We travailed Woolstonia along streets and the effluent-trap they call the Heathcote Cut til the more enjoyable Devil's Elbow back-of-Ferrymead Towpath, with only Pete and me taking the dirttrack way catching the pikers on the Bridge approach. Then it was time for the hill, St Andrew's to be precise. I just tucked into my only ratio and stood and pushed and got myself to each of the breaks/breathers/rests, mantra-ing "it can only make me stronger, right?". The pain didn't really get me til once we'd got to pretty much the top of Major Hornbrook.
Te posse, very top of Clearview.
It was a trifle damp, but not too damaging we can only hope. The wagonwheel front end definitely smoothed up the ride compared to previous adventures in rigidity. Bigger tire and I'm set! - roll on Krampus trickledown! Pretty awesome flight down here. A few mudholes and damp dirt, but all in all she's in pretty good knick, one or two interesting moments where slips have laid slurry over the track.
Here's Pete, top of Greenwood
Practically had a party at Evans. Pete found one of his tire knobs was actually a bulbation of tube, so he proceeded to find a couple more holes and patched them from the inside whilst we all stood aside for non-communicative cyclisti as they moseyed past. Pete, change your tires before the next ride!!! :)
We all took off and I lined up and hauled myself up onto the singletrack, and was surprised to see Steve, and others, ride on along the road. Apparently I missed the memo, thinking we were all gonna stick to the singletrack. Anyway, i managed to convince Pete, Marie and Wayne that the others we being nambypambies and we proceeded our merry way along the wettest Godley I've ever seen. Ooops! It did say "Open" at the start tho. Anyway, plenty others have been riding it and its holding together fine. Should have avoided for a bit longer.
The beast at our end of Godley - thats not perspective.
Met the others back at the road then and we took the off road line down to the stile we were heading for. Then, for some reason we decided to check out another little bit of singletrack. Oh dear, following my mis-read aerial photos and misaligned map-in-the-head again. Neat little descent with a bit of greasiness in places that lead to nowhere. I tried to scope it out but what had looked like a singletrack was a trodden cattle path over private land. Looking at Google now the track seems clear as day. However, back we went, adding to the final wear. Back down the way we were originally intending a nice bit of flow to the Taylor's Rd, whereupon another grunt ensued, followed by a jetpack ride down to a double-truck induced traffic jam at the bottom.
Coffees and I skedaddled early, spinning spinning spinning the miles home.
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