Weather looks good for Sunday

[TimC]

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 at 03:13 GMT, flyingdutch (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>
> DaveB Wrote:
>>
>> Mission accomplished. Now let's see how I cope with a family ride this
>> arvo towing the trailer bike. I think I'll pick a gear lower than the
>> trailer bike so my daughter does all the work.
>>
>> DaveB
>
> hehe. 11 people!
> Me, Blah, Gags, Lindsay, DaveB, Jazmo, Brett, and a big round of
> applause for all the newbies who excelled today:
> TimC (whom proved those orange and purple bikes can go the distance,
> even going off the front and joining another group!)

How many took the shortcut? I saw at least 2 people keep coming, and
someone (forget who) said to wait at Panton Hill Rd, or something
similar, if we hadn't regrouped by the time we got there. Then someone
who I thought vaguely looked familiar joined up with 3 or so others
who were around at the time, and I didn't recognise them, but my
recognition skills are terrible at the best of time. I just didn't
think there could be anyone else out there! I started to wonder why
this little "subgroup" had sped up I got spat out the back after a
while, and then less than a km away I came to an intersection with
King Lake one side and Hurstbridge on the other, and only one other
lone cyclist on the road going towards King Lake who said he hadn't
seen any group around. I looked at my tiny little copy of
BR_route.gif, but couldn't figure out where I was on the map. So I
went back and forwards a couple of times, before settling on
Hurstbridge, thinking that if all else fails, at least I know there's
a train station there!

I went through Hursbridge, and kept on going. I didn't know where you
guys were having that bakery stop, so I figured I might just find you
while you were eating -- thinking at least my little subgroup were
well and truly ahead of me by now. Then I came to Wattleglen, and
started seeing signs to places which I could actually recognise. I
doubled back at a roundabout to check a sign, and there were a bunch
of a lot more familiar faces than that last bunch that I had managed
to hook onto

> Essendon93 (who rode from essendon first!)
> GPlama (who was all dosed up on SOMETHING! )
> and... bugger. forgotten yer name (sorry! ) who also shone.
>
> thought I'd turned up at the wrong corner! was looking for a 'little'
> group
>
> New topspeed record for moi. 91.4kph down 'the hill'. big thanka to
> Gags for being... Gags

I got to 77.9 - about... 13km/h over my best recorded speed (I did
slightly better than the previous best recorded time when my bike
computer was wrapped up somewhere in my tent on the GVBR.

It felt a little hairy on my little orange and purple thing

Didn't time the hill up, but I guess it was whoever was the fastest +
however long it took to wait for the second last guy.

> and BRs first serious mechanical with Blah's chain lookin like it was
> on the verge of splitting in 2 and 'dropping' all the time. Strangely
> this happened on all the hilly bits...

You missed my blowout. Only minor, no tire damage. I just heard a pop,
and then a lot of rushing air. I guess I better find a pump with a
gauge, rather than just pumping up a little harder than my usual
guess. I was about a km from Heisenberg... er... Heidelburg
station, so said ciao to the one person left waiting at the corner,
and trundled off to the station.

That was after ~60km, I thknk I had reset my clock while we were
waiting at Doncaster. I averaged 24.7 before that last km to the
station, which is about my daily commute average, over 10.5 km, if the
wind is moderately favourable. It's that whole
not-wanting-to-be-embarrased-by-getting-spat-out-the-back motivation
thing. I'm sure that downhill sprint (what happened to all the guys at
the back?) also added favourably to the average



Didn't talk with any of you anywhere near enough.

I'll have to come back sometime and be more sociable, eh?

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
Oooh, Look! Shiny New Thing! -- me

 

[DaveB]

TimC wrote:
> How many took the shortcut? I saw at least 2 people keep coming, and
> someone (forget who) said to wait at Panton Hill Rd, or something
> similar, if we hadn't regrouped by the time we got there. Then someone
> who I thought vaguely looked familiar joined up with 3 or so others
> who were around at the time, and I didn't recognise them, but my
> recognition skills are terrible at the best of time. I just didn't
> think there could be anyone else out there! I started to wonder why
> this little "subgroup" had sped up I got spat out the back
And there was us thinking you'd decided we were too slow and you found a
group who did a decent pace. I think there were five of us on the
shortcut including you, we had to make sure we got all the muffins at
Smiths Gully.


>
> I got to 77.9 - about... 13km/h over my best recorded speed (I did
> slightly better than the previous best recorded time when my bike
> computer was wrapped up somewhere in my tent on the GVBR.
>
> It felt a little hairy on my little orange and purple thing
>

I've gotta say I am in awe of what you could achieve on the orange and
purple monster.

> Didn't time the hill up, but I guess it was whoever was the fastest +
> however long it took to wait for the second last guy.
>

Nope you were at least 3rd last bevause BT and myself were still to come.

>
>
> Didn't talk with any of you anywhere near enough.
>

Well that's what happens when you decide to ride with another group, I
bet they weren't anywhere near as friendly as us.

DaveB "wondering what Tony Kara (our founder) would think of today's
turnout"

 

[jazmo]

The newly reprised extra loop down to Watson's Creek and back up Alma Rd was VERY noice. The added 'Dutchy' tactic of not telling people about the nastee little incline at the start of Alma only seemed to make them all mad and they dropped me/Ess'93!!!

That left hand turn just before the include got me big time. Was in my 53x13 - there's was no way I could go up it in that! Had to do a U turn back down, change to a more sensible gear and come up again. Thanks for finding that climb for us. It's very noice.

 

[B.T.]

Penalty points to Brett for scoping the course on friday in the car!!!!!!!!!

I'm may be slow but I'm not stupid! There's no way I would've got a muffin if I went that way.

 

[Dave A]

flyingdutch <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> DaveB Wrote:
> >
> > Mission accomplished. Now let's see how I cope with a family ride this
> > arvo towing the trailer bike. I think I'll pick a gear lower than the
> > trailer bike so my daughter does all the work.
> >
> > DaveB
>
> hehe. 11 people!
> Me, Blah, Gags, Lindsay, DaveB, Jazmo, Brett, and a big round of
> applause for all the newbies who excelled today:
> TimC (whom proved those orange and purple bikes can go the distance,
> even going off the front and joining another group!)
> Essendon93 (who rode from essendon first!)
> GPlama (who was all dosed up on SOMETHING! )
> and... bugger. forgotten yer name (sorry! ) who also shone.
>
> thought I'd turned up at the wrong corner! was looking for a 'little'
> group
>
> New topspeed record for moi. 91.4kph down 'the hill'. big thanka to
> Gags for being... Gags
>
> The newly reprised extra loop down to Watson's Creek and back up Alma
> Rd was VERY noice. The added 'Dutchy' tactic of not telling people
> about the nastee little incline at the start of Alma only seemed to
> make them all mad and they dropped me/Ess'93!!!
> Penalty points to Brett for scoping the course on friday in the
> car!!!!!!!!!
>
> and BRs first serious mechanical with Blah's chain lookin like it was
> on the verge of splitting in 2 and 'dropping' all the time. Strangely
> this happened on all the hilly bits...
>
> penalty points to Gags/Lindsay for NOT doing Burgundy St hill
> (altho lindsay woulda smoked us all. Note: when someone says they come
> from somewhere that includes the word 'Highlands', LOOKOUT! ).
>
> Besides, Lindsay rode like a girl!
> .. wish I could ride like a girl...
>
> F"3 sleeps to go" Dutch

"and... bugger. forgotten yer name (sorry! ) who also
shone."

That would be me. "Dave A" (Black Avanti)
Great fun to finally make it on this ride.
Had to eat "Humble pie" after getting dropped, after the Coffee Break,
somebody really put the pace on.
I disappeared after Greensborough since I live in Bundoora, still a
"healthy" 74K ride. Busy next week hope to make it the week after.

Dave A

 

[essendon93]

Thanks for the ride guys and gal. Very enjoyable.

Managed to get 79.5 on the hill, which is the quickest I've been on a bike, next time mid 80's is a goer.

