Thursday Night Greenwood, Richmond Valley Newby

Good hoof with Nelsie tonight. Rode up the usual Santa Maria, Assissi, Drayton, Mt Pleasant from his, taking Madeley, Major Horny, then Long-Clear-Ridge-View to Upper and into the start of Britten when I realised I hadn't turned on my Map - 3ish kms and a couple hundy metres missed(!)... Climbed Britten, road, OG entrance to Greenwood for a bony rocky mucky descent.  They're working on it at the moment and have spraypainted yellow spots on 'offending' rocks.  To me, the yellow spots are completely offensive, drawing the eye and totally mucking up the flow.  So many of the rocks they've spotted dont need removing!  And some of the work already done is a mess, but I guess it'll bed in and wash away a bit over the next few.  Anyway, it was better once we got below the paint.  Lower half was good.  

Onto the Summit Rd for a steady climb up to the big pines.  Dropped over into Frog Pond, been a while since down here, and it's running pretty good.  It's a weird change lower down with all the trees gone.  Then Nelson had spotted a new trail the other day with Kirsty, so we headed down into the valley (as if we were heading across to Richmond Hill) and then off down this new track.  Got some flow on and then >SMACK< my pedal hit a rock, throwing me up and out of control, ragdolling my left knee into a rock and tumbling over onto the ground.  Handlebars/stem were tweaked crooked, so had to straighten them, got back on and followed Nelson down.  He'd been entirely unaware I crashed.  Rest of the way was nice, with some interesting tech, and a back and forth in the valley that's quite cool.  Tight and twisty, with one walking rock tech bit with lots of exposure.  

Out of the trees onto Richmond Hill Rd and out into Sumner for the cruise around the waterfront bike path.  Into McCormacks/Drayton, climbing (and me walking a few more spots than usual) and back to his.  Knee: Sore but not as mashed as I'd expected, thankfully.

Nelson's map with the actual distance... 19 kms, 740 climbed

Wednesday Night, Extremely Pleasant Pleasantries and Mucho Muppetry

Amazing first night ride of our year, with a mild and still evening.  Perfect for being out on the hills.

We (somewhat lazily) drove up from his to Upper Major Hornbrook, parking at the bottom of John Britten.  Got riding up here, puffing and chuffing (I'm always struggling chasing him).  Stopped to check out a jump next to one of the corners, then continued on up.  Around the top-front and across the road at the cattlestop, climbing up the (recently weed-whacked) trail to the now-tidied climb to the top of Mt Pleasant.  I had to stop along here to de-layer was so damned hot (and I was puffing so much).  Way cleaned up, climbing a lot easier than not that long ago.  

Dropped off down off Mt Pleasant and the top rocks are tidied, but not for long.  Tussock overgrowth made for tricky descending; ruts were annoying too.  Made it to the bottom alive, and dropped off through the ruins and down Greenwood.  This was a blast, riding nicely for a start.  We stopped at the usual just-past-gloomy spot and both our left quads were burning.  I realised I haven't had many lonnng downhill runs for a while.    Off again and I was good for the next rocky bits, but then started to muppet my way through some of the next series of corners, nearly losing because I couldn't seem to work my dropper and steer at the same time.  Lower sections were a bit better, other than dust rarked up by Nelsie.  

Onto the road, and up the hill, holding a pretty steady pace all the way until the pines, where we hopped over the stile and I was suddenly bonking.  Blooooddd sssuuugggaaarrr craaassshhhhhh.... Stopped just up sheepshit alley and Nelson gave me some baby food.  It was goooood.  Got going again and I was slow, but made it, and then up the road and into Britten for the final descent.  Dust again being a problem, espectially through the bit near the top that Nelson had worked on last weekend.  Then I crashed - wheel rutted and down I went, luckily the tussocks and grass were soft - tweaked my right calf really hard, somehow, it cramping as I was crashing.  Got going again and Nelson was waiting waaaay down at the next hairpin.  We finished off to the car.

Mostly pretty sweet 11.5 kms, with 450 m climbed 

Thursday Flying Nunnery to Flying Off

Good ride on the Jeht tonight until I crashed hard, taking a bit of a knock to the head.

