Down a little on numbers tonight and only a few SPR riders too.
New rear tyre (Michelin Pro Race 3 - 23mm) installed as the Zip Tangente 21mm that I had been using wanted to seperate from the bead... Am trying slightly lower pressures (between 100 & 110psi) in an effort to make sure this doesn't happen again.
20 mins on the rollers.
80 laps behind Murray on the moto - I lasted until about lap 23 or so.
Combined B + C 15 lap scratch - did a turn then sat in on Chris on the tandem. Came home for 3rd with Sean 4th.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Kalamunda Loop Redux
Enjoyed yesterday's loop so much decided to do it again! Gabby wanted me out of the house as she was studying and producing an essay, so I went for my second impromptu mtb ride in two days! I'd slept in this morning and missed out on the SPR public holiday ride which would've been cool. So I was keen to make up for that.
Every bit as fun as the first time - perhaps even more so due to the fact that I knew what was coming and where I was going. Managed to ride almost all of Whore-No-More and all of the Elevator except for the tight right-hander.
Every bit as fun as the first time - perhaps even more so due to the fact that I knew what was coming and where I was going. Managed to ride almost all of Whore-No-More and all of the Elevator except for the tight right-hander.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Kalamunda Loop
After the late night I didn't make it to the SPR hills ride. But not long after lunch I was feeling like a ride. I'd gotten a good GPS track of one of Gregor's mates and thought I'd go exploring on the dually for the first time in ages,.... and the first time actually using my Garmin for navigation.
Heading off from the trailhead, otherwise known as the carpark of Kalamunda Coles..., I was full of enthusiasm. It had been some time indeed since my last solo expedition on the mountain bike. A few recent blats in the vicinity of The Dell and Mt Gungin had re-ignited a spark for riding off road.
The trail was at first a narrow fire trail, fairly smooth and small sections of singetrack, pretty flat with nothing too taxing. This is a popular section for walkers as it cuts along the back of houses in Kalamunda, not that I saw any this afternoon.
Heading off from the trailhead, otherwise known as the carpark of Kalamunda Coles..., I was full of enthusiasm. It had been some time indeed since my last solo expedition on the mountain bike. A few recent blats in the vicinity of The Dell and Mt Gungin had re-ignited a spark for riding off road.
The trail was at first a narrow fire trail, fairly smooth and small sections of singetrack, pretty flat with nothing too taxing. This is a popular section for walkers as it cuts along the back of houses in Kalamunda, not that I saw any this afternoon.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
PDCC PK Cycles Serpentine Handicap
After participating in my first handicap several weeks I was keen to ride another one. I quite enjoy the standard road races but it's good to mix it up every so often. This handicap was 5 laps of the dead flat Serpentine road race course.
Several groups were let off before my name was called. I was in a group of seven riders with (I was to find out later) a 5 minute & 30 seconds head start on scratch. After a kilometre or so of fluffing about we got ourselves organized and starting rolling through. We were managing 39kph and I was happy we were rolling rather than pulling turns.
Sometime after the first lap the pace was too hot for Clint and he disappeared. Three quarters of the way round the second lap, our group reeled in a bigger group that had started off nine minutes. We didn't have the firepower to just blow past them so things were a messy for a time after the junction. Quite a few from this group managed to hang on and some integrated into the roll through. It was here I started to struggle as we headed out on the 3rd lap. Not being very experienced with handicaps I was a bit suprised that the riders from the group ahead of us seemed to have more legs than I thought they might. Some had dropped off but others were quite fresh it would seem.
Approaching the finish to the third lap I popped. I'd spent the last half lap having to get out of the saddle just to keep on and it proved too much. I drifted off the back and spent most of the fourth lap by myself save for passing a few fellow stragglers. I thought I was doing ok, checking behind from time to time and couldn't see the scratch markers, when they appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It was a large group and I entertained the possibility of getting on for about ..oh, a good four or five pedal strokes :) before realising it wasn't going to happen. They were doing better than 42kph on the home straight and I couldn't hold that.
