Thursday Evening, up over and beyond

Nelson and me ventured forth and proceeded to ride something kinda similar to what the boys did on Tuesday, only, extended higher and further...  We parked up top of Worsley's Rd and headed up the multi-choice singletrack.  I chuffed away, sore from yesterday's spill, but managing the climb okay.  Nelson wasnt stopping and so i had to just plod along behind.  Turns out he'd spotted some guys we'd seen as we were getting ready at the car, and was chasing.  He caught them at the bottom of the 'bag, where they were stopped when i plodded through.  Nelson was about half way up by the time i got going.  Eased into it, but when the going got steep i decided my seat was too low, so stopped (and rested a little) and put seat up a little, then got going again and got a fair way up, doing okay, til finally i could do no more.  Walked the last 20 or so metres.

Cruised through to top of Nun and Nelson led off.  We both took it pretty easy, having not been down here for a while (well, over a month, anyway).  I found myself riding it rather effortlessly, not really pushing it too hard, but trying not to brake too much, so i'd be coasting round the corners quite slowly, then letting the speed just build up, very little pedaling.  A good run, with speed definitely gaining, for me, towards the bottom, and surprisingly catching up to Nelson lower down (in all the new stuff...) 

Trundled up the road to the 'halfway' spot and headed over to check out the trail down into Gov'nors Bay.  Hmmm... Closed due to rock fall...  yeah right.  Trail's been cleaned and it was actually a pretty sweet wee run down.  Cut grass a bit slippery, but otherwise sweet, not a skerrick of damage evident.  We continued all the way down to the driveway on the hairpin, and discovered the trail that continues down from there, but it's shut, and kinda barricaded, and cos it's private land, we left it alone and headed back up.  Ugh, what a climb.  My tire was getting soft so i pumped it up, and ended up walking pretty much all of the switchbacks.  There was a time when i rode most of them, alas.  On up we went in the direction of the Kiwi, cleaning most of the trail.  At the top, we turned around and headed back down, then round and back up the way we'd come down earlier.  My tire was getting low again, so stopped and pumped it, rode it abit longer and then finally it blew...  Walked from below the boardwalk/bridge to the top, where we changed it and wrapped electrical tape around my rim a few times (rim tape had slipped).  The tube i put in blew just as i'd gotten it up to pressures, so patched the first one and slapped that in.  This is the one that had the slow leak, which continued to slow leak making me fucking well pump it up another 5 times or so.  FUCK!  Shut up, Steve, yes i know this wouldnt happen with tubeless.! From here we headed up the walk track above the road, and it was fun.  Then up Marley's and over Worsleys.

Dusty blast down Worsleys, saying gudday to a guy on either a Jeffson or a BlackSheep, anyway, lovely machine, and then up the sideline to top of Hidden.  Pumped more air in, and off down we went, like the boys (linked above) took the old route down.  Awesome!  More air part way down, then off down the trail that shall not be talked about, topping up air near the top, and loving the swoopy blast down, to... a Keep Out tape, and trees cut across the trail.  Into 6 inches of powdered dirt, loose climbing til we got back onto the old track.  Tootled up and swooped on down to the end, and back to the car, just on 8pm.  My tire was flat when we got back to mine.