This is a segment cut from the kdenlive render, showing no stutters

This is where it stutters on YouTube.

I probably should’ve taken the hint after the first issue (assuming I can recover the video evidence).
I was “just riding along” </mtb-oz> when, without much warning, I found myself picking both the bike and myself up off the ground. In the immortal words of Pontius Pilate: “Stwike him, Centuwion. Stwike him vewy wuffly!” — and struck I was.
The damage? Hard to say for certain. I may have dislocated my thumb and had it pop back in, or I’ve given it a solid sprain — possibly even a small fracture, though I’m less convinced of that. My elbow feels much the same: somewhere between a sprain and something a bit more serious.
It was too late to do much about it at the time, so that’s a problem for tomorrow.
On the bright side, I didn’t split the stitches from the recent surgery — the thumb seems to have taken one for the team.

I picked up a motorbike carrier the other day from a mate who had one going spare—brand new in the box and too good a deal to pass up. Thanks, Tarik. Today was the day to put it together and bolt it onto the car, which all went smoothly enough. Feeling quietly confident, I moved on to loading the bike, encouraged by the manufacturer’s optimistic claim: “Just walk your bike up the ramp.” Yeah… not quite.

Attempt one involved pushing the bike up the ramp under my own steam. That quickly turned into several attempts, each ending the same way—halfway up, out of puff, and carefully backing it back down before things got awkward. So, plan B: use the engine. Simple, right? Not exactly.

First hurdle—the side stand. Of course, it was on the far side. I figured I’d hop on, flick it up, then dismount on the opposite side. Turns out, convincing your brain to casually dismount the “wrong” way is harder than it sounds. Add in feathering the clutch and throttle while stretched up like a chimp trying to reach the bars, and it all became a bit of a circus.

Eventually, I managed to get the bike up there, but securing it was another juggling act—trying to hold the bike upright while fiddling with straps isn’t exactly graceful. Lesson learned: a set of shackles on the footpegs (Thanks, Stu) is definitely on the shopping list to make this process a lot easier next time.

As for getting the bike back off the rack… that’s a problem for future me.

Oh—and I’ve still got to sort out a number plate mount and lights. Always something.

It had been a while since I’d last had the chance to get out bush on the bike, so when the opportunity came up to explore some new tracks in the Brindabella Range, I wasn’t going to pass it up. The goal for the day was simple: make it to McIntyre's Hut. I’d come close on a previous ride but turned back before the final descent—this time, riding solo, there were no excuses.
Rolling out from the servo at Weston, I made my way towards Wee Jasper via Sawyers Gully Road, before linking into Doctors Flat Road and entering the ranges along Webbs Ridge Trail—a section I hadn’t ridden before. From there, I turned onto Folly Trail, quietly hoping the name wasn’t a sign of things to come, and that it would connect through to McIntyre’s Trail.
Fortunately, it did.
Reaching Waterfall Trail brought me back to familiar ground—the exact spot where I’d turned around on my last attempt. This time, I committed. The descent was every bit as steep as I remembered, possibly one of the steepest I’ve tackled, demanding a slow and deliberate approach. Bit by bit, I worked my way down until the trail opened out at the campground and the hut itself. Goal achieved. I took a moment to soak it in, wander around the hut, and enjoy the quiet before turning my attention to the climb back out.
Heading back up Waterfall Trail was no easy task. The climb was technical and steep, and not helped by a rookie mistake—I thought I was in first gear when I was actually in second. A few stalls on the tougher sections made that lesson stick, but once corrected, the rest of the climb became far more manageable.
Back at Webbs Ridge Trail, I turned left and soon after right onto Dingi Fire Trail, eventually linking up with Two Sticks Road. Along the way, I stopped to help a couple of riders looking for directions to Flea Creek before continuing towards Mount Coree. The climb to the summit was rewarded with complete solitude and sweeping views—no one else around, just the kind of quiet that makes these rides worth it. I spent a bit of time taking it all in before beginning the descent.
With the day winding down, I followed Two Sticks Road to Curries Road, dropping back towards Brindabella Road. A short stretch of dirt soon gave way to bitumen, signalling the end of the off-road section and the run back to Weston, and eventually home.
All in all, it was a cracking day out—blue skies, warm weather, and a solid mix of challenge and reward. A couple of close calls kept things interesting, but the bike stayed upright, and I finally ticked McIntyre’s Hut off the list.

​Here is the map of the route I rode.

And here is my Video of the day's adventure.