Sunday 21 June 2009 - Yellowmundee (at Yarramundi)

With a week of wet weather still ongoing on Sunday morning, things were looking a little grim for a ride. However, despite a bunch of 'almost going to make it' folk pulling out at the last minute, Paul, Cooper and Stephe travelled out to Yarramundi in the early afternoon, to see what the weather had done to the Yellowmundee track.

We arrived at 3pm, just as car loads of young folk were pulling out of the main car park, following the "Jet Black" cross country school championships (or something like that). Some very impressive looking kit, and we were told by an organiser while she was packing up that they had around sixty schools there for the event.

In any case, by then it had stopped raining, and was actually a very pleasant 19 degrees.



Cooper joined Paul and Stephe for half of the first lap, and then pulled out, with Paul and Stephe wrapping up that one, and then trying a little more aggressively on the second. Unfortunately, this had the effect of once again demonstrating that bike fitness comes from riding a bike, not sitting around at home eating ice cream - ah well, lesson learned! In any case, there was no third lap...

The track was in really good condition, with lots of smooth hard packed sections. There was a new twisty short downhill section with some interesting steps, which Cooper managed to almost lose control on, only to regain the bike, but then overcook the front brake in his excitement at having won back control. Which led to an interesting front wheel 'stoppie' down a hill, and then the inevitable semi-vertical tree hug. Amusing to watch (given that there were no broken bones).

Some interesting slick black skin on the hard packed mud made for sliding technique practice on the back half of the course, but no harm was ultimately done and much fun was had.

Another excellent time on a mountain bike, and another opportunity to drive home the lesson that you've just gotta get out there...



Our only three photos that worked (dodgy as they are) are here..., and a .kmz track of the loops we did is here.