Nothing but local short flat street rides for the month, by the look of it. I'm getting out every day with the dog and Tra'y, jetting around the neighbourhood, connecting up the parks and alleys, cruising the sidewalks, keeping 2 metres away from everybody.
My back's still bad, or at least, my flexors and ITBs, quads and hammies are all screaming all the time. No idea how or when I'm gonna fix. So's probably just as well I'm only cruising. Mostly on the Specialized GhettoGlobe, but sometimes on the Troll.
Mapped a couple, and haven't mapped a bunch.
Monday, March 30, 2020
Saturday, March 07, 2020
Saturday Mt Oxf'king Wind'ord with a Sting in the tail(bone)
Mother nature got the better of us today... Beautiful day. Nelson, Kirsty and Wazzah picked me up and we headed out to Mountain Road. Kirsty and Wazza walking, Nelson and me on the bikes, intending on going up the front, over the ridge and down to Wharfdale, where the walkers would go for View Hill and Nelso and me back to car to drive round and pick them up. Hit the trail from Coopers Creek, cruising with the two walkers, but eventually I slowly loped off ahead. Drop down to creek, and the pushing up the switchies from that, riding a fair bit, walking the odd bit, and proceeding to ride and walk in equal measures for quite a while. Stopped and let Wazza catch me up a couple times, then eventually he caught me once it got steep and my pushing and carrying was slower than his walking. Various walkers and runners were coming down through.
At the treeline we hit some wind, which proceeded to get into horrendous galeforce once up in the alpine proper, at above about 900m... The other two had caught up by this stage, but Wazza and me were out front, and really struggling. No way could I lift my bike up or I'd blow over, and he could barely stand. Kirsty was scared enough to stop, and Nelson got up to where we were holding on to the hill where we all decided to give up. Further up where the trail gets steeper and narrower for the final push, there was going to be no way we could have maneuvered with the bikes. Foiled, we turned back down. Rode a couple of bits I wouldn't have expected to, back to Kirsty at the treeline, where we all ate our packed lunches.
Into the descent. Only a couple of walks on the really heinously steep stuff, and riding some surprisingly steep stuff. Quite fun, but hard work. Awesome descent lower down. We stopped a few times letting the two walkers catch up. Then after a particularly long jaunt, we stopped and Nelson tried to get his GoPro sorted. Meanwhile, I rested on the ground, and felt a sharp 'stick' in my arm, which got sorer and then as I turned my arm to look, there's a fucking wasp sticking out of it! OWCH!, gripped and squeezed it and biffed it onto the ground. Damn! (2 days later, my arm is twice it's normal size...). Walkers all through and past, and we bombed on down, over taking two girls that'd passed us while stopped. Catching Kirsty and Wazza out on the farmtrack, and rolling slowly with them back to the car.
Grand total of 9 kms, and 675 m climbed...
Addendum: This trip caused the worst back pain of my life. Sunday afternoon, Monday, and so far Tuesday - agony.
Addendum 2: 11 days later: Back pain continued, turning into not sciatica - shooting pains down both buttocks, spasming lower back, locked up hip flexors, some of the most painful days and nights I've ever experience. 2 half and one full day off work. Osteo treatment number 2 seemed to help more, finally Wednesday 18th woke up feeling a little better, with glute pain subsided greatly but hip flexor pain still in evidence.
Addendum 3: Nearly 6 weeks later and I'm still broken. Nortriptyline and Pregabalin with Brufen are my solace. It's been a very long and unpleasant time.
Addendum to end all Addendums: May 19th, 2020. MRI several weeks ago shows a prolapsed disc at L3 L4. Foot issues meant that on this day my first appointment with a neurosurgeon is pending at 9.15 (i'm writing this at 8.47)...
At the treeline we hit some wind, which proceeded to get into horrendous galeforce once up in the alpine proper, at above about 900m... The other two had caught up by this stage, but Wazza and me were out front, and really struggling. No way could I lift my bike up or I'd blow over, and he could barely stand. Kirsty was scared enough to stop, and Nelson got up to where we were holding on to the hill where we all decided to give up. Further up where the trail gets steeper and narrower for the final push, there was going to be no way we could have maneuvered with the bikes. Foiled, we turned back down. Rode a couple of bits I wouldn't have expected to, back to Kirsty at the treeline, where we all ate our packed lunches.
Into the descent. Only a couple of walks on the really heinously steep stuff, and riding some surprisingly steep stuff. Quite fun, but hard work. Awesome descent lower down. We stopped a few times letting the two walkers catch up. Then after a particularly long jaunt, we stopped and Nelson tried to get his GoPro sorted. Meanwhile, I rested on the ground, and felt a sharp 'stick' in my arm, which got sorer and then as I turned my arm to look, there's a fucking wasp sticking out of it! OWCH!, gripped and squeezed it and biffed it onto the ground. Damn! (2 days later, my arm is twice it's normal size...). Walkers all through and past, and we bombed on down, over taking two girls that'd passed us while stopped. Catching Kirsty and Wazza out on the farmtrack, and rolling slowly with them back to the car.
Grand total of 9 kms, and 675 m climbed...
Addendum: This trip caused the worst back pain of my life. Sunday afternoon, Monday, and so far Tuesday - agony.
Addendum 2: 11 days later: Back pain continued, turning into not sciatica - shooting pains down both buttocks, spasming lower back, locked up hip flexors, some of the most painful days and nights I've ever experience. 2 half and one full day off work. Osteo treatment number 2 seemed to help more, finally Wednesday 18th woke up feeling a little better, with glute pain subsided greatly but hip flexor pain still in evidence.
Addendum 3: Nearly 6 weeks later and I'm still broken. Nortriptyline and Pregabalin with Brufen are my solace. It's been a very long and unpleasant time.
Addendum to end all Addendums: May 19th, 2020. MRI several weeks ago shows a prolapsed disc at L3 L4. Foot issues meant that on this day my first appointment with a neurosurgeon is pending at 9.15 (i'm writing this at 8.47)...
Wednesday, March 04, 2020
Wednesday Night Squiggly a f
All about the tops tonight. Parked up top of Major Hornbrook, below the usual Parkridge park, riding up through the park then up Clearview, Ridgeview and Upper Major to the non-bathtub entrance to Britten.
Around and up the singletrack, first of many climbs for the night. Around the front and across to the cutting, then up onto the single, hanging a right and dropping down to Cavendish Saddle. Climbed up something I'd never been on before, but it says bikes are allowed now, so gave it a look. Too steep, so some walking, til the higher gate, and then it's quite good. Around under the Gondola building, slightly lower than usual, with nice views out to the harbour, then into the usual steppy rocky descent down. Took a couple of different lines this time, which bogged me up a bit, but got to the Bridle Path eventually.
Across, and up the walking track, climbing climbing, cleaning to further than usual. Walked a bit, rode a bit, walked some more, before finally riding nicely to the ridge. Around and fun fast descent, feeling pretty good on the bike. into the climb, and climbing higher than the past, but still having to walk a bit Nelson's cleaned several times, up around and then right through the Tors track, dropping down and having a blast. Same dab as last time, and then back up the road to Castle. As I rode up here I could see a guy carrying his bike along the Castle Rock ridge. Back and forth he went, checking his phone whenever he came back. Then I saw the drone. So, he's making some fake-arse footage of him epic'ly carrying his bike across the ridge??? Fake news!
Dropped into Castle and blasted. Absolutely blazed it. Smooth, flowy, awesome. Around and up, climb feeling good last drop to road and around. Nice cruise under the gondola and up. Back into Cavendish Saddle and climbing up the back of Mt Pleasant. Cleaning all and still feeling good, all the way to the top. Did some yoga stretches here, pigeon for both legs, and some spinal twists...
Droppin' in, through the gate, over the stile, and flying, southerly wind pushing me a long down through the tussocks, line nice and clear, fast, raily. Excellent bomb. Taking it a little easy to the end, not really pedalling, then dropping down to Greenwood middle entrance here. Short rest, ate the rest of my OSM and then hit Greenwood down. Again, smooth and flowy, fast and furious. Blasted down, lower back not getting sore at all. Didnt even need a rest after Gloomy, just bombed on through, dropping down the rocks and flowing through the rest of the jumps and berms, all the way down.
Onto the road and climbing, long slog. Getting a bit warm, delayered on the way up here. At the pines, thought I wouldn't be a mountainbiker if I didn't get onto the trail, so over the stile and climbing. Then short road, fill up bottle, and into the Britten.
Flying down through sheep and then across the front, same as last time. Checked out further over onto some rocks. Definitely scope for lines to wend down to the trail from there, but turned back up onto the regular final drops and rocketted down through this, over the fence, and on down to the car, nice big jump just before the road.
Convoluted ups and downs of a 20 kms, with 900m climbed - similar scale to last week. A lot for a weeknight.
Around and up the singletrack, first of many climbs for the night. Around the front and across to the cutting, then up onto the single, hanging a right and dropping down to Cavendish Saddle. Climbed up something I'd never been on before, but it says bikes are allowed now, so gave it a look. Too steep, so some walking, til the higher gate, and then it's quite good. Around under the Gondola building, slightly lower than usual, with nice views out to the harbour, then into the usual steppy rocky descent down. Took a couple of different lines this time, which bogged me up a bit, but got to the Bridle Path eventually.
Across, and up the walking track, climbing climbing, cleaning to further than usual. Walked a bit, rode a bit, walked some more, before finally riding nicely to the ridge. Around and fun fast descent, feeling pretty good on the bike. into the climb, and climbing higher than the past, but still having to walk a bit Nelson's cleaned several times, up around and then right through the Tors track, dropping down and having a blast. Same dab as last time, and then back up the road to Castle. As I rode up here I could see a guy carrying his bike along the Castle Rock ridge. Back and forth he went, checking his phone whenever he came back. Then I saw the drone. So, he's making some fake-arse footage of him epic'ly carrying his bike across the ridge??? Fake news!
Dropped into Castle and blasted. Absolutely blazed it. Smooth, flowy, awesome. Around and up, climb feeling good last drop to road and around. Nice cruise under the gondola and up. Back into Cavendish Saddle and climbing up the back of Mt Pleasant. Cleaning all and still feeling good, all the way to the top. Did some yoga stretches here, pigeon for both legs, and some spinal twists...
Droppin' in, through the gate, over the stile, and flying, southerly wind pushing me a long down through the tussocks, line nice and clear, fast, raily. Excellent bomb. Taking it a little easy to the end, not really pedalling, then dropping down to Greenwood middle entrance here. Short rest, ate the rest of my OSM and then hit Greenwood down. Again, smooth and flowy, fast and furious. Blasted down, lower back not getting sore at all. Didnt even need a rest after Gloomy, just bombed on through, dropping down the rocks and flowing through the rest of the jumps and berms, all the way down.
Onto the road and climbing, long slog. Getting a bit warm, delayered on the way up here. At the pines, thought I wouldn't be a mountainbiker if I didn't get onto the trail, so over the stile and climbing. Then short road, fill up bottle, and into the Britten.
Flying down through sheep and then across the front, same as last time. Checked out further over onto some rocks. Definitely scope for lines to wend down to the trail from there, but turned back up onto the regular final drops and rocketted down through this, over the fence, and on down to the car, nice big jump just before the road.
Convoluted ups and downs of a 20 kms, with 900m climbed - similar scale to last week. A lot for a weeknight.
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