Saturday Mt Greyish

Nelson finished work at 3, flicked me a txt and i departed and we met in Woodend from whence we convoyed to Sefton, deposited the Fiat, and proceeded on up to Lake Janet in the Rally 'Rona.  Parked up and i got the Soul out and wheel back on, then tootled around on it while Nelson changed and faffed about a little.  Something didnt sound right.  Like there was a stone in the frame, rattling when i wheeled it around, but not really there when i was riding it.  Tapped the frame and shook it and pin-pointed the location of the noise, only to find a crack.  And another crack, and another...  Damn.  One either side of where the down tube meets the head tube, and one right under that junction.  Figured the risk was probably too large to tackle what we'd had planned, so we settled on something much smaller and tamer, but still a bit of a ride...  Basically we went Old Skool.  Up the old track that zigs and zags from the "Lake" up to the Look Out tower.  A lot of it was unclimbable.  We took a turn on each other's bikes and Nelson's was way better for climbing...  I cleaned a bunch more than i would have, and than he did, no the last couple of zigs and zags to the top.

Considering the 'drought' that is embracing most of the country, it was surprisingly damp up there.  The top was ensconced in cloud (which slowly lifted while we were up there), and the forest and vegetation was all dripping.  Rocks and roots were slippery, adding to the 'fun' factor of the whole schemozzle.

At the top, we swapped back and headed on down, me being pretty cautious on the old loading of the front end.  But pinning it now and then. and enjoying the old skool-ness of the whole trail.  Been many many years since we rode that track, at least 10, if not 15.  With a bit of tidying it would actually be a more enjoyable and interesting way up to the Look Out than the forestry road.

So now the hunt for a new frame ensues...


UPDATE:
New frame found.  A Cotic BFe.  Picking it up Wednesday night, ready to rebuild Friday and Saturday, hopefully.

UPDATE UPDATE
New frame home...  it is exactly the same geometry as the Soul.  AWESOME.  swapped dragon_style my Stinger for the ISCG  one that mounts on the frame, also, a phatter seatpost, which i bought with the frame too, another Thomson layback just like i had on the Soul.  Mine will now possibly do time on the Troll, if it fits.