Sunday 30th jan

Bugs, Tinkerbell, Texas, Sandals and I headed up Gruntsbury at a steady pace. Stopped for quick regroups along the way but enjoyed it thoroughly. Bugs was nicknamed Richard rabbit for a while though. Got to the top and headed around the Traverse at a good clip. Caught one guy above Lava Flow, passed him and kept on going. Regrouped at the usual haunt and then a very quick run to the top of Vic. Lotsa cycle and foot traffic on the track. Got good air on the usual jumpy bit. Down into Thompson's with more cycle traffic coming up at us. Stopped for me at The Kiwi with sore gut. Rode to Marley's with Tim Prebble and his girl. Both machines. launched into Marley's with Andrew leading for the first section with me on his heels, then he moved over before the extension and I led on, did not stop at the car park but carried on to Kiwi. Caught this chick who was going well but the pressure of me got to her and after missing the track she pulled over and let me free. Took all the jumps along the way, nice..... and regrouped at Kiwi. Then into lower Dyers track. I flew down here. Bumpy and skittering track as usual. Regrouped then into the skidder sight. Had to stop while I departed to the loo. Thought I might die in the thing. Got back to the team and said "I am going to go straight home from here, sore guts". Continued down Dazzas, where Tinks had a knee and bottom dab, then into Brent's, Yippee I love this gnarly track, then into Flow and New Bridges. Absolutely flying with Tinks on my heels. Regrouped at the start of Hidden Valley where Bugs showed us how to do a controlled skid through the rocks. The rest went up into the valley and I raced home for some relief. I must admit that everyone had a good ride with not much difference in the downhill times or spacing. Great to see. if someone else wrote the blog sometimes it would sound more unbiased.

Sunday 23rd jan

I met up with Dozer, Tinkerbell, Silverfox at Bugs' place and we all set off round to Mt Pleasant Road. Long honest grind to the top and then to the start of Greenwood. We were to meet Phatboy, Sandals and Twopot here. Bugs texted them and they were riding up the track from Evans Pass so we headed around to the ruins to meet them there. Good blast here. I cleaned everything and felt in the Zone. Met them and then Phatboy led off. He was having some gearing problems so Tinks and I jumped in front and carried on. Stopped halfway for a regroup. Everyone was flowing well so I led off. Feeling good. Dabbed on the last rock before the end. Regrouped then headed down Ct Thomas. Cleaned all the usual, took high lines and everyone stayed pretty much together. heard a big whoop from Sandals as she cleaned an old nemesis for the first time. Good to hear. Regrouped at the bottom and then to Dot Com for Coffee. great ride.

Tuesday 20th Jan

Never wear long pants on an uphill is the tip for the weak as it makes pedaling harder. Now that is done the ride. Picked up Silverfox and headed to the Marleys car park. Dallas and Bugs were there followed soon by Phatboy and Junior and as we were about to head up the hill Dozer squealed in. Up to the top and then we headed down in the order of Junior, Phatboy, me then the others. Junior was gone then Phatboys bottle dropped out of the cage nearly causing me to bail. Continued on having the worst ride down here for a while. Regrouped at the cars where most shared the opinion that wow, "that was bad riding." Back for another run. This time same order until I cut a corner and got in front of Phatboy who had to chase to keep up. Better run by all of us. Back up again this time Silverfox, Bugs and Dallas got the jump on us all. I decided to try and catch at least one of them with Dozer hot on my heels. Wow, went over a jumpy bit and all 3 were pulled to the side for some reason (turned out that the Fox had a flat), kept going flat out getting as much in the way of jumps as I could, track was flowing now and I was loving it. Dozer not far behind all the way to the cars. Junior was 3rd out and then the others except the Fox. He said go for another run. Junior headed down and then into Vic for a downhill run cos Phatboy was gonna pick him up, while the rest of us headed back for a fourth loop. This was the ultimate. Phatboy led followed by me. I rode his rear wheel closer than ever before, nearly t boning him on a couple of hairpins. If he made a mistake I was gonna ride over him and he pushed harder. Fantastic run and a deserved high five at the bottom where The Fox was waiting. Great nights ride in the end. headed home.

Sunday 16th jan

The crew met at 9.15. Actually most of us met including Sandals, Silverfox, Tinkerbell and Dozer. Phatboy and Twopot met at DotCom and then drove over to meet at 9.30. After discussion we headed up Gruntsbury, stopping in the shade along the way. It was already 26.5 degrees when we left. it was hot and that's all there was to the climb really. At the top we then realised that it was very hot and extremely windy. We headed into the wind along the summit trail, fighting to keep a steady line, after passing the Lava Flow we had a tail wind for a moment and then as we rounded the next hill it was in a face until the neat run down to the usual resting place. Tail wind all the way. kept on to Vic park, stopping in the shade. Down and into Sesame street and at the Dozer site we waited while the Dozer fixed a flat. Down dazzas into Brent's, (dark and rutty as usual) down to Nu Bridges and then grunted up Hidden valley. The ride down old skool was into the wind where we were buffeted around. No falls and all happy to not have heat stroke. stopped at the garden shop for coffee before being back at mine just after 12.30. The temperature was now 32.5 degrees. pleased to be home.

Rubberjaws alone sunday 9th jan

Well no one showed up at camp to join me so I drove around to the Kaiteriteri MTB Park. Fitted in the music plugs to my ears and set off on some easy riding tracks. Started with Salivator then some of Easy Rider onto Bayveiw before taking some unnamed downhill path to the top of Sidewinder and into Swamp Thing. No one else on the track at 7am. Got to the top of Shady Lady and blasted down through some narrow rooty sections and across a little bridge to Revelation. Raced down here to try out some new track since last year. I rode up Ziggy (guess why its called this) then continued up Big Airs (I wonder why this was named Big Airs...tell ya later)to the top before coming back down Big Airs to Revelation. Coming Down big Airs are lots of little yumps and a few bigger ones. I got so airborne on one I thought I was a Air NZ 737. F....ck I thought this can not end well, but as I came back to earth the rear wheel dropped to the ground as I lent forward like a ski jumper and then the front just gently came down. I was whooping and hollering so loud i must of woken the camps below. Returned up Revelation, Glade runner, Swamp Thing, Sidewinder and then whooped and hollered down Half Pipe. Nice ride to end my holiday. Went swimming at Split Apple Rock later.

Sunday, 9th January

Mellonfarmer, Phatboy Haze, Tinks, Dozer, Buggs and Delboy assembled at Dotcom. off up the Thomas they trundled, all going pretty good. everyone cleaned the cleanables and didnt clean the usuals. topped out and into the shade of the embankment at Evans.

Then it was off out Godley. everyone blowing the usual first bit, but some getting the second bit and some not. regrouped in the usual couple spots, interspersing these with great blasts down the great blasty bits. at Breeze they took the high(ish) line, ie, above the road, flying down to the end and taking shade under the macracarpas by the loo block. they then took off round the below-road track. awesome jaunt round here, all control and balance and power pulling together perfectly.

then the Anaconda. again, an awesome descent. railing all the berms and hoisting the yumpies, blazing down. then into the tail, keeping an okay pace. then the climb out of taylors.

down Nicholson, excellent blaze down here, except for Phatboy's derailleur eating itself, tho once he got it untangled it was fine.

coffee at dot come and home round 12.30.

Sunday 3rd January 2011

The first ride of the year and it happened to be absolutely funtastic. I am staying at Marahau Beach camp and Phatboy managed to get up here to join me for a ride. We took Phatboy Jr and nico the silent with us. We drove up to the top of Takaka ill and parked at the entrance to Canaan Rd. This is 11km of shingle road that pops up and down at an altitude of around 900m. Good steady ride and Jr made it harder by riding his kona single speed with the seat in jump position. Spoke to a couple of riders along the way to get an idea of any knew rides in the area. We ended up doing the Gold Creek loop at Canaan downs. Quite simple but it finished with an excellent little downhill run through some trees. Stopped for a snack and headed up the short climb to the beginning of The Rameka. Last time we did this it was a group trip and it was wet wet wet. This time conditions were perfect. Hardly any puddles, dry roots and rocks and easy to blast hard. Nico had to keep tigtnening his crank but apart from the occasional stop for a regroup we went hard at it. No Bush Lawyer problems, and we took dozers track which when dry is so fast. Took the short road section to great Expectations on the Kennet Property. This was so sweet and had been bedded in better than when we did it last. The weather was hot and we loved the shade. They have now built 2 more tracks further down the road. 2 Klicks just past the ford is utterly far out. Starts with a branched ramp over a rock garden into some nice fast twisting tree runs. Flying along here with a few rock drops and jumps. Did well but scared myself when I found that I was on the front wheel going down a big rock. Into the next track called 1 klick. This offered 3 choices to start, The Rock Garden, the high road or the low road. We did all 3. A bit of river riding then over a ramp into a log jump. We all got good air here. Jr did nut himself though on the ramp which was not so good. After this rode into town and took the shuttle service back to the top of Takaka Hill. A good days ride and a nice way to start the year. May there be many more.

Mellonfarmer here now: You lucky bastards! meanwhile, a couple days later, I rode across the tops of the Peninsula in bloody diabolical conditions...

and apparently Tinks and Buggs and one or two others did a Captain Godley Conda tyhpe ride on the sunday.