Saturday Nun other than the Guv'nor

Excellent spin today. Up through Vic, 19th, Skidder, Worm and top. Thompson's 1 and 2, through the Pass and up the road to top of Worsley's, and down the Nun. Across the road onto the Governor's Bay track, dropping merrily down all the way down through all the bushy zigzags, across the driveway onto the DH here down more, around into the valley, a couple of wee ups and downs then on the ridgeline before the last zigs and zags I turned around and climbed back up. 

A fair bit of walking but some good steep riding too. Across the driveway again and tried a new track off one of the earlier hairpins - obviously built for the planting that has been going in there.  Slightly too steep to ride a lot of, I walked a lot and rode a little, all the way up to the last hairpin on the OG track up there before the road. 

Onto lower Nun to the Kiwi, up onto the road, through Dyers Pass and up the Summit then the usual blast route down through the rabbit paddock, Rocks, Gums, all the way down onto road, 235 to the bottom, clamber back to road and home

14 kms and a tiny smidge over 600 m

Thursday Quick Up and Back before the Weather

Grabbing what opportunity I could, knowing the weather was about to shit itself, I took the Jeht up into the Vic.  Up the road, over 19th, through Skidder and a peaky wee blast down the Razza's.  Then, climby climb climb back up to Skidder and up the gruntsville to the top.  Down around the jumpies, bypassing the see-saw, first section of Breakfree, cutting out and heading down into the rocks - taking this pic just before: 

Into the gums, fanging all the way down through the lower bit and out to the gate, back up towards the Skidder, hanging a left to head over 19th again, then nice coast down road to the 235, screaming through here, jump, jump, oaks, hard right up to road again, popping out as a massive peleton of gravellers were coming up, chatting to one who told me their route (similar to what I did on the Troll the other month - whether the weather shat itself or not).  I peeled off under the dog park and smashed the blast down behind the houses, home.

Surprisingly little, 5 and 3/4 kms, and a disappointingly minimal 170 climbed. I'm sure it was more than that. It certainly felt like more than that.

Oh, and the weather didn't really hit until much later...  Those gravellers would have gotten home pretty dry.

e-Sunday Redwood Springs e-planting-lliot Sinclair

Took the Trek hard north to plant 50 odd Cyperus, Carex and Phormium next to the Styx River just upstream from the Redwood Springs and under the main trunk railway line.  The other side of the river I would think of as hell, although, I guess their outlook will be nice.  Nice cruise along the motorway trail and the various usual commute and northbound cycle routes.  Bottom of the hill I was still on 50% battery, 30% when I got home.

Thirty-two and a third kms, and a grand 274 m climbed. 

Saturday Troll with some e-Ladies

With Tra'y, Pia and Natalie on ebikes, I rode the Troll, and we headed up through Vic and along the Summit Rd to just past the Bellbird. Parked the bikes off the road just inside the bush and went for a short walk to check out the totaras and then the view of the harbour.  Back to the bikes and we rode all the way back. On the way up I took both Thompson's, and on the way back the girls went down Dyers while I went up to top of Vic and down all the usuals and we all met up again at 19th where I said goodbye to the visitors as I bombed off and took all the single-track home.

A groovy 16.4 kms and not a bad wee 491 m climbed.

Tuesday After the Rain Singlist

Running H's front wheel, and using all the gears of the BFe: sitting, standing and walking, I hoofed up thru the park, over 19th, Skidder, walked up the grunter, grabbed a drink then up a bit of Worm and then walking track to cross the road and up to the stone shelter where I took this:  

Then it was time for the bomb back down - all the single-track I could muster.  Around past the jumpies, down the rabbit into the rocks and gums for a nice cruise, then out to the Skidder and up over 19th again, road briefly and into the 235 for some slickness to start.  Took the left lower line down and if not for one stupidly placed jump it's riding pretty good.  The lower reaches have been cleared out a bit more, but the little fuckers have built themselves a mansion in there, with corrugated iron and wood...  Doubt the rangers will let that lie for long.  Across the oaks, mucky in there, and then out all the way down to H'Ell.  Climb to road and home. 

