smooth.  He'd paused at the hairpin so I sat on his tail through the next sections til the climb where he dropped me again, but then on the upper rock armoured bog he lost it off the side, much to his chagrin.

Back onto the road, and climbing, ugh, then weeeeeeeeeeee down under the Tors and onwards, rolling for aaages.  From the short climb we popped onto a sketch of a track on the left hand side of the road, saving the tires from the seal.  This flowed nicely down to Witch Hill track which we bombed into.  Clamber climb, I found a new line to the left of the step up in there, then had an awesome flow round to Rapaki-top.  Nelson, not so much.  Into the final climb, up Vernon, around, making it hurt - Nelson pointed out that these climbs are where the fitness comes from.

Last leg, across the Traverse then down through the rocks and tussocks, the latter of which stalled me, making my left testicle have a rather close encounter with my seat, which left me writhing on the grass for a few minutes.  Yowch!  Groaned a little more, then we got going again, finding a really nice sheeptrack line that led out to the end of the airstrip, good coast, over the fence, into the singletrack, Nelson falling off it again at one point, then it was all down, Nelson taking the first drop jump up there, me bypassing, then through the gate and on down, over the jumpies, jumpy jumpy jumpy, wooah, ruts, phew, jumpy, final drop, then double and down to the car.  All good.  Not as wet as it sounded on the boy's Tuesday ride.  And it was like 7.26!  Early finish.

Sunday's Grey afternoon Jet

FINALLY time and conditions allow me to get out and ride after 2 weeks of weather and commitments getting in the way.  Hit the road from home in the Subie some time just after 12, and was on the bike just up hill from the first gate above "Lake" Janet at 1pm climbing, Jet the happy doggy running ahead or along side.  Good climb, thinking to myself at the beginning, "oh yeah, that's right, I always forget how long this climb is", but in the end, not finding it too bad.  Made it above the bushline at 1.30, and then probably the very top, in the bitter southerly wind, less than 10 minutes later.

Across a few remnants of snow and straight into the singletrack descent, pausing briefly to switch the shock to Descend.  Someone's been down with a weedeater, evidenced by broom and spaniard and tussock scrap all over the trail.  Singletrack a little rutted in bits, but the worst of the wetspots has a couple nice drains draining it now.  Usual tactic on the switchbacks, foot or feet down, parking the nose, flicking the back-end around and getting going again.  Not balanced, but with feet down...  Jet did his usual, getting in behind when I was haulin' ass, and scoping out front leading when I wasn't.  Met some people just at the top of the bushline, Jet saying gudday to their mutt, and us continuing on down into the switchbacks coming thick fast.  A few new lines in here for bypassing the corners, all of which I missed and didn't go back for, one or two chutes to tackle next time.  A few stretches of nice long blissful flowy trail between the corners, crossed the stream, a few more stretches and then it goes on for a while longer flowing on, which had me thinking- THIS is what it's all about!, past the turn off back up to the Fire Lookout (and "Lake" Janet), and the turn off to the close Lookout, and on down, trail in perfect condition and then into the switchbacks that become so dense there's one bit you just walk down.

Once these were done we had a nice long section of sweet flow, then left the safety of the beech forest and out into the open, greeted with mud, (not-so-) glorious mud.  Mucky filthy soggy treacherous mud.  Slopped and slid down through all this and then it was back into a beautiful leaf-littered section of beech again, the mud on the tires fast becoming covered in little beech leaves.  One or two more switchbacks and down into lower forest, mud holes and roots, mostly pretty good tho.  flowing on down and through and eventually over the bridge, down a bit more and out to the road.  Awesome.  Now for the climb back up the road...200odd metres over 3-4kms back to the car, Jet obeying me well for good road sense.  Half way up, amongst the beehives, a bee collided with my left eye, bouncing right out again, no harm done.  Little bit of smarting, but it never got worse than that...  so, total of around 700m all up.  Felt gooood to be on the bike again, and the Spot is a joy to behold.

Thursday night, Ungodley greasiness

Was 7ish by the time we got to Evans Pass, and then Nelson's rear tire was flat.  Thought it was just a slow leak so he pumped it and we could hear the hisssss.  Turned out to be valve failure - unpatchable, and the three other tubes in his car had either that or the massive split from a few rides back...  the heavy tube came out of the bottom of my bag and into his tire, giving him a slight weight handicap.  after 7.15 by the time we got away.  Due to Nelson's illness and the coughing and spluttering I opted to take the lead for most of the ride.  This suited me, as I wasn't feeling fast and it kept Nelson from blowing himself out too much.

