tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56846215391176395322024-03-05T15:40:03.583+10:00Bloke on a Bike in the TropicsA slice of my cycling life in the tropics of North Queensland, AustraliaBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-30961932209452366972022-12-23T20:46:00.000+10:002022-12-23T20:46:17.548+10:00<p> The electrification continues. Our new EV arrived (well, not so much 'arrived' as collected from the vehicle transport depot) on Thursday. Seems getting it from the depot to our driveway- which was the arrangement- would have to wait until next week. </p><p>It's going to take a while to become familiar with all of the tech associated with it, but it was very easy to just jump in and drive away. Very comfy, very quiet, and very quick (and the voice assistant lets me know anytime we venture on the +side of the posted speed limit!)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJ_ZXOVSDGE7nVtfLmy4dEhKmnZypHdYxV6DDbYajmiaYdCcr2CUMA0xqNQIveTRpGwY_fqBn3WFEIyrqIPnDrW_quWVPvf_fnLzIJCxLgyP1F0Iq3fbp8MzC_0fI-XecZU6J8Zdx3ROaIEITurlxErw0IsOh0ETtwyfNRvfvQ6ER49uT2XQBlGJDlA/s4032/20221222_122827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJ_ZXOVSDGE7nVtfLmy4dEhKmnZypHdYxV6DDbYajmiaYdCcr2CUMA0xqNQIveTRpGwY_fqBn3WFEIyrqIPnDrW_quWVPvf_fnLzIJCxLgyP1F0Iq3fbp8MzC_0fI-XecZU6J8Zdx3ROaIEITurlxErw0IsOh0ETtwyfNRvfvQ6ER49uT2XQBlGJDlA/w470-h265/20221222_122827.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-45562244063375995202022-12-10T20:55:00.001+10:002022-12-10T20:55:42.560+10:00That's not a Bike!<p> Yeah- I know- long time no write (type). Still here in North Queensland living the tropical life. Time spent on two wheels has diminished considerably but the new year isn't far off and we all need a resolution or ten to peg to the new calendar.</p><p>We decided a few months back- actually over a year ago- to reduce (further) our domestic fossil fuel consumption. We have had solar hot water and a rooftop PV system since 2009 and 2013 respectively and have not had an electricity bill since early 2013.</p><p>Our kitchen cooktop has been a four burner gas setup since 2002. After reading articles on the particulates released via gas cooking, we decided to give induction cooking a try. A single element induction unit has been our Go To element for well over a year now. Having survived (indeed excelled) its somewhat extended trial period, we installed a four burner/hob induction cooktop just over a week ago.</p><p>The portable/temporary induction unit has made its way off the kitchen bench and into a storage cabinet but will remain an integral household item. It will act as our cooktop during power outages. And well might you ask how an electric kitchen gadget might work during a power outage? Well we'll just plug it into our car.</p><p>Our 2007 diesel VW van is being replaced with an EV which has V2L capability. V2L (vehicle to load) enables us to plug in a number of household appliances and provide AC supply from the vehicle's battery and inbuilt inverter. We can use our PV rootop system to provide charging to the car's battery and draw down supply during outages if required. This is not a full vehicle to grid transfer in that power from the car will not be fed back into the electricity distribution network. More like a portable generator without the fumes, noise and fuel requirements.</p><p>Now we just need to get the car transported the 1200km from Brisbane to Townsville- hopefully this week.</p><p><br /></p><p>Cheers- ride safe!</p>BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-68413668887522360342015-01-18T17:24:00.004+10:002015-02-21T10:18:01.114+10:00New Year and Some New Rules<div class="MsoNormal">
Road Rules</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everybody in Queensland knows the road rules- particularly
as they relate to cyclists- just ask some of them; they’ll certainly let you
know what cyclists can and can’t do (some will be correct but the majority will
not even be in the same post code). I’m not going to cover every single road
rule and exception, just the most contentious and often talked about ones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So where do we start- how about with the littlies? Learning
to ride a bike as a kid is a pretty memorable occasion- it gives kids a sense
of freedom. Many kids learn to ride on the footpath which is completely legal.
The thing here is that Queensland differs from some of the other states in that
there is no age restriction for riding on the footpath. So unless there’s a
sign indicating that cycling is not allowed on a section of footpath, it’s
completely legal for one and all. Oh and cyclists must give way to pedestrians
on footpaths, shared paths and pedestrian crossings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As of 1 January 2015, cyclists are permitted to ride across
marked pedestrian crossings where previously they were required to dismount and
walk their bike across.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And cyclists should sound their bell, or at least call out
to pedestrians or slower riders when overtaking if they’re going to ride on the
footpath.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Helmets- they are required to be worn regardless of the
cyclist’s age. There are some exceptions to the wearing of a helmet on the
grounds of religious headgear. But much
like drivers and seatbelts, some choose to ride without one. I wear one every time
I ride- every time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where and how can cyclists ride?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So- on a road that is not multi-lane, cyclists should keep
as far left as practicable. In the eyes of motorists that often means as far to
the left of the fog line as possible, but there are often hazards at the road
edge. Broken bitumen, glass, rubbish, drains, roadkill, branches, wet leaves,
parked cars which may present an open door as the operator exits- these are
just some of the things which present as hazards and may not be noticeable to
vehicle operators.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On multi-lane roads, the cyclists are permitted to take any
part of the lane.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a common misunderstanding that cyclists <u>must</u>
ride in single file. Cyclists are permitted to ride two abreast- no more than
1.5 metres apart. There is an exception where a group of cyclists riding two
abreast is permitted to overtake another group riding two abreast. The riders
will in fact be four abreast but the faster group must be overtaking and not
riding as part of the group being overtaken.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A group of 20 cyclists riding two abreast presents a much
shorter overtaking distance than 20 cyclists in a single file.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cyclists are to ride in the same direction as traffic- that
means no ‘salmoning’ (i.e. swimming upstream against the flow). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is not mandatory for cyclists to ride in a bike lane
where one is present, as per the Department of Transport rules, the choice is
there for the cyclist to make. In many instances, the presence of parked cars
puts the cycle lane in the ‘door-zone’ exposing cyclists to serious injury as
drivers exit their vehicles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Red lights- yes, cyclists are supposed to stop at red lights
and stop signs just like motorists. But as we all know, there are always going
to be people who run red lights and blow through stop signs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This inevitably leads to calls for bikes to be registered.
It isn’t going to happen any time soon. Even if I want to register my bike, I
can’t. It will cost more to administer the program than it will provide in
revenue. Cost is based on wear and tear on the road so really a bike rego would
be about $0.70. I would gladly pay a rego if it meant I would get full use of
the road and complete respect from fellow road users. And just because a
vehicle is registered doesn’t stop red light runners- I see several dozen a
week.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Safe overtaking rules- Queensland is currently trialling
safe overtaking distances as a response to the inquiry into cycling safety. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where the speed limit is 60 km/hr or less, drivers must maintain
a safe overtaking distance of no less than 1 (one) metre. Where the speed limit
is more than 60 km/hr, drivers must maintain a safe overtaking distance of not
less than 1.5 metres. The distance is measured from the rightmost point of the
cyclist (this could be the right handlebar or the shoulder/elbow of the
cyclist- whichever protrudes furthest to the right) and the leftmost point of
the vehicle (this could be a mirror or part of a load in a trailer). It is
understood the vehicle and cyclist are travelling in the same direction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The minimum distance applies even if the cyclist is riding
around an obstacle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.6pt;">
<span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">From Transport and Main Roads:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.6pt;">
<span style="color: #365f91; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">To pass a cyclist—as long as it is safe to do so—you are allowed to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 10.6pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #365f91; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #365f91; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">drive over centre lines (including double
