My leave is nearly over, and I will be returning to work on Wednesday, though I have thoroughly enjoyed my break and by tomorrow should have clocked up about 1350kms during the four weeks I've been at home. I've also managed to paint 2/3rds of the house and saw my daughter through her HSC, my son through his 3rd year Uni exams and a couple of good friends married, almost finished restoring one old bike and rediscovered the joys of dirt riding. I've also lost another 3 kgs, so not a bad break.
Today I took the Paino out again this morning for a quick 50km and find that every time I ride it I like it more and more. So easy to push, even into a stiff wind with a worn freewheel and chain. I'm thinking that I will make it my Monday bike so I can continue to enjoy it.
Tomorrow I've got a date for a ride up the gun club hill and then will be heading to the city to see Radiohead.
Then its back to work on Wednesday. With ringing ears!
Mileage in Kms = 5135
Monday, November 12, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
More Dirt
Following my earlier exploration of the route to Brokers Nose, fellow rider Shane shared his experience on the route and reckoned that I was in fact pretty close to the Rixson Pass turnoff when I retreated. With that in mind we arranged to head out and ride the route again this morning.
Prepped for an early start, the morning dawned dampish with a light mist falling. Cloud base was pretty low on the escarpment at about 300m annd once we confirmed that neither of us minded getting wet, we proceeded with our meet at Wollongong Station and set out for Tarrawana.
The route up wasn't too bad and Shane showed me a thing or two about mountain biking, so I was learning quickly. Before long we passed my earlier turn around point and literally 30m away was the intersection in the path and the beginning of the long and murderously steep climb up Rixson.
In the steepest part on a switchback the trail is actually concreted over, it's a fire trail after all, but the slick conditons saw me lose traction so I was forced to walk the rest of the way up. Once at the top we jumped another gate and made easy progress on a variety of fire trail, narrow track and sandy/rocky ground before we got to the nose.
Despite the low cloud and mists the view was pretty good.
While we contemplated our next steps and munched some banana bread, another rider happened by and we engaged in some conversation and she offered to show us some other tracks and point us in the general direction of more. We retreated down the fire trail and then turned off down a single track which she described as rocky and scary. It was rocky for the most part and only scary for a few sections of abrupt drops. After a while she pointed us towards Picton Rd and tracks on Keira and we continued our descent through some lovely forest, skirting tree ferns and Hakeas on our way.
when we emerged on the Highway interchange we set out in the general direction of her instructions but didn't manage to find anything that looked accessible so we rode up Picton Rd to the Mt Keira Road intersection and then followed some tracks that showed on the garmin.
It was tough going in places and the paths didn't seem designed for bikes so soon we hit the Mt Pleasant fire trail and ripped downhill before turning towrads home in increasing rain. It became clear early on that the V brakes on my bike weren't up to much in the rain and the longer we rode and the dirtier and muddier my wheels became the less effective the brakes were. So I'm thinking now of converting the Montari to Disc brakes. It has compatible wheels and mounting points on the frame and forks so shouldn't be too big a problem to overcome.
It was a great mornings ride and I'm really enjoying the variety of off road riding.
Prepped for an early start, the morning dawned dampish with a light mist falling. Cloud base was pretty low on the escarpment at about 300m annd once we confirmed that neither of us minded getting wet, we proceeded with our meet at Wollongong Station and set out for Tarrawana.
The route up wasn't too bad and Shane showed me a thing or two about mountain biking, so I was learning quickly. Before long we passed my earlier turn around point and literally 30m away was the intersection in the path and the beginning of the long and murderously steep climb up Rixson.
In the steepest part on a switchback the trail is actually concreted over, it's a fire trail after all, but the slick conditons saw me lose traction so I was forced to walk the rest of the way up. Once at the top we jumped another gate and made easy progress on a variety of fire trail, narrow track and sandy/rocky ground before we got to the nose.
Despite the low cloud and mists the view was pretty good.
 |
| Shane on the nose |
While we contemplated our next steps and munched some banana bread, another rider happened by and we engaged in some conversation and she offered to show us some other tracks and point us in the general direction of more. We retreated down the fire trail and then turned off down a single track which she described as rocky and scary. It was rocky for the most part and only scary for a few sections of abrupt drops. After a while she pointed us towards Picton Rd and tracks on Keira and we continued our descent through some lovely forest, skirting tree ferns and Hakeas on our way.
when we emerged on the Highway interchange we set out in the general direction of her instructions but didn't manage to find anything that looked accessible so we rode up Picton Rd to the Mt Keira Road intersection and then followed some tracks that showed on the garmin.
