Sunday's meandering trio

Saturday I took a couple links out of my chain and also slotted a 16t into the cassette in place of the 17t, giving me a 13-16-19 combo in the range now, which is smoother and less gappy than the 13-17 jump...

I rode the length of Linwood and Humphreys, picking up a nail puncture just as I met the Estuary.  Patched it and still made it in time to meet Steve and Tony at the Ferrymead Bridge (not a very big turn out - the 2 Ws are in Oz, Andy's sick, & Pete's got a bad hammy).  We tootled up St Andrew's Hill, hanging a right up TeAwakura Tce, and up the alley onto Cannon Hill then up to Michael, across to the other bit of Cannon Hill then across Freeman to the Major and took him the rest of the way to the top.  Into Britten Reserve and up up up.  the Spot climbing lovely.

Into the top of Greenwood and lots of new rockpiles filling soggy bits, making me glad of the full suss.  Nice roll across and down to the ruins where we stopped and scoffed a little kai before hitting the down.  Excellent blast down, the earlier rocks that last time I floated over weren't quite as floaty for some reason.  Fun down and round all the curves and then round through the mucky to Gloomy Gulch and around a bit.  Stopped here to regroup and looked back and could see Tony just getting onto the boardwalk, but no Steve...  hmmmm...  then Tony made his way round to the bit of trail I couldn't see and then didn't come out.  Steve had had a wee off and tumbled down below the trail some.  Only a small amount of claret leaking and so was soon back on board.  Off down the rocky swoopy and round into the smoother back and forths and round.  One or two new holes where it's been soggy before the cattlestop and then into the dips and rock-repairs before the wee gulley.  I paused here til Steve appeared again and then off down towards the rocky ups, swooping and lofting all the way.  Stalled slightly on the first rocky up, one foot out, shove off rock and onwards down, up the next one no problem and on down to the bottom.  The Spot still superlative.

Across the road and into Godley.  Made a good go at the rocks, but dabbed out.  Even stuffed up the top bit.  From here on out tho, the climb was sweet, tho Steve wasn't having his best day (the crash previous had put him off a bit, wethinks).  Awesome spin round the top and into the down.  After the second boardwalk (3rd actually - but 2nd of the two after the fence that are reasonably close together) there was a bunch of holes and wetspots that have never before been there.  Then the original Teddington shit section was quite soggy too.  But from it down was smoooooooooth on the Spot.  What a rocket ship, so stable at high speeds, with it's low centre of gravity and plush travel.  Blasted down through to Livingston and regrouped.  The next climb i left it in wide open and it was awesome.  Gotta do that more often.  Descent round to Breeze was also dead smooth, like a highway, lovely.  Quite cut up just before pfmtbc rock...

Into the Anaconda and smooth rolling.  What. A. Blast.  Railed the corners, took bits faster than ever before but with more control, and had a lovely time down through the valley.  overtaking a guy who was obviously struggling, on the off camber next-to-last corner.  Awaited, briefly, Steve and Tony and we continued on down the 'Tail.  (passing the guy again, walking through the rocks, near the bottom).  Next up was the tarseal grind...  Up and over blazing down Scarborough (getting stuck behind a car), and onto the esplanade avoiding random children, to coffee and some grub at DotCom - where we were met by Marie and Mark on their roadies.  Rode back into town with them chatting all the way til I peeled off and trudged the lengths of Humphreys and Linwood again.