Back at Gap Creek

It is hard not to remember the old days when I ride at Gap Creek. Next year will be 25years since we started racing mountain bikes in Brisbane with a loosely organised dash around a loop at Gap Creek Reserve in Brisbane's western suburbs. There were no permits or clubs or well made trails. I can't even remember how long the race was though it traversed a loop leaving the current carpark and finishing down the end of the current Rocket Frog trail back into the open field. It may have been two laps but I'm not sure. The downhills were steep and followed old motorbike tracks. There were fitter riders present but they were a bit intimidated by riding on dirt. Mike Roberts arranged that first race and was more skilful than me so I have always suspected he let me win because he had organised it. Soon we had a club then a national association then commissaires and rules and fights and a new association and blah blah blah. Don't let mountainbikers say they are friendlier and more easy going than roadies. Peoples is peoples!
Anyway, I got my old Mongoose going again the other day and hit the trails at Gap Creek now I am back in Brisbane and what a joy it was. The early slogs to gain access and make a few trails have been superceded by the fantastic efforts of people and council who have managed to create loads of sweet sustainable trails in this lovely bushland. I am normally a retro old hardtail stalwart but singing down the tracks on the full suspension was just so much fun. It was almost as good as those first rides where we sometimes knew no bicycle had been before.
I have many bikes and this old 'goose is a mixture of parts. The original Rockshox rear unit I replaced with a Fox thingy. It stands the bike up straighter and I like it. It was the most expensive thing on the bike. The old plastic thumbies and cheap rear derraileur I got of a Repco piece of landfill but they still work perfectly well.