unbroken centre lines) on a 2-way road<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 10.6pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #365f91; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #365f91; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">straddle or cross a lane line (including a
continuous lane line) on a multi-lane road<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 10.6pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #365f91; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #365f91; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">drive on a painted island.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 10.6pt;">
<span style="color: #365f91; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;">If it is not safe to pass a cyclist, you must wait until it is safe to
pass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cyclists are permitted to ride in special purpose lanes such
as:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike lane</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bus lane</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tram lane (The Gold Coast trams operate on a tramway, not a
tram line. Cyclists are not permitted on the tramway.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Transit lane</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Signals- cyclists are actually only required to signal when
turning right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Roundabouts- Vehicle operators wishing to turn right on a
multi-lane roundabout must enter the roundabout from the right hand lane
(unless signage or road signs indicate otherwise). Cyclists wishing to turn
right at the same roundabout may enter the roundabout from either lane;
however, a cyclist entering from the left lane <u>must</u> give way to any
vehicle wishing to exit the roundabout.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
These two links provide more information on <a href="http://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/nonpowered/bicycle/index.html" target="_blank">rulesfor cyclists</a> and the rules associated with the <a href="http://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/other/cyclists/" target="_blank">safeovertaking distances.</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay- now ride (or drive) safe- </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
someone's son/daughter/mother/father/aunt/uncle/grandmother/grandfather/etc.. you get the picture, could be on that bike.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cheers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BoaB</div>
BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-75660790107459984082013-07-12T13:31:00.001+10:002013-07-13T14:15:50.943+10:00Stay Calm (and Write a Blog)Yes I'm still breathing, eating and apparently able to string a series of words together in a somewhat comprehensible manner. Since my last post in <strike>1822</strike> March, I have:<br />
Ridden my bike some (but not as much as I would have liked)<br />
Run some (but probably not as much as I should)<br />
Argued with some very stubborn people (and from their point of view, I'm probably a very stubborn person)<br />
Lamented the loss of some friends<br />
And of course all of the other things which happen by chance or design and make up the fabric of our lives. Not all of these will be visited in this single post- hopefully it will draw me back to reflect and write.<br />
<br />
The riding was going swimmingly- getting in lots of good long rides and training sessions and a few races. A couple of crits, a time trial and a couple of road races with no spectacular results but no major disappointments either. My last race was a crit in early June- it was also one of the last times I was on the bike for several weeks. I had changed my wheels the day before to a set I bought a few years back but have not used all that much. On the usual Saturday ride, I heard a metallic creak when pedalling and put it down to noise from the spokes as the wheels had sat unused for so long.<br />
<br />
I checked the spokes, there did seem to be a bit of play in a couple of them (none broken) and so tightened them a bit, of course to no avail. Raced on them the next day for the crit, Even had one of the racers who works at one of the local bike shops to have a look. Nah- nothing there. That afternoon I took small pieces of duct tape (gaffer tape here in Aus) and placed it between the lacing cross points of the spokes. Went for a ride and lo and behold- the noise was still there.<br />
<br />
Jump ahead a couple days and I have the bike on the workstand for a thorough cleaning- stripped it down, chain off to be replaced, etc. Giving it a wash and notice some tar on the left seat stay- don't remember riding near any fresh roadworks or new paving- I'll just get the worst of it off with my thumbnail and then some methylated spirits and finish washing the bike.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQP-6qvbX9f4vhOqyG8Q-6g67ZfMj2I0JsHMhAiXddHG0Ayri76M-uuDS5SpqY9dwkR4yF7VUrnhwu113aXCU6wLGjzXG9t7croSAg9zQJvNmOA9VTft2zWJ_U0doMhtUk1tt-Vlb0rRIf/s1600/Townsville-20130607-00148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQP-6qvbX9f4vhOqyG8Q-6g67ZfMj2I0JsHMhAiXddHG0Ayri76M-uuDS5SpqY9dwkR4yF7VUrnhwu113aXCU6wLGjzXG9t7croSAg9zQJvNmOA9VTft2zWJ_U0doMhtUk1tt-Vlb0rRIf/s320/Townsville-20130607-00148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The tar turned out to be something completely different- the seat stay was cracked almost all the way though and the strange sound I had been blaming on the spokes was the crack flexing under each pedal stroke. The bike has never been involved in any impacts on the road, during transport or at home so I was at a loss as to the cause.<br />
