Ride Report: Wentworth Falls -> Woodford -> Glenbrook, via Andersons Firetrail and the Oaks

Present:
Ben - Specialized HT
Matt - Giant HT
Tarlo - Shogun HT
PhilM - Shogun Rigid (Ow Ow Ow)
Colin - Cannondale Boing

An early mechanical was had by Ben, snapping the seat collar getting his
bike out fo the car. A quick look for replacement parts saw nothing, and
the idea was to pick up a hose clamp at the hardware store, which was
going to fix everything.

Most met at Central station for the 9:02 train, and then met Phil at Blacktown.
Plenty of bikes about, and just managed to jam all the bikes in the end of the
carrage. A couple of people tried to get past, the first Tarlo politely
told to fuck off and wait for the next station, while the other looked
like he was goiing for a hurdling record.

Got to the Wentworth Falls hardware store, and attenpted the repair.
Ben's bike proves to strong, and we need to resort to some zip ties to
maybe improve things.... off we go... 11:30am. Andersons is only newly opened
from the bush fires and newely grading, so the going is different. A call is
made to mikey to see if he knows the way in a fork in the road, but it
sounds unlikely that he will meet us at Woodford. Tarlo recons the
hangover sounds worse.

Cruise along, and then down the steep bits to the creek. I score the
first flat of the day, and the others go onto the creek. Lunch stop at
the creek, then its off for the big climb. In attempting a photo shot of
the creek crossing, I notice the other wheel has a slow leak, so I score
the second flat for the day. Stupid new tyres they were meant to help
stop this.

Tarlo and Ben attempt to grind up the hill, but both stop at one of the
pinches about half way up. Into Woodfood around 2:45, for a very slow
running of Andersons.

Set off on the Oaks just after 3pm and after the forst small ascent
everyone looks pretty tired, and Tarla and Ben are thinky they probably
shouldn't have attempted the ride out of Bedford Creek. Up and down with
many stops all the way to the helipad, where we all lay about for a bit.
An XC wippet flies by, looking very fresh, I'm sure he got a kick out of
cycling past us on that hill.

Then down the smooth hill to the gate. Much slipstreaming was had, most
fun. Phil avoids the front wheel flat of last time, and doesn't through
his bike in the bushes. The singletrack is now marked, so we took off
on this section. I was being silly, taking "interesting" lines, and very
quickly, scored the thrid flat of the day. While stopping to fix this,
noticed I had managed to pull a spoke out of its nipple. Explains the
slight wobble in the wheel. Quick tighten seems to have the spoke
holding, so its off for more ST. Everyone is dragging by now, especially
Phil on the rigid. Somewhere along the line Tarlo flats and then flats
again, just as we come out onto the road near the causeway.

On the final grind up the hill to Glenbrook, we are passed by someone
actually riding the hill, and a few people riding in, maybe looking to
ride up to Woodford and back in the dark. Fools. Glenbrook station is
made around 6pm, and the next train is only 15min away. No-one risks a
run to the shops, and we sit hungry on the station.

Plenty of room for the bikes, and seats for all on the way home. Whoot.

Distance: ~65km
Time: A slow 6.5 hours, about 2 hours slower than my aim.
Mechanicals: 2 (Ben' seat collar, plus my spoke)
Flats: 5
Injuries: none