Lisa brought a pure merino wool jersey from eBay and it turned up today. We went on a short ride with my sister and PDL looked so good in her total outfit that I just HAD to get a photo of her (I took it while riding next to her).
As I said to PDL, she looks like she could be riding in Europe with a bunch of other hardcore cyclists. I would even go so far as to say she looks sexy in her cycling gear.
Yep- cycling has become such an obsession that I think PDL in the gear looks sexy.
What have I become... *shakes head*
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Hubba Hubba! How cool does my wife look!
My first 1 in 20 ride - a picture tells a thousand words!
The sun is creating dappled patterns on the road as it shines through the trees and the sound of birds is the only thing I can hear other than my own labored breathing. I have been in pain for the past 40 odd minutes and the countdown to the finish rolls under my wheels bit by bit- 500mts, 250mts, 100mts and so on. My chest is burning, my legs are aching, the sweat has soaked through my headband and is dripping onto my sunglasses, my feet feel like they are on fire and my jersey is unzipped as far as it will go in an attempt to cool my body down. All I can think of is that next meter of road in front of me...
Man it feels good!
Ok; I’ll go back a bit…
The first time I heard about the 1 in 20 ride up Mt Dandenong, I thought it was crazy. Sure the pro riders can climb the mountains but we mere mortals don’t ride up such hills. Or so I thought. Then I read more about the climb and while it still sounded like hard work, I was feeling stronger and stronger on the hills and the idea of pushing my limits up such a climb sounded like a good idea.
Polka Dot Lisa and I drove the course one dull Sunday to see what it was like and while it did seem like a long hill, it wasn’t too steep and not unfeasible. “We can do this” I said to PDL, but she just thought it was way too much for us and deep down I think she was right. Then on one of our rides down to Frankston, I attempted Hopes Rise for the first time and didn’t get very far before I had to stop and walk up. At the time I was really disappointed in myself and the whole idea of riding the 1 in 20 was put on hold.
Then all of a sudden, my fitness and strength seemed to ramp up suddenly and I felt like I had a new burst of strength in my legs when riding. The rolling hills around Ricketts Point didn’t slow me down too much and all other hills that previously made me work hard, no longer seemed to be a problem.
Then, with the Around the Bay ride coming up and with PDL and I not entered, I figured what the heck- let’s undertake our own personal test and give the 1 in 20 a go. “We’ll just spin our way up slowly in a super low gear” I said to PDL when she thought we were biting off more than we could chew. And so, reluctantly, PDL agreed to give it a go with me. She calls my constant pushing of our limits the "Vidman School of Accelerated Cycling!"
Sunday morning I did my weekly weigh in after getting up. I discovering that not only did I not have my weekly 1kg weight drop, but I actually put on 0.1kg! Not happy, not happy at all! 
We packed our bikes into the back of our Renault Megane for the trip out to Anaconda for a 7am start. We had never tried to get two bikes into the car so it was a bit of an experiment but luckily they fitted in easy with room to spare.
At Anaconda we met up with Ian from the BV forum who had done the 1 in 20 before so it was good to get a bit of a guide. Sunday had dawned hot with a hot northerly wind so it was less than ideal for us newbies to be attempting such a challenge but so be it- I wasn’t about to let a bit of heat stop me.
As we rode towards the mountain down Colchester Rd, PDL picked up a rear puncture. Damn those tyres are puncture magnets! A quick swap of the tube, a short burst of the CO2 cartridge and we were back on the road. On the approach to the official start of the 1 in 20, we climbed some decent looking hills and I was worried. My legs felt dead and I was hurting already. I doubted my ability to do the climb and I was feeling crappy about me lack of energy and my morning weigh-in.
We stopped at the shops at the base of the climb and had a breather. Ian had to take off up the mountain as he was running short on time so we said our goodbyes and PDL and I discussed whether to go on or not. After weighing up the prospect of how much physical pain I would go through to ride the climb or how much mental pain I would have to deal with if I DIDN’T do the climb, I figured the physical pain was the lesser of two evils and I would give it a go. Plus- given my lack of weight drop that week, I HAD to push myself harder if I was to keep on dropping the kilos.
We set off and ouch, ouch, ouch, it hurt. My lungs were working hard and my legs ached. I had to spin fast in a low gear as my legs didn’t feel like they could push harder for long. I was sitting on a pathetic 11-13 kph and at a cadence of around the mid 80’s. PDL was obviously doing it easy at my pace but she stayed with me to help me keep going.
After about 15-20 minutes I had to stop to catch my breath. Even though I had been working on keeping my pedaling and breathing at a steady pace, it got away from me and I had to cool off before I totally blew up. I staggered off the bike and sat on the embankment, breathing hard and dripping with sweat.
I took my mitts off for the rest of the ride up to help cool me down and that helped me a lot. PDL was concerned about me doing this climb but I assured her I would stop if I felt like it was too much for me.
We continued on and the road felt a touch easier and I was even able to click up a gear or two and my speed picked up to about 18kph. Unfortunately this easier section of road didn’t last long and I was back down the gears, plodding along at 11kph again. Riders we riding past me regularly and I felt so damn slow and crappy.
Another 15 mins and I had to stop again for a breather, only this time I didn’t slump on the ground. I sat on the bike and sipped water while slowing my heart rate down. PDL pulled the camera out but I felt too trashed to even raise a smile. Before we took off again I told Lisa to watch out for the distance to the top painted lines on the road and to go off at her own pace at the 1km mark so she could take a photo of me getting to the top.
Slowly the distance lines on the road went down- 1km, 500mts, 250mts, 100mts, etc. The view off to my left was great but all I could do was concentrate on my breathing to keep a steady pace. At once stage I rounded a corner and was hit by some of the northerly headwind. Gee great, as if the mountain wasn’t enough of a challenge!
Finally I made it past the official end timing point but there was still a corner and short rise to reach the top. As I rode towards PDL, I raised one hand in mock celebration but PDL was too slow with the camera and I was too stuffed to do it again.
I slowly rolled to a stop at the park, dismounted, found my legs were supper wobbly so petty much dropped my bike and staggered to the grass and lay down (well it was more like I fell down). As I did this spectacular dismount and lay down in the grass, all the other cyclists who were sitting around burst out laughing at me with one yelling out to me- "yeah that’s how we all do it!" I didn’t take offense to the laughing and comments as I must have looked pretty funny.
As I lay there, one guy asked "if I wanted an ambulance called", so I waved I was OK. I was too stuffed to actually speak. PDL walked over and asked if I was OK as she tried to stifle her laughter. She asked if she could take a photo of me and I just spluttered that she could do anything she wants for all I cared at that point.
Eventually I got up and sat with PDL. One cyclist said that "he was trashed the first time he did it too". I suggested he try it with a keg strapped to his back to see what it felt like for me but I‘m not sure he got the joke. PDL and I then took some photos, had a pee and made a few phone calls to work out the rest of our day. Even though I was stuffed, I was elated to have ridden all the way up. It almost seemed surreal to think I had ridden up Mt Dandenong. Woohoo!
The ride down was great for me but it scared PDL. I cruised down at around 45-50kph while some riders zipped past me and left me for dead. Wow they must be flying!
After a quick breather at the shops, PDL and I rode the rest of the way back to the car including a stretch with a tailwind down Canterbury Rd at about 40kph. You little ripper!
Back to Anaconda and after packing up, we brought some more tubes (where PDL was ogled at in her lycra by a bloke with his wife and kids!) and left to drop in and visit my mother and prepare for the afternoons ride with my sister Sara.
All in all it was great to have done the 1 in 20 and I felt a real sense of achievement to have made it up at a weight of 135kgs. Yes it hurt but I still did it all the same! My aim next time is to make the ride with only 1 break next time and then the time after that with no stops.
I know I can do it. I won't allow myself NOT to meet my goals! Its the "Vidman School of Accelerated Cycling" way! LOL
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I wonder who stenciled this on the road??
Last Saturday was the first Saturday in a long time that I didn't get up at the crack of dawn to head out on a group ride. With the ATB on Sunday and all the events in the city as part of the Melbourne Cycling Festival (because Melbourne just doesn’t have quite enough festivals…), no one was doing a group ride this weekend so we figured we would have an easy day as well and just head into watch the races and meet up with some of the BVers.
After the drama of PDL’s new bike breaking, she got it back but Shimano had forgotten to send back the spacer for the brifter. Good one! BSC didn’t have any of the shims in stock and said they would get some in, however it seemed they didn’t know of any part to fit the Shimano 105 brifter after all and they suggested we take it back to their city store (where it was fitted in the first place) as they didn't know what they had done. Now, why-O-why they couldn’t just call the city store themselves I don’t know but that’s Brunswick St BSC workshop for you. *sigh*
On the way to the race, we rode over to BSC in Elizabeth St and picked up the shim and fitted it ourselves (after getting the extra little lug cut off to fit right). Now if I could figure out the deal with the shim and fit it while standing in Elizabeth St, why couldn't the Brunswick St BSC workshop guys do it? Anyway, on the way down I MADE PDL ride in front as she seems to ride more confidently when she leads and low and behold, she rode confidently and without fear.
Once at the cycling course, we rode a lap of the botanical gardens on the closed roads, which was really nice. As we rode up Anderson St, we stopped to take a photo of the HTFU stencil spray painted on the road. Hmm… I wonder who did that?? After stopping on Anderson St, PDL and I ended up racing each other to the top and as usual, PDL beat me but not by as big an amount and she used to. I’m getting there!