For next time, maybe not go as hard on the climb from Warrandyte, and foolishly try and hold Jazmos wheel for 3.5k's, until he disappeared into the distance.

I'll try to not get dropped as quickly as I did on the run into Diamond Creek, but thanks to Jazmo for coming back to colect Dave A and myself.

Forecast looks good for Sunday, fine and 27.

P.S luved those muffins

 

[Claes]

hehe. 11 people!
Me, Blah, Gags, Lindsay, DaveB, Jazmo, Brett, and a big round of applause for all the newbies who excelled today:
TimC (whom proved those orange and purple bikes can go the distance, even going off the front and joining another group!)
Essendon93 (who rode from essendon first!)
GPlama (who was all dosed up on SOMETHING! )
and... bugger. forgotten yer name (sorry! ) who also shone.

thought I'd turned up at the wrong corner! was looking for a 'little' group

New topspeed record for moi. 91.4kph down 'the hill'. big thanka to Gags for being... Gags

The newly reprised extra loop down to Watson's Creek and back up Alma Rd was VERY noice. The added 'Dutchy' tactic of not telling people about the nastee little incline at the start of Alma only seemed to make them all mad and they dropped me/Ess'93!!!
Penalty points to Brett for scoping the course on friday in the car!!!!!!!!!

and BRs first serious mechanical with Blah's chain lookin like it was on the verge of splitting in 2 and 'dropping' all the time. Strangely this happened on all the hilly bits...

penalty points to Gags/Lindsay for NOT doing Burgundy St hill
(altho lindsay woulda smoked us all. Note: when someone says they come from somewhere that includes the word 'Highlands', LOOKOUT! ).

Besides, Lindsay rode like a girl!
... wish I could ride like a girl...

F"3 sleeps to go" Dutch

Hmm, a little curious to how you reach 91+, even if you are towed until 85 k, you need to do the work after that. You mean you have legs left to go on since it was lighter reaching 85 so to speak? Just curious. I must say, I do think the max speeds we quote should be of two types, one on your own, the most important one for me, then "group" speed or something. Lets see now, suppose you have a 53/12? This gives a cadence of 116 with 700 23c tyre, or the nominal 2096 mm. That is doable I guess. Now for 90 without help.

 

[blah]

[email protected] (Dave A) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> Great fun to finally make it on this ride.
> Had to eat "Humble pie" after getting dropped, after the Coffee Break,
> somebody really put the pace on.
> I disappeared after Greensborough since I live in Bundoora, still a
> "healthy" 74K ride. Busy next week hope to make it the week after.
>
> Dave A

Sorry, but it's becoming almost traditional to go pretty hard along
there. One day we'll beat the shortcutters to the roundabout. By go
hard I mean that I go hard and everyone else wonders why my breathing
is so loud as they tuck in and draft ('cept last week when Gags got
sick of the crappy pace of my 'going fast'). This week I wanted to
make up for not doing the new climb thanks to my 'convenient'
drivetrain issues.

Oh yeah, thanks to Dutchy for pushing me up hills on the way up
Whitehorse Road so I didn't have to put a heap of strain on the chain.
Way above and beyond the call of duty!

 

[jazmo]

Thanks for the ride guys and gal. Very enjoyable.

Managed to get 79.5 on the hill, which is the quickest I've been on a bike, next time mid 80's is a goer.

For next time, maybe not go as hard on the climb from Warrandyte, and foolishly try and hold Jazmos wheel for 3.5k's, until he disappeared into the distance.

I'll try to not get dropped as quickly as I did on the run into Diamond Creek, but thanks to Jazmo for coming back to colect Dave A and myself.

Forecast looks good for Sunday, fine and 27.

P.S luved those muffins

No worries E93. I was speaking to Lindsay and she mentioned you guys off the back. I originally thought that you'd be fine as we pretty much follow a straight line - then I rememberd the round-about where we go towards Greensborough and figured that you might make a wrong turn there, so I headed back. Ended up you went the right way anyway.

I tend to go pretty hard up the hills. It's great interval training, particularly up and down the climb from Warrandyte --> Kangaroo Ground.

 

[GPLama]

Claes wrote:
> say, I do think the max speeds we quote should be of two types, one on
> your own, the most important one for me, then "group" speed or
> something. Lets see now, suppose you have a 53/12? This gives a
> cadence of 116 with 700 23c tyre, or the nominal 2096 mm. That is
> doable I guess. Now for 90 without help.
>

I was behind FD, but wasnt looking far ahead at the time .. my 85.8
was done alone at about 95% effort in 53/12. Swapping wheel sets for
next weeks ride, I'll be looking to crack 90.. given the same nice
conditions we had yesterday..


cheers,
GPL

 

[Blah]

"Claes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
:
>>
> Hmm, a little curious to how you reach 91+, even if you are towed until
> 85 k, you need to do the work after that. You mean you have legs left to
> go on since it was lighter reaching 85 so to speak? Just curious. I must
> say, I do think the max speeds we quote should be of two types, one on
> your own, the most important one for me, then "group" speed or
> something. Lets see now, suppose you have a 53/12? This gives a
> cadence of 116 with 700 23c tyre, or the nominal 2096 mm. That is
> doable I guess. Now for 90 without help.

I have a 92.3 while just catching Gags at the steep bit and a 91.7 by my
self when I left it tto late at the top last week and couldn't catch anyone.
We had a slight southerly wind (tailwind) on that hill. My technique is to
spin out my 53/12, standing then sitting, which usually happens just as the
hill drops away slightly (ie, steepens). Then it's get as low and aero as
possible. As I said, this is the best place to catch someone who's also
hooting along.
Legs are important to get to a decent top speed, but the last bit of speed
is all about getting low and, possibly, being heavy (I'm about 84.5kg).

 

[essendon93]

I have a 92.3 while just catching Gags at the steep bit and a 91.7 by my
self when I left it tto late at the top last week and couldn't catch anyone.
We had a slight southerly wind (tailwind) on that hill. My technique is to
spin out my 53/12, standing then sitting, which usually happens just as the
hill drops away slightly (ie, steepens). Then it's get as low and aero as
possible. As I said, this is the best place to catch someone who's also
hooting along.
Legs are important to get to a decent top speed, but the last bit of speed
is all about getting low and, possibly, being heavy (I'm about 84.5kg).[/QUOTE]
Ok thats my excuse then for not going quick on the downhill, I'm only 61kg. More chocolate=more speed

 

[Gags]

"Blah" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "GPLama" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > flyingdutch wrote:
> >> GPlama (who was all dosed up on SOMETHING! )
> >> and BRs first serious mechanical with Blah's chain lookin like it was
> >> on the verge of splitting in 2 and 'dropping' all the time. Strangely
> >> this happened on all the hilly bits...
> >
> > It would have been a very nervous ride home knowing if the chain did
give
> > way, his cadence would have hit 300+ and the bike would start traveling
> > backwards!
> >
> > Great ride all up.. Hills are much better when there are other people
> > around suffering at the same time. Sign me up, I'll be there from now
on.
> >
> Good to hear you enjoyed it. Chain held up for the 12 kays home (as it did
> for the 60 before that), but thanks for the offer of a lift. Now I just
hope
> I can sort it out during the week. Let's see... new chain... 8000k of
use...
> new rings and cassette? Oh bugger...
>
Have a look at 100% cycles

http://www.100percentcycles.com.au/viewcatalogue.cfm?category=1&type=35

They are pretty good on prices for components and I replaced the drivetrain
on my mtb with LX there for much less than I could find it anywhere else.
They do a customer loyalty thingo too and I think I have got about $60 or so
of credit - might have to have a closer look on the site before it burns a
hole in my pocket.

