Then we headed up over Vernon for the sweetly decent singletrack descent to the Rapaki-top, minimal eventage, lots of speed and fun. Unbelievable what people ignore, we spotted some riders around under Witch Hill, unable to ride due to the overgrownness of it all, but ignoring the Road Closed No Entry signs to their heart's malcontent. Not to mention all the plebs carting themselves up Rapaki on a regular basis.
Back up the road we treadled to the Traverse, where we spun and bombed and lurched enjoyably, me relishing the seemingly new sensation that is the Traverse, something i'd not experienced since Sept 18th, all my rides since having been out-of-town... madness. Anywho, brief regroup at the usual regroup spot and Mark led off to show us the dropover line on the dipper... i was with him all the way then pulled up to watch him fly over, in, then drop the backend or foot off pedal or something, garking his shin nicely, and ending up with his thigh on top of the back wheel, squishing his wanger apparently too. quite the crash. no one else saw it tho. first time i've ever heard him admit to thinking maybe clip in pedals perhaps being a good idea too! :). Onwards round and fun yumpies and making for the shade. Then it was free for all down to the Skidder. I took the seesaw and a few of the brakefrees then into the rockgarden gummies and my favourite little peel to the left through twisty goodness and on down and out. nice.
Next up was Shazza's, nee Dazza's (Dazza's now apparently more to the right). This too was funtimes, tho rutty and cruddy in a couple spots. At the 40footer we hit up the climb back up via a small play in Mark's playarea where Rad crosses then on up and up in heat via the 4wds to the top again.
Next it was back round the Traverse and off piste sectionally down Huntsbury again. Uneventful, but enjoyable riding all the way including the wee jumpy track which few ventured to jump, one catching Lance pretty good, and the tiny double at the bottom proving to be just fine.
Me, just landed.
Bombed down the road, me wondering all the time what the thuck-thuck-thuck was from the back end all the way down the smooths, down Kenmure and onto Major Aitken, but thinking perhaps just a slight buckle. Anyway. Pulled up at some watertank steps i know of and led the posse down what seemed a garden path into someone's garden, which eventually broke free into a sweeeet little bit of singletrack through loose gumtree debris and reasonably quickly back onto the road, and on down the smooth tarmac out to Centaurus and on to the cafe...
Coffee and snackage etc had, we went our separate ways. Me down the river eventually onto Wilson's, chatting to a random fellow mtnbiker along Eastern. Then, on Nursery road there's a BANG PHWEEEEEEEEE-OOOOSH and my rear tire's flat as a pancake. Bah. Knobs are peeling and one has ripped right off and the tube has popped through the hole... the Thuck Thuck Thuck earlier probably the tube in full bulge mode, could have resulted in a heinous doesnt-bear-thinking-about blow out at speed on Major Aitken. ugh. pulled out the blown tube, put the spare tube in, inserted the blowntube alongside to try to cover the hole, then pumped up and got riding. Made it maybe a km into the shops at Stanmore/Worcester when it blew through again. Walked from there...