While wandering around the start finish area, checking out all the riders and their oh so trick bikes, PDL decided to enter a race and she won in a mass sprint finish! Ah… comedy gold!
Next we bumped into Richard and Meggles from the BV forum and then as we returned to Anderson St for the TT we met Freckle and her partner. We also saw Weg across the road and waved from a distance (well, actually I didn't see her but PDL did). We caught up with Kathy and Dave on Anderson St and then saw Kenneth and a cast of many other BV’ers. It's nice to be able to go to a big event like this and randomly meet up with so many people we know.
It was fun watching the TT riders fly down the hill for a while but it was watching them punish themselves going back up that was the fun bit. We all shouted encouragement to them and Stuart O'Grady got the biggest cheer. I just wish there was a big crowd with cow bells, air horns, flags waving and devils- just like they do on the Alp d’Huez”!
After the race we all rolled over to the bar for a drink and chat with more BVers and then left to go do the Kew Bouli, this time starting from the Richmond end.
To get to the Kew Bouli we had to ride down Swan St which was jam packed with cars. PDL rode through the mayhem with ease and zero stress. She was riding like a champ.
The start of Kew Bouli was riding up the big uphill climb and I was hurting. On the downhill I flew past PDL but she just caught back up to me on the next uphill which we repeated several times until PDL rode out of range (I think she picked up her downhill speed a bit).
I’m not sure but the Bouli seemed that much harder in this direction. Eventually we turned off at the track that goes down to the Fairfield Boathouse to avoid the Chandler Hwy bridge and boy that trail was interesting! Not only was is steep but it also had a series of narrow switchbacks, one after another!
By the time we made it across the bridge, PDL was feeling good about herself and her riding that day. She rode confidently in traffic; she rode the hills well and even picked up a bit of speed without feeling out of control. The smile on her face was unwipeable. Good stuff.
The following day we had planned to attempt the 1:20 ride up Mt Dandenong. I am expecting to be very slow but I think it’s doable *fingers crossed*.
Mofo snakes on a bike!
Last week after work on Thursday, Sara dropped over after work to go for a ride with me. I suggested it to her to help keep her rolling along and Sara seemed to appreciate it.
Once we got sorted and ready to go, there wasn’t a whole heap of sunlight left but have lights will ride! We decided to follow the Merri Creek path as we had not ridden that way yet. Dropping down onto the path at High St the path was a bit of a surprise. The trees and creek crossings made it feel like we were a million miles away from the city and it was cool and refreshing.
As we passed under the Heidelberg Rd bridge, the path took an unexpected uphill so I jumped out of the saddle and worked the pedals hard to climb my way to the top. The light was low so my vision was less than optimal so as I approached a stick on the ground half way up the hill, it was something of a surprise to see the stick was in fact a SNAKE (see image above, note- not actual snake LOL)!
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of creepy crawlies, snakes and spiders so to say I was surprised was an understatement! I swerved suddenly around the snake, freaked that it would rear up and bite me. As I was moving pretty slowly at this stage I almost lost my balance but I kept it together and rode on past as fast as I could. I yelled out a warning to Sara and stopped at the top. Sara was able to keep pedaling till just past the snake where she got off and walked to the top. Whew, that was a bit of a scare for both of us.
We rode on along the path and wouldn’t you know it- there was a sign warning of snakes. Pity they didn’t have that sign up earlier! LOL We turned across the creek towards the Fairfield Boathouse to make it a loop. Both of us rode cautiously and kept our eyes open for more snakes. Strangely enough, in the dim light on pretty isolated tracks in the park, there were several single women walking in the dark with their iPods on. I don’t like to be paranoid but that seems like a bit of a risky thing to do.
Along the way I chatted to Sara about her getting some knicks and she was starting to get used to the idea. I think it’s just the initial idea of lycra that freaks most people out until they get out with other riders and see that its not all that bad. We crossed over Heidelberg Rd onto Westgarth Rd and cruised back home for a nice quick spin.
Neat-O!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
I'm proud of my sister!
It seems that lately my ride reports have been more about the people and bikes around me more than myself, but I suppose that’s a sign of my own riding with less fuss and stress. The hills seem smaller and the pace seems easier to do. It’s all starting to feel more of a pootle and less of a struggle to keep up. And even though the incidents are not happening TO me, they are having an impact on my cycling life so here they end up, as posts on my blog.
So once again I have a ride report that’s more about someone else, this time my sister Sara.
As mentioned in my post about Polka Dot Lisa's scary first ride on her new bike, Sara has started cycling with PDL’s previous bike- the Kona Dew Delux. So for Sara’s first ride, our aim was to start her of gently on a bike track by riding down to the Docklands and beyond.
After fitting the bike up for Sara and getting her set up to ride (Lisa’s old helmet which used to be my helmet) we set off. A few laps of the side street to get comfy with the bike and get a feel for the brakes and gears and off we went. PDL was also keen to go for a ride to try and shake off her fears from the day before.
The sun was out and it was a nice day. I rode in short sleeves and it felt nice to feel the breeze against my arms for a change. PDL had on her new Castelli long sleeve jersey with no gillete and she REALLY looked good in her outfit.
Straight away I could see that Sara was awfully slow and it was hard not to streak away from her. Sara hadn’t been on a bike for a LONG time and it showed, but to her credit she showed no real signs of nervousness and seemed pretty confidant despite her lack of fitness or speed. In fact she was even able to reach down and take the drink bottle as she rode almost straight away.
The first hill we hit was the rise after the underpass under Royal Parade and straight away Sara was hurting (she said “Ouch!” as she hit started to climb! LOL). I rode with her and told her to change down gears and spin rather than grind the gears. Eventually she made it and we stopped for a second as Sara caught her breath. Its funny but I can remember my first time down this path and struggling up the same hill, stopping to catch my breath at the top and thinking how unfit I was. My how things change fast!
As we approached Docklands we had to ride along a multi-lane road and cross over 4 lanes of traffic to make a right hand turn. Sara and PDL both followed me with no stress and Sara in particular was totally un-phased about riding on the road.
A quick stop for a drink and bite and we headed off towards Southbank. As I rounded a corner there was a dad with his 10yo daughter on bikes and of course the daughter wobbled straight into my path as I was just a few meters away from her (she wasn’t looking where she was going *sigh*). A slam of the brakes and an emergency unclip saw me come to a stop. The girl looked shocked so I said in a calm but forcible way, “You have to look out for other cyclists” and I then rode off. Sara and PDL who were behind me heard the dad’s response which was to say “well you’re riding awfully fast”. Good one dad, your daughter learnt nothing from that incident, did she?
We rode along the light rail trail to Southbank where we dodged peds on our way to the Yarra trail. Along the Southbank precinct I worked at riding to the 10kph speed limit and boy is was slow- stupidly slow. In front of me at one stage was a man in a motorized wheelchair and even he was doing 11kph. Passing the Hun building, I mentally gave them the finger and that made me feel good.
As we rode past Burnley I gave Sara the option to turn off there and ride back via the roads or keep following the path (the longer way) but she seemed keen to keep going and she was enjoying the ride even tho her backside was hurting.
Approaching Bridge Rd we decided that we had better hightail it home on the main roads as it was getting dark and none of us had brought lights with us except for the rear lights on mine and Sara’s bike. To get up to Bridge Rd from the bike path there was a super steep section of path that ended in steps, but remembering this bit from when I was a kid living in Richmond, I dropped down to my lowest gear and got up on the pedals and rode up as far as the steps. As it was so steep I almost had an incident unclipping but saved it JUST in time. Whew! PDL and Sara walked up and PDL didn’t believe that I rode up. It took much convincing to get her to belive me that I made it that far. Sheesh…
On Bridge Rd and up Burnley Rd, PDL lead the way with Sara in the middle and be behind offering encouragement (she was getting tired at this stage). PDL preferred the ride on the roads and she was starting to feel more comfy on the bike. To me she looked really good on the bike, pedaling very smoothly, riding wobble free and dealing with the traffic fine.
The climb up the hill to Queens Parade was a real struggle for Sara. I sat behind her and told her what gears to press and gave her encouragement to help her keep going. Eventually we made it home and she pumped the air in celebration of completing the ride which turned out to be exactly 30km. Sara said she felt like she had just won a race and I was proud of her. 30km's for a first ride is pretty darn good!
I was pretty surprised that she wanted to go on that far and that she even managed to make it all the way without once walking the bike up a hill. She was sore after the ride but she loved every minute of it. PDL also benefited from the ride as it helped wash away the previous day’s bad experience.
We ended the day by watching the classic cycling movie- “Breaking Away” which inspired me to want to try racing criterion's one day. I can still remember the first time I saw that movie as a 10yo with my parents. At the end when the hero wins the race, the whole cinema cheered out loud. Awesome stuff!
Monday, October 22, 2007
The new bike blues...
If you have been reading the posts in chronological order, you will know that this post will be about Polka Dot Lisa and my ride to Frankston with the BV group.
We started the day with our usual trip to St Kilda via Collins St. As we set off PDL was really feeling unsure about the bike and she was super nervous. So as we rode down to St Kilda I sat on her wheel just to the right of her to act as a kind of protection for her. However PDL was just really in a bad frame of mind the whole way, eventually coming to a head on St Kilda Rd. I had to pull over and comfort her and assure she was doing fine but it didn’t seem to help much. Eventually PDL calmed down a bit and we made our way to the meeting point, a bit late.
