Pete n me treadled the length of Linwood Ave and round to Warren's, finding him, Tony and Marie ready to ride. Steve was off being wined and dined somewhere fancy. We headed round the ferrymead singletrack, then off up Mt Pleasant Rd, spreading out pretty good but regrouping a couple times and then layering up up top before hitting the Greenwood goodness.
once again, I was on fire! felt really good once again, possibly better than Sunday. fanged it, railed, popped, roosted, relishing the dry singletrack. quick reqroup midway, til Marie rounded into view, then off again, cutting through the lower section even smoother and faster than before. cleaning both little rocky ups and floating from there on down. whole ride was totally on form, felt great.
Marie took off down the road, due to light issues, and the rest of us headed into Capt Thomas, once again, feeling very good. usual baulk, then great cleaning of all the rest. quick regroup in the middle and into the rest of it, great times. first night ride without lights (cept for Tony and Wazza in last bits of Thomas).
then the slog home, head winds, once again, but not quite as strong as sunday.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunnyday east end blat
Nice wee ride this morn. gorgeous day, hot, norwest. Rode over to Steves. Tony, Marie there, then up rolled Andrew, Warren and Wayne. and off we all went down river, round behind ferrymead, causeway, and up Mulgans, nasty little piece of work that it is. cleaned a couple corners i'd not before, but still dabbed out most. climb climb climb, then up Panorama, and up the nice rooty singletrack, on up to road, and cruised to top of Greenwood...
where i led off and had one of my best descents down there for a lonnng time. every corner smooth, flowing over rocks not being pinged from one to another, great times, high speed, roosting.
was quarter after 11 when we got to Evans, and we talked about Godley, but it was decided coffee at the bottom of Capt Thomas was more appealing. shame, but as i found out later, a bit of a blessing. So, the Captain. was good. my on-form-ness was still with me, and roosted nicely down all but the one nemesis. not too many other trailusers, which is always good on the lower slopes.
after coffee, the headwind. norwest, fucking strong, and relentless. took me probably twice as long to get down Linwood Ave than usual, horrible it were, and i was starting to bonk near my usual place. so, it was just as well we hadnt done Godley, cos that would have left me dead before i'd even got to Ferrymead...
where i led off and had one of my best descents down there for a lonnng time. every corner smooth, flowing over rocks not being pinged from one to another, great times, high speed, roosting.
was quarter after 11 when we got to Evans, and we talked about Godley, but it was decided coffee at the bottom of Capt Thomas was more appealing. shame, but as i found out later, a bit of a blessing. So, the Captain. was good. my on-form-ness was still with me, and roosted nicely down all but the one nemesis. not too many other trailusers, which is always good on the lower slopes.
after coffee, the headwind. norwest, fucking strong, and relentless. took me probably twice as long to get down Linwood Ave than usual, horrible it were, and i was starting to bonk near my usual place. so, it was just as well we hadnt done Godley, cos that would have left me dead before i'd even got to Ferrymead...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday repeater
Rode to Pete's for a lift over to Tony's where we found Warren, Wayne and Tony. Off up Worsley's we chuffed, everybody doing well. the dirt was a tad drier than Sunday, but the ruts and ridges were just as challenging and enjoyable, the odd bit dabbing us all. three cleaned the body bag, one with a blow out part way up.
on up to the Nun. i led off, blazed away, weed-eaten grass strewn all over the whole track now. felt a little more on form than sunday, tho the grass and lights made it a bit trickier. got through all the midlevel rocks and below the old 4wd bit and waited for a bit for the other's lights to appear. Pete had had issues, his handlebar mounted lights had been flopping forward on every bump. continued on down, pete sorted his lights at the carpark and on down to the kiwi we flew.
up the road, ignoring the Thomsons, into Vic, flowed down the first bit, i took the see-saw, then into Brakefree. i peeled off, but then Pete yumped and swooped round it, so i got back in and we hit Sesame St, the landing off the Wall nearly wiping me out, then into Dazza's, and Flow and once again New Bridges, and out the bottom.
pretty much one year on, Camelback Mule is still a good wee pack, however, the bladder has fucked out. leaks if left on wrong angle, and has taken on a nasty freezer smell (if not so much taste).
on up to the Nun. i led off, blazed away, weed-eaten grass strewn all over the whole track now. felt a little more on form than sunday, tho the grass and lights made it a bit trickier. got through all the midlevel rocks and below the old 4wd bit and waited for a bit for the other's lights to appear. Pete had had issues, his handlebar mounted lights had been flopping forward on every bump. continued on down, pete sorted his lights at the carpark and on down to the kiwi we flew.
up the road, ignoring the Thomsons, into Vic, flowed down the first bit, i took the see-saw, then into Brakefree. i peeled off, but then Pete yumped and swooped round it, so i got back in and we hit Sesame St, the landing off the Wall nearly wiping me out, then into Dazza's, and Flow and once again New Bridges, and out the bottom.
pretty much one year on, Camelback Mule is still a good wee pack, however, the bladder has fucked out. leaks if left on wrong angle, and has taken on a nasty freezer smell (if not so much taste).
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday Worsley Nun Victory, ah.
quick earlyish blat this morning. left home bout 8.30 (after unseizing one of my derailleur jockey wheels), cruised across town and up Worsleys. hard work but just kept at it. ridges and ruts provided a nice challenge while grey warblers provided the soundtrack. managed to clean the body bag, but not without a breather near the top.
onto nun, and off i flew. perfect condition, great blat, popping all the airs and railing all the berms. not much sketch. bit of freshly mown grass on the lower reaches.
up road, upper Thomsons, Coffee Break, over the see-saw, brakefree, sesame, dazzas brents, flow, little bit of the upper new bit, then into nu-bridges, and out the bottom. great blast, home about 10.30.
meanwhile, the rest of the usual crew will have started at Steves and gone somewhere...
onto nun, and off i flew. perfect condition, great blat, popping all the airs and railing all the berms. not much sketch. bit of freshly mown grass on the lower reaches.
up road, upper Thomsons, Coffee Break, over the see-saw, brakefree, sesame, dazzas brents, flow, little bit of the upper new bit, then into nu-bridges, and out the bottom. great blast, home about 10.30.
meanwhile, the rest of the usual crew will have started at Steves and gone somewhere...
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Thursday muddy hell
Chris showed at mine, no other takers, so we Fiat'd out to Slumner to haul ourselves up the Captain. prior to Chris's arrival i'd rubbered up my wheels, 2.35 Muddy Mary up front, and 2.3 Stout on the rear, turned out they were a pretty good choice for tonights ride. Captain Thomas had more mucky places on it than i've ever seen before, in places i've never seen muck. quite astounding, tho, still eminently rideable, albeit with copious dabs. bailed on the top section knowing its messiness, and rounded the final hairpin of the road to be greeted by the Evans to Lyttelton Road Closed sign, which i'd forgotten about, and explained the extreme lack of traffic.
on up the summit road passed by only 2 cars, and hit Greenwood. not too bad to start, quite good in fact, round the top and down to the ruins. then on down. round the first left hander into rocksville i lost it, catching a rut or something, off balance, really thought i was a goner over the edge, but juuust managed to keep it together, including in my moment of distress, missing altogether a hedgehog in my firing line. adrenalin burst (something i'm used to of late, what with all these aftershocks), and on downwards. rode a bit better after that and caught Chris up after a couple more bends. mucky middle section, then good for a bit again, down, down, then into the bit that'd been worked on the other week, and it was a mess. all the soft dirt that was flattened so nicely was a big rut. we walked around the worst bits. stream crossing and onwards all good.
crossed Evans and slugged up Godley. rocks getting rockier by the day, troublesome climbing for both of us. nice in the windy dried bits, still a bit of wet in places, until you get round onto the grassy slope in the Taylors catchment. Ugh. what a mess. diabolical. and, for the first time, i'll admit, Teddington shit is the shit. once you hit it, it was the only flowy bit of trail there, after it, rutsville again, til the lower descent to Livingston. on over to breeze was a breeze, except the last 100 metres or so by the fence, wet mucky mud under grass.
anaconda top was puddled in places, a few ruts, and one or two flows. onto anaconda itself, the whole top section was sweet, over the three jumps into the berms, nice, but then in the valley, rut city, mostly avoidable but no speed carried. finally, the tail was sweeeet, until you got onto the bottom paddock, yuck.
clambered back up out of taylors, down through nicholson and along the waterfront. home around 9.30.
and a quake hit just as i finished this. 10.30ish
on up the summit road passed by only 2 cars, and hit Greenwood. not too bad to start, quite good in fact, round the top and down to the ruins. then on down. round the first left hander into rocksville i lost it, catching a rut or something, off balance, really thought i was a goner over the edge, but juuust managed to keep it together, including in my moment of distress, missing altogether a hedgehog in my firing line. adrenalin burst (something i'm used to of late, what with all these aftershocks), and on downwards. rode a bit better after that and caught Chris up after a couple more bends. mucky middle section, then good for a bit again, down, down, then into the bit that'd been worked on the other week, and it was a mess. all the soft dirt that was flattened so nicely was a big rut. we walked around the worst bits. stream crossing and onwards all good.
crossed Evans and slugged up Godley. rocks getting rockier by the day, troublesome climbing for both of us. nice in the windy dried bits, still a bit of wet in places, until you get round onto the grassy slope in the Taylors catchment. Ugh. what a mess. diabolical. and, for the first time, i'll admit, Teddington shit is the shit. once you hit it, it was the only flowy bit of trail there, after it, rutsville again, til the lower descent to Livingston. on over to breeze was a breeze, except the last 100 metres or so by the fence, wet mucky mud under grass.
anaconda top was puddled in places, a few ruts, and one or two flows. onto anaconda itself, the whole top section was sweet, over the three jumps into the berms, nice, but then in the valley, rut city, mostly avoidable but no speed carried. finally, the tail was sweeeet, until you got onto the bottom paddock, yuck.
clambered back up out of taylors, down through nicholson and along the waterfront. home around 9.30.
and a quake hit just as i finished this. 10.30ish
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
De-stressing Earthquakes.
7.1, felt at 0436 Little Akaloa 4th Sept 2010 (where a ride had been intended), munted the weekend and days following cleaning up bricks and mortar. untold destruction, general freaked-outedness prevailing. So, finally today, i skived off the first day back at work on what could only be described as stress-leave, and unwound by getting out on the bike. Chris was at a loose end not being allowed into the cordon to work, met at mine and we StanNurseWilsEastmorerysonerned to the foot of the hill, spotting the odd chimney down as we spun. werent really sure where we'd climb, but ended up choosing Holliss. one i'd not been up for a while, and not having been on the bike for a while either, thought would be some good punishment. Chris's first time too. good wee climb, across the lot that is still vacant, onto Longhurst, and on up Harry Ell past Warnin's place, through a gate and up a well trod wee singletrack through "Private Land", skirting the bottom of Dog Park and onto vic park rd, to drop down to cross Dyers and under and up. lots of water in the first half, good technical grunt up to kiwi and on to the misty cloud topped Marleys.
Nun was good. not as greasy as that other recent time, but with one or two slickish spots and rocks seemed to have grease on them cos of the dirty tires resulting in some careful picking and a scare or two.
Back on the road up to top of vic, round through the trees, and down over the DH fence, chris leading me into Tits. a corner i'd never turned before, and slick as pig shit with me running and skipping over lots of stuff i'd only just manage (on the edge) in the dry. arrived at 4wd track and decided against the remainder, so headed for top of Cool Runnings, chris choosing to go further along and hit yet another DH'y dropper. rode more of that, but again, have managed it no worries in the dry but there was too much grease around. Onto Flow nicely and nubridges wafting sweetly even off the end, and down out the valley bottom, muchly improved by lack of bovine slop.
back across town under the railwaytracks, bumping into Pete, checking on Pomeroy's for openness, parting ways, cleaning up, grabbing some Indian, scoffing, then the boys turning up for an exploration of the local urban carnage. meandering around the river downstream a few kms from here observing the utter destruction a megatonne of energy unleashed over 39seconds, 10kms deep and 40kms distant, can inflict on the crust human settlement lays over a flexible land. Liquifactionville - how long is this shit gonna take to clean up? and yet, as observed (and heard of) elsewhere, barely a chimney cracked for some. mother fuckin' nature, eh?
touch-wood, the rumblings seemed to have slowed down a litte... one can but hope.
Nun was good. not as greasy as that other recent time, but with one or two slickish spots and rocks seemed to have grease on them cos of the dirty tires resulting in some careful picking and a scare or two.
Back on the road up to top of vic, round through the trees, and down over the DH fence, chris leading me into Tits. a corner i'd never turned before, and slick as pig shit with me running and skipping over lots of stuff i'd only just manage (on the edge) in the dry. arrived at 4wd track and decided against the remainder, so headed for top of Cool Runnings, chris choosing to go further along and hit yet another DH'y dropper. rode more of that, but again, have managed it no worries in the dry but there was too much grease around. Onto Flow nicely and nubridges wafting sweetly even off the end, and down out the valley bottom, muchly improved by lack of bovine slop.
back across town under the railwaytracks, bumping into Pete, checking on Pomeroy's for openness, parting ways, cleaning up, grabbing some Indian, scoffing, then the boys turning up for an exploration of the local urban carnage. meandering around the river downstream a few kms from here observing the utter destruction a megatonne of energy unleashed over 39seconds, 10kms deep and 40kms distant, can inflict on the crust human settlement lays over a flexible land. Liquifactionville - how long is this shit gonna take to clean up? and yet, as observed (and heard of) elsewhere, barely a chimney cracked for some. mother fuckin' nature, eh?
touch-wood, the rumblings seemed to have slowed down a litte... one can but hope.
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