Nelson turned up at mine, and we headed down Amherst and around up Vic Park Rd (due to plumbing works on the driveway).  Reasonable pace but I was getting pretty huffed.  There was a group of chatting younger folk behind us, so we kept ahead and dropped them once it'd flattened out.  Up over 19th and up the grunter.  He piled on up keeping on a couple of fasties while I ground away on my not-low-enough gear.  Massive pile of bikers at the waterfountain.  We rode on by and up into Thomsons #1.  Nice roll down here, then even better in #2.  Onto the road, through the pass, and up to top of Nun, grind, grind, grind.

Dropped in, Nelsie in the lead, and we railed and biffed our way down.  Jeht was riding very nicely, it is an awesome bike.  I was staying on his tail, or catching him, lower down.  We stopped at the Park exit and then I took the lead for a bit cos he was feeling a little off, keeping good pace on.  Then, below the road, my front wheel had a PING on a rock and then under certain loads I could hear the fisssshhhh, but it stayed up for a good while, then was too low and I hauled up and we positioned ourselves at the top of Drainpipe to patch (on account of me carrying around a holed tube (d'oh!))(only had one patch too, and so had to 'borrow' one from Nelson).  Patched, being checked on by everyone riding by (including the last patrol letting us know the park was closing), and including Mel, the ubiquitous.  She stopped for a wee chat (we'd seen her riding down from the park on our way up to Nun, so she'd hauled).  

Tire fixed and we headed down the rest and through the pass and up the Summit to Vic-top.  I led down around the jumpies, down rabbit, into rocks, across gums and down through below all the way out, then below road from 19th and just after the wee up to picnic table and over, handlebar smacked a branch I thought would give (quite thin!), which didnt, and wham, down I went.  Hard.  Really smacked my head.  Picked myself up with a scrambled brain, dejavu on thoughts I thought I was thinking before the crash (or maybe they went through my head as I was crashing!??).   Pulled myself together and we got rolling again, down onto my new-find, which I led through and enjoyed through the pain in my leg and weirdly frazzled brain.  All the way through and down out to the bottom, then clamber to road, and home.    

Negligible 10 kms, and one-third of a km climbed, but light was fading. 

Wednesday Night Hunts Traverse Stooge (with bonus Whiplash Concussion (maybe?))

An excellent ride until the very end where 2 things almost ruined it... Dived in and was enjoying the crap out of the Dogparkcarpark trail when WHAM!!! a fucking tree branch stopped my head, wrecked my helmet and kinda gave me whiplash, and maybe a concussion?  I'm just not sure. Helmet is fucked, with imprint of branch poked into one of the vents, and the MIPS ripped from the shell.  The MIPS did it's job tho. 2nd thing is the water saturating, and wrecking, the oak forest. It's worse still than last week. 

Something cool. Rounding under Sugarloaf at the usual testing spot 2 guys were stopped and one of them said, "Wicked bike!"  I said, "thanks." And the other follows with, "that's awesome!"

Anywho, the ride was as follows: up the usuals, 19th etc, both Thomsons, back up the road, dropped into Vic, down around the jumpies, up Worm onto the Traverse for the spin across here (where I encountered the love for the Stooge), dropped into Four Pause, on down across the landing strip trail (Alley Express), down to the 4wd, then back up to top of Huntsbury, back on the Traverse for a nice spin across there, dropping through the jumpies, down the rabbit paddock, rocks, gums all the way through, below road from 19th, then into Dogparkcarpark (235) where the head injury happened.  The jump in the Oaks is undoable given the landing is a quagmire.  I pushed up through the crappy sticky bushes above it (where the ground is dry), and finished off with a nice blast all the way down to H'Ell, clamber to road, and home.  Ouch.

12.7kms 442m wrought 

Saturday's Mal-Pheasant-ries and Pleasantries with some Green Wood

Quick catch up with Steve at the Travis Planting, Jeht in the car, headed from there over to Mt Pleasant for a nice little solo spin.  Parked up just next to Kaikoura View.  Toodled up the road, up into the old bathtub entrance and across Britten, climbing climbing.  Around the front and up to the cattlestop, over the fence and as I climbed here a reasonable sized grey bird was running through the grass ahead of me.  A duck? No, has to be a pheasant!  When I hit the main track she flew from cover down across the road.  Nice!  Climby climb climb to the top of Pleasant where I had a brief gasping rest with some rams, then off down into the gnarr... Weird riding down through here, felt like every rock was pinged off and stalling me.  Down in the tussocks I caught and passed a couple of walkers and then down the long straight bit got caught in a rut and the ground angled up to hit me...  owch.  Right knee and shin took most of it but the saddle somehow pinched my left inner thigh, and the handlebars got slightly off skew with a bunch of grass caught in the brake lever.  Straight back on and down to the farmtrack where I stopped, readjusted, tightened and cleared, and got rolling again, around a family with two small kids and a poodle.  

