Ride Report: Red Hill -> Oxford Falls -> Red Hill

Present:
Colin - Cannondale Boing
Ben - Specialized HT
Matt - Giant HT
Mikky - Trek HT (The man lives!)
Tim - Learsport HT (No Golf!)

So I was late as usual. Ben appears to have the seat collar fixed, so no
silly riding like last time. We set off and decide to try out the yet
unexplored, by us, sections of Red Hill closer to Lady Penrhyn Drv.
Lotsa cool drops and much fun was had by at least me, but I think all.
The loggers loop seams way over grown, and plenty of scratches are
scored in the often fast and tight single track. I had a quick OTB, and
jamed my left shin in between the handlebar and top tube. ouch. Just
sore though, no big deal.

A democratic desion is made to exit at the Retirement village, and try
to hook up with the close 4wd track back into Red Hill. Looking at the
above map, we can't have missed it by much, but we didn't locate it. A
bit of backyard riding, and an explore up to a fortress house in the
bush, and we managed ot find a trail connecting back in at the top of
cromer heights. I was taken here about 6 or 7 years ago by a mate from
Dee Why cycles and was riding quite a bit from memory. Worked out in the
end. Cruised up to the sand pit for a longish break.

Set off to do drop zone. weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Another OTB by me trying to pass some newbies trying to ride up the
trail. sily silly silly. Smashed my bad knee. Ouch. Had a go at the main
bit of drop zone at speed. Cleared the first two drops easy, but had the
wrong line into the last big one, and the bike ends up in the bushes.
Lucky the flats are on, and I end up standing next to the bike. Many,
many spectators, with a general concensus of "That could have been
good".

Off to the dam, with Mikky performing one of the biggest nose manuals I
have ever seen, so much so that I forgot to brake and almost ran into
him.

Out onto the Wakehurst parkway, and one of the nastiest uphill climbs I
have ever seen. Big rest at the top, and a ride all the way up the 4wd
trail to the top of the xc trail. On the way Mikky performs a superman....
execelently executed by all accounts, and takes the rocky downhill
section on his sholder. Brushes it off, and we continue.

A quick lap of the xc course is in order, and a decison is made due to
the fading light conditions to skip little moab.
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Ride back out to the top of
Oxford Falls, for my forst trip down the downhill track. A more
experience guide is needed as I ended out on the road far tooo early and
a little backtracking is required. 3 of us make it outto the bottom in
fairly quick time, but nothing like the record of around 2.5 mins. Ben
and Matt take much longer. This is apparently due to a huge stack by
Matt. Another superman according to Ben. (Watch those brakes Matt). We
tar it back to the bottom of 100m hill, and slog up there. A quick ride
back up the main trail to the starting point at Red Hill.

Lights are rquired to drive off in the cars.

As Tim has mentioned the first beer went down like water.

Distance: ~25km
Time: Around 3.5 hrs I think. We started around 2hours and it was pretty
damn dark when we were done.
Mechanicals: 1 - minor brake lever bendage
Flats: 0 - Frigging hell, how the fark did this happen.
Injuries: Hard to say. No breakages, but maybe 3 minors.
Crashes: Many. 2 big ones.