Sunday morning Packhorsing around

Nelson showed at mine 5 minutes before 9 o'clock and not long after Rebecca showed up. She was to be our chaufferette for the morning, navigating the new right hand turn give way rule as we plied the city's streets.

Her friends were being slack-arses so we didnt go meet up with them and made our own way to Gebbies, intending on potentially riding Packhorse followed by Living Springs, but as we passed through Living Springs there's the Huxster comps on... scratch that one then.

Parked up at Gebbies and word from Bex's friends was they were ages away so we set off up the very very smooth high grade logging access road. Over the stile and up a little more along the bumpy logged bit of singletrack then down and into the trees for a super sketchy needled rooty blast that seems to go for ages, til you bottom out and have to clamber up still more rooty goodness to the next stile.

Into the sunshine and heat and up the open paddock over the tussocky top and down to the next stile, then into the trees again and fast swoopy blast down 4wd track for the right hander into the pitchblack fir forest. i was blinded entering here cos my sunnies were still on, but my eyes accustomed to it before i hit any trees, and it doesnt last too long before you're out to that boghole and the walking switchbacks climb to lovely ledge climb to the wee cottage tucked away in there.

Not far past the bach Becs got another call from her mates who were asking directions, so i paused to wait for her, hearing her voice explaining through the trees. Nelson had vanished off in the distance and eventually came bombing back down. Then we all treadled onwards and upwards, passing a couple of walker/runners near the top, and meeting a big group at the final stile. Cleaned heaps more than last time, including the last stretch all the way to the top. We had a long regroup over the stile, enjoying the views and the day.

Just up the trail a little



Then it was off up the awesome rocky exposed ledge trail for the final heft through the Remarkable Dykes and on up to the hut where we consumed consumables and rested and shot the shit.

Bec on her way to the Dykes


A friendly chat with a cute 4 year old, his smaller sister and their dad and then we were off. Flow switched on, grooving down the trail, hopping the hops, popping the pops and generally enjoying the crap out of it. Wasnt long and we were at the stile to the forest again, where we waited on a few walkers, and could see our walker/runner couple further down the trail. Descent began fast and furious, swooping and weaving down on the glorious foot wide benched trail, catching the couple on the first wee up. Then bomb bomb bomb, through the switchies, Nelson and me both taking the last wee cut and a quick wait to make sure Bec's following then onwards for swoopy speed and eventually seeing the cluster of Bec's friends right about where i'd waited while she was on the phone.

Long chat with them, and we were off again. Great blast down past the bach, up briefly round a couple fallen trees and down past a family and down the zigs into the dark forest, no shades this time, and out onto the 4wd climb, waving aurevoir to our walker/runner couple for the final time, up to meet some bikers at the next stile before we hit up the tussocky paddock and super cool fast swoopy prancing dancing descent to a family at the stile. Final singletrack descent rooty and narrow, barbed wire on the right, trees on the left, then the steeeeeep climb up up up to the end of the trees and a final bumpy traverse to the last stile before the road.

Nelson and me both took the new digger dug trail below the final road section and it was fun, except for the thistles.

Then, to cool off we blasted down the road and Bec picked us up at the bottom. Great ride. Home to an empty house, which was good cos it meant i wasnt in trouble for being late.

Tuesday Night Snake road Godley Snake

Nelson met at mine after work and we treadled over to Pete's to find him and Alistair loading the bikes on the falcon. Out, on bumpy as roads, we drove to Taylor's Mistake, meeting there Warren, Wayne, Tony, Steve, Matt, Dallas. A good posse, we headed up the snakes tail, after first leaping the barrier and clambering up through a nasty stench of something dead in the bush at the start of the trail. Good haul up this first section, everybody hoping seismic activity stayed minimal what with all the rocks above the track the reason its shut... within no time we're up in the safe zone and spinning well round to the start of the snake proper. I lead off, under pressure to keep up the pace, Nelson tight on my tail. My chain played up as i passed over that rutty bit and he got past me here. From here up he gapped me but then i held on and kept roughly the same distance from him the rest of the way up. Pete was keeping pretty even with me too, til further up the top. So we all reassembled at Breeze Col, the order something like, Nelson, Me, Pete, Warren, Wayne, Matt, followed by Steve Tony and Dallas but i'm not sure in what order.

From here we jetted off round the road cos we figured it was gonna get dark reasonably early and we didnt want to be riding up singletrack in daylight and back on singletrack as it was getting dark... So a nice cruise round the road, Nelson and me kinda pushing a bit harder out the front. When we got to Evans I just hauled ass straight up onto the singletrack, hitting at a speed i've never hit it before, actually catching air on the cattlestop entry to the track... Then it was knuckling down into one or two off Granny and hitting up the first rocky section ... and cleaning it! Yeah bol! but then losing it on the next section round the corner, boo! Nelson dabbed on the first bit but then juuuust about cleaned the second bit. We hung and waited a bit as the boys all turned up and Pete hit it and cleaned it all!!! yeah! Others had reasonable passes and failures but no one lived up to Pete's effort.

From here it was funtimes, rocky interestingness all the way up out this first section of the Godley track. Awesome cleaning of everything thrown at most of us. Nelson and me keeping up the pace the whole way, brief regroup at the high point (of previous couple of rides), Warren commenting on the noticeable lack of wind compared to our previous visit to the spot. Next bit down hill, flow ON. bit of up round to the cattle/sheepstop and into the slightly rutted, overgrown and sheep pellet scattered trail downhill flow ON again from here. Excellent w00t! inspiring descent to Livingston Col, tho i noticed my bike becoming increasingly rattly as i approached the bottom. Just prior to departure for the next section i discovered why! My front quick release was entirely loose!!! yikes.

Onward up for the last jaunt to Breeze Col. Good climb, excellent flowy round to the PFMTBC Rock which i hit the fastest i've ever hit it. Flew over it. out to the road, and another regroup, watching them all flow round and over the rock (or not!).

The final fling, off down the Anaconda, blazing. Fresh in my memory from 2 weeks ago i flew down here, feeling smooth and taking it all wickedly. Flew over the jumps and railed the berms better than ever before. Was awesome.

Brief regroup and off down the tail, enjoying the odd rocky challenge, then climbing the fence at the end, and getting some looks from a couple of older riders who obviously weren't game to take on the Closed sign.

Sunday McGreendley Conda

Excellent ride today. Weather put everybody else off, and the family were going to Taylors, so i rode in the car with them to McCormacks Bay about 11am and headed up there, my excellent soundtrack on Shuffle. After the two hairpins instead of heading on up to Craigieburn Place I hung a left instead, finding my way up a few more switchbacks and eventually out onto Avery Place, then Glenstrae and finally Moncks Spur Rd up, grinding away, ever climbing to Mt Pleasant Rd and on up that to the top.

Nice to finally swoop down effortlessly the road to Greenwood, which surprisingly still had an "open" sign showing. the beginning was pretty greasy, so i walked around the odd bit, and rode along side the track rather than sliding around in the mud. But once over the top to the ruins and beyond, the trail was in surprisingly good knick, with no puddles, no greasy bits and amazingly dry considering the rain we've had. The sun and wind were out in force, with any moments riding into the southwesterly nearly having me blown off, and the lovely quietness of the downwind sections. A lot of sheep around, and their small bombs requiring strategic steering, and the occasional excitement of them leading the way down the trail at topspeed.
Back where i'd just come from


Overlooking Evans


At Evans I swooped down through the deserted intersection and headed up onto Godley Track just as a ccc ranger was approaching. He obviously wasnt concerned for my Rockfall Potential wellbeing, so ground my way up the start and enjoyed every technical second of the rocky goodness. Rested for a bit, and took off my longsleeve layer whilst overlooking Sumner (at Warren and my previous turnaround point), marvelling at the toytown look of the container barriers below.


Got started again and had some wind battles but a good run all the way round and down to Livingston Col, relishing this trail i'd not been on since June last year. The wind was pumping over the Col, nearly knocking me sideways into the fence, then the cattlestop, then pushing me from behind as i hit up the next climb. The final descent to Breeze Col (which lived up to its name) a blast, with a fun wee roll over the PFMTBC rock feature followed by more blast to the road. Straight across, no mucking about, straight on over and into Anaconda, which is riding SWEEEEEET. Met a runner at the top, just after i'd stopped to muck around with my sounds cos they'd switched themselves off. Trail flowed excellently, pretty much expecting nastiness round every bend, only to find it in pristine condition, except the rutty bit in the middle of the swooply cornerers down in the lowers, which i had referred to as a 'slop channel' last time i rode it (in June).

Finally, around the start of the 'tail', i could see my family on the beach, them being basically the only people on it. I detoured down to the walking track before the gate overwhich i climbed and as i was getting started riding again, they waved and i waved back. then it was down to the rocky path that leads to the beach which i walked, then i rode across the beach, just above the wave wash, to them.

Brilliant ride, with fantastic soundtrack, good groove, nice isolation not seeing a soul from top of Greenwood to Breeze Col. Godley and Anaconda are obviously getting a bit of use. The whole way out Godley there was evidence that at least one rider had been through this morning before me. I think a lot of the rockfall hazard on these two trails is over-rated. As for 'wetness', really not an issue for a single rider, and the only bad bit was right at the start of Greenwood on the flatter sections, which were avoidable (ie, by walking or riding around).

Great day to be out. And my last chance for a couple weeks, as on Tuesday i'm off to Fiordland for 9 days.

one last for feb

not even a bike to be seen, but funny

Thursday night Pleasant meanderings

Finally a ride after 11 days without...
Nelson canned on me so sent the msg out and got 3 "no's" and one "what're ya riding?" A lift to top of Mt Pleasant was suggested so with the nor'west heat figured that wasn't such a bad idea so met Warren at his at 6 and off up the hill we were lifted.

Start of Greenwood took a bit to get our grooves into the groove of the groovy trail, but eventually the eyes got tuned in and the wind blew us about a bit and down we shot. I nearly toasted myself over that first wee drop just through the fence after the ruins. Slowed down a little and was better after that. Wind very difficult in places, and pushing us along in others. The odd dab here and there, but mostly just smooth running, as smooth as you can be on the rough and rocky trail. Slowed up, pausing on the usual spot just after gloomy gulch. Spotted a couple of riders way below, obviously considering Capt Thomas, but then choosing Godley instead.

Good flowings down the rest of it, blowing the first of the rocky ups, but enjoying the rest of it.

Down to the road and we thought, Godley? Just to the highest point? why not... so, up we went, in pursuit of the couple. i cleaned all the start bit, its been cleaned up really good and is eminently rideable now. We were catching the other couple who were off and walking most of those earlier rocky sections. Evidence of a major boulder that'd popped out of its resting place and ploughing across the trail. No sign of it below. Wind along this section was atrocious, getting worse as we got further out. Passed the couple before the small cliffy bit (to the right of the trail) where i quickly pumped some air into my rear tire, then around a bit and on up over the first of the boardwalks and up to the crest. We stopped here intending on turning back, nor-waster howling nearly gale force, waiting for the couple to pass. We were just about to go and damnit, i had a flat... My spare was still punctured and not patched from my last jaunt on Greenwood, so, patched tonight's culprit, realligned my rimtape, pumped and rode.

Fun downwards, flowy and nice, bombing back down to the road. Chatted to a roady who'd just come up from Sumner. i said "Is the road, like, blocked?" "Yeah, just climbed round the fence." He said it was down on the weekend, so he was surprised to see it up again, an that there were only a few boulders on the road, and that "they weren't very big"... um, still big enough to KILL you... We had a look over the Lyttelton side, quite a mess there. Then off up the hill, steady cruise up the road back to the top, knees getting sorer by the top.

Onto the Britten, cleaning the bit that's got me last couple times, and up to the roaring wind through the trees. Fast descent, wind gusts proving interesting at times. Out the bottom, speedy down the tarseal and off right down Craigieburn, stepping down the steps and rockin' the rest of the sweet sweet singletrack. Both of us absolutely flying down the last section.

