First Blogged (lone) ride.....

This is great, about time I joined in the ww webby thingee and did some blogs of my own, only about my biking mind you... This entry must be read with caution as no verification of the following by can made independently as I was riding on my own, a rare occurrence but nevertheless true. Sunday 14 March, nobody keen to ride or able to make it so I figured it was about time, 14 days or so since my last ride, that I hit the hills. I decided to go up Captain Thomas and try and ride up some techie climbs, in particular one that owned me a few weeks prior resulting in a large painful bruise on my left hip. I gimped up the first climb at the at the normal place after the first steps hit the really steep piece. Tried to do it again but couldn't get going on the steep climb, so walked the rest, then cruised on. Had issues with the chain staying on the middle ring, the hit the tricky rock climb which got me last time, failed, tried about 7 times and gave up, not in a good mood due to bad riding and chain. Was close to going home, but pushed on. Rode OK to the top and decided I needed more single track climbing (or punishment) so went up Greenwood, figured not to many likely to be coming down so a good time to do this. As it was there were no people at all. I rode pretty well up here, managing all the rocky sections, only a dab or 2 on some easy sections where I lost concentration a little. This was the first time I had ridden up here in daylight, and only the second time ever and I really enjoyed it, slower but much better than the road. Got to the end and turned straight around and cruised back down, noticing a few better lines I had spotted on the way up here and there too. Had a pretty good run, no offs, no punctures and pretty good form, although this is hard to judge on your own. Back at Evans I went on up/out Godley thinking if I can get one of the first 2 tricky sections at the start I would be much happier, as it happened I cleared both first go non stop for the first time in ages, maybe ever. Normally one of them gets me every time. Although I failed at the next not so tough section due to being buggered (2 weeks off bike???). Carried on up OK from there and down the other side pretty well, enjoyed most of it apart from the section that they (trail pixies) destroyed with the Teddington by making insane off cambering everywhere (there are witnesses to a good crash of mine on this to prove how dodgy it is too). Had to push pretty hard out the last section as was getting low on daylight so had a quick bite to eat and headed out to Taylors via the Anaconda. Had a nice run in on the top section and was winding up to full noise just about to enter the Conda properly when a girl on bike appeared from nowhere (not on the track I was on at least) going at girl speed, so I pulled up and made as much brake noise and clattering as possible behind her, which worked and she pulled over to let my through. I thanked her and carried on at full steam. Was pretty good but had a few rusty issues on some of the berms and nearly shot out of the track a few times but made it safely down. Cruised out the tale and nearly collected a pixie on the track doing some rock removal. I hope they don't make it too easy. I could feel the effects of not riding enough up out of Taylors and had to grovel most of it and then rolled down the park to Slumner where the Bongo was waiting...Ate a Pizza on the way home.