Sunday 24th May

I went outside to grab my bike to find it really really cold and icey.  At the gate bang on 9 and then Tinkerbell and Silverfox drove up.  Chatted with them for a mo.  They were driving out to Sumner so they could get home early.  I rode by myself around the usual route to Ferrymead Bridge.  Here I hooked up with Dozer and Mellonfarmer (on his fat stead)  Good solid ride out along the new section of Coastal Walkway and then along the causeway.  Arrived at  Sumner and hooked up with the boys before steady ride up to Sumnervale.  Derobed here before starting the climb.  Me tail end charlie.  Good climb even if not my fastest.  After the hairpins Dozer discovered a bent rear cluster and could not engage the bottom 3 gears.  It made for a tougher climb.  Onwards and upwards we went and then straight into Godley track.  The fatbike cleaned the first rocks with traction to spare.  Onwards we rode making way for some fast flying riders heading our way before continuing.  There was a bit of dabbing amongst us all.  Down towards Livingstone Col.  The fatbike not as fast down.  had an excellant run myself feeling so much better going down the climbing.  Up and over the next bump and then we rode above the rode to Godley.  Nice track here and coming back was fast and flowing.  Down the Anaconda at top speed.  Just on the last barstard hairpin felt a bit spongy in the rear.  Stopped and pumped the tyre up with goo flowing out.  Rode  some more and pumped again but it was holding quite good.  At Taylors Mellonfarmer pulled out for lunch with the family.  On the climb I discovered that Dozers rear shock was flat so a harder climb for him.  Topped up a little air for me and continued at steady speed.  Flew done to Sumner and stopped at Dot Com.  Tinks and the Fox climbed in the van while Dozer and i Rode back the way we came.  He loaded up into his car at the bridge and i finished the ride home on my own.  1pm home time,

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/997750665

Tuesday 19th May

We were having a meeting re the trip so a flat ride was planned.  Went outside for 6.15 start and met Silverfox (on his sperm bike) Tinkerbell (on the Marin) The Cook (on his fatbike) and Bugs (on his old giant).  We set off along Opawa Rd, Shakespear and then right into Waltham and over the bridge.  From here we cut in front of CPIT and though by their preschool, past Visions Restaurant and out to Madras/St Asaph St.  Headed down High St and then into the Square.  Down Worcester to the Museum and right towards the Aramgh entrance to Hagley.  By the bridge we hooked up with Phatboy (riding Uncle).  We then sprinted around North Hagley, slowed to cross the road at Womans Hospital.  From here  we headed left around South Hagley at Warp speed only stopping to regroup at the point we started.  Across the road we headed through the hospital, over the newly restored Antigua Bridge and then right following the river to the Bridge of Remembrance.  Down oxford Tce, into hereford and then the Square before hanging left into Glucester and then New Regent.  We locked all the bikes together and then went into The Instituiton for drinks.  Played cards against humanities with first Mellonfarmer and MacGyver arriving shortly followed by Dozer.  Quick meeting and then continued playing.  About 9.45 we all headed out.  On the bikes Bus, the Cook and I headed down Manchester, Tuam, before splitting towards home at Barbadoes.  I headed over the bridge and returned via Shakespear and Opawa Rd.  Great sprint, great beer and great laughs.

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/991315531

Sunday 17th May

Up early today with 8am sharp start planned.  headed outside to find Bugs and Silverfox cleaning the street and putting all the rubbish at my gate.  Headed off bang on 8am down the road and started the climb up Rapaki.  Half way up the road got a text from Phatboy..."Where are you?".  Told him then carried on.  I knew he would give chase.  Anyhow we continued the climb with Bugs leading the way.  I hung onto his back wheel, wheezing all the way and expecting Phatboy to catch us at any moment.  We slowly dropped Silverfox a tad but at the flat we had a rolling regroup.  Started the last grunt and Bugs slowly left us behind,  Just before the last bend Phatboy caught us.  Finally made the top with me feeling slightly strung out.  Tracks all at avoid so we headed left around the road at a steady clip.  On the climbs i was dropping back so when we reached castle Rock I immediately headed down towards the Bridal Path and continued on.  The others caught up and we pumped around under the Gondola and eventually to the start of John Brittan. We  rugged up a bit here. Good run down here with the track slick but still rideable at pace.  When we got to Upper Major Hornbrook a text from Tinkerbell to check where we were and he and his Beloved rode up  from Mt Pleasant Rd.  We headed down the hill towards St Andrews having a quick regroup when Dozer rung and we waited for him.  he had ridden up the hill a few minutes behing Tinks and his Beloved.  Down we all headed flowing well into the park down the gnarly steps and then down to the steps at Ferry Rd.  Arrived at the planting where most planted while I had a meeting.  Afterwards we all headed off in different directions.