Round the foot of the hill, into the norwest, and my rear tire starts to get squirrelly again. Ugh. Warren kindly loaned me a tube, pumped, not quite enough, and rode, worried the rest of the way back round behind Ferrymead that it was gonna go again. Definitely investing in new rimtape tomorrow...

Sunday morning Crocodiling

Had an 11ish family thing, yet another family we know heading for the north due to Red Zoned house, so got going early, made 8.30am over to where everyone was intending to meet at 9.20, ie Cashmere Rd entrance to Quarry Park. Headed in and immediately hung a right and up the ridge via and to the zigs and zags up to the road, then up road and onto what was once called New Tasty on up along next to Kennedy's Track. Big cluster of riders back at the car park and i'd seen them from the hill above as they were entering the croc. anyway. singletrack towards Siberia, getting off and walking around a very sloppy fresh cow excretion near the top, and encountering numerous of the culprits hanging around and trying to staunch me out at the top.

9am, turned tail and bombed it down, bypassing previously mentioned slop, then fanging down down down. excellent run down to the previously mentioned cluster now assembled at top of Crocodile. gudday gudday and i kept on flowing blazing round the upper hairpins, roosting down the straights, enjoying myself thoroughly with my soundtrack of Das Racist. Pulled over several times to let uphillers past, quite a few large groups of them. finished off, blowing the climby bit, and down through pines and back out to car park, 9.10amish, and 5 minutes later Pete turned up, then another few mins and everyone else, all told, Steve, Tony, Andrew, Marie and Wayne.

As a group we headed left up the hill climbing something steep as steep is, for them cold from start, and then coasted down to bottom of Croc, then back down into valley, up same ridge as i'd done prior. Biiig regroup, nice restful catchup in the shade at the gate before the final wee zigzags, which everyone cleaned and on up the road and onto the singletrack. Good climb up here, dabbing same spot as previously, and once again bypassing the cowshit again (now with several less careful people's tiretreads in attendance), and regrouping in the minefield of cowbombs around the gate.

Off over Siberia, fun wee blast, chasing yet another group of riders, get to the bottom and no Marie... Steve went one way we all the rest of us went back up singletrack finding Marie busy pumping. Low airpressure, not a flat, no probs... So, i consulted my watch and decided i needed to split, it being just after 10. So. Said my goodbyes and bombed off down again. Much better second time round, catching several people during the descent, and not so many climbers to give way to. Blew the climby bit again, oh well, and loved the rest of it, back to car with plenty time to get home. Good couple laps for me, and i think the others were gonna foff off a couple too.

Thursday evening Packhorse and Living Springage

Worked latish and then treadled to get picked up by Nelson on Springs Rd (he'd been in Hornby for some work thing), then we 'rona'd round through Tai Tapu and Motukarara and up Gebbies to park. Probably a little before 7 we headed off up the trail. The first section of trees are felled, opening up the singletrack newly formed eventually tucking back into the trees on the steeper part of the descent. Awesome flow down through this then hit up the tight climb which was maybe the only part of this ride that i cleaned and Nelson didnt. Over the stile and up the steep paddock and over to the next stile, then the fast descent down down freshly smoothed forestry road passing this

before heading down a bit further, i think, then Nelson missed the turn into the darker Douglas Fir forest which climbs nicely at first then steeply switches back and forth and then across opening up towards that cute wee bach. Then its sweet sweet climbing a couple small descents and a few switchbacks and climbing steeper still til finally we hit the final stile. i walked a LOT of the climbs... just didnt have the climbing groove tonight.

Next up its across the fantastic exposure. Ledge narrow, drops to the side, 'remarkable' dykes above, risk of rockfall??? not much sign of rocks having left the dykes, one boulder, slightly bigger than an overinflated soccerball on the track, but otherwise zip. cool ride round and up, lots of dabs, keeping the left foot clipped in, and eventually made the hut. bit of a look round and we turned back down.

Here's Nelson (can ya see him?) entering the maw of the dyke...


Took that pic then rode to catch up, cleaning some of the rocky stuff he'd baulked on just before that pic. (hee hee). Then i lead from there back down round to the stile, then on down down down the blast of a trip through the forest, fantastic trail, tight trees, smooth as smooth gets. After the bach, a fallen tree caught me and Nelson detoured quicker than i clambered so he blazed off ahead of me and we nailed it down through the forest. Hit the nasty climb back up to that sign (above) then on up over stile, up a little more, then blaaasst down the rooty clay paddock's edge trail, over stile and down rooty barbedwire edged narrowness, then rooty climb and steep nasty bits of walking climb, out of the forest into cleared more climb and finally over the hump, stile, and down the road, ducking onto a newly cut, dirt track juuust below the road, encountering thistles in the fingers and calves but generally enjoying the concentration of it better than a fast gravel descent.

Great trail, like a compilation tape of all the best sections of Port Hills riding, snippets of so many pieces of Port Hills trails.


Then, was into the car, and round for a lap of Living Springs. Excellent work has been done in here, and with tape up for the Singletrack Fiesta this weekend, marking the way nicely in the now getting darker bits of the forest. A tiresome climb, for me anyway, up through The Pines, but man oh man, i dont remember it being so long, in a good way too. It just zigs and zags so nicely up, using the land to maximum effect. Would be a sweet descent too. Continuing into Rhymes with Orange and the worst of the climbing pretty much done. Caught up with Nelson here and we blazed off down the down, into the dark bush thanking the white marker boundary tape, and enjoying the crap out of the back and forth downwardsness. Round into Zanes and w00t fest, albeit and somewhat blind one. I noticed the section of trail i helped with way back when has been bypassed now, no doubt due to the slumps of last winter's wet, the detour is sweet getting out of the forest and cutting along a sidle before rounding a spur and sending us back into the darkness for the final swoopy descent. screwed up a couple of bits in there, but no offs so all was well.

Home, late.

