Holden

Even though its on my doorstep, I never seem to get up here. BUt rising fuel costs are forcing me to look for trail gold on my doorstep.

Ben and Phil loaded up the van and within 15 minutes we were unloading at Holden carpark, sweet.

5 minutes after that we were hammering down the newly rebuilt Rat Run and I have to say I feel it's a vast improvement than the older versions. The top section flows, there's places to jump if you want, or not if you're less confident. They were doing work there at times, but the Rangers said it's open when I asked. Later in the day someone took a tumble and the Air Ambulance was called, hope they're alright.

After a rocky section you hit a few berms and then its a sweet little section that lets you practice carrying your speed over rough sections(atleast it does if you have a super low BB like the Goose or Mini DH!).

We legged it down the fire road to the alternative red run start and blasted off down the berms. The first few berms b4 the uphill section are close to perfect, especially if you fire into them flat out.

The uphill bit in the middle's a bit of a downer, and the lower berms aren't quite as good, but it still makes a very satisfying run. We ran this track a few times b4 Ben got his first of several pinch flats.

Then we tried out the new shore section it's short, it's not finished, but it's fun, well built and ends in a dropoff at the mo.

Andy arrives(he's only an hour late, not bad for him)

I tried the new 3 pack next to it and stacked into the side of the bank(not the jump for once), they look alright, I know they've been getting a bit of a slagging recently, but they're much better now than last time I saw them(good work guys).

Bumped into Tom K and Anna who was out testing her new bike(looked sweet), Tom demonstrated a new jump he'd discovered, styled it(apparently just before we got there he'd jumped up the bank and bounced off the tree back down!)

Lunchtime now and a quick trip to Alphington reunited Andy and I with an old friend from our 2003 Euro trip, Lidl's Tiger energy drink.

Short break, quick stop at Partridge Cycles(lots of bargains on Giant, GT, Kona and Mongoose bikes), then up to Holden's underground trails up at the Cafe side.

It's big up here, we played on the smaller stuff and ragged it down the Wall of Death a few times, b4 finding a sweet hip to session. I need all the practice in the air I can get. And we stayed here until it was time to head home.

Fun day and only 15 miles of driving all day, not bad.

Pictures and video to follow.

Later

Tom KP