As we rode down Beaconsfield Pde, PDL’s front derailer was rattling as she rode on the small front ring and the small back ring. I suggested she give the derailer a slight adjustment but it didn’t do anything. So once we pulled up at the meet point (and with everyone eager to see PDL’s new bike) we asked for some help to adjust the front derailer. Dave jumped in to give us a hand while everyone else patiently waited for us as they got cold (sorry all).
After a bit of fiddling about we discovered that the front derailer brifter was not working at all, so we left it in the small front ring and took off for Frankston.
The pace south was gentle and Dave and I rode together while Kathy and PDL rode together behind us. Kathy was riding in cleats for the first time and she was very nervous about it so I was hoping that the two of them sharing their fears would help each other. Somewhere near Black Rock, PDL moved up next to me while Dave dropped back to Kathy and that unfortunately was the last we saw of them for the day.
PDL and I rode on south and I dropped PDL around the hills of Ricketts Point (wow- ME dropping PDL on hills!). I think PDL was finding the going a bit tougher on her new road bike as the ride position is far different to her flat bar bike, and also the ride position wasn’t quite right yet. We all regrouped at Mordi for the customary break and chat while we waited for a while wondering where Dave and Kathy had gotten to, but eventually we figured they had turned around and so we continued south.
As we attempted to get through the round about at Mordi, our group was split up with PDL, Matt, FlatBarDave (we had too many Dave’s on the ride so we assigned different “Dave” names to each) and myself being dropped at the intersection. As we tried to get through the roundabout with a black 4WD in the right hand lane, the group of riders grew and grew. Finally, the black 4WD moved out into the intersection and positioned itself to allow all the cyclists to get through. Everyone waved and yelled their thanks to the driver. Must be a cyclist we figured… LOL.
Down Station St it was Matt and Dave in front, me behind them and PDL just a few meters back. I was trying to get PDL to move up just those few meters to catch the draft but I think she was struggling. Slowly but surely PDL dropped back and by the time we came into Frankston, she was about 50 meters back. I backed right off to bring her up to me and I thought she was right behind me so I lead the way down the road. After a min or two I did a quick look back to check on PDL and she was no where to be seen. SHIT!
I turned around and rolled slowly back on the footpath. In the distance I could see PDL walking towards me and judging by her hand movements she appeared to be upset. When we met up she was struggling for breath and I immediately saw she had some sort of panic attack. Having had one of those many years ago I can understand how scary they are.
After a bit of a hug and calm down, we decided that it was all a bit much to deal with today and that we would catch the train back. FlatBarDave, rode back to us to see if we were OK and I told him our decision and also called Matt back to let him know also.
So we slowly rolled into the station and tried to remain inconspicuous to avoid the abuse by the bogan knuckle draggers who were yelling crap at anyone they didn’t like. Somehow we made it into the station unscathed and trained it back into the city.
As we rode up towards Brunswick St, Ben from Australian In Front happened upon us. I wasn’t 100% sure who it was at first as he was on a MTB, in street clothes and he had also grown a beard. Anyway the three of us rode down Brunswick St, all stopping at BSC for a quick chat (Ben wanted to check out PDL’s new bike and we wanted to get the broken brifter fixed).
In BSC we explained the problem to the mechanic and how we at first tried to fix it ourselves with our experienced cyclist friends only to be met with the comment- “Is you mate a bicycle mechanic? No? Well I am, I’ll have a look at it!” What a smart arse! So we go and sit down on the couch to wait for the verdict only to have the mechanic come out and tell us EXACTLY what we already knew- the brifter was broken (gee, fancy that- us average Joe’s knowing a broken part when we see it!). At least the mechanic was friendly with us for once. Maybe he is starting to get the fact that we are not total know nothings after all. Grrr.. lets not go down that path shall we?
The verdict was that the mechanic had seen this happen before and they had to remove the part, send it to Shimano for a replacement part to be sent out. As nothing could be done on a Saturday, he left the bike in the small front ring so PDL could keep riding it over the weekend and return the bike on Monday morning. My thoughts are- why can’t they just put in a new part off the shelf and deal with Shimano in their own time, but I didn’t want to have an argument so we just let it slide.
We made it home and PDL was super down on herself about only making it to Frankston and not riding back. As I kept on telling her, she has only had the bike for a week and the different ride position coupled with her fears early on and the bike issues all tallied up to wear her out emotionally.
She will live to fight another day and I still totally believe in her (even if she doesn’t).
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Wet tram tracks are to be respected!
My last post was about Polka Dot Lisa’s new road bike and that theme has run into this post as well.
Monday morning and on the way into work we dropped into BSC on Brunswick St to get the brifter shims fitted (we forgot about them when we purchased the bike on Sunday afternoon). The brifter shims for those that don’t know about them are little rubber wedges that fit between the levers and the stops to space them in closer to the bars for easier reach.
Anyway, BSC didn’t have them in stock but the city store did have them so PDL had to ride into the city on her own on her new bike. She was nervous about doing it but I kept reassuring her she could do it and so she did (I had some urgent work to do and couldn’t go in with her.
As it turned out, PDL made the trip with no stress and it was fitted in a matter of minutes. She even enjoyed the ride so much she even took some extra side tracks down some back streets just to enjoy the ride on her new bike. The shims made a difference to her ability to control the gears and brakes so it was good news all round.
Everything was going fine all week with our commutes until the ride home Thursday after work. We left a little late and it was getting a bit dark (PDL’s new lights hadn’t turned up yet), the traffic was heavy, the road was damp and it was raining lightly just to add to the miserableness of it all. I was fine and I rode in front up Brunswick St. PDL got stuck at a set of lights so I pulled over up ahead and waited.
By the time PDL caught up with me she was very freaked out. The traffic was bad (why does the afternoon peak traffic all want to shove aside cyclists?), the rain was scaring her with the skinny tyres and she felt like she had no braking power. So we kept going in an attempt to get home before we were soaked through. As I turned right across the tram tracks, my back tyre got caught on a track and skidded sideways until it caught traction and just about high sided me. Luckily for me I had quickly unclipped as it was sliding and my now unclipped foot enabled me to maintain my balance when it tried to flick me over the left side. Whew! That was a close one!
PDL once again was scared and I had to calm her a bit. I think she feels pressure from traffic behind her and lets it all get to her rather than just dealing with what is in front of her. I didn’t tell her that I was nearly flicked off my bike as I didn’t think she needed to hear it at that stage.
Anyway we made it home and while wheeling our bikes through the foyer, PDL’s rear tyre was hissing air. Bugger! However by the time we took it upstairs, the hissing from the tyre had stopped- very strange.
Friday was our traditional Badminton night, so no bikes that day as usual. After a bit of research I discovered that it might be worth changing the brake pads to a high quality set to give PDL more power and a better sense of safety. So $44 later and we has a set of Swiss Stop pads which I fitted myself.
With no one wanting to play Badminton this night, I canceled the whole thing and went into Cecil Walker to buy some shoe covers (none of my LBS’s had them in my size). Cecil Walker was a cool shop with some really nice bikes and plenty of accessories to spend your money on.
Then it was on to Goldcross Cyclces at Victoria Gardens to get PDL a Specialized mini-wedge saddle bag (same as mine) in Navy blue, which looked very nice on the Kona Lisa RD.
Once home I noticed PDL’s rear tyre had gone flat after all, so I whipped it off to pop in a new tube- one problem, the spare tube was in fact a patched one. No stress, that should do the job so I put it all back together and pump it up but I can here the air hissing out of the tubes patch. Bugger, bugger, bugger! So off with the tyre, in with the second patched tube and re fit everything until- SHIT, this tube is worse!
Now we are in trouble. It’s now 9.45pm on a Friday night with no tubes and a ride that starts at 7am in St Kilda. So I turned to the BV forum to see if anyone could help me with a tube tonight. Within several minutes I had several offers for patched tubes, etc that I was assured would work.
But the best idea was Commi who suggested the 24hour K-Mart might have tubes. Bingo, brilliant idea! A quick call and yes they do have them in stock so we drive over and to our surprise the place was full of people shopping for stuff at 10.30pm on a Friday night. Get a life people… why are you shopping for crap at this time on a Friday night? At least my situation was an emergency.
So now we are set for the morning’s ride to Frankston and the weather is looking fine.
Whew!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Polka Dot Lisa on a Lisa
If you read my previous post, you would seen that Polka Dot Lisa was looking at upgrading to a road bike from her flat bar of just 9 weeks. But how did this happen so quickly since starting riding you ask? Read on…
It all started after I was talking enthusiastically to my sister Sara about our cycling and my improved fitness and weight loss. Sara expressed an interest in doing some cycling herself and after promising to fix up her old MTB and put road tyres on it, I then saw the condition of the bike and came to the conclusion that it wasn’t worth the trouble of fixing it.
I had a chat with Mum and we decided that we would help Sara out by both putting in for a new bike for her (flat bar road), just to give her a head start to help her with weight loss, fitness and generally a improved outlook on life.
So one afternoon I was wasting some time looking online at bikes for Sara, including Ebay and the local online bike shops. While looking, I saw that BSC had the 2007 Kona Lisa RD on special for $1499 (reduced from $1999). We had already had a quick look at it in the shop a few weeks ago, mostly because it was a really pretty looking bike and also because it was called Lisa (hehe), but upon seeing it on sale and then checking out the specs in detail, it was obviously a good deal.
So the mind gets ticking… “What if the money that was to go towards a bike for Sara, was put towards PDL’s road bike and then PDL’s current bike (the Kona Dew Delux) is handed down to Sara (giving her a MUCH better bike than she otherwise would have gotten in the bargain)”. I run it past everyone and all think it sounds like a great option with everyone winning as a result.
On our way back from our Frankston ride on Saturday, we drop into BSC to have a better look at the bike and allow Lisa to test ride it. A few rides back and forth between the 49cm and the 46cm and it looks pretty obvious that the 49cm is the right size. The only tiny issue is the seat tube is too long and wont drop down enough to allow PDL to sit right but a few mins with a hacksaw will fix that.
The next day (Sunday) we head out to Freedom Machine in Port Melbourne to give PDL a chance to test ride some other similar bikes. While they didn’t have anything in the same price range (a women’s Orbea about $2200 and a full carbon Specialized for about $2600), PDL did have a test ride on them up a side street to give her a point of reference. The Specialized especially was an impressive bike, so light it was laughable!
On the way home we forgot about the Melbourne Marathon and we caught up in the detours and traffic jam which ultimately directed us towards Prahran Freedom Machine and with a car park open right out front- well, how could we NOT stop?
The staff at Freedom Machine Prahran, were super helpful, even though they were flat out busy. After seeing a 2007 SUB 2.0 on special for $1399, the staff grabbed a 49cm and put her on the bike on a set of rollers to make sure it fitted her. They took the time to measure her up and check all aspects of the fit for her which was fantastic. While they did this, it helped give me a guide on what to look for when fitting a bike to a body which would turn out very helpful later on. Anyway, PDL took the SUB for a test ride and once again it felt good to her but she was struggling to feel the differences between them being so new to road bikes.
In the end considering that the SUB’s wheels were average Shimano’s, to upgrade to Mavic Aksium Race wheels like the Kona had, would add another $300 to the price. Hmmm...
So back to BSC we go to look at the Kona Lisa RD again and another test ride. After thinking and pondering for a while, PDL was just about to leave it for the night to think when while I looked at floor pumps. The sales man tells us the Serfas is the best pump and he will throw one in with the bike (the pump is priced at $100). PDL and I looked at each other and we both knew it was a done deal!
So with the shop in the process of closing up, they prepped the bike for us while PDL looked at the helmets to upgrade to, finally choosing a white pearlescent Met Stradivarius II (its VERY nice and I’m jealous). Then before we knew it we were walking out the door with a new bike, new top of the line helmet, free pump and more free rim tape (yep- after my bike had a blow out from a failed rim tape the day before, PDL’s flat bar did the same thing overnight on the bike rack).
Just we were about to walk out the door, I realised they had left the Shimano SPD pedals on the bike that they had fitted for the test ride and just as I was about to open my big mouth, PDL gave me a “shut-up” and so we also scored some free pedals. Noice!
When we got home, we were both pretty excited about the fast chain of events. PDL quickly put her gear on and we went down stairs to take it for a spin on the side road. A few photos and then PDL rode up and down, practicing corners, riding one handed, and some general bike handling skills. She was a bit nervous about her ability to handle a road bike but I just know she has the skills to do it (even if she doubts herself). As she rode up and down the side street, she looked so good and pro looking. Watching her ride made me smile and I even got a tear of joy. Ahh I’m a silly duffer!
That night, we hit the online OS bike shops to order bottle cages, a bike computer and lights. Cha-ching!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Rain drops keep falling on my head...
Yes I know. I’m late with my weekly report. Very late! But I have legitimate reasons including being busy with work, bike repairs and bike shopping (yes bike shopping!).
Two weeks ago (gee, am I THAT far behind with my blog?) we had planned to ride to Frankston with an attempt at Hopes Rise (gulp)! Our usual Friday night badminton game saw my upper thigh muscle pain return which had me a bit worried about the following morning’s ride, so a hot shower and some deep heat on the affected areas were in order when I got home to try and salvage the weekends ride.
The day dawned and oh no- it was pissing down with rain and the city was enveloped in a grey cloud. Polka Dot Lisa was having second thoughts about riding but a few choice HTFU’s and it was decided that we would tough it out and to heck with the rain.
We started just after a shower had passed and set off on the now rain soaked roads and within the first 200 meters, my arse was soaked from the spray off my rear wheel. I foolishly put my hand behind me for the first 20 meters to shield my backside from the rain but all that did was soak my palm. Good one David! What was I planning to do, ride one handed for 100kms?
We rode on towards St Kilda, rolling down Queens Parade, Brunswick St, Collins St and onto St Kilda Rd. As we rode past the National Gallery, Bowi_68 from the BV forum joined up with us asking us if we were Vidman and Polka Dot Lisa. Seems everyone knows us!
As we rode up St Kilda Rd, we had to make a strange right turn to get onto Kerford Rd across wet tram tracks which I think spooked PDL and she freaked out a bit. I slowed and rolled next to her, reassuring her everything was ok and also replaying what just happened to show her that she actually had nothing to worry about.
As we approached Beaconsfield Pde, the rain started to fall. I rolled through a set of lights while PDL and Bowi_68 were caught at the lights but I figured there was no point in my hanging about in the rain so I powered on in the now pelting rain. The water from my front tyre was soaking my summer vented shoes right through and my socks were totally soaked through. The rain was streaming down the front of my helmet and my backside was numb from the cold. By the time I made it to the meeting point, I was soaked through all over and shivering a bit. Eventually all the hardy souls turned up (though a lot wimped out) and we set off down south (thankfully the rain had stopped at least).
We rode at a moderate pace with the streams of water streaking off all the riders’ rear tyres. Apparently my tyres were particularly bad at this, causing the riders’ behind me to drop back to avoid the soaking I was giving them. Sorry guys! It was strange to see Beach Rd with so little traffic on it. You could tell that the riders still out there were the real HAF riders. My toes were so cold that I really wanted to stop and buy some dry socks but we were out too early for the shops to open. Damn it!
Along the way I mentioned to a few others that PDL was considering getting a road bike as part of a trade down deal with my sister, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for a road bike. Everyone thought she was well and truly ready so I said for them to have a word in her ear about it (yes- I’m devious but all for a good cause).
As we started the downhill into Black Rock I was feeling a bit frisky so I pulled out from behind Matt and sprinted forward, taunting Matt to follow me. As I flew off ahead, no one seemed to be following me so I backed off after a very short while and just cruised thinking why bother if I am the only one doing it. However after I backed off and was soft peddling, Stu flew past me yelling something about my going too early and then Dave and the rest flew past. Damn- I should have kept going- now they all think that was all I had. But honestly, I had PLENTY in the tank and I could have kept going all the way to the round about.
Eventually we rolled into Mordi and the usual gathering of cyclists in the car park was very much reduced. After the usual pee, drink and munch we were rolling again with some of us dropping into the small bike shop to look for a change of socks but it was not to be. So we kept riding south in a nice tight knit bunch until PDL, Sachamc, Mark and 1 other were caught at a set of lights (and then boom gates it turned out), so Matt (Commi from BV forum) and I soft pedaled to wait for them. With no sign of them we assumed they must have been caught at several lights so we rode on, catching up to the rest of the group.
As we rode into Frankston I have to admit I was pretty nervous about the Hopes Rise hill. I gulped down some drink and tried to rest my legs as much as I could in the final few km’s. I felt like flinging my bidon’s off to the side just like the pro riders do to save every last gram of weight LOL! As soon as we hit the hill, all around me left me for dead as I dropped down and down through the gears. I was spinning as hard as I could but I was going slower and slower. Just past the first speed hump I tried to get out of the saddle and “dance on the pedals” as Phil Liggett would say, but I forgot to click up a gear as I did this and I was spinning too fast for a standing position. My legs just about crumpled under me and I had to quickly unclip and get off and walk the rest of the way. DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!
As I walked up the hill, rider after rider rode past me and I felt a bit demoralised about my inability to make it. About half way up PDL rode past me and she looked ok doing it too. As the hill flattened out I got back on the bike and slowly rode up to the group who were waiting for me. Matt had his camera out to take the prearranged photo of me but I waved for him to not bother. Yes I was at the top of the hill but having to walk it means it doesn’t count. We stood around, sipping from our bottles and talking about the hill but I was in a dark mood. I smacked my bottle against my bars in utter frustration and I was cursing my weight for making hills so hard on me. A happy camper I was NOT!
After the quick regrouping we all decided to do the Mt Eliza loop. PDL and I were apprehensive about it with all the hills around us but we were assured the rest was pretty easy. As PDL and I rode down Nepean Hwy, the rest were disappearing ahead of us and we were pretty stuffed from the hills (well, I was but I think PDL was ok). Not knowing how much further we had to go, we decided to turn around to head back to the Frankston visitors centre and wait for the group there.
