Monday, June 27, 2011

Solo expeditions - 27/06/2011

When I head off on my solo adventures, I tend to find myself in locations I had never intended - like in the company of this holy old front end loader at the top of some hill somewhere...

I was pretty happy to be on the trails today after a rather unexpected opportunity arose.  I parked up the top of Ridge Road at the intersection of Westerling (Watsons Creek), intending to explore a little bit more of the area than I had before.

After conquering Mario's One Hill track without a foot out of the pedals (always good), I headed up Scholtz Road into the bush to explore.  The road ran out but I kept climbing and ended up in this junkyard on private property where I kept a good eye out for the farmer.  I always remember very clearly the stories of the farmer up near Harietville who used to come out with a shotgun and chase any hanglider pilot who dared to land in his paddocks.  For that reason, I always ensured I carried the altitude to get me out of trouble in the Ovens Valley near Harietville!

Once back on roads I had studied, I did a good 1 hour climbing loop before heaading back into the familiar single track.  O'sheas Road/Track, Mine Shaft Road and One Tree Hill Road were all part of the hit-out.

So I spent half my ride wondering where I was and the other half wondering at how lucky I was to have such a beautiful place to ride so close to home. I mean look at that photo on the left - it's magic for a mountain biker!


I've had a couple of really crap weeks on the bike, struggling to get rythm, struggling with the man-flu and generally feeling like I didn't deserve to be there (yeah... basically feeling sorry for myself!).


Once I got back onto the Rob Roy loop I was riding well within the zone and with too much confidence for a ride out on my own.  Luckily I'd thought to ring my lovely mum on my way out there to inform her of the trails I'd be on... "If I don't ring you by 6, ring my mountain bike mates and they'll know where to look."


127 hours is raw in the memory... I'll never go out without telling anyone again.  Need an EPURB.

Two more laps of Mario's track (without a foot out of the pedals - always good) and then up through the Sugarloaf loop had me back at the car with 3.5 hours under the belt.

Sometimes the best way to discover this country is on your own.  Love it!


Photos at top of One Hill Reserve - Magnificent country so close to home.


3.5hrs geared MTB today.

2.5hrs geared MTB yesterday - same spot - Mario's track twice - feet out at one stage both times - never good.

Monday, June 20, 2011

20-06-2011

Got out for a quick road loop this evening. 

2 hours on the dot on the Lynskey.

(Box Hill - Anderson Creek Road - Warrandyte - Pigeon Bank, Menzies, Henley Roads - KG - Research Road - Mt. Pleasant Road - Eltham - Box Hill).

Nice!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

19-06-2011


I felt the call of the mud today so I headed out to the new clandestine trails out east with Mick and Matt.  The temptation of a new loop on the high side of the forest had peaked my interest.  It was a day where everything was slippery; mud, rocks, leaves, trees, roots.  If you weren't balanced, you were on your butt quick smart - playing in the mud. 

Despite the slipperiness, we had - as my British boss would put it- a syupurb time!  This area is absolutely gorgeous and the loop around the mountain took in all the best parts of the environment.  Ferny gullys with steep winding switchbacks, steep climbs, crazy descents, rocky ledges, and fast flowing single-track.  It's unreal.

Having said that, this sign would not have gone astray...


This trail is very technical; some of the more technical trails I've ever ridden but super enjoyable nonetheless.  In the slippery conditions there was much time out of the pedals steadying the ship and a fair share of time on my muddy arse (it didn't help that I had absolutely no MTB Zone hapenning at all!).

But there was plenty to enjoy - and I can't wait to get out to do this loop when the trails are dry.  It's all perfectly rideable in the dry and the two hour loop will be a fantastic hit-out of very hard training in the summer.  When combined with the other loops in the area, a four hour ride containing a bit of everything is easily achievable.  It's fair dinkum ace (thanks Phil)!





Matt taking on a slippery little sucker

Wilbur

I didn't get out with the 6am-ers this morning due to a very important retirement function at work at 6am this morning.



Wayne (Wilbur) retired after 40 years in the job and 37 at the Media Unit.  A few of us couldn't bear the thought of him walking out at 7am on a Sunday morning after his last night shift so we joined him for morning tea and this photo.

6am-ers

A small group of 6am-ers had a great ride this morning, cruising through the Classic de Nongs, whilst many other 6am-ers headed to Lang Lang to race the hilly course. 