Into Greenwood, rocky blast this, slightly put off by my fall, adrenalin still lagging out, was not riding on form.  Lower down I suddenly noticed a rider on a switchback above me.  I put on a burst of speed and kept him at bay but I had to stop from exhaustion just after Gloomy like I usually do.  He wasn't that far behind.  Older dude, the type that's probably done every single Coast to Coast since it started.  Fit but old.  I said gudday as he passed and gave him a good gap before I took off again.  Turns out I was slowly winding him in but before the final switchbacks to Evans he turned around and headed back up.  Fit bastard.  I thought about it, but didnt do the same, hit the road and started the climb.  It was a grind.  Though, in the gloomy corner, I spotted another female pheasant flying...

At the pines the family with poodle were loading into their car, I headed up Sheep Shit Alley, onto the road again, around to Britten and the blast down this, across and down the usual.  Good roll, tho very wary of ruts-villainry.  I'd parked lower down thinking I might ride Kenton, but by the time I got there I was too stuffed, so just took the path and road back to the car.

A malpracticed 13.6 kms with nearly 600 climbed (given I'd started the mmr late).  

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

Wednesday Night, Hunts, Verne crash, Witch and Castle.

Now regular Nelson pick up from Countdown carpark, and we headed across to and up Huntsbury - parking at the top.  Took a bit to get MMR going, when we finally got moving another vehicle had arrived and I'm sure there were a couple of lights approaching up the road.  Headed up the gravel, surprised at the running water in places.  Good pace up here, me managing to stay with Nelson for most of the first half, only easing off in the upper reaches, but even then not too far behind.

Straight up onto Vernon, up the rocks and along, trying to stay out of the odd puddle up here.  Just before it heads over the rocky section I was avoiding one of these puddles and my front wheel dropped off the left of the trail, dropping me onto the ground.  "oop, here goes the shoulder again" I thought as I plummetted to the ground and slid painfully on my elbow and knee..."Ow. Ow. Ow..." Picked myself up, and my handlebar light was hanging from it's cord, the mount snapped off from the impact.  Nelson was a wee ways ahead and had taken the high line and so I figured I'd coast down to where it meets back on the trail, but then he'd crashed too so I sat down and groaned for a bit, sorting my crap out.  He came back and we headed on down, me being much more carefuller than I'd been, getting some reasonable flow, down to Crapaki, although, I was overthinking and overreacting to stuff, which spoiled my flow a little.

Into Witch and the clambering and climbing was good.  Definitely didn't need the Track Closed sign on it - not a wetspot in sight. Up and around and over and on the down I was ultra cautious.  We regrouped at the road and another biker turned up from behind us.  Turned out it was Quetty (Kwiti? Kuiti?) who we'd met a couple of times before.  Chatted for a bit and then he tagged along and we all rode up the road and chatted.

Onto Castlerock, me taking the backseat on account of my injuriousness.  Cautious Colin heading down here.  There were a few wet bits, but it was not too bad.  The worst bit is where the worst bit always is, ie, around on a stretch before the first hairpin where you're below the road and it's really really rocky, and the water was all sheep poos and wees - yech!  No sloppy mud to be seen tho.  Around the hairpin and I was feeling okay.  Usual sketchy angle rock across here I managed alright, and around the next hairpin then climbing, climbing over and down to the road again.  Chatted here for a bit and 2 other riders headed through.

Across to the carpark and up the walking track Nelson and me have taken to riding.  Steeeep climb up to a bit of walking, little bit more riding, hopping up rock steps, and then walking again to the last ride to the top.  Nice views up here.  Then down towards the Tors, yumpy steppy then climbing, walking a bit but Nelson cleaned heaps, and then riding a bit around above Castlerock entrance and a rest.  My sore bits were a bit achey after this break, and I was ultra cautious on the descent here below the Tors.  This trail is different every time I ride it.  Dabbed through the worst bits near the bottom and rode heaps more than I'd expected to.