Saturday 9th May

I was sick and plenty of the team were away or otherwise busy but Phatboy, The Cook and Dozer all met up at Ferrymead Bridge (spotting Mellonfarmer driving past on his way to help the inlaws shift house).  They rode out to  Sumner then did the climb from Sumnervale up Ct Thomas.  Pretty steady ride except Dozer slipped over while clmabering up the steep rock and gave his knee a beating.  They continued on up and although all 3 gave honest attempts on the first rock of Godley no one cleaned it.  Steady ride up and then headed down towards Livingstone Col.  Phatboy phlatted along here.  Phixed the problem and then continued on.  They rode above the road all the way to Godley head where they stopped for a feed.  Dozer discovered that his fork seals had blown out so to preserve them he rode back via the rode heading down Evans Pass and meeting the boys at Dot Com.  The other 2 followed below the rode and then down Anaconda for a blast.  Grunted up from Taylors and headed through Nicholson Park only to find the new route blocked.  They managed to get around the fences and onto WhitewashHead Rd and down to Dot Com.  After drinks they headed back to Ferrymead Bridge where they all went their own way.

Tuesday 5th of May

Ten years Mellonfarmer's been blogging....  (what follows is almost word for word of what's there)

The crew were meeting top of Worsley Rd at 6.15  From all accounts, Tinkerbell, Phatboy, Silfervox and TheCook met.  Ahead of them, McGuyver and Mellonfarmer were already up in the forest where they'd climbed up the trail from the carpark (on the western side of the main track) and arrived up at the bottom of the body bag to find Forest Closed signs, and caterpillar tracks up that entry, which continued straight up the fenceline.  These two boys took the singletrack climb, all the way up, meeting the machine tracks again near the very top.  Into the entrance to Hangloose (or Goat) and within metres had met the machine.  Path a swathe of destruction down to it, cleared trees placed to the side and many more all the way down Hangloose with X's on them ready to go - demarking the boundary of the next area to be logged.  Good bye Hangloose with your groovy swoops and pops, good bye Yoda, not that we ever rode you...  Down they flowed, riding the first log drop, but bypassing the second, and enjoying the steepnesses.  MF crashed on a steep-ass corner he'd bailed on in the past, deciding mid way through it that he didn't want to go where the bike was going so off he stepped, falling backwards, one foot still attached to the pedal, and striking his calf on the hot brake disk - sizzle, then landing ungraciously on his ass.  McG was stopped metres away at a tree across the track.  Under this and on down the last few steep corners to the bottom where climbing began.   MF gasped for air up the internal guts track, even walking once before the pylon-gap, and stopping again further up for air.  From the clifftop, up the original trail, one section where the machine had been rarking up the place, then McG quite surprisingly managed to clean that rocky outcropping near the top that nobody's ever cleaned before.    Out to the top, where they found Phatboy, Tinks  and the Cook.  They'd not long gotten up there on their first climb, and had lost SlitherFox to a broken derailleur (via loose stick) on the way up.  They headed down Original and FightClub and McG and MF headed on up to the entrance to Debbie Does Dallas.  McG took Mr Sutcliffe's new one, while MF took the original.  Fast run down here through the dark douglas fir bit then into the bigger open pine section below the cliff face, and around into Alice's Restaurant.  Good for the first couple of corners but then the steep stuff gave MF the heebeegeebees and he walked a couple of bits.  In the last steep bit just before a wee bridge, McGuyver crashed - hitting the deck pretty hard (even broke the end off his brake lever), and burst open his zip on his bag.  Fixed up and off down again, into the final couple whoopdee's and then through and caught up with the rest of the team down the bottom as they'd just finished Fight Club.  Up to the Junction where The Cook had cooked enough said good bye and the 4 remaining rode up the guts track and into the lower entrance of Fight Club.  Here, McG discovered his rear brake was dodgy, not applying any real pressure to the disk, so, unable to fix it on the spot, he headed off down the way up, and the remaining 3 headed for an excellent blast down Fight Club.  Hopefully the logging doesn't kill this track.  Climbed out to the Junction and then down the finale and back to the cars.  Tinks headed down the road to home (via Fluffy Sheep where McG and MF saw his light and stopped to say See Ya)

