and we headed for Marie's. when we hit Dyer's Pass Rd, I struggled on ahead, in the only gear i knew, and waiting at Marie's were Steve, Wayne, Rex and Marie. Off we headed up the road, me getting out in front, on account of my one and only gear. got to Takahe and headed up into Vic Park. had to walk the first bit of the track, then back on the road was okay and pete and me waited in shade with slight breeze for a little bit then off up and onwards and taking in the wee singletrack to reassembling at the skidder site. here's Steve and Rex heading in
most walked up steep, Rex rode up turned around and back down and up, and Marie just grannied on up nice and slow. up through Brake Free and on up to the new(ish) uphill only track another regroup at the top of it.
The view from there
and here's Steve's nomad and the SS gettin' it on...
the antithesis of each other.
off round the traverse. this is where the singlespeed really sings. flew on round here enjoying the crap out of the rigid and one gear. one hairy moment near Scott's Reserve heading down fast and suddenly there's another rider coming up. two wheel lock up controlled slide. nice.
pinchflatted on Vernon on the last of the rocks as you're heading down towards Rapaki. pulled out my spare tube, checked it, found a hole, patched it, put it in, rode down and it was flat by the time i got to Rapaki. pulled it out, patched the other tube, put it in, blew it up, went to ride off and it was flat again. pulled it out, patched it AGAIN, blew it up and it wouldnt stay up. fuck fuck fuck. thankfully, the Singletrack Club had a couple of guys promoting the club up there, and one of them gave me a tube. sweeeet. put it in, pumped it up and i was off again, chasing after the others (minus pete who'd bailed down here). needless to say, I'm now NOT a fan of Muc Off glueless patches. never again.
round the road to top of Castle Rock where I found the other 4. so, off down here, loving it, bouncing about a bit, but finding the rigidity not so bad, then after the second hairpin I took a call from home, and the three boys past me, then I took off again just ahead of Marie. caught the back wheel on a rock and pssssssssssssss. FUCK! walked on up the track to the shelter at top of Bridle Path, where I used my last two patches on the two snakebite holes. pumped up, started riding again and then this high pitched weeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeee followed by a pssssssssssss and I was ropeable. I said my goodbyes turned around and rode down Bridle Path for a while til it got too flat to ride then walked, calling home for a lift. walked all the way down, then down Port Hills Rd (where a kind mtnbiker offered me a tube - thanked profusely, but "cheers, getting a lift") to Martindales before my lift turned up. thankfully a swim at Mary's was on the cards, so I cooled off nicely.
36 degrees. too damned hot for riding.
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