My fifth lap consisted of me chasing Kelly, who had just popped off the back of the express, for a bit before catching her and riding to the finish with her and two guys. There was no sprint for our quartet and we rolled over the line.
It was a tale of two races for me - 39kph average before being dropped and then two laps at 35kph. Happy that I'd had a good hit out but dissapointing I wasn't able to hang on to the bigger group that formed after we caught the nine minute group. The rain that I was expecting never eventuated either.
1hr 11mins
44km
Several groups were let off before my name was called. I was in a group of seven riders with (I was to find out later) a 5 minute & 30 seconds head start on scratch. After a kilometre or so of fluffing about we got ourselves organized and starting rolling through. We were managing 39kph and I was happy we were rolling rather than pulling turns.
Sometime after the first lap the pace was too hot for Clint and he disappeared. Three quarters of the way round the second lap, our group reeled in a bigger group that had started off nine minutes. We didn't have the firepower to just blow past them so things were a messy for a time after the junction. Quite a few from this group managed to hang on and some integrated into the roll through. It was here I started to struggle as we headed out on the 3rd lap. Not being very experienced with handicaps I was a bit suprised that the riders from the group ahead of us seemed to have more legs than I thought they might. Some had dropped off but others were quite fresh it would seem.
Approaching the finish to the third lap I popped. I'd spent the last half lap having to get out of the saddle just to keep on and it proved too much. I drifted off the back and spent most of the fourth lap by myself save for passing a few fellow stragglers. I thought I was doing ok, checking behind from time to time and couldn't see the scratch markers, when they appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It was a large group and I entertained the possibility of getting on for about ..oh, a good four or five pedal strokes :) before realising it wasn't going to happen. They were doing better than 42kph on the home straight and I couldn't hold that.
My fifth lap consisted of me chasing Kelly, who had just popped off the back of the express, for a bit before catching her and riding to the finish with her and two guys. There was no sprint for our quartet and we rolled over the line.
It was a tale of two races for me - 39kph average before being dropped and then two laps at 35kph. Happy that I'd had a good hit out but dissapointing I wasn't able to hang on to the bigger group that formed after we caught the nine minute group. The rain that I was expecting never eventuated either.
1hr 11mins
44km
Sunday, September 5, 2010
PDCC Dog Hill road race
Presented for another bash at C grade today. I don’t mind the Dog Hill circuit, it’s pretty flat and usually fairly fast. Roads are a little rough but not as bad as the Serpentine course. A dozen or more punters in C including fellow SPR stalwart Lisa (who had already smashed out 80km or so in the Hills this morning!)
It was a race of fits and starts with a solid core of riders doing most of the work. Elliot seemed to have ants in his pants and seemed keen to get out in front and Clint wasn’t much better, both of them having short dashes off the front. Geoff (KD Cycles) was also involved in some good pulls but seemed to have a bit more patience. Lisa had a small dig on one lap which seemed to take a few riders by surprise but it was short lived.
Nobody was able to get away with everyone generally chasing down any accelerations. In the second half of the race Lisa seemed to be a fixture on the front with nobody really coming through. In fact for the whole race there was never any organisation or roll through – it was more a case of just waiting for the rider in front to drop the speed before doing anything about it.
Completing the third (or fourth – can’t remember..) a selection of 3 or four guys got a gap of about 50 metres. Pretty sure it was Clint, Elliot and 2 other stronger riders so it was certainly a danger. In my mind I felt it could’ve been the critical move of the race if they were allowed to get away. I had a plan and was prepared to chase them later on in the lap if they got away but my hesitation (did I say that? I meant well considered risk/reward decision-making process….) paid off. The bunch chased and brought them back not long after. In hindsight here would’ve been a good spot to have a dig myself but it honestly never entered my mind till now. Knowing what to do and having the legs to sit off the front for a lap or two are two different things….