Welcome, Surly Troll

Welcome to my stable, Surly Troll, enlisted into service yesterday as my new commuter. Frame and fork combo purchased from Velo Ideale, I transfered pretty much all of the Kona Bike parts across to it: Front wheel, handlebars, stem, headset, cranks and main cog, mudguards. I bought a Shimano Alfine 8spd and bits off CRC and Wiggle, laced that 2-cross into the rim (with spokes cut and threaded by Velo-Ideale)(setting the 3spd aside for a future project for T's townie). Plus a new BottomBracket (the Troll is 73mm shell whereas the Bike was only 68mm). Did a lot of the transfer last friday night, then built the wheel and did the rest on Tuesday night when we got back from Q.town.
Finished Product

I had gotten a 20t with the Alfine when it shipped, but even on the way to work yesterday i realised it was too easy, too spinny in top, so swung by VeloIdeale and grabbed an 18t which i installed last night (as well as some Salsa grips). Test rode it on the school run today and its way better (brought my mtnbike to work today cos riding tonight - will post about that later).

So, some gear geekery, thanks to Sheldon Brown.
On the old 3spd, i was running a 42:16t, which yeilded a gear-inch range of 47.1 to 89.0.
The Alfine with 42:20t, gave a range of 27.5 to 84.3 g.i.,
whereas with the 42:18 i'm getting 30.6 to 93.7, which is much better.
I think this will be plenty low enough for the odd hill climb, considering my 38:18 singlespeed is 55.8 g.i., and i can clamber up stuff like Rapaki and Dyers Pass Rd no problem with that.
For another comparison, the Cotic, running 36 and 24 up front with a 11-32t rear cluster gives me a 19.8 to 86.4 range.

Here's the delicious Alfine


And a view of the cockpit

Can you see the creative mudguard hanger??? (a 22t front chainring pressed into service)




(several weeks later)
One or two teething / breaking-in problems have been solved, the main one being the headset... i hadnt installed the top bearing race the right way up and as a result had been enduring some clunk plus some stiffness. fixed that and she's buttery smooth now.
The other issue was rear spokes... After about a week, one night i was riding to a meeting and the rear wheel got all floppy, with quite a few spokes having worked loose. I carry a spoke tool with me tho, and have given the wheel a couple of good goings over, tightening and keeping true(enough), and there's been no issues for a couple weeks now.

Other than that, has been riding beautifully.

Tuesday McCormacks Greenwood Richmond Britten figure of 8 with tails

Nelson met at mine after work and we got word from Warren that everybody had piked... So. We joined traffic and eventually parked up under the leaning tower of Ferrymead and treadled round into McCormacks Bay and up the grunty singletrack. Nelson was way fitter looking than me, who struggled my way upwards breathing laboriously and dying in the heat. Just after the bridge we explored the right hand track finding its end, and shooting back down along it then on up the rest of the trail. Blew a couple of the switchbacks then died and walked the last couple.

Up the road next, all the way to the top of the road, a brief gudday to a couple of riding guys and off down to Greenwood. Grass a bit drier now, therefore slightly slipperier than last week. Snack above the ruins, and then we were off. Good blast, just taking it pretty cruisy mostly, wafting and roosting. But then, below gloomy gulch, after the steep rocky section and the swoopy bit and come back round to the left and into a few switchbacks, a couple of times i felt hard whacks out the back end, and not long after the back wheel got squirrelly then sure enough, fssssssssss and nothing but tire and rim. Flipped the bike into the long grass and sat me down to fix.
Snake Bite!

Nelson turned up complaining of noisy rotors so he flipped his steed over too and replaced his front pads.
Our "Yard Sale"

Off again, giving Nelson a big gap so he could stop and photograph, i rode down, through the cattlestop, over the yump, round into the valley, then down past him and into the rocky up. Stopped there, got my phone out and photographed the trail just after he'd ridden through. He rode ahead again, i blasted down behind him and realised what he was doing so rode back up a bit then blazed past him again, and again stopped for his photo, this time it worked.

Onto the road and we troddled our way up to the big pines, the nor west wind starting to really blow hard. Fun blast down to the lone pine, windblown grass leaning across the singletrack. Over the stile and another fun blast down to the new bit of track. Good run down here, over the next little stile, then the cool benched track down down down to the rooty stuff and stopped at the next stile. Turned back, and rode up the way we'd just come down. Me, once again, struggling.

At the road again, decided to ride up the 4wd track back up to the Greenwood track, and then back up the top section. This was a horrid little climb. longer than it looks and full of little steps that suck at your progress most insidiously. Gasping, i followed Nelson onto the singletrack, a few wee downs, but mostly up. At one point, over the top, there's a couple of spots where the trail has two short options. On one of these, i decided to take the right hand option, but my front wheel decided it liked the look of the left hand option so the rut lip threw me down. As soon as i landed my right calf cramped. YOWCH. tiny scratch on the knee, my wrists and right shoulder and knees took the brunt of the fall. I'm gonna hurt tomorrow and Thursday. Got straight back on the bike and kept on riding, catching Nelson on the road.

Up to Britten, onto the singletrack, then down down down. At the bottom of this, the sunset and norwest arch were just TOO much, so we stopped and Nelson took a bunch of pics, as it changed and got more and more spectacular, lighting the sides of the ranges to the north, and right round to the Waipara foot hills and it was just stunning, glowing bright bright orange and yellow hues over the rest of the port hills and dust storms lifting from the Rakaia gorge and virga rain falling from the dark arch. spec-fucking-tac-ular.

Next up, light getting pretty dim now, blasted down the road, hung our right into Craigieburn Pl and (quick walk) down the steps, then into switchback after switchback, then flight mode down the lovely singletrack. Near the bottom we explored the left hander into the wee patch of pines. Too steep, too many rocks, too many steps, and no flow... out the bottom of this, and on round back to the car.

Awesome times.

Wednesday Shorty half-Rapaki

Well! I'm so proud. Had talked to O about riding up the hill, and now that Rapaki is open again we agreed to go out. So. Drove to end of road, and we tootled up. It was hillclimb time, and we were passed constantly by the climbers, heading both up and down, but that was cool. Otherwise a quiet-ish night out there. He did really well, when he rode he hooned, but then had to stop pretty regularly. First off i said, there's this tree. We'll get to there and see how you feel.