Ride On,

Gags

 

[Gags]

"essendon93" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
>
> I have a 92.3 while just catching Gags at the steep bit and a 91.7 by
> my
> self when I left it tto late at the top last week and couldn't catch
> anyone.
> We had a slight southerly wind (tailwind) on that hill. My technique is
> to
> spin out my 53/12, standing then sitting, which usually happens just as
> the
> hill drops away slightly (ie, steepens). Then it's get as low and aero
> as
> possible. As I said, this is the best place to catch someone who's also
> hooting along.
> Legs are important to get to a decent top speed, but the last bit of
> speed
> is all about getting low and, possibly, being heavy (I'm about 84.5kg).
> Ok thats my excuse then for not going quick on the downhill, I'm only
> 61kg. More chocolate=more speed
> --
> essendon93
>
You guys need to pack a few heavy tools in your jersey pockets....I am 100kg
or so......gotta love that gravity turbo.......F = m x a.......hehehehe

Ride On,

Gags (who needs to get something smaller than a 13 on the rear cluster)

 

[flyingdutch]

Ok thats my excuse then for not going quick on the downhill, I'm only 61kg. More chocolate=more speed

61kg??????????????

my god. He's only going to get faster (going up, that is...)

 

[flyingdutch]

Hmm, a little curious to how you reach 91+, even if you are towed until 85 k, you need to do the work after that. You mean you have legs left to go on since it was lighter reaching 85 so to speak?

This week was the first since my 'incident' I had the confidence to go all out again. It was also the firs ttime in awhile I have sat on someone's wheel (Gags) until 2/3rds the way down, pulled out so as not to run up his rear wheel and then got passed by Blah. This was at the dip so I spun my 53x12.
The only way I was able to do this at that point was thanks to riding fixed!
High Cadence, Big Bubbles, NO troubles

 

[TimC]

On Mon, 07 Feb 2005 at 08:28 GMT, essendon93 (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>> is all about getting low and, possibly, being heavy (I'm about 84.5kg).
> Ok thats my excuse then for not going quick on the downhill, I'm only
> 61kg. More chocolate=more speed

Both up and down hill evidentally. Damn the way that works. Chocolate
is not my strong point.

--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
 *** System shutdown message from root ***
System going down in 60 seconds

 

[hippy]

Blah wrote:
> I have a 92.3 while just catching Gags at the steep bit and a 91.7 by my
> self when I left it tto late at the top last week and couldn't catch anyone.
> We had a slight southerly wind (tailwind) on that hill. My technique is to
> spin out my 53/12, standing then sitting, which usually happens just as the
> hill drops away slightly (ie, steepens). Then it's get as low and aero as
> possible. As I said, this is the best place to catch someone who's also
> hooting along.
> Legs are important to get to a decent top speed, but the last bit of speed
> is all about getting low and, possibly, being heavy (I'm about 84.5kg).

I still wanna do this with a tailwind..

Where's the steep bit?

Maybe I should skip the 25-12T and go for the 21-11T?

hippy
'heavy, fairly aero, faster than some'

 

[hippy]

Blah wrote:
> I have a 92.3 while just catching Gags at the steep bit and a 91.7 by my
> self when I left it tto late at the top last week and couldn't catch anyone.
> We had a slight southerly wind (tailwind) on that hill. My technique is to
> spin out my 53/12, standing then sitting, which usually happens just as the
> hill drops away slightly (ie, steepens). Then it's get as low and aero as
> possible. As I said, this is the best place to catch someone who's also
> hooting along.
> Legs are important to get to a decent top speed, but the last bit of speed
> is all about getting low and, possibly, being heavy (I'm about 84.5kg).

I still wanna do this with a tailwind..

Where's the steep bit?

Maybe I should skip the 25-12T and go for the 21-11T?

hippy
'heavy, fairly aero, faster than some'

 

[jazmo]

To all those fierce descenders.

Do your bikes wobble at all while going down the road?

I'm not sure if it's because the road if fairly bumpy or not, but when I get to around 76km the bumps make my bike wobble a bit. It makes me nervous and I back off. I also have images of myself losing it going through my head while heading down there which makes me even more tentative.

I'm actually concerned that it's the bike that's causing it. I don't think it is though. I've been down Oliver's hill at around 78 kph and didn't get nervous about any wobbles that time - it's a nice smooth road. Maybe my relatively light weight and the effect the wind has on me has something to do with it?