Made good on my word and got on the bike for a 40km ride on saturday and another ride up most of Mt Keira today.
Yesterday was overcast with a strong southeast breeze, which gave me some conditioning riding back from Bulli. On the ride the Apollogy was creaking a bit on the powerstroke and I diagnosed a loose crank bolt. Tightened him up and all seems OK.
Today was sunnier, but quite humid and I set off fairly early for a ride up Mt Keira. I haven't conquered that mountain on the Apollogy as yet and I'm keen to ride with the Wollongong Audax christmas ride to Picton next saturday which takes in the climb.
Apart from the first steep bit, where I walked for a hundred metres, the rest of the climb seemed pretty good, until that is I encountered a few wasps. First thing I knew my left ring finger and armpit and side started stinging like bastards and I knew something was wrong.
I stopped and swatted and rubbed and swore. The last time I got stung by a wasp (on my ear!) the pain was excruciating and the swelling was enormous. Fearing the same reaction, I turned and fled back down the mountain.
The pain passed, very little swelling and by the time I got back home I was regretting my decision to run. Then, more agony, this time on my shoulder. Seems I still had a passenger from the mountain!.
Jersey flies off and wasp gets squashed, not before raising a ten cent sized welt on my left shoulder. I washed the bike as a victory gesture.
Anyway, end of the weekend saw a brief but necessary and useful 57 kms of riding, a nice clean bike and the added confidence that wasp stings won't kill me. Not quite what I was hoping for, but a result all the same.
In other news, I have asked santa for a new front wheel with a SON nabendynamo and a Dlumotec LED senso light for christmas. I'm reliably informed that he has ordered one through the good folk at Cheeky Transport in Newtown. Lucky me!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Fixie consciousness
Its been a wet November and coupled with a rather nasty virus I haven't had any real time on the bike since the Gong Ride. I'm losing condition rapidly but am aiming for a good couple of rides this weekend.
In other news, while off the bike I have been developing fixed gear awareness. I remember talking to a guy on a flipflop fixed on the Big Ride earlier this year and thinking it was cool and more recently on the gong ride I saw quite a few fixed bikes. Further exploration found a number of sites and blogs including a couple of ride reports from the 2007 PBP from Emily O'Brien and her partner Matt and Sheldon Brown's advice on going fixed. Inspired I had decided to look out for a suitable frame to convert.
So this morning, on my way to work, driving through a village that is having its annual council collection and spy a bike frame out of the corner of my eye. Not just any frame though, but a red Apollo. I quickly looped around the block and pulled up to check it out.
No wheels, a bit rusty looking, but about the right size. Put it in the boot of the Peugeot and continued on to work. I figured that at the worst it could be brazing practise, but I was pretty happy with my find.
A little while later and on closer examination, the frame appears to be a low end roadster style bike equipped with a single front chainring, and an old Altus derailleur, dia compe side pulls, and a rusty port rack.
Rear dropouts however, are fixie friendly - horizontalish and quite long. Looks like a perfect candidate!
Later still, I have commenced stripping the parts off and cleaning up the frame. Suprisingly, while there is a rust on the various nuts and bolts it doesn't seem to be too bad. Mostly mild powdery surface rusting that makes me think this bike hasn't seen a lot of action. The drivetrain doesn;t show and serious wear and the chain is quite flexible and free of corrosion and dirt. Everything seemed to be pretty well looked after though. The seat post and stem, while showing rust, pulled out easily and were well greased and looked in servicable condition. There's some mild damage to the off side chain stay whilc may indicate some form of misadvnture but it eyeballs true and the dropouts line up.
The serial number identifies it as a 1983 build, but quite low end - the frame is pretty coarse and seems a world apart in quality and details from the Apollogy but it will make a fun fixie project and I have named her the Apollogytoo.
The hunt is on now for suitable bits, which will include wheels, bottom bracket, cranks, pedals, stem, seatpost, handlbars, saddle. I think I'll reuse the existing brakes but look for some new levers.
In other news, while off the bike I have been developing fixed gear awareness. I remember talking to a guy on a flipflop fixed on the Big Ride earlier this year and thinking it was cool and more recently on the gong ride I saw quite a few fixed bikes. Further exploration found a number of sites and blogs including a couple of ride reports from the 2007 PBP from Emily O'Brien and her partner Matt and Sheldon Brown's advice on going fixed. Inspired I had decided to look out for a suitable frame to convert.
So this morning, on my way to work, driving through a village that is having its annual council collection and spy a bike frame out of the corner of my eye. Not just any frame though, but a red Apollo. I quickly looped around the block and pulled up to check it out.
No wheels, a bit rusty looking, but about the right size. Put it in the boot of the Peugeot and continued on to work. I figured that at the worst it could be brazing practise, but I was pretty happy with my find.
A little while later and on closer examination, the frame appears to be a low end roadster style bike equipped with a single front chainring, and an old Altus derailleur, dia compe side pulls, and a rusty port rack.
Rear dropouts however, are fixie friendly - horizontalish and quite long. Looks like a perfect candidate!
Later still, I have commenced stripping the parts off and cleaning up the frame. Suprisingly, while there is a rust on the various nuts and bolts it doesn't seem to be too bad. Mostly mild powdery surface rusting that makes me think this bike hasn't seen a lot of action. The drivetrain doesn;t show and serious wear and the chain is quite flexible and free of corrosion and dirt. Everything seemed to be pretty well looked after though. The seat post and stem, while showing rust, pulled out easily and were well greased and looked in servicable condition. There's some mild damage to the off side chain stay whilc may indicate some form of misadvnture but it eyeballs true and the dropouts line up.
The serial number identifies it as a 1983 build, but quite low end - the frame is pretty coarse and seems a world apart in quality and details from the Apollogy but it will make a fun fixie project and I have named her the Apollogytoo.
The hunt is on now for suitable bits, which will include wheels, bottom bracket, cranks, pedals, stem, seatpost, handlbars, saddle. I think I'll reuse the existing brakes but look for some new levers.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Sydney to Gong Ride
The Sydney Gong ride last Sunday was a great ride and fabulous first experience for me.
Despite some early rain, me and about 11,000 others rode from Sydney Park in St Peters through the southern suburbs of Sydney, around Botany Bay through Sutherland, Roayl National Park and long the coast to Wollongong.
My day began early with some fast coffee at 4.20 am and dash to Wollongong railway station to mark the 5.20am fast train to the city. The platform was packed with lots of cyclist on all types of bike, from my 1980 era Apollogy, to Carbon monococques, mountain bikes and dragsters. A couple of young girls looking the worst for wear after a long night out seemed a bit surprised by the crowd of flashing, luminous helmeted cyclist on a normally deserted train station in the small hours of a sunday morning. It was raining steadily.
Train trip was uneventful, picking up more and more riders until eventually in the murk of a rainy dawn we alighted at St Peters and crossed the road into the park to commence the ride.
The Gong ride is very well organised and leaving the park at 7.10am was pretty easy, though the rain and crowded roads brought an edge to the event, you could hear the brakes grind on rims and caution was the rule to avoid awkard early collisions. I saw a lot of early punctures in the slow run up the Princes Hwy in the crowd by once through to the suburbs around Botany Bay the rain lifted and clouds began to break up and by 8am it was quite sunny and I stopped to remove my rain jacket.
Stopped at Loftus for a Muffin and coffee and felt pretty good, a lot of people happy with the first 30kms, and I set off for Heathcote. Riding along I caught hold of a pretty quick group and enjoyed a really fast run averaging 29 - 32 kph along the hwy to Heathcote were we had to stop to await grouping to descend into the Royal Nation Park. As we waited an ambulance drove out with a couple of riders who didn't make it down in one piece. Again caution was the word. True cause the ride attracts a really broad range of riders and experiences. Not everyone is comfortable or able to go fast, and that's fine, but it can hurt when things get out of shape.
The RNP is a highlight of the ride and I really enjoyed cycling through it. Chatted with a lot of people on the way and admired some nice bikes. A lot of old ones still being ridden and getting along nicely too.
Climbing out of the park it was geting hot with just the beginnings of a southerly beginning to blow which was becoming welcome.
From there, one last serious effort up the short sharp climb to bald hill at Stanwell Tops and the magnificent views down the escarpment to Wollongong.
A steep controlled descent behind a police motorcycle (that saw me begin to cramp) and we're off again on the last leg towards North Beach and home. Amused by the Borat Mankini team, I slugged long, occassionally drafting or being drafted behind in a kind of leap frogging affair into a steadily increasing south wester. It remained sunny though.
Arrived in Stuart Park at the finish line to find Sue and the kids waiting with camera and smiles, 3 hrs 49 minutes after leaving posting and average speed of 24.9 kph. Pretty pleased with that and enjoyed at beer or three later tat afternoon.