<br />
The frame has a lifetime warranty for the original owner (that would be me) so I took some photos and headed to the local dealer with the frame to discuss the next steps. The LBS took more photos and sent them to the Specialized warranty office in Melbourne for evaluation. Several days later, after hearing nothing, I stopped by the shop to be advised that they had been unable to make a determination based on the photos and they would now like the frame sent as well.<br />
<br />
So another week+ and still no word despite my dropping around and calls being made by the shop to Specialized. Finally I received a call to say they could not find any evidence of impact (I guess they need to do their own investigation and not just take the word of some numpty who might want a new frame) and would be supplying me with a new frame and that it was being shipped that afternoon.<br />
<br />
Fast forward another week and I get a call that the new frame has been built up with the groupset from the old bike to the same measurements and is ready to go. It looked really nice when it was wheeled out but <a href="http://troppocycle.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Dee</a> immediately said that it didn't look right. And she was correct, they had put the headset spacers above the stem instead of below so it was back into the workshop for a quick adjustment (theoretically). Once the spacers had been correctly placed, all of the cabling was now too short and had to be replaced- this also meant the bar tape had to be unwrapped, etc. And the end result:<br />
<br />
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<br />
So I'm back on the road with the new beast but the joy is severely tempered by the loss of a member of the local cycling community and severe injuries to three others as the result of being struck by a truck carrying an oversize load. The riders were on their regular Saturday circuit and were riding single file and outside the traffic lane- there is no dedicated bike lane on that section and they had taken every measure to be out of traffic. The driver, for whatever reason, thought he could make it past but struck all four riders. Other members of their group who were some meters behind but witnessed the whole incident immediately performed first aid, including CPR, until emergency responders and police arrived on the scene.<br />
<br />
Sadly, one of the riders was pronounced dead that afternoon and the other three were hospitalised for their injuries. A memorial ride is being held on Sunday for Sue- there will be many very heavy hearts. BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-88000582121051257652013-03-10T13:55:00.000+10:002013-03-10T13:55:19.590+10:00An Experiment in Lent(il) BehaviourThe road racing season is back for 2013 here in the north and today, Sunday, marked the second in a series of crits for the local club. Numbers have been great across all grades with more than 100 riders registering across 4 grades in addition to the junior riders.<br />
<br />
The left hand turning circuit is a 600 metre semi-rhomboid/elliptoid, flat road in a semi-industrial area as per the image below from Endomondo. What wind there was today was a greeting for all riders on the section heading into the last turn before the finishing straight on Dalrymple Road. The cross wind on the back segment was pretty much blocked out by the buildings lining the road.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
I wandered from my usual Saturday evening pre-race meal routine (pasta in one form or another) and had lentil burgers and salad. They were delicious and filling but when I woke this morning, I was absolutely starving. A couple of Weet-Bix and my usual morning breakfast drink (no- not that kind of drink!!!) called Up-n-Go and I was out the door and on the way. During the ride to the circuit and the warm up I didn't feel all that energetic so I also had an energy gel a few minutes prior to the start.<br />
<br />
Last week's average speed was just on 37km/hr for the 12 starters. This week it was 38.5 with 23 riders fronting. Like last week there were a few new starters which is always good to see- unlike last week when a young bloke who was giving it his first go and happened to grab a handful of front brake at an inopportune moment, there were no spills- even better to see.<br />
<br />
So even though the pace was on a bit more than last week, I felt I had less in the tank on the last couple of laps. So it looks like it will be back to pasta for next week's crit; however, if there's no improvement, I'll know I will have to look at the engine the fuel is going into, not at the fuel. (Or maybe crit circuits just aren't my forte)<br />
<br />
Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaB<br />
<br />
<br />BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-47585870848098246282013-03-06T20:03:00.000+10:002013-03-06T20:03:18.997+10:00Rolling and Reflecting......I have been thinking about this particular subject for almost three weeks now- it's an annual occurrence, the reflecting part that is, and has been since 1982. On 15 February of that year, 84 lives were lost when The Ocean Ranger went down in a storm off Newfoundland.<br />
<br />
