Happy Birthday, Stooge

Arrived today... 2025 Stooge Speedbomb - BIKEPACKING.com

Sunday, Kinda Like the Old Days - Rapaki to Sumner loop

Good ride today, catching up with some of the old crew.  Met Wazza, Nelsie, Andy and Jenna at bottom of Rapaki, and off we went up.  Jenna was meeting a walking friend and rode with her while us 4 boyz headed off up Elevator for the grind.  Was doing okay for a start but slightly stupidly I followed Nelson and Wazza into the 'extra' loop bit, while Andy took the short cut, putting him miles ahead.  Then the chase was on and I found I didn't really have it in me, so much.  Struggled away as they pulled away from me but we all slowly caught Andy.  Wazz had no problem given he was on his ebike, but it took quite a while us other two, in particular, me, who didn't get there til the start of the Montgomery.  Bit of a breather here and I followed Andy into the 'hard' line, catching me off guard given I had no idea there was that tech section.  I dabbed, Nelson had to choose a different line behind me, but we all survived.  Above the track for a bit then onto the main drag up the hill, passing Jenna and her friend again.  

Breather at Rapaki-top then off into the Witch.  Nice churn through here, chuffing a fair bit I was tho.  Then up the road to Castle and Nelson and me led the way, at great speed.  Pinging all over the place and I felt like it was slow, but I think we carried pretty good speed in the long run.  

Then it was along the road below the gondola and up through the cutting into Britten for the hoon around the outside - sheepshit-fling, it was.  Andy led, Nelson, Wazz and me.  Down into OG Greenwood entrance and I was in the lead, and ended up having to have a breather at the worst of the rocky tech bits and the others all ploughed past.  Down to the ruins, breather, and Nelson and me led the way, flowing and enjoying.  Chain off on the sidle before gloomy gulch, and lots of wet spots.  Cleaned all the techy troublesomeness in Gloomy too.  Breather break at the usual spot and then it was off down again, carrying speed with finesse, flying and grooving.  I was catching and cruising, catching and cruising with Nelson almost all the way.  Out the bottom and around up onto the Summit Rd to the Captain's entrance.

Waited here for a bit, and well earned breather, for rider we'd spotted climbing.  Then it was on again, hauling and balling, railing and wailing.  A couple of haul ups by Nelson in a couple of weird spots, but was all good.  Into the old school section and funtimes.  I had one very close call on the bridge bit, there was some grass or horseshit on the left hand entrance to it, not to mention slick rocks, and my front wheel squirrelled alarmingly.  Survived.  Excellent weavy ride the rest of the way, pumping through sections, railing corners.  Loved it.

Finaly, down the road to DotCom, coffee and brownie, eventually Jenna arrived and we headed off around the coastal pathway, losing Nelson at McCormacks and Wazza at Ferrymead Bridge.  We went around the back of Settlers Cres, under the motorway bridge, and Sheldon etc and I left them at Opawa bridge to head around the park to the car in Hillsborough Tce.

Started it late, beyond the highest point on Elevator, so adding a couple kms and 250 m climbing, I guess, call it 30 kms and 880 m climbed...

Thursday, Trolling Cameron, Laverick, LeBon and Panama

Nice jaunt out on the Troll this fine and cool autumnal day. Parked at top of Okains summit and tootled along to Cameron's Track. Down a smidge then up up up, high point somewhere around 700m,

then descending to the Laverick's Ridge Rd around and down a bunch, kinda deciding where to go as I went. Not that many choices but some bigger to chew than others. At about the 300m mark I stopped and considered turning back. Nah, and bombed down steep ridge to corner and down into Le Bons. Slouched around the waterfront through the Domain and back out the suburban side street, then up valley. First and only 3-4 cars of my whole ride passed me down here.  Up to the St Andrew's church, which I stopped and checked out - gorgeous mid century modern, lovely wee gem,

and this is where MMR stopped my ride, annoyingly. 

From here it was a little further up valley and I chose the harder of the two options to me here... Panama Rd. Steepest road in New Zealand??? Definitely a contender. Certainly steepest on Banks Peninsula... Lulled me into a false sense of security for a while

then after a bridge it just went straight up, I'd just run out of push and 3 big off-road tourer bikes roared past. Unbelievably steep, and then got steeper further up!. Lots of walking, all the way seeing the rarking the bikes had had to do to get up there that quick... Probably 45 minutes bottom to top with a good 25 of those just plodding upward. 

