Wednesday Night Convoluted Covidian Connotations

Good spin tonight.  Scratchy throat, sinus-y, asthma-y, wondering if I had covid, but testing negative in the night, plus crappy sleep cos dog's got the coughs'n'pukes, worked the day at home.  

Nelson turned up quite early (5ish) and we set off.  My wheeze was bad and proceeded to make it quite a difficult-climbing ride for me.  Up through Vic, to the top.  Around through the two fun jumps, seesaw, and hung a right, along to top of PedalFine.  Into this, dropping through, left onto the squirrelly wee left hander, techy fun.  Across the forestry trail to start of Rad and peeled left to do Razza's.  Annoyingly some munter groms have been digging in this, no doubt ruining the sweet natural tech by putting in berms, so there were a bunch of sticks all over the entrance.  Annoyed, we moseyed back up to Dazza's and dropped off into this.  Good droppy line down here, then out across to Sneaky Ridge, fun drop down through here, tho acorn ball bearings everywhere lower down.  Jumped out onto Bridges and down into Nu, then down valley and into Hidden bonus, where we found our first Orienteerers, right in the first switchback - which stuffed Nelson up a bit.  I got my front wheel wide and got round okay, then up through the next switchback and finally a breather, briefly, across the face, then up through, steeper below Lava and steepest up to the next hairpin.  Ugh.  Struggle street.  Up through another couple of Oriented folk, and out to where we could see hundreds, crawling like ants on the hillside ahead and ahead of us on the trail.  

Nice long rest at the highpoint while we watched the track get clear then not then clear again.  I led off and "Excuse me." "Thank you." "One more coming." on repeat, proceeded as we rolled.  Only scared the shit out of one woman, on the middle traverse.  She looked very worried she wasn't going to get out of the way as I roared through "Thanks!"  Then, scattering children lower down, and one couple of women on the lowest switchbacks.  

At the bottom, time for the climbing again.  Ugh.  Wheeze'n'weakened.  Struggled up valley, and we decided to go all the way up the valley.  More Orienteerers all the way up and around.  Bottom of Brents, Nelson took off up the steepest route and I sluggardly followed, walking the two steepest bits.  I just did. not. have. it. in me.  Up the last gasp to the skidder and over onto the usual flows down down to 235, for a quick fun blast and a couple of air pops.  Finally, up the final wee climb to the road, around under the dog park and over to look at the logging of the forestry up here and smelling the pine on the downwind.  Finishing off down through the overly tight wee switchbacks too tight to ride, through to the top of Amherst.    

Shortish loop, 10.5 kms, with 462 m climbed, but man the steeps were steep af.

Saturday Easy Street, and a shorty.

Bit of riding on Saturday, certainly, kilometres travelled, but mostly by Ebike...  

Firstly, H and me took the opportunity to go out on what is now his new bike, we've bought off the (elderly) neighbours.  A Norco Fluid 9.2 (9.3?).  Very good condition 29er, medium frame, reasonable spec.  We headed up the tracks (not road) and climbed up to the Skidder then up to top of Vic.  H waited for me but I went up Worm and came back through the funjumps, then we took Brake Free into Sesame beginnings peeling left into the Gums.  Usual route down here, then right down, through to 235, fun bomb down this, jumps jumping well.  Then climbed back up to bottom of dog park and down the back of the houses... 5.3 kms with 177 m climbed

Slightly later, T and me bombed down to St Martins New World, collected a few things then went to Paul and Justine's, who were in isolation, to drop a meal and some citrus to them, then back up Bengal, Delhi, Poulson, Hackthorne home.  Plugged the bikes in for the limited time we had to top them up before the evening's festivities.  

Closer to 6, T and me hit the down again, remembering to turn on MMR in Malcolm Ave, riding out to David's place for dinner.  After much consumption we rode home up Evans Pass Rd, up and along the Summit Rd, around midnight.  Amazingly met virtually no cars, tho there were a fair few parked up places.  At Harry Ell we hung a tight right (and heard boy-racerscumbags burning out on the the Dyers below), cruised down the gravel track and then took Victoria Park Rd home. (Which according to GooglyMaps was a little over 20 kms, with over 500 climbed, and 370 odd descended).

