Sunday 15 March 2009 - Redhill / Oxford Falls

Oooops... Continuing the great series of "Introduction to rides around Sydney for Tim", Matt and Stephe joined Tim outside Sport & Rec near Narrabeen Lakes for a quick lap of Redhill and Oxford Falls - avoiding, of course, any area marked as off limits for mountain bike riders. Tim insisted on bringing along his old and trusted steed, rejecting offers of a slightly higher quality bike for the ride. This might have proved to be a bad call.

Started well, with near perfect conditions. Tim was keen as, and we actually had to stop him as he started his way down the Red Rock drop, following Stephe and Matt, at the top of the climb out of the Academy of Sport! We made it to the technical rock section of Redhill and, with keenness still intact, Tim tried a couple of the bunny hops, discovered that his front forks were perhaps less than ideal, and OTB into the ground with an attractive dash of claret forming on his chin for completeness.

After a wee rest, so that his sore head came back towards normal, we set off with a slightly more subdued Tim for the journey across to Oxford Falls and up the single track to the access road. Matt was, as ever, on fire - floating over all objects like a professional, and looking good at the same time.

It wasn't until we ended up down near the aerodrome that Tim's confidence started to kick back in, and unfortunately disaster struck - as he came a cropper on the loose gravel, coming down hard on his elbow. We had the obligatory sit and look at his semi-prone body for a while, before he recovered enough to sit up - but it was clear at that stage that he was a bit too sore to be riding out... Bugger.

Matt and Stephe alternately road and walked their bikes and Tim's out from there, to the top of the fire trail / powerline trail, making jokes at Tim's expense as we meandered along. Matt dropped down the chute at the end of the trail (to Wakehurst Parkway), getting at least some benefit from the long trudge carrying the extra bike - and had a big grin at the end, so it seems that it's still fun!

We bundled Tim into a car, and dropped him off with his medically qualified father in law (so as to avoid feeling guilty about leaving him on the side of the road!), and wrapped up the morning.

Track (.kmz) is here.

Latest reports from Tim's specialists are a probable bone chip (Ulna), hopefully not a fracture, but a sling for a little while.

Ooops.

[Update from Tim 16 March (Ooops, indeed): X-Rays came back, arm is broken about 1cm up from end of radius - no displacement otherwise would apparently have been a tip replacement job - who'd have guessed? As it is, painkillers, + sling 4 6weeks. typing w left hand bloodu diffic.]