Wednesday evening Captain Godley loop return

Nelson and me got riding from Sumnervale at 6.30pm and headed up Captain Thomas.  I blew up really quick, lungs gasping and wheezing and me struggling painfully...  Got up the switchbacks, meeting a woman with a dog, and a couple of hot girl riders coming down.  Then it was a runner, and then we had the track to ourselves, cleaning one or two bits interestingly, but walking up the usuals.  At the gate up near the top, a couple guys were holding it open for us, and then we made the top.

Across Evans and a bit too long of a break, then into Godley.  Both of us blew up.  I felt miserable, with no power in my legs and gasping again.  Walked up the usual rocky start, and cleaned out the rest.  Run got better from here on, I wasn't toooo bad, but still not great.  Once it flattened off a bit I felt better.  Nelson seemed decidedly unfazed.  Into the descent, bit of wind about, but not bad, and we had a good run down here.  I was reeling Nelson in by the time we got to Livingston Col, and then it was climbing again and I was dying my deaths all over again.  Better than previous tho...  crested the top and around, catching Nelson again and sitting tight on his tail around across above Breeze Col, then round and over the rock and down to the road.

Into Anaconda, Nelson taking the low road, while I took the boardwalk, and he made no gain on me.  Tight on his tail again around, finding it difficult due to not being able to see the trail..  Backed off a little heading into the main drag of the snake, and then progressively gained, dropped back gained on him all the way down.  We were rocketting, not the fasted ever, but pretty fast.  Bit of wind blowing on some sections, but I noticed it less, being in his slipstream the whole way.  We met a couple of guys riding up, standing there, mouths agape at our speed.  Around into the Snake's Tail and still I was tight on Nelson's tail, til the wee short climb above the houses...  then I dropped back a bit and kinda struggled around the rocky bits then decended well to the end, noticing some weird rear end squiggliness near the bottom.

Through the surfer sausage fest (all guys, all in various stages of undress in their wetsuits...  bleugh!), and into the climb.  Me, crawling.  Up the road, round a few corners and then looped back into the singletrack up.  Over the fence and climbing again.  Lots of sheep around, several big tunnel erosion holes, wheelsized (watch out for them next time anybody comes down!).  Nelson took the wrong tack across the hill and we ended up a bit below and further round than we should have.  I pointed out where we should have been and then proceeded to walk a bunch, ride a little and then walk the final climb to the road.  Somewhere in here too, I looked at my rear axel, noticed it wasn't where it should have been, and found I could tighten it... that explained the squiggliness at the bottom of the hill.  Finally rode up the sucky gravel to catch Nelson waiting at the gate.  Was 7.50 here and we figured we had time (and light) to head up the 4wd back to the Godley and head along it for Evans.  Very strong winds up here, which buffeted us all the way back.  Once again, tight on Nelson's tail and watching his line and taking smoother ones myself.  I thought, "I could probably go faster" and Nelson was struggling with his balance, and the wind...  Maybe being in his slipstream made the wind less for me, cos I had a great run.  Smooth and flowy.  Down to the road, and back across Evans.

Into the Captain.  I stopped to double check my axel (it was fine), and then continued on.  Bad ruts just before the gate.  Then tight on Nelson's tail (again) all the way down.  I walked my usual rock, but cleaned everything else except the wee climb pinch.  Then flow flow to the zigzags, that don't flow, then blast across the slope to the valley, and loss of flow again.  and out.  back to the car, dead on 8.15pm, 1 hour 45 loop.  not at all bad.  Dunno if it was cos of having the forks so short up north, or what, but these coil 55s felt too long when climbing, kinda washy and flappy.  Was fine once pointed down hill, but I'm considering swapping again...