Sunday 13th October

What a great day for a ride. The plan called for a flat ride so we could attend the Trees for Canterbury planting at Horseshoe Lake. An 8am sharp departure from Rubberjaws was called for. I (Rubberjaws) walked out the gate at 7.55 and no one was in sight so I meandered down to the corner, still no-one so I set off with music in my ears. Down Opawa onto Ensors. At Linwood Ave my phone goes, and it's English who got to my place at 8 sharp, so I wait for him and even ride back towards him. He pumped hard and when we got together blasted down to the Aranui to meet up with Geez. We 3 then pumped into the easterly and picked up Tinkerbell on the Brighton bridge. Though the park, down an alley or 2 we went and eventually came out at Broad Park. Cruised along the beach and then I led in, up and down the bumpy single and into the next stage. At a sand blow out on a hill this chick coming towards us stopped in the middle of the track and then moaned at us as we struggled pass with a comment like " ooh why don't you decide which way you are going" my reply was "stupid bitch why don't you move over to give us options". Up we went and Tinks took off his top layer at the shelter. We then pumped non stop all the way round the loop to Spencer and back to the main carpark where we stopped for 5. The lead changed a few times with Tinks, English and myself taking a role. Great ride. A road cruise around to the planting site where we helped plant 2000 native plants. Fatboy and Mellonfarmer (with Otis on the tag along) showed up too. Planting was quick and easy. All of us except Fatboy did a cruise through Horseshoe Lake with rangers permission and we split at New Brighton Rd. MF and Otis right while the original 4 went left into the bloody easterly again. Pumped to New Brighton where Tinkerbell dropped off and the remaining 3 continued on the singletrack around to Bridge St. Then into the ponds, over the electric fences, past the windsurf area, into Charlesworth Reserve and then down the cycle way to Ensors Rd where we all split. Geez Right, English to Town and I back home. A total of 52km. Loved the pump.