Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Where's the Excitement?

hmmm no posts since september, life hasn't stopped. in a nutshell and no order, ride bike, Andersons Trail, Wisemans, Cooks River, M7 a mix of road bike and MTB stuff.
Smashed Elbow @ wisemans (no gym , climbing or offroading.. grrr). Work work work. That's october - november.

December-
Saw the Orthopaedic Surgeon said my knee should not decline so all good news back into more intense riding and ready to snowboard.
heaps of christmas parties, back in riding and training some more.
Went Cruising on Sydney Harbour. Played host to my friend Wataru from Sapporo, Blue mountains, eating shopping, Sydney sites, snorkelling at Clovelly and more eating.

Met Paris Hilton. haha kidding!

New Years eve on the North Fireworks, Food and more drink.

Jan 2007 Birthday comming up and a bunch of other birthdays all the best birthdays are in January!

Jan 7 2007 dad found turtle hatchling crawling around the backyard so I have a new pet.

Today 9 Jan 2007 Sold my old car of 7 years. Oh Farewell hope it serves the new owner well.

Comming Soon..More offroad riding now that elbow and knee on amends.
Feb 15th off to Canadia for a 3 week Snowboard trip. Can't wait

Monday, September 04, 2006

MTB weekend 1st Sept weekend

2 Sept Manly Dam, track finally re opened after a period of wet weather. it was the warmest day at 26degrees C since winter. We out with some beginner friends E and T, who have never been offroad before. Quote "don't underestimate us" so off we went for the intro.

I never seen suffering as much since my first ride on a MTB haha. Half way through I proceeded to demonstrate what it looked like to go over the handlebars on top of a rock. My Apprentices stunned and in shock. So I demonstrated what to do next. Get up immediately and yell 'lets go" and continued. Further down the track T tried to copy my demonstration with a over the handlebards back splat which I didn't get to see and score. But the grazes on the back told the story. Despite the spills we continued to the end without further incident. But credit due they persisted and finished and took any some technical terrain no complaints.
Guess who will remember to bring along supplies and water next time!!! Was a nice fun ride. BBQ at night to finish.

3rd Sept. Menai Old Illawarra Road

Another fantistic spring day, not getting enough dirt, I met up with Shawn a hard core DH biker I havent riden with before along with his two friends Sean and Alex.
We started at Bardon Ridge oval and pedalled to the back of the Oval and down some single tracks, very well vegetated and constantly getting smacked my shrubs. Finally crossed Illawarra road to the main tracks. These were pretty much narrow singles and very Rocky all the way. Lots of downhill technical sections and lots of rocky climbs. These guys just kept moving at times I thought I wasnt going to keep up.
Finally dropping into some gullies the boys in front kept disappearing into the vegetation. lots of Doreanthes and lush vegetation and a few timber crossings and creeks to ride thru and over. Land of the Dinosaurs. The only incident was a pinch puncture which my tube was split on opposite sides. Oh that hissing sound after I smacked the bike into a gully ditch. A quick tube change and off again.
It was very diffferent to all the rides I have done so far. My heart pounding all the way definately a nice fast paced workout and attempted some difficult uphill climbs over steep rocks I wound not have attempted before.

Thank you guys for the intro to these tracks!!

Definately rate this as the best natural Technical track I have pedalled over so far.

Weekend at Jindabyne 26 - 28 August

Sat 26th Aug. A pretty uneventful in terms of snow at Thredbo, Spent most of the day with Ronnie trying to catch up with Cheech's main crew. Most the groomers were Icy and hardpacked. Lasted till about 4pm after a 10.20am start. Not much to rave about but was a nice sunny spring day.

A night playing poker, with big Ronnie the winner of all 3 games. Not bad for a beginner who said he has never played and has no idea. Think we got hustled!!!

Sunday 27th Aug. Did a MTB ride at Tyrolean nice tracks. Also did a ride around Pleasant View the farm I was staying on. Did a nice lap around the lake in Nurunderi park, found anEchidna and some kangaroos along the way too shy to pose for a Photo.



Took the Polaris out for spin at sunset heaps fun!!!



28th Aug On the way home on monday went for anothe spin on the MTB tracks Across from Jindy then home.



Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Bon Fire night 20 August 2006

Q: So what do we do out in the sticks when we find a bunch of logs to get rid of?

A: We have a bonfire!!!! over 3 nights.

Bonfire plus Camera = These pics on the first night.


Monday, August 21, 2006

Old Great Northern Road. Solo Ride

20th August. My First Solo Ride.
Plan: 28kms 4-5 hours. Old Great Northern Road. Wisemans Ferry
Starting 8:15am

After the Ferry Crossing, where I parked my car the temp gauge measured 8 Degrees C. A short ride up to the Gate of the Restored part of the Old Great Northern Road. It was mostly an uphill ride around 2Kms Past lots of Historical remanants of the old road. Finally arriving at the next gate where the remainder of the road is mainly remanants, eroded and deeply in many parts and a single track. Across this ridge heading towards the Western Commision and Ten Mile Hollow intersections. Great Views over the valleys open up and continues most the way for the next 12Kms. Sorry no photo's you need earn the view!!! so make the effort and ride/walk up there.

I have included some pictures of the track mainly technical and alot of fun. Riding up sanstone boulders and rocks. In my usual style I managed to hand plant and somewhere else up the road smack my knee in. Finally arriving at the intersection after 1.5 hours for a quick snack and break.


Turn back and hit all the Fun techi stuff again pretty much downhill for 14kms back to the ferry. hmm further it was to Clare's Bridge around another five Kms but mainly downhill. See pics. Did not see a singer person the whole morning except two walkers heading down. And experienced some technical difficulty with the rear gearset which a few pokes with a stick fixed.











Return trip mainly uphill back past intersection and onto the Western Commision track. lots of up and down along the ridge all a Hard packed graded dirt road and very scenic. I must have used the word bastard a few times each time thinking "this must be the last hill". but totally worth the effort. Some fast runs Max on computer was about 58kms/hour just anticipating a hairpin at any moment. Finally after a few more hills a fast finish down to the gate the a short ride back on the paved road to the ferry/car. And back home in time for lunch.


Result: 38Kms at 3.5hours. I would rate one of the interesting and fun rides so far. Not for the faint hearted but worthwhile.