Off up we went and boy were the rocks slick.  No chance of cleaning the first section - the moment we entered it the back wheels spun out.  Same went for the next little bit, but from there on up was only the occasional dab on the slippery trickery.  Good breeze blowing too, pushing and tugging at times, making the slick rocks even more of a challenge.  Mostly good run out and only a few mucky holes, tho some of the ruts are ruttier.  Around the end and round into the boardwalk zone, all good, but after the boardwalks, nastiness ensued.  First it was the holes and soggy ground, then the Teddington Shit was like mucus, splecky and sticky and gross.  After it the trail got good for a while and the downhill was fast, but I was holding on so much I couldn't open my shock up and couldn't turn my light up and so I wasn't the fastest, but then, you probably didn't wanna be, it was just dodgy enough not to be.  Down to Livingston and upwards again, wind strong, good climb then into the cruisey round and down to Breeze, going very slowly down the paddock after the pfmtbc rock, not wanting to be sprayed with muck.

From Breeze Col we headed across the road and up the trail round the side of the hill on the Taylors side, climbing up and onto the wee goat track which was really good, tho obviously being less and less used.  Traction was good and it was just a fun wee track.  Fast descent down to the end and then back round the original singletrack below the road.  This had the usual holes in it, one of which gave me the heebeegeebees, catching me by surprise and me just managing to skip round it.  Would have eaten my wheel otherwise.

Back at Breeze Col we hit the road, moonlight bright enough to rest our lights, all the way round til top of Scarborough where we headed up the hill back onto the track.  The climb was greasy and slippery, with only the grass giving any traction, and Nelson seemed to charge ahead while I grovelled away...  Back on trail I led the way back.  Was a great run, tail wind assisted, flowy(ish), poppy and slicky, all the way back, with only a dab or two.  The final rock sections all the more fun for their slipperiness.  Back at the car 8.45 or so.

Sunday's meandering trio

Saturday I took a couple links out of my chain and also slotted a 16t into the cassette in place of the 17t, giving me a 13-16-19 combo in the range now, which is smoother and less gappy than the 13-17 jump...

I rode the length of Linwood and Humphreys, picking up a nail puncture just as I met the Estuary.  Patched it and still made it in time to meet Steve and Tony at the Ferrymead Bridge (not a very big turn out - the 2 Ws are in Oz, Andy's sick, & Pete's got a bad hammy).  We tootled up St Andrew's Hill, hanging a right up TeAwakura Tce, and up the alley onto Cannon Hill then up to Michael, across to the other bit of Cannon Hill then across Freeman to the Major and took him the rest of the way to the top.  Into Britten Reserve and up up up.  the Spot climbing lovely.

Into the top of Greenwood and lots of new rockpiles filling soggy bits, making me glad of the full suss.  Nice roll across and down to the ruins where we stopped and scoffed a little kai before hitting the down.  Excellent blast down, the earlier rocks that last time I floated over weren't quite as floaty for some reason.  Fun down and round all the curves and then round through the mucky to Gloomy Gulch and around a bit.  Stopped here to regroup and looked back and could see Tony just getting onto the boardwalk, but no Steve...  hmmmm...  then Tony made his way round to the bit of trail I couldn't see and then didn't come out.  Steve had had a wee off and tumbled down below the trail some.  Only a small amount of claret leaking and so was soon back on board.  Off down the rocky swoopy and round into the smoother back and forths and round.  One or two new holes where it's been soggy before the cattlestop and then into the dips and rock-repairs before the wee gulley.  I paused here til Steve appeared again and then off down towards the rocky ups, swooping and lofting all the way.  Stalled slightly on the first rocky up, one foot out, shove off rock and onwards down, up the next one no problem and on down to the bottom.  The Spot still superlative.

Across the road and into Godley.  Made a good go at the rocks, but dabbed out.  Even stuffed up the top bit.  From here on out tho, the climb was sweet, tho Steve wasn't having his best day (the crash previous had put him off a bit, wethinks).  Awesome spin round the top and into the down.  After the second boardwalk (3rd actually - but 2nd of the two after the fence that are reasonably close together) there was a bunch of holes and wetspots that have never before been there.  Then the original Teddington shit section was quite soggy too.  But from it down was smoooooooooth on the Spot.  What a rocket ship, so stable at high speeds, with it's low centre of gravity and plush travel.  Blasted down through to Livingston and regrouped.  The next climb i left it in wide open and it was awesome.  Gotta do that more often.  Descent round to Breeze was also dead smooth, like a highway, lovely.  Quite cut up just before pfmtbc rock...