Thanks to the organisers and my sponsors on the ride. All up the ride raised more that $1 million which was a record.
Despite some early rain, me and about 11,000 others rode from Sydney Park in St Peters through the southern suburbs of Sydney, around Botany Bay through Sutherland, Roayl National Park and long the coast to Wollongong.
My day began early with some fast coffee at 4.20 am and dash to Wollongong railway station to mark the 5.20am fast train to the city. The platform was packed with lots of cyclist on all types of bike, from my 1980 era Apollogy, to Carbon monococques, mountain bikes and dragsters. A couple of young girls looking the worst for wear after a long night out seemed a bit surprised by the crowd of flashing, luminous helmeted cyclist on a normally deserted train station in the small hours of a sunday morning. It was raining steadily.
Train trip was uneventful, picking up more and more riders until eventually in the murk of a rainy dawn we alighted at St Peters and crossed the road into the park to commence the ride.
The Gong ride is very well organised and leaving the park at 7.10am was pretty easy, though the rain and crowded roads brought an edge to the event, you could hear the brakes grind on rims and caution was the rule to avoid awkard early collisions. I saw a lot of early punctures in the slow run up the Princes Hwy in the crowd by once through to the suburbs around Botany Bay the rain lifted and clouds began to break up and by 8am it was quite sunny and I stopped to remove my rain jacket.
Stopped at Loftus for a Muffin and coffee and felt pretty good, a lot of people happy with the first 30kms, and I set off for Heathcote. Riding along I caught hold of a pretty quick group and enjoyed a really fast run averaging 29 - 32 kph along the hwy to Heathcote were we had to stop to await grouping to descend into the Royal Nation Park. As we waited an ambulance drove out with a couple of riders who didn't make it down in one piece. Again caution was the word. True cause the ride attracts a really broad range of riders and experiences. Not everyone is comfortable or able to go fast, and that's fine, but it can hurt when things get out of shape.
The RNP is a highlight of the ride and I really enjoyed cycling through it. Chatted with a lot of people on the way and admired some nice bikes. A lot of old ones still being ridden and getting along nicely too.
Climbing out of the park it was geting hot with just the beginnings of a southerly beginning to blow which was becoming welcome.
From there, one last serious effort up the short sharp climb to bald hill at Stanwell Tops and the magnificent views down the escarpment to Wollongong.
A steep controlled descent behind a police motorcycle (that saw me begin to cramp) and we're off again on the last leg towards North Beach and home. Amused by the Borat Mankini team, I slugged long, occassionally drafting or being drafted behind in a kind of leap frogging affair into a steadily increasing south wester. It remained sunny though.
Arrived in Stuart Park at the finish line to find Sue and the kids waiting with camera and smiles, 3 hrs 49 minutes after leaving posting and average speed of 24.9 kph. Pretty pleased with that and enjoyed at beer or three later tat afternoon.
Thanks to the organisers and my sponsors on the ride. All up the ride raised more that $1 million which was a record.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Apollogy continues to evolve
In preparation for the Sydney - Gong ride this coming Sunday, the Apollogy got a new 39t chainring and a large Topeak aero wedge bag last weekend. The chainring is a quick compromise to drop the gearing to a useful 37 inch climbing low gear for the big hill out of the Royal National Park and other hills that may come my way. Test ride on saturday demonstrated that it was pretty useful on the steep bits while the 52t big ring still gives me plenty of flat grunt. Short term I would like to drop the 52t down to a 49t to avoid some close ratios but I haven't yet been able to source a 49t.
Ultimately I'm aiming for a triple ring with a 50, 42 and 32ish type of range for carrying a bit more load under fatigue but I'm optimistic that the 39 will cut the mustard on short rides and resolves a whole lot of flow on problems in converting to a triple.
The Topeak aero wedge is another compromise but will happily handle phone, wallet snacks and spray jacket. Tools and spare tubes are going into a bidon tool box slung under the downtube. It should be useful for rides up to 200km.
I have a larger and much older Karrimor saddle/handlebar bag which has a useful capacity but doesn't really fix properly on the saddle or handlebars. Again, long term goal is a nice handlebar bag to improve capacity for longer rides. There's a nice Vaude model that I like, but ultimately one of those rack mounted Berthould bags on trad bikes would fit more with my aesthetic.
Ultimately I'm aiming for a triple ring with a 50, 42 and 32ish type of range for carrying a bit more load under fatigue but I'm optimistic that the 39 will cut the mustard on short rides and resolves a whole lot of flow on problems in converting to a triple.
