Sunday Castle Bridle Return

Good spin across the top this morning with a bit of rain.  

Headed up the usual, 19th, Skidder, Grunter, up the Worm and then across the Traverse, into the wind.  

Dropped down (nee)FourPause Huntsbury DH jumpy, making a couple of old lady walkers step aside (I'd watched from above as another biker had had to stop because of their ignorance), just before the final gap.  

Back up the gravel clamber and onto Vernon for a smooth bomb down, dropping the mother and child who were on my tail at the start.  Good bomb down here, only having to deviate once for some climbers.  

Straight across Rapaki Saddle and straight into the Witch, with an excellent climb here, one hand-dab.  Spitty rain started here, which was un-forecasted, and proceeded to be steady from here onwards on my way out.  Up the road and into a slightly slickly greasy Castle, pinging all over the place, but kept a good pace.  Bike handing well.  Rain stopped and I headed back up the road and climbed up onto Tors.  

This was a bit scary, with the exposure lower down and the rocks all slick; I was careful.  Down onto the road and onto the wee single track above it for a techy honky (brakes) cruise around.  Back over Witch and then, for some obscure reason, up Vernon, climbing climbing and sloooowwwlly winding in a dude ahead of me.  

Into the Traverse and it wasnt until the Sugarloaf saddle that I caught him and he let me by.  By here we'd ridden into rain again too, slightly wetter than the previous shower.  He was pretty much on my tail from there.  

Into Vic, and out of the rain, I pulled up to adjust bike and he bombed off ahead, me chasing over the jumps (he bailed on second one), then holding back for the See Saw to settle, over this, first couple of brakefrees then across the rabbit paddock and into the rocks, around through gums, usual route, lifting over the log, and all the way down, bombing.  Into 235 and it's not as greasy, but still a bit mucky, as last time.  Last climb, and descent behind houses - home.

Minty slog, 20.6 kms with 790 m climbed.