Finally on the nice stuff again, back around past Wevern, and Laverick's Ridge Cottage, with a wee steep climb (ridden) then around onto Cameron's again climbing for quite some time, bit of walking, stopped to oil a starting-to-squeak chain, to the high point again for a bomb down down down, some speed! Do I let it go?? Do I refrain??? Bit of both, methinks. Final crawly little climb to the Summit and a final cooling blast to the car.

This is what it should have been...

 (26 km according to google)

if MMR hadn't ripped me off.  at least 600 more than that 554..  puts it over a grand climbed

Wednesday's Troll took a Dump (run)

Chucked the old chch recycling bin on the 24pack, with a thin rope and a couple of bungies, and took the recycling and rubbish up to the dump.  Lovely day, nice sunshine, tho strong cold sou'wester pushing down the valley.  Nice 2.something kms climb of 75 m altitude.  Re-tied the bin once empty and bombed back with aplomb-line

4.69 kms, 77 m climbed.

Tuesday Chortling Troll to McHales and Views

Sluggardly few days under a couple of the tails of Cyclone Tam at Little Ak. Moved, split and chucked wood, otherwise bathed and read. Finally, out on the Troll (in need of a little maintenance (namely, the chain)) up to Chorlton and hovered briefly before rolling down through the 2 dips to climb into McHales Rd. The original dwelling from our place is one of these houses, according to local lore. I think I know which one but I can't be sure. Nice gravel road roll down for a bit, 1.1km if the end-of-the-line gate is to be believed, followed by the nice climb back. Great to see these views from a new perspective, and the view into to Raupo is something else. #cue picture.

- a good angle of the Troll between two of my absolute favourite types of bush, with a view of one of my favourite beaches in the world.

Back around through Chorlton-proper, then left and up View Hill Rd - as far as I could, and it was further than I'd ever managed before on the Troll, by far. 

Could look into the kitchen through the window next to the back door from here...
More views taken in here before turning down hill and fast. 

A 12.12 km jaunt, with a felicitous 435 m vertically wrought.

Sprungday Livings

Found myself with an opportunity to ride so I bailed over to Allandale, parked, and went for a couple of laps hoon of Living Springs (blimey, 2 years since last time!).  It's not feeling very used, tho there were some skids in Zanes.  Climbing is steep but manageable and nice surrounds, bellbirds glorious, and fantails everywhere.  Up the forest and then into Mississippi and around to Zanes.  Not very fast, anywhere, not being in chase mode like usual, I was being quite careful and not quite trusting any grip anywhere, even though it was alright.  Fun down Zanes, more fun the second time.  Should have pushed a 3rd lap, but I'd been very tired all day.

A measly 6.4 kms, miniscule 235 m climbed...

Satur-Lab-E-Day

T and me headed out on our Ebikes - Down the hill via Lady Polson and Bengal, then through the wetlands, all the new cookie-cutter sloburban development that is now Halswell, exploring a few back and side streets, sort of trying to get to that wee hill with the steps but not quite making it, then around Old Tai Tapu Rd, finding a lovely section of river trail to the church, then busy main road between Tai Tapu and Lincoln, finally making our way into The Laboratory.  Here we enjoyed very nice salads, coffee, and a couple of beers for me and wines for her.  

Home via Birches Rd beside-road trail (nice!), then Trice's, Saby's, Candy's and back through Halswell Sloburbia, Wetland again, gentle up Happy Home, zoom down park, Pencarrow, climbing zig zag to Worsley's and then home up Bengal.  

An excellent outing, (I forgot to start MMR until Halswell, so it says 38km but was) just shy of 50 kms, with 360 m electrically-assisted climbing. 

Friday Long Troll-Way Home from Work

Rode the Troll to work and on the way home meandered across to Rapaki, up the Elevator - which takes a lonnng time and seems further and harder than Rapaki itself would be.  Cleaned no problem all the way up Rapaki, onto the Summit Rd and then onto the Traverse, sun-setting just as I was coming around out of the top of Hidden Valley.  Still enough light around to Vic then down the Gummies, into Skidder, and over 19th, down road and getting pretty dim in the DogParkCarPark trail (meeting (and freaking out) a nice wee doggie who barked at me a lot), then out the To H'Ell track, down to home. 

