Good ride last night. Met Nelson after work at McCormack's Bay, and we trundled up Glenstrae onto the hot dirt. Sun beating into here and no wind meant for instantly exhausting conditions. Stopped and tried to reach a few blackberries at the usual spot, then got riding again up, down and up up up. Usual walk of the second hairpin, and then further up, in the upper zigzags I dabbed out on the 2nd and 3rd, but got the rest. Nice breeze once up on the road. Up this and up the reserve on the corner onto Ridgeview and over the fence at the bath trough.
Up through Britten, spotting Wazza's, Andy's and Bobbin's cars parked on Upper Major, so figured we wuz chasing... Up around the front of Britten, spotting what looked like familiar riders on the singletrack above the road. We hit the road there and headed back along the road and up Broadleaf, seeing the boys up at the gate, and actually beating Robin to it. Our previous plan of heading over Cavendish and doing Castle and Tors out the window, we joined these dudes and got into the bomb. Fanging like usual down from the top, dust obscuring my view of the trail in places. Regroupling and then around above the ruins, then decided on a lap of these upper trails, down towards the pines, and back up Sheep's Hit Alley, clambering to the top. Robin bailed here on account of his detached hand tendons hurting too much.
The four remaining headed back across old Greenwood into Greenwood proper, and proceeded to bomb like nothing else down. Hoooned. Nice rest after Gloomy, beautiful night just there out of the wind, and got going again for a fun filled rapid descent. Hit the road, and Nelson and me were gonna take the Captain, while they were heading back up for their vehicles. At this point a massive posse of riders appeared out of Rapanui Bush (reserve in corner of hairpin below), and turned out it was the Thursday Night Crew of old, and old (2016 ago!)....
Hooked in with them, Nelson leading the way in, and the others putting the pressure on, hard. I got in about 5th and had Nelson's mate Mark on my tail, and I kept the pressure on the dude in front of me (Paul, maybe?). We hooned big time. Dust was a problem, breathing and seeing, the bit after the gate I just pointed and hoped, not being able to see anything with dust lit by sunshine. Mental! Around, bombing all the usual rocks and interestingness, and as I rounded towards the big boulder (before the rockydrops) I spotted Nelson retrieving his bike from below the trail (below the rockydrops). He was just up onto the trail when I got there and he jumped in behind as the dude who was ahead of me cleaned the entire wee climb here. Somehow I'd lost Mark along here. We got rolling and chasing and fanged out the bottom. When Mark rolled we realised why I'd lost him. His chainring was majorly bent, so the chain wouldn't stay on.
Rolled on down to Sumner, to their cars parked on the Esplanade. They all went to the pub, we tootled off, around the new boardwalk and bike path (that practically dead-ends at Shag). Back to the cars at McCormacks,
A good effort, 21 kms with (according to MMR) 750m climbed (don't believe it, cos our peak was only 500 and we didn't do that much extra up and down (- there's always that weird spike around Moncks Bay)).
Friday, January 31, 2020
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Sunday Short Snake Stuff
Quick wee ride with Gogo today. Parked my car at Breeze Col and we went for a ride. Meanwhile, T was walking with Vanessa from Taylors, so her car was on the road above the bach there, and we both had keys for both.
Go and me started in above the road, climbing onto the skinny sidle. Once around the ridge, overlooking the heads, we spotted T and V (and Jet) below. I rang her and waved, then we bombed down to the Godley carpark, and waited for them. I took Jet for a big drink from the tap at the loos, and the girls headed on along the bike track towards the car. Jet chased them, and we overtook them and continued on.
At Breeze Col we headed up the road, I gave H a push, and then we dropped into the new Anaconda entrance, swooping and flying on down. He was good, got pretty sore hands, but I think he enjoyed it. In the tail he struggled a little on the rocks, and then he crashed on the very last corner below the big elder tree. No harm done and we headed up the road (he walked most and I rode with his bike next to me), to the car. We collected O from the bach where he was gardening and took the Hyundai home.
A massive (not) 6.3 kms, and 200 m climbed, (but with 330 odd metres descended).
Go and me started in above the road, climbing onto the skinny sidle. Once around the ridge, overlooking the heads, we spotted T and V (and Jet) below. I rang her and waved, then we bombed down to the Godley carpark, and waited for them. I took Jet for a big drink from the tap at the loos, and the girls headed on along the bike track towards the car. Jet chased them, and we overtook them and continued on.
At Breeze Col we headed up the road, I gave H a push, and then we dropped into the new Anaconda entrance, swooping and flying on down. He was good, got pretty sore hands, but I think he enjoyed it. In the tail he struggled a little on the rocks, and then he crashed on the very last corner below the big elder tree. No harm done and we headed up the road (he walked most and I rode with his bike next to me), to the car. We collected O from the bach where he was gardening and took the Hyundai home.
A massive (not) 6.3 kms, and 200 m climbed, (but with 330 odd metres descended).
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Saturday Hot Muggy Morning Taylor's Godley
Nice ride from Taylor's today. Dropped O off to do some work in the bach garden, and Nelson joined me for a ride.
We headed up the road and into the walkway, zigging and zagging up to the Godley Head Rd. Was steep and bloody hot and humid with a hazy overcast but sunshine too. Dry AF as well. I cleaned everything, but did have to stop a couple of times for breathers. From the road we headed up the usual 4wd track to the singletrack and decided to head back towards Evans Pass. Good bomb around this, down, passing 2 couples near the end. Then couldn't be arsed, in the heat, to ride the tech-rock back, so took the road back around to the climb, up this again, and a bit of a rest til just after the 2 couples had ridden past. Gave them a gap and then bombed it down to Livingston, passing them having a break before the last full tilt descent to the saddle.
Straight into the climb, moseying up and around. Nelson waiting for me at the top, as usual. Straight into the descent, bombing around and down to Breeze. Here, we headed up the trail above the road, taking the barely visible skinny track around the sidle. Long, dry grass, but good purchase under-tread. Onto the emplacement, then up onto Breeze Bay track. No walkers onboard, so a good hoof around, pea-gravel proving interesting on off camber corners. Back into the skinny climb and sidle again, this time more visible thanks to our previous tracks. Then a super fast bomb down to the Godley carpark, where we found snacking the 2 couples from previous.
Across onto the below-road mtb track, bombing around back to Breeze Col, then up the Godley singletrack climbing to the cattlestop, then over the fence (ants on my hands from the post) and down to the top entrance to Anaconda. Swoop swoop, bomb bomb, into the old, more swoop, yumps and bombing, into the tail and fang wallop bomb to the bottom, spectacular jumps over the final grate.
Final road climb back up to the cars, and a good ride done. A grand but sweaty 17 kms, with a bloody good 730 m climbed.
We headed up the road and into the walkway, zigging and zagging up to the Godley Head Rd. Was steep and bloody hot and humid with a hazy overcast but sunshine too. Dry AF as well. I cleaned everything, but did have to stop a couple of times for breathers. From the road we headed up the usual 4wd track to the singletrack and decided to head back towards Evans Pass. Good bomb around this, down, passing 2 couples near the end. Then couldn't be arsed, in the heat, to ride the tech-rock back, so took the road back around to the climb, up this again, and a bit of a rest til just after the 2 couples had ridden past. Gave them a gap and then bombed it down to Livingston, passing them having a break before the last full tilt descent to the saddle.
Straight into the climb, moseying up and around. Nelson waiting for me at the top, as usual. Straight into the descent, bombing around and down to Breeze. Here, we headed up the trail above the road, taking the barely visible skinny track around the sidle. Long, dry grass, but good purchase under-tread. Onto the emplacement, then up onto Breeze Bay track. No walkers onboard, so a good hoof around, pea-gravel proving interesting on off camber corners. Back into the skinny climb and sidle again, this time more visible thanks to our previous tracks. Then a super fast bomb down to the Godley carpark, where we found snacking the 2 couples from previous.
Across onto the below-road mtb track, bombing around back to Breeze Col, then up the Godley singletrack climbing to the cattlestop, then over the fence (ants on my hands from the post) and down to the top entrance to Anaconda. Swoop swoop, bomb bomb, into the old, more swoop, yumps and bombing, into the tail and fang wallop bomb to the bottom, spectacular jumps over the final grate.
Final road climb back up to the cars, and a good ride done. A grand but sweaty 17 kms, with a bloody good 730 m climbed.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Thursday Pre-work Mental Health Check Up
Left home at 7.30am, drove and parked on the Heathcote next to the bridge opposite Bowenvale Ave. Got riding up the Major and was hitting Kenmure at 8.05am, onto the dirt just after 8.10. Beautiful morning, a little muggy but still and mild and calm. Plenty of shade climbing that side of the hill at that time of day, and higher up, once on the dirt, the trees provided nice long shade all the way up to the pylons, whereupon it got a bit warmer. Another thing I did, was a lot more standing and cranking a taller gear than I usually do, which seemed to keep the pace up. Sure is nice to be fresh (compared to evening rides). Seemed to break the whole climb up a bit.
