The tuesday night MTB session started on-the-fly this week. Peter & Gareth met at the shop and started toward the main freeway trail where Ran & I linked up with them, then Gus jumped on. We spent the next couple of hours wheel-to-wheel through the Yarra trails and out to Westerfolds via a few climbs and descents that take in Viewbank and Lower Plenty.
Once we got to the Westerfolds loop the legs were given another burst as the tempo seemed to step up, not that I thought that was at all possible. Peter set the pace as we headed in the opposite direction to what seems to be the favoured direction and showed why he is the master of descents. The game of cat and mouse kept on as Gareth brought more out of his bottomless tank to push my heart rate to new boundaries. He could have passed at any time but I think he likes seeing people suffer at the handle bars. A great night of impromptu intensity and spirited mountain biking fun.
Sunday dawned with a clear, cloudless sky, one of very few that seems to have been on offer these past few months, setting the perfect scene for Wyndy and I to head for a loose destination of Panton Hill. We shared stories of already aching legs as we tapped our way out through Templestowe toward Eltham. Quite a number of riders were already on the return journey from outer Melbourne's northern hills as we got down to business climbing out of Eltham to Research and on to Kangaroo Ground. We went on through Panton Hill and had a spell at a road closure frustratingly at the top of the descent into St Andrews (just after Smiths Gully). The road was being used for a billy cart derby. eventually we were waved through and detoured as we neared the pub as the bottom of the road was blocked by a huge tan-bark pile - a braking pile for any stray billy carts...
Turning left toward Hurstbridge we next turned off toward Arthurs Creek for a fun loop that returned us to the end of the train line at Hurstbridge. It was then on to Wattleglen, back up to Kangaroo Ground and then flat out as we challenged each other to a cornering and climbing challenge at Wellers. finally it was our turn to make the drop into Eltham having earlier watched everyone else enjoying it as we climbed it. The tempo rose into Eltham and so continued until Porter St roundabout. we went our separate ways at Foote St/Fitzsimons Ln. I think if I had used a better nutrition plan the last 10km might have been a little more enjoyable and less of the sufferfest that it became. A great morning to be out, even managed to snap a shot of Wyndy as we took 5 to look across the Arthurs Ck valley toward Strathewen and Kinglake.
