Tuesday 1st October

The  trip is getting close and fitness is now all important as Sundays ride showed.  Silverfox, Tinkerbell, Bugs, PhratBoy and Cookie showed up at mine.  We headed around the road and started the climb up Rapaki.  All felt rather well considering Sundays epic.  Tried to keep a steady pace to keep the group close together but Foxy, Tinks and Phatty took off.  Bugs and I meandered next staying steady so that Cookie could catch us.  We then headed up the last stretch.  Put in a burst after the last bend.  From here we change the order of the pack and Phatboy, Tinkerbell, me then Silverfox, Bugs and Cookie rode on up over Vernon.  The challenge was to get down without lights.  Good push through here and when we crossed the road I suggested we regroup further along the track where we would hang a right towards Old Skool.  I took off thinking the others were following.  Alas no.  I waited at a spot where you could see others had shot down the hill until I saw them coming before I took the line.  Good line and just went straight down over a few rocks and presto I was down.  Looked back as the others all overshot the turnoff.  Shouted out then watched them all come down different lines.  Funny.  Then into the top of old skool.  Zipping down to the gate.  Then down we went.  Taking different lines, some cutting corers some around the main track.  I don't think any of us just went down the track but no 2 of us took the same lines down.  Just before it goes single track, hugest hole ever appeared.  Screaming hole hole.  No one fell in though.  Single track at last and oh so much fun.  Steady pace, swooping, dropping, rocks, steps, hairpins and so much fun.  We all safely got down with light to spare.  From here we rode home the normal way around the beckenham side of the river, Phatboy and Silverfox departed at the footbridge and then Cookie at Opawa Footbridge.  Home with light to spare.