The Topeak aero wedge is another compromise but will happily handle phone, wallet snacks and spray jacket. Tools and spare tubes are going into a bidon tool box slung under the downtube. It should be useful for rides up to 200km.
I have a larger and much older Karrimor saddle/handlebar bag which has a useful capacity but doesn't really fix properly on the saddle or handlebars. Again, long term goal is a nice handlebar bag to improve capacity for longer rides. There's a nice Vaude model that I like, but ultimately one of those rack mounted Berthould bags on trad bikes would fit more with my aesthetic.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
100km Brevet
Completed my first 100km Brevet today with the Wollongong Audax guys. Lovely day for it too. Hardly any breeze early on though getting hot after lunch time. They call the route the coast run which follows a big circuit north from Dapto to Bulli for coffee at Ruby's cafe and then south along the coast to Shellharbour, down through Jambaroo and then up over the mountain through Albion park and back to Dapto.
I felt strong and rode quite well today and ws very happy to complete the ride in 5 hours 15mins with about 4.15 in the saddle. Average speed was just over 24kph which just goes to show how much faster you ride in a group.
A few adjustments still required for the Apollogy, will look at smaller chainrings to replace the 52/42 set currently in place. I need a lower low gear for the climbs hereabouts and think I might be able to get a 39 small ring on. so look at something like a 49/39 setup.
I felt strong and rode quite well today and ws very happy to complete the ride in 5 hours 15mins with about 4.15 in the saddle. Average speed was just over 24kph which just goes to show how much faster you ride in a group.
A few adjustments still required for the Apollogy, will look at smaller chainrings to replace the 52/42 set currently in place. I need a lower low gear for the climbs hereabouts and think I might be able to get a 39 small ring on. so look at something like a 49/39 setup.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Loop around the Lake
Storms rushed through the Illawarra last night, but this morning dawned clear and bright with a south-east breeze. Time to hit the road!
I drove south to Berkley on the Lake with the idea of following the KBUGs lake ride. Heading west I road through the back of Horsley and West Dapto, then scooted down Marshall Mount Road to Yallah and along the cycleway past Macquarie Rivulet. Serious head wind travelling south west and but I kept my head down and thought about turning to ride with it with it when I got passed Yallah.
The path here is really nice and for some reason doesn't see much traffic. From there its a mixture of cycleway and on road riding back around the lake to Windang, Warrawong and across t0 Berkley and the car.
Apart from a taxi pulling out in front of me it was a fairly uneventful ride.
46.8kms in 2hrs and 5 minutes averaging 22.8kph with a couple of quick stops for photos and directions.
I drove south to Berkley on the Lake with the idea of following the KBUGs lake ride. Heading west I road through the back of Horsley and West Dapto, then scooted down Marshall Mount Road to Yallah and along the cycleway past Macquarie Rivulet. Serious head wind travelling south west and but I kept my head down and thought about turning to ride with it with it when I got passed Yallah.
The path here is really nice and for some reason doesn't see much traffic. From there its a mixture of cycleway and on road riding back around the lake to Windang, Warrawong and across t0 Berkley and the car.
Apart from a taxi pulling out in front of me it was a fairly uneventful ride.
46.8kms in 2hrs and 5 minutes averaging 22.8kph with a couple of quick stops for photos and directions.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Walk to work day
Last friday was walk to work day and a bunch of us from Wollongong decided to walk to work in Campbelltown. OK, So we didn't walk all of the way, but managed a 16km wander along the 10b fire trail through the Dharawal State Conservation Area to Wedderburn.
It was a beautiful day and one of the joys of walking at this time of the year, in this part of the world is seeing the gorgeous flowers. There's been plenty of rain over winter and the Teleopea's were fabulous.
We were raising money for the Cancer Council and managed just over $1000 which was great.
Not much cycling in the last few weeks, just a few short trips around to the shops, though I'm feeling fit for the Sydney to Gong ride in November and hope to do a 100km populaire with the Illawarra Audax group in a couple of weeks.
It was a beautiful day and one of the joys of walking at this time of the year, in this part of the world is seeing the gorgeous flowers. There's been plenty of rain over winter and the Teleopea's were fabulous.
We were raising money for the Cancer Council and managed just over $1000 which was great.
Not much cycling in the last few weeks, just a few short trips around to the shops, though I'm feeling fit for the Sydney to Gong ride in November and hope to do a 100km populaire with the Illawarra Audax group in a couple of weeks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)