Good commute bonus, 17.4 kms 485 m climbed

Sun-Daylight-saved More Down than Up around Cavendish, Castle and Pleasant.

Great wee ride tonight, first of the non-Daylight Savings, Winter is Coming, ride.  I drove to his and chucked my bike on his roof and we headed up the hill, parking at Summit / Mt Pleasant Rds intersection.  

Headed into Britten and around the front, then rather than up onto the singletrack for the ballbearing descent, we headed down the road through the cutting to Cavendish Saddle, and climbed up the zigs and zags to the back of the Gondola building.  Off down the steppity-steppity-steps and rocknical techery through to the Bridle top and onroad to top of Castle.

I led down Castle Rock, keeping good pace and ducking and weaving the rocks and sketch.  Nice blast down and around then around again and climbing, slower than Nelson's usual pace on this bit, meeting an ebike guy coming the other way.  Onto the road again to head around under the Gondola, up to Cavendish Saddle again and this time onto the trail for the steeper-than-we-ever-remember-until-it-levels-off-a-bit climb up and around.  Between a couple of rocks I got stymied, wedged, feet not clipping out fast enough, and ended up toppling off and tumbling, leaving my bike standing.  Rolling again balance was all off, and I struggled up the rest, cleaning waay more than I'd expect, given those conditions.  Up to top of Mt Pleasant, couldn't see Nelson so assumed he'd ridden around the building to the top and over, but once I was up there I could see him down at the top of the trail...  I bopped down to where he was and he was gone, oh, there he is, up towards the trig.  

Dropped into the top of Mt Pleasant descent, biffing and boffing down, stalled and nearly otb'd on that 2nd corner, but survived and rolled on, struggling in the stoppiness of the rocks, and then getting my groove back in the grooves lower down.  Down above the ruins and hauling ass across the OG (original greenwood) entrance to the road again.  Up around to the car I suggested we leave and drive back for.  

Down Britten (V-twin) and across the front, then exploring all the techy rock features down the left hand side, eventually dropping down and entering ("i didnt see the any no bikes sign") Kenton track, for a fun, tech, speedy bash.  Excellent cleaning of the trickery, eventuating at the bottom of the steps up to Rockview Pl.  From here, Belleview, Mt Pleasant and Soleares to Nelson's.  He put his bike away and I chucked mine on the back of my car and ran him back up to his.

Good vibes, 13 and a half kms, with 420 m climbed (+ an extra 300 m descended).

Tuesday Night, Traversed Lava Skooling

Drove down to Bowenvale and picked up Nelson and his bike, leaving his car there, and brought them back to mine from whence we rode up into Vic.  Clean climb to the top and then popped off around the two jumps, onto Worm and up onto the Traverse for the hoon around here.  I was really struggly on the climby bits, legs weak for some reason.  We stopped at the top of Lavaflow for a good rest.

A dude on an ebike turned up about when we were gonna head down, commented, "good to see a Cotic," and he ended up dropping in with us.  I baulked at the first feature, having picked a dropping line rather than a flowing one and he bowled on past me, chasing Nelson.  I picked my way down, baulking at a couple of other features, dabbing a couple, and then stopped where Nelson was below two rather steep features.  He'd thought scotsman-ebiker was me on his tail and thinking at the time I was doing well!  I picked my way down to the trail ahead of Nelson, then we dropped into the corner next to the cabbage tree.  I baulked again.  From here I examined features, and cleaned them all, thinking wtf was I worrying about? after each.

My fat ass riding something steepish...

And nelson dropping down to me

After this it was down into the lower bushy reaches, and baulked again at the final rockdrop (which I have ridden before.  

Then it was climb to Old Skool, and dropped in for a rapid and enjoyable (and fresh in the memory) descent, holding on to Nelson's tail the whole way.  A couple of big dings on the back end seem to have resulted in a flat (which I noticed the following morning).  Down the road to the car and home.

Not massive, but massive, 8.75 kms with 261 m climbed (meaning a around 460 m descended)