Sunday, February 27, 2011

Aimin' for the bumps

If you're going to ride from St. Andrews to Box Hill in the dark (which I did tonight) it would be worth doing it on a Lynskey.

With Open Pro rims, DT Revolution Spokes (28/36), Dura-ace hubs, carbon forks (including steerer) and full titanium frame it's fair dinkum like riding a dualy. I ran into Luke Hanley after his Odysey and he mentioned that within a few days of riding his Lynskey he started aiming for the bumps.

After tonights ride I really get what he's saying. It just soaks it all up.

The thing is, in the latest Ride Cycling Review, the flex tollerances of the Lynskey Helix were stiffer than most of the carbon bikes (except that stupid Dedicai thingo with chain-stays and big as down-tubes). So it's stiff, and when you get out of the saddle to slam it up a little hill or something, it really goes... but the compliance on the road is still awesome.

So I took my wide load out to King Lake tonight, not leaving until 6pm. "Stupid", some may say. But I was desperate after the missing 6am-er ride this morning due to rain. I also wanted to time Box Hill to King Lake for my commute on Wednesday.

One hour and three quarters spot on. That gives me half hour from KL to Dixons Creek for 7.30am in time for shower then conference at 8am! Beautiful.

Nice way to start the day as long as the boss doesn't catch me snoozing at 2pm.

So Lynskey all the way. It's a fair dinkum fantastic bike.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Commuting on the Lynsky

Straight out from work last night. Straight into work this morning. First turn of the pedals since the horror of the Odysey.

Home tonight via Mt. Pleasant, Floods Roads, Warrandyte, etc., making the day about 80k. I had a taste of descending on the Lynsky today on just a few little hills. It feels really... really good. I liken it to the comparison between my FZ1 and the few good rides I've had on BMW GSs.

Stiff fast and twitchy compared to solid, smooth (still fast) and forgiving.

I have this horrible feeling I'll be able to ride this one downhill quicker than other bikes I've ridden.

Brenton - I'll beat you by even more.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

There's no monopoly on grief

A few weeks ago on our ride out to Strathewan, we were approached by a local woman as we stood at the sunflower memorial on the second anniversary of Black Saturday.

Like the bloke at King Lake on the same day last year, she warned us off being in the area and expressed the fact that we had no right to be there on that particular day.

Really? I've been riding motorbikes and pushbikes in the King Lake and Strathewan area since I was a kid. The place holds a very special place in my soul and I enjoy every moment I spend there.

I've said a number of times since seeing this woman, "It's like she thinks they have a monopoly on grief."

It's clear I don't agree with her sentiment and I believe whole-heartedly that I had every right to be there.

It's been an interesting past week for me. I have experienced grief on a number of different levels with "the right" to feel every one of them.


Level 1


On Saturday I raced the Ottway Odyssey 100km mountain bike race... or I tried. It's one of the most important races of the year for me. I felt as fit and confident as ever and I expected a very good result. At the 35 kilometre mark, through no fault of my own, my bike fatally malfunctioned. Whilst racing strongly in a very good position, my rear derailer exploded and I could go no further.

All that chocolate I've resisted. Those hours and hours of solid training. The weight I've lost and the money I've spent on my bike. All for naught!?

I can still feel the Ottway grief but it's just a bloody bike race.

Level 2

On the way home from the race I received news that my brother and sister-in-law's cafe had burnt down in St. Helens Tasmania. It's razed. They put blood sweat and tears into that place for seven years. It is the heart of St. Helens for many reasons, not least of which is their absolutely brilliant coffee.

Many people will grieve the loss of The Village Store and More.

I returned home late last night after three days in St. Helens helping Nic and Marika through that initial period of grief whilst dealing with a certain amount of my own.

I can still feel the St. Helens grief but it's just stuff. Nobody died.

Level 3

On my return from Tassie I started hearing the news of the events in Christchurch. Yet another disaster so close to home and so many lives lost.

That grief is still raw. I wish them so much of the best.

It's easy to start feeling that survivor guilt when observing the news out of New Zealand.

Grief over a bike race? Grief over some property damaged in a fire? What right do I have to feel that?

Every right. Yes, there is perspective and we must put things into it. But there's no monopoly on grief. Everyone has the right to feel it at every different level and I'm no stranger to it. I speak from experience.

The losses in NZ are beyond comprehension and the secret recipes of The Village Store and more will remain a secret forever...


Monday, February 21, 2011

Two pictures tell 2000 words


My Odyssey (38ish k mark - single speed to Forrest)



Friday morning in St. Helens, Tasmania (my brother and sister-in-law's livelihood and life)



Flew across Sunday morning. Back Wednesday. Storie/s to follow!




Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Love Melbourne

Beautiful scenes on the trail on the way in to work this morning.

Looking north from the trail over the Abbotsford Convent


Straight over the top of my head to land in Yarra Bend Park



A test ride of the Anthem to get ready for the Odyssey on Saturday revealed a few little problems. Hence the work-stand this evening.

Nothing major and ready to roll. Now I just need to get the engine all ready and fired up.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Ti

After some initial cold-shouldering by my good mate Bruce (The Claw) this morning, he eventually semi-forgave me for breaking his monopoly on Titanium and conceded to park his bike next to mine at the coffee shop.


Not the best photo but really... they did look pretty good together.
(How excited we get about pushbikes!)

The Lynskey served me well this morning on it's first excursion to The Hurt Box. And it hurt of course - but geeez it was bloody good to ride.

It revels in the power from the top and soaks up the bumps from the bottom. Similar to steel but more compliant yet stiff enough to real in Trent for the sprint over 300 metres. Magnificent! Foggy just pipped me at the post I reckon but then, there is that issue over his new nic (more later - or not - maybe we'll give him one more chance).


Yes... you know what you did. The Mist or The ###?


I am quite surprised at how good the new bike feels at the moment but there are still a few tests for it to pass. Some long climbs and fast descents will round out my opinion but at present, it's good.

Sunday's 6am-er ride brought many of us together for the bi-monthly run down the beach. At least seven guys were there who would not normally make it up to the hills and that's the aim. Objective achieved. 22 riders headed out and it was a jovial day on a pleasant morning. Rocket's ship was the highlight. Bloody hell - what opulance... and did he cop some shit. I wish I'd taken a photo.

The flexibility of my Lynsky frame and Shawie's human frame were discussed however my blog cannot cope with such gutter talk. It's on the forum!

A Two-Bays loop, A reverse Hell Ride loop, a visit to the post office for Cam and the trip there and back had most of us returning with 120 ks on the clock.

Testament to the 6am-er culture and fitness that many of us felt like we hadn't done much at all.

Bring back the hills and bring on the Baw Baw.


Saturday, February 12, 2011

Sick of rest days

Stupid emergencies at work (sick of emergencies and disasters) kept me chained to the desk, the phone and people all day yesterday so a rest day was inevitable.

Not a bad thing anyway, although I don't particularly want another day off today.

The new Lynskey is sitting there just waiting for for it's first cruise and I can't wait either.

Tomorrow will now have to be the day.


Friday, February 11, 2011

Fatties and North Road

I backed up Wednesday night Fatties again with Thursday morning North Road.

Both on the Single Speeds.

It's a very hard 13hr session but I can later feel it doing me good once the pain subsides.

Probably won't be able to do this when I'm 45.

MTB - solid - 3.5hrs
Road - solid - 2hrs
Bugger all sleep - 8hrs break between sessions - ouch.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Commute

Due to birthday duties today I settled with a commute both ways on the SS road bike. Still had to battle the flooded Yarra by walking a couple of hundred metre sections.

Nice 60k anyway and strength in the legs as a result.

Had a fantastic birthday dinner with family and a magnificent day.

Love my life!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Hoot of a commute - here we go again

That's the bike track behind me... under the water.

Here we go again with water and slop on the Yarra Trails. Just when it was starting to get better again...


And of course, the ride would never be complete without me wrecking something en- route. So this time I decided to rip a pedal thread out of a crank requiring a complete replacement.

Thanks to Cycleworks, I had a brand new set of cranks installed before I even got home and will live to ride another day. Thanks Todd.

No six foot serpentines on the track tonight but this bloke proved to be very stubborn. I ended up having to turn around and go back the other way as he absolutely refused to move despite a few twigs thrown his way and a few hiss's in response.


Can't really argue. It is his bush.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Strathewan - 6th February 2011 - Two years on

The irony of this scene at Strathewan is revealed if you examine the flood damage along the banks of the creek. Two years ago (minus one day) this area was devastated by a natural disaster of another kind.

The local community had erected a small memorial on the bridge with sunflowers and photographs of those who died in 2009.



Our brief stop here was quite poignant.



6am-ers present: Diesel, Shawie, Smithy, Angles, Foggy, Cam, Dev, Dom, Geordie.
Guests: Heath, Gary, Nic.

I distinguish for reasons soon to be revealed.

Our ride out this morning was a wander through the quiet roads of North Warrandyte, Kangaroo Ground and Nutfield. Floods Road was quite appropriately named today. We had to dodge many driveways that had ended up in the middle of the road due to the high rainfall on Friday night. Gravel and mud had washed out of properties making it more appropriate for mountain bikes than road bikes at times.

Dev turned for home early and couldn't resist heading back the way we'd come to tackle Pigeon Bank Road in the
up direction. He later SMSed Smithy and I informing us it was a piece of piss. Not bad for an old bloke considering a number of 6am-ers have been known to walk up this climb (an unforgivable sin for a 6am-er).

Dev has put the challenge out this year to set the initial record for a 50 year old 6am-er in the Baw Baw (assuming he can beat the time set by Dr. Pete last year at 60). Good luck to all in the years ahead coz knowing Dev, the time will be good.

Now getting back to that distinction. Here's this morning's group after the KG-Warrandyte hit-out...


- no guests.

Here's our group on Anderson Creek Road just out of Warrandyte...



- no guests.

Here come the guests; Heath, Gary and Nic.



Proof you must work hard to earn the 6am-er jersey!

As always, great company, great riding and something unique. A solid ride to a beautiful spot touched so significantly by the events of Black Saturday, two years minus one day ago.


Thursday, February 3, 2011

KIiller days

Fatties last night was hard enough.
(3 hrs MTB SS very solid)
North road this morning really put me in the blender.
(2 hrs road SS very solid).


I knew I was in for it when I realised we had a tail-wind on the way back. That took our speed up to 50-60kph for a fair bit of the trip.

Cadence at 50 is 120. At 60 it's 130.

No wonder I can't walk this evening.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Judy by Al Green (1973) - Goodbye and R.I.P.



I never thought dreams could happen,
Until one came true for me.
Since I met Judy,
Since I met Judy,
My life has been one sweet melody.
Yeah! Yeah!
I never thought I could welcome....
Two other hearts as I do.

Oh...Since I met Judy,
Since I met Judy,
Well it's been a real hip thing I'm telling you.
Oh, saying that I want Judy.
Talking about beauty,
She's got it.
I know she's got it.
Her sweet little ways,
Mean so much to me.
Oh yeah! Oh yeah!






Judy, you served me well right to the very end.
You never failed.
But old and sloppy you are.
So bring on the new Rebaaa.














See ya darl. Love ya. Rest in peace.