Above the pylons, I did the usual swivel up onto the grass, then up the singletrack from the Rocky Ridge. First stop and drink was when I climbed the fence. Up the landing strip onto the gravel, grinding away, around to the start of Traverse. No rest for the wicked, so straight into this and across to the top of Fourpause. Another rest and drink here, then dropped on in.
Nice blast down, excellent floats over all four jumps, (perhaps they're the four 'pauses' - from the rubber on the dirt), then blatted across the extension down the landing strip zone, and over the edge into the old skool dh. Followed all the lines, but that one wee rock droppy angled thing is still baulking me... Good flow down the rest of it, down through the hefty rocks before the water troughs without even noticing them. I think i picked a different line to usual and it blitzed me through super quick... Off Cambers, back and forth, then Old Skool Proper. Blitzing, blazing, blasting, blatting, blistering down the trail, brief rest on the flat after the valley (where O had his gorse bush encounter), then all the way down and out. Finally, down the road at a nice cruisey pace to the car...
The usual, just under one hour, just under 10 km, and just over 420 m altitudes.
Above the pylons, I did the usual swivel up onto the grass, then up the singletrack from the Rocky Ridge. First stop and drink was when I climbed the fence. Up the landing strip onto the gravel, grinding away, around to the start of Traverse. No rest for the wicked, so straight into this and across to the top of Fourpause. Another rest and drink here, then dropped on in.
Nice blast down, excellent floats over all four jumps, (perhaps they're the four 'pauses' - from the rubber on the dirt), then blatted across the extension down the landing strip zone, and over the edge into the old skool dh. Followed all the lines, but that one wee rock droppy angled thing is still baulking me... Good flow down the rest of it, down through the hefty rocks before the water troughs without even noticing them. I think i picked a different line to usual and it blitzed me through super quick... Off Cambers, back and forth, then Old Skool Proper. Blitzing, blazing, blasting, blatting, blistering down the trail, brief rest on the flat after the valley (where O had his gorse bush encounter), then all the way down and out. Finally, down the road at a nice cruisey pace to the car...
The usual, just under one hour, just under 10 km, and just over 420 m altitudes.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Sunday Hot Stuff Thomas and Bony Greenwood
Otie and me met Nelsie at Slumnervale and we fixed O's gears and rear brake before we got cracking.
Off up the Captain, O coping well on most of it, tho getting off for some bits of steep. Hot work until finally we were in some easterly breeze which cooled nicely. I was feeling surprisingly good considering my Friday night epic - surprising what one day of recovery yielded. Hit the Scummit Road and toodled, hot work and then the shade of Jollies Bush was a real relief. At the Richmond Pines we headed over the stile into Greenwood, and O didn't want to go all the way to the towers, so he headed up the 4wd track towards the gun emplacements, and Nelson and me headed up Sheepshit Alley, then into Britten, around the top and straight up Broadleaf. Nice views from the top of Pleasant, and chatted to a nice girl from who'd only recently moved to Chch from Rotovegas (with her nice Weimarana who carried her own water in a wee doggy backpack). She was keen to know more about Chch trails.
Off we headed down, zip zip zip. Hooked up with O then headed into Greenwood proper. Excellent blast. Bony bastard rocks lessening O's enjoyment. Thankfully Nelson had stopped after Gloomy and we had a bit of a rest before blasting off down the rocks. Fang fang, pop pop, clatter clatter. Fun times. Across Evans and into the Captain. Woot fest, speedy dusty descending, tight on Nelson's tail til my phone rang, then off again and blasting. Cleaning everything except the usual uphill, and blazing away down the dry dry dusty clay lower down. Nearly lost it in the rut on the last big corner. Then, over the stile and down through Slumnervale park and back to the cars.
A delightful 15 kms, with 585 m climbed.
Off up the Captain, O coping well on most of it, tho getting off for some bits of steep. Hot work until finally we were in some easterly breeze which cooled nicely. I was feeling surprisingly good considering my Friday night epic - surprising what one day of recovery yielded. Hit the Scummit Road and toodled, hot work and then the shade of Jollies Bush was a real relief. At the Richmond Pines we headed over the stile into Greenwood, and O didn't want to go all the way to the towers, so he headed up the 4wd track towards the gun emplacements, and Nelson and me headed up Sheepshit Alley, then into Britten, around the top and straight up Broadleaf. Nice views from the top of Pleasant, and chatted to a nice girl from who'd only recently moved to Chch from Rotovegas (with her nice Weimarana who carried her own water in a wee doggy backpack). She was keen to know more about Chch trails.