Brenton's Crash

I was devastated to hear news today of a serious accident in the peleton of the Tour of Tawoomba.  Young gun and friend of mine Brenton Jones was injured badly.  He was air-lifted to Brisbane Hospital and is currently in a coma.  So sad to hear and my thoughts are with Brenton and his very special and very cycling-centric family.  I really hope he pulls through okay.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Brain mush - 17/06/2011


Sometimes all you need is a blast on a bike to blow out the mush in your brain from a really bad week. Sometimes - at the same time - you struggle to motivate yourself onto the bike in order to do so. 

What a week it's been (Herald Sun, pp 1-7, 38-39; The Age, pp 1-3).  All I needed tonight was a blast but oh how hard it was to get there!  Rather than curl up in a little ball under my desk, I dragged on the gear and hit the city on the Lynskey.  The cold night air refreshed and awoke me immediately, especially with the combination of compact pedestrians and peak-hour traffic through town.

When I got out to the Kew junction I felt a bit light and realised I had forgotten my back-pack with all my reading and study notes required for the weekend.  Sigh... back to the office I went.  This time through heavy city traffic, pouring rain and frivolous Friday night frolickers.

The rain put an end to the hour of inner city riding.  I bowed to the pressure of the mush and jumped in a warm car for the drive home... hoping for a slightly better week next week.


Thursday, June 16, 2011

Fatties - 15/06/2011

I finally made it back to Fatties last night.  I thought there would be a massive turn out due to the brilliant weather and tacky trails but it was only Jacob, Walter and I who rolled off and took the inward trails.  We had a great ride and as expected, I ended up doing some extra secret laneways and trails with Walter very late into the night.  Back to the car at 9.30pm.

Beautiful night to be out on the bike with a near full moon and clear cold skys.

3hrs on the SS MTB - good solid riding.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Motivation from the north east - 14/06/2011

Of all the bike riders in Melbourne, I ran into Cal Britten on my roll through the city heading home tonight.  My Tour of Bright Race Crew jersey and my large frame may have been the clues which caused him to pick me out of the crowd.

So a few cruisy K's with Cal and the subsequent thoughts of sweet Bright single track put me straight into the zone when I hit the dirt. 

I saw lines I'd never seen before, rode them faster than Neil and nailed stuff I hardly ever nail ( * ).  Grouse. 

Two and a half hours of the Hoot of a Commute on the SS.

( * ) You know that bit? - heading out - past the playground near the footbridge - Abbotsford - through the wooden Parks Vic gate - around the sharp right-hander and up the stairs to a short pinch of a climb.  Nailed the lot on the SS - cool.

That's my boy - 14/06/2011

I was listending to Jack and Lucy chatting away on the way to swimming tonight.  After Lucy started giving him a hard time about wanting a motor bike Jack replied,

"Lucy - the meaning of life is getting as many bikes as you possibly can!"

That's my boy.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Make the lyrics real... please? - 13/06/2011

I knew I'd brought my iPod along for a reason but when I threw the music on after I'd killed my bike this morning, it was rather ironic that the song playing was Ride my bike until I get home by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. Good on ya fellas. Great song but all I could do was skate along to your beat...


I had been a bit worried about joining the group this morning considering my average fitness at the moment but I dragged myself out of bed early for the second morning in a row.  I met the group at the Smiths Gully store for a 7:30 roll-out and cruised away from the shop with ten others; a pretty big bunch for a mountain bike ride.

Brad Davies and Jesse Carlsson were the ride leaders and when I dived into the first single track second wheel behind Brad, I immediately reflected on the fact that I had never intended to be exactly there!  Nine gun riders on my wheel and not even warmed up.  I was meant to be down the back.  Luckily I felt pretty comfortable and slipped into a pretty good zone from the outset (unlike at the secret trails last weekend).

We cruised the beautiful single down to Long Gully Road as a fantastic flowing start to the day and then climbed back up to Rob Roy to complete the first 6k. I'd even held my own on the couple of K's of climbing so by this time I was feeling pretty good and looking forward to a solid hit-out.

It was not to be.

About 3 more k down the Rob Roy loop I grabbed a fair sized stick in the back derailer and that was the end of my day despite thorough efforts to fix it.  In a cruel twist, it happened in virtually the exact same spot that Brad had his identical mishap a few weeks ago. 


I love how every cycling group has their own 'team' mechanic.  With the 6am-ers it's usually me but whenever I'm riding in another group, it's always interesting to see someone put their hand up straight away to help you get up and running.  Marlin did his best for me but it was never going to work. I held things up for a good fifteen minutes (feeling very bad about it) but once again I was reminded of the extreme helpfulness of the MTB community.

