Muru Blooding.......er.....Make That Mudding.

 After a brief ride to the bike shop on Friday I knew it was as smooth as silk on the road but I finally managed to get the Muru out on the dirt to see what I had got myself in for.

The woodchipper bars will take a little getting used to as the hand position is very different to your standard mountain bike. This makes for a little more strength required to grip the hoods in the rougher sections of trail but I was surprised just how compliant the carbon fork and the baggy 2.2 tyres are in damping out the rough stuff.

The bike is silent, which makes it feel even smoother. Well, silent apart from my creaking seat. For some reason the Selle Italia Turbomatic Flow seat that I bought back in October has started creaking like a wooden bed in a cheap motel. I have lubricated the rails but it just won't quieten down. My next plan of attack here is to put the other(quiet) Turbomatic seat that I have currently fitted to my Lynskey onto the Muru and see how long it stays quiet(insert fingers crossed emoticon here).

I did have a heart in mouth moment while attacking some single track in Bayview. After I lifted the front wheel over a small log on the trail and the back was coming over, the 'bars twisted forward in the stem, nearly launching me over the front! Pulling out my trusty multi-tool I quickly had those stem bolts nice and tight, as my heart rate slowly returned to normal. Bike-build-glitch found! There is always one. ;)

The single track proved to be quite challenging with the overall length of the bike and the bar configuration not really suited to single track. So, I popped out onto the fire roads and this is where this bike shines. It ate up the fire roads. Loose gravel, climbs and descents were easy work. I guess I was starting to get used to the 'bars too by this stage.

Putting in a few kilometres(metric miles) on the blacktop and I soon noticed that the gearing is decidedly on the low side with me topping out at about 43km/h or so. That is fine for I plan to rest on the downhill sections and will need the little gears for all the climbing that is ahead.

Immediately ahead today was the Eastern Escarpment of Mt Cotton. There are some loose, sketchy, steep climbs here and I was surprised how well the bike handles the loose stuff in particular. The 2.2 tyres definitely add to traction levels in the loose stuff.

I had to remind myself to get off and push the bike some. Yes, I need to practice pushing up hills so that the little muscles and tendons in the lesser used portions of my legs are hardened up somewhat for when I am required to push through the snow pack that will undoubtedly be lying in wait in the first few days of the race. I have been practicing a mantra for this bit, thanks to Brandy, of "ride in the snow they said, it'll be fun they said...." I can work out the appropriate curse words to go in at the end on the fly.....  ;-)

All in all, it proved to be a very pleasant late afternoon roll that took me just under 3 hours with stops to smell the roses and admire my new bike.

My Strava log is here.

This is a decidedly dedicated type of bike. It is made to eat up dirt road miles(imperial kilometres) with ease and I think it may just do that, even with me at the helm. I can't wait to get my dynamo hub built up, get this bike loaded and head out onto some deserted roads.

Cheers.

Hello Spring ?

I found it waaay too hard to get myself out of bed at 5am for the Regular Daisy Hill Wednesday Morning Ride today. Its not that I didn't want to ride or to catch up with the guys. It is just that I need to try putting my body back onto a normal footing sleep-wise while I am on holidays. I found in the last month or so that working earlys, followed by lates, with the odd back of the clock wedged in sideways that I felt like the walking dead. So, this two weeks is being dedicated to getting liberal servings of sleep at normal hours, as well as a great ride or three.

Patting the family on the head and sending them out to the salt mines/school, I was wondering what use I could put this outstanding winters day to. Yesterday was a day of much gardening so today should be a day of much cycling. Balance is the key!

Kitting up I decided to head out toward Redland Bay to have a look at the old trails that have been given some TLC by the trail fairies. I decided to take a different route today. Part of my regular road bike route would lead me into the trails.

One of the reasons was so I could photograph this old house. I have done countless rides past it but must have been in the pain cave on each of them as I have never noticed it before last week. It is just crying out to be photographed in the early morning light, but that will have to wait until I am back on the hamster wheel.