Sunday E-asy Cruisin'

Joy came over with her ebike and her, Tra'y and me headed off down Longhurst, across Derrynane through to Nainy's then down Kidson, to MacMillan, across onto Lady Poulson, through to Delhi.  Brief sojourn up Bengal to top, (T and me rode down the alley way up here the other day) and then back down and around to Shalamar, right up to the end end of this down onto the mtbpark floodplains, then back down to Worsley's Rd, around the Cashmere Stream reserve, up Worsley to above the corner to cut over into the Worsley Subdivision, various streets in here, Rushden, Holbrook, Pentonville, across to Croftfield, then up to Happy Home Rd, then out Cashmere to Hendersons, around into the new flood works park there, then Sparks Rd cycle way, through Pioneer Park, then the back ways back to Bengal and up, through, Poulson, and up Hackthorne and Dyers home.

Interesting meander, 20 kms loop with 324 of electrically assisted climbing

Friday Night Mostly Downwards

Picked up Nelson from Bowenvale Ave, driving back up to my place, from whence we rode.  Up through Vic, 19th, Skidder, gutser, Worm onto Traverse around.  At the top of Lava flow we stopped and both agreed it was a good night for it, so off we went.  It was minty fun times. I cleaned everything I didn't think I might, sometimes astounding myself at having made it through sections unscathed.  The only thing I didn't clean was the very last little stepdown right at the bottom.  Around Hidden Valley Bonus climbing up onto Old Skool for an excellent chasing blast down and to the car.  I was on Nelson's tail all the way.  I swear my larger front wheel makes me faster.

Sweet as 8.75 kms, 267 m climbed, 487 mb descended

Super Short Fat Sunday Isolation Dog Spin

Positive covid in the house, so we're in Isolationville.  Super short and quick up on the fatty with Jet the woofy. Off the road, up the little track just in the bushes following the road.  Onto the road for the stretch up to the top dogparkcarpark, straight into the single-track descent, fun fun bomb twist weave through here.  Over the first jump then waiting for Jet, then down through the oaks for a detour out onto the newly discovered (on a recent walk) 'peninsula' seat. Loop back around then across the Ell, up the access track up to lower dogparkcarpark and down to Charles's track, ducking and weaving through this, out onto the steep behind-the-houses descent, round home.

A twisty 2 kms, with a whole 75 m climbed.

Oh yeah, and earlier in the day, T and me went out on the ebikes.  I put the seat right down and she rode my Momentum, and I rode H's Converted Surly (like a bmx bike under me).  We went down Kidson, across MacMillan and up Hackthorne.  T found the Momentum very good so we picked a girly one up on Clearance from Evo. 

Sunday Thomas Green Thomas

Good ride in the heat today (summer returned for a day).  Bit of a late start, met Nelson in Scumnervale at about 11.30.  We treadled off down the street, and took a cul-de-sac through to the redzone to get to the bottom of Capt Thomas.  Around the fence and along back of the gabion wall, stopped to eat some blackberries and Andy and Wayno turned up for a chat, just finishing.  Pete was nearby too.  

Into the climb and a wee walk, with more blackberries as we passed, then riding, climbing, good pace, good times and nice in the shade for the while.  Around the head of the valley and out onto the open ground, sun pounding down on our backs.  Clamber clamber, up the hill we went.  I was nearly to the point of puking by the time we got to the gate.  Took it easy to the road and we headed up it to the Richmond Pines.

Over the stile and into Sheepshit Alley (new name on the sign, cant remember what).  Up this, nice cruise and onto the road, around up to Broadleaf, and up this.  Road wet under the pines up here due to overnight cloud flow (I'm imagining).  Up the gravel and there were a few people around up top.  

