Twilight Mountain Bike Group is Underway!

Perimeter Trail, Terrey Hills

Well December is finally here. I have been eagerly awaiting 1/12/2016 for many months and the morning of the 1st has come and gone! It was a hot and humid day in Sydney with temperatures reaching up to 33degrees. I spent the afternnon at the beach and at home we had the air conditioner blasting.Thankfully by the time 6pm rolled around the temperature had dropped significantly and the humidity had dropped also, so it was actually very pleasant and perfect conditions for riding.

I’d checked out Perimeter trail earlier on and although it was a fire trail it looked pretty fun. We set off just after 645pm at a cruisey pace. The trail was fire road, but it had some really nice flowy sections and rainforest like bushland. It was the perfect trail to work on our fitness, lots of flat sections where we could just peddle and enjoy the speed.  I hung at the back on the way of the group with first timer, Jodi. I was seriously impressed with Jodi’s skills. She was a complete beginner and managed to ride the entire trail, not getting off on the downhills or the uphills.  Not only that, but she was right on my tail through all the peddly bits and did all this on a hard tail ladies hybrid bike! Everyone else in the group had off road mountain bikes, and as  a regular rider I can promise you that the bike you ride does matter. In terms of fun,  safety and efficiency, a good quality off road mountain bike makes all the difference. So I take my hat (or helmet) off to jodi! Im looking forward to seeing what she can do next!

The trail itself was 7km long, we rode to the end and tried to make it as quickly home as possible, it was after 8pm when we set off back home and the light was fading fast….. and Matt had seen a brown snake slithering across the trail, so we were all just a teeny bit keen to keep moving! In all my years riding mountain bikes, I have never come across a brown snake! As we rode back the light was fading and the air was summery and sweet. It was beautiful and quiet night and we made it back up the last hill just before the last minutes of light. This is definitely the best time of day to be on a bike in the bush.

Week two’s ride was at Centre Track on the other side of Terrey hills as you head towards West Head.

It was a warm night and although we were not far from last weeks trail, the terrain at centre track was completely different. It was a fire trail right on the top of a ridge with lots of scrubby trees and loose, rocky, sandy dirt. The trail was approximately 3.5km and some sections were pretty technical compared to Perimeter trail. We passed one other rider, but no snakes thank goodness!

The steep end of the trail resulted in one minor incident of elbow and dirt colliding together, but there was no serious harm done and well, really, blood and dirt and scars are the signs of a true mountain biker!

There’s still 12 more rides to cover, and its not too late to join the group! In conclusion it has been fun riding with new friends, getting to know everyone in the group and of course, enjoying nature! Exercise and nature together is the ultimate mid week de-stressor.