Into the Anaconda and smooth rolling.  What. A. Blast.  Railed the corners, took bits faster than ever before but with more control, and had a lovely time down through the valley.  overtaking a guy who was obviously struggling, on the off camber next-to-last corner.  Awaited, briefly, Steve and Tony and we continued on down the 'Tail.  (passing the guy again, walking through the rocks, near the bottom).  Next up was the tarseal grind...  Up and over blazing down Scarborough (getting stuck behind a car), and onto the esplanade avoiding random children, to coffee and some grub at DotCom - where we were met by Marie and Mark on their roadies.  Rode back into town with them chatting all the way til I peeled off and trudged the lengths of Humphreys and Linwood again.

Thursday surprise Bottle Ache group spin

Plans changed for me and I'd been invited earlier in the day to a night ride at the pond which in the end I was able to join.  Drove out and met up with a bunch of people, didn't quite remember all their names but included Miranda, Andrew, Andrew, Hannah, Josie, Hugh and a few others, ten of us in all.  Miranda's first ever night ride.  I had the singlespeed and the dog.  I led the way and soon gapped everybody by a good distance, but as we progressed i slowed a bit and they got a better feel for it.  Regrouped at the gazebo, then again just before the ponds one of the guys got a surprise flat.  A wee split in the sidewall of his tire, we ended up strengthening it with another patch, which held for the rest of the ride.  Jet had, until this point, an old red flashy on his collar, which he proceeded to lose while we were there. 

Onwards and through the water feature, up onto the dunes and along.  Good spin, all the way through to Spencer Park where we stopped for mulled wine and crackers and cheese.  Very civilised.  Back on to the trail and we took turn about leading, tho mostly me.  Eventually, at the start of where they're going to log out soon, Hugh led the rest of the way out to the carpark.  Nice for me to be in behind, slipstreaming and going a bit easier.  Jet stuck with me the whole way.  He is SUCH a good dog!

Tuesday with the Krew

Nelson and me met up with Wazza, Steve and Robin, Andy, and Wayne at 6.15 as specified, at the top of the tarmac on Huntsbury.  We chuffed up into the cold breeze.  Rode mostly together well grouped most of the way, Steve hanging back with Robin who was struggling with lurgies and general lack of shape.  Into the Traverse and we rocketshipped our ways round, Andrew never too far behind Nelson and me.  I was enjoying following him, cos the trail was nicely lit up for me with him in front, and slipstreaming is always good too.  Short regroup at the usual spot and onwards round to Vic Top.  Another regroup here then off down the Thomsons.  Fun we blast down the first, Nelson nearly losing it on the first hairpin.  Second half was great with the full squish down the bumpy wooden entrance, and you wouldn't necessarily want 800mm wide bars in those trees...

Kiwi and Andy had gotten a flat back in the Thomson, so, Steve and Robin went ahead to just do a lower half run (Steve's wrist was sore), then Wayne and Warren, and Nelson and me decided to give up waiting and headed on up, not seeing any of the others again for a while.  We could see the two W's lights up on Marley as we were rounding the road.  I led into the Nun, and we fanged it down.  the Spot was glorious - except for the chain bouncing off twice (moar tension needed...).  Rock sections that in the past bailed me up were smooth as silk.  Nelson enjoyed following my lines cos they were slightly different to his usual ones.  I guess I was still riding my hardtail lines...  On the lower section, I had quite a moment on one of the humpies, my back end getting kicked and I was on the verge of heading over the bars, but momentum kept me in check and the rest of the way down was sweet.

Regrouped with the two W's and Andy (Steve and Robin having gone ahead ages before).  Up the road and into the Traverse.  I led for a while but the pressure of Nelson and Andy on my tail pooped me, so I let Nelson lead again and stayed tight on his tail except for when my legs were running out of steam on some of the wee climbs.  Off left down Hunstbury, rocks and tussocks trying to take advantage, then rocket ride down gravel into the landing strip and on down to the singletrack.  The W's took the main track all the way down, til Andy got them at the pylons and got them on track again.  Popped most of the jumpies, Nelson did them all, and was a good run.  S and R had departed not long before we got back to the vehicles at 8pm

Sunday's Blowhard, lives up to it's name

Out to Nelson's with Jet in the car, about 10, and heading out 10.30ish round through a few frost patches to the end of Maori Reserve Rd, parking up to find a few vehicles and could see some hunters and dogs heading up the hill.  Got riding, 11ish, and ground our ways up, blowing bloody hard, what with the fresh start, Jet leading out miles ahead, excited at the smells of the other dogs ahead of him.  Met them pretty much at the high point before the drop to the big mud puddle where the true climb begins.  Also up there was a quad bike with a dog trailer, so obviously other hunters were ahead too.  Jet was great with these first dogs, hello hello, and straight on with us.

Lot of walking up the rocky steep to start, then a bit of riding and more walking and more riding and a bit more walking just for good measure.  All feeling pretty good, Jet bounding around, covering twice the distance of us, up and back, up and back.  Eventually, the sort of avenue along the ridge bit of a descent and we met the other dogs (and their owners), a couple of which weren't quite so friendly...  Jet was good tho, and had no trouble and on we went, a bit more climbing and walking, Nelson cleaning heaps of it, but not able to use his 42t the whole time cos of some gyp it was giving him.  I was certainly glad of my new 40t.  My old 32:36 ratio would have been a bastard and a lot more walking would have ensued.

Awesome descent down the ridge, then the climbing wasn't too bad, on and on it went, not too much muck about, a few bits of ice around, frozen frosty ground in shady sections, but mostly pretty dry the whole time...  bloody good actually.  By the time we were approaching the top, was around 2 hours, so far, and legs were getting pretty tired.  Made the top and it was blowing a fair bit of nor'west up there, not overly warm either.  Chatted to the 'crowds' up there (an older man and a younger woman (father daughter?), and a separate young guy with a foxy called Jack).  Around 1.10pm it was.  1.20-30 we departed.

Off down, and Nelson lost it in the tussocks, couldn't clip out in time and flopped off the bike.  was spectacular and luckily non-hurting...  I took the lead for a bit, finding a good detour round some mucky shit as we re-entered the forest, and bombing on down, smooth as smooth can be, the 5.Spot becoming more and more a part of me.  Jet was never far behind and was really good about stepping aside for us to go ahead on the fast bits, then catching up and cruising on ahead when we were going slow.  Some sections we bombed down and it was glorious.  Past the Bypass Track and onwards down across the ridge.  Sweet flow, a few climbs and downs and suddenly into the steep walking climb.  Took a lot out of me.

Once clear of it we were riding again and not far up there I got a good cramp in my thigh, yowch!  Stopped for a bit of a rest of it, and then once we got going again there was the top...  W00t! down down down swoop and holla, til Nelson got a flat.  Fixed that, and not long after came upon one of the first dogs we saw, injured, fair bit of blood, walking along in a bit of a daze, not fussed by Jet,  but radio collar on (so his owners will hopefully have found him).  Got going again and the last few metres of the last wee climb hurt but then it was into the really rough stuff.  I got bent out of shape on one bit, got going again, cocked up again, then flowed on down.  No troubles the rest of the way with some sections of insane speed.  Bike was superlative in it's performance.  Wicked.  The bottom seemed to take ages to turn up, a couple stops on the way to make sure Jet was with us - he was never very far behind even when we'd been absolutely hauling ass.  One very close call when my front wheel seemed to roll on about 3 babyhead sized rocks in quick succession, tipping me trackwards til i somehow hooked it up and kept it rolling down the steeeeep bits and finally over the frost hauling up by the muddy puddle, the smell of brakes very very hot.  Nelson's were even starting to fade/seize up.  My XT's were cool as cucumbers.

Round the puddle and up over and on down the 4wd.  Careful round the ruts, and back to the car, 2.30 on the dot.  Awesome day.  Weather couldnt have been better, trail was mint, bike was great, and the dog was the best!

Saturday Summit

I drove Obe-wan and our bikes up to the top of Vic Park, and me and him rode the Summit Traverse across to Vernon and back.  He did awesomely, and really enjoyed it.  Didn't complain about any of the climbs, just knuckled in and cleaned them, and he's a total natural at the few technicalities.  Had one off where he just stepped off the bike, on the greasy wee rock feature in the shade just round from the Lava Flow.  the Spot was flowing pretty good too, with it's new 40t Lone Ranger on the inside of the cassette.  Have removed the 15t, and so far it's not bad.  Used the 17t a lot round the summit trail.

Friday night Up and Back down

Not enjoying my tires the last few rides, in the afternoon I slapped on a couple of newbies, a 2.4 Nobby Nic up front and a 2.35 Hans Dampf on the back.  Once mounted the Hans Dampf looks bigger, so I think I'll swap them round.  And, as soon as I got the front on, I could hear the hiss of a flat... didnt have time to repair til Nelson turned up to pick me up.

And so we headed out to Sumner and up to Evans Pass.  Parked up and headed up Greenwood, as we'd not headed up this for quite some time.  Twas good checking out the trail on the way up, spotting where all the potentially dodgy bits were.  Ride up was good, mostly.  Trail condition was good, slightly damp, but not sticky or greasy; well packed.  One or two sloppy bits higher up, but lower down they've filled most of the dips with good piles of rocks.  Jolly good on the 5.Spot.  My climbing was a bit diabolical.  I've still to get used to the full squish in climbing mode.  Hardtail technique doesn't work and I've much to learn.  A case of full suspension NOT improving my riding... as a result, I dabbed a lot, straddle-walked the bike a bit, and spun out a fair few times too.  In the corners below the ruins I put a few more psi into my rear shock, taking it up to 200, and fiddled with the rebound too.  We carried on up and it was much betterer!  Made the ruins, and continued on up up and up.  Surprisingly level above here before the techy rockfest to the top, much of which I walked.

7.47pm at the top, Nelson fiddling with his gears, then I led the way down, wide open.  Total blast down.  Muppetry over the bit where you're looking down into Lyttelton, but once out into the tussocks smoothed it up and got some groove on.  Lost the track a couple times in the dark under the tussocks, but got faster as we progressed.  Into Greenwood proper and what a revelation.  For the first time i was 'getting' the bike, and it was a blast.  Totally comfortable, flying over rocky sections that have stalled me so much in the past.  Fantastic.  Nelson noticed i entered a couple sections like i would have on the BFe, a little slower, but then once in them realisation obviously hit me and I accelerated through them and out.  W00T!  Down down and out the bottom.  Big grins.  I reckon the Hans Dampf needs to be on the front, grip wise too.

Then across to Godley cos Nelson wanted to just hit up the wee beginning.  He cleaned it in one, I failed once, failed twice...    Then turned around and back to the car and home, picking up some beer on Stanmore Rd at 8.50, before they closed at 9.

Friday arvo quick dog

Landed back from Wellington at 2.15pm, originally because I was going to be doing the school pick up and taking to swimming run, which it turned out the dad of O & H's swimming buddies was able to do, so I got home, faffed about, got dog and bike sorted and headed for the hill.  By the time traffic let me across there it was already 4pm, so we didn't have a lot of light.  Parked up top of Worsley's, Jet and me headed up the main drag for a bit, me wheezing and him running out ahead.  Got my wheeze under control and at the Junction I decided I didnt want to deal with the ruts and muck and rocks and grease of the main drag, so we headed into the forest and up the guts track.  Rode most of the way to start with, but puffed out before the pylon gap and walked a little then managed to ride it on up to clifftop and on up the Originale, all the way out to the top.  Turned back around and headed down peeling left into Tommy's.  Took it pretty easy all the way down, popped a few jumps, still getting used to the bike, not trusting the terrain, grease around any corner, rutted out berms, off camber deluxe, and also the low angle sun was totally giving me gyp flashing my eyes through the trees.  Couple of near misses, but mostly a good run down, then hit back up the central track to clifftop again and headed down into the old original in here, then blended that onto the lower Wayne's World, then straight into Fight Club.  Blasted down this, great whoops, again still not trusting the traction so much.  Cleaned everything i didnt on Tuesday and rolled out the bottom.  The beginning of the climb back out wasnt so bad, but further up it got shit again and i ended up walking heaps of it just cos there was NO traction.  rode a bit, walked a bit then rode and walked the last to the Junction.  Headed down here, taking the righthand low line and missing the messy log drop, popped and rolled out down past the tank and into the rest of it out onto the splecky messed up open main drag, then rolled on down the road to the car clearing the tires nicely.  Jet trying to hump another trail dog as we went past.  All up about an hour, maybe less; good for us both tho.  Sun was fully down by the time i was driving the the road.  Traffic was a fucking nightmare home.

Tuesday Muckvicars Round 3

Nelson picked me up from mine and we cruised across town post rush hour.  Parked next to Cracroft park and rode up Worsley Rd, checking out the bottom of Farside as a possible option, and choosing it, then regretting the choice.  Not really a climbing track, and greasy as shit, so quite difficult really...  Finally got up onto the road and continued our merry way up, a while since we'd done this climb, having parked up top so often recently, and our legs suffering from the lack of riding in recent weeks.  Got up onto the dirt and it was squishy and sticky and slick.  Was okay most of the time, but occasionally it was just slick as.  Wet enough that the tires didnt carry too much on themselves.  That was to come later.  Up the main track, all the way, the river running in the ruts, minimal bits of rideable terrain the higher we got.  You'd be perched up on the top of the rut, and one wheel would slip and you'd lose it.  So, walk a bit, get rolling again then the same would happen.  Bloody nightmare.  The access track up into the forest was greasy as too, and I ended up walking a fair bit of it.  Nelson cleaned it.

Into the trail, not quite as greasy as Sunday last ridden, but still pretty damned slick, and more churned, but once under the trees, much betterer.  Hung a right into the original line, the wee rocky climb as greasy as something covered in grease, and back under the trees all good again.  Full suspension bliss, squishing my way down and through, one near miss in some slick shit between a cut fallen tree got Nelson ahead of me and we got out onto the clifftop and headed into the original line, all the way down.  Stopped and watched a couple riders coming up the internal track, and then blasted across and down bottom of Tommy's then into Fight Club, great flight down this, swooping over the humpties and railing round the bends.  Lower down, over the log hip, super greasy, then into the steep chute I bailed up right on where we'd trenched the other night ride here.  Nelson headed down through and I followed cautiously to find him off his bike nursing his squashed balls...  yowch.  Took a few minutes and we rolled out the bottom of the trail onto the worst I've ever seen the climbing-out track.  Spun and struggled up this, Nelson's tires gripping, mine just picking up crap and turning into fatbike tires...  I ended up walking a fair bit.

Next up, scraped heaps of crap off my tires and off up the middle internal track, me walking heaps til the pylon gap, then riding a bit, walking a bit and riding a bit more out to the cliff.  This time, into Waynes World and taking it all the way down, but bailing out at Fight Club entrance, and off down through the gap and hard left following the newish trails we had that other night, over a jump that nearly threw me then kinda stalled Nelson, then on down eventually crossing the trail and then through the junction and on out the bottom exit stuff.  Stepped over the log on the left higher line - bloody useless roll in and hopeless landing, so kinda dodgy to be popped.  Down past the tank, some sweet riding through here, then down through the final section, the full suss aiding my travels nicely.  Slowly down the greasy muck to the road, then speed mud removal - the marshguard working exactly as planned, and Nelson holding his head out to the side to avoid his fleck.

Down the road and into Farside, awesomely slick, but manageable for a while.  Til i got to one steep brown slick section where my front wheel lost it and we went down.  handlebar spun and i was super worried the brake hose would stress, but was okay, and I got rolling again no injuries.  the rest of it was good as, and out onto the road to a waiting Nelson.  On down, more mud removal and along out to the car.  Got sticks and scraped and prodded the bikes into some semblance of clean then hit the road home.

Sunday, mucky Sunday.

Very low ceiling of cloud all night, providing no drying opportunities for the hills.  Drove over to Andrew's and met up with him, Wazza, Wayno and Tones, and, after oohing and aahing over my new ride, we headed around Cashmere Rd to Halswell Quarry Park and up C2.  Not so bad under the trees, dry-wise, but once on the Crocodile proper it was a grease fest and we were exactly the types I was complaining about in my post about my last ride up here...  Oh well.  Wasn't as bad as if we were coming down it.  I dabbed out most of the big corners, their ruts and grease just too much, and a technique thing with the new ride too, methinks. 

On up the Low Road for a bit, but when it met the main track we all bailed off it and up that.  Siberia was fun, but sloppy under the dripping trees.  Then the clamber.  Up up up we went, further and further into the clouds, greasy muck under tread.  All made pretty good efforts at the top section, my wee rests helping my heartrate, and Andrew doing a bit of a loop-de-loop - he lost balance, veered to the right until he was heading down again, then juuust about managed to turn it back round before dabbing.  In the rocky guts I lost it once, walked a tiny bit then got rolling again, til the very top ledge sort of up, the back wheel just spun out and sideways.  The narrow broom infested top track was sticky as shit (and actually, there was a lot of actual sticky shit on the trails today, some cows seem to have had laxatives).

