The iPad has trouble finding the text box in blogger! Makes posting a bit tricky!
Anyway some great news today. My Rivendell Sam Hillborne has been dispatched and is due to arrive in 10 days. Should be an awesome bike, relaxed and comfy, for those days when stopping to smell the roses is impotant
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Day 4?
Am still awaiting the shimano freebies, so worth mentioning at this stage that I will be getting a bike fit tomorrow. Hopefully that will lend some accuracy to my random measurement and lead to greater comfort and success on the bike.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Day 3
Well the IBT is responding to therapy and things are feeling much happier in the pedalling department. I have been impressed with the mtb gearing on other audaxian's bike - notably Greg L and Pat L who rock deore rear ds and 36 t sprockets. wind yourself up anything. Anyway a bit o research found that Deore XT has gone 10 speed in 2010. I've just ordered myself some climing goodness.
Now that I have mentioned Shimano on my blog I shall surely recieve some deore xt for trial purposes! Surely?
Now that I have mentioned Shimano on my blog I shall surely recieve some deore xt for trial purposes! Surely?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Day 2
So I went to the physio today and apparently I have ITB syndrome, which is really treatable and if I "tick all of the boxes" should be fit for the Dungog 600 at the end of the month.
The exercises I have to do, actually feel pretty good, so am really optimistic that I will get back on the bike next week, having eliminated yet another physiological flaw. Got to be happy with that...
The exercises I have to do, actually feel pretty good, so am really optimistic that I will get back on the bike next week, having eliminated yet another physiological flaw. Got to be happy with that...
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Border 600k nad a blog post/day in June
Well I came close but unfortunately could not finish the Border 600. Bad knee took me out at 480k! As its 30 blog posts in 30 days, I'm going to drag this story out, but the ride was terrific, and challenging. I see my physio tomorrow. Hopefully I will get better fast.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Cessnock 300
After riding 3 brevets last month, I've have had a couple of weeks off to enjoy a spot of bushwalking and brewing. Got to have balance in all things.
Yesterday I lined up for the Cessnock 300, complete with new Cinettica Velocita jacket and new ay-up lights, wile I didn't get use the the jacket the ay-up's are terrific. High speed descents are now beautifully illuminated. I really enjoyed this ride and continue to learn lots more about how I react to longer journeys and how to manage myself better on the bike. As a result I finished strongly and felt that I could have kept on riding. That's a big improvement over my first 300!
The ride route was really lovely, generally keeping away from busy roads and included the lovely section down from Bucketty to Wollombi - which is probably some of the nicest cycling road anywhere - downhill too!
After stopping for lunch in Cessnock, I caught up with Bec Morton and we rode the last half of the ride together. Just as well, as I was navigationally challenged quite a few times. I also managed to bend my front derailleur at about 160kms and was unable to use my big ring for the remainder of the ride. It wasn't so bad but it slowed me down after I realised that I was going to be able to keep up spinning at 120rpm. It was good though to have to deal with the problem and keep going. Funnily enough, much earlier in the day Howard snapped half of the outside casing of his Campy Record front der, and still had full shifting. I haven't looked at mine yet, but I am hoping it is easily repairable.
So that's just the 600km ride remaining for my super series, and I have booked into the Border 600 out of Inverell at the end of the month. That should be a good ride.
Mileage in KM = 3180
Brevet km = 1500
Yesterday I lined up for the Cessnock 300, complete with new Cinettica Velocita jacket and new ay-up lights, wile I didn't get use the the jacket the ay-up's are terrific. High speed descents are now beautifully illuminated. I really enjoyed this ride and continue to learn lots more about how I react to longer journeys and how to manage myself better on the bike. As a result I finished strongly and felt that I could have kept on riding. That's a big improvement over my first 300!
The ride route was really lovely, generally keeping away from busy roads and included the lovely section down from Bucketty to Wollombi - which is probably some of the nicest cycling road anywhere - downhill too!
After stopping for lunch in Cessnock, I caught up with Bec Morton and we rode the last half of the ride together. Just as well, as I was navigationally challenged quite a few times. I also managed to bend my front derailleur at about 160kms and was unable to use my big ring for the remainder of the ride. It wasn't so bad but it slowed me down after I realised that I was going to be able to keep up spinning at 120rpm. It was good though to have to deal with the problem and keep going. Funnily enough, much earlier in the day Howard snapped half of the outside casing of his Campy Record front der, and still had full shifting. I haven't looked at mine yet, but I am hoping it is easily repairable.
So that's just the 600km ride remaining for my super series, and I have booked into the Border 600 out of Inverell at the end of the month. That should be a good ride.
Mileage in KM = 3180
Brevet km = 1500
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Windellama Wander
Another Saturday, another 200km brevet! Or so it seems - so far this month I have ridden a 200km every weekend, starting with the Tallowa dam ride over easter, Sackville scamper last weekend and Windellama yesterday.
As luck would have it I was attending the Innovative Ideas Forum at the National Library on Friday so the opportunity to spend the night and catch the ride in the morning was too good to resist. The 200km was a straightforward out and back to Bungonia, starting with the riders who were doing the Highland Hop 400 who were riding out to Robertson (nearly home).
Watching the weather during the week I knew I would need lots of layers for the start and when I arrived at the Sutton community hall in the fog and the dark at 5.15am at about 6 degrees I knew I was right. One critical flaw in my packing was forgetting my headband/ear warmers! Luckily, if slightly comically, I was able to use a clean explorer sock which reached from ear to ear and was just thin enough to fit beneath the helmet.
As the riders assembled I was surprised by the number of recumbents - 4. I had never ridden with a recombent before and they immediately made me feel tall, and fast on hills but then very slow down them and along the flat. Such was the nature of the group that I soon found myself alone riding at my own pace. I stopped at Bungonia for a coffee and then riding out in the fog I saw Kerrie-Ann stopped with a puncture. She was fine and I road on to Tarago to briefly pass one of the recumbents - Andrew i think - who has stopped for adjustments. A little further on I was having some navigational difficulties when Andrew cruised up and set me straight.
I watch him slink off into the distance, occasionally I would gain a bit of ground on hills but his speed on the flat was a good 3 - 4 kph faster than me - for less effort too. Coming up the 80km mark, the fog had lifted and I paused at the top of a hill to switch off the lights and peel off some layers. Kerrie- Ann caught me up and she paused to describe the next part of the route and explain the secret controle at the turnaround in Bungonia. She rode on while I topped up my perpetuem and then we regathered at Johnno's general store. Later I met Greg Cunningham who was also riding the 200km.
I set off for the last outward leg to Bungonia, a mostly downhill undulating ride to complete the secret controle and then ride back up. Going down I was passed by a couple of riders who were heading back.
Coming back up I passed Greg and Alex(?) another recumbenteer who were heading down. The climb was not too troublesome, what went up, must come down and the generally undulating nature of the countryside lent a nice rhythm to the ride. Riding from Tarago to Bungonia without the fog I passed some massive windfarms which were hardly turning at all. I could see that with a wind this ride would have a slightly different character and prove very difficult.
One last obstacle presented itself between Bungonia and the car, and that was the climb up Smiths Gap. The descent earlier in the day had been wonderful, so the climb probably wasn't. The reality though wasn't too bad. It was steep, but short, quite like the Bald Hill climb.
The final leg up Macs Reef Road was shorter than it seemed on the way out and despite a near miss with a truck overtaking me on a bumpy downhill run (me hanging on for dear life - the truck not respecting it), I was soon back in Sutton at 4.20 notching up one of my quickest 200s. I also felt really good and could have ridden a lot further, so the fitness is improving.
Next weekend I'm hoping to ride in the Central Coast 200km, which will give me 4 BRMs and 800 BRM km for the month taking me to 1400km of BRMs this year. Just over half of the qualifying total for PBP.
This morning I have stripped the Roubaix down and given him a good clean and lube. He looks fantastic now.
Mileage in KM = 2562
As luck would have it I was attending the Innovative Ideas Forum at the National Library on Friday so the opportunity to spend the night and catch the ride in the morning was too good to resist. The 200km was a straightforward out and back to Bungonia, starting with the riders who were doing the Highland Hop 400 who were riding out to Robertson (nearly home).
Watching the weather during the week I knew I would need lots of layers for the start and when I arrived at the Sutton community hall in the fog and the dark at 5.15am at about 6 degrees I knew I was right. One critical flaw in my packing was forgetting my headband/ear warmers! Luckily, if slightly comically, I was able to use a clean explorer sock which reached from ear to ear and was just thin enough to fit beneath the helmet.
As the riders assembled I was surprised by the number of recumbents - 4. I had never ridden with a recombent before and they immediately made me feel tall, and fast on hills but then very slow down them and along the flat. Such was the nature of the group that I soon found myself alone riding at my own pace. I stopped at Bungonia for a coffee and then riding out in the fog I saw Kerrie-Ann stopped with a puncture. She was fine and I road on to Tarago to briefly pass one of the recumbents - Andrew i think - who has stopped for adjustments. A little further on I was having some navigational difficulties when Andrew cruised up and set me straight.
I watch him slink off into the distance, occasionally I would gain a bit of ground on hills but his speed on the flat was a good 3 - 4 kph faster than me - for less effort too. Coming up the 80km mark, the fog had lifted and I paused at the top of a hill to switch off the lights and peel off some layers. Kerrie- Ann caught me up and she paused to describe the next part of the route and explain the secret controle at the turnaround in Bungonia. She rode on while I topped up my perpetuem and then we regathered at Johnno's general store. Later I met Greg Cunningham who was also riding the 200km.
I set off for the last outward leg to Bungonia, a mostly downhill undulating ride to complete the secret controle and then ride back up. Going down I was passed by a couple of riders who were heading back.
Coming back up I passed Greg and Alex(?) another recumbenteer who were heading down. The climb was not too troublesome, what went up, must come down and the generally undulating nature of the countryside lent a nice rhythm to the ride. Riding from Tarago to Bungonia without the fog I passed some massive windfarms which were hardly turning at all. I could see that with a wind this ride would have a slightly different character and prove very difficult.
One last obstacle presented itself between Bungonia and the car, and that was the climb up Smiths Gap. The descent earlier in the day had been wonderful, so the climb probably wasn't. The reality though wasn't too bad. It was steep, but short, quite like the Bald Hill climb.
The final leg up Macs Reef Road was shorter than it seemed on the way out and despite a near miss with a truck overtaking me on a bumpy downhill run (me hanging on for dear life - the truck not respecting it), I was soon back in Sutton at 4.20 notching up one of my quickest 200s. I also felt really good and could have ridden a lot further, so the fitness is improving.
Next weekend I'm hoping to ride in the Central Coast 200km, which will give me 4 BRMs and 800 BRM km for the month taking me to 1400km of BRMs this year. Just over half of the qualifying total for PBP.
This morning I have stripped the Roubaix down and given him a good clean and lube. He looks fantastic now.
Mileage in KM = 2562
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