Tuesday 7th April

1st dark ride of the year.  Picked up the Cook and headed up to the meeting point at the top of the tarmac on Huntsbury.  Met up with Silverfox, Phatboy, Bugs and finally Mellonfarmer for a 6.22 start.  Headed on up the hill with the group stringing out a bit.  me in my normal after work evening ride mode of tiredness so I was a tad slow.  Still climbed up and eventually got to the top without turning on the lights.  Headed around the Traverse ahead of another posse.  A bit of moisture would be good cos the dust under lights is crap. Quick regroup at the halfway before moving on to the top of Vic.  Good flow for me and i think most of the others.  Down Thompsons where Phatboys main headlight faded out which slowed him slightly later.  Up the road, spread out heaps.  I rode with the Cook all the way to Marleys.  Down the Nun.  Bloody hell, passed Mellonfarmer and Phatboy.  mellonfarmer punctured.  Past Bugs who had punctured and so I stopped to wait.  The Cook arrived first and we waited and waited.  Turns out that Silverfox also punctured.  This means in 2 rides down here we have had the following Phatboy 2 punctures, Silverfox 3 punctures, Bugs 1, Mellonfarmer 1, Dozer 1 not to mention 3 guys who we don't know having punctures.  Anyway enough.  We finally finished the Nun and then headed back the way we came. Silverfox dropped out at the top of Vic. Under Sugarloaf I bumped into a Trees supporter and stopped to chat while the fast 3  carried on without realising. The Cook and I got restarted dropping down towards the landing strip where they were waiting.  Down through the paddocks and back to the vehicles.  All in all a good run.

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/932888305

Meanwhile down in BowenVale Valley….

Helmut and Sandals started a gentle warm up ride up the Bowenvale Valley 4WD road towards Hospital corner.  Lovely evening, lots of other walkers and riders out enjoying the last of the autumn.  We turned into the Hidden track, Helmut clearing the creek & uphill pinch with a double amount of rubber gripping the track.  We did OK on the uphill challenge of tight corners and cleaned the 2^nd pine forest section.  Then a bike swap session began.  Mark took the light weight 140 Merida for a little fly, like a pointy feather.  Sandals got her first drive of the double rubber bulldozer absorbing all the exposed rutty rocks like a marshmellow.  Great descent on the Bowenvale bonus/Old Skool track, catching the last of the late evening light and a warm evening.   A bonus ride, short and sweet