Monday Night Solo

Drove across town and parked on Palatine near the Centaurus Rd shops, departing the car just after the 6pm news and weather, earplugs in, phone on random - providing a fantastic soundtrack the whole ride.

Headed up Major Aitken Drive, then Kenmanure, and onto cHuntsbury for the grunts to the top.  A lot of work has been done on Huntsbury to discourage dipshit 4wders, but how long it'll last, we'll see.  Peaked out at the Summit Rd about 40 minutes in and had a stretch, for I was sore.

Off round the summit i went, tail wind behind me, flicking and pumping my way along, early oncomers kindly moving aside to let me through.  I struggled on the ups, but made up for it on the downs.  Can't say i like what they've done around the pond, the humped nature of the fill is a little disconcerting.  Stopped for a rest at our old resting spot below Sugarloaf and munched a partial OSM before continuing my refreshed way with the wind towards Vic.  Through the top and into Thomson and Thompson, nearly taking out a guy marking a harriers run on the lower one, then down through Kiwi and on up the road towards Worsley's.

Huffed and chuffed up to top of Flying Nun and had another stretch up top.  Also, chucked some air in the back tire, cos i'd had a couple of near pinch flats further back along the summit trail.  At the approach of another rider, i dropped in.  Rear tire felt a little less squishy and it was great to be on the once familiar trail again.  A few new humpty features after the second hairpin were interesting.  Otherwise it all flowed very nicely for me.  Railing and hopping, pumping and popping my way down, enjoying it all the way.  Through the half way mark and really getting the speed up, doubling all the yumpies along below the road, railing round the corner and missing the lower new bits entirely cos i wasn't expecting them.  Finally, climbed out onto the road a new man.

Back down through the Kiwi and up the road again, all the way up to top of Vic.  Couldn't be arsed taking the upper Thomson.  Straight into the steepest direct line towards the see-saw, dropping down the rocky drops, by-passing the see-saw itself (wasn't in the mood), and straight down the paddock to the rockgarden and gummies, railing the long way across them and back then into the sweet little left hander dropping down loving one of my old favourites, eventually out to the skidder site.

Took a look at the top of Dazza's, but chose Shazza's instead, and popped and railed down here, across the fire road then back across and into Brents, where i took the most direct line down into bottom of Rad^Sick and out to Flow and then into Bridges and NuBridges and down to HiddenValleyLink track climbing, very slowly but cleaning all of it up to the pylon and finally blazed off down Old Skool.  Excellent blast down here, feeling pretty worn out but good.  Final drops through the rutty bastards quite tricky but cleaned, and out the bottom of the valley.  Recognised Nick playing on the jumps track so stopped for a chat, then rolled on down to the car, arriving just in time for the 8pm radio news.

Great to be back on the bike again, and to revisit a few old friends of trails...