Sunday Stelliot Pincair Slyx Aunting

If the kids had been skiing (as planned - but, weather), or I'd communicated with T better (ie, me knowing that I didn't need to 'rush' back home to 'parent'), I had been planning to take the Fatty in the back of the car to the planting then heading to Mt Grey for to ride it, then was possibly going to head further north for a visit to the Sanctuary. 

Instead I ebiked to the Elliot Sinclair sponsored planting, planted lots of plants with some very nice people, scoffed a couple sossies, then ebiked home via a slightly different, and surprisingly (slightly) longer, route.  Going, I took Strickland - Antigua - Rolleston - Hagley Park (where there was a running race clusterfucking the bikeway, making me ride on the grass which made my bungy unhook which could have caused all sorts of carnage for me.  Rossall St, then up the Railtrail allll the way, and beyond, up the gravel block, into an assortment of wee park trails to Regent Spark, straight to the planting.

Fun riding at walking speed through to the actual site, til it got too soft of dirt...

Then Homewards, same route back through Regent Spark, but at Sawyer Sarms Rd followed that bike route through Pap, Rutland, Trafalgar to complete the entire length of Colombo home.  

15ish kms there, 16ish kms home again

Thursday Night Windy Pleasant Greenwood

Blowy evening's ride tonight.  Nelson and me met at Parkridge and headed around and up, over the fence where the bath used to be and across.  I was really gasping, struggling with the climbing and breathing, mainly due to sleep and maybe hayfever issues.  Bloody annoying tho, considering how I'd been feeling like I was doing alright when riding on my own...  Maybe it's just cos Nelson's that much quicker, I was pushing to keep up.  Anyway, up Britten, then across into the gale and over up Broadleaf where he took a call to organise his weekend, and on up the gravel to the radio towers.  Still plenty of light til this point, I think I took my sunnies off up here.  

Dropped over into the descent, a good blast, but man she's getting bony, and the wind was pushy at times, good on the tail, but from the side - nearly off course a couple times in the tussocks.  Down to the start of Greenwood, we hung a left out the original entry across, pushing hard into the wind around and then dropped into Sheep Shit Alley, tail wind dropping down nicely nicely and around into some shelter from the wind beyond the pines.  Sat and took in the view of the ships and sunset lightings with a snack.  

Into the traverse across towards the ruins, up the bastard climby cornerers up to Greenwood again.  Lights on medium to start, and dropping in.  Wind, Rocks, Visibility, I was struggling.  One point I clipped a rock and it nearly stopped me dead, the impact resonating right up through my bones and jarring me something wicked.  Was almost like I'd blacked out for a moment, and nearly threw me off.  Helluva shock.  Picked up the pace a bit after that around, catching Nelson as he squirrelled on an angled rock, then he dropped me across towards Gloomy and obviously had a great run through there, ditching me.  I didnt, rocks fatiguing me, but got my groove back on the steeper descent, popped the drop at the bottom and Nelson was waiting for me here.  Into the lowers, Dave'sZone, blasty blasty, good pace down and out.  Gale winds massive at the bottom just before Evans in those last corners.

Up the road, lonnnnnnggg grind, then into Britten where I led for a change and we had a good blast all the way down, wind died down a bit now, but still pretty strong on the final face.  Super bony down to and under the pylon, and finishing at the cars.

Windy windy ziggy zaggy, 14 kms with 611 m gained.

Monday Super-short Quick Single69

Commiserating the end of Lock Down (ish) with T by bunking off work (a little) and taking a nice walk in the afternoon.  

Then later, after chucking the 29r wheel on the front of the singlespeed BFe Cotic I got out and went for a quick short blat with Go-go on O's bike.  He struggles with asthma so was a wheeze'n'cough on the way up, but it was only to the dogparkcarpark to come back down all the not-so- and new singletrack.  Sweet wee blast.  Riding up the hill on the singlist was sweet, and the 29r front end sure felt nice.  

Looks enormous here! MOdeRn gEoMEtRy!

Geometry is better with that, but - next step is get a 180 disc (or two) and then I can run the 27.5+ wheel off T's bike in there and have some 'squish'.

Not even 2 kms, and 61 metres elevated.

Sunday Locals Climb Descend (climb, descend)

Crappy night's sleep, worrying about Legionaire's Disease, of all things, after gardening / compost on Saturday, also maybe hayfever.  Anyway, was after 11 by the time I made it out the door and up the hill.

Up Vic Park Drive as usual, steady pace, by-passing my '19th' detour staying on the road then up through the skidder and straight into the grunter climb.  Good pace up this too, muscle memory working well, keeping the puff and chuff at reasonable levels.  Up through the top and into Thomsons #1, (after waiting for a walking family).  Fun bomb down through here, then easy climb out, coast down road and bombed into the second, feeling the grip down through the trees and felling smooth.  

