Wednesday Night Solo

No Nelsie tonight for various reasons, so I left work on my lonesome and headed for the hills.  Zig-zagged through Beckenham then straight into Major Aitken Drive, entering it with a clusterfuck of roadies, the faster ones of which were ducking into every cul-de-sac, around and out, while the slowbies and me chugged up the main drag.  I peeled off right on Kenmanure and didn't see them again.  Up the very top of Huntsbury Ave I spotted the TFC Truck, so flicked off a txt to Steve and Robin asking who was out for a sneaky.  Steve replied 'not me' so I kept an eye out for Robin as I climbed.  Past the pylon I jumped over the gate, and rode up to the next gate, and up the singletrack from here.  Over the fence onto the landing strip, and a light was coming down the gravel ahead.  Robin!  Chatted a while, he wasn't feeling as shit hot as on Saturday.  Just before we met, I could see a group of maybe 12 riders heading down Vernon, and on the other side, a group of maybe 8 riding around under Sugarloaf.  Lots of other singles and doubles out and about too. I started to get cold, so got rolling again, to the top and straight into the Traverse.

Uneventful blast around the Traverse, catching up to and passing a couple at our usual stopping spot, then blasting on around to Vic.  Straight up and over into Thomson and Thompson, nice rolling float through these.  Then, onto the road and down across Dyers, freaking out a timid car load of asians, then up to the Old Dyers entry and into it.  What a groomed trail to start with now! (well over a year since last)  Fast down and around.  Rollercoaster into the valley, then the rough began and my handlebar light cut out.  Stopped, unplugged, replugged, and all good from there on.  Trees felt to be much bigger on the side of the track to the last time I was down here, all the way down.  On the 4wd section I took it a bit easier, and then knuckled in for the climb to the road, across (no traffic) and up through Vic to the war memorial.  Heading for the skidder site I ducked right into the singletrack and cruised through here, wrong-geared on a big left hander, stalling, changing gear while stationary, and getting on again.  Brief rest at the skidder site and into Shazzas, blitzing down around the corners, surprised at a couple of new bits then missed the road crossing and headed straight down to the Brentzone.  Held left down through here and out the bottom, into Bridges, Flow etc  meeting my own dust on the hairpins lower down, and nearly losing it on one of the last corners.  Then the blast down to Hidden Valley creek crossing, cleaned it and the first corner, then completely failed the second corner.  Rest of the climb was good, but I was getting tired.  Took a break over the stile before the climb to the rest of Old Skool.

Climbed the last climb and then hit the downhill.  Fuck this track is getting bony.  Either the closure of McVicars has forced more riders onto it, or Mtnbiking is just getting too damned popular, but this track has been hammered.  Dusty; each hairpin I went round I was greeted by my own dust from above, and did I say, boney???  Jeebus.  I'd topped up my rear shock air pressure in the morning, and it was feeling a little harsh...  10psi needs to be let out.  Finally I was down the bottom, nearly cleaned the exit, should have, but I baulked.  Finally, down the last gravel, over the gate and headed for home, Bowenvale, Eastern, Wilsons, Nursery, Stanmore, long slog and I was toasted by the time I got home...  Sore neck, sore knee (wish I'd been wearing my longshorts or kneewarmers!)

30kms, 600m Climbed, in a smidge under 2 hours of riding.