Mountain biking?
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Back in to regular riding with riverhead now a whole lot drier and running mint. Been out there every week or so but gotta pick the times as its dam hot if there isnt much breeze. Even those 6pm til dark rides are scorchers.
This week I rode the coromandel trails. Wicked spot. Lovely clay in perfect riding condition. A very pedally trail with lots of ups and downs. Two main MTB trails at 4.5km (about 22mins) and 1.5km (6mins)
They also have a beautiful pump track and a couple of short downhill jumps line which are great for skills. Pretty cool setup really. The guy who set it all up actually passed away on Sunday, 1 year to the day since its opening. Hoping they can keep it all going in his memory.
Yesterday I was back in to whangapoua forest which I haven't ridden for about 6 months. I forget how steep some of the hills are. The ups are on the heavy gravel roads and the downs are through loamy pine covered trails. Steep and fast. Rode two of the trails but sighted a couple more which I will ride next time. Could bring myself to do another climb up that hill.
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Mixed bag for me over the hols.
Spent a few hours with the son getting shuttled up Coronet Peak and doing Rude Rock (favourite trail but in need of a bit of work as some dicks have been riding it in the wet and now it has set hard it isn't as flowy) then crossing the road and heading to Hot Rod. Just great fun tracks that put a smile on the dial.
Went up Cardrona as well and did a 'peak to pub' swing out to the Captains basin then all the way down to the Cardrona Hotel for a pint. Was a bit too rocky on the hardtail to be a fast blast but still fun. Those trails are designed for big ![alt text](![image url](image url))cushy full sus 29ers IMO.
Then coming back from Glenorchy last weekend we drove up to Moke Lake and I saw on the map that there were trails that would take me much deeper down the valley so went back a few days later and got dropped at 12 Mile on Wakatipu for an explore. Some 4 hours plus of mainly 4WD track up past Lake Dispute, across farmland to Moke Lake, deeper in to the old ruins of Sefferton then a traverse around the mountain and a drop to the Shotover for a pint at Canyon Brewing. Some evil push up 50 degree slopes on the way and the last 4km or so was literally an overgrown goat track that had as much bush bashing on foot as riding. Pretty special views though and a chance to see some sights of the area I hadn't previously.
This is why I keep my Hardtail, to do tramping tracks in half the walking time. So much lighter to push when required.
Looking back toward Wakatipu over Lake Dispute
Toward Moke Lake
Looking down on ShotoverEdit: Can't be arsed editing phone shots to get right way around.
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@crucial said in Mountain biking?:
Probably one for the phone case thread but I got a quad lock case and bike fitting from Santa.
Incredible. Phone just clips on and doesn’t move even down rocky drops.Nice! Have heard those are good. I tend to ride with the phone just in my pocket (if want it handy for pics) or backpack.
Looks like a beaut place to ride.
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Havent actually done a ton of riding here as just too hot. Prob been out every 2 or 3 days for a decent ride.
Had a few sessions at Coro and spent a bit of time on the jumps trails with the lad getting him sorted. Good refresher for me to be able to ride and jump doubles again as wouldnt usually ride that sort of stuff.
There has also been a fair bit of gravel and forest riding too which hasn't been too bad as is generally quite shady. The pine downhills were steep and fast. Certainly wouldnt be easy to stop if you needed to. Best ride was probably my annual slug up to Castle Rock. Good ride of about an hour up and 15-20mins for the down and just under 1000m elevation gain.
Also rode whangamata trails late last week. A lot of work has gone in to these over the past year. Some really nice jump and flow trails now. Had one minor bail where tried to take the feature by pass rather than riding a drop blind and managed to make the decision too late and ended up over the bars. Sprained wrist and lots of bruising up my right hand side. Doh!
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@jk said in Mountain biking?:
Also rode whangamata trails late last week. A lot of work has gone in to these over the past year. Some really nice jump and flow trails now. Had one minor bail where tried to take the feature by pass rather than riding a drop blind and managed to make the decision too late and ended up over the bars. Sprained wrist and lots of bruising up my right hand side. Doh!
Still injured. Ended up getting an x ray and not broken but fark me its not great. Means very limited riding (certainly no jumps or anything technical or interesting) and also limited gym training unless totally hand free.
Took the lads to coro trails the other day. Got their jumping sorted!
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Anyone else been riding?
Been getting out weekly at least around Riverhead as great time to ride and wont be too long until its a bog again. Even yesterday had a few new puddles from last weeks massive downpour that will probably be there until next summer.
Ridings been excellent - usually out for a couple of hours which gives about 20km of trail ridng and about at least 500m of elevation gains.
A vid below of one of my fav parts of the forest to ride - the native section. This train is a grade 4 and starts off nice n fast in the pines (like most riverhead riding) and then gets a bit more tech once in the rooty natives. Love this stuff (Btw - not me riding as I don't ebike)
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@jk said in Mountain biking?:
Anyone else been riding?
Been getting out weekly at least around Riverhead as great time to ride and wont be too long until its a bog again. Even yesterday had a few new puddles from last weeks massive downpour that will probably be there until next summer.
Ridings been excellent - usually out for a couple of hours which gives about 20km of trail ridng and about at least 500m of elevation gains.
A vid below of one of my fav parts of the forest to ride - the native section. This train is a grade 4 and starts off nice n fast in the pines (like most riverhead riding) and then gets a bit more tech once in the rooty natives. Love this stuff (Btw - not me riding as I don't ebike)
Looks fun.
Nothing from me. Shouldhave left the bike down south. Brought it home with fingers crossed that I would make it over to the Sounds for a couple of nights to do the Queen Charlotte but it hasn't happened.
You video has me in the mood though so might hire a bike when south at Easter to do this again (and again). Such a cool trail if you like them fast.
There's now an upper Rude Rock open off the chair at Coronet which makes it possible to go top to bottom from the peak all the way down to the valley. Would take about 30 minutes non stop but you'd be shot by the end of it.
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Difference between a professional enduro mountain bike rider and everyone else: