Athlete update for August
After a busy prior working towards the Torpedo7 Peak to Peak, getting results , news etc out I spent a couple days at the end of the week checking out routes for The Pioneer race next Feb.

Steve ‘Goo” Gurney and myself travelled to the Ahuriri River area parked the car at the Ireland Bridge and started a 55km loop to check out some potential changes. Riding downstream with the Hwy across the river to the right we encountered easy 4 * 4 roads until around the corner when the surface changed to a hard and fast wide internal farm road. Easy going so far.
Stopped in to chat to a couple farmers before turning up towards the Qualiburn Station. On a real road now but this soon changed to gravel and then rolled across some uplands (its actually part of the Alps to Ocean track)

At the Quailburn Station we turned up past an old historic woodshed and yards, and entered the Quailburn / East Branch Ahuriri DoC track. The recent snows still remained in the bush along with lots of deadfall so it was a little slow going. Two thirds of the ride already covered but the last third was going to take the time.

. 

Mostly now we are taking the bikes for a walk, but after 30mins we clear the bush and push towards the saddle. Not riding yet but we see the potential to do so, and as soon as the grade flattens we are on the bikes and riding through ankle deep soft snow  (deeper in the drifts)  I opt for a sunny face which has cleared while Steve persists with the snowy trail. 

Now I am riding old faint sheep trails with the odd hole - one which caught me out for a slow front wheel stopped dive into the tussocks beyond. This had Steve laughing from the other side of the valley. I got that back at him when I was sitting behind a tussock, out of the gentle breeze and a simple hello as he went past gave him a good fright.

Into the East Branch of the Ahuriri - flat wide really bottom with no tracks - just riding the bare ground with the shocks turned on - spread 500metres apart looking for the Te Araroa trail. Eventually we find a marker pole and follow the track as it sidles around a hill and empties onto very rough bumpy rabbit infested paddocks. Extremely hard riding but by keeping power on we are able to keep the speed up. But it is hard riding. A marker pole every now and again

The Te Araroa trail crosses the main flow of the Ahuriri at this point but we head downstream looking for a suitable crossing point in our direction of travel. We find a crossing but even with no snow melt the crossing is deep - mid thigh at times and swift flowing.

A 5km time trial to the car finishes the riding for the day. This section does not work for the Pioneer race (great for a Southern Traverse route but not a mtn bike race)

Next morning it’s a short drive from Omarama to the Clay Cliffs to assess the track around the front of the Cliffs.  To see if it’s ridable back to join the Ahuriri.  Yep it’s fine but at 0800 in the morning the frost is still around and the hands are cold. This works a treat and we get nice visuals of the Clay Cliffs with the morning fog lifting.
Back to Omarama for breakfast and on the way home.

Well not quite - we have to check a piece beside the Lindis Road. A farmer has made a new track and this needs checked. Another hour or so of riding and a bit of uphill pushing on the brand new cut track (has not bedded in yet and probably to steep to ride anyway)  But the race is going the other way and it’s easy coming back - with a river crossing of the Lindis thrown in just to make sure our feet are cold enough. (click on the link to see the video)

Two winter riding days - great to have the sun for those ones.

Back Friday in Q’town with Sunday the Charity ride up the Remarkables Road. I choose to ride the road bike - but everyone else is on their mountain bike. Wise choice on my behalf as the road, even the gravel at the top is hard and fast so the road bike was a good choice.

Torpedo7 athletes first and second.   Hamish Fleming first (fresh from his Peak to Peak win) and  myself second.  Hamish was so far ahead that he is descending one kilometre from the top as I am still going up. The next fastest up the hill are two runners. We only got away from them on the flats.

So a good little tune-up for the legs. But what I did find was that skiing legs are good for biking.  No problem with bike fitness except the bum was a bit sore, but a small ride yesterday showed that this has come right.