As we came to Olivers Hill, I told PDL to just ride down at a speed she was comfortable at and to use her brakes all the way down to control her speed so she didn’t get too scared. I on the other hand was looking forward to flying down the hill at top speed. As I dropped over the top, I pushed the pedals reasonably hard, clicking up through the gears until I was in the highest gear. I pedaled with reasonable force but defiantly not as hard as I could go. Into the visitors centre I rolled and I was surprised that I hit 67.9kph down the hill. Sheesh- I could have pushed it much faster than that and still been within my comfort zone. I wonder what the speed restriction is down their? LOL
Eventually the rest of the group rolled in and we were informed that we missed the turn off for the loop by just a few hundred meters. Argh.. it’s just like my first attempt to make Black Rock all over again! As we all sat and chatted (see the photo taken by Matt), we were wondering where Dave (Percrime from BV) and Sasha had gotten too, but eventually they made it back after they had given up looking for PDL and myself. Sorry guys...
The ride back was nice and tight with a good average speed the whole way. There was a bit of a headwind but nothing too bad. As we rode through Seaford, some moron screamed “nice pants” as he zoomed past. Wow, I bet that one took a while to think up! I was really enjoying the ride, singing to myself and generally loving life. We were an odd numbered group so there was always going to be one rider without someone to ride next to and that was me but I didn't care at all. In my head was that song 1,2,3,4 by Fiest and I was wishing I had an ipod in one ear just to add to the vibe.
Mordi and another quick stop and we were back on the road for the final stretch to St Kilda and a yummy breakfast. As we rode towards the rolling hills of Ricketts Point, Sacha was next to me with Stu and someone else in front, all making for a nice big wind break and draft for Sacha. Everyone seems to like riding behind me for the draft it seems, I wonder why?
For the first time ever, the hills around Ricketts Point didn’t have me being left behind. I was flying along at a great pace, even passing a few of the riders and leaving PDL working hard to keep up with me. It felt great! But as we left Black Rock and were just starting on the hill, suddenly my front tyre went POP and I was straight onto the rim. Now considering I was travelling at about 26kph, it was a bit hairy trying to pull up to a stop with a totally flat front tyre. Matt, Mark, Sacha and PDL all stopped to see what was wrong but I said they might as well keep going while I fixed the flat with Mark and Matt.
In no time at all we had the wheel and tyre off, all working as a team. As I inspected the tyre for what ever caused the flat, Mark saw the puncture was actually a big round hole on the spoke side of the tube and a quick inspection showed the spoke tape (well… it was more like a big rubber band) has deformed into the spoke holes, cut open and exposed the tube to the sharp edges of the spoke holes. So in with a new tube and now I had to figure out how my CO2 pump worked (my first time using it). After a bit of head scratching I figured it out and with a quick burst of CO2, it was ready to go again and the three of us were back on the road.
After the rigmarole of the flat, I had lost a lot of my rhythm that I had going before. Damn! So the three of us all pushed reasonably hard towards St Kilda, each taking a turn on the front in a random pattern of drafting (hey- we are not that organised to do the whole team time trial thing LOL).
Eventually we made it to the Grocery Bar Café and pulled up a spare seat with the rest of the gang. As we sat and eat, Richard walked past with his arm in a sling so he came and sat with us for a while.
After brunch, we all went our separate ways with PDL and I planning to stop and check out the 2007 Kona Lisa RD that BSC had on special. After a few test rides on different size bikes, PDL seemed fairly settled on the 49cm size even though the seat tube was too long and would have to be cut down to fit her properly. But all in all the bike seemed like a great deal and it sure was a pretty bike! While at the bike shop I picked up some new rim tape to replace the crappy rubber bands in my wheels.
Finally we made it home after spending a while at BSC, and it was yet another great day’s ride (even if the start was pretty miserable). In the end I completely dried out, however I vowed to buy some shoe covers and also rig up a simple rear mud guard to keep our asses dry like Marti had on her bike (a bit of plastic jammed into the rear of the saddle to form a splash shield against the spray).
Monday, October 1, 2007
The green jacket has been retired
The past week has been a bit busy in my cycling life with a new jersey, 2 rides and a bit of a self image crisis to report on. Rather than crap on for a stupidly long post, I will "try" to keep it short and too the point for a change. :)
A day off and time to hit the Boulevard
With work pretty under control this week, I took most of Thursday off to go for a ride and generally chill out for the day. So buoyed but my noticeable increase in hill climbing ability from last weekends ride, Polka Dot Lisa (PDL) and I decided to do the Kew Boulevard with maybe a bit of extra riding beyond that.
As we headed down Heidelberg Rd towards Chandler Hwy I was prepared to do a hook turn after our last attempt here freaked PDL out, but as I came to a stop, PDL told me she felt comfortable enough to change lanes and turn right with the traffic. Not only that, but PDL dealt with the ride over Chandler Hwy bridge with no stress what-so-ever. I’m so proud of her having overcome her fears of the traffic. She is moving ahead in leaps and bounds!
The Boulevard ride went smoothly (well, about as smoothly as the Bouli’s surface will allow!) however for some reason all the uphills were into a headwind just to make it that little bit harder. Grrrr! We rode without break until the Studley Park overpass where we stopped for a drink, photo opportunity and natural break. While I found the hills hard work, not once did I feel like getting off the bike while just a few weeks ago, I had to force myself to stay on the bike and keep pedaling (even with several breathers along the way). I can really tell I am getting stronger with each passing week and that is an awesome feeling.
We decided to go all the way to the end of the Boulevard and then roll down to Richmond to drop into some of the bike shops. The last climb to the Richmond end of the Bouli was not nearly as bad as I had expected.
Down Burnley St and we peeled off to have a look in Richmond Cycles. Mmm, Colnago’s and Pinarellos… it’s nice to dream! Back down Burnley St to Swan St and the traffic was all bumper to bumper. Traffic down there was a bit nuts, with cars trying to park, trams, trucks etc. It was pretty easy to deal with for me, but I think it was all a bit much for PDL, so I comforted her and assured her she was doing fine and not to worry about keeping up with me.
Back on the bike after having a look around at Total Rush (more drooling) and it was straight up and over the Church St hill which was a surprisingly hard slog that I didn’t expect. As we came up through Collingwood and Fitzroy we were hit by a mega headwind that saw me having to drop down a gear or two to keep going. It was pushing me a bit sideways and I had to cycle on a lean into the wind. Ouch!
Just as we we’re riding up Queens Pde, PDL pointed out a MASSIVE black aircraft approaching us pretty low and slow. It was some sort of bomber or cargo plane and everyone around us on the street was looking up and pointing.
Ride Stats 27-09-07 - Northcote > Richmond via the Bouli > Northcote
Dist: 20.00km
Time: 01:00:00
Max: 46.9kph
Average: 20.00kph
New Cycling Jersey
Later that day (Thursday) after the Bouli ride, I received a call from Liz at Startline Cycle Fashions who called to tell me she had a jersey for me to try on. So Friday morning we drove down to have a look. It was plain red and despite Liz and PDL’s assurances of how good it looked on me, I felt super conscious about it showing my rather ample gut. But I threw caution to the wind and decided to get it on their advice, along with a pair of Pearl Izumi arm warmers.
Later that day I was feeling very dubious about wearing the jersey and I feared I had wasted my money. I felt really ugly in it and didn’t want to be seen in public wearing it. All I could see was that it showed every bulge of my gut, and this just made me feel fatter and uglier, causing my self confidence to come crashing down like a house of cards. Urgh!
After a game of Badminton that night, PDL urged me to try the jersey on with the rest of my kit. I felt a lot better about it and had to admit that I did look a LOT better in it than I did in the old green jacket. So to everyone who knew me by the green jacket out on the road- sorry, that was the old Vidman! The new Vidman is now in red (red goes faster remember!).
BBC Ride - Saturday
Saturday morning and after the worries that it was going to be wet and windy, we woke up to an almost clear sky and not a breath of wind. Thanks big guy in the sky! We set off on the Northern Stopping All Stations, picking up Gregg (Gregga from BV) and Ian (Parawolf from BV) at the old cannon and then collected Snuffy and another guy who’s name I have forgotten already (sorry!) at Johnston St. I led the way down Punt Rd, through Gosch’s Paddock and was left for dead up Anderson St hill. Some things never change… LOL. Down through Fawkner Park (trying to make sure I was going the right way having never actually ridden this path before), onto St Kilda Road and before we knew it we were at the BBC with plenty of time to spare. Cool!
The BBC group was pretty big this time with over 30 riders. It was funny to think this time last month was our first time on a group ride and it was all so new and slightly scary to begin with. Now just a few weeks later, we felt like old hands at the whole thing, knowing how the hand signals work, group etiquette, and even just having familiar faces to chat to.
As we took off, the guys on the tandem got a puncture just on Fitzroy St which was a rotten way to start the ride and wouldn’t you know it, the street sweeper was just a few streets ahead sweeping and blowing any broken glass in the gutter, straight out onto the bike lane. Nice work.
As we rode south towards Black Rock, we had a tail wind slowly picking up behind us and the pace was swift as a result. I rode mostly with Matt and Gregg until Matt dropped me at a set of lights. From then on Gregg and I rode together and at one stage we were cruising along at about 40-43kph on the flat (a new record for me)! However as I was to discover on the return trip, that was probably mostly as a result of the now sizable tail wind that had sprung up, so that record is officially marked in the books with an asterisk for "wind assisted".
We cruised into Black Rock and my back was giving me a few twinges so a few stretches and it was fine again. PDL rolled up with Dave (Percrime), Rey and Katrina so I waited about for them to refuel and catch their breath. Dave was worried about the whereabouts of his partner and brother-in-law so we hung about wondering where they were. Eventually we figured they must have turned around somewhere so we took off back into the headwind.
