wachtourak wrote:Who won the Super D?

Twas Mr Edwin Crossling, with a damn good run. Cheating Arab turned up with fresh legs. Damn his eyes.

Cool photos, Oli. But I think the word used to describe my approach should've been more along the lines of 'sunday driver'. Cheers though!

I'd love to see the results and how badly I did...

Does anyone know when and where they'll be up?

Chur boi (and gurl)

If you don't want a painfully detailed and waffly blow-by-blow, I rode the tracks in this order:

Koru > Sally Alley > Missing Link > Leaping Lizard > Possum Bait > Nikau > Aratihi > T3 > Vertigo > Varleys > Zacs > Trickle Falls > Rimu > Ridgeline > Ridgeline Extension > Amp > Big Tom's > Swigg > Starfish.

If you're super bored, read on...

Here's my take on the Tour de Peak:

The Makara Peak Rally is an event I look forward to each season - I always enjoy this style of event, where there's minimal trail repetition and the varied course calls for a bit of everything MTBing can throw at you - tricky bits, fast bits, steep bits and muddy bits. This year the format was a little different from years gone by, in that instead of simply(!) riding every track in the park, there was a 2 hour time limit imposed on the riders. Accordingly, this brought a bit more strategy into the event - previously, the only variable was the order in which the trails were ridden... this time, you had to worry about a time limit, and thus which tracks you wouldn't ride. Fun stuff.

I ummed and ahhhed all week, before deciding on Saturday night to give it a bash. I stayed up late sussing out a route I thought would work, but had no idea about how long it might take. I organised some extra little bits and bobs, just incase I had a bit of spare time near the end.

A few hours, 2 short blacks and a bowl of muesli later, I was astride my lovely Niner Air 9 Crabón, next to a bunch of keeners lined up in the Makara Peak carpark. After the countdown, we all left the carpark, and I settled in behind Alex Revell, and T-rex up front - it seemed almost everybody had decided Koru was the best place to start their tally for the morning! Tim, Alex and I quickly set off, knocking off Koru, then Sally Alley, then Missing Link in fairly short order. I was feeling pretty decent, sitting in 3rd quite comfortably. I had no idea what Alex and Tim had planned after Missing Link, and didn't fancy hanging around to find out. As we passed the entrance to Aratihi I picked the pace up a bit, and started getting into it fo' real. I headed up the 4wd track, and turned left into Leaping Lizard. This trail was worth good points, but all the altitude lost on the descent had to be made back up in the form of the Possum Bait track... a tight, steep and slippery climb out of the valley. I took it relatively easy down Leaping Lizard; partly because I hadn't ridden it in quite a while, and partly because of how greasy it was.

I negotiated the stream with much more success than the last stream crossing I attempted in a race, before cruising along the valley to the start of the Possum Bait line. Had a nice clean ride up the switchbacks, before joining up with Nikau Valley. I put in a bit more effort along the gradual climb out of Nikau (and then Missing Link again) to try and push any advantage I had at that stage. After popping out of Missing Link again, I headed right up Aratihi. I figured this was the last bit of climbing for a while, so rode with quite some urgency! I hadn't done a time check yet, but figured I was going OK.

I popped out at the top, headed over the summit, and down the first little section of Zacs. Up the steep bank, and straight into T3. Again, I hadn't ridden this track since sometime last year, but was stoked to get through with just the 1 dab. Straight out of T3, and into Vertigo - a track I really enjoy, but always find challenging. I rode all but 1 section (a piss easy bit, dunno why I got off!?) , before emerging from the bush and onto Allington Road. I rolled down the tarmac, and turned left into Makara Road. I got my smash on once more, and made good time along here. I checked the time, and after a bit of mental juggling, decided I was still going OK.

I scooted round the gate at the Makara Road saddle, and started another ascent of the Peak. Up Varleys (giving Marco a pat on the botty), then up Zacs to the steep bank I rode up a short time before - this worked out well, as it meant I didn't have to ride all the way to the summit again, as I'd already covered that ground! Straight across the 4wd track, and into Trickle Falls. Another one of the trails I don't see often, to I took it easy and probably only rode about 60 - 70% of it. I got passed by Asher near the bottom, and thought "Shit, he's riding damn well!". He'd used his noggin and lowered the saddle a little bit, making the steeps a bit more manageable. I repassed him as the saddle went back up, and quickly checked the time.

I'd ridden all of the trails I'd planned, and had 31 minutes left for a few "extras"... my little extras loop went like this: Up St Albans > Up Rimu > down Allington a little > Left up the 4wd to JFK > Down JFK > Back up the 4wd > Down Ridgeline extension > down and up AMP > Big Tom's > Swigg > up the 4wd at the cell tower > Magic carpet > Livewires. Phew. I figured I could probably fit all that in...

or I could smash it up to the top again, and finish with Ridgeline etc.