Sunday 3rd May

I headed (on my cruiser) around to Phatboys albeit running 10 minutes late.  Got there to find Mellonfarmer on his fat wheeled bikewaiting and Phatboy obviously tucked up tight in his bed and not able to ride.  The two of us headed down the drive and met up with Dozer as he arrived.  We then went down Kilmore and through Hagley, onto Kilmarnick and hooked up with The Silverfox and Tinkerbell who were waiting patiently.  Straight down the cycleway we headed at a steady clip.  The fatwheel sounding like a swarm of bees all the way.  Onto tuckers at the end and on Canvendish we stopped for tea and coffee at the Cozy Cafe as we still had plenty of time.   Onwards through Styx Mill arriving at the planting at 10.25.  We helped plant nearly 1200 plants before we hopped on our bikes and heading home along the reverse route.  At Kilmarnick Tinks and the Fox headed off while we headed through hagley and then down Armagh.  I peeled off at Madras then ducked down Gloucester to barbadoes then headed home over Waltham bridge and Shakespear Rd.

Good pump both directions but pretty uneventful.

Saturday 2nd May

Dozer meet at Bug's place rnd 8.30am and we followed the river around to Huntsbury. Headed up here is the sun though the new traffic lights just up from the start. Passed the girls doing sit ups on the side of the road above the steps. Jumpers off and then continued on up. Nice steady pass all the way to the top where Sandals was waiting. Quick chat then headed over Vernon giving way to few coming the other way. Bugs n Sandals went round the old part of Vernon while Dozer dropped straight down getting the lead. Bug's gave chase on the down hill but didn't catch till the top of Rapaki. Sandals arrived so we headed over Witch Hill. All having some issues on the rocks on the up. Around the road and headed up towards Castle Rock. Bug's lead down the single followed by Dozer then Sandals. Great ride down here at a nice fast pace. Regrouped at the top of Bridal Pass and chatted to the many roadies there. Round under the Gonadala and up the last uphill on tarsal. Into the single track below the road with Dozer and Sandals getting the lead while Bug's manually changed his seat. Round the road to Greenwood. Bug's lead in with the others not to far behind. Stopped for a snack at the ruins. A lone guy was coming our way so we decided to jump in front as he looked slow. Sandals followed the lone guy. The others pulled away and had a ripper run. Sandals managed to sneak past the lone guy and arrived not to far behind the others. Down into Captain Thomas with Dozer leading and bug's sitting about 2m behind him the whole way. Couple of guys coming up held the crappy gate open which kept us in the flow. The 2 boy's cleared all the rocky bits except the one they missed on Thursday. Gave chase as we spotted another lone guy on the decent. Caught him on the switch backs. Both dropping into the steep short cut to get the lead. Raced down the rest of the track in no time at all. Waited on the grass at the bottom for the lone guy to arrive then Sandals arrived not long after. Down the road to Dot Com for Coffee, Hot Chocolate and a smoothy. Headed across the Causeway at a relaxed pace then cut behind the Ferrymead shops. Bug's n Dozer turned off to Bug's place while Sandals followed the river and hill to her place. Great ride on a sunny morning. 35km for the boys and 39km for Sandals.   

Tooesday 30th April

Dozer turned up at Bug's place rnd 6 so we headed over to Rapaki around the river. Nice ride up the hill as the wind of late had dropped. Turned left at the top and headed around the summit road. Dropped into the single track below Castle Rock which was dry and firm. The wind of the day had dried the track nicely. Back onto the road above the Bridal path. Followed this around under the Gonadal then dropped below the road onto the single track again. This was also nice n dry so we decided the Greenwood would be a go. Sign said "OPEN" so down we went. Bug's lead with Dozer trying to keep up. Couple a small dabs over some of the rocky bits but basically a good fast run both all. Short wait at the bottom for Dozer who was enjoying himself. Down into Cpt Thomas with Dozer leading this time. Another great run down here with both clearing all the rocky bits except for one. Down the road and straight though Sumner and into the head wind across the Causeway. Into Ferrymead the a quick jug at the pub before riding to Bug's place. Home just after 9pm and rode 31km.