Off we headed down, zip zip zip. Hooked up with O then headed into Greenwood proper. Excellent blast. Bony bastard rocks lessening O's enjoyment. Thankfully Nelson had stopped after Gloomy and we had a bit of a rest before blasting off down the rocks. Fang fang, pop pop, clatter clatter. Fun times. Across Evans and into the Captain. Woot fest, speedy dusty descending, tight on Nelson's tail til my phone rang, then off again and blasting. Cleaning everything except the usual uphill, and blazing away down the dry dry dusty clay lower down. Nearly lost it in the rut on the last big corner. Then, over the stile and down through Slumnervale park and back to the cars.
A delightful 15 kms, with 585 m climbed.
Friday, January 17, 2020
Friday Night Bonanza, *post number 1111
One-thousand, one-hundred and eleventh blog post...
What added up to a fairly sizeable total tonight.
First up, I parked in Hillsborough Tce and rode around and up Ramahana, Aotea and Huntsbury, then across Vernon, Witch, single-track above the road, Castle. Back up the road and up onto the Tors, slippery down here with all the dried weed-eaten grass, and a wee low-speed OTB crash onto soft tussock. Then back on the above-road-singletrack and through the fence and up onto the top of the Duncan Pirate Track. Into this, and man is it dry. So dry. Dry AF. A tinderbox. Hoped like hell my hot disks wouldn't set a fire. In the forestry at the bottom I took a muppet route down. Looks like there's been more work done in there. Then back on the road and around and over Centaurus Rd hill and back down to the car.
A veritable feast of 18.5 kms and 807 m climbed.
What added up to a fairly sizeable total tonight.
First up, I parked in Hillsborough Tce and rode around and up Ramahana, Aotea and Huntsbury, then across Vernon, Witch, single-track above the road, Castle. Back up the road and up onto the Tors, slippery down here with all the dried weed-eaten grass, and a wee low-speed OTB crash onto soft tussock. Then back on the above-road-singletrack and through the fence and up onto the top of the Duncan Pirate Track. Into this, and man is it dry. So dry. Dry AF. A tinderbox. Hoped like hell my hot disks wouldn't set a fire. In the forestry at the bottom I took a muppet route down. Looks like there's been more work done in there. Then back on the road and around and over Centaurus Rd hill and back down to the car.
A veritable feast of 18.5 kms and 807 m climbed.
Meanwhile, T and Beck were walking up Rapaki Valley and I txtd when I was back at the car. T suggested I ride up and meet them. So, drove around and up to the start of cRapaki Track and parked and rode, leaving my gloves and bag behind, because I was thinking they'd be on their way down and I'd meet them... But no... every corner, are they there? nope. Once up on the flat I spotted them, rang, "is that you near the top?" "is that you under the pylons? Hi! - come on up!" "Ungh, okay" Off I treadled, meeting them just shy of the top. Grabbed a snack off them, then headed up to the new singletrack and bombed down (pausing part of the way down, out of view, for a quick chat with Douglas), waiting for them at the flat and riding with them til it got steeper and my coasting got faster and faster til I was bombing to the bottom where I waited in the car for them.
another 250+ m in another 8 kms...
Well earned, we went to Zaffron and ate. mmm
another 250+ m in another 8 kms...
Well earned, we went to Zaffron and ate. mmm
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Tuesday Afternoon End of Holidaze Halswell that Ends Well
Up and down a few times in Halswell.
A couple of girls in the carpark getting ready to ride and leaving before me that I proceeded to encounter multiple times throughout the ride. Caught them up top of the dog park and I dropped straight into Download, then climbed up C2, Dropped into Murph's, quite enjoying the flowy descent. Around and into Upper Crust, a much better climb in my mind than C2.
At the top of this I caught up to the girls again, and headed up the Croc ahead of them, spotting them dropping behind me as I climbed. Straight into the Low Rd, then through the gate and a drop over through Siberia (new lines...). Stopped at the Kennedy's gate for a bit to wait for a runner to pass so I could have a much needed leak. Then back up the 4wd track, to the gate, whereupon the girls were coming up Low Rd.