So, after picking up Rimu trail, I popped out on the Snakecharmer near St Albans Ave, and promptly pointed the handlebars towards the top. It had been a relatively lonesome ride after the initial 20 minutes or so, and who did I see a wee way up the road but Tim! We'd ridden quite different routes, but were both steaming up to the top for one last descent. The pace was hot, and I was starting to tire, so it took me a few minutes to get on terms with Tim, but we rode most of the way to the summit separated by around 5 - 10m. I never got past though, dammit!

Right near the top we had a quick gasbag, and ascertained he was headed for Trickle (for the first time ever - talk about a baptism of fire!) while I was heading for the more familiar territory of Ridgeline. I had a clean ride along the top section, before getting my steam on (in a XC kind of way...) for the descent proper. Straight into Ridgeline Extension, and a quick detour at the picnic table to pick up the AMP connector, before carrying on for Big Tom's, and Swigg. I stopped at the top of Starfish, checking my clock... did I have 9 minutes or 4 minutes to spare? GAH! I couldn't remember! I'd planned on heading up the overgrown 4wd track, and hitting Magic Carpet and Livewires for a few extra points, but couldn't justify the risk of returning late (where 1 minute = -1 point). I carried on down Starfish, with thoughts of turning back rattling round in my dehydrated skull.

As it was, I got back in 1:53, so would have had plenty of time for the Magic Carpet/Livewires combo to finish - but I was glad to be finished! I'd had about as much fun as I could handle for one morning...

Tim rolled in not long after, and Alex a couple of minutes after him. With the previous events, the first back was the winner (necessitating the judicious application of lunch-cutting passing maneuvers at key points... ) but this time, all bets were off - in spite of being first back, I knew Tim and Alex had taken different routes, and were quite possibly up on points.

FFWD a couple of hours, and I was told I'd taken it out for the second year in a row. Cool. Alex and Tim were both very close to my score, both riding different routes - part of what makes this style of event so exciting!

I finished with 247 points out of 278 (I think...) in the 1:53. My little Magic Carpet/Livewires jaunt would have made that 252, but coulda/shoulda/woulda/etc...

I chose to skip Upper Leaping Lizard (8 pts), North Face/JFK/Smokin (14 pts), Magic Carpet (2 pts), Livewires (3 pts) and lazy Fern (4 pts).

Big thanks to Al Crossling and Steve Wallace for organising and running the event (including the awesome hand-made trophies!) - I had some (thankfully unfounded) concerns about the 2-way trails, but they handled everything perfectly. Bravo.

Thanks Dave; nice write up.

I haven't made it down to this event for a couple of years, must change that next year! Love the new format. Must be easier for the organisers too - capping it to 2 hrs.

Great read jeyboi.

Hi folks,

Sorry for the delay (some f##ker stole my credit card number and went crazy, pain in the ar$e sorting that out), but I am getting the complete results done asap.

Hope to have them posted some time tomorrow, will be in touch.

Cheers,
AL

Shit'ouse man. Hope they find the bugger and burn his/her pubes off with a flame thrower...

Looking forward to the results though, heh heh.

crossalis wrote:some f##ker stole my credit card number and went crazy

Just stop buying porn online FFS

jeyboi wrote:If you don't want a painfully detailed and waffly blow-by-blow, I rode the tracks in this order:

If you're super bored, read on...Here's my take on the Tour de Peak:

Awesome narrative, it was just like being there! You'll be overtaking Lynskey as Chief Scribe of Wellington soon!

dented wrote:

crossalis wrote:some f##ker stole my credit card number and went crazy

Just stop buying porn online FFS

No one pays for porn anymore, Google is your pimp!

1000 Euro at some Corona shop in Europe, 2000 at some Latvian Tire shop. I don't have a car, and I ain't putting a bar tab of 1000 Euro up!

jo wrote:Great read jeyboi.

absolutely! I really enjoyed it. I'm super impressed you thought to ride the very top of Zac's through to T3. Nice move And, well done on the win, and a winning story!

Hi folks,

Here are the results

Next year there will be points for people who can fill out their rego form and scorecard so it can be read easily!

Top prize for neat handwriting goes to T-Rex, fail award goes to Mr Ed but he's my brother so I can decipher his scribbling.

An awesome day in the end with heaps raised for the MPS (think it was almost $2000!). Huge thanks to all those who helped make the day the success it was and of course you the riders for supporting it. All the feedback we have had is that people had a great day out, but if you can think of ways we can make the next event better let us know supporters@makarapeak.org

Keep an eye out for future events!

Cheers,
AL

p.s. I think gn.buys might be interested in the Tour results...