Tallong bridge and a bodgy bottom bracket

Last week I noticed that my drivetrain was getting worn so ordered a replacement chain, cassette and bottom bracket though as the week progressed I realised that I needed the bb sooner rather than later and while climbing up Macquarie Pass this morning on the monthly 200, I was losing confidence in the bb's ability to get me all the way there and back.

It had that nasty slop where the pedal would rock through a quarter turn before feeling like it was engaged with the chain. So at the top of the pass I decided to avert disaster and turn for home, but not before enjoying a pie and a ginger beer at the Robbo Pie Shop.



Ben was coming with me as far as the Pie shop so with the pie onboard we both headed back for home towards a lowering sky which decided to catch us out with a downpour only 3km from home.

I cycled on the bike shop and got a replacement bb and spent a happy hour cleaning bike and replacing bearings. As it turned out they were well shot, the seals had gone and water was lapping around the bearings. They'd only done 8k or so. I may need to review my maintenance schedule!

On the positive side the weather radar has revealed that the route was copping a lot of rain - the stupid clouds hadn't realised I was at home and dry, So weather 0.5, me 1 , for a change.

Fleche Opperman 2013

My last Oppy was in 2011 and was an epic in inclement weather, in 2013 I had an opportunity to complete my 4th Oppy at relatively short notice and jumped at the chance.  The team was comprised of diverse and it turned out "reduxing" riders who for one reason or another had been off the bike for a period of time (heart problems, foot problems, cramping problems, etc). I didn't know about the reduxing part until during the ride but it was going to be interesting so I said yes.

The route was to take us across the north of Sydney to Hornsby and then to Fennell Bay in Lake Macquarie along the old Pacific Hwy and Expressway. From there we would return around the Lake via Morriset and Wyee before tracking into Wyong before retracing our path back through Peats Ridge and Hornsby to our sleep stop at Seaforth. The last leg was from Seaforth to Parramatta park via the harbour bridge.

I had arranged to spend Friday night at Seaforth  to save an early start on Saturday morning and was glad I did. Stephen's home is nestled on the shores of Middle Harbour and provided terrific and relaxing views over the water and pleasurecraft. We enjoyed a quuite evening preparing and talking bikes before heading to bed.



The day dawned spectacularly and by 8 o'clock the team had gathered and was organised, Philip, Russell, David, Stephen and me. We set off, Stephen leading us through the maze of streets that wook us through Seaforth and beyond. The early stages of a ride are always interesting, observing how others ride, settling in to ones own rhythm and remaining observant. The Saturday morning traffic was also heavy and we were glad to leave the relatively busy roads of suburban north Sydney for the quieter conditions along the Pacific Hwy. We were travelling along quite well together, and I was feeling strong and comfortable.






Shortly after crossing the Hawkesbury River bridge some close passing traffic froced me through a bad patch of tarmac and I pinch flatted my front tyre. No big deal (and as it turned out the only puncture on the ride) and I set to repair it aided by Philip while the others decided to ride along and start the climb up Mt White. It was a beautiful day though growing steadily warmer as the clouds burnt off. Puncture repaired Philip and I soon caught the others and we continued along the climb past Mt White and onto our first control at Peats Ridge where it was now becoming quite hot, with 30c showing on my garmin.

From Peats Ridge we enjoyed a period of descent enroute to the F3 and Toronto. I was feeling pretty good and with the tailwind we were picking up some pace. Word came up that we were to make an unscheduled stop at the Service Centre at Paruna for water so we pulled in for a quick break.




Before heading onwards for the 30kms to the Toronto exit. I was travelling at the front of the group swapping turns with David and Phillip, and we paised at the turnoff for Russell and Stephen, who was struggling a bit in the heat, to catch up.




From the turnoff we had a good run on quieter roads to Toronto, taking a turn along the foreshore to see the cool waters of Lake Macquarie before heading to the turnaround point at Fennell Bay. I was starving so we called in at the Macdonalds for some salt and fat and it was here that Stephen succumbed to the heat, experience some heat stroke and painful cramps. At first he suggested that he wouldn't be able to carry on and we should head off, but it became clear that he needed some assistance so we hung around, called his wife and then an ambulance. We propped him on a table and amidst his pained groans applied ice to cool him down.

It was a bit of a worry but as things transpired he was OK and had experienced similar issues a few times before. With Stephen tucked safely in an ambulance and on route to a clinic, his bike safely in the boot of he's wife's car, we were free to continue our journey back towards Sydney and a sleep.

