Nelson had a crook neck so I was out on my own tonight.
Installed new PD530 pedals (5 grams lighter than the XTs, and half the price!), oiled chain and put grease into all suspension pivots before departure. Parked same place we did last time and headed in Major 8ken Drive. Felt like a bit of an explore so rode into that catchment pond park in the gully. The track headed seriously up with numerous flights of steps and steep bits in between so there wasn't a lot of riding. Sort of told off by a dog-walker, but I reassured him I was walking my bike, and wouldn't be riding down (tho, at night, some time, might be a good one...). Last section across to Vista Pl was ok, then up this and on up the road. A nasty beasterly wind blasting across made me chuck my top on above the pylons.
Installed new PD530 pedals (5 grams lighter than the XTs, and half the price!), oiled chain and put grease into all suspension pivots before departure. Parked same place we did last time and headed in Major 8ken Drive. Felt like a bit of an explore so rode into that catchment pond park in the gully. The track headed seriously up with numerous flights of steps and steep bits in between so there wasn't a lot of riding. Sort of told off by a dog-walker, but I reassured him I was walking my bike, and wouldn't be riding down (tho, at night, some time, might be a good one...). Last section across to Vista Pl was ok, then up this and on up the road. A nasty beasterly wind blasting across made me chuck my top on above the pylons.
Up onto the singletrack then up the landing strip and up the gravel to the top. Onto the Traverse across the tops, tail wind helping me along. Overtaking a guy moaning on the side of the track just before the Lavaflow. He'd come off navigating that rock just there, and was suffering a post crash calf cramp. Good toodle round the Traverse, tail-wind, and slowly winding in a guy ahead, but not much. He was stopped at the end when I went past and straight into the trees and down to the Rabbit Paddock. Brief breather here then off down into rockgarden, then gums, my usual left hander fun blast. Tires were both feeling a little low pressured and rolly (would've been burping if tubeless), and I even heard a clunk I expected to turn into a pinchflat at the top of the gums. Luckily not (cos i still hadn't patched my tube from last week), so at the skidder site I chucked some air in both ends.
Into Spazzer's, weaving and grooving down this, then straight across and into Sneaky Ridge, fun wee drop over the rocks and down through here, spotting a guy ahead as I came into the deciduous section at the bottom. Nice pop over the jump onto Bridges, and then across and down the usual zig zaggy way, slowly gaining on some other guy (or the same ?) towards the bottom. Fang down the valley bottom and hooked a right into Hidden Valley. Man the creek crossing and climb out is a hole now - walked it, then remounted to take in the first hairpin. Balance was wonky but juuuust about cleaned the second hairpin. Good climb from there on around and up.
Finally, up onto the Old Skool. Awesome run down this, seeing someone across at the stile as I was going under the pylon, I'd caught him before the lower zig zags, overtaking and leaving him behind. Then a nice cruise down the road back to the car.
Just under 14kms, with nearly 500m altitudinal gain
HOPEfully I'll get a couple more rides in before the Annual Trip, next Friday 13th.
Into Spazzer's, weaving and grooving down this, then straight across and into Sneaky Ridge, fun wee drop over the rocks and down through here, spotting a guy ahead as I came into the deciduous section at the bottom. Nice pop over the jump onto Bridges, and then across and down the usual zig zaggy way, slowly gaining on some other guy (or the same ?) towards the bottom. Fang down the valley bottom and hooked a right into Hidden Valley. Man the creek crossing and climb out is a hole now - walked it, then remounted to take in the first hairpin. Balance was wonky but juuuust about cleaned the second hairpin. Good climb from there on around and up.
Finally, up onto the Old Skool. Awesome run down this, seeing someone across at the stile as I was going under the pylon, I'd caught him before the lower zig zags, overtaking and leaving him behind. Then a nice cruise down the road back to the car.
Just under 14kms, with nearly 500m altitudinal gain
HOPEfully I'll get a couple more rides in before the Annual Trip, next Friday 13th.
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