I had a "non-ride" today: I took the Stickbug up to Karapoti to do a pre-ride of the Classic circuit but it was a total disaster, everything went wrong that could have:
(1) I had an upset stomach which left me in totally the wrong frame of mind and lacking in energy;
(2) it started spitting just as we got out of the car so we shortened the plan to just up to Deadwood and back;
(3) Stickbug hadn't adjusted his front disk brake (cable actuated so needs regular manual tightening) and I had left my multi-tool at home (because I'd been demonstrating it to the non-cycling wombats), so he had to ride with sub-optimal front braking;
(4) after about 2km I got terminal chain-suck so we had to abort and go home - after everything else, that was almost a relief;
(5) When we got to the car I couldn't get the keys out because the zip on my bike shirt pocket was jammed - so I had to cut the stitching open.

LBS concluded the middle chainring is burred and the chain is worn, so that's $150 for a new drivetrain. I'll have to tell the kids that they'll just be eating corn husks and broccoli for another week till we can afford groceries. I dropped Stickbug off at Makara park to do his usual 25km hillwork circuit and I went home to feel sorry for myself. It was very noisy because the mini-wombling had a friend for a sleepover. Watched the cricket which was depressing because the only Aussies to look good are the ones I wish weren't in the team.

Stickbug came home happy as a pig in mud for having ridden five times in a row up the 4WD track from the gate on Makara Road to the summit (except for getting blown off his line each time in the last 30 metres by the blustery winds).

fatwombat wrote:Stickbug came home happy as a pig in mud for having ridden five times in a row up the 4WD track from the gate on Makara Road to the summit (except for getting blown off his line each time in the last 30 metres by the blustery winds).

How old is stickbug? He does more training than I do

Monolith wrote:How old is stickbug? He does more training than I do

He's 12, nearly 13. He wants to be able to ride like you ...maybe he wants to be you (or was that - wants to be Hugh?) His general training program at the moment is hard-easy-hard easy-hard-easy-rest. But what he defines as a hard day would probably look like a rest day on your calendar! "Hard" is 25km riding hills in Makara or maybe 40-50km on the road or 60-90 minutes of intervals on the magtrainer - and we're pretty flexible about making hard days easier, I don't want him to blow himself up. He's usually pretty good going up hills, but very slow descending (bad technique) and he wilts fast in wet weather.

Thank God for my friendly LBS - Bike Barn Wakefield St - they fix everything for me!

I got the Dakota back this morning with 2 new chainrings, new chain, new cluster, so took Stickbug out for a spin in Makara - to make me faster up hills and him faster down them! Picked a route that kept us out of the wind: in at the St Albans roadend - up Rimu - AMP - bottom of RL Ext - Big Tom - SWIGG & Starfish - Koru - SA - ML - LL - LLL - Possum - Nikau - ML - RL Ext - Magic Carpet - top Koru - down the 4WD to St Albans. Reviewed his descending body position and his use of brakes down LLL, made a significant difference - he was much harder to catch on RL Ext!!

Near collision: Stickbug came around a corner on Nikau Valley and found himself staring a goat in the eye - swerved around it and nearly ended up over the cliff!

It was nice to see Don McLeod out working as I flew along Magic Carpet. I would have stopped for a chat except I was desperately trying to catch the Bug. Makara Park would be a lot less enjoyable place to ride if it wasn't for the tireless efforts of Don and a handful of likeminded people.

Overall it was a great day to be out on the lower tracks (out of the wind), not too hot, not too cold, the early morning showers settled the dust but the tracks were still dry. I couldn't stop thinking how blessed we are to have Makara on our doorstep.

Akatarawa's

Baby Pram. Was good. Slippy under the leaf litter and I wimped out on 'Dave's Too Scared"

Little Akatarawa. It's a bit of a mess. Lots of trees down and getting over grown. My bush saw got absorbed into the Wainui Trail Project tools. I'll have to buy a new one and go back to clear things up a bit.

My biggest day out after a winter of inactivity. Legs are toast.

I'm sure we'll be able to dig the saw back out for you Colin. Was probably a good move not riding today, the leg was still a bit sore, although it actually got better with walking and worse when I sat still. Might have to come help on that next mission

Taupo. Took my harem down there and we did a bunch of Th Wairakei tracks in the morning and then W2K over & back from Kinloch. Between 70 & 90K depending on who did the headland track (and back along it).

Just a sifty ride today before my drive home. Slackshanks and spacemonkey took me down bootleg and conviction then back up. After that slacky and I went down his work in progress.

So a pretty fun ride this morning.

Karapoti on Sunday.
http://www.gamma.net.nz/track/karapoti

Even if you do it in picnic format, stop for lunch etc... its still a grunt

I got out for a couple of rides over the weekend. I disassembled my Turner over Christmas, so hadn't ridden a MTB for a couple of weeks. New bike turned up at 2:30 on Friday, so I swapped a few bits and got it rolling. Headed up to vegas after work on Friday, so was super keen to get out for a bit on Saturday.

Headed straight up Katore rd to Gunna Gotta, then A-Trail and Tickler, before heading up Direct rd and Frontal Lobotomy. Down Billy T, then G-Unit, before heading out to the road, and back to the top. This time hit up the jump track, before following Corners down to the shuttle pick up. Headed into Chinese menu from there, and then into BRN2, Lion, Turkish and then Exit. Downed a sammich, before heading back out to meet up with Ed Knievel for a few more trails. Headed back up Katore, Down GG again, A-Trail, Tickler, Dragon's Tail and Mad if U don't. From there we cruised up Yellow Brick Road, at which point BGA and I headed for town to register for the N-Duro the following day. Was awesome to get out on the dirt again.

I got out for a few hours today too, mainly just playing round on Mt Vic - some bits are riding mint right now, others still quite slick after the rain last night. Certainly kept me on my toes! I rode a lap of the Nats course just to get a feel for how it all fits together - it's great fun.

Today I got out on Mt Vic again after work. I had a couple of specific things to do, and after a bit of playing round got into it. Ended up leaving mt Vic at about 7:30, and finished my ride with a cruise from Oriental Bay, through town and up to Karori. Nice evening for it.

Got some forks sent down on loan from Wideopen and put them on the Driver 8 today. Some oldies but they are actually goodies. Took them out for a quick ride down spoon hill.

Thanks for the loan of the forks guys After riding them I'm even more excited to get the new ones.

Got out for a skid after work today, up Salvation and down Deliverance, which was a tad slick despite the lack of standing water. Much slipperier than last week, had a near pants-filling moment down pinball alley where in one of the bits where there are two lines, the front of the bike went in one and the back was in the other...maaaad sideways also go to the bottom and realised that I'd left my forks on 95mm. durrrrrrrrrr. At least the slackers slackness makes up for it heh. Then a brisk ascent of Koru and a pinned as run down Swigg/Starfish. Left the forks on 95mm and it actually fucking rocks down Swigg/Starfish like that. Don't need the travel, and it feels way snappier through the twisties like that.

Rode whitford today (Saturday)......rode down to the bottom of Rome, up Rome. Then up to Abyss on the road. Down Abyss and The Boss the back up Rome.

It was then time to find 'Get a Perm'.......after what seemed a very long way we arrived. Down Get a Perm to the hairpin that takes you back up to the road.......then out from there..............

Def going back...some awsome trails have been created out there and some more to come!

Cheers

sandpit today, a bit dry in places but still good fun. powerball to big mama to big mama's tail to uplands to lightning to enchanted forest to haggis to conifer grove to python to anaconda to endtrail... a bit shagged after that so up the access road to exit trail.