Hidden Treasure (2 of 2)

Riverhead Forest is four km from my front door.






I had an actual adventure, trying to navigate my way to the WCRC xc loop on dirt and gravel from my house, rather than road. The thin ribbon of dirt in the distance was where I was trying to get to...

This photo is taken from the other side, with me sitting up top of the thin ribbon of dirt that I described before. Where I had come from was the ridge to the right of the above photo, via the trail you can see snaking down from right to left. The line of pines conceals a main road. The more familiar I'm getting with my desolate new territory the more I'm enjoying it. God bless buggering about on bikes.

Packin' for bikepackin'

Heading to the Southern Isle tomorrow and will see the month out down there. Hoping to get in a spot of bikepackin', a catch up with family and friends, and a solid dose of hills, trees and water (thereby removing any need I have of taking 'pot shots' at coachroaches as they climb the walls). Perhaps stupidly, I have decided to pack my singlespeed roadbike for the trip. Memories of the pain suffered of my last one geared Tasmanian mission seem to have gone AWOL...

It's raining outside so packing feels appropriate. Huon has jumped at the opportunity to assist and has been happily twirling spanners and spinning wheels. He doesn't know it yet, but I've thrown the Weeride baby seat in for good measure. I'm keen as mustard to get the little bloke on the bike and up into the mountains. Roll on the morning I say!

Vivat Rex (1 of 2)

My life is a whirlwind. A fulfilling and happy whirlwind but a whirlwind nonetheless. Gore Vidal said famously that one should never turn down the opportunity to have sex or appear on television. I've taken this on board as a mantra however have amended slightly to include trail riding.

Having not touched my trail bike for two weeks it's come to pass that I find myself able (not at the expense of anything else) to ride two days consecutively.

Day one I shot to my favourite favourite place to ride, The Royal Albany Trails. This place is awesome. 16 and a half KM of tight, twisty, mesmerizing old school xc singletrack tucked Tardis like into a small block of Massey University Land. The trails are beautifully organised and the riding rewards concentration and makes one feel agile and strong.The trail swoops,snakes and turns back in and around itself seemingly endlessly. I never ever tire of switchbacks and I counted about 1590000 of them. Bring glasses (the vegetation can encroach at times), water (It's reeeally hot in the bush) and your full concentration. Leave your white 800mm bars at home.

One For The Rook, One For The Crow...

Out today on a (ultimately fruitless) mission to find a new UBS cable for my camera I came across this stunning work for $14 and I couldn't pass it up. I've always been rather enchanted by this album cover and having the chance to own it in a tangible form was too good to pass up.

This album sounds HUGE, apparently there are about 70000 guitar overdubs on each track or some such. It's pleasing to mine ears and I'm sure will be the soundtrack to many a solo spin. Their blog isn't bad at all either.

With a couple free hours tomorrow I'm heading out to my favorite place to ride in Auckland and will have heaps of photos to document I'm sure ( Turns out I can just mate my camera to the laptop. Who knew?). Apart from the daily commute the riding has been sparse as I've been (happily) wrapped up in my own modern life at the moment...



This thing is beginning to resemble a favorite family broom, three new heads and seven new handles. Only the cranks, stem and frame are stock, I'll burn through those eventually.

Precipitous.

Get invited to participate in a great blog. Immediately lose the computer cable for your camera. Ben's is with his missus. Great start.
However, should you wish to go here you will get an eye full (maybe even two eyes full) of photographic evidence how grand a velocentric life can be.

Is it noise or sweet sweet music?

Possibly the best part of SSWC10 for me was the drive down with my brother, Gonz. It was sunny and we listened to The Shape of Punk To Come at full volume for most of it. I felt like a teenager again, however without all the rubbish bits. Much like collecting a fine wine I've collected the deluxe edition that's been released this year. With the original album, the live record and the DVD, I'm more than happy.Want a far more ordered view of the record? go here

I'm delighted to be involved in this new venture. Benny is a kindred spirit and I'm sure this will be a beautiful thing. I don't think I could have summed up the quantum change in my attitude regarding bikes any more eloquently than beans did, so I'm all in like flyn.

So, before we talk about beautiful bikes and junk and riding how about some music to get us in the right mood? GOOD.

What are Dennis and David from refused doing now? How's about AC4



Also, How 'bout a 55 year old punk legend kicking it like it's 1979 again?




Riding bikes and music like this goes together hand in glove. I may not be fast, but I sure can dance.

Les Cafards

I first imagined this blogspot whilst suffering on a singlespeed in Queenstown, New Zealand. Severely overgeared, I was pushing my bike up the umpteenth hill for the day when it struck me.. my 'bike' focus had shifted. Funtionality had replaced form. Rides had become journeys rather than races. Competition lost to companionship. 'Radventure' was now king. This shift in paradigm could probably be attributed to becoming a Father. Growing a small boy with a big passion for bikes has had a huge impact on my life. The quantity of rides has decreased whilst the quality increases. Put a kid on your handlebars and the world really changes. Old trails become new. Animals bring exclamations! He laughs in excitement as we descend a dune that would normally not quicken the pulse. Outside the Supermarket he rushes to the bike rack to examine each of the tethered bikes, discerning not between bling and bland, concerned only with the possibilty of each. It's inspiring stuff. In this blog I hope to bring you a little of that cycling 'mojo' my son has helped me to rediscover - Ben.