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...