It was tough going in places and the paths didn't seem designed for bikes so soon we hit the Mt Pleasant fire trail and ripped downhill before turning towrads home in increasing rain. It became clear early on that the V brakes on my bike weren't up to much in the rain and the longer we rode and the dirtier and muddier my wheels became the less effective the brakes were. So I'm thinking now of converting the Montari to Disc brakes. It has compatible wheels and mounting points on the frame and forks so shouldn't be too big a problem to overcome.
It was a great mornings ride and I'm really enjoying the variety of off road riding.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
October Wrap Up
As months on the bike go, October turned out to be a pretty good month. Especially considering that I wasn't supposed to be riding!
Being on leave for half of the month is a big help, so much more time for longer rides and the weather has been great.
So analysis of the month is 17 rides for 1003km and 10,855m of climbing. My best monthly effort for some time.
As it happens I was back to the Surgeon this morning for the final review of my foot. All seemed well and I'm quite happy with it, so to celebrate I went out for a ride, aiming for Bald Hill.
The weather was warmish and the late start mean't that I saw a lot of sun but the climb up to Bald Hill was great and according to Strava I posted my best time.
The climbing improvement I'm putting down to some weight loss (sitting on about 73kg now down from 84 earlier in the year) and yoga practise. My yoga teacher emphasises the importance of technique and softness of breath and eyes during poses, even when they're physically demanding. I've been carrying that over into my approach on the bike, especially when climbing and trying to maintain a soft posture and relaxed breathing.
I'm now looking forward to the new Audax season, tackling a year round Randonneur award ( a 200km ride or longer every month) as well as a super series
Mileage in Kilometers = 4782
Being on leave for half of the month is a big help, so much more time for longer rides and the weather has been great.
So analysis of the month is 17 rides for 1003km and 10,855m of climbing. My best monthly effort for some time.
As it happens I was back to the Surgeon this morning for the final review of my foot. All seemed well and I'm quite happy with it, so to celebrate I went out for a ride, aiming for Bald Hill.
The weather was warmish and the late start mean't that I saw a lot of sun but the climb up to Bald Hill was great and according to Strava I posted my best time.
 |
| Special Sunscreen Filter used |
I'm now looking forward to the new Audax season, tackling a year round Randonneur award ( a 200km ride or longer every month) as well as a super series
Mileage in Kilometers = 4782
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Mountain Biking
The Illawarra will be hosting it's first Dirt Audax series this coming season, and I've made up my mind to participate.
In my youth I was a keen trail rider, exploring many of the dirt tracks around Newcastle on my trusty dragster. On moving to the 'gong I purchased my first (and only) Mountain Bike, an Avanti Montari and explored a few trails and rode the 2004 NSW bike ride before stepping up to a road bike and etc.
So the Montari has been hanging in the shed for a few years now and this last week I've taken it down and dusted it off in order to prepare for the dirt series, the first ride of which is in December.
Earlier in the week I took it on a brief shakedown around the local cycle paths with a kilometer or so of creek side dirt. This morning I was more ambitious and headed off for a climb up the escarpment heading for Brokers Nose.
I really enjoyed this ride as it was a complete adventure for me, I was riding into unkown territory and my MTB skills had yet to be tested.
I set off across the usual cycleways heading for Tarrawana, got a bit lost, but eventually found my way to the old road to the Mine. Ignoring various signs of peril I jumped the gate and commenced the climb upwards on a sealed surface to the old mine workings before jumping another gate and hitting dirt.
From there it was up and down along either wider fire tracks and single track but essentially traversing a ridge line at about 230 meters. After a while I became increasingly suspicious that I was lost, had missed a turn somehow and the garmin refused to clarify my position or show the tracks I thought should be there.
Time was getting on so I eventually turned back and headed for home, only to find out later that I was only a few hundred meters from the track I wanted that would lead me to the Nose. Not to worry, I'll try again later.
I really enjoyed the ride and despite my MTB rustiness was soon enjoying weight shifting and the rush of descending rock strewn singletrack. Wish I was younger sometimes!
I took some photos too -
In my youth I was a keen trail rider, exploring many of the dirt tracks around Newcastle on my trusty dragster. On moving to the 'gong I purchased my first (and only) Mountain Bike, an Avanti Montari and explored a few trails and rode the 2004 NSW bike ride before stepping up to a road bike and etc.
So the Montari has been hanging in the shed for a few years now and this last week I've taken it down and dusted it off in order to prepare for the dirt series, the first ride of which is in December.
Earlier in the week I took it on a brief shakedown around the local cycle paths with a kilometer or so of creek side dirt. This morning I was more ambitious and headed off for a climb up the escarpment heading for Brokers Nose.
I really enjoyed this ride as it was a complete adventure for me, I was riding into unkown territory and my MTB skills had yet to be tested.