From the outset I felt welcome with these guys.  I'm disappointed I experienced so little of Her Majesty's Massacre but will look forward to the next massacre day.  No doubt Brad will be harping on next public holiday about the thousands of metres of climbing, the solid fitness required, high level skills and lots of gun riders.  No wonder I was a little nervous when I went in at second wheel?

So to finish off the day and get a few more k in, I headed off to the 1:20 with my 11 year old Jack.  Here he is putting himself in the box about 2 k from the top.  Good boy!


It was his second 1:20 in as many weeks and I'm very proud.  Proud enough to shout an iced chocolate and a rocky road at the top.  Nice work mate.




Sunday, June 12, 2011

I'm so lucky - 12/06/2011


I was kinda going for the Hawks but I had a dollar on the Cats and I can't really afford a dollar at the moment.  Due to mum and dad being footy nuffies, the three kids barack for three different teams... go figure.  Lucy's my Hawks supporter and the main initiator for us getting to the footy last night (with papa, another Hawks supporter). We'll go more often - it was good fun.

Jack's been getting plenty of riding in with his first climb up the 1:20 (Mtn Highway) last weekend and a ride into the city yesterday afternoon.

Tomorrow we're going to atttempt two climbs in the hills. 1:20 again and as much of Perrins Creek as we can muster.  That's if I survive my plans for a big MTB ride in the morning after suffering through a shocking performance with the 6am-ers this morning.





The girls have been busy performing for us on their instruments and their calisthenics is going great guns (I can't believe I'm even saying that!!!).


Also caught up with brother Timbo last week for a cruise of some secret trails out in the Yarra Valley with Matt, Mick and Brad.  Very good trails.  I'm going to try and get back there next weekend.


We finished the way every good mountain bike ride should finish...


Maybe this has something to do with my little problem mentioned in my last post!?!

King Lake in the Mist - 12-06-2011


King Lake on a foggy morning

This photo is fast becoming one of my favourites.  It's one of those shots where you spot the scene, pull the camera out and shoot... magnificent.  It was a beautiful day out that way this morning despite the cold and my grumpiness.


Massive work-loads, ongoing man-flu, busy life, crap performance day on the bike - they all come together to make me a bit like the above (albeit I was grumpy about legitimate reasons this morning!).


But it was a gorgeous ride nonetheless and the company of the 6am-ers was fine as per usual.  The fog lifted very briefly and it was lovely to ride above the clouds for a while.

I have given much thought to the few kilos I'm overweight at the moment but those thoughts diminished when we passed Barry from Britian and his girlfriend Anna (from Russia)....


They were off on the first day of their two week trek to Sydney and appeared to be carrying 100k each!  Happy as could be, they trundled along in their 22/30 gear, eventually cruising over the top and off into the fog.  Maybe I could make that my cure!

Anyway, someone has to compete with Trent.

See you.  Love - 




Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me - 07/06/2011

In 1979 when I was twelve, my dad died in February and I had left school by September because I was bullied.


My membership of a boys choir throughout the remainder of my teenage years ensured the receipt of similar ongoing behaviour from my peers (mum - what were you thinking!?).

So when the 6am-er Hurt Box crew let loose on me a couple of weeks ago because I had installed mud-guards on my bike, it wasn't really going to have much of an impact on me.  As the group rolled through I was treated with creative comments from my mates who were thinking up new lines every rotation.

“Hey Diesel, you going to bring your daisy basket next week?”   (The Duke)

“How can you ruin a good road bike with silly lookin’ things like that.”    (Foggy)

“Where’s your flag and spoke clickers Readie?”   (Some other smart arse)


Duke had put out the challenge (see here) so I thought I should do what I could not to disappoint. Hence, my accessory for this morning...

 
The basket compliments of my neice and the daisy flower compliments of my lovely daughter Lucy.

Note the accompanying bell.  I was looking forward to dinging through every rotation as I passed The Duke and Foggy but it broke as I dinged my welcome to Duke when he joined the group earlier.  Bugger it!


So my pink bike now has the mud-guards set for winter.  It reflects like a spotlight and the basket and half a bell have made it through one Hurt Box (now removed).

As much as I was brave enough to weather the storm from my mates through one ride - and have a good laugh along with it - I did feel quite insecure as I rode down Flinders Street like this at 7.45a.m. this morning on my own!   

El Manetes brought this along for the ride today...


He gave us 40 seconds head-start from Southland but failed to catch us.  I empathised with how he felt as he turned onto Beach Road at Mordy to hit the brick wall of a block head-wind.  It's not a wonder. 

This is a lovely bike (albeit Cannondale) with the typical paint job and 650B wheels which make his big ring look like a 60 tooth.  Good luck next time El.

You gotta give us this...

... we love our bikes!