I was the first to get going and for the first half of the rise out of Black Rock I was leading the way until Dave pulled around me with the comment “you will be very popular in the peleton, thanks for the draft” LOL. A few more passed me up the hill (Matt, etc) but I caught back up to them after the hill and was looking forward to hanging with them the rest of the way.
Unfortunately a set of lights caught PDL behind me, so I soft pedaled for a quite a while until PDL caught back up to me. She was exhausted by the time she caught up (the headwind was dropping our speed a fair bit) so I led the way to give her a draft in the wind. What a gentleman I am! LOL
Apparently Rey and Katrina were behind us with Katrina struggling with the wind so PDL promised to save them a seat at the BBC. We rode on just the two of us, passing a few riders and being passed by a few as well. With the headwind we were sitting on about 24-26kph the whole way which wasn’t too bad considering we had no pack to work with.
At one set of lights I pulled up next to a guy who I got chatting to about the headwind. He was telling me about his ride the previous Sunday from Frankston back to St Kilda and how the headwind was so bad it took them 4 hours to ride the 50 km! Ouch! As we took off, he offered to give me a draft for a while but I said I didn’t think I could match his pace and he blew off into the distance. That will be me one day, I thought to myself.
As we rode up Fitzroy St, I saw Dave pootling along with his partner (Kathy) and Brother-in-law so I accelerated up and tapped him on the back as I rolled past. Hehe A little later as we made a hook turn, I felt someone fiddling around with the back of my shirt and shorts. Looking around I discovered that Dave had snuck up behind me and was trying to dack me. Fat chance mate- bib shorts!
Breakfast time and like a good boy I stuck to the fruit salad and juice, while everyone around was having waffles with chocolate sauce, danishes, croissants, etc. Rey and Katrina made it back not that far behind us and we sat with them.
After breakfast we decided to do a few laps of Albert Park with the girls but as we started our first lap, the wind was freezing and hitting us in the face. It looked like it was going to rain and so deciding that dry was better than km’s, we piked out and headed home. The city was full of feral footy fans (Grand Final day!) so we took it extra gentle, up through Carlton, along Brunswick St and home the usual way.
When we got home we felt like we hadn't had much of a work out at all. I didn't mind though as I had intended on having an easy weekend after the punishing we gave ourselves the past month. Next weekend- Frankston most likely again with perhaps Hopes Rise as an extra challenge!
Ride Stats 29-09-07 - Northcote > Black Rock > Northcote
Dist: 53.03km
Time: 02:22:32
Max: 50.9kph
Average: 22.3kph
Lazy Sunday
I had arranged with Matt to meet up with him and Stu for a few laps of the Kew Bouli but upon waking Sunday morning and txt-ing Matt, Matt had chickened out of the ride and after lying in bed all warm and comfortable, we decided the bed was a better option. Later in the day PDL and I decided to drive out and check out the 1 in 20 ride up Mt Dandy (for future reference of course). Man, that looks like HARDWORK, but I no longer doubt that I would ever be able to do it. In fact, I am sure that I could make it now, even though it would take me a ridiculous amount of time... LOL. Anyway, I will keep that challenge for another time and another lower body weight!
Speaking of weight- Sunday mornings weigh-in and like clockwork- another 1.1kgs lost. I can now start to feel my clothing getting looser on me, my shirts hanging better and even my belt has gone a notch tighter. The road to a healthy body weight is long but I am traveling well and I’m enjoying the view!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Fitter, stronger and faster (but still dropped)
Another weekend and another Saturday morning ride. After completing our first morning group ride only less than a month ago, we are total converts and we look forward to each weekend ride with anticipation.
The day started with a 5am rise and it was totally pitch black outside. Urgh! After last weeks horrid bonk that Polka Dot Lisa and I suffered, we were taking no chances. We had a bigger breakfast, more and better food to carry with us, Staminade drink in one of our bottles and a baggy of extra powder to refuel ourselves for the return trip.
Unfortunately, because I can’t find a jersey made to fit me (and believe me, I have searched the world for a jersey big enough), I have no pockets to carry anything and so PDL had to have her jersey pockets filled up with both our snacks. She makes a great domestique! LOL
PDL was pretty nervous about her new cleats and pedals after only getting them the day before. We did a little trial ride the day before around a local park where we did some work on her technique for corners, but the 2 falls (1 on grass, 1 on concrete) shook her up a little.
As we left our apartment, PDL saw $5 on the ground - score! Then just as I was rolling down to the old cannon as the meeting place for the Northern Stopping All Stations ride, Gregga from BV turned up in his car to say he was running late and that he would meet us at the Beaconsfield hotel.
We rode on down Hoddle St and oh my gawd it was cold! There were a few other cyclists riding but they dropped us when we caught a set of lights. As we descended from Bridge Rd, for the life of me I couldn’t get my left shoe to clip in and I wondered if my cleat had fallen off. I stopped, and of course the cleat WAS there and it clipped straight in. I had adjusted the cleat the night before and just a few mm difference and I was all at sea! LOL
As before, we rode up Anderson St and just like the other times, it hurt like crap. Every ride we do I feel like shit for a good hour or so before I feel in the swing and then I feel like I can keep going and going. Strange.
At the Beaconsfield Hotel meeting point there were only 2 other riders already there but soon the corner became a mass of about 24 bikes and riders, all a bit tense and nervous before the start. Maybe it’s the cold or maybe everyone is a touch apprehensive about the ride ahead but the chatter is short between everyone. I don't mind because I am cold and apprehensive about the ride too. :)
The call went out to get going and yikes- the pace was ON. Until now the pace has been gentle to start with for the first 10km slowly building up to around the 28-30kph but this time it was straight into the 32-34kph speed and I was pushing hard to keep up but doing ok-ish. Then a few sets of lights around Brighton and the group were split pretty badly. Matt (Commi) was riding with me but after a set of lights, he took off to chase down the group and that was the last I saw of him, and the group.
PDL and I rode on alone wondering where the crap everyone was. Even on the long straight sections we couldn’t see them and it was a pretty lonely ride south. As we rounded Ricketts Point and hit the rolling hills around this section, we were both feeling shite and I doubted once again my ability to do the full ride. The fast pace at the start took it out of me and I was paying the price now. I think riding as a group makes SUCH a difference and I was cursing the group for not waiting for the traffic light slowed riders, and also cursing myself for not being able to keep up a faster pace.
As we rode the last flat section into Mordi, Ben from InFront, his GF Melissa and his Belgium mate rolled up next to us and we turned into Mordi together. Thankfully, we met up with the rest of the group and one of the women in the group in a Predictor Lotto jersey (sorry- can’t remember your name) told us that she told off the group for riding so fast, but just as we were trying to shovel down some energy snacks and drink, the group all took off leaving us totally unprepared and alone again. Sheesh, you guys may have been here for 10 mins, drinking, peeing, eating and resting but we JUST rolled in! PDL also though there was 2 women behind her but we never saw them again and don't know what happened to them.
I hope these fast paced rides don't put off any slower riders as it would have done to me if this was my first ride. Maybe a quick chat with the group before we head off will allow those slower riders to stick together so the fast dudes and dudettes can then do their thing at their faster pace.
Thankfully, Ben and co were still with us so we rolled down Station St at a very modest pace of about 22kph. As we crossed back over the train lines to Nepean Hwy, Ben suggested we stop at Carrum for a coffee and although I was hoping to keep going in an attempt to catch up with the Franger return group, I figured what the heck- we have been totally dropped so we my as well stop for a chat.
We assembled on the footpath and drank and chatted and it was nice to feel the sun on our faces. We watched the groups of riders whizzing past and wondered what value all the bikes would be worth. You would have to think on a weekend morning, at least a millions dollars worth of carbon fibre would roll past. Wow!
Ben’s mate from Belgium (sorry- I have forgotten you name) was telling us how the whole cycle and coffee thing is a real Australian thing and that in Belgium it is usual to ride and then have a few beers. Now, maybe it’s just me but the idea of a beer after riding early in the morning doesn’t exactly thrill me. Maybe on a hot day I could understand it but on a cold morning, never! EVER!
As we rode on, a few k’s out of Frankston I noticed a small group of BV’ers riding back towards Melb so I waved thinking- “there goes any chance of any company on the way back”. But to my surprise a few mins later, Dave (Percrime) rolled up next to me having turned around to keep us company. I was SO grateful for the company I could have kissed him! LOL
A stop at the Franga visitors centre for a pee and drink refill saw Ben and co leave us behind as they rode off to Mt Martha while Dave, PDL and I headed back north. As we rode through Frankston, PDL was hurled unknown abuse at by a 10yo from his front yard. Charming child, his parents must be so proud!
We had a really good pace going back, sitting on 30-33kph and passing quite a few riders along the way. As we came up to one rider, he tagged onto the back of us and rode on our wheels for a good 15km without even a word to us. The really funny part about this guy was he was wearing a fancy aero TT helmet with the integrated visor, yet he had on big baggy flapping shorts. THAT must make for interesting wind tunnel data!
A stop at Mordi and we caught up with Oz and Eddie. The usual chat and refuel was had with plenty of looking over my trusty stead (Oz has a Dew Deluxe as a commuter so he was comparing the difference to his bike). During this chat Oz showed me how to align the hydraulic brakes properly. Strange that BSC never bothered to do this from new, nor during the bikes first service. I give up on that workshop. I’ll do it properly myself!
