Sunday Looping Troll

Damp and cloudy, beasterly blasting for days and a bunch of rain having sogged up the hills, so I headed out on the Troll.  Down our driveway and down Longhurst to Derrynane, through the reserve out and down Kidson.  Crossed Dyers into Whisby, careful careful (damp leaves) down here into Macmillan, zoom and pop, over to Polson, 37 steps up to Sassaram, coasting down to the 'alleyway', greasy and a couple of steps down to upper Shalamar.  

Brief stint on Cashmere Rd into Ferniehurst, Wood- and Palm-sides on the Uni-trail, along river past Pioneer, over Frankleigh and into the backstreets to Domain Terrace peeling left across Spreydon Domain out to Hoon Hay.  Through the lights, past the Carmelites, left onto mucky slow greasy alongside Heathcote River where I'd never explored before.  Had to check the map a couple of times to work out where I was.  Past Nga Puna Wai sports hub and around up to, McMahon Drive, detour up Mariposa Cres and back, then Aidenfield Dr over the bridge, hard left back to the motorway bikepath, and followed the motorway to the underpass, along the other side of the motorway for a bit out to rail trail, taking this to Prebbleton, new trails behind the shops, then into Tosswill, Oakwood Mews, around Prebbleton Domain, nearly losing it passing a grumpyman, front wheel started to slide on slick dirty tarmac.  

Out Penny Rose Lane, and left into Trice's, 80kph zone, Saby's, Candy's, Glover's, Kennedy's, and finally Cashmere Rd.  Took a toodle around new wetlands, up Happy Home, dropping down into the park and out to Croftfield, crossing over to Pentonville, up Rushden, then steep clamber and muck avoidance around to zig zags up to Worsley.  

Dropped down Worsley's Rd, round past the bikepark entrance, through the Stone House garden up steps to Shalamar, then carried up the steps to Bengal.  Took the call from Tra'y, MMR stopped here.  Through Delhi, Polson, and Hackthorne home. 31.5 kms measured but more like 35, and MMR only gave me 200m climbed!  Having killed my ride at Bengal Drive  there's another 200m to add to that.

Wednesday Night Escaping Godley in the Muck

Mucky greasy mess tonight.  Met Nelson at Evan's Pass (I drove via Lyttelton), very dark night with Lyttelton urban-glow above Greenwood.  We headed along the road chatting and catching up then headed up the climb above Scarborough to the trail...  Hoo-eee, what a doozy of a grease-fest.  Railroaded and slipping, I was very cautious and reactionary, no flow whatsoever - just couldn't seem to get on top of my game.  Pinged and squelched my way down to Livingston and we got into the climb, first rocks up near the top I was just slipping all over the place and dabbing something chronic.  Got to the high point and Nelson suggested we take on the Escape trail downhill, so we turned around and headed back down to Livingston.  Again with the cautious Colin approach.  (perhaps subconsciously nursing my wrist??)  

Over the road and into the descent; more of a sidle really.  Grease fest yet again, one or two 2-wheel steering zones, but mostly under control albeit not fast.  Back and forth and long between then across up valley and into the depths, very mucky down in here.  Minimal control.  Good roll, as if on railroad tracks in the rut down valley, then into the Snake for the climb.  This was better.  I seemed to manage the tech a bit better.  Around and bottom of Anaconda hit the walking track and grannied up up up the to the OG section of Anaconda to Breeze Col.  Hit the road again from here and rode and climbed and cruised up back to top of Scarbro, for the climb back up to Godley.  In fog this time.

Onto the Godley proper heading for Evans.  Pinged and slipped our way back, super dodgy on the rocks, wheels akimbo.  No major issues and made it alive down to the last blip.  Nelson waiting, we set off to finish on the upper walking section dropping down to the exit.  Back to cars, survived.

Convoluted messiness, 14.5 kms with 482 m clambered

Saturday Two Hauls of Te Kaiterau

Kaikoura for a birthday weekend and rain on the horizon so got out while the boys were paddling.  Drove to end of Kowhai Bush Rd and started into the Kaiterau.  Trail much drier than expected (given we'd had a bit of rain in town), and I climbed and I climbed.  Not sure what I think of the distance measurers as you ride.  The first one, 0.5 km feels like it's a lot further in than that.  The rest seem about right.  Met a woman at about the 2.5 km mark, walking down.  Good climb, got the oxygen flowing into me which made me feel a bit better after a bit too much nice wine (1996 Lastrada Syrah, yum).  Anyway, the whole ride was measured as 6.6 kms but really it's 10.  The detail of the MMR seems to miss a few of the convolutions of the trail not to mention it's verticality.  7 kms up, back and forth, zig and zag - 35 or so minutes.  Then into the 3 kms down - started out tires grabbing a surface off the trail and flinging globs of it up and caking everything for the first few hundred metres, then it settled and in the forest was a lot of fun.  More fun than you can shake a stick at.  My wrist felt okay after Thursday's crash too.. Kaiterau number 1.  Total time elapsed, 44 minutes. The tramper woman was at the bottom and commented on how fast I'd been to get down again.   Meant to be 10 kms, 400m.  MMR? 6.2km, 377m

Drove back to Dave's. and the boys were back from paddling, and Paul was keen to ride so we went back out there, weather threatening.  We headed in, trail was in same condition as before, tho we got a couple of small showers as we climbed.  Paul eventually mastered the hairpins.  I gave him the tip of leading corners with the front wheel wide and he found that made it easier.  He'd stalled on a fair few before that.  Eventually we made the top, I think about 5 minutes slower than my first effort.  There were a couple on bikes at the top, who'd pushed up Mt Fyffe Track (2 kms). Mad.  The rain started with aplomb.  I led off into the descent and it was already wetter than before, more flingy and mucky.  Again, this settled a little way down, tho slightly more caution was needed in the more open bits.  I'd put my jacket on at the top so it was getting dirty instead of me getting wet.  Good bomb.  Stopped every now and then to let Paul catch up.  He loved it.  A good 10 minutes later and I'm out the end.  Nice..  Second time around 6.6 kms, 379m