Across the road and onto the singletrack above the road.  This was great, nice and flowy, mildly techy.  Then across the road again and into Witch.  Another good blast through here and around to Rapaki, up Vernon, grind grind grind, I hate bits of this climb, especially at the end of a ride.  Met a whole huge heap of riders coming the other way on the climb before my crash location.

Across the top and across the road and into the Traverse, cruising around here then dropping down through the tussocks and rocks and down Huntsbury gravel into the landing strip and Quetty had never been in this entrance before.  Over the fence and along the singletrack, some horrifically greasy spots.  Not far above the first big jump (that Nelson had cleared), Quetty got rutted and slid to a rolling crash in the tussocks.  We got rolling again, out and down to the gate.  Over this and heading for the jumps.  The lower we got the greasier it got.  Disgusting mucky greasy sloppy crap.  Sprayed and splecked and coated, I bypassed as much as possible and skipped pretty much every jump.  The bottom ruts had been dug but were greasy as hell and gross.

Said our goodbyes to Quetty and hit the road home.

15 kms, over 600m altitude climbed.  Painful and cautious

2ewsdaie Night Flaying None (but Matt and me...)

For once, a group ride posse...  Nelson and me arrived at the Kiwi at 6.10 or so, followed by Wayne in van with Wazza, then Pete flew past up the road, txtd him "Kiwi", and he came back, then Matt flew off up the road, also txtd him "Kiwi", and he turned up.  We got riding, up the road, Wazza, Wayne, Nelson and me for a start, then Nelson realised he needed his flashy red, so turned back, and followed with the other two.  Nelson passed us on the way up Worsleys Road, and we all assembled eventually at the top of the Nun.  I followed Nelson in, and kept him in sight, but I certainly didn't have his rapidity.  He slowly left me behind, tho, the gap didn't seem to get too big.  I felt like Pete was right on my tail the whole time, until not long before the carpark exit, and from there on down I felt like I was just chasing Nelson.  Until the last of the jumps in that lower section.  Popped it, landed, and immediately my front wheel slid left, slamming me down onto the trail, arm out in front, sliding along.  So hard, that the impact pushed the sleeve of my right arm right up past the elbow.  I picked myself up, groaned a lot, unwound the handlebars (the wrong way at first, couldn't tell which direction it was meant to go), and got right back on the horse that threw me.  Alas, I could only coast because my chain was off.  Groaning some more as Pete arrived on the scene, I reassembled my drivetrain and pedalled on up to groan some more.  Went down to the car with Nelson and dropped off my bag, pulled my sleeve down, and generally decided I would soldier on.

Off back up the road.  At the carpark half way up, we headed up onto the walking track above the road.  Much more interesting, albeit slower, than the road, and rode and climbed the various steps and features of this under-utilised trail.  Back onto Worsley Rd, and my shoulder was getting sore, but onwards and upwards.  About here, it started to rain quite a lot.  Up over the top, and none of the boys to be seen, into the trail and fuck it was greasy and wet and nasty.  Nelson had a good turn of speed, but I muppetted my way down, taking it so easy and getting more and more sore as I rolled.  The smooth rock assemblages on the corners were like slick ice, and the wet dirt was greasy as a greasy thing, making my progress very cautious, but having to rely on instinct more than sense, rolling it down without too much of a bother.  Apparently Matt had crashed soemwhere on the way down too, and sported an awesome spot of leakage on his knee.

Riding too slick for all of us, and still early, so we headed our various ways to the Twisted Hop for to drink some Funkenstein (amongst others), and Nelson and me had some kai.

Bugger all altitude (225m), and bugger all mileage (8.2km)...

Wednesday night eventualities

Nelson picked me up from home after work and we headed for the hills.  Parked in Croftfield Pl, off Penruddock, and proceeded around the Cashmere Stream Esplanade Reserve to wend our way up the Worsley Valley tracks eventually zigging our way onto Worsley's Rd and up to the end of the road.  A fair few cars parked up top there.

