Re: cycling

  • Mākara double

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    Did a couple of laps of Mākara, great fun. I got psyched out by Wha Out, even though I was sure I could deal with it.

  • Barking Emu redux

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    I finally got back to Barking Emu and I was super impressed. A lot of the trail had been widened and the ruts removed. Car Parts Extension was challenging but more because of the number of people coming the other way.

    But it was a good ride, 20km and it felt pretty good.

  • Serendipity progress

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    Today I rode Serendipity twice at lunchtime, and managed the whole thing in under an hour.

    The big deal was riding the one rooty area I’ve so far been unwilling to attempt (and learning how easy it is), and for the first time getting around the left hand corner near the bottom of the trail, and doing it twice.

    Finally I need to confront the gnarly and steep chicken line next to the drop, before the track gets wet again.

    There is still one rooty section that I’ve ridden successfully in the past but didn’t do today. But all that said I can ride the damn thing from top to bottom, I just need to put it all together

  • “The Corner”

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    Today I finally made it around the Ikigai left hand corner that has always stuffed me up.

    I felt pretty underwhelmed as it is such as easy corner to do, but, it’s done and hopefully I’ll continue to get it every time.

    I have ridden every 2 days on average so far this month, and am managing to get out for short lunchtime rides.

  • New year’s ridin’

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    So far I have ridden every day of 2023.

    Mākara both days, but I have tried new trails both times.

    An achievement today: I cleaned Starfish. I had to repeat one segment (a rooty peak after a tight corner and rock roll), but I got it the second time. I was stoked at being able to put together the rest of the trail, and we’ll see if I can keep it up.

    I rode North Face today and yesterday, and it is magic apart from a scary as hell looking right hander, which I hope to get around soon. The rest of the trail is fine – it contains a bit more technical stuff than Peak Flow, but mostly rollable drops, a few tighter corners, and some slightly steeper terrain.

    I attempted Lower Pōhatu. That was well beyond my current abilities. I guess I could ride 60% to 70% of it, and there were a few bits I walked that I should have attempted. It was not that I didn’t enjoy it or that it didn’t feel safe, there seemed to be enough time to anticipate upcoming features. Nevertheless I was really happy to have had a go and I am hopeful I can improve in future.

    A few lessons:

    1. I need to ride more variety of the grade three and four trails at Mākara and elsewhere. The new stuff is building my skills more rapidly.
    2. I had the realisation yesterday that once I was on a feature, or something I needed to really think about, I could at a certain point just look ahead, knowing that the bike would handle it. This has been very helpful on rollable drops as I can get established on the roll, and once on it look ahead, and in the case of Starfish and Lower Pōhatu get a read on the upcoming feature.
    3. YouTube point of view riding videos are nothing like the trail. The best ones show someone riding the feature from different and narrower lens angles, the POVs lack detail of the steepness and texture of the trail. I already knew this, but looking at Lower Pōhatu after today’s ride it was really stark.

  • December review

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    I managed 13 rides in December, but there were a few significant highlights.

    Upper Starfish: I was lucky to ride this three days in a row in reasonable conditions, and it massively boosted my confidence and willingness to try different trails. It didn’t give me the confidence to clean Serendipity as I had hoped it would, but I will get there. So in total I rode Starfish 5 times in December, with varying degrees of luck, but gradual improvement.

    I think I also got a few personal best times on Ikigai and some of the Mākara trails, and while that is not the aim, I think it shows improvement.

  • Rest

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    After 8 days in a row my poor legs need a rest. I was keen to get out today but the schedule did not allow it, but on reflection that is a good thing.

  • Upper Starfish #3

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    I had booked a day off work and managed to fit in a ride, I was very very keen to do Upper Starfish again. I almost cleaned it – I had to dab in one corner to make it around; and one rooty crest stopped me. Apart from that all the harder stuff that stopped me the previous two days I got through in the first attempt. I was absolutely rapt.

    To me it is one of those trails I need to ride a bit to really get the hang of it, but it does make me want to seek out more technical grade four trails. If I can get back to Mākara this week after work, and assuming it stays dry, I will attempt lower Starfish as well.

    For a short period I was the only person at the top, unlike Sunday where there were 12 to 15 riders when I arrived.

  • Mākara, Starfish

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    Fantastic ride at Mākara today.

    I started Peak Flow with the fork locked, and it was very jarring. It reminded me of riding it on the Roscoe. The Yari really is a huge improvement.

    Finding Smokin’ closed I ended up doing Upper Starfish quite reluctantly. But boy oh boy was it fun. I did have issues in a few places, but I’m keen to return tomorrow and have another turn.

  • November review

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    My two November goals were:

    1. Ride the Tip Track by the end of the month;
    2. Ride from the top of Brooklyn Hill to the bottom (ie Carparts to Ikigai to Serendipity) by the end of the month.

    If things go well I will attempt the tip track over the weekend.

    I achieved the top-to-bottom goal today in slightly wet track conditions. It was an incredible ride, Carparts was difficult as always, but I received some genuine encouragement from another rider that I found meaningful.

    Ikigai’s corners were a problematic as ever, but it was fun.

    Serendipity was quite damp and the roots were slick. I was over cautious and avoided taking on a couple of features, which I am very keen to clean next time.

    I rode on 15 days, and according to Strava, I rode the farthest in the month since April.