Down through the Kiwi ("huh, it's open," I thought) and up the Summit Rd, round up Worsleys and up to top of the Nun where I needed a rest.  Another (older) guy was here and we chatted a bit, then I launched off, enjoying the fang.  Boney, but bomby.  Felt good for most of the way, but always the rocky sections before the GromPark crossing wore me down.  Into the lowers, could hear either the guy or another dude on the trail above, so I kept the pressure on.  Into the lowest Gnarly section shortcut then the proper Lower nun, rolling and popping and bombing it nicely, eventually clambering out the end, and back through under the Kiwi.  

Up the road to top of Vic, dropped into the good flow, around for the jumps, 3 groms bombing through below me, following them over the jumps (they didn't do the 2nd one which I do now), the peeled over the see-saw and entered Brake Free, one of the groms having to bail up for me (I apologised), then peeled out to head down through the gums.  Over the rocks, into the trees, dropping down my usual fun way, bomba bomba bomba, exit through the gift-shop over to Skidder, climbing the middle road over through to about Shrooms, watching and listening to other bikers all bombing through these DH tracks in here, then riding back and dropping into, for the first time, Upper Rad^Sick, not really knowing where it would take me.  With a bit of practice I might pop most of these jumps, but took the nana lines on each, and ended up down on the 4WD track, climbed and dropped over to the right, into the track that's kinda parallel to Dazza's (but before it on the way up).  Nice steep tech, fun roots, drops you out at the Rad^Sick zone, so climbed back up Access tracks back to skidder, over Skidder into the tail out below the road to 19th.  

Below 19th, dropped into the old bike track, down round up onto our walking route, out to corner of road, and up to loos for a coast down the road.  Straight into 235, hooning through this, taking the new line to the left all the way down, loose!, then walking back up it cutting over to the main line, across the oaks, and into the new route here, following it across the walking track (H.Ell access) all the way to it's end out onto Harry Ell proper on Dyers Pass Rd.  Climbed a short steep (dragged my bike up) section to the Vic Park Drive, and bombed home.

A gratifying 11.57 kms, with 375 m altituded.

Thursday Early Tops Refresher 1st Ride of Spring

Awake at 6.30, got up and got out the door at 3 minutes to 7.  Usual climb up, doing alright, gasping like usual up the grunter.  Low clouds just above the dog park skudding pink in the dawn's early highlights.  Stormy and grey to the west, and gale winds found once up on the Traverse and heading around to the saddle below Sugarloaf.  Howling across the saddle, head-on while approaching then pushing me along afterwards.  All the way along, facing the same problems, gale head, then tail winds at various points.

Up over Vernon, lovely push along to start with, then on the Rapaki side, gravity barely holding out against the wind near the bottom, and pushing sideways across the top.  Into Witch and good technical ability shining through, one dab crunching front spokes.  Stopped at the high point briefly, out of the wind, and took in the view.  On down cruise cruise, then stayed on the road because the cross wind along here was too insane, til I was well up under the Tors.

Top of Castle was a respite briefly, then dropped in, speed-factor-warp, blazing down the trail, feeling super good, weaving the good weave, with a pause at the hairpin.  Off at a cruise but pumping more speed up before the next before another cruise into the climb, cleaning nicely and then just meandering around to the end.  Straight into the climb, wind all around, back up to the top of Castle, and clambered up onto Tors track.  8am on the dot up here...  Into this and the sun came out and was glorious.  Stopped just below where I usually dab, but didn't to get this.

Down onto the road and bypassing the squirrelly singletrack above the road (on account of the wind) and stuck to the Summit Rd battling the wind back to Witch Hill. Up the climb, over around and down to Rapaki top, sticking to the road again up and around, horrendous wind as I approached the Traverse.

Onto this last blast around the top, winds again, but sunshine at least.  Low clouds to the west.  Top of Vic, across, all the jumps, the second one actually completing properly for once, then See Saw, Brakefree to start, cutting out onto the rabbit paddock down through the rocks and bombing through the gums.  Out to Skidder, climbing up over the 19th dropping down and around the road into 235, bomb bomb bomba, trying out a new line across the next bit to Harry Ell extension, road, up onto our wee trail behind the stone sunset chair, final blast to driveway, and home.  It poured with rain about a half hour after I got home, so, lucky I missed that!

A pulchritudinous 19.67 kms with 728 m climbed.

Sunday Fatty Mucker, on new rubber

Spent a little time installing Surly Nates on the Fat bike.  Bought them years ago but have been waiting for the Vee Rubber H-Billies to wear out a bit more.  They're only the 'cheap' ones, 27tpi (nothing flash) but man are they tractor tires!  3.7, so a little smaller than the 4.25 Vees that were on it.  This turned out to be rather good.  More round profile, they don't 'self-steer' like the Vees did - with extra air in them, they ride up more on the centre knobs, less friction.  

Time to take them out for a smash.  I'd pumped them pretty hard (over 10psi!) to 'pop' them onto the rims, so it felt easy to ride for a start, up the gravelly path just above the road, then onto the dirt one through the trees.  Really mucky up near the top of this and the big teeth really gripped in here.  Then onto the road on up through to Ranger Station and up onto my 19th detour, clambering up the rocky edge track for a pic, drizzle drifting through, 

then down to the skidder and up the guts (following a guy who was walking his bike, but not making any headway on him).  Through Brake Free and stopped to release a little air, then up through Worm and back across to Thompson's #1.  Released more air here before dropping in, immediately meeting a triplet of E-bikers, then nice comfy blast down, tonnes of grip, around, onto road, into Thomson's #2, blast, grip, climb.  Road to Kiwi, up to first saddle and off over the left, dropping into Governor's track.  Tech rock, bit of ping, a few dabs (for fear of 'runaway biiiike') then nice cruise around, and into the climb up the back, steep in places, walked one wee bit, but cleaned with stops the rest, stopping to chat to T on phone and Doug briefly too.  

Rounded out the top and crossed the road to the Nun, riding pretty good, only 2 bad puddles, and the tires worked pretty good at gripping and suspending.  Definitely better than the old ones.  Across the Kiwi again and up the road, into top Thompson's, climbing up to Vic-top.  Usual way in, bypassing the main jump then taking easy way down to cattlestop and down the (wet) rabbit paddock, through the rock garden, back and forth in the gums, usual route, lotsa fun, then out the bottom and down to the 19th gate - having to wait here for umpteen riders and walkers coming through (heesh), including Nik's bro David (oh, and the dude working on top of Old Skool I talked to earlier in the week, with his whole fit mtbiking family and heavy tools onboard).

Down the road, meeting Tra'y in the Dog Park for a bit then agreeing to meet her and Jet over the bottom corner.  I peeled out into the 235 trail dropping through for lots of fun, taking the new left line part way down that's been extended (I'd walked down it a couple days before, finding it a dead end), able to push through to the oaks, climbing back up and over to meeting T and J.  From here we, walking pace, down to Harry Ell Drive and around home.

Not a bad little 9.5 kms, with 377 m climbed

Thursday Morning Early Start on Empty

Up the hill in the crack of dawn, for a (on the map) U shaped there and back again.

Clamber clamber, usual route, up the road, 19th, Skidder, and grunter, Brakefree, then Worm...  The sun was just up, skimming behind and above the hills as I climbed.  Onto the Traverse into it, cruising on an empty stomach (practicing 16:8 intermittent fasting now).  Met 3 teens oncoming, then a runner, and that was pretty much it.  

Top of Fourpause/HuntsDH I paused before dropping in for a storming sesh, catching the first jump good, second jump kicked my tail up badly, then third and fourth both perfect.  On down the ridge on the singletrack, peeling across through the cattlestop (where we used to climb over) and then started explorations for the Rocky Ridge track entrance, meandering through tussocks and rocks, finding it, sorta following it then climbing on it's zig zag up the back of the knoll.  Took a pic back at Vic Park from here and one down the way I was to ride.  

Tech rocks, down this then onto the DH again, jump, not-jump, jump, cop and dog, through the cattlestop and new line, rock jump, wooden jump, back on mainline then, huh, what's this?  short cut, avoiding a couple jumps then into the curves and jumps down down, spotting a couple of climbing riders, then down finishing on the final drop.  A few people down here on their way up the main drag.  I headed over to the new climber Nelson and me are instigating, other tire treads in evidence.  Granny climb, up under pylons and then zig and zag in tussocks up onto main DH, then through c'stop and across to the farmtrack climb and up onto the main singletrack to finish up to the landingstrip and final climb, catching the slower of the two riders I'd seen before.

Into the Traverse, sun behind me, great bomb around, feeling plenty of power all the way.  Into the Vic Pines and across, jump, jump, bypass see-saw and first curves of Brake Free then out to Rabbit paddock, tight right after the cattlestop to top of Gum's Pines, dropping down 'new' line then the rest of the way the usual, carrying excellent speed all the way through.  Out the bottom, out to 19th, down road, easy going cruise coast, then into 235, bomb bomb, muck muck, climbing, right, left, behind houses final hoon, and home. 

Glorious day, 13.7 kms ridden, 495 m altituded.

Tuesday Working(-out) From Home

Afternoon bit of exercise skiving off working from home... 

Headed up the usual way, road, 19th, skidder, grunter, Worm onto the Traverse.  Fucktonnes of people around, bloody 'lockdown bubble bursters' and I bet none were truly local... Across the Traverse, pulling over for various riders, mostly in ones or twos, tho one dad seemed to have about 4 or 5 teens in tow.  Pulled up and had a nice rest at the top of Huntsbury DH aka Fourpause.  