Last lap was a bit ridiculous. On the back straight I found myself on the front and it wasn’t where I wanted to be. Tried pulling off once, twice, three times to no avail. No one was coming thru. Swung waaaay out over to the other side of the road, still no one biting. Back on the front, soft pedalling letting the speed drop 35kph,…. 33,… 30.. all the way down to 23 before someone came past! Onya Daryl ! Daryl was the most hated man in the peleton attacking fairly regularly to cries of ‘Bloody hell! not again!’
The bunch was all together heading into the sweeping curve left about a kilometre before the finish, riders jostling for position and streaming by on my right. Lisa was still at the front or near it. I was sitting about 8th or 9th wheel, with maybe 600 to 800 metres to go when I went for it. (I looked on Google Maps and think it was about that far but it’s easy for recollections to be wrong…). The bunch was drifting towards the centre of the road leaving some room on the left. I powered up the inside, still seated, but giving it heaps. I don’t know who was behind me but after I hit the front I glanced behind and had a gap. I kept going, a little surprised that no one had come with me (maybe jumped too early?) The finish line seemed an eternity away and I felt myself tiring and losing speed. Another quick glance behind and I could see the angry bunch catching. I had to stand and sprint to hold the closers off and crossed the line about five lengths in front!
Flat handicap at Serpentine next week. Only ever particiapted in one handicap before so I’m keen to have another go.
It was a race of fits and starts with a solid core of riders doing most of the work. Elliot seemed to have ants in his pants and seemed keen to get out in front and Clint wasn’t much better, both of them having short dashes off the front. Geoff (KD Cycles) was also involved in some good pulls but seemed to have a bit more patience. Lisa had a small dig on one lap which seemed to take a few riders by surprise but it was short lived.
Nobody was able to get away with everyone generally chasing down any accelerations. In the second half of the race Lisa seemed to be a fixture on the front with nobody really coming through. In fact for the whole race there was never any organisation or roll through – it was more a case of just waiting for the rider in front to drop the speed before doing anything about it.
Completing the third (or fourth – can’t remember..) a selection of 3 or four guys got a gap of about 50 metres. Pretty sure it was Clint, Elliot and 2 other stronger riders so it was certainly a danger. In my mind I felt it could’ve been the critical move of the race if they were allowed to get away. I had a plan and was prepared to chase them later on in the lap if they got away but my hesitation (did I say that? I meant well considered risk/reward decision-making process….) paid off. The bunch chased and brought them back not long after. In hindsight here would’ve been a good spot to have a dig myself but it honestly never entered my mind till now. Knowing what to do and having the legs to sit off the front for a lap or two are two different things….
Last lap was a bit ridiculous. On the back straight I found myself on the front and it wasn’t where I wanted to be. Tried pulling off once, twice, three times to no avail. No one was coming thru. Swung waaaay out over to the other side of the road, still no one biting. Back on the front, soft pedalling letting the speed drop 35kph,…. 33,… 30.. all the way down to 23 before someone came past! Onya Daryl ! Daryl was the most hated man in the peleton attacking fairly regularly to cries of ‘Bloody hell! not again!’
The bunch was all together heading into the sweeping curve left about a kilometre before the finish, riders jostling for position and streaming by on my right. Lisa was still at the front or near it. I was sitting about 8th or 9th wheel, with maybe 600 to 800 metres to go when I went for it. (I looked on Google Maps and think it was about that far but it’s easy for recollections to be wrong…). The bunch was drifting towards the centre of the road leaving some room on the left. I powered up the inside, still seated, but giving it heaps. I don’t know who was behind me but after I hit the front I glanced behind and had a gap. I kept going, a little surprised that no one had come with me (maybe jumped too early?) The finish line seemed an eternity away and I felt myself tiring and losing speed. Another quick glance behind and I could see the angry bunch catching. I had to stand and sprint to hold the closers off and crossed the line about five lengths in front!
Flat handicap at Serpentine next week. Only ever particiapted in one handicap before so I’m keen to have another go.
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