I dropped into descending trail. I like how all the tracks are one-way now. Makes for a better 'less conflict' ride. Into the Croc proper, swoopy swoopy, and then into Deviation up slightly across then back and forth and whoopdedoo down to the junction. Dropped into Spurious for a nice couple of technical hardware features, dropping all the way down to Upper Crust. Clambering up here again, where I encountered a young guy on a 'leckie (grrrrr, lazy f'ck'n f'ck, grrmble).
I bombed down the top half of C2, testing the new bypass down in here, then, scattering a few walkers, dropped into Mish-Mash at a cracking pace, sliding in the dust, then getting confused a little by the drop-overs near the bottom, dropped, jumped, then left, and right, I hit Upload, steep wee grunter (from the top, spotting the two girls again in the valley below), then I climbed up the steep wee grunty corners in the start of the OG Crocodile and on up to the Coopers/Spurious/Deviation junction.
Here, the young 'leckie guy rolls through into Spurious so I follow and he drops over to Upper Crust to power lazily up, while I muddled about then headed up the entrance of C2 and out down through the dog park, finding the two girls at their car.
Effectively an hour's ride, with a surprisingly peasly little 287 m climbed in a subordinate 9.7 kms...
A couple of girls in the carpark getting ready to ride and leaving before me that I proceeded to encounter multiple times throughout the ride. Caught them up top of the dog park and I dropped straight into Download, then climbed up C2, Dropped into Murph's, quite enjoying the flowy descent. Around and into Upper Crust, a much better climb in my mind than C2.
At the top of this I caught up to the girls again, and headed up the Croc ahead of them, spotting them dropping behind me as I climbed. Straight into the Low Rd, then through the gate and a drop over through Siberia (new lines...). Stopped at the Kennedy's gate for a bit to wait for a runner to pass so I could have a much needed leak. Then back up the 4wd track, to the gate, whereupon the girls were coming up Low Rd.
I dropped into descending trail. I like how all the tracks are one-way now. Makes for a better 'less conflict' ride. Into the Croc proper, swoopy swoopy, and then into Deviation up slightly across then back and forth and whoopdedoo down to the junction. Dropped into Spurious for a nice couple of technical hardware features, dropping all the way down to Upper Crust. Clambering up here again, where I encountered a young guy on a 'leckie (grrrrr, lazy f'ck'n f'ck, grrmble).
I bombed down the top half of C2, testing the new bypass down in here, then, scattering a few walkers, dropped into Mish-Mash at a cracking pace, sliding in the dust, then getting confused a little by the drop-overs near the bottom, dropped, jumped, then left, and right, I hit Upload, steep wee grunter (from the top, spotting the two girls again in the valley below), then I climbed up the steep wee grunty corners in the start of the OG Crocodile and on up to the Coopers/Spurious/Deviation junction.
Here, the young 'leckie guy rolls through into Spurious so I follow and he drops over to Upper Crust to power lazily up, while I muddled about then headed up the entrance of C2 and out down through the dog park, finding the two girls at their car.
Effectively an hour's ride, with a surprisingly peasly little 287 m climbed in a subordinate 9.7 kms...
Tuesday, January 07, 2020
Tuesday Double Double Fence Fence Downhill Hill Downs
Day trip to Akaroa so I scored a couple of 'more down than up' rides (as per...). On the Fatty.
First off, dropped off into the hell's teeth of a gale, along the Summit Rd from Okains top to LeBons top and over onto, for the first time ever, the Old LeBons Track. Double-fenced double-track, steep and fast, gated into 3 parts, of which one section had a lot of sheep, which stampeded ahead of me, impeding my view (and flinging the shit), then a rapid gravel road bomb to the bottom of the valley, down to Takamatua, across the main road then up the steep-arse Old French Road, over and down the Old Coach Road into Akaroa to find the fam. A sweet 15 kms, with 367 m climbed, but 850 m descended...
We did our thing there, then on our way home, they dropped me off at the saddle between the Little Ak and Okains catchments. I set off, climbing, little bit of walking, across the ridge then around the epic Totaras, to then enjoy the rapid descent, down View Hill Road to Chorlton, then the sealed road into Little Ak. A bit under 10 kms, with 100 m climbed, and around 680m descended.
We did our thing there, then on our way home, they dropped me off at the saddle between the Little Ak and Okains catchments. I set off, climbing, little bit of walking, across the ridge then around the epic Totaras, to then enjoy the rapid descent, down View Hill Road to Chorlton, then the sealed road into Little Ak. A bit under 10 kms, with 100 m climbed, and around 680m descended.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
