First MTB ride 05/27/2008
 

So - one of the big selling points of the new house was the fact that from our back door there is literally hundreds of miles of fantastic mountian biking - from footpaths (that it's legal to use) all the way to the other coast , national 4x and downhill tracks and man made (or should I say community service made) biking specific trails that loop around the mountains that fringe Nelson. Since moving here I haven't been able to get out for a ride, which has been made worse by seeing hordes of riders heading off for rides at all hours of the day, every day! Don't they have jobs!!!!
Well, last Sunday gave me a small opportunity to go out for a spin so I didn't need asking twice. The weather here is almost unbelievable - it's dry and sunny nearly every day and that seems the norm, so the trails were dusty, dry and fast even in mid winter. Anyway - I crawled up a track that leads up the valley and stopped at the top to check out my route map (and stop my vision from blurring thanks to over excursion). Whilst surveying the map in complete confusion (and breathing through my ears) a group of old codgers caught me up that I had past on the climb and I got chatting to them - happy for an excuse to stop for 5 mins. One of the chattier ones offered to show me some of the better descents in the area - an offer I declined - he was 55, on a bike with no disc brakes and a 12 cm stem and flat bars - come on, couldn't he tell I was once one of the best bike riders on the planet and a virtual bullet downhill on a bike?! Anyway, he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer so, to polite to argue, I decided to do my bit for age concern and go for a ride with him. After grimping up some single track trails and fire road (where I barely managed to hold the half wheel on him) we got to the top of the first of three downhill tracks that link up to take you back down to Nelson. At this point the codger put his seat down and proceeded to take me down what can only be described as super steep switchback crazyness at very impressive speed. Now, don't get me wrong, I was still well within my comfort zone (by about 1% to be honest) but this old bloke, on his old fashioned bike, made me re-asses a lot of my prejudices. He really was ripping and went bombing off some ledges that I never would have believed if I hadn't seen it. Anyway - we got back to the bottom and I managed to stick the half wheel back on him along the road section home - sad I know but I had to make myself feel better some how.
So that was my first MTB ride in Nelson - the tracks are great, dry, rooty and very fun - just need to try and get my skills up before I dare go out with any of the local young guns (or old guns for that matter).

 


Comments

Dad

Wed, 28 May 2008 08:59:48


a good story.....OLD codger at 55!! Just you wait until it catches up with you. Reading of your performance it was a good job you weren't kitted out in your old GB strip!! So, now you know how it's done Paul, back to basics!

 

Copley

Wed, 28 May 2008 11:00:06

I'm jealous... really.

I'm desperate to *see* some hills and bushes, never mind be able to cycle through them.

Good weather, good trails... Mmmmm... Get a bike ready for me this xmas... we're booking flights this week!


 

PJ

Wed, 28 May 2008 12:30:35

He was probably more like 65 to be honest dad but my ego just can't accept the fact. Nice to meet up with some friendly locals on my first ride though, I am going to join the MTB club for a bit I think - it's probably the easiest way to get some riding buddies sorted out. Yep, your right, back to basics (on the fitness stakes if nothing else - my road rides in Tasman didn't really seem to have much effect - though I dread to think how bad I would have been without them).

You will love it Steve - its some of the best MTB riding I have seen and no grief from land owners/walkers/gates etc. If only they had few chair lifts - though there is a bike park about 4hrs away at Coronet Peak that has lifts all year round.

 

JP

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:38:47

These diary entries are becoming tantamount to gloating now.

My only retort can be:
"All very well and good Paul, but do you have a job yet you waster?"

 

JK

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:00:20

I'm with JP. i've finally managed to get some proper riding in at 7 Stanes in Scotland last week with glorious weather (see not just NZ) but everyone seemed or actually were going faster than me including hard tails, teenagers and ladies. ace trails though. how the world has moved on since we sneaked off illegally onto footpaths looking for something exciting. still, i have two squeaking disc brake sthat are out of true and got a puncture, so not that much changes.
glad you're living the dream. just about to buy Max a Star Wars chopper bike for his next bike.....

 

PJ

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:05:20

There is plenty not to gloat about JP, just doesn't make quite as good reading going on about trying to fit an air conditioning unit, Lisa crawling around the loft trying to wire up a light and Buster pooing in his pants nearly every time we go to the shops (oh yeah, dropped him on his head the other day in the supermarket as well - the looks I got could have frozen the sun!) so I try to stick to fun stuff. I'll try and slip in some mundane posts in future to 'keep things real' though the MTB'ing is pretty unreal, the sun is still shining and the beach is only 5ins away - these are just facts of life, don't hate me for it.

As for 'work' - I cant reiterate enough that not looking after Buster from 8-5 every day and, maybe working in a bike shop with my mates, would certainly make my life a lot easier. Unfortunately, unlike dogs, its not social acceptable to give him a cat flap and let him poo in the garden even though he would probably love it.

Is your home phone working - it never connects?

 

PJ

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:24:40

Hey Joe - how are you fella? I never made it up to the 7 Stanes but from everything I read it sounds superb - glad you had a god time wrapping yourself round some Scotch Pines - did you take the armour this time?

Its funny - I kind of look back on the old days of battling with ramblers and farmers and sneaking across fields only to plug around on some mudfest of a footpath for 4 hours with rose coloured spectacles but really the riding like in Scotland, Wales and out here is a different league - at least you know your going to get 2-3hrs of really good fun every time. It does take some of the fun of exploration out of it BUT who cares!

Buster is fully up to speed on his little 12" BMX now - the local BMX track is perfect for him to fly around on. Forget the Chopper for Max - get him a 16" wheeled carbon hard tail with XTR, you know it makes sense.

Hope your good - summers coming so there must be some trees in Gledhow with your name on them?

 

JK

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:19:59

you'll be pleased to hear the chopper fell through. i'm scouring e bay for a decent bike. the trouble is Max is just at the limit for a 16" wheel bike and not quite big enough for an 18" so the thought of forking out £100 on something that he'll grow out of shortly or will hate as he keeps knacking himself on as it's too big is too much for me to fork out. we were down the skate park today and there was a 5 year old an an ace 16" bike thogh which made me feel jelous and a useless dad as Max scooted around on his 12" 2nd hand crap heap. Euan si loving his motrobike (plastic one with large wheels) it hink he's ready to inherit the 12" without the pedals.

i have armour now but haven't used it in anger. didn't take it to 7 STanes as it was stirctly blue/red cross country only. recovering from a middle ear infection so balance and fitness even worse than usual. went out with North Leeds MTB last night for the first time. 2 were on single speeds and they still beat me up every climb. i'm aching all over! i feel like mr stay puft the marshmallow man. i'm determined to batter myself into shape. i plan x country, boys in trailer and an armour clad gledhow/ roundhay rides every week. that should toughen me up. FSR is lots of fun for messing about in the woods. great hot weather here at the moment so time to make the most of it. off with JP to Wales on the 20th so i have a target..... not much of one admittedly.

take it easy and watch out for the old guys. maybe it was Greg Herbold that you met on the trails. did he retire to NZ?

 



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