Well, as you can see the tree was no problem. (not that he looks very happy)... Cool thing was we met some other smalls out there, a girl aged 10, and a slightly older boy who flew past us.

We made it all the way up to the flat area, rode under the pylons to the top of that, then turned back down. Coming down he was pretty tentative to start with, really riding the brakes, but by the time the gate by the trees was in sight he was really starting to let go of them for longer and longer periods, getting quicker and quicker, and between the gates he was flying! Awesome.

Quick Tuesday Greenwood

Car load of Pete and myself with three yoof (Alistair, Nico and Brandon), met up with Steve, Marie and Tony, Robin, Wayne, and Warren (who'd ridden up, good on him), at top of Mt Pleasant Rd. We tootled off down onto Greenwood, the yoof ahead. Pretty quickly over took Brandon and Nico, and caught Alistair before a regroup at the downhill start before the ruins and again the yoof headed off ahead. This time we gave them a much bigger gap.

Greenwood has been mown. This isnt necessarily a good thing as now instead of finding your way through long grass, you're wondering where the hell all the rocks are under the straw cushioning all over them... Quite a concentrating experience, having to stay fully focussed as to where you're pointing your front wheel, balance caught off guard regularly by hidden lips and bites of rocky teeth. Personally, i didnt think it was slippery at all, just hard to find the good lines.

Still, managed to get a good flow on and catch up and pass first Brandon then Nico and eventually caught up with Alistair on the side of the track, his bike parked upside down. "You got a flat?" "Nah, thats how it ended up." LOLz. I led off with Alistair chasing and somehow managed to drop him, and had a great run the rest of the way down, except for both rocky ups where i juuuuust wrong geared it and couldnt quite momentumise myself over them requiring a single foot dab to push off again. Got to the bottom and (surprised to see) Pete, then Alistair, then the rest of them, rolled in.

Once again, the yoof headed off first while us oldies stood around and chatted. then we headed up, Pete and me riding quite hard, which was killing me, still worn out from Sunday. At the Richmond Pines we the boys had stopped, and we talked a bit more there then headed on up the road still, for a blat of the Britten Reserve singletrack. I ran out of steam on the first climb, but was okay after that. pretty tight singletrack and i dont remember ever doing it in that direction more than once or twice in a distant past. Was quite good. Regroup at the end, then we headed back, with a splinter group of Warren, Alistair, myself and the other two yoof heading down through Britten Reserve, a fast and wicked descent with a few surprise rock drops and near misses, then i led them down Major Hornbrook, through the park to Cannon Hill then down an alley way that spat us onto Te Awakura Tce and St Andrews Hill Rd, then we headed across the Ferrymead bridge to await our magic carpet that is the Falcon. Took us WAAAY less time to get down the hill than the cars, and eventually Wayne drove past and pointed back saying Pete was back before the bridge, then Robin, then Steve all saying the same thing... Txts were sent and Pete came loaded us up.

found

and this!

Sunday Coopers Wharf soaking wet dale

Forecast looked none too hot with a couple of southerly blasts expected, but figured we should just ride anyway, so got me out to Nelsons just after 8.30 and we headed round to Mountain Rd in Coopers Creek to ride to the Wharfdale track.

Drizzle was pretty well set in when we headed out and we were pretty much drenched within a few minutes. Along the river for a little with a couple of weird ups and downs, then lots of up. Largely rideable for starters except where it was too steep. Further in there was lots of gnarly rooty sections and the odd mudpug. Quite a cool track, every now and then there's little marker label things telling you what species of tree its next to. Kinda weird considering if you were walking the first one would be like an hour in...

We jokingly estimated the percentage rideable on the way in was maybe 72.6%. Anyway, eventually, after much trudging and climbing and a couple of descents (one quite steep but all rideable) we made the end of the 'link' track, which is the Wharfdale Track. Total altitude climbed around 360 m.

Whew we thought, now it'll be a bit easier. And it was! The Wharfdale's like a highway in comparison. Not far in, after the bridges, Nelson got a flat tire, so he replaced the tube with a 'race' tube (thin, light). I was getting really cold, so changed out the longsleeve lycra for a fleece. Some walkers cruised past just as we were heading off and said, "You're insane riding this". We said "you should have seen the trail we just rode up!"

Not much further on we stopped at that clay-ey corner and had a snack, and while we sat there we could hear a sssssssssssing. Yep, his back tire again. So he put in my tube, and we were off again.

Met another walking couple just before the switchbacks and not far later hit the saddle. Rain was infintessimally lighter here, sky too. Ate more OSM, and a couple of germanic runners passed by while we sat there, and we met another just after we'd set off down the way we'd come. Half way down my front brake started sounding like the spring on rotor, so we stopped at that rocky drop (after the unrideable climb from a creek) and i swapped in my new ones. My rear brake was dodgey-as too.

Nelson had a few wee moments, when his shoes wouldn't unclip, crashing a few times. Didnt stop him flying off on the main descent away from me. I was experiencing physical wreckedness most of the ride, my neck really sore from lugging hay bales on Saturday maybe, pretty uncomfortable, so was taking it easy, and i wasnt enjoying water and grit induced blindness when at speed. Eventually caught him at a treefall just at the start of the final climb, and we headed back up to the gate and track junction.

Hung our left down our track which starts off rooty and mucky, but largley, rideable, followed by a really nice section which seemed to go for a while. There are a few awesome blasts down through this track, a reasonable climb (ie, steep enough to have to walk) in the middle, and more really nice sections, all interspersed with nasty bits, heinous bog holes and unrideable slippery roots. In the dry you might clean some of them, but many were just too big and poorly spaced. Some hail, and thunder, and more rain kept us in check.

I came a cropper on one such section when my front wheel just went out from under me and threw me off to the bank side of the track. My handlebars spun too, leaving, for some reason, my rear brake with no action, ie, lever went right to the grip with no effect. So, hung the bike on a tree, removed the rear wheel and swapped out the worn out pads for some spare used ones that still had half left i had in my bag. the wee spacer spring had worn out too, so i had to run them sans spring. They still worked much better from here on out giving me a little more confidence, tho i was still struggling with the eyespleck.

After my brake change we were on pretty much the main final long descent, towards the end of which you leave DOC land and there's an open bit after some young macrocarpas with some rock outcropage, where i caught up to Nelson, just picking himself up after bouncing down the steps and off the track.

Some final steep down from here, couple tight switchbacks, over a couple of stiles, more steep down, then back onto the flat, passing a couple of walkers on the weird uppy-downy bits, and back to the car just as my hands were starting to get shooting nerve pain on the grips, frozen solid and wet through. i was SO glad to be back and into dry clothes and warm(ish) car. Pies consumed by both from Oxford dairy... Back to Nelsons to warm up some more.

Total kilometreage, roughly 14 kms each way. I'd ridden this route once before... i think i now remember why at the time i chose not to go back down the Coopers Creek track... Tho, under nice conditions, it really wouldnt be that bad but still a fair bit of getting off and pushing... We estimated about as much total effort as doing the usual View Hill Carpark right through to the Townsend and back.

Thursday night scorching ramble

At a loose-end so took my Soul in the car to work. Left work in a slight kerfuffle and as i accelerated out of the Sockburn Roundabout i noticed a shadow fall in my rearview mirror (thinking to myself, "big low flying bird?") then double-took and saw MY SHOES! ON the ROAD! FUCK!!! Managed to pull over just before the Sockburn Overbridge, on the bikelane, hazard lights on and ran back, in the howling nor'west wind, watching cars and full truck and trailer units running them over... my socks, which had been stuffed inside one shoe had blown backwards, thanks to the nor'wester one was in the gutter the other on the berm. I rescued them then grabbed my chance to get the shoes just before more trucks ran them over... pure luck on my side, neither was scathed, requiring just the heels to be sort of unfolded... far. out.

Drove from there, without event, to Halswell Quarry Park carpark on Cashmere Rd, parked as near to the shade as possible and got myself ready. Took off, up the road towards Westmorland and beyond, and before i'd reached the top of the first rise realised i'd left a banana on the top of the car this time. What the fuck is it with me and leaving shit on the top of the car today!? turned back, grabbed it and finally my ride could begin. Back on the road and round the foots of the hills, mostly with the NW'er pushing me. Following much the same pattern as this ride with Chris, into Happy Home Rd, round and up, down through the park, left down to Cashmere Stream, right, along briefly to cross poncy Penruddock, and onwards down Stream on tight singletrack sneaking along til it widens out and you're in the backyards of Holbrook Way. Then up that and through a reserve, crossing Hadleigh and up into the main reserve with the valley,and cool wee track up. the heat was really getting to me once i started climbing, walking all the steepest bastards. Once up on the zigzags that lead to Worsleys i was warming up and managed all of it. Over the stile, and up the road, another rider in close pursuit.

Hit the dirt and headed straight into the singletrack, figuring it might be nicer in the shade. found some of the tight pinches a bit painful so bailed back onto the main drag at the corner with the gate. Climbed slowly and blew it numerous times in the rutzones, the heat really brain-fading and befuddling me. And as for the body bag? Barely made it to the steepest bit near the top before i got off and walked. Just. Too. Hot.

Gasping, i managed the climb to top of the Nun where i sat down and ate my banana, cooling off and resting goooooood. Hit the trail and had a sweeeeeeeeeeeet run. Trail fresh in my head from Tuesday, everything just pieced together really nicely, and i flew down the hill, all the way to the bottom, jumping everything and flowing beautifully. Turned up the road and treadled my way round and up and over to Kennedys, taking a sneaky detour before reaching it.

Kennedys top blew me away. Its overgrown so much, what used to be a wide 4wd/farm track at the start is now a tight ribbon of singletrack wending through overgrown broom and the odd gorse plant. Kinda better. It widens up before the first stile, and is as i remembered from there on. The steep top section is as rocky and rutty as i remember, and i flew down this towards the first gate and two girls walking up nearly losing it right next to them in a rocky rut whilst avoiding them and the abundant belted galloways. On down it smoothes up a little, tho is still pretty bumpy, but fast!

As i crested one of the rises half way down i stopped to look at a fire raging out Prebbleton way (turns out it was the mushroom factory there). I'd spotted the smoke earlier, from top of Worsley, but now i could actually see the flames. Massive fire. On down, blasting down the last straight towards the Siberia gate, having to change ruts due to some dumb-arse rider coming up.

Rode over Siberia singletrack and hit the fun swoopy down hill, yielding to a couple of uphillers, and blazed on down, singletrack tight and awesome, grass just the right height. Into the Crocodile and the music in my ears was perfect, railing berms, pumping each riser, flow, flow, flow. Blew out the climb, but continued my merry way down the squiggles and out into the open. Towards the bottom i peeled a quick right and up to another little singletrack that took me to the car.

Another Tuesday, similar to the last

Massive posse assembled itself at the whim of Steve at the 19th Battalion Memorial in Vic Park, with... Pete (and two not-so-smalls - who proceeded without us), Nelson and Me, Marie, Matt and Lance, Wayne, Andy, Steve and Tony and Robin in attendance. We tootled off up the singletrack to the skidder then huffed and chuffed our ways up the Latters Spur (or main drag) then up past the see saw and up the coffee break climb and round to top of Vic / Thomsons. Big regroup here with lance (and Nelson) lining up Hauraki Radio on their dials...