The 27.5+ x 2.8inch rolled pretty good, I must say. And there wasn't all that much grease around, either - considering we'd had 19mm of rain up til this morning. 

Marginalia, 5.4 km with only 166 m of upness

Sunday Troll to the Witch

Headed up on the Troll, usuals, 19th, Skidder, a wee walk on the gruntsville.  Into Thompson's number one for a nice wee jaunt, then back up hill on the \Summit Rd, staying on this all the way to Mt Vernon.  Up onto the single-track, taking the tech line and sketching the traction down at surprising speed to Rapaki-top, and straight into the Witch.  The tech was interesting on the Troll - surprisingly rideable, and I wondered why those mountainbikers on the road down there weren't riding the mountainbike track when I was managing perfectly finely on the inappropriately-tyred Troll. 

At the end of the Witch Hill singletrack I turned back up the walking track, riding a little, then pushing, then pushing steeper - a fair way up towards the summit, leaving the bike and climbing all the way to the top. Discovered the cool old stone chair up here, with excellent views.  Had a chat to a magpie who was hanging out to check me out, then clambered down back to the bike. 

Back down on the walking track I did a little explore along it back towards Rapaki and found it to be quite amenable until the last tech rocks that I walked the bike on its back wheel down - will ride in future on a 'proper' bike. Riding again, up around Vernon on the road and onto the Traverse, for a good bombing around this, relishing the feel of the bike, even with the minimal traction. Lovely flow all the way.  

Into the top-of-Vic forest, past the jumps, down the rabbit paddock, into the rocks - finally stalling here, then biff boff baff down through the gums, and below - all the way out, onto road at 19th, into dogparkcarpark bomb, a little slick in places, and out To H'Ell, onto the road, blasty blast home.

15.75 kms and 532 m climbed.

Thursday Night Old Skool Lights

Choice old skool ride tonight. 

Up through Vic, 19th, Skidder and grunt to top.  Down quick spin around the jumpies and hard right into Worm, onto and across the Traverse.  Good around here, my climbing slower than Nelson's but the downs were fine.  Tired from a bad night's sleep.  

Top of Huntsbury/Fourpause, leaped off down.  Front wheel clanged on one rock leading me to worry about losing pressure, but it held.  Started down the fast flowy section below the jumps but Nelson realised his mistake and we rode back up to the 'proper' curly techier version, down this and over the edge onto the newer sections of AliExpress, down through the cattlestop and over more of the edge.  We dropped down the first tech to the next where we both baulked, it's become such a wheel-eating hole drop now as to be a bit scary, oh, and the wind!  Pushed back up to where AliExpress back-and-forth bits were out to the side, very un-ridden and full of twin lambs and mums ewes-ing the shelter of the tussocks and hill, and a few of them on the track, and poo everywhere.  Bopped and wove over this and then down the usual byways, wind slamming into us and at one point rutting Nelson almost off.  Rocky grinduro down and down then onto the barely cambered back and forth above the pylon, down onto Old Skool.  

Brief stop here at the highpoint before I launched off first and led the way.  Took some weird lines, nearly losing it on the cattlestop midway.  Got my groove on lower down, with a couple more massive pings off rocks.  Sure is bony at the moment.  At the big corner out towards the end we pulled up cos i noticed that the trail beyond had been well used.  Decided to go for a little explore.  Followed it along and found trails, then exploring further found a massive jumps park in the trees, higher up, below the Vineyard property.  Loads of sculpted clay berms and gap jumps, enormous gaps.  Completely invisible and hidden.  Amazing.  I was getting antsy about our bikes alone on the trail so we headed back and finished off the Old Skool and headed up valley.

Long and grinding climb ensued.  Cleaned and rode everything tho, that's a first for a while, especially Hospital K2 steeps (tho I did stop for a breather).  Eventually skidder, over 19th, down Tawhairanui, dogparkcarpark/235 all the way out to the H'Ell, clamber, last of the road home.  

A laudable 13.2 km, 544 m climbed, evening outing.