We were now a fair bit behind schedule and headed off into the setting sun around Lake Macquarie towards our next control at Wyong. As the sun set we fell into a strong rhythm, taking turns on the front and pulled into a relatively lifeless Wyong at about 9pm.

After a quick stop at an all night service station we continued along, climbing Ourimbah Mountain on the F3 before turning off at Somersby for a return visit to Peats Ridge. The cafe's were long closed but the blutions were open so we filled up our bidons and headed back out onto the road. It was now quite late and we were getting slower and the sleep break arrival time blew out from 1am to 2am then 3am in the blinking of a microsleep.

A slow 300 to be sure, but we were all together and travelling with various degrees of doggedness. And eventually, after a close encounter with a Powerful Owl at Mt White we felt renewed vigour as we sped up the Wakehurst Parkway towards Seaforth and enough time for a shower and 90 minutes of sleep.

An hour and a half doesn't seem like much but I awoke refreshed to see the waters of Middle Harbour riffling in a strong breeze. Once outside again and on the bike, the breeze seemed much stronger, especially comming across the Spit, Harbour and Anzac Bridges.



ONce the other side of Pyrmont and tracking through the inner west, the wind dropped off and we made steady progress towards Parramatta along the various cycleways. I particularly enjoyed the river path at Ryde, but not as much as I enjoyed entering Parramatta Park and tracking towards the finish.

We were the second group in with 15 minutes to spare and 364kms under the wheels. Soon we were joined by the other teams who had managed a simiarl distance, longest being the Psychologists from Newcastle who completed 390km.

So with Oppy number 4 completed I enjoyed a big breakfast before heading off for a couple of ferry rides back to Manly and the drive home.





The scenery on the water capped the day off nicely!

Mileage in Kilometers = 2404
Meters climbed = 26,608

Royal Ride - wet windy and alone

I had been planning to ride the Gunning 400 last weekend however the ride was cancelled due to the inclement weather (there was a tornado and torrential rain) and had been tapering for that so really haven't done very much except the odd morning jaunt, some hill repeats and such.

Today though I was organising the Royal Ride 200, a personal favourite of mine which takes in the beautiful coast and much of the Royal National Park. After an initial flurry of interest the usual suspects were otherwise engaged and then the early interest faded so it was just little old me for the ride.

Again, the weather was looking poor, forecast of scattered showers and southerly winds to 55kph and when I awoke, it was raining and I really had to push myself out of the door.

The route commences with a loop around Lake Illawarra and I was pleased to see that the roads were dry once I cleared the bulk of Mt Kembla. The wind was also pretty benign at this early stage and things went  well. There was a bit of shower at Windang and  the wind was picking up but by this time it was on my rear quarter so was an added benefit.

Before long I was up Bald Hill and descending into the Royal National Park. The roads were wet but inside the park I was sheltered from the wind, though there were occasional showers every now and then.

The various creeks and rivers in the park were running and made a delightful sound and site as I rode along



A few showers passed over, but I had decided to wear my merino long sleeve jersey and it dried well after the showers and did a good job of keeping me warm. Especially as I had now climbed up to the main ridge of the park and was heading towards Bundeena for the halfway point and lunch.





 I enjoyed a chicken burger at the "pasho" before heading back up the hill and on to Audley. The rain came again in waves, this time a little more concentrated on where I was before passing. The weir at Audley was open but high.




 From here I had a short steep climb up before turning back for home along the Hwy and into the wind for a short while before descending back into the park from Waterfall.




Crossing the bridge at the bottom of the descent the river was looking more swollen than before. I carried on, sheltered from wind now, but I could hear it in the trees every now and then. It wasn't long though before I heard a new sound, looking ahead I saw sheeting rain, racing towards me. Oh well I thought another scattered shower, but It wasn't and for the next 30kms I was caught in a very dense downpour. The road was soon running with water and I could only plug along into it.

Topping out at Bald Hill it was foggy, windy and very wet. I was nearly blown over as I entered the lookout and took shelter in the amenties to refill my bidons and listen to the howling in the eaves.

The descent of Bald Hill was a tentative affair, I just wanted to make it down without falling and from there I just had to grind it out. The sea cliff bridge put on a show, with waves crashing beneath, and rain and wind thrashing above. I was glad to clear it  and then focus on the remaining familiar and less weather thrashed road home.

By the time I got to Sandon point I turned to see what I had just ridden through.




And was glad it was nearly over.I still had 20km to go plugging into the wind and frequent squalls but I was already wet through and the more it rained the less I heard the drive train squeaking in protest so I soon found myself rounding the bend for home, a warm shower and a beer.

Despite the weather, or perhaps because of it, I really enjoyed the ride, I even managed to complete it in under 9 hours which is one of my faster 200s.

Mileage in Kms = 1785
Climbing in Meters = 20,622

New Shoes

The quest for the perfect pair of shoes really knows no bounds and on Friday I picked up a pair of wide fit Bont Vaypors.

They look the goods and a 70km ride on Saturday with poorly aligned cleats showed them to be quite comfortable though I am yet to heat mold them. They are much lighter than the current workhorse Sidis and very stiff.

I hope to sort them out during the week and use them in anger a couple of times before the Gunning 400 at the end of the month.

Saturday's ride saw Ben and I head north to intersect with Barry as he came south. We rode up to Bald Hill and then with Barry safely met, we returned to the gong for second breakfast at North gong

 

 

This morning I headed out with Harvey for a clockwise Lake Loop taking in Hill 60 and a detour up O'Briens road, which is steep and at least today, hot. The view from Hill 60 was typically refreshing though.

 

With today's ride I surpassed my 200km goal for the week and find myself sitting on 1,348km for the year with 14,912m climbed.

To celebrate I cleaned the Roubaix and even gave it a coat of wax. Shiny bike to match the shiny shoes.

Berry Mountain 200

We are bound by our concept of what is possible. An as far as Wollongong Audax goes this is true. We had a series of tried and true rides or variations of them that concentrated on roads west, and sometimes north of the Illawarra. However late last year, my friend and fellow audax member Shane ventured south beyond the southern Kiama barrier and had himself some fun on a few climbs down that way. I reckoned if it was possible to get south of the bends, a 200 or 3 would open up and we would have some new routes to enjoy.

So with Shane's experiences to hand, the advice of some locals and a thirst for the new I conceived the Berry Mountain 200 as a first foray into the deep south.

So as a new route, there are wrinkles to iron out, but otherwise the ride was as challenging and enjoyable as a good audax ride should be. Travelling through diverse countryside, regulated farming, urban, national park, wooded climbs coastal and flat estaurine plain the route demonstrates the geographical diversity of this thin strip of land along the Pacific Ocean.

Poetic route design aside, practically the days ride was looking bad. The weather forecast promised rain, chance of storms and strong southerly winds. All of which turned out to be true. It was also very cold (for February - actually it was very cold for August) though we were committed to the ride.

5 riders had expressed an interest though the prevailing weather mean't that just Shane and I would attempt the ride, Ben and Harvey decided to come along as far as Gerringong before heading back and Barry thought better of it before driving the 100km from Sydney at 4.30am.

So from the start the forecast strong southerly winds were there. As I rode from home to the start at Dapto I had to push hard into strong gusts.As the day wore on, the gusts would only get stronger. Luckily things stayed pretty dry until we passed through Jamberoo and were on the way to Kiama.






From here the rain got steadily worse and we were happy to arrive at the controle at the Gerringong Ice Creamery for a bit of dryness, second breakfast and coffee.



 It was here that Ben and Harvey turned back and Shane and I pressed on into the weather and the (for me at least) unknown.

Once through Gerroa the road flattens out before we turned right to make the undulating passage to Berry. Here we found some shelter from the wind and the rain backed off a touch given us a nice respite. Arriving in Berry we detoured around the back of the town avoiding the traffic and were soon starting to climb. Not familiar with the route and tangled in my spray shell I bid Shane adieu as he rode away, catching glimpses of him at the switchbacks. The climb was not particularly steep, through the corners were, with grade increasing to 18% for short stretches. Nearing the top the road swung back out into the wind and I learn't to appreciate the protection the hill had been giving me for the last 20 minutes.

After making it to the top of Berry Mountain I was able to extricate myself from the oven of the jacket just in time to start dropping a bit of height along tourist road and for the rain to start up again. It was along here that the Garmin route map began to experience confusion and it continued to insist that I was off course, before finding it again. Not knowing the road, it was a bit disconcerting, especially when turning at the well signposted road to the summit lookout it was insisting that I make a u turn. Nearing the summit, I'd clearly entered into cloud base, as  the rain intensified and visibility began to reduce. The single lane road had a bit of traffic too, as sightseers retreated from the weather in their 4wds, but before long I was at the top and enjoying the view!



The descent was good, after a few more undulations we turned onto the Moss Vale Rd, with it's large warning signs of long steep descent ahead flashing past. As escarpment descents go, this is a beauty, not as technical as some, and quite exposed at times so you can both build up considerable speed while taking in the vista. As we'd dropped back below cloud base the road was dry and we sped on to Nowra.

Navigating through the traffic at Nowra was shortlived and we were soon traversing the coastal flats dominated by cows and corn enroute to the turnaround point at Greenwell Point. It was here that we experienced the worst of the wind, as we met it head on and unprotected by any geography. Eventually we made it and the cafe at the end of town made for a welcome respite from the weather and a huge meal, before we once again set off out into the wind.





I had been anticipating that the return leg would be easier, however the wind had contrived to strengthen and veer, so it was another hard slog back to Nowra and across the river were we saw the local sailing club enjoying the conditions. We turned out towards Shoalhaven heads, still finding the wind, and the stench of fermenting sugar at the Manildra ethanol plant not to our liking. Though it was now drying up and we occasionally saw some patches of blue sky. Soon, but not too soon, we had cleared the heads and now more protected by vegetation we enjoyed a tailwind back up to Gerroa. However it was along here that my garmin decided to switch off so I missed a few kilometers.

Our last planned stop was at the Gerroa Caravan Park cafe, which had a pleasant ambience enhanced by a chicken who kept curious sentry at the front door. Shortly before we left a family came in with a clearly distressed little boy. He had stubbed his toe and they were in search of a bandaid. Happily I carry a stripped out first aid kit on longer rides and more happily have not yet had to use it on myself and I was happy to lend a hand.

Back on the bikes we traversed through Gerringong, and down onto the Princes Hwy where the wind was again gusting strongly, but thankfully from behind and it wasn't too long before we were streaking back along the hwy for home. Nearing Shellharbour I felt the rear tyre go down, and on closer inspection found a staple stuck through the tube, but this was quickly repaired and we continued along through Albion Park to arrive at Dapto Station at 5.45.

Despite the weather, it was a very enjoyable day out, quite tough at times, but that is as it should be. I'm looking forward to riding it again.

Bright and the AAC

Every Australia day long weekend the Audax Club run a series of rides out of Bright in the Victorian Alps know as the Alpine Classic.

In previous years I have attempted both the shorter long distances, of 130km and 140km and this year I thought I'd have a crack at the 200km ride. A key feature of these rides are the challenging Alpine roads, long climbs and in January, heat.

Unfortunately, in the week leading up to the event a lightning strike started a bushfire near Harrietville which was unfortunate as the ACE 250 route went through there, the AAC 200 went around there and I had booked my accomodation there.

Nevertheless, come Thursday the car is packed and we optimistically set forth after a call to the Motel said that everything was fine, we would see the fire but there was no immediate danger.

So we drove on, checking in occassionally with email and twitter to see how things were going. We learn't as we stopped at Holbrook for a play on the submarine, that the route had now been changed to reflect the fires impact and advice from authorities, it was now to be a 3 repeat of Buffalo for 210km.

Oh, OK. Called the motel again, are you sure everything's OK? Yes, it's fine, the media is exagerating come on up!

So a few hours later we were driving towards a smokey Harrietville but so far so good. We checked into our Motel and then spent the afternoon and early evening looking at the fire as it lazed down the mountain side about 1km away.

After an anxious night (moderated by an excellent smoked trout pizza at the Hotel) we decided to leave and try our luck in Bright. Happily, the first place we called had a room available ( a direct effect of the fire and people withdrawing from the ride) so we were now safe and set for action.

That afternoon I decided to try a descent from Buffalo, reasoning that I can climb a rough road safely enough, descending is a bit different. We drove to the top and I set off and was soon passed by Sue at the Lake but when I arrived at the bottom Sue had only just beat me down in the car, so with that accomplished we enjoyed the sights and sounds and food of Bright and relaxed.

Next morning I took a flat, earlyish, run out to Myrtleford after thunderstorms passed through early in the morning. I was surprised by the smoke which lay in the valley but as the morning wore on and the wind lifted, it cleared. We then relaxed amongst the Bonjour Bright festivities, heard a great French band and relaxed in the river and the pool at the Motel. Later we had dinner at the Ginger House which was awesome and then retired early for the ride.

I was up before the sparrpws, prepped and ready to go - so got a good starting position in the first wave of riders. Unusually, I felt relaxed and interested in how things would go and passed the time chatting with other riders, a guy on his first AAC (hope he did well) the guy on the shiny Moulton (as distinct from the guy on the red Moulton - 2 Moultons!!).  The start went smoothly and a rush of blood to the head had me in a large and fast bunch rocketing away down the Alpine Hwy towards the climb. It is always a nervous time, joining a fast bunch of whom one knows nothing. You have to make quick assessments about who is safe to follow and your senses are taught ready to react to the least input. Not far down the road, there was the loud pop of a tyre blowout. As I was on the outside, I veered away, as did the guys in front of me to make room for the rapidly decelerating cyclist heading our way. Disaster averted, we powered on, through the roundabout and towards the Hill.

As the road started to tilt upwards the bunch began to fragment, I was beginning to feel the effort so when clear I pulled inside to let the faster riders past and to adjust to my own conservative rhythm for the climb. Once I had settled into my rhythm I found the going along quite to my likeing. It was cool and I the views were tremendous and the passing company pleasant and cheerful. Before long I found myself  riding past Waterland and not long after that Dingo Dell hove into view. After a quick stop, ate a bit, refilled bidons and cleaned glasses, it was on for the descent.

I was a bit nervous about how this would go, as we had been warned at the beginning to expect traffic and be conservative, however after a few turns I found myself in open space and let things roll as they would. My earlier reconnaissance paid off as I tracked around the fast corners and recognised the tricky bits and slowed down responsibly. I passed quite a few less confident descenders and arrived back in Bright at 9.33am. 2 hours and 13 minutes for a lap. Awesome!

At Bright I had a quick bite to eat and then headed back up. The fast bunches of the first run had now given way to a steady stream of riders and as the temperature was starting to rise, I soon recognised that the second lap was going to be a bit slower. Quite a bit slower as it turned out. To the heat, my back was beginning to ache and no amount of standing and stretching seemed to help. I kept plugging away but was starting to experience all of the signs of bonking, cramps gripped my thighs and speed was dropping ever lower. I stopped once to suck down a gel before rolling into Waterland to drink and get sprayed. I grabbed an endurolyte tablet and again resumed my struggle with the mountain. By now the incipient cramps had become full blown wobblers and I yelled out loud a few times as I pushed through them. At long last I made it to the dell, at 12.33, some 2 hours and 40 minutes since leaving Bright. I sat for a while, did some stretching and eating and feeling a little better set off for the descent once more.

Again I enjoyed the ride down, passed a heap of people but once at the bottom and needing to push along things weren't looking so good. Legs were again cramping and my back, despite a few NSAIDs was complaining out loud. It was also much hotter now with temperatures on the lower slopes sitting around 35c and I saw quite a lot of riders stopped, slumped over their machines, or lying dramatically by the side of the road, however the roadside had sprouted a number of enthusiastic cheer squads who lifted my spirits greatly and I was able to push on back into Bright at 2.05pm.

However it was there, with the brewery on my right and the cool river on my left  that I had a long hard look at myself and decided that another ascent was not a realistic option, legs were twitching, back was aching, head was spinning.

The two laps themselves weren't anything to sneeze at, 145km and 2780m of climbing and I enjoyed a beer and a swim in the pool (and some more cramps) afterwards. Just now, my back is quietly telling me that I did the right thing, while my thighs have the ache they only get when they are learning, it's a good ache.

Later we caught up with a few friends and celebrated their achievements. It really was quite an extraordinary weekend.

So next year can't come too soon. I've already booked the accommodation!

First week of the year

Well so far so good. This last week I've ridden 273km and climbed about 2900m and the rest of the month is looking to be a big un, with the Tallowa Dam ride next saturday and the Alpine Classic at the end of the month.

Have done a couple of pre work rides this week, a fast blast up to Clifton and some intervals on the Gun Club hill.

Yesterday I shouted the roubaix some new bar tape and got a new pair of look cleats for my shoes which were getting down to stubs. So everything is now looking ship shape and comfy.

This morning we headed off to the Robbo Pie Shop in mild conditions and enjoyed the climb of the Pass, though felt tired from the exertions of the week (the interval session yesterday took a lot out of me) and as the temperature climbed past 30c I was beginning to feel it. Generally I feel that my physical resilience is suffering without my weekly yoga class but that will change soon when the new term commences in a couple of weeks otherwise conditions were pretty tough.

I still managed my fastest climb of the Mountain to date however the ride back in the heat and into a headwind was difficult and I felt quite stuffed by the time I got home with about 96km under the wheels. Stuffed enough to not be stuffed to ride the extra 4km to round it up to 100! As the morning turned to afternoon my throat has started to ache and I'm feeling a bit febrile so am planning to have a rest for the next few days and enjoy the memories.

Mileage in Km = 228
Meters up = 2478