Saturday 25th June

A posse of four and a solo journey over the same ground.

For the first time in a while i was hitting the hills so I headed out earlier than the others to see how I would fair.  I unloaded the bike outside of Dot Com at 8.20 and started my journey.  headed up the road to Sumnervale at a warm up pace and then started up Ct Thomas.  1st time over the new bridge.  Just chugged up the hill only dabbing once in the lower section on the real sharp hairpin.  had to stop on the 1st down of rocks when my glasses fogged up but otherwise had a good climb to the top.  I did better than I thought I would.  Headed up onto the Godley Track cleaning the 1st set of rocks for the 1st time ever.  Love the new line in here...Hahaha.  Had a look down below and I could see the other four starting the bottom of the Ct Thomas. They were Bugs, Dozer, Silverfox and Phatboy. I expected them on the track sooner.  I headed off up the Godley Track dabbing on every second rock like a little girl.  Eventually got some sort of rhythm going.  It turns out the others except Bugs did not have much more success. I took it a bit more sedately on the downhills as I was solo riding.  The last section into Livingstone Col was pretty boney.  Up and over to breeze Col where I stopped and did a repair on PFMTBC ROck.  1 of the stones had somehow been knocked out of the downhill side.  Continued on above the road following the sheep trail out to Godley where i just rode on and came back below the road.  feeling good.  No sign of the others at breeze so doodled on down the Anaconda which is in good condition except one hairpin where you have to go high.  Down and out up Taylors Rd and down to Dotcom.  had a salad and a pot of tea expecting the lads at anytime finally texting them.  They arrived just over and hour after me so they stopped a lot more than me. Just before we left The Cook arrived after having ridden up St Andrews, down Greenwood and Ct Thomas.  Riding time for them was 10 minutes faster overall so next week will set off only 10 minutes ahead and see where that leads me.

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/1561972742

Tuesday 21st June

Decided not to do the Hagley Park night ride so Dozer meet at Bugs place at 610pm and we headed off to the river besides Bamford School. Turned left and headed under the bridge. Spring high tide so this had about 2 inches of water to ride though. Continued behind Ferrymead on the single track to St Andrews Hill. Up we headed and a steady pace. Stopped to remove some thermals as the night was warm with no wind. Continued up and up to the shared track at Upper Hornbrook road. Rest here admiring the lights of the city and huge fire out towards Darfield. Continued up to nearly the summit road then turned right and rode though John Britten track. Popped over the road and headed up the single track to the aerials. No rest here as we dropped into the down hill. Bugs lead with Mr Dozer not far behind. Though the tussocks and straight into Greenwood. Great run down here with Bugs getting a small lead on Dozer till Dozer yelled out that he had a flat. Changed this looking over the lights of Sumner with a full moon. Continued down wards with Dozer taking it easier as he didn't want another snake bite. Bugs nearly got the 1st rocky up, just half a peddle from completing it. At the bottom we headed down the road then dropped into Captain Thomas. Bugs lead getting a small gap on Dozer. Cleared all the rocky downs and walked the top of the rocky up as always. Dozers head light died here and he headed down the rest with just his bar light. Though the switch backs and down the new track next to the cabbage tree and then we were at the bottom. Down the steps and past the paddocks then we were at the road. Adjustment made to Dozers brakes then onwards though Sumner, Redcliffs and across the Causeway to Ferrymead. Running later than normal as this was a big ride, Decided what the hell so stopped for a Speights then rode back to Bugs place. Home round 9.30pm and rode 27km.   

Sundays 19th june

Bug's drove to The Fox's place and passed Phatboy who was riding over there. Dozer had already arrived so there was 4 of us. Headed around the road to the Halswall Quarry. Nice warm up which got the heart pumping before the hill for a change. Headed up the normal C2 with Dozer leading followed by Phatboy then Bugs and The Fox. Continued up with Phatboy leading now. Up n Up we headed with some clearing all the ups and some not quite. Headed up and up with some running's passing us where the cows were and causing a mini stampede. Just past the gate Phatboy managed to get his favorite shorts hooked on his seat which caused a rip. This got bigger and bigger as the day went on until at the end his undies were there for all to see. Finally we arrived at the summit road. Headed around the road to the top of the Nun. Bug's got the Gopro filming for the down. Great ride down here with us all enjoying it. Headed up to Vic park for the down with Phatboy leading then Dozer, Bug's (Filming) and then the Fox. Though the rock garden and down the normal way with some changes to the lead at times. Up into the Hidden Valley with us all having some issues around the creek at the bottom. Another fantastic run down here with Dozer getting a flat half way down. Out the bottom then down the road. Phatboy headed home from here while the others headed to Foxes where Mrs Fox made a nice coffee and home made cookies. Great ride with no rain.   

