Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Tuesday Night Pre Trees Meeting Spin

After dropping H home after hockey I made my way across town to Trees For Canterbury where I parked and rode down Charlesworth to meet Nelson on Ferry Rd.  We headed up Mt Pleasant and parked in the usual Rockview Place. 

Headed up Britten, me managing to climb more of the steep above the pylon than I have for a long time, then doing okay staying on Nelson's tail for longer than usual too.  But, by the time he was at the top I was still a wee ways back.  Decided to hit the road and head into Greenwood old entrance, stopping to help a guy with a flat tubeless first.  Into the old, new tires bowling over the rocks at the start.  I was slower than Nelson, but that's nothing new.  Break before the ruins then into it.  I was feeling like the new bike suspension wasn't as good as the Turner, but was still good, and man those tires roll.  Some good speed in places, but bogged down in a few others.  Nelson stopped on the face above Sumner to top up the air (leaky tubeless), then proceeded to drop me speeding around to Gloomy.  Fun down the rocks and through the swoops, over the drop and then on down around through the backs and forths.  Big tires gripping and rolling so well.  Finally into the last gully and flying down the final drag to the rocky-ups, both stalling here - wrong geared.  And on to the bottom.

Turned around and back up.  Bike felt like it climbed badly, but mostly due to my timing and also I had my rebound settings set wrong (which I didn't fix til the top).  Took a while, but not that long and we were way up the hill.  In fact, there were a couple riding up the road below us down the bottom, and they rolled up to us when we were at the top, so not much slower at all on the trail. 

At the ruins, we headed down the new trail towards the Richmond Hill pines, bombing through this then climbing up back to the Greenwood Entrance.  Then into Britten, and bombsville.  Motored down the trail, big tires gripping well and bike feeling really good.  Huge posse of riders on either side of the trail to let us through, with more below, then around and back around, I had to stop to put my sunnies on (cos they were falling out of my bag strap).  Fun last blast, to the bottom.

13kms with 480m gained...

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