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After lunch we did a quick transport then straight back into the singles , the pace was back on and in no time we reached Hilux Hill. I’ve ridden this hill 3 times in the last month or so and not had a drama. There we some worried faces at the bottom as bikes started coming back down for second attempts. I reassured Boze he would get it no problem and he did , it was then my turn and the usual left line I took in the past had turned to shit after all of the days bikes. Rocks and no traction was all I got and before long stopped at the first step up. Thanks to Sam for grabbing a fork leg and saving a flip !! A quick push over the step and I was away to the top.
Rob400 saw a nice line to the right and smashed it 1st go
The second section of Hilux Hill has plenty of boulders and Buzz got his bike deflected off the trail and almost into the gully 200m below.Next was Bastard Hill and it lives up to its name , Smally and I went ahead to get some footage and pictures. Then the carnage commenced !!!
First came Spud !!
Then Boze
Boze got hooked up and Adam flew past into knee high ruts
Only to get hung up , a bit of effort got him out and to the top
Snowy got caught on the off camber
Only to get going and hit the step with speed
Dude styles it
Sam having a rare get off
Then cruised to the top
Bigger Al at speed
Polly solid as ever
Pikey smashed it !!
Mike effortless as always
Rob looking the goods
Buzz’s face says it all about Bastard Hill !!
More singles and a fun ride down the range saw us back at spuds house. We loaded up and headed back to camp where soon Spud showed up with the awesome roasts and veggies cooked by his lovely wife.
Then time for the fires and beers :woohoo:
Thanks again to all involved for making this a great weekend , the North coast old bulls will be talking about this one for a long time to come
Cheers
Nick
What a great weekend
Well worth every kilometer to get up north and back.
Nicks personal loop on Saturday arvo – a ripper
Followed by a few ales, hearty meal & convivial chats round the fire.
Most turned in early due to the long day , the ales , the cold & the early start on Saturday morning for Spuds ride.Saturday came
Up at sparrowfart to make the start at 7 ish.Blinky cold morning :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy:
The trails we rode were all in great condition ,seeming endless flowing singles, with short dirt roads joining to the next fab single. Only 3 “difficult hills”. A quick track down a deserted beach, I had a heap of trouble in the dry sand, kato wanted to go lay down on me ..Great lunch spot then retrack our way home.Thanks to Nick, STM, Spud , Rob, Smithy, Smally for a 10/10 weekend. :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:
I had been counting down the days to this ride as it was the first time I have taken time off from my new business. After 5 months I needed a few days away with the boys and this was the perfect opportunity. Staff were organized, mother in-law shipped in and bike prepped and ready to go.
The weather report look perfect with 15mm to suppress the dust during the week and cool, clear conditions on the forecast for the weekend. As soon as I jumped in my ute and looked at my bike in the rear vision mirror a smile came across my face. OBT weekends are always good fun and this one promised to be right up there with the best of them.
On arriving at Nickj’s there were already a few bikes and bodies and over the course of the next hour many more rolled in. It did not take me long to set up camp and get ready to ride Nicks home loop.
The loop in and around Nick’s was brilliant and he had done a heap of work since I had last ridden there. The tight singles were a great way to warm up and it sure got some heat back into the bodies of those that had driven down the range through the snow. We rode a good mix of singles and open trail with some cool sandy section thrown in. My bike was on song after new clutch springs that week and felt as good as it ever has. I have spent more time on the MTB lately but in the single I felt good and the bike felt even better. I had some good tussles with Mike and shared a few lines with Dude and Sam which is always good fun.
After about k’s we were back at the ranch and ready to wash the dust down.
Nick had the place well set up and I think a few were taken aback at the scale of Château Jacko. It is a beautiful property that he has cleared and built from scratch and the perfect spot to spend a few days camping.Everyone realised how physical the next day was going to be and that evening played it sensible except Toes. His XR had shat itself early was fatal so he was out and that is always a recipe for madness. We were done before 9pm but Toes was determined to kick on. I woke up a few hours later to find someone standing over me and realized it was him. He asked me what I was up to. It seemed pretty obvious that I was asleep but he offered me a beer anyway. I rolled over, he got the hint and disappeared.
The plan was to get to Spuds at 7am and everyone was right on time or as close to it as Andy can be. Spuds place should be a tourist attraction as there is so much cool stuff lying around.
We geared up and Spud gave the brief for the day. The sun was not far above the sugar cane at this point and the temps were as low as they get around these parts. It was about 4 degrees by the time we were ready to head out and the first few k’s of fast dirt roads were going to be fresh.
Super Sweep
Dude
The man of the moment
The other Super sweep
About 6 k’s in I hear a sound that I thought was from a bike behind me. It was as if someone was sitting on my back wheel with a badly adjusted chain. It was a loud rattle and then my bike coughed and started to lose power. I pulled the clutch as it died and rolled to a stop. It was not long until Nick and Rob rolled through to see what the problem was. The bike was not hot and there was no oil coming out the exhaust. I looked for a hole around the case but there was no sign that I had lost any oil. One attempt on the kick starter confirmed my worst fear. She was seized!!
There was nothing that could be done but to sit on the side of the road and wait for Smithy and his shiny ute. I sadly loaded my bike in and he offered me a lift back to my car.
I had the choice to go back and feel sorry for myself or hang out with Smithy for the day. I chose the later and am glad I did. He is a great bloke and we had a good day chatting and catching up with the crew and a few of the pre-determined meeting sots. He knows the forest as well as Spud and had us in he right spot every time. It gave me a chance to take it just how beautiful this coastal stretch of bush is and to snap of a few photos of the boys.
Boze
Rob
Pikey
Mike
Andy
Smally
Sam
Spud
Smithy was carting around a full esky and offered me a beer but I held off in case somebody pulled the pin at lunch and needed me to get their bike home.
Lunch was arranged with the same military precision as everything else this weekend and although it hurt not to be riding it was great to see the excitement and enthusiasm amongst the crew. After lunch me and Smithy made our way back through the forest to finally meet up as Spud appeared around the final corner of the trail. He had dropped his last corner man for the day and was rewarded with a cold can of his favourite brew.
I believe that sometimes things just go wrong unexpectedly to stop something else bad happening so it was clearly just not my day to ride. On arriving back at Nicks it was time for another amazing meal and something that I could do that day, Party!!! It was a very funny night with good mates and one I will remember for a long time to come.
Thanks to the boys and their patient wife’s for all the work and effort that went into such an amazing weekend. I will return for some more of this!!
STM
I think I have worked out my hill climbing issues from this photo as I notice everyone else rides their bikes not takes them for a walk.
1st hard hill
http://youtu.be/hSxIL-ATqog?list=UUZac4ShkYXSAwN3pSSTV8Cw
See a crew shot,follow Boze,then follow Smally then follow bigger al up the hill,bit scrappy by me at the end.
Dude wrote:My stack of the day. :sick: :blink: :blush: :laugh:
http://youtu.be/-SLJ3Ledrcw?list=UUZac4ShkYXSAwN3pSSTV8Cw
that’s gold Dude !!!
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