Meanwhile Rubberjaws got up and did a solo ride on the fl;at again. He is not happy to always being on the flat.  Anyhow he headed up Opawa onto Shakespear Rd to the end and up Burke St before hanging a right on Selwyn Left into Poulson and then right towards Hagley Park.  Started heading south around South Hagley crossed over by the hospital and south around North Hagley until I got back to the hospital again.  Crossed over and finished the rest of South Hagley before retracing my outward journey home.  Drs tomorrow and hospital Tuesday maybe I can get a date to start riding the hills again.

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/1547823350

Tooesday 14th June

Dozer picked up Bug's and drove out to bottom of Captain Thomas where we meet up with The Cook. Cool but clear night with no wind. Started up the road to the start of Captain Thomas. Climbed the fence at the start and noticed the new bridge in Action. Dozer started the up with Bug's behind then The Cook. Bit of a grunt up here with Dozer cocking up the 1st hairpin climb which let Bug's get to the front. Quick rest then headed upwards in the same order as the start. Bugs cleared all the corners with The Cook and Dozer missing a couple. Regroup at the 1st chair to find The Cook was having heart/dizzy issues as a few weeks back. Progressed upwards the front 2 getting a gab on The Cook due to his issues. Few regroups on the up then at the summit road the Cook decided to head down the road to the car and home. Bug's n Dozer headed out towards Godley on the road watching The Cooks light below to make sure he got down to the car safety. Cut up though the paddock to hook into the Godley single track. Headed back towards Evans pass on the down for a change. This was great under lights with both clearing it all. Time was moving along due to the issues earlier so we headed down Captain Thomas with Dozer leading and Bugs behind with the Gopro filming. Great run down here with both clearing it all except for the normal little up. (Link to video to follow soon). Back out to the car and off for a quick jug of speights. Great ride and The Cook got home safely.  

Sunday 12th June

9am start at Steve's Mellonfarmer wrote most of the following.   Met the boys by the church: Tony, Andy and Wayne, and we toodled around to Crapaki and headed on up. A lot of walkers today, older folk, and a few riders.  Delayered after the 2nd gate, and then I got my climb on and just tapped away at it, putting a bit of a gap between me and the boys, regrouping on the flat then pushing off ahead again.  Brief stop at the top and then off up Vernon.  Not a bad climb up here, and over to the Traverse - Andy flatting on the final drop to the road. 

Chatted with a couple guys here then we headed off around, for Vic Park.  Nice flow around the Traverse, such a familiar puppy.  Noted some new brick work on what I never thought of as a particularly damage-prone section.  On the descent to the pond, bits of head wind, I was chasing some dude, who put the power on the climb to keep ahead of me.  Regrouped at the usual spot before Sugarloaf and then off again, chasing down the some dude again, some sections of no wind, some of tail.  Stopped before the trees and then we headed in, down 'coffee break', Andy hard on my tail down here.  Bypassed the see-saw and off down the paddock, looking back to see the rain on the plains heading our way (or so it looked).  Good tail wind down here too, over the cattlestop and into the rocks, ducking and weaving through them and into the trees, across then around and down, peeling left into my old favourite, all cleared of the trees of old storms, and heaps of fun again. 

