October 31st was an excellent day for riding - a prime example of why we can ride almost all year round in our West Coast paradise. By 2pm the sun was bursting through the clouds, and we were reaping the rewards. Tristan, Grant and myself were up on Cypress, getting some late season shuttles in. First up was Mystery DH - appropriate for Halloween? I have never ridden Mystery before, but it was a solid proving ground for my new Team DH, a few drops, a few gaps a lot of chunder and even more flowy singletrack. The only thing that kept me off the pace was a lack of fitness, but that's what the "off" season is for right? Everything was hooking up well on the bike, and there were several moments where i was wondering how i could be so confident given the unknown nature of the trail. Well confidence in your equipment is good, but over-confidence usually bites back. One shoulder check into a big old stump and my exuberance was toned down, just a little - Dainese armour coming to the rescue - thanks Italian dudes. By the time we were done with Mystery i was cooked - i guess that's why the local fast guys use it for training runs. You need to know your line and hold the speed high to carry momentum at crucial spots. More time on the trail will be coming soon in my future i can see..

The second lap we reserved for some good old classic shore goodness with a run comprising Reaper to Paul Hogans to Family Guy. Reaper passed off without incident, but Paul Hogan bit back. Both Tristan and Grant had "off the bike" moments dealing with the gnar of the old school classic.I managed to stay upright stumbling through the undergrowth to avoid Tristan sprawled across the trail, and no one was seriously hurt, though Tristan came close to wedging himself thoroughly into the trench that the trail has become. Family Guy is always a pleasure, with beautiful rock faces and fantastic construction it is a modern classic. It is the trail that claimed me the last time i rode Cypress - back in June. One broken Meta Carpal later and it feels like a trail just waiting to claim me on this ride. I skip the sketchy rock drop that got me last time, and roll out unscathed. Next time Family Guy, next time!

After Family Guy i was suffering from a bad case of the "claw" - some brake bleeding is needed on my new brakes as a result of switching the lines to my preferred "moto" style. Front brake on the right. I let Grant and Tristan do another run, and they blitzed through a Wild Cherry to Roaches run and were back at the cars in a blink of an eye.

3 runs on Cypress, no real injuries, another solid day on the Shore.

Duncan Mortimer