Up the dirt and straight into bottom of the singletrack to climb.  Originally thought we'd head straight into the new steepy off here, but reached it really quickly so decided we were feeling okay with the climbing and continued on up the steep ass little 4wd track, up past the usual singles and under the pylon.  Next came something we're not allowed to break the first rule of.  Down that, swooping and enjoying the hell out of, but instead of taking the high line to exit, we tried out the low line, which went across some open ground and was a bit of a disappointment.  Into the 4wd track and on up back to the corner and this time headed into the trees again past what used to be the sketchy wallride.

Dropped into what's apparently called Dave's Track, but i reckon should be called ACJoint, and i led off down having an excellent ride.  Was really on form, going quite quick in places, riding all the steeps and droppy swoopy bits well.  BUT, nearing the bottom, roughly even with the cliffs, on probably the third to last 'sketchy' bit, i clipped a pedal on a rocky lip, which threw my balance very slightly, making my front wheel wash out and i knew i was going down.  I left the bike and sort of began stumbling, thinking to myself, "this shouldn't be too bad, I'm not falling far, I'm not gonna hit a tree, sweet!"  My hand went out, slipped and I landed with all my force on my elbow, which transferred my falling energy into my shoulder, which went crunch.  And hurt.  Quite a bit.  Waves of nausea came and went and Nelson rode the next bit right down the chute out the bottom, while i struggled with my bike and very sore shoulder.

Got going on the climb and i didnt feel too bad, so long as i didnt try to do any tweaky power turns, sitting and climbing was okay.  Granny slog for a while, doing okay, but not handling any rough stuff.  Walked a section, rode more, then we crossed our nice little rock bridge which is holding up nicely, and I climbed the first bit out of the creek that i'd walked last week, but then walked a bunch up to the hairpin.  Got back on and fuck it hurt, so had to walk the last bit up to the 4wd track.  Riding up this was okay.  As we approached the top again, a couple of riders came flying up behind us.  As the first one passed i realised i knew him and we all stopped to chat at the gate.

We split here, Nelson headed on up Worsley to complete the ride we were going to do, while i took his keys and tentatively headed down to the car to drive round to pick him up.  He went up to top of Nun, down first half, having a crash of his own near the bottom, before heading round the road, down Kennedy's, Crocodile and out to me around 8.40, just as it was getting dark.

My ride down the bottom of Worsley's was painful.  Braking and negotiating rough stuff was the worst.  But once on the road, i found that if i locked my elbow straight, the shoulder didnt hurt, so getting down to the bottom was smooth and easy.  Before the final hairpin i stopped and headed down the bottom zigzag into the park, which was slow, then headed out Rushglen and Pentonville back to the car.  Getting the bike in the back of the car was excruciating.

Home, and i drove myself to the 24hr Surgery where just before 11pm got an Xray which thankfully showed no fractures, and was home about 12.20am...  Very busy in there last night.

Ironically, yesterday, a mate Dave at work was just talking to me about where i was on the curve of increasing confidence and cockiness leading up to the crash which plummets you back to the bottom of it again...

PFMTBC Inc Annual Trip... Central

got myself and my baggage to Pete's Friday 17th morning. Andrew, Wayne, Pete and myself, drove to meet Steve, Nelson and Tony at cookietime, where we all bought up big on One Square Meals etc. then set off for Tekapo.

rolled into Tekapo, kitted up and set off round the lake and up mt john. some grunty wee climbs, as bad as the body bag, several in fact, and peaked, had a coffee at the top, took in the views, and hit the descent. bombed down the way we'd come up, very fun. couple of flats, but otherwise no sketchies and no crashes, cept for Andrew hitting the chain at the bottom. then it was off to Wanaka. In the evening, Dave, Hubby and Mark rolled in. much frivolity was had.

Scored a map from bikeshop night before, and Saturday a.m dawned with a bit of rain, but that cleared up soon enough and off we treadled, up Hendersons? Rd, down to Rata St, turned left by accident and ended up grovelling up a double fenceline to Double Gate. rode round and hit Hoe Down down, then back up it, then down Easy St and hit Venus, bliss... then grovelled up Crank'n'Grind, then hit Scooby down to The Hub, then grovelled, mistakenly, up some downhill track (14 or 16). then back down to doublegate and Mark and Dave hit Bilentus, while the rest of us hit Venus extention (8a) and we all met up down at Venus Landing. somewhere in here Hubby blew his calf out, or was in danger of doing so, so he bailed, and was out for the trip. from venus landing we hit Thread the Needle over across and down to Beacon Pt Rd to ride back out to town for lunch... lounged a bit and headed out again, this time riding round the waterfront and hitting the Outlet track hoping to find an easy-ish uphill. Dave did a sideways landing off a random hop jump and snapped his chainstay..., round the outlet a we ways, then i lead them up a cool ass little track that was carved into a cliff-face, narrow as, with massive drops off the side, and eventually landing up near Outlet Motorcamp Rd. where we took a wrong turn, rode a little singletrack then grovelled up a steep ass hill to the top of the Sticky. once up there we hit Twin Towers, round to Hoe Down, back up that, hitting venus again i think and maybe a couple of loops down to the hub and back up 10 which proved a nice climb.

The next morning, Sunday, we packed up our shit, and drove to clean up a few more of the tracks we'd missed or re-do the ones we loved. in the carpark before we even set off i was just riding about and my chain snapped, bloodying my knee. fixed that and we headed in and randomly met a local, who took us under his wing and showed us a few wicked xc track across above the rivertrail and on out, then down Rockabilly Ditch, back along outlet and up an awesome zigzaggy climb to venus landing from the motorcamp. we hit crank'n'grind again, up and a few of us did Bilentus. getting sketchy remembering. when we'd finished, we headed for Alexandra.

KEE-RASH!
Rolled into Alex, got cleaned up, and rode into town to pick up some supplies... on the way in, i'd forgotten i had a slow leaky front tire, and was popping a few jumps here and there, when on the line up for a curb, my front wheel washed on the low pressure and on some loose shit in the gutter, and WHAM! down i went. Left palm, right knee, right elbow all skinned, right shoulder tweaked bad (severe bruising) and a good smack to the helmet. first aided up a bit, and later we rode the river trail up to Clyde, ate dinner and then rode with lights back down the railtrail.

Monday a.m, headed into town to bikeshop Dave knew, i bought a new helmet (Giro Xen... niiiice), hooked up with bikeshop owner's son (Ashton), who took us up an interesting trail (singletrack starting in under the Clock on the hill, up a valley, then hang a right up an evil steep 4wd track over some tops round to the right and back down out next to Sewage Treatment). Dr Strangelove i believe the descent was called. then we hooked up with one of the young mechanics (Jimmy?) from the bikeshop on his lunch hour plus his girlfriend (Michelle) and they took us through another trail (up same under clock round along behind range sorta towards the Lower Manorburn Dam, then back out the front to the railtrail), something about a Leaping Lizard, that was a good ride too. Michelle offered to take some us out for a ride the next morning. Dave, Nelson and Mark headed out with Jimmy for an afterwork ride too. i rested. by all accounts, that was a good ride too.

Tuesday a.m. Sour Taste in the Mouth Time...
Told we wouldnt really find any more trails without help, we agreed (with encouragement from Dave) to pay Phil from the bikeshop to guide us. he upped it from $25 to $30 a head when he heard it was only Dave, Mark, Nelson, Pete and me, and off we rode. this time up what's called Shit Track, on account of it stinking riding past the Sewage Treatment Works. nice climb up a nice valley, some techy wee sections, all good. then over some farmer's land we werent supposed to be in, up onto the tops, up to a big rock shaped like a seal, the other boys rode down this for fun. i's nursing my body from the crash so was taking it easy. then we rode down a neat flowy track, over another fence, and across these wicked tops and down a techy wee gulch, then grovelly climb up for another ridge run, and then finally down this super technical descent, which i dabbed/walked/and rode, finally out to the Roxburgh dam trail, back into town.
2.5 hours, ie, 150 minutes, ie, $1 a minute for Phil. they say a fool and his money are soon parted, i guess we're fools. we reckon this was a little steep. Everywhere else you go in nz you either buy or are given a map, and you self guide. you roll into Alex, the locals say, no, you gotta get a guide, in which case its either a matey thing, or you pay. Also, we got back to find out that the boys that'd been out with Michelle had been told by her that Jimmy had been reamed out for guiding the others for free, and that he'd reamed her out, and so they gave her $20 a head... so, Phil, you got your $25 a head from all of us in the end. sure, do this to tourists, but not to kiwis. its not like it was a pain in the ass for you to come out riding with us. if you ever come to chch, we'll be asking you for $30, each. not impressed.
anyway, drove on through to Naseby that afternoon.

got a quick ride in before dinner, from campground headed onto waterrace, me guiding (for free, note) round to the big dipper and to Andrew's Tree from 5 years ago. bark still not grown back. neat wee gulley. headed out back of forestry, found a singletrack nelson and me had maybe riden, took that down then up the shoot and down the shoot, and then up for change and dinner.