Into the descent, soon overtaking a couple, the woman of which was obviously in over her head - really struggling with the rocky tech.  I led the way, and was fanging, bombing down through the weave of tussocks.  Easy across the flatter bits.  Then down into the Greenwood proper.  Nelson leading this but I stuck to his tail the whole way, until Gloomy Gulch where I was finally getting tired.  Stopped for a bit of a break usual spot before bombing off down through the rocks.  Again, tight on his tail, great run down.  All the way gaining on a dude who'd gone past while we were resting.

Last blast, into Captain Thomas, both on top of the speed all the way down.  Good tech, good vibes.  Into the old exit, around the valley head, lovely singletrack, lots of very nice flow.  Blasting down the last bits just as the trail splits (walking down, bikes to the left) there was a couple picking blackberries here, and at the junction Nelson clipped a rock and went full summersault over, ending up off the track, on his back, still attached to one pedal.  Incredibly he was unscathed.  On from here good last blitz down the steps and back around to the cars.

A parching 15 and a half kms, with surprisingly 637 m climbed. (considering our peak was 500 m, where'd the extra 137 come from? just the lower end of the Captain??)

Went and visited David.

Thursday Evening to Castle, Tor and Pirate

Drove over and met Nelson at the Port Hills/Opawa/Curries Rds corner and we left his car there, driving with his bike on back back to mine.  

Got riding up the hill, usual route, 19th, Skidder, Grunter, Worm onto Traverse and across.  LOTS of riders coming the other way, first group was E bikers, then 2, then a solo, then a massive group that we pulled over for and right in front of us their second or third rider massively OTB'd it, his bike flipping and vaulting off down the hill below.  Looked like a hard hit.  He was okay, and once they'd all piled through we got moving again.  Good power on the climbs but still not as fast as Nelsie.  A few muppets coming towards us towards the end had no idea about protocol.  Onto Vernon, I led the way and we had a good run down this, pulling over once for a small group.  Across into Witch and I let Nelson take the lead, with good reason.  I dabbed the one spot and he powered on ahead.  Brief rest at high point then downwards and onto the walkway, techily tricksnical along the way.  Then up the road and to Castle Rock.

Good blast down the Castle, me chasing.  Slowly reeling him in towards the first hairpin, on his tail to the next, then he left me for dust.  Up the road, and up onto the Tors.  Huh,wtf!?  A couple of trail (MOTOR)bikes coming up the TORS track!?  Far out!  We waited for them, but they seemed to keep stalling just around the corner from us (at the start), so we took off around to them and they moved out the way and we bombed on down and they continued on.  Nutters - aNd RidiNG oN a WaLkiNG TrAcK ToO!  HoW DaRe ThEy!!?   Dabbed my (now) usual dab (past my old usual dab) and down to the road, then back onto the walking track above the road (!) to take us around to the fence crossing for clambering up the back of the Pirate track.

Over the fence, up the hill, over the next fence onto what was the 4wd track (doesnt even look like a double track anymore) and back over the fence again, picking our way around to the top through the tussocks near where a track used to be.  Very overgrown, the greenest and longest I've ever seen for this time of year.  Onto what we thought of as the route, nope, what about over here?  nope, here?  nope.  here?  maaaayyybbeee???  okay, i'm just gonna use this well worn track.  Nelson tried to take the freaky droppy track off to the right of the ridge but really couldn't follow it.  Oh well.  Down the ridgeline, to the sideline with the wooden features which he rode (I stayed below), then down further and right, up/across onto the razorback ridge.  Woohoo.  Feels more tech than even last time (with Pete).  Usual sketch, lack of traction.  Nelson rode the rock garden.  Then lower down we bypassed where it went off to the right on interesting lines, because there was just no following it; impossible to see. Long steep downhill blast, keeping speed in check, a little, eventually to the gate.  With VERY hot brakes (you could smell the burn when grass touched them).  Over the gate, through the next, then around to top of the pines.  Down a bit.  One line looked promising but then didn't look like it went anywhere so we sidle climbed across to the fenceline.  Quite a good line down this, then, picking our way around, turning back up to take a cool raily berm line, then pretty much out and down.  Gorse very prickly down the straight, then cruise back to the car along Port Hills Rd. 

A stringent 16.1 kms, with 623 m climbed (added to the 220 we started with means 840 decended).