The Drift crew arrived after dark on Saturday evening to the comfort of The Bellingen YHA, which is one of the best I've seen in the world. Cheap rooms, perfect location and an easy-going vibe equate to a winning combination here. The majority of the ride group had arrived a little earlier that night and we're most certainly not sampling beers at the local pub, located a mere 20 meters from the Hostel.
At dawn, we rose to a glorious view of the stunning Bellinger Valley straight out of our window. A world class outlook that certainly got us psyched for a day of mountain biking. Long time Drifter, epicurean, personal friend and Bellingen local Oliver Hoschke was our guide for the day so we knew that the route would be exceptional.
The vibes were dampened quite quickly when the heavens open as we downed our short blacks and long whites. The thought of battling through 50 ks of mud was not too enticing for some of us, but we kitted up and pushed forward regardless - And man, I'm so glad we did! The initial shower only aided to make the trails tacky (if a little greasy in areas) - we were blessed with glorious sunshine for the remainder of the day.
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The first 5 Kilometers was on quiet country roads, winding through beautiful, undulating countryside - featuring some of healthiest and content livestock that I've come across. I think that they are farming the colour green up there and by the look of things, business is booming. Just lovely stuff. Then we hit the opening climb and the sick and dying of us really started to feel the pinch, fortunately the climb was not nearly as long as our guide had made it out to be. He's a bit like that. The next section featured a super steep downhill with bike swallowing ruts and no true discernible safe line. It was wild, wild stuff. Only a few of us rode the thing. You know who you are and we're all very impressed.
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No Brunch![/caption]
After a few fast and smooth fire road undulations, a couple of "honour system" fruit stands and a Jeep from the set of M*A*S*H* we hit the singletrack portion of the day. This section left nobody disappointed and had us giggling like school girls - 30Kms of endless turns, slippery roots, berms, raised log rides, jungle scenery, jumps and drops. Most of which was brilliantly tacky, save for a few sections of the greasiest mud you've ever ridden. You know that feeling of when there's so little traction that it's funny? Well yeah.... that. Drift Co-Owner and perennial singletrack aficionado, Robbie McNaughton, even laid it over on the easiest, flattest corner of the day much to the amusement of the group.
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The citrus shack provided a multitude of vitamin C rich goods.[/caption]
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Jake, pretty much smiled the whole weekend without fail.[/caption]
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Never one to back down from a challenge, Grant darted across this tricky creek crossing with the manly prowess all bearded men should have.[/caption]
Everyone was starting to show the signs of fatigue after a couple of hours of ducking and weaving through the jungle so we decided to start the journey back to Bellingen where beds, burritos and beers awaited us. This was a nice smooth ride through more stunning scenery with a few nasty climbs and steep descents thrown in to remind you that you're still alive.
The day was topped off with a quality meal at the local pub and a few beers around the fire, where we discussed battles old and new long into the night.
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Stories of battles old and new with Andy Blair[/caption]
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If you can't have fun with these guys leading the group then your fun button must be broken.[/caption]
The following morning we awoke at 8 for a 9am departure, to the much talked about Jacks Ridge single track at Nambucca Heads. Everyone was delighted by the quality of these trails with 10kms of flowing well maintained trails which left you wanting to keep riding despite our bodies not feeling up to it from the previous day of battle. After a few laps we were getting our eye in on the lines and the "Rollercoaster" section which is honestly the closest thing to a rollercoaster that we have riden, kept you revving for more as your face distorted from the g-forces at the bottom of every transition. Riders challenged themselves on timber ramps, log runs and seesaws with not a soul left unfulfilled of quality riding. A worthy end to a fun filled weekend.
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Thanks to everyone who came along to share a great day of riding with us and an extra special thanks to Oliver, who compiled a route that was not only beautiful, but challenging and (most importantly) fun.
If you're not at the next
Drift Bikes Wolf Pack Mega Ride (DBWPMR), you had better be dead or in jail.......
And if you're in jail, BREAK OUT!
- Adam