I was working on a rig at the time- The Rowan Juneau- off Sable Island and we had had a bit of a brush with the same weather system some hours before. I remember our radio operator's look of despair when no further chatter could be picked up from the Ranger and the supply ships reported that one of the "unsinkable" rigs had capsized.<br />
<br />
And while it is, as I said earlier, an annual period of reflection, this year that reflection has lingered- triggered I suppose by items in the news from both here and from back in Nova Scotia:<br />
<br />
A fishing boat swamped in the waters off the coast in the southern part of Queensland- the skipper made it but his deckhand is lost, presumed drowned.<br />
<br />
A friend posted a photo the other day of a coiled heaving line from The Bounty- one of the few items remaining from the replica built for the movie- the loss coming after the skipper set sail into hurricane conditions.<br />
<br />
The sinking of The Miss Ally and the loss of all five aboard after sailing from Cape Sable Island on a halibut fishing trip.<br />
<br />
And the announcement by Clive Palmer that he is building a replica of The Titanic- that most famous of unsinkable maritime vessels- and will be tracing the voyage of the original (hopefully with a much better outcome).<br />
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The local club road racing season has just started- a series of crits last weekend and the following two Sundays to kick things off. It was really good to see a number of new faces across most grades fronting up to race- it will be interesting to see if interest remains high when we get into the longer road races.<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-86461742116387300522012-11-29T20:43:00.000+10:002012-11-29T20:43:50.542+10:00Welcome Back....So it was a good ride this morning- no rain, unlike yesterday morning when the skies opened up on the way home. As I was finishing my mid-ride coffee, I could see a bit of a squally shower moving across the bay- what were the chances that I could beat the rain?? I know why I'm not a betting person- traffic and poorly timed lights conspired to make sure that I received a good drenching all the way home- right to the driveway. Felt a bit like Joe Bftslpk from the Al Capp comic strip "L'il Abner"- he was the poor bloke who always had a rain cloud over his head.<br />
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But even with rain, any ride from which one returns safely, is a good ride- and there have been many good rides since last I posted (but not much rain).<br />
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And there has been much else happening:<br />
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I have successfully pollinated a few of these:<br />
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These are vanilla beans- we have had the plant for probably at least 10 years and this is the first time I have managed to get the pollination right- it has to be done manually as there are no bees or wasps in Australia capable of pollinating the flowers. The top photo shows a spent bloom in the upper right which I failed to see on the morning it opened and so another missed opportunity.</div>
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I'll let you know in 6 months or so how things are progressing. And now I know why real vanilla is so expensive- the pollination is the easy part- the processing and curing is a long slow process.<br />
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And then there were the dove orchids- blooming several times per year, the branches are festooned with short-lived, delicate white flowers with an interesting dusty-citrus fragrance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-fQWC9mJAt2D9b3oQ5DXslPKZ9aw-oRs4xYJpHXkwouHqruvbuY735rkgHKrQ3yjKXEMmejk5hiKGC9_7hsC_by0DQUxYSuVa6Xre6GnnXwToZ8ITHhAgapIjV7TEIP1tyW94IS1ARZj/s1600/IMG-20121119-00021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-fQWC9mJAt2D9b3oQ5DXslPKZ9aw-oRs4xYJpHXkwouHqruvbuY735rkgHKrQ3yjKXEMmejk5hiKGC9_7hsC_by0DQUxYSuVa6Xre6GnnXwToZ8ITHhAgapIjV7TEIP1tyW94IS1ARZj/s320/IMG-20121119-00021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dove orchids</td></tr>
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And in keeping with nature's phenomena- a couple of shots of our solar eclipse on 14 November- we got 96% totality.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincyQQIxeUMlceuAI8XsKIl4K_LII7RYTRjYvurtz6iuJ1miWbcM3Xgl19tNzHyFG1Wxuj_AAuHmBMRtOmdkdYSsbgX-WfSe5QA94wbBog-sdFsdHPL55yY99oNoj6Cyx7oYJq5Apf1p69/s1600/IMG-20121114-00008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincyQQIxeUMlceuAI8XsKIl4K_LII7RYTRjYvurtz6iuJ1miWbcM3Xgl19tNzHyFG1Wxuj_AAuHmBMRtOmdkdYSsbgX-WfSe5QA94wbBog-sdFsdHPL55yY99oNoj6Cyx7oYJq5Apf1p69/s320/IMG-20121114-00008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14 November solar eclipse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14 November solar eclipse</td></tr>
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Viewed with the latest in solar eclipse eyewear fashion.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fashion eyewear (of a sort)</td></tr>
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The neighbour's umbrella tree (or at least a substantial portion of it) came crashing to earth on a Saturday afternoon. These things are pot plants back in the old country (no, not that kind of pot)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TNdNBBKZdikdm2S4Z_9z8eQ6F6zD0bVud78kmbkmXjRtjC4g0_indHKYHJC1EZrQCs-xrroSU-4yqCucWp4rNