Tuesday, post Africa, Singlespeed Hour of Power

Excellent HIT SS (SSHIIT?) spin (29r front again) and walk up through Vic tonight.  Limited time, and really needing a blast after a very-sitting African adventure, riding the ebike to work hadn't pepped me enough.  I clambered up the road getting the breathing going and up over 19th through the skidder and the requisite walk up the grunter.  Onwards up with another short walk in the pines and over into upper Thompson's.  Sweet wee blast down here then seated climbing up the road.  Dropped down around past the jumps and see-saw then trundled alongside the fenceline up to the top of Pedalfine etc.  A grom was just heading down over a new jump on this.  I headed down Upper Fence line, interesting but entirely doable on the SS.  Down around, one close call handllebar clip with post.  As I rolled past the top of Cool Runnings and was heading up I hung a left up a steep track and zigged back up to the jump on Pedalfine then up to the fence to see-saw, a bit of brakefree and down the rabbit paddock, rocks, gums, funtimes, all the way through out, then below the road from 19th, road coast to dogparkcarpark, straight into the bliss trail flying humming bombing, both jumps excellently cleaned and flying through the oaks, twisty groove all the way to bottom.  Clamber to road, and home.

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

Saturday Nun other than the Guv'nor

Excellent spin today. Up through Vic, 19th, Skidder, Worm and top. Thompson's 1 and 2, through the Pass and up the road to top of Worsley's, and down the Nun. Across the road onto the Governor's Bay track, dropping merrily down all the way down through all the bushy zigzags, across the driveway onto the DH here down more, around into the valley, a couple of wee ups and downs then on the ridgeline before the last zigs and zags I turned around and climbed back up. 

A fair bit of walking but some good steep riding too. Across the driveway again and tried a new track off one of the earlier hairpins - obviously built for the planting that has been going in there.  Slightly too steep to ride a lot of, I walked a lot and rode a little, all the way up to the last hairpin on the OG track up there before the road. 

Onto lower Nun to the Kiwi, up onto the road, through Dyers Pass and up the Summit then the usual blast route down through the rabbit paddock, Rocks, Gums, all the way down onto road, 235 to the bottom, clamber back to road and home

14 kms and a tiny smidge over 600 m

Thursday Quick Up and Back before the Weather

Grabbing what opportunity I could, knowing the weather was about to shit itself, I took the Jeht up into the Vic.  Up the road, over 19th, through Skidder and a peaky wee blast down the Razza's.  Then, climby climb climb back up to Skidder and up the gruntsville to the top.  Down around the jumpies, bypassing the see-saw, first section of Breakfree, cutting out and heading down into the rocks - taking this pic just before: 

Into the gums, fanging all the way down through the lower bit and out to the gate, back up towards the Skidder, hanging a left to head over 19th again, then nice coast down road to the 235, screaming through here, jump, jump, oaks, hard right up to road again, popping out as a massive peleton of gravellers were coming up, chatting to one who told me their route (similar to what I did on the Troll the other month - whether the weather shat itself or not).  I peeled off under the dog park and smashed the blast down behind the houses, home.

Surprisingly little, 5 and 3/4 kms, and a disappointingly minimal 170 climbed. I'm sure it was more than that. It certainly felt like more than that.

Oh, and the weather didn't really hit until much later...  Those gravellers would have gotten home pretty dry.

e-Sunday Redwood Springs e-planting-lliot Sinclair

Took the Trek hard north to plant 50 odd Cyperus, Carex and Phormium next to the Styx River just upstream from the Redwood Springs and under the main trunk railway line.  The other side of the river I would think of as hell, although, I guess their outlook will be nice.  Nice cruise along the motorway trail and the various usual commute and northbound cycle routes.  Bottom of the hill I was still on 50% battery, 30% when I got home.

Thirty-two and a third kms, and a grand 274 m climbed. 

Saturday Troll with some e-Ladies

With Tra'y, Pia and Natalie on ebikes, I rode the Troll, and we headed up through Vic and along the Summit Rd to just past the Bellbird. Parked the bikes off the road just inside the bush and went for a short walk to check out the totaras and then the view of the harbour.  Back to the bikes and we rode all the way back. On the way up I took both Thompson's, and on the way back the girls went down Dyers while I went up to top of Vic and down all the usuals and we all met up again at 19th where I said goodbye to the visitors as I bombed off and took all the single-track home.

A groovy 16.4 kms and not a bad wee 491 m climbed.

Tuesday After the Rain Singlist

Running H's front wheel, and using all the gears of the BFe: sitting, standing and walking, I hoofed up thru the park, over 19th, Skidder, walked up the grunter, grabbed a drink then up a bit of Worm and then walking track to cross the road and up to the stone shelter where I took this:  

Then it was time for the bomb back down - all the single-track I could muster.  Around past the jumpies, down the rabbit into the rocks and gums for a nice cruise, then out to the Skidder and up over 19th again, road briefly and into the 235 for some slickness to start.  Took the left lower line down and if not for one stupidly placed jump it's riding pretty good.  The lower reaches have been cleared out a bit more, but the little fuckers have built themselves a mansion in there, with corrugated iron and wood...  Doubt the rangers will let that lie for long.  Across the oaks, mucky in there, and then out all the way down to H'Ell.  Climb to road and home. 

The 27.5+ x 2.8inch rolled pretty good, I must say. And there wasn't all that much grease around, either - considering we'd had 19mm of rain up til this morning. 

Marginalia, 5.4 km with only 166 m of upness

Sunday Troll to the Witch

Headed up on the Troll, usuals, 19th, Skidder, a wee walk on the gruntsville.  Into Thompson's number one for a nice wee jaunt, then back up hill on the \Summit Rd, staying on this all the way to Mt Vernon.  Up onto the single-track, taking the tech line and sketching the traction down at surprising speed to Rapaki-top, and straight into the Witch.  The tech was interesting on the Troll - surprisingly rideable, and I wondered why those mountainbikers on the road down there weren't riding the mountainbike track when I was managing perfectly finely on the inappropriately-tyred Troll. 

At the end of the Witch Hill singletrack I turned back up the walking track, riding a little, then pushing, then pushing steeper - a fair way up towards the summit, leaving the bike and climbing all the way to the top. Discovered the cool old stone chair up here, with excellent views.  Had a chat to a magpie who was hanging out to check me out, then clambered down back to the bike. 

Back down on the walking track I did a little explore along it back towards Rapaki and found it to be quite amenable until the last tech rocks that I walked the bike on its back wheel down - will ride in future on a 'proper' bike. Riding again, up around Vernon on the road and onto the Traverse, for a good bombing around this, relishing the feel of the bike, even with the minimal traction. Lovely flow all the way.  

Into the top-of-Vic forest, past the jumps, down the rabbit paddock, into the rocks - finally stalling here, then biff boff baff down through the gums, and below - all the way out, onto road at 19th, into dogparkcarpark bomb, a little slick in places, and out To H'Ell, onto the road, blasty blast home.

15.75 kms and 532 m climbed.