Dropped in, nor'wester pushing across-wise, jumping, flowing and pumping, on down, dropping over the edge towards Old Skool.  Into the steeps, dropping the first one and then around to the one I don't seem to be game on anymore, and I heard a shout from above.  "new track up here!" so pushed back up to there and chatted with the dude who had a couple of grubbers and was pushing in a new line from just above the first drop-over.  Nice.  Two other fellas pulled up, gave it a blast and then I followed after, reeling them in by the time I was down in the lower off cambers.  Anyway, new line is nice, back and forth a bit, a couple of nice dropovers, but nothing too hefty, and comes back in just at the bottom of the scary dropchute.  On down, catching the other two on Old Skool and then all of us catching up to a guy who was really struggling with the pressure on him.  I peeled left, up valley, at the end and the evil climbing began.  

Ugh.  Up Up Up, then up some more.  Tried out a little something below the 23 footer (texaco?) then kept climbing, passing a couple young'uns walking (one with a Zerode!), then at the 40 a woman came down shazz's and I caught up to her as she was walking up to Raceline crossing, greetings shared, I continued on and she headed down.  Looked like a very capable rider.  Up some more to Skidder and through this over to the usual sidler down to 19th, down the road, into the dog car park, peeling freely (no cars!), then turn turn, bomb bomb, down into the greeeaaasey oaks, then climb up onto road, up to microwave tower for the final blast down behind the houses, avoiding the wet spots quagmire, which resulted in not enough speed for any air.  Down to home, Mint.

Just under 12 kms, with just over 500 m climbed, not bad.

Saturday E-dventure to Bellbird with Go

On Locked-down Saturday, needling Gogo to get out for some stretching of legs, I convinced him to go for an E ride.  We headed up Vic Park, easy cruising compared to my usual huff and chuff, after the toilets, below the infocentre we were rounding down through the corner on the smooth seal and a dad came flying around the corner, cutting it, then followed his daughter TOTALLY cutting it, right when we were apexing!  Holy shit it was close, I screamed "IN COMING!!! For FUCK'S Sake!" we all skidded, somehow missing any contact (I was envisaging total carnage of my front rack ploughing into her forks and mangling, us colliding and hitting the pavement), and continued on.  She was pretty shaken I'm sure, looking back she took a second or three to regain composure and get riding again.  Hopefully learned a lesson - just cos there's no cars on the road (gates shut at each end) there ARE other users around!

Around and into the Skidder site, carrying speed as best as possible into here, I managed to climb higher than last time we came up this way, but still couldn't keep power or traction to get much higher.  Walking, pushing heavy e bike til it levelled off a little and I got riding again, breathing much harder now.  H managed to carry his tall gear all the way up, no problem at all.  Up through the Brakefree zone, SO many people around.  We were witnessing, I think, much breaching of lockdown rules, with obviously-not-the-same-bubble kids hanging out with each other.  We tootled around and straight into Thompson's number one, techy (on this bike) down across the hill.  H got mud in the eye, then we rounded out onto the road and bombed it to the Kiwi.  Again, here, tonnes of people, including a group of teenage boys with road bikes all perched over the side of the road hanging out, breaching bubbles, little shits.  

Summit Rd was good, tail wind, chilly easterly, pushing us along on our (already) tail-wind machines.  Nice cruise around to the Bellbird where we stopped and took in the sights then turned back.  Hellishly cold head wind from Kennedy's, having to actually push into it down hill, ice-cream headache forming, ugh!  Same down past worsley's and into Kiwi (teen roady breachers still in full effect), finally out of the worst of the wind climbing up to top of Vic again.  Dropped in and down to Rabbit paddock, more teen this time mountainbiker breachers, hello to Mel and son, and on down, having to hold back down the 4wd due to walkers, finally letting go the brakes past them and rushing down into the Skidder.  Out to the road, and bombsville home.   

Just over 15 assisted kms, with 471 m of easy altitude.  A nice cruise with nice views on a nice day.

Thursday Locked Down Up and Back Rigid Single Quickster

Quick blast up to top of Vic on the BFe SS. 

Good climbing, standing and chuffing, getting the rhythm going nicely, finally taking a seat around the dog park car park, and riding with a guy on a Marin Pine Mountain (new 29r steel hardtail) who I'd been slowly winding in.  I peeled off to head up to Skidder and up the guts.  Got a wee way up then off to walk.  Just for the fun of it I decided to take the diagonal path to the right, crossing Sesame St and taking me up into the middle of the Gums where I found a way up (that could be marginally rideable?) climbing above where I hatchetted the tree and up that dh bit in the pines out the top.  Through the cattlestop to rabbitsville, climbing up this, finding it not as wet as when I got sideways on the fatty the other day.  A lot of people about, how many live local? I wondered...  

Into the pines (nice late afternoon lighting) 

and across the Worm, then turning back, across and down, over the See Saw, pumped through first BrakeFrees and out, down the soggy Rabbit paddock, rock garden and across back and funtimes down the gummies.  On down the trail below here, greasy, then out 19th, coasting down the road, into the 235/UpperDogParkNewby, good to start then mucky suck hole down below.  Last climb out and tire-clearing down the road, home.

Four and three quarter kilometres, with 166 m climbed. 

Sunday Fatty Mucking

Quick ride this afternoon. Headed out on the fat bike.  

Up through Vic, up the gutser through Brake Free, onto Worm and onto the Traverse.  Cruised around this as far as Four Pause /  Huntsbury DH, checking out the car below the track that'd scuffed a big chunk of track out.  I'd heard the chopper rescuing these fucktards on Friday night, flew over at 2.30 am, and could hear it hovering til it flew back over at 3.00am.  

At the top of Four Pause I debated with myself the pros and cons of heading down that.  The cons won, and I turned back, bombing back across the Traverse nice and smooth.  Into Vic trees, across and down the Rabbit Paddock, greasy af, got sideways in the worst spot, then over the cattlestop and into the Gummies, across and down my usual favourite.  Out to skidder and into Shazza's, bopping and grinding down this then straight into the climb past the 40fter, back up to skidder, then over and into the wee finishing track out to the 19th.  

From here, down the road and into 235, which some mongs have put little rock jumps in (Dumb), and then it was greeeaaasy mucky fucking quagmire, and even worse in the Oaks.  Climbed out and cleared the tires with speed down Vic Park Rd...  

Around an hour all told, dead on 10 kms, with 350 m climbed.

Thursday Night Captain Windy Sketchville

Awesome ride tonight.  

Met Nelson at Slumnervale and we headed into the Closed Captain Thomas.  Not too greasy, a few wet spots, ie, too wet to ride down, but fine going up without destroying the trail.  Gasping for air as usual, we stopped at the top of the hairpins and I really struggled to breathe.  Didn't help that I could SEE the motes of pollen in the air either...  Up through the rocky sections, I walked once or twice - grease and rocks getting the better of me or my lungs not up to capacity.  Upper section was good and we made the road.  

Headed up into the Godley, but once up the nasty rocksection we got our clamber-walk on and pushed up the ridge fenceline walking track, wind starting to pick up a bit as we climbed this exposed section.  Some riding, some pushing and eventually made the top.  Short break and around the top over the edge towards the darkness that was the harbour.  Nelson found it entirely unfamililar thinking he'd never ridden it before but I knew he had, last year even, and before that in 2017.  Neat drop down, not as techy as I recalled, but around the back heading across towards Livingston it was pretty greasy, water running on the track a bit.  Bomb down the ridge to Livingston Col and familiarity returned.  Out Godley from here, good riding, with only the final paddock to the cattlestop at the end the usual quagmire which we attempted to skirt widely after pfmtbc rock.  Stopped at Breeze Col in the 'breeze' (read, gale), and watched as several spaced out riders came down the road and past us. 

We dived into the OG Godley, below the road, and headed outwards.  It's been tidied and benched better and rode pretty well, very few wetspots.  At the road end we headed up the 4wd track towards our bunker, wind pushing at us hard making the climb harderer than it would normally be.  Then across and over the stile onto Breeze Bay track.  I ducked behind some tussocks here cos the wind was doing my head in.  Nice break and snack here then off around the track, out of the wind, spectacular riding, easy going cruisey as.  Into the teeth of the gale at the stile here, nearly blown off, and pushing hard into the wind to get to the road.  Then it was back along the Godley Head Road, pushing hard into the gale, but once, eventually, around above the new Escape trail we got the tail wind pushing us uphill to Livingston, nearly plucking us from the bikes across there, then a bit of work up the rest to the Para-launch place, into the wind around then pushed all the way back down to Evans.

Down into Rapanui bush, definitely ridden it wetter in the past, and techy goodness around to Scarbluffs track.  This was tricky with the wind, and felt dangereux with the exposure, but mostly a pretty good run out across towards Scumner then dropping down the tricky hairpins, water running down the track towards the road.  Across and over for the last blast down below the road, fun times had.

An interesting and quite spectacular 16.44 kms, with 701 m climbed.

Sunday Summit Hailing McTrollface

Wintry blast teeming through so got out for a gravel roady on the Troll.  Up Vic Park Drive, then through the Skidder and up the gutser, walking most of this - gearing and tires overwhelmed.  Brief chat to an old friend Doug up here, then on up through Brake Free and up to the top Thompson.  Down this singletrack, good fun, then up onto the road and a nice coast down to the Kiwi.