Sunday to the Castle and back

Excellent empty stomach solo blitzkrieg across the top and back, taking in Vic, Traverse, Vernon, Witch, Castle and the Tors, there and back identical to a certain March ride of this route.

Grunted up the usual, gasping on the steepest bit.  Climbed all the way up to the top where there was a massive crowd of teens making a huge noise, some sort of organised walking trip.  They let me past and I boffed around over the jumpies and peeled right into Worm climb, out to Traverse whereupon I met many riders coming the other way.  Good blaze around here and then up onto Vernon for a biff boff baff down and around, not so many riding up this.  Straight through Rapaki-top and into Witch for a techy dab-free climb.  Stopped for a well earned breather at the usual high point then bopped off down to the road, railing the berms like a happy thing.  Onto the road and climbing, cruising, keeping up the pace, up to Castle where I stopped and had a tiny nibble on some One Sq.  

Now, the crux of the matter, Castle Rock track.  Keen to test the Jeht here and I was not disappointed at all.  Railing blast of a flight down it, superlative handling.  Good climb in here then final bits of rock and onto the road at Bridle-top and straight into the climb back up to the top, and ebike hooning past me.  At the top a couple of runners above held me off from pushing up to the Tors Track.  Then waited for them to get low enough I wouldn't catch them, then off I set.  Cleaned more of it than usual, the usual dab points ridden right over, until I found a new one.  Rode unclipped for the last bumpy descent then flew off down the road.  Along here, I got a nose grab of petrichor - the beautiful bushy, musty, dank smell you encounter at a certain perpetually shaded point on the Summit Rd between Witch and Tors.

Onto the Witch, a few riders coming through towards me as well a couple of walkers, cleaned the climb and then hooned over and down to Rapaki for a long slog climb up the road, around to Traverse again, good blast around here, catching a couple of women just after the pond, and then a good flight to the forest, jumps, see-saw, first few berms Brake Free and out down Rock garden, gums, through where I cut the other week and all the way down.  Onto road, into dogparkcarpark for the slightly greasy but fun 235 and blasting out to the very end, clamber up to road and home.

Over 20 kms, and 720 m altituded, felt good.

Saturday Captain Thom Godley

Blustery hoof up The Captain and out the Godley Rd to climb up and ride back into a gale on the rocks and back down hauling.  

Drove to Nelson's, bike barely fits in the Toyota.  Bikes on his roof and we headed around to Sumnervale, knuckling straight into the climb.  Very warm.  Good climb, once past the nasty start it's a great cruise until further up on the rocks.  Clambered and climbed and gasped for air, finally out the top and the wind was blustery as hell, watched a crazy whipperwhirl of dust rise up from the hairpin bend on the road while we sat at the gate along there.  

Cruised along Godley Head Rd out to where we climb up onto the trail proper, then headed back towards Evans.  Jeht behaved beautifully, felt really good over the rocks, and I reckon I could feel the extra 10mm of travel in the rear.  The wind was hard work tho.  Took the highline end down and then it was time for the Captain.  Excellent blast down here - tail wind pushing us along to rocket speeds. All the lovely tech down below, and we were done.

A glorious 11.something K, and a sound 418 m clambered

Quick Father's Day Trail Maint Singlist

Late afternoon hoon on the singlist up to take out the log across the gum track.  Pushed from Skidder, diagonally up across Sesame and dropped into where the log needed removing.  

Before (kinda, during, you'll see it's already started)

Hacked away at it with my tomahawk and then shunted it out of the way.

Then pushed up through the rock garden from here, across the paddock to my sunset seat where I enjoyed the last of my August, call it the 32nd of August.

From here, a blast back down through where I'd fixed, barely needing to duck under the high log, and blitzed through all the good trails, singlespeed performing beautifully.  Down 235, really flying, even jumping the jumps on the rigid, then out down through to the very end, giving quite the fright to a young guy as I appeared out of the bushes.  Clambered up onto the road (nice light weight) and home.  

Exquisite 4.6 kms with 145 m escalated