A refill of our drink bottles with the Staminade powder (carrying around a bag of powder- very suss!) and a nut bar and we were back on the road, headed straight for the dreaded hills around Mentone. As usual I was dropped on the hills but THIS time I wasn’t totally killing myself to make it up the hills. I spun the pedals well up the hills and I think my slowest speed was about 19kph which was a big difference to other attempts. As I spun the pedals, a song came to mind which I kept singing to myself – “Spin The Black Circle” by Pearl Jam (see below).
It was the perfect song to accompany me up the hills and before I knew it I was at Black Rock for a quick drink and regroup.
As we went up the hill out of Black Rock, I was surprised how easily I did it this time. I wasn’t fast, by no means at all, but I also never wanted to get off the bike, nor did I curse and swear my way up the hill. Not great - but MUCH better.
Once up on the flat, we rode as a group of 5 at around 30kph. Dave mentioned that we should drop in to see a friend of his who runs a cycle clothing store in Brighton to see about a jersey to fit me which I was grateful for.
Unfortunately PDL didn’t see Dave stopped at the shop and rode on while I stopped and waited. Dave took off to catch her but she had already stopped as Oz let her know she had passed the place so Dave didn’t have to sprint too far.
In the shop we met Liz who had a look around the shop for something to fit me, however I knew very well it was a lost cause- nobody makes anything even close to my size. Been there done that. Liz gave me an XL and asked me to “try it” but exactly as I knew- it wouldn’t even go over my shoulders. In the end Liz suggested a custom made jersey which I knew was the only option so we measured me up for size and Liz will get back to me during the week for price and style options available.
After this break and back on the road, my right upper thigh was really sore. The muscle was hurting every pedal stroke and it was getting worse and worse with each stroke but I kept on going hoping it would warm up and be OK (it didn’t - it just got worse and worse).
As we rode up Fitzroy St headed for the return meet point, 2 of the BV riders pulled up behind us just as we were about to cross the road. Surprised, I looked across the road and there was everyone else. I had figured with our being dropped so badly and our extra stops they would have been long gone but apparently they just got to the café before us, having passed us while we were in the clothing shop. Good timing.
We jumped into the last 2 seats which much have made for quite a sight - 18ish cyclists clad in Lycra seated along a long table on a sunny Saturday St Kilda morning. I have to admit, I love the feeling of being part of a group of cyclists after a ride. We are all in a great mood, all with our own tales to tell of our experience on the ride, all laughing and chatting with people we have just met or only known for a short while. And you just know that people walking past are looking at us with a sense of envy and slight intimidation in them. LOL
While we eat, a dodgy looking guy came walking up and asked us if it was OK if he looked at our bikes. We all said “umm, yeah ok” (what were we going to say - "avert your eyes mere mortal"?) and we kept an eye on him without making a big deal about it. I felt bad for being a bit suspicious of the guy as all he did was have a good look at the assembled bikes. You could see he was really digging them and I wished I had been a nice guy and gotten up to have a chat to him. You never know - he might have been inspired to get into cycling himself with a little encouragement *shrug*. Note to self - don’t be so quick to pass judgment!
With food and drinks consumed by all, we all got up to go our separate paths when Richard (who was nursing a cold pack on his shoulder) turned away from me which caused me to see his back shoulder blade which didn’t look right at all. I mentioned to Matt that he didn’t look right and after mentioning it to Richard and a closer inspection, it was obvious that something was dislocated badly. After a few of us talked to him out of genuine concern, he agreed to walk home and go to the hospital (he would have none of us walking him home - HAF!).
I must comment here that PDL had ridden really well all day with her first proper ride in cleats. She didn’t have one mishap all day with the cleats, her bike handling was miles better after Friday's training session, she changed lanes and did right hand turns without fear, and she also tackled all the hills without a problem. Stu (Stubacca) was sure to make special mention of her efforts over breakfast as I tend to get all the attention (due to this blog and also my participation on the BV forum). For a woman who just a few weeks ago was scared to even look behind her she has come in leaps and bounds with her skill and confidence. I am super, duper proud of her!
After breaky we rode home around Albert Park and through the city with no incidents or drama at all after last weeks drama filled 8km. Down Brunswick Street I was SUPER careful of car doors, riding really, really slowly. A quick stop at BSC for a Topeak Tri-Bag to hold my snacks and Ben looked after me really well. If you want great sales service at BSC - see Ben. Top bloke!
Ride Stats 22-09-07 - Northcote > Frankston > Northcote
Dist: 105.53km
Time: 04:28:26
Max: 47.7kph
Average: 23.6kph
The following morning (Sunday) and it's weigh in time again. Woohoo- another 1.1kg lost and I’m down to 138.8kg which means I have lost 3.8kg in 3 weeks. It’s not a massive amount but it’s a sensible, measured amount that is healthy.
My right upper thigh is still sore and I am struggling to lift my leg properly. If its still hurting on Monday I will go see my osteo. I struggled to put my undies, socks and pants on today.
I have to admit I am looking forward to an easy ride next week. We have been pushing hard for 6 weeks now so a bit of a back off is in order I think.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Feeling fat and fugly
Recently I have been reading "Heft on wheels" which is a true story about a guy who gave up his unhealthy lifestyle and cycled his way to health and weight loss. As it is an American writer, it's all written in pounds rather than kilograms and I haven't a clue what those weights mean compared to kilos. His worst weight was 265lbs and that just "sounds" a lot and so I assumed he was as big as me.
Or so I thought.
So today, in an attempt to stall for time on a job that I was lacking inspiration on, I looked up one of those online conversion websites to see what my weight was in pounds and I was horrified. My current weight (about 140kg is equal to about 300 pounds, while the writer of the above mentioned book's worst weight was just 265 pounds (about 120kgs).
I don't know exactly why but that made me feel so freaken crap to discover this. I mean, it's not like I am suddanly fatter, of less fit or anything. I suppose it just goes to show how damn long a road I have ahead of me and how hard I really am working.
Now, if your reading this and thinking- "20kgs- whats the big deal". I suggest you go pick up a 20 liter container of water and imagine cycling with that on your back. And if your an average build, try imaging riding with 2 to 3 of those strapped to you, while every single pedal stroke has to push against your gut to reach the top of the pedal stroke.
BAH! Double BAH!
Don't mind me, I just feel crap and this is my rant.
*sigh*
Sunday, September 16, 2007
WHAT a day!
Yesterday was quite a day for me and Polka Dot Lisa with our first 100km plus ride, a mechanical incident, several close calls with stupid drivers, an uncooperative bike shop and a near car door crash!
It started with another early start and a ride down to meet up with a group to ride down Beach Rd to Frankston. It started OK but as PDL and I hit the hill of Anderson St, Sth Yarra (next to the Botanical gardens). We both really struggled to make it over - I felt worse over this climb than last weekend and I was a bit apprehensive about the ride ahead. My legs just didn't feel full of energy and I was a touch concerned.
On Beaconsfield Pde, we meet up with several riders in the group (everyone seems to know me by my green jacket). Outside the Beaconsfield Hotel (the meeting point) a group of about 12 riders showed up all ready to hit the road.
We take off down Beach Road and the pace was pretty swift right from the start. Polka Dot Lisa and I were keeping up OK, but we could feel the strain of the pace and wondered if we would be able to make it to Frankston at this speed. All was going fine till the climb just before Black Rock where the rest took off leaving PDL and myself for dust. We tried to catch up over the rolling hills around Rickets Point but try as we did (and we gave it our all), the best we could do was get within about 150mts when the bunch stopped at a crossing.
PDL was worried about not being able to make the distance and wanted to turn around at Mordi, but I kept reassuring her that from Mordi to Frankston was dead flat and if we got too tired we could always catch the train. As we came into Mordi we saw the group in the car park and we pulled into regroup and refuel.
We were both pretty stuffed at this stage and I slumped over my bars for a moment, trying to regain my breath after the hammering I have given my legs and lungs until now. Apparently we were only 30 seconds behind them and everyone seemed surprised that we were that close after their sprint (or were they just being nice? LOL).
A drink, pee and munch on some dried apricots and jelly babies gave us a sugar filled boost and a now much smaller group headed south while about half the original group turned back towards St Kilda.
As we headed south, we turned left to ride down the other side of the train tracks. As we came around the left hand turn (in the left hand lane), some tool in a white shit box zoomed around us WAAAAY too close, almost touching Sally and Bryce. We all stopped at the boomgates where Bryce knocked on the guy's passenger window and said "that was too close and uncalled for". The guy's response was to jump out of his car - and he looked like he was gonna knock Bryce's head off. There were a few heated words thrown and I think the driver saw the 20+ riders stopped there, then thought better of trying to punch Bryce. Just as he looked like he was gonna go back for more, I yelled out, "Are you sure you want to take us all on mate?" and he retreated to his tin box, the gates lifted and we all moved on. I just can not understand this aggressive attitude some drivers have. 20+ bicycles were taking up only 1 of 2 lanes, with little traffic about, yet he seems to think we should be off the road and out of his way!
Onwards we rode, on a perfectly smooth road surface such delight to ride on. As we crossed back onto Nepean Hwy (a dogleg over the train lines), several of us mid pack missed the traffic lights lights changing so there was sudden squealing of brakes and frantic un-clipping of shoes from pedals. Oops!