I set off across the usual cycleways heading for Tarrawana, got a bit lost, but eventually found my way to the old road to the Mine. Ignoring various signs of peril I jumped the gate and commenced the climb upwards on a sealed surface to the old mine workings before jumping another gate and hitting dirt.
From there it was up and down along either wider fire tracks and single track but essentially traversing a ridge line at about 230 meters. After a while I became increasingly suspicious that I was lost, had missed a turn somehow and the garmin refused to clarify my position or show the tracks I thought should be there.
Time was getting on so I eventually turned back and headed for home, only to find out later that I was only a few hundred meters from the track I wanted that would lead me to the Nose. Not to worry, I'll try again later.
I really enjoyed the ride and despite my MTB rustiness was soon enjoying weight shifting and the rush of descending rock strewn singletrack. Wish I was younger sometimes!
I took some photos too -
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Berrima 200
Earlier in the year I made a BRM comeback on the Berrima 200. It's one of the routes I run here in the Illawarra and is a great days riding with a number of challenging climbs and great scenery to enjoy from the saddle.
This past Saturday, the ride was due, however prior commitments meant I had to be back early so opted for a quick 100 up to Fitzroy Falls and back.
Apart from me, there were 4 official starters, all down from various parts of Sydney. No surprise there, as the weekend saw the running of Fitz's Classic in Canberra plus the start of the Great Southern Randonee in Victoria, so there was plenty of competition.
Long story short, all 4 starters got away and completed the ride in good time, Chapeau to you all. Me, I enjoyed the ride up to Fitzroy Falls, set a PB on Macquarie Pass and saw 4 Lyre Birds - and thoroughly enjoyed myself on the way back.
As of that ride I've clocked up 830km for October. Not bad considering.
In other news, the Herc restoration is chellating away, the wheels are slowly rotating through their vinegar bath and I've rebuilt the bottom bracket and head set. Am thinking no that a layer of clear coat over the paint and neutralised rust might be in order so will test a section of chain case during the week and see how it turns out.
Mileage in Kilometers = 4606
This past Saturday, the ride was due, however prior commitments meant I had to be back early so opted for a quick 100 up to Fitzroy Falls and back.
Apart from me, there were 4 official starters, all down from various parts of Sydney. No surprise there, as the weekend saw the running of Fitz's Classic in Canberra plus the start of the Great Southern Randonee in Victoria, so there was plenty of competition.
Long story short, all 4 starters got away and completed the ride in good time, Chapeau to you all. Me, I enjoyed the ride up to Fitzroy Falls, set a PB on Macquarie Pass and saw 4 Lyre Birds - and thoroughly enjoyed myself on the way back.
As of that ride I've clocked up 830km for October. Not bad considering.
In other news, the Herc restoration is chellating away, the wheels are slowly rotating through their vinegar bath and I've rebuilt the bottom bracket and head set. Am thinking no that a layer of clear coat over the paint and neutralised rust might be in order so will test a section of chain case during the week and see how it turns out.
Mileage in Kilometers = 4606
Monday, October 22, 2012
More Riding and the Herc is stripped down
I enjoyed a couple of relaxed weekend rides.
Went for a 53km quick ride with Ben on Saturday morning, just and out and back to Marshall Mount. The outward leg was a struggle and I wasn't sure if it was fatigue after the kays I'd done during the week, however when we turned back, it was clear that it was the wind. Quite flew back home.
Sunday was day two of the Audax "Robbo Weekend" so I headed up to Robertson at the top of the Escarpment for a 100km ride with the group. It was a mostly sunny ride, though a strong southwesterly that sprung up mid morning made the middle leg from Aylmerton to Berrima a bit tougher. It was lucky we were going with the wind on the last 25kms as it strengthened and became quite gusty.
All in all it was a top morning out on the bike, with lots of birds, a wallaby and various invisible rustles in the hedgerows sighted. Also great to catch up with a few audaxers that I hadn't seen for a while. It is nice to be back on the bike again.
It was time for a rest day today and with that in mind I planned to finish stripping down the Hercules and start cleaning and regreasing.
The work is pretty straightforward. All of the screws and bolts, while a bit rusty in places have come apart without too much effort and before long I had removed everything. Larger parts will get the hand treatment.
I washed and scrubbed grease and other marks off the painted metal parts and gave it a quick and light polish with a light cutting wax. If anything it highlights the various scratches and other damage to the paintwork, but it looks a lot brighter now.
I dropped most of the rusty attachments into a small bucket of vinegar, and the parts are cleaning up quite nicely. Some other parts - such as the dynamo and headlamp I've started polish with Autosol. The dynamo came up really well.
Last job was tackling the wheel hubs. The front wheel was straightforward, lots of really thick old grease but everything was easy. The rear hub with is Hercules B type 4 3 speed was going to be a bit trickier. A bit of research indicates that the Hercules 3 speed is indentical to the Sturmey Archer AW hubs so it was a simple matter of finding a diagram (even a video or two) of how its done, and now the hub and mechanism is stripped out and just waiting for a clean before loading it back in.
The wheel rims need a bit of attention as they are quite rusty and will need some truing as well but there's no great rush.
Having said that tyres and a new Brooks B68 saddle have been ordered and should arrive during the week so it's not out of the question that I could take the Hercules for a ride on the weekend.
More photos can be found on my flickr
Mileage in Kms = 4385
Went for a 53km quick ride with Ben on Saturday morning, just and out and back to Marshall Mount. The outward leg was a struggle and I wasn't sure if it was fatigue after the kays I'd done during the week, however when we turned back, it was clear that it was the wind. Quite flew back home.
Sunday was day two of the Audax "Robbo Weekend" so I headed up to Robertson at the top of the Escarpment for a 100km ride with the group. It was a mostly sunny ride, though a strong southwesterly that sprung up mid morning made the middle leg from Aylmerton to Berrima a bit tougher. It was lucky we were going with the wind on the last 25kms as it strengthened and became quite gusty.
All in all it was a top morning out on the bike, with lots of birds, a wallaby and various invisible rustles in the hedgerows sighted. Also great to catch up with a few audaxers that I hadn't seen for a while. It is nice to be back on the bike again.
It was time for a rest day today and with that in mind I planned to finish stripping down the Hercules and start cleaning and regreasing.
The work is pretty straightforward. All of the screws and bolts, while a bit rusty in places have come apart without too much effort and before long I had removed everything. Larger parts will get the hand treatment.
I washed and scrubbed grease and other marks off the painted metal parts and gave it a quick and light polish with a light cutting wax. If anything it highlights the various scratches and other damage to the paintwork, but it looks a lot brighter now.
I dropped most of the rusty attachments into a small bucket of vinegar, and the parts are cleaning up quite nicely. Some other parts - such as the dynamo and headlamp I've started polish with Autosol. The dynamo came up really well.
Last job was tackling the wheel hubs. The front wheel was straightforward, lots of really thick old grease but everything was easy. The rear hub with is Hercules B type 4 3 speed was going to be a bit trickier. A bit of research indicates that the Hercules 3 speed is indentical to the Sturmey Archer AW hubs so it was a simple matter of finding a diagram (even a video or two) of how its done, and now the hub and mechanism is stripped out and just waiting for a clean before loading it back in.
The wheel rims need a bit of attention as they are quite rusty and will need some truing as well but there's no great rush.
Having said that tyres and a new Brooks B68 saddle have been ordered and should arrive during the week so it's not out of the question that I could take the Hercules for a ride on the weekend.
More photos can be found on my flickr
Mileage in Kms = 4385
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Hercules Balmoral
Picked up the new roadster today and once I got it home gave it a quick wash and took a few photos.
The plan is to do a functional restoration, strip it down clean, re-grease, polish and de rust (gently), but to leave the bike with it's patina. There's a few odd looking screws and bolts here and there, which I will replace with something more suitable, the big problem will be the brake pads for the Westwood rims and perhaps finding some suitable tyres.
While the saddle is salvageable, (it has an aluminium frame!) I'm planning to get a Brooks B67 and will look at recovering it later. The gear selector seems a bit limp, though there is no tension in the cable so I will be fiddling with that. The 3 speed hub is stamped with the Hercules Brand, though I think it's nearly identical to the Sturmey Archer ones
Interestingly, with the exception of the Headlamp and the dynamo, everything else is badged Hercules. Even the rear reflector!
I'm yet to actually finalise it's age. Unlike the comparable Raleighs, there's very little information about Hercules production runs available so I'm hoping there's someone out there who can give me some idea.
The plan is to do a functional restoration, strip it down clean, re-grease, polish and de rust (gently), but to leave the bike with it's patina. There's a few odd looking screws and bolts here and there, which I will replace with something more suitable, the big problem will be the brake pads for the Westwood rims and perhaps finding some suitable tyres.
While the saddle is salvageable, (it has an aluminium frame!) I'm planning to get a Brooks B67 and will look at recovering it later. The gear selector seems a bit limp, though there is no tension in the cable so I will be fiddling with that. The 3 speed hub is stamped with the Hercules Brand, though I think it's nearly identical to the Sturmey Archer ones
Interestingly, with the exception of the Headlamp and the dynamo, everything else is badged Hercules. Even the rear reflector!
I'm yet to actually finalise it's age. Unlike the comparable Raleighs, there's very little information about Hercules production runs available so I'm hoping there's someone out there who can give me some idea.
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