Sunday 6th July

A small posse today.  Silverfox met me at mine and we set off towards Ferrymead, meandering around tghe back of the buildings along the river etc until the bridge where we met Mellonfarmer.  We then set off up St Andrews Hill hanging a right up Te Awakura Tce for a change.  Rode around a couple of bends before taking an alleyway upto Canon Hill Cres (lower as section) up here before hanging left into Michael St, onto the Upper part of Canon Hill and then left into Freeman which took us out onto MajorHornbrook where we continued on up taking the normal route to the start of John Brittan at Upper Major Hornbrook.  Just a steady pace it was.  The singletrack so us separate into 3 solo riders attacking it at our own pace.  Regrouped before dropping down the road to the Greenwood entrance.  Had a good run through here enjoying the rockiness of the rebuilt sections instead of mucky holes.  Regrouped and stopped for a snack at the ruins.

From here Mellonfarmer led off followed by me then Silverfox.  Had a good run down here and although we all dabbed at the muck before Gloomy Gulch it was so much better than last week.  Had a little separation from each other at this point and I went into the gulch climbed out and went round the last bend before climbing to the rocky downhill when things went wrong.  Front wheel dropped into the drainage trench on the side which through me off the bike and down the hill aways.  Clambered back up with bruised ego, a small bit of claret and a bruised calf.  Not to worry.  Silverfox arrived and we went round the bend to see Mellonfarmer wondering where I had got to.  Carried on from here.  Down down down and then over the the Godley head track.  My timing was out (I will blame that on the spill) and I dabbed a fair bit where I don't normally.  We all continued on and as it levels before the downhill we were all together.  Coming off the 2nd boardwalk it was a bog and the clay track was a bit greasy but once it hit the shingle got a good flow.  Regrouped at the Col and then climbed over and headed down towards PFMTBC rock.  A bog just before was nasty and it was greasy and wet after it also.  Down the Annaconda at a good pace from here.  Track in Ok condition. Passed some guy mucking around carrying his bike over the rocks on the lower section of the Snake before grinding up and over Taylors.  Stopped for a bite and drink at Dot Com and hooked up with Sandals and Helmut who had slept in.  Yeah Right.  They had road cycled out for some exercise.  We all ended up riding back as one posse.  Home by 1.