Coming into Frankston I was feeling nervous about the "optional" climb up Hopes Rise (Olivers hill). My ego wanted me to do it but the rest of me didn't. As we just started the initial climb I could feel my legs straining already so with the last place to stop and u-turn upon me, I pulled out and PDL did too. We rode back to the Frankston Visitors Centre to waited for the rest. I was surprised how quickly they arrived back and we all sat around and chatted, drank and munched.
Just as we were about to head back I noticed a broken spoke on the rear wheel (drive side). We took out the broken spoke and tried to remove the other end at the hub, but were unable to remove the gears to get at it so we had to leave it in flopping about as I rode. Everyone assured me it would be safe but I was a bit nervous. I'm a big guy so one broken spoke and 50km to ride had me worried.
Just about this time Matt (Commi) from BV forum turns up having ridden down from Windsor solo at top speed. He had slept in and had to play catch up to meet up with us. I was surprised that he still wanted to do Hopes Rise after the smashing he had just given his legs already. We waited a few minutes for him to do the climb and return. What an effort!
Heading back I was careful to avoid any bumps and I rode on the RHS to get some shelter from the wind. Dale was kind enough to shelter me by riding on my left which I appreciated VERY much.
Another quick stop at Mordi then into the section I dreaded the most - climbing back up the rolling hills to the top of the cliffs around Black Rock beach. I had cause to be worried because I was pretty tired at this point, before we even got to the hills.
As each hill passed I hurt more and more, struggling along and spinning my legs. Damn, I was slow but I kept going forwards; cursing and egging myself onwards. I wasn't wearing my HTFU band - dammit! Ross rode with me most of the way so I wouldn't be riding solo and I appreciated this very much as everyone else had disappeared off ahead.
As we came out of the Black Rock roundabout I had one last hill ahead and I was so close to walking at one stage but once again - I willed myself to make it to the top. PDL had stopped and waited for me as I think she was worried about me. I rode on past her, telling her I was OK and not wanting to break what little momentum I had. I was sooooo glad to finally make it to the top of all the climbs and knew I would be OK from now on. a little way down the road, around Sandringham, the group had pulled over to wait for PDL and me.
I pulled up and slumped over the bars (again) and everyone was full of encouragement (again). Stu (Stubacca) said that next week they should all wear backpacks with 40kg's in them and I would smash them, LOL. I really appreciated the comments yet again but I was starting to feel embarrassed at being the centre of attention. I also felt bad for holding everyone up when I know they could have all zoomed off without a care in the world. Maybe I should hold off on longer rides until I am fitter and faster so I don't slow the group down.
Finally we turned into the finishing straight and to my relief, I could see the Palais Theatre ahead of me. I was pretty spent at this stage, so it was like seeing the '1km to go' kite in the at the Tour De France...but with out the sprinting! Every single part of me was hurting and I was pretty much willing myself to go on with every pedal stroke. It was then I said to PDL "when we get to the cafe I'm going to lie down on the footpath." She did not say it at the time, but she hoped I would not really do it - which I didn't, LOL.
We rode up Fitzroy St and I was so tired I struggled to clip in my shoe after each traffic light. I was rooted! Finally we made it to breakfast and whilst everyone was trying to find a place for us to sit, I just slumped on the step near the doorway. Everyone laughed at me, but I didn't mind - I was far too tired to care!
After some food, drink and a rest I felt a ton better and we all went our separate ways with PDL and I riding around Albert Park lake, onto St Kilda Rd and up Swanston St towards home.
We were riding at a gentle pace up Swanston St when a horse and buggy pulled out straight in front of me (no signals, didn't even look), causing me to slam on the brakes and giving me quite a scare. As I came to a skidding stop I let out in exclamation - "FUCK" to no one in particular, to which the driver finally turned his head and yelled at me - "Ya gotta give way to horses mate - and don't swear!" I was pretty angry and yelled back "You just pulled straight into my path and I almost fell off" to which he yelled something that I didn't catch. Would he have pulled out like that if I was a taxi or a tram? No of course not. But a cyclist doesn't matter - we are expendable. Maybe I should have just run into his horses?
As I got back riding again, PDL pulled along side me and told me what the driver said that I didn't hear. He said "Why don't you lose some weight". I was FURIOUS to hear this and I was in two minds as to turn around and pull him up and confront him. The traffic incident is one thing, but to insult my weight is a totally different matter and I will be making a formal complaint to the operator of the horse and buggy rides, requesting an apology. I am NOT letting that one go. No way - no how!
We rode on, planing to stop at BSC to get the broken spoke replaced but as we rode slowly and carefully down Brunswick St in the cycle lane, suddenly a car door was flung out in front of me and I locked up both wheels up in an attempt to avoid slamming into the door. The driver pulled the door back a bit just in time as I finally came to a stop with my front wheel just past the edge of the door (missed the edge by 2cm) and I had to grab hold of the door to stop my self from falling (feet still clipped in).
The guy immediately started apologizing but I was in shock at the near miss and could only say gently "OK - mistakes happen but please look before opening your door from now on". I still had a block or two before reaching the bike shop but was too shaken up at this point so wheeled on to the footpath where I crouched down next to the bike to compose myself (I was shaking a bit). The driver and his partner came over to see if I was OK. I just repeated what I had already said (it was all I could think of; in my mind I kept seeing the door edge flying towards me over and over- yikes!).
OK, that's incident number 2, moving on.
Into BSC and the bike mechanics tell me that I must have fallen on the RHS (pointing at some scratches on the rear derailer) which has caused the derailer bracket to bend, which in turn caused the chain to come off, damaging all the spokes on the RHS, (which was why one of them broke). They said it was going to cost me about $70+ dollars to fix which didn't impress me at all as the bike had not received the damage they claim it had. I told them the truth of the bikes history-
1) The only time the chain jumped off was on my second ride, 1km from home, which caused the bike to lock up.
2)Right after the chain jump incident, I took the bike straight down to be fixed (where they just adjusted the gears).
3) The bike had NEVER been dropped on the RHS up until that point (not even bumped).
4) I DID fall on the 4th week of owning the bike which "may" have bent the bracket but that was AFTER the chain jump incident anyway.
The mechanics (who also referred the matter to the boss) kept holding the line that there is no way it could have happed without the bracket being bent (by me) and I kept sticking to my side of the story (which was 110% true, as recorded right here in this blog!!). Finally they begrudgingly backed down and said "if you feel THAT strongly about it, we will do it for free but its gonna take a few hours". Gee - screw you too!
Now I was in the position that I had cycling shoes on, was 3km from home and I had to be home in 20 mins so I could drive PDL to a meeting at 3pm. The shop gave me a loaner bike which was the biggest pile of crap I have ever ridden. It was a Malvern Star MTB with a seat pointed WAY up at the front, soft spongy tyres and front suspension that bounced like a pogo stick. I was embarrassed to be seen riding this pile of junk and I was so slow on it (remembering I am already knacked). I felt like I was riding on an old tractor. YUK. PDL could not ride slow enough to keep up with me...or was it just that I was cramping her style? LOL.
Just as we are 20 metres from home in a service road with only High St to cross to be home, a white hatch zooms from no where, swerving around me and he pulls up to a stop next to Lisa (who was just coming to a stop at the intersection). I could see it startled PDL, so as I pulled up next to the car (on his LHS) I said calmly, "slow down a bit buddy". As usual with an abusive car driver, he started yelling at me, "why don't you ride on the bike path, fuck you, blah blah blah..." to which PDL and I said that we have every right to ride on the road. The tool in the tin box started swearing at me so I started yelling back for him to "get out and say it to me you chicken shit". I felt like I wanted to knock this prick to the ground - I had had enough crap for one day, but of course the pathetic bully just drove off, pulling out onto the road which caused him to be beeped for being a dick head and cutting the other cars off. I hope his bimbo girlfriend sitting next to him was suitably horrified at his behavior but somehow I doubt it. Idiots tend to stick together.
Once we are home, PDL quickly changes out of her lycra, I drive her to her meeting, come home, jump BACK on the shite bike, ride back to BSC (expecting some hassles with the boss about my bike but thankfully it was ok), grabbed my bike and rode home (again). Wow, the difference between the bikes was night and day.
Ride Stats 15-09-07 - Northcote > Frankston > Northcote
Dist: 112.27km
Time: 4:35:30
Max: 46.6kph
Average: 24.6kph
Overall, I did almost 40km further than my previous longest ride, our average speed was our best yet, the wind was its worst and all this just 3 weeks after my inability to complete our first BBC ride to Black Rock.
Am I happy? YOU BET!
I have to say that I am less than thrilled with the service from BSC. The workshop staff make you feel like you are intruding, are less than cheerful and their work is questionable. Two of the sales staff have been VERY helpful (particularly Ben - nice guy, always happy to chat no matter how busy he is and I always get knowledgeable service from him), but some staff treated me like I knew nothing. NEVER underestimate a customer!
So, if you are a bike shop owner and are reading this, we would like to find a new LBS- we are committed to cycling, will be buying road bikes as soon as finances allow and we will continuing to need parts, accessories and service, so leave a comment with your shops details and your name so we can ask for you :)
Oh and one laaaaaast thing, I did my first weight check in this morning (Sunday) and I am down from 141.1kg last weekend to 139.9kg. That's a drop of 1.2kg's in exactly 7 days.
Woohoo!
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