It is a sport with a wide range of possibilities, from nannying along a groomed track through to climbing cliff faces, it can all be categorised as mountain biking. So this evening Peter threw in a couple of the tougher elements along with the option of bypassing these if they did not suit your palette. As a result the leaderboard had a wee bit of a shuffle and those adept at crossing rock strewn river beds and dodging moving trees, came to the fore. The riders reactions to the track ranged from “awesome” to unprintable.
George shot out of the blocks and was way ahead after lap 1. He later confessed that he may have missed a wee bit out and estimated a 15 second “cheat”. The rules were though, that if you were not comfortable on certain sections, there were alternative granny routes. Khan and Joel followed some way back having endured the real track, with Sven, Bailey and Aaron next and Kris lurking back in 7th. George was putting in a fine effort and took the real route on subsequent laps but Kris was enjoying the elements and clawing back the field. Justin was also making progress after a slow first lap, he chose a bike with no suspension and fat tyresthe only respite from the lumpy rocks. So as the laps reeled off Kris and Justin forged their way to the top two steps of the podium with George fading into 3rd concentrating on composing his story for the judiciary. Glad we aren’t sailing, just out there having fun and trying to improve our skills and fitness.
Further down the field there were a couple of notable rides with young Mitchell and relatively new Selena not shying away from the tough bits. Tom also had a huge moment which involved big rocks, but he managed to stay aboard and a satisfied grin will be fixed to his dial for the next few days.
So after a hot day there was a bit of relief with a breeze and some cloud, but in the background there were huge plumes of smoke. Rumour had it that the source was from a familiar spot in the Wairau Valley where the club has been fortunate enough to hold Soup and Bun events. Our thoughts go out to the forest owners and we hope that damage was limited.
Next week we will be back at the MTB park where the race/ride will be followed by refreshments to celebrate another year of fun and achievement. Hope to see you all there in big numbers.
Another reminder of the event next Saturday 19th December, registration from 8:45 a.m. for a 9:30 start at the top of Redwood Street. This will be a tough climb up to Mt. Vernon with rewarding views from Africa to America and the Antarctic if your eyes are powerful enough, and not watering. Just $10 entry with spot prizes afterwards. There may even be a trophy, no pressure Justin.