Just one year ago the approach to Bayview was along a narrow fire trail, across a creek via a slippery, mossy fallen tree, then more fire trail to the entrance. That is all gone now, under hundreds of new Lego-Land dwellings. While I found the original fire trail emanating from the back of the housing estate, the cosy little creek crossing is long gone. Progress I am told.

Into the single track and the arm warmers came off almost immediately. Since it stopped raining the weather has been very pleasant. Today was feeling most tropical and I am wondering if we are in for an early Spring?

Through the usual trails and then I was off hunting the Shark's Tail Trail. I hadn't ridden this since January 2010 and that hiatus indicates what I though of it then. Now though, apart from one boggy spot, it is a pleasure to wind through. Feeling like you are in a living tunnel, the trail isn't too tight as it's heritage was originally a dirt bike track.

I deliberately had the map page up on my GPS today. That meant there would be no stats. No "how far have I gone". No clock watching either. I just stopped when I was hungry. I wandered around and explored interesting looking trails and didn't stress if they went nowhere. This being on holidays is pure gold! I highly recommend it!

I rode the Maze next. Last time I rode it we took about an hour to get through as we had to basically cut our way through. Today there is a 2-3m wide trail. It looks like someone drove a small tractor with a slasher along the trail. No issues with getting whipped in the face by undergrowth now. Shame really.

Heading back toward the main entrance, there is a trail called i0. It is only short but the forest through here is the most interesting, feeling like something from Jurassic Park, or Rotorua.

I was looking out for Newman here. The ferns have almost reclaimed this old Daihatsu jeep, with it only just visible off the trail side.

I love all the ferns through here.

i0, Bayview from Davey Crocket on Vimeo.

Climbing out through Blow, Fluffer and Vegemite I was soon on Valley Way and winging my way to the little shop at Mt Cotton. I was famished by this stage. Having no bananas in the house I was reduced to some nuts and a couple of gels to get me this far with the carrot being a banana(if that makes sense?). Much to my disappointment, NO BANANAS!  "The bloke is running late and should be here soon" was the response. Plan B was several Snickers bars. Yum, I was happy to roll with Plan B as Snickers are becoming my trail snack of choice lately. Great taste and they seem to keep me going for a while.

While munching on said sweet poison I was checking out the local notice board. How did I miss "Bender 6"? They probably would not have let me in due to the "No Shitheads" clause!

From here I climbed up to Mt Cotton Rainforest Gardens. I noticed a large "For Sale" sign out the front and hoped that this route up the eastern side of Mt Cotton isn't about to close. Major pain in the arse if it does. There would be no reason to climb up for this view over Moreton Bay either. It never ceases to amaze me how much rain falls in the bay while we are dry just a few miles inland.

Just near the honesty box, inside the gate, was a magnificent display of Poinsettia.

I loitered here for a minute or two while sucking down another gel and some water. The climb through the gardens is absolute Granny Gear territory for me.

Once at the top of the climb I felt the need for a brisker pace and gave up on my plan for a lap of the Karingal track, partly because two guys were standing at the gate and partly because my legs were starting to tell me that the 7km(4.5mi) track was 7km I really didn't need today.

So, I just put my head down and pedalled for home via Daisy Hill. I hit up a small amount of single track in Daisy then headed home via Wallum Froglet in Cornubia. I decided to hit WF as fast as my legs would take me, mashing the pedals on the short, mid descent climb and leaving the brakes alone for the down-bits. This netted me 3rd overall for WF on Strava! And on a hardtail at that.

 After 66km(41mi) and 1150m(3700ft) of climbing I must have been warmed up sufficiently!!

Rolling into the garage I felt that familiar tinge of fatigue, accompanied by some leg soreness and a huge smile. Ahhh sweet pain. It is but temporary.

Sure beats working......