Unexpected Thursday Short'n'Sharp

Wasn't sure I'd be able to ride due to my cold of previous week, but found myself feeling okay, at home with no responsibilities, so I headed out for a short one.  Up from home through the usual 19th Skidder and up the groveller.  Up through to top of Thomsons, nice blast down this and then the second one.  Turned back up the road to top of Vic and dropped down through the jumps, and lined up the see-saw but felt my balance wobbly and luckily stopped juuuust soon enough to not fall off it.  Pushed back up and lined up again and rode onto it but balance wobble nearly had me toppling off to the right and I rushed through it and landed heavily.  Ugh.  Up along the fenceline to the top of Pedalfine.  Dropped down through, greasy a bit, and bailed to the left below where we used to always bail to the left.  Across the wee slippery bridge and out onto the wide track, sidling across nearly to the end and dropping down to hit the top of Razza's.  Awesome wee drop down through this, then straight into the climbing again, grovel grovel back to the Skidder.  From here, over 19th way and then looking for the droppy path we did with the gheybois all those years ago.  I found it eventually and down through the super steep planted kanuka etc and this resulted in a bit of a prang, leaving a garked elbow and a tweaky wrist... Perfect storm of the kanuka and some roots, kanuka grabbing my handlebars at exactly the same time as my rear wheel slid on roots and I toppled smackdown onto the Latter's Spur track.  Straightened up the bars and headed along this, through past the playground dropping down to Dog park and into the Dogparkcarpark trail, greasy, taking the first left down the newly re-established and extended line, which is tight and slow, but kinda cool - out onto Harry Ell.  Down this and to the right out to Vic Park Rd then home.

6.5 km with 230 m climbed

Sunday Planting Styx

Took the Ebike across town to a planting at Styx and back.

Annual planting, sponsored this time by Hutchison Ford, at Styx Reserve.  Good turn out, and we put in 1000 plants before enjoying the quality sausages.

32 kms round trip.(MMR doing something weird, no map...) (left me with 38% battery from full, using Tour mode most of the time...)

I am Saturday's Curious Orange

Joy's birthday brunch at the Lyttelton Coffee Co, be-speakered Mike on the decks, Troll in the back of the car. T had a lunch date at 12 so I was to ride home from here. 

Up thru Lyttelton, Oxford, Exeter, Canterbury, Somes, and onto the Major Hornbrook Track.  Lots of steps, and rocks, quite mucky and slippery up into the clouds... Carried numerous times, mostly the worst rocky bits and a few flights of steps. 

Onto the Summit down out of the clouds around under the Gondola, sunshiny view below, then climbing from Bridle-top back into the clouds for the rest of the way.  Stopped for a breather at Castle, and sat on a dry spot on the road, chatting to a couple who rode by and then getting complimented on my bike as I departed by another couple.  In the clouds all the way around, stayed on the Summit road, then entered top of Vic Park and skedoodled down around and down the main tracks, bombing through skidder out of the clouds and sunshineing all they way home.

12.79 kms and 735 m climbed. Good ratio. 

King's Monday evening Wet Troll Jaunt

Quick late spin up Vic and back in the rain to not see the sunset.  Raining all day, so mudguards on the Troll and off i treadled at about 4.40pm.  Up up up breathing good and climbing to Skidder then pushing up the steep grunter and up through Brakefree and up to top of Vic, via a detour across the fenceline.  Up to the wee shelter above the road, Doug, then down again, managing the grease and lack of traction surprisingly well.  Down the rocks and into the gums, taking it very easy.  Then fast down the road.  

Nice and wet and nearly dark!  5 kms, 170 m gained.  

King's Sunday Blow Out

Nice spin up and down the first half of the Blowhard with Nelson today... Drove out to find a "Track Closed Until Further Notice" sign ("call Riki on this number for info").  Nelson rang Riki and he was cool with bikers and walkers, just not 4wds or motorbikes or poachers...  So.  Off we rode.  Straight into the steep, like hitting the body-bag from cold.  Gruunnntt...  but eventually it levels off for a bit and we heard a motorbike coming.  Nelson knew the guy, Alan, who was bringing down a heap of possum.  He had a really nice dog too.  Chatted for a bit then we headed off again, not far from the mudpug, then the real climb began...  A bunch of walking, pushing, a little riding, more pushing.  Steep.  Rough, but dry.  Forest was WAY more open than in the past, the deer numbers must be mad.  Bit of pig sign around, and the occasional pool of blood where Alan had slaughtered one of his possums.  Eventually, surprisingly quicky, we made the first top, one that we'd ridden as far as with Chris one of the first times.  Sat and had a snack, then turned and pointed down...

Awesome blast down, all the tech that'd lookd sketch as f on the way up was immenently rideable, tho still sketchy in places.  Really enjoyed it, considering last time we climbed up here I would have been on the Turner and that time we went down the Bypass Track, meaning the last time I'd descended this I would have been on the Soul!  This bike just rocked this rocky descent, almost treating the toddler- to baby-head sized rock like pow pow.  Met Alan on his way just turning around to head down again, and chatted briefly, then bailed...  Railed it.  Nailed it.  But alas, it was over too soon.  Through the mud pug, then the 'farmy' bit then the steep rutted 'bodybag' bit, and back to the car, very little time elapsed.

Minimally, 6.24 kms, with 436 m climbed.