Onto the road and around to Worsleys.  A rider on his way down Kennedy's at the time had told us the 'Nun was really bad, so we skipped that and went for Worsleys.  Hoo boy, what a descent.  Just enough grease on the surface of the clay to make for no chance of stopping, and barely a chance to keep the speed down.  I survived it, Andrew lost it, the others took other lines that proved less slick.  Bottom of bodybag we headed up into the forest, the access track a total slick little shit.  Andy cleaned it all, the rest of us walked. 

Then it was into the woods.  Greasy as all hell for a start, we veered right onto the Original.  A couple times my chain dropped off the front.  Annoying.  It was only under zero power, if my rear was up on 1st or 2nd.  Good rolling down under the trees here, full squish doing it's job beautifully.  Lovin' it, I was.  Out over the clifftop and into the trees again, taking the right hander, some new line in here then onto the old, absolutely wafting over the rocky bits, then when we met Waynes World, took it's lower half and pulled up at Fight Club.  Next rider after me was Zane, on his 5.Spot, so we discussed then he headed down.  We followed shortly thereafter, the upper half rolling beaut, the lower half all fixed up and sweet as, lots of tricky off-camber.  Zane was waiting at the bottom an so cruised up the greasy climb behind him to the Juncture. 

Stopped, chatting for a bit at the junction and saw someone climbing the fence across the main track, so after Zane and friends had headed off up the guts track we ventured across to check it out.  A nice we entrance to the trail Nelson and me found a few weeks back, and so we rolled down this, avoiding all the jumps.  Over the fence and there were some bikes (quite flash bikes) parked and lots of fresh trail grooming, rolled on down and found some really young kids working their magic.  We continued on down, doing more of the jumps below here and enjoying the end, the onto the exit track out to the carpark. 

Down the road, a mud clearinghouse for the tires, then into the new Farside Track.  I followed Andy down it as he'd done it before.  What a little beauty!  Sweet sidling and not losing too much, but always downwards with a few wee whoop-de-dos spitting us out above the bottom corner.  Sweet.  Cleared the mud off the tires again as we rolled and then to Andrew's for a coffee and bickies. 

Spot ride report number 2, awesome.  Gonna really enjoy this bike.  Still wondering if I need more air in the chamber tho.  Really must remember to bring the pump for it next time.

Friday night Pinball Wizards

First sort of real test ride for the Spot, and it was a muckfest.  We ended up with limited time, not leaving my place til about 6.20 and kinda needing to be back around 8 for T to go to a gig, and by the time we got out the door, this went from 6

to 7 

 was wandering through with spitty kinda drizzly rain.  So, drove to Sumner, and up to Evans, parking up in the fog here.  Jumped on the bikes and got on up the Godley start.  Poor visibility, but not as bad sounding as the pfmtbc Tuesday's fog fug, but with the added bonus of rain falling.  First few rocks were a revelation to me - the Spot just soaking up everything; unbelievably comfortable.  I'm gonna have to tweak my style of riding a bit, which will take time, and I think I need another 10 or 20 psi in the shock too.

Rocks were greasy, some mud was around, a couple of ruts out towards the high point.  Neither of us cleaned the start, because the grease.  Next few bits tho, the Spot just rolled on up, sweet as.  Tweaking, squirrelly back end, but way less than the BFe would have been.  Dabbed a fair bit, being rather careful with my new treasure.  We only rode to the landing strip, high point, and turned back  A couple of small rutty holes out that end, and one big hole that was there last time, otherwise just slick rocks everywhere else, pinballing us around.  Coming back was awesome.  Wafting down the hill, rolling over stuff that would have used to have hung me up.  And the rocky armoured bits!?  WOW.  The last rocky sections down to the end were a revelation too.  Back to the car, reasonably sprayed in muck - tho, obviously, none in the eyes thanks to the muckynutter.  Gotta get something sorted for the rear, just to keep the crap out of the sweet DW linkages.

new!

pretty sure this very frame here is now mine...
Purchased last week from Wide Open, ex-demo (with Chris King headset, Fox Float CTD shock and (un-needed) front derailleur) for a very good price, it arrived here in Chch on Tuesday, and I had it built up by Wednesday afternoon.  So far, only a test ride school/dog-run around the river it proves very comfy... here- crappy cellphone pic...

They got nothing but good to say about it...