Out to the skidder site and we re-layered before heading into Shazza's.  Nice pop and weave down through here, tho rootier bits at the bottom were less so.  Across and down into Brent's, taking the hard left line, and blazing down through the forest to the bottom.  Regrouped again, and off into Bridges and Flow, across and into Nu Bridges, back and forth, back and forth, last couple of corners starting to get a bit weird.  Then down onto the 4wd track and blazing down to the Hidden Valley.  Bollocksed about a metre after the creek then rolled on round the first hairpin, down into granny for the sluggardly climb.  Dabbed around the second corner and waited until Andy swung into view, then off again, climby climbing like a climbing thing.  Nicely nicely up the last, wind really howling in the trees and powerlines overhead.  Regrouped at the stile, and off again, up and around then blasting.  I thought I was flowing really nicely; certainly felt good on the bike.  Floated over some rocks and blasted away, then pffft pffft pffft...  dang.  Stopped on one of the corners and had to swap out a tube.  A few riders passed through while we were stopped, and Tony and Wayno continued on ahead.  Once fixed, Andy and me continued our merry way.  BLAST of wind nearly took my bike from me climbing the stile, then off again, staying light on the tires, and prancing down the hill.  Slowly wound in the girl and her guy that'd passed us earlier, stopping briefly to give her a bit of gap.  Then caught her later and she pulled up, then I chased down her guy.  He stopped pretty much at the bottom for her, so I passed on by and proceeded to stuff up the last dodgy offpiste final section.  Rolled down the final track to Tony and Wayne at the bottom stile.  Off down the road, tail wind pushing us all, and Wayne and me split from the others, over to Eastern and around, him continuing on when I peeled off for Wilsons.  Had forgotten about the roadworks, and had to go to the tunnel, then back streets til Stanmore for the last, tail wind assisted, blast home.  Home by 11.30 am.  Nice.

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/1531887149

Meanwhile Rubberjaws did a flat ride as part of his recovery programme.  I headed out at 8.15am past the Church, over the foot-bridge, Down Ford Rd and across the other foot-bridge and then up the side st, through the ally and out past New World heading down Gamblins and then Tennyson St.  Lots of side streets later I started on the cycleway on Barrington heading towards Annex Rd.  Crossed over Lincoln Rd etc along the way.  Then it went down Birmingham Dr and Lunns Rd before crossing over Curletts.  Due to all that roadworks it detours onto Parkhouse and into the industrial area before rejoining the cycleway.  From here it was a good push out to Springs Rd where I retraced my steps to the underpass just before Curletts.  This crossed me over towards The AMP showgrounds and it heads towards Lincoln RD.  Little detour for a piss stop before heading down Hoon Hay Rd, left into Sparks ands then cut through Centenial Park, down Rose St and back onto the route I took on the way there.  Good steady pump, no real chest pain and felt great, although I needed a nana nap in the afternoon.

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/1531762718

Tuesday 7th June

Dozer picked up Bugs and headed to Upper Hornbrook road, Waiting there was Tinkerbell, Phatboy, The Cook and MacGyver. The wind was strong and cold from the East as usual for that spot. After Phatboy fixed his light (Plugged it in) we headed though the new gate. Found the old fence which we climb over has been pulled down. MacGyver lead on the up on his single speed with Phatboy and rest following behind. Wind was pushing us around a little on the up with us all reaching the top gate not too far apart. Headed around John Britten to the cattle stop with some of us having a couple of small issues on the rocks with wet tyres. Across the road and fence then after admiring the city lights we headed up towards the Aerials. Some or most of us had some issues with the wind, rocks and lack of peddle power. Regroup at the top then into the down. Phatboy had a issue just after the slippy rocks. After a quick fix onwards we headed. Phatboy, MacGyver and Tinkerbell in close formation with Bug's then Dozer not far behind. The Cook was not too far behind. Regroup at the turn off to Greenwood and the decision was to head left on Greenwood towards the summit road. Bit different going this way over the rocks. All got though with the odd rock catching us out. Up the road then down though the shared track to the cars. Great night ride of 6.8km-7.2km :-)

Off for a beer at the Twisted Hop.

Sunday 5th June

Phatboy, Silverfox, Dozer, Tinkerbell and 2pot arrived at mine for a 9.15 departutre.  I was about to head out on my flat ride to sumner and back for a recovery ride.  They were heading up Rapaki and then left over Witch Hill, Down Castle Rock up Mt Pleasant Down Greenwood and then down Ct Thomas.  Tinkerbell pulled out early (it seems he does this everynow again...I wonder why?) I don't know much about the ride but follow the link below and you can see some of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tm2h-jVByc&app=desktop