Across the Dyer's and up, up around Marleys, onwards out the summit.  All fine, no snow, but lo! - Bradley and Herbert were dressed in white about a third down from their summits, right across the tops there.  Further round I could see low on the plains as well - Oxford / Sheffield kinda ways, and squalls marching across the plains too.  After a nice descent I pulled into the Bellbird and had a snack and tidied a little of my clothing for warmth.  Big hail storm came in, so I was in the perfect place for it.  It buttoned off a little and I hit the road again, not really knowing how far I might go, and at one point even considering all the way down Gebbies to Motukarara and taking the rail-trail back to Lincoln, Taitapu and back round, but figured it'd be well dark by the time I made it home from that adwenture and my lights were already showing the red spots of low battery.  

Continued along the summit, climbing into the wind, descending into the wind, the occasional sheltered bit.  Popped up to check out the Living Springs summit, had a wee look in the bush track on the top there  ("rescuing" a seedling for my garden).  Rode again.  Hail again.  Eventually, Gibraltar Rock hove into view, and Omahu Bush, which I'd never explored before.  Popped down into the top zigs, parked the bike and walked (and slipped) down to the bush edge.  Bumped into Douglas again here, I swear the dude was following me, random.  Looks to me like there could be some good riding in this Bush, at night perhaps... Hail through again while I was in the bush.  

Back on the road, headed for home, tail wind (tho not so's you'd notice), more down than up.  Saw another (gravel or road bike?) rider at that water fountain thingy.  Moved a (dead) possum off the road a bit for the hawks.  Up and down, hail storms coming along and moving on.  Some lovely long rolling coasts, then easy ups.

At the Kiwi I could see the traffic was just starting to move, green light, so I bombed down, then they seemed to be stopped, one car having trouble, so I passed them all and jumped in behind the one car that made it past these guys who were struggling and so I had the whole length between the lights and beyond to myself.  Peeled right into Vic Park Drive, Climby McClimbface up to the 19th and then rolling home free, some good speed on that final descent, then brake checking hard and into the driveway.

23.43 kms Trolled with 772 altitudes.

Sunday Planton Bradley

Met for the 8.50am sailing to the Harbour of Diamonds.  I arrived to find the Bush team and Pete already on the wharf, then Nelson and Kirsty rolled up once we were on board.  

From DH we headed up and proceeded around the road.  At Whero St I said, "lets go up to the high road" (not knowing that Whero was a dead end, but then discovering at the top a nice singletrack that led all the way up.  Nelson and Kirsty disappeared.  She'd stopped to delaminate and when they got going again couldn't figure out where we'd gone...  ooops.  Never de-group guys.  Pete jetted down, couldn't see them, jetted back up and we proceeded around Bay View, steep down followed by bloody steep up that nearly killed me given my Troll gearing.  Up under Elaine's house and then it was mostly down from there, down into that nice Hunter Reserve valley, short climb then bombing down down down, Pete and me (J9 taking it easy and Steve sticking with her) to the main road and around to Andersons to regroup.  

Nelson and Kirsty turned up with the Bushes again and we all rode together up over Andersons', fast bomb down the last with Pete in the lead, onto the main road and into Orton Bradley.  The planting was just off the main route in after the tollbooth, off up to the left on a very muddy (to start with) track through oaky forest out to some farm country - a small gully being fenced around a creek.  Chucked a bunch of trees in the ground meeting some nice people, then back to the School Room and a cuppa then back on the road again.

Around the road and a steady pace, Pete and me out in the lead.  Above the yacht club we took the wee walk track drop down and up then steps and stopped for a regroup.  Then climb climb climb around and some nice downs back to DH, getting down to the cafe just before the 12 o'clock ferry was ready to leave, Bushes and Pete bombed and caught it while I waited for Nelson and Kirsty and we caught the half hour later one, 12.30.

Forgot to start the MMR til we were up top of the Whero singletrack, about 1km in and 120m alt, but the rest of it was 11.85 kms over 270m climbed (so, total 13 kms, 390 up). (mmr website playing up at this point)

Thursday Night Taylor's Escape and some Snake

Nelson and me met in Taylor's.  It was not as cold as expected, but the wind had a little bite in it.  

We headed up the new Escape track.  Mostly in very good nick, the new benching really helps, but the deep gully is dank and soggy.  Gonna need a little boardwalk maybe, or a bridge and some re-direction.  Good climb; kept a good pace most of the way, I was feeling better and even breathing better than I'd expect given the lurgy that's sitting in my lungs still.  More switchbacks than we'd remembered.  Stopped at the road and yarned and watched a couple riders heading down towards Livingston Col.  After they'd passed above us (while we rode along the road to the Col) we got on the trail and hung a right, out above the major exposure and along the walking track.  Climbed this surprisingly well too, tho just prior to the first hairpin got the better both of us - Nelson via traction, me via lung capacity.  