Then a nice blast down Thomson and Thompson to the Kiwi and another bit of a regroup while people filled and emptied water and on up road to top of Worsley's where Lance was chatting with a crew and a van telling them where the riding was. the rest of us chuffed up to top of nun where there were already one or two (including Mel(? who Mark and Marie know)) on her homebuilt internally geared machine followed shortly by Rich(? connected with Mel) on his crabon fibre homebuilt internally alfined machine too. him and friend took off first, then of our posse I was first off, down the Nun, having myself an excellent wee blast flowing nicely and carving and yumping and gliding and pumping loving mostly all of it - except for the fact that my back end seemed to be squirrelling all over the place, on account of the pressure being perhaps a little low. Myself, Nelson and Pete continued the full descent down to te Kiwi where the rest pulled out half way (cant understand it myself, its not like the climb back to that point is particularly hefty...?), anyway, i flipped my Soul over and proceeded to increase the airpressure contained within, then we treadled hard to attempt, in vain, to catch the others...

huff huff huff and we got to the top pretty shortly after the rest of them, with Robin slow and steady not far behind us. Again, i took the lead and this time dabbed within the first few metres, nearly ploughing myself into the side of the trail and screwing myself thereafter of a smooth ride down. Every thing i could fuck up I just about fucked up. my entire game was OFF. but, somehow managed to keep it together, albeit maybe slower than previously, and was just getting back into the groove on the lower reaches.

At the Kiwi end we struck up conversation with a nice young lady from Auckland (we found out) who was travelling with another young lady who's entered in the Nationals DH at Mt Hutt this weekend. These were who Lance had been talking to at Worsley top. Andrew and Matt werent showing, on account of Andrew fixing (yet) another flat, so Pete accompanied Nelson and me on up the start of another loop, bailing at half way while we continued up for go number 3. The others bailed down Old Dyers and i'm sure they had a wicked ride.

Go number 3 was better than attempt number two. This time at the top conversation was enjoyed with the owner of the Black Sheep i've met up there a number of times before heading down. This time i was much more attuned to myself and the trail. Nelson and I stopped and examined a couple of bits that we'd not really looked at before, trying them once or twice for good measure, then blasted on down having a splendid trip.

Onto Old Dyers trail and really getting the flow out of the first bits, thankfully this time i avoided a bite from the Lawyer, Nelson wasnt so lucky. Juddered down the fast bits onto the 4wd bits and then grunted back up to the car where we met Pete again, him having just been up to meet his "smalls" who he would pick up at the bottom of Bowenvale.

Home via Indian and a wicked hot Vindaloo for me enjoyed with an Owld Speckled Un.

Tuesday evening port hills back and forthers

Nelson and me corona'd up past the Takahe and parked up on one of the laybys, treadling up the road from there to the Old Dyers track. This was in good knick and we climbed it pretty quickly, him seemingly effortlessly and me dragging my chain a bit but surviving and making it in the end. we were passed by a few riders on their ways down.

Up the road taking a look over into the Gov's bay trails, still closed, and round up over the Nun. Muggy and humid and warm, excellent night. Misty cloud lingering around the tops. Lovely blast down here, really cruisy taking it pretty easy gliding and flowing and mostly keeping a reasonable pace. the lower half definitely smoother now.

Then it was up the Summit to top of Vic and we hit the Traverse round. Nice blast round here again me dragging and struggling to keep up with the jackrabbit Nelson. Up over Vernon was sweet and the descent really fun with the rough rocks and dodgy sketchy ballbearing gravel near the bottom. Turned around and headed up the road back round to the Traverse where we hauled some ass good, great run round back to Vic and then it was a sweet blast down the two Thomsons.

A pause at the Kiwi where Nelson got some water and we scoffed down a couple of OneSquares between us, then it was off back up the slummit road to top of the Nun for a final blast. Finally Nelson was tiring and my stamina kept me up or even maybe a little ahead of him on the final off-road climb to the top. 2nd time round was waaaay better, we blazed down the trail, yumping everything really nicely, with only a brief hangup in the rocky middle section, otherwise an awesome blast down, then into the Dyers trail and the bit below the steep just below the Kiwi has become my favouritest flowiest little section right now. beautiful the way it just sucks you through it like being on a magic carpet. Round the rocky bend and some lawyer ripped at my arm "OW!!!" i holla'd and Nelson got it too, 'cept his arm didnt bleed. my blood mixed with sweat reddened my arm something wicked. On downwards, what's usually rough as guts and rutty was a sweet flow, meeting a couple of walkers and blasting brakefree down heaps of it. then the last 4wd section was nice too, and finally a cruise down the road back to the car.

A couple and a bit hours of very nice riding, dusty, punishing, muchly enjoyable.

Saturday 7th Jan. first ride of 2012.

3pm hit the road up the hill. non eventful climb. thinking about how cool it would be if there was a singletrack route up. a few cars up and down. a sheep truck. otherwise just plodding away in granny or next down, plus one stint standing for a while 4 down.

3.45 reached the summit. took a look up top of Piper's valley stock route, considered trespassing up the paddock farmtracks above, but thought better of it and headed round Summit Road and instead trespassed across the back flank of View Hill. Fun sidling stock trail singletracks with little actual riding, then good route up the rocky ridge to gate. bit of a breather rest here lying in the shade of a tree, dreaming of what to say to a farmer who hits you up for this socalled Trespassing ie "I'm not doing any harm. Not disturbing stock, leaving gates and fences alone, just out enjoying the views and the riding of my bike. No harm no foul. And i know there's a paper road across here, but I'm also aware the the track doesn't follow it to the letter."

4.30 left the gate rest, headed round the 95% rideable sheep singletracks meandering nicely always dropping a little but sidling up to stay on nice flow round eventually to View Hill Rd top gate, 4.40. over the gate and off down down down speeeeeeeeed floooowww on off on off on off brakes controlling speed on the concrete cos of sheep below then letting it all go and roaring 80odd past the crow's nest on down to chorlton then into the wind tucked down, lukes road, back of tennis court, over fence, calf singletrack, fence gate up drive. settled on deck with T and it was 4.55. a well spent 2 hours, i reckon.

Last day of 2011, a ride of 2 rides more down than up.

Family drive to Akaroa for a look-see, so chucked the bike on the back, and they dropped me at the Okains/Robinson's/Summit intersection, where i coincidentally met Aaron and a couple of his mates all on their roadbikes up from Okains. We rode together up the Summit Rd a wee ways then i peeled off down an incredibly overgrown double fenceline into Robinsons. Started out with a longer bushy section than i remembered from dealing with it during a cold foggy wet Cyclic Saga in '99 with Paul DeSpa. I nearly went over the bars in here, cos of the long grass hiding the ruttedness, but quite fun, most of the grass at least as tall as my axles, some as high as my wheels, and the seedhead stalks higher than my bars! Quite slow going really, with intermittant clay-ey bits allowing a brief burst of velocity, and then got much better right near the bottom where the trail was nice dry clay surface, and some good rough speed could be enjoyed. Vastly different from my previous experience in '99 when i was belly on seat legs out like trimaran pontoons both wheels sliding in mucky greasy grass and mud...