Wednesday morning, packed up, and most of us got out for ride. left along waterrace, headed up past hoffman's dam, found neat flowy (bottle lake with a hill style) track which we looped twice, then back down round and dropped down what we'd known as cemetery track which had changed cos of logging... then across to do the shoot once (or twice or three times for some). drove home.

two crash bonanza Easter

Friday afternoon, spur of the moment ride, i was given 1 hour 15..., pedalled across town and up rapaki, round mt vernon, across and then down Oldskool bowenvale. excellent ride, except for the heat. was a scorcher going up rapaki, and hot as coming down, and not stopping much i think i pushed too hard. anyway, did the old trail, not the upper new bits, then hit the new lower bits, and onto the main track at the bottom, just filing through the gate, and WHAM, clipped the right side handlebar on the gate post, flipped over, i think sliding shoulder down fence, left shin along gravel, bike under right leg, pedal shaped bruise in calf, frame on the knee, and somehow bruised the hell out of my forearm. straight back on teh bike, and pedalled the pain off home...

Monday, we were gonna go Mt Grey, but Steve and Pete bailed, so met Andrew, Tony, Hubby, Wayne, Matt and english Mark at dotcom. up Richmond Hill Rd, steep near top, but still middle ringed it all the way up, hung a right across a track to Clifton, then up the rooty bit up onto to Greenwood Pines, up road, to Greenwood Park. there was a doctor guy with a broken wrist sitting at the start of greenwood. he'd toppled off onto the road, couple metre fall, onto his wrist, yowch.
Excellent run down Greenwood. Man its rocky these days. bombed it, cleaned it smoothly. tony had a flat, couldnt fix it so walked down to us at the macrocarpa, decided we'd carry on out godley and he was gonna try fixing it again and head down Capt Thom. so, we headed out godley. good run all the way til just before Livingston Col, i was bombing down the trail, started getting dodgy on the balance, was heading for some rocks so clipped out to dab for stability, but was travelling too fast, toe caught the ground, twisted my foot outwards, felt like a ping or crick, and total agony. i SO thought i'd broken it... pictured in my mind ambulance or helicopter etc... eventually tho, i put a bit of weight on it, hurt like hell but managed to ride down to col and we rang Tony to pick me up from Taylors, first attempt at up hill i was like "no way.", so got on the road and headed round to Breeze. Saw Derek out there. anyway, the boys all headed down, and i followed after talking to Derek. caught english mark up on the last section... even managed a few of the jumps on anaconda... much to the discomfort of my lower leg.

ended up going to the med centre. they decided it wasnt broken, just a bad sprain. so, rest, compression, diclofenac.

Thumbsday night Mcleans singlegraze

a whole week with no riding, crappy weather and other commitments... finally, last night, nelson and me, van, Mcleans island, singlespeeds. drizzly, track in good nick, unchanged if not not as wet as last time was out there the other week, tho a bit splecky in the eye a couple times. first lap was sweet, spun round in good time, taking turns leading, getting to know that track pretty good now, tho some sections still seem to go on longer than i'm expecting.

second lap, decided to ride the trail backwards, as in Wrong way (not as in sitting on the handlebars...) anyway, all good, some corners obviously dont flow as well as they do the right way, but no matter. anyway, nearing the end, chasing nelson, probably 2-300 m from the finish, blazing round this long sweeper, frontwheel starts to slide...oop, i'm going down...i'm down, land on my right side, sliding on my knee and shin, handlebars spin, left hand thumb poking into the ground and sliding bending ...that...doesnt...feel...right... cant...do...anything...about...it... let off a nice swearword as i come to rest, oooshh. sure it was broken, it looked all wrong. picked up the bike, chain off, other than that, no probs. limped final distance back to van, drove on. nearly home i decided the pain was too much and it wasnt right so went to afterhours, check, xray, and cashectomy later i'm strapped and have landed some 75mg diclofenacs for the taking. got home, shower hurt like hell on the leg, then sleeping was tricky cos bandages only fit one of the graze spots.