Over the stile and into the descent, steps and besides, me not trusting the grease factor, which had the potential for offness.  Good blast tho, and then right across Col, fun tech, to the Breeze Bay track.  We climbed this cruising around, it ending sooner than I expected, over the ladder-stile, and out onto the lookout bunker roof.  Neither of us jumped from it this night.  

I led us into the skinny track, around, very tight, good skillzone, then into the bomb down back to Breeze Col.  Then we decided to climb up Godley to above the new entrance to Anaconda, nice climb still feeling good tho my legs were starting to tire.  Over the fence and dropped down choosing an interesting way down to the Conda and then Nelson led the way, bomb bomb, bomby bomb.  Great run down, tho not the fastest ever, cautiousness getting the better of me on the damp clay surface.  No slop, surprisingly.  

Long break chatting overlooking the sea here, then into the Tail, for a final blast back to the cars. Good tech.  

Felt like further than 9.6 kms, with a reasonable 386 m climbed.

Sunday Bottle Jet Single

After a week and a half of being sick with a bad cold, and 2 weeks of no rides, finally got out for a spin.

 Had a beverage pick up to make in Burwood so took the dog and the BFe SS out to Bottle Lake.  Headed in the middle and hung the leftish route to keep it short for the tired old dog.  Through the grown up trees, into the tall forest past the pond then on through, Jet keeping a good steady speed the whole way.  Out, around and along the middle front, all familiar trails, albeit with taller trees than even last year's Fat bike outings.  

Along muddy road and into a brand new trail to the left, opposite the trail from Spencerville.  Rolled through this, through two sections of forest, then onto a road for a long haul west, down to what used to be known as Andrew's Favourite, all the good bits in between now decimated.  Through this dark forest, Jet slowing down a little, but still steady as he went.  Then, intersection, options rightish, through what was a new section a few years ago, or leftish into newer forest, kinda following old ways but all newer trail, which i took as it's shorter.  Wound around this for a while and eventually out.

A reasonable, easy 10 kms, spectacularly 89 m climbed, for a happy dog and a recovering sicko.

Sunday Parking Lots

Met Nelson at a ridiculously full CAP carpark and we climbed the climby Uphill climb, steep bugger tho it is, good for a while and I kinda held my own almost all the way to the Worsley.  Obviously riding to and from work everyday (albeit on the Ebike) and a few extra mtb rides than him is benefiting me slightly.  

Into Worsleys and it really was the worst lees.  Bumped into Rowan (a wilding-pine colleague) walking her dog and her man, and then we grunted off up the climb.  The Body Bag got the better of both of us eventually, me waaaay sooner than Nelson - I thought he was gonna make it for a second there, but gravity and traction got the better of him.  

Up the temporary permafrost to the top of the Nun, we stopped for a bite to eat.  Into the slick and dodgy, me in the lead, never quite trusting it the traction on dampened tires, potential for ice, and slick rocks.  We talked about it later and both agreed the trail is getting tired - lack of use up top and over use below.  Through the muppetsville crossings and then joinings of the Adwenture Park, catching up to a few peops on the lower Nun, then diving into Old Dyers, aka Choir Boy, singing for our supper.  Pulled up just round the valley cos Nelson's bike was making weird rattly noises.  Not really sure what it was, but we set off rolling again and progressed fast enough rolling to overtake a couple on the roll, no pedalling involved, then down through the new 'features' and out to the top of Pork'n'Puha.  

Nelson gapped his way in while I took the nanna way in, and all the other nanna lines next to gaps the rest of the way down.  Good to see the top of 3rd Base again, been a while, then left into the new to me Pork and Puha.  Bomby bomb bomb droppy dropping down, back and forth, down, and then rolly roll pop out down the bottom, catching up to multiple other riders who looked faster than they were.  We definitely more than held our own speed-wise against all the gromlins.  

A sweet spin, with lots of exertion expended.  Kinda similar distance to yesterday, 9.8 kms, with a measly 425 m climbed (compared to what it felt like).

Saturday Victorius

Quick spin up down and up.   Up the road from home, and dropped down the connector just before the Dog Park, climbing up 235.  Up through 19th, then up the gutser, chuggalug, all the way to the top.  Around and down, yumpity yump, then see-saw, top end of #nuBrakeFree and then out and down Rabbit to Rocks, Gums #MyWay, across the Skidsville and into the Shazz.  Poppity Pop down here, a squizz at the Sick and then ploughing through the Brent, long time since last time.  Out of the woods and across Flow, a few mucky splotches, around and down, nuBridges all the way down.  

Hidden Valley Bonus climb, said closed, but it's been a while since rain so figured it'd be fine.  Steep bugger forest, good clean then around and into descendy mode.  Untrusting of slick so careful careful bopping and popping my way down.  A few walkers climbing, but no other riders (people abiding the signs?).  Straight into the climb back up Bowenvale valley, usual chuckles, then into Kfucking2.  Managed it, but did stop when it slightly levelled before the last few metres to the turn-off to the right.  That sidle was good, then the 23fter, and more nasty grunt, possibly the worst spot, good to the pylon, then more yuck, then a bunch of folk at the 40, and more shitty climbing.

Over the Skidder and into my usual connector, bopping on down to 19th then rolling rolling rolling down the road and into the 235, bomb slick bomb (kinda chasing another dude who rolled through the carpark at the same time, but I never saw him after I said You go first...

Down the road, tire cleaning, and home.  A worthwhile 10 and a half kms, up 437 m.

Monday Night Head Fix Short'n'Sweet

Missed any riding opportunities in the weekend so took off for a quick jaunt as soon as I got home from work.  

Headed up the road into Vic Park, dropping down the wee access track towards Harry Ell that I usually ride up from the 235, taking this in reverse for the first time.  Mucky as hell under the oaks, and blew the steepest corner but climbed out the rest, surprised at how quick/short it was.  Up the road to 19th divert around the top and over to the skidder site, straight into the gutsy climb.  Up across Brakefree and up through the pines to the top of Vic.  

Downhill mode engaged, dropped around and down, over the jumps, past the see-saw and down the Rabbit Paddock into the rockgarden entry of Gums, bombing around, shortcutting down a line that hasn't seen much action, back around and down my lefty fun blast down and out, across to the skidder, and dropped into Dazza's (rather than Shazza's) for a change.  Not nearly as 'dangerous' as I thought it was, popped all the drops no problem at all and took a rather rooty line down and out to the 40footer. 

Brief look down at the first jump on Rad^Sick and thought, "yeah, could probably do that no probs," but not tonight, and rode on up, climbing climbing climbing out to skidder, dropping back over to where I'd come out of the gums, dropping down out to the road, then below the road and walking tracking it back up to the corner avoiding Tawhairanui (likely mucky af), down the road, into 235 dropping down nicely, careful across the greasy oak leaves, and up to the road for the final bomb down the seal, cleaning the tires centripetally.

Nice wee 5.6 kms, with a smidgen under 200m climbed.

Thursday Night Fatty and Skinny Along the Top

Cool ride tonight... Literally, quite cool when we left.  Nelson had his Scott, and I was on the Fatty for a change.  

Rode up the walking track next to Vic Park Rd, up into the 19th and had a bit of a walking explore around up there at the top to see where all the trails went, finding one we'd done with the gheybois a couple years back, and making mental notes of the access route.  On through the Skidder, following a red flashing light ahead, Nelson catching her (Mel), and me grovelling up behind gasping for air.  Took the worm to the top where her and a dude were hanging, then we hung a right back to the top of Vic road, crossed to the walking track to that shelter and climbed up to the carpark on Sugarloaf.  

Onto Cedric's track across (I'd done this route a few months back on the fatty), which was all good chuffing.  Feels good to be on singletrack that is unfamiliar.  Tricknical over the fence where it meets Gilpins, with super slick rocky sections, then short up to the carpark, across this and onwards along the craterrim track, no recollection of ever riding it in this direction.  The 2nd section, into the bush, walked a bunch, rode some, good times, been vastly improved from what it was years ago when we used to ride it of a night, occasionally.  The 'tech' bit that dropped down to the road has been majorly tamed and was all rideable (where 10 years ago it wouldn't have been in these conditions).  Across along and up onto the Scott's Knob section.  Again, some rooty walking then all good riding, fun cruise through to the top of Huntsbury Track.

For a change, we climbed up the back of Vernon, pushing the last steeply rocked to the  top.  Then over and super technical switchback city, with waaay too much exposure, and finally a controlled braking blast down to Rapaki-top.  Back onto Vernon track and climbing, huffing and chuffing around the way to the top, across onto Traverse and a nice cruisey flow around this, the new 'dumbing down' of it actually performing as desired in these conditions, making it truly, "all weather."  Bit mucky as we approached Sugarloaf, but beyond that, not bad.  I found a tube and it's strap at the jumpy flow section before the final flat to Vic.  

Into Vic, and down to the rabbit paddock, into the rockgarden, and down through the gums.  Nice riding, fatty feeling pretty good the whole way infact.  Before we'd left, I'd topped up the air to 'just moving the dial' and so they felt quite hard.  Realised I should have changed into the Surly tires I have, they'd grip good in the mud soft dirt.  Down the trail below the skidder, out to 19th, onto the trail below the road, popping up onto the walking route then down Tawhairanui, mostly good surface til the very end, ugh.  Then decided to bomb down the road instead of '235' because it would be greeaasy, and the road speed would clean off our tires.  Hosed bikes at mine.

A very enjoyable 12.4 kms, with a surprising 466 m climbed.