Then it was onto narrow seal and more fast descending before the flat of the valley, then the main road, round the waterfront and up a small hill, overtaking a guy on a roady (who'd ridden from Papanui and was still to ride back(!)), then fast down into Takamatua, hung a right, and then a left up a wee gravel grunter which turned to steeeeeeep clay before meeting up with the main road again. Then it was across that and down the Old Coach Rd for a steep fast descent into Akaroa where i found a Cruiseship crowd added to the usual nutjobs that frequent Akaroa over New Years, and my family.

Interlude of play and buying fish, and fish and chips, and we escaped the loonybin and returned up Robinsons Bay Rd, left onto Summit and they dropped me at the View Hill farmtrack. Quite cool up there. Grass not so overgrown on account of some cattle, so shit needed to be avoided. Good climb to start with, but then it goes a bit messy with rocks and unrideable sections and a bit of walking eventually to a gate. I'd love to get across this top with a tool or two and strategically sculpt a rideable trail. After the gate, its a short steeep climb then onto the traversing semi-benched sheep track around the west face of View Hill. Before hitting the farm track i veered right and made my way across and onto the farm track which i took (granny most of the way) to the top. Great views, it being called View Hill for a very good reason. Then it was down down down down down. fun times. Forgot to check the time at the top, but at the gate to View Hill Rd proper (where we were just shy of couple days before), it was 15.10. Hit the trail, faster than 2 days prior because a vehicle had been up and down in between, so the grass was a little more pressed down, and i knew what to expect, and where the likely worst ruts were to watch out for. Excellent blat down the gravel, just insane speed then out onto the seal and a car coming from Longlookout gave way to me and i left them for dead in my tucked speedster coast into the valley. All heads turned as i whipped past the beach, then i huffed back up to the bach.

December 29th Pete and Teens View Hill nearly

Pete came over to the bay in the camper with teenaged Alistair and Nikau (Niko? Nico? Nicho?) and we headed out for a ride, in the morning after a bit of an evening prior, about 11.30 after the numerous girls got back from their morning constitutional. Headed round up past the church, Alistair grunting away on his singlespeed. Up up up the seal, then up the gravel and into the truly steep, then steeper. Al started walking impressively late, up under the macracarpas up the road from the crows nest.

At the top of the grovelly concreted strip (upon which i had to stop for a breather, while Pete managed to continue out the top of) we met a couple of guys on their way down. gudday gudday blah blah. they'd been to the top and asked after any similar rides about the place. i forgot to mention Mt Pearce.
The higher we went spits of rain got more and more spitty. And Alistair's hands were starting to blister from all the standing. Also, the grass got longer and longer, hiding any lurking ruts which are most common. Got just shy of the gate, and with the spits getting slightly spittier and the two boys totally stuffed, we pulled the plug and turned back down. Nice run down ensuing, gravity sucking us down the hill faster than you can say gravity sucking us down the hill faster than you can say gravity sucking us down the hill... tires picking up sticky dust, flicking it up, blinding both Al and me momentarily. I re-donned my sunnies under the big pines (it being a grey day i'd pocketted them earlier) and off we screamed downward again.

i took it pretty easy down the concrete strips cos i thought i might jump onto the off-piste stuff under the macs, and Al overtook me rocketting down ahead. I decided to stay on the gravel tho, and followed him on down. I managed a glance back and could see Pete and Nico screaming down behind us. We hit the seal and whooshed down to the church (bit of a look here), then hung a left into Lukes Rd and up and over and down and down to the back of the tennis courts, then over the fence and back up the paddock under the gum to ours.

December-twentyseventh menziesii.

Blogspot for 27th December, 2011
Christmas hols at Little Akalalaland, scorching hot day, hit the road to Menzies Bay in an attempt to exude some of the excess christmas cheer. Hefty wee climb to the top of the -over to Decanter, everytime i was tempted to go to a lower gear, i'd instead drop it down to a taller gear and stand up, a nice practice i figured might do me some good. From the top, hit the gravel down, with a shit-eating-grin dodging a farmer on his way up, i'da been over his bonnet if he'd not pulled to his left, yikes!, then through the bottom of Decanter and on up round and up and round and up and round-up, cooking, in the heat, talking to the cattle and watching a plane flying low and practising engine cut-outs, powering off, then revving up, repeat ad nauseum. At Rehutai's gates, just before the descent to Menzies, i stopped, checked out any messages, then turned back.

Nice long descent with no detours to any potential interestingnesses, tho there be many - little strips of animal singletrack meandering close-to or above the road... Rounding into Decanter Bay, dreaming about rockfalls and gravel-loss-of-controllers off heinous tumblings to rocks and sea below, and avoiding stray sheep doing's. Over the cattle stop near the bottom and i stopped for some reason. Adjusted something or other, and thought that if someone had been watching my progress they might have thought i'd crashed abruptly at the cattle stop, cos prior to disappearing behind their viewed trees i was flying, then would have failed to appear on the other side. Got going again avoiding leg-reaching onga-onga and rolled through the valleybottom hitting the climb back out. met an advertisingclad car suddenly but no others. Little sign of previous year's cape gooseberries, plants still in early growth stages. lots of lovely wild roses flowering and that smell-of-hops plant. it is resiny like hops too... tho prickly. I wonder how it'd flavour a beer. What is it, first? and, is it poisonous? (or any more poisonous than hops??).

Top of hill, into a tuck and down down down, so fast, whooshing down, standing up for air-brakes, then into a tuck for the acceleration out of a corner, finally massive airbrakes and disc brakes scrubbing enough speed off into the final hairpin and back into a tuck for the last leg down to the cattlestop.