First Sunday Mt Grey

Fantastic ride today. Met at Pete's and headed north. Clouds were looking pretty hairy as 6 of us drove in two cars north on the motorway, but they blew off and the sun was shining on a nice dusting of snow on the tops by the time we were heading through Balcairn. Riding were Steve, Pete, Wayne, Tony, Marie and me.

Parked up at the usual spot, "Lake" Janet, and after swapping out a tube on Wayne's borrowed (off Pete) Chameleon, we headed up to catch Steve and Marie. Good going on the access road, little soft and so dragging slightly, but not so bad. Not far up tho, we started to run into the snow we'd seen earlier. it was cool! higher we got the crisper and squeakier it got. Once we got round onto the top the wind was heinous, strong and cold. on up to the big comms tower, ice and snow all over the place.

Then the descent began. Surprising traction down the little singletrack to the top of the Mt Grey track. Sidling round with little bits of slip and slide, ice keeping the mucky bits under control, grins forming all round. A zig and a zag or two then round and out of the wind, into the forest. Now the real riding began. Switchbacks interspersed with sweet flowing singletrack. Cleaned a few more of them than i did last time, but there's still some in there that are always gonna be nigh on impossible.

Lower down parts of the trail just got faster and faster. Sweeeeeeeet flowing, smiles on all our dials. Briefly we left the beech forest and bombed down some bits in the young pine trees. the trail through here was majorly mucky, but fun, and no one lost it. Well cool. Then back into the beech and roots and rocks and fun. Photo op on the bridge, little bit more trail, and we hit the road.

Tootled up the road, i grabbed the tfc truck and headed down to pick up the stragglers, tho, they were so close i probably didnt need to.

All up, high fives were exchanged, and we skedaddled back to town, arriving home by 1.30.

Tuesday spinning Mcleans

Pete picked me up. We picked up Matt and drove to Mcleans Island. There, we met a shitload. Andy, Wayne, Warren, Dallas, Steve, Tony, Rex. 11 in all. All lit up, we rode around the trails. Spin spin spin, corner, spin, corner, spin. No tecknuckle challengement present whatsoever. Exercise is all its about out there. I led a posse peeled left at the "River Loop", chasing forever to catch the others at the overpass and steaming pond. Patches of frost around the place, and not-freezing and freezing patches of air around too. Took the Coringa Loop east and round and over the pass, another regroup there again. Then the final blast through. Rex sat in 36:12 on my tail for the whole second half. I spun out and wore my legs down the whole way. Pete said he was burning his legs off too.

Good to get out, tho the hills are more interesting.

Sunday Hunting Traverse Nun Worsles.

Good ride today. Big posse assembled at Steve's as usual. There was a Wayne, a Warren, a Dallas, a Tony, an Andy, a Pete and a Steve. We toodled through the frosty air to Ramahana, Aotea and on up the hill. Steve struggling with his pains, everyone else really glad to be out on the bike and on the hills, especially on such a nice day.

Approaching the top of the hill and we spotted Sandals, Jandals and Helment, aka Marie, Ben and Mark, on the traverse above, on their way to meeting us. Traverse was a great blast, flying down the downs and generally enjoying the crap out of it. Everybody had a good run round there. Then onto to Thompsons, great blast on the odd greasy bit, especially on the second half.

Up road to top of Nun, where, after a big regroup, i led off. First corner nearly got me, the trail was sketchy greasy to start with and carrying all that slop into the rocks could have proved nasty. But, survived and continued, Mark appearing on my tail at the next bend. I hauled up to let him by, but then kept it rolling and he was complaining about bald tires, so figured i'd be okay out front, and was, i think, not holding him up to much. Pretty good run down most of it, even getting through my usual troublesome rocky bits okay.

The lower half was only sampled by myself, Mark and Pete. the others all bailed out half way. The lower half was sweeeet. On the second of the big swoopy uppy bits there was some fresh dirt with a nasty looking rut in it. Managed to stay on, i think it was kinda soft so it didnt have too much bite in it. From there tho, the jumps were sweet, with some clearance been done along the trail sides opening it up nicely. good air time on the first couple.

Back up the road and we met the others all at the top of Worsleys. Fanged the first bit then into the B-line. Sweeeeeeetness in their taking it all in. Then down the road and the sideline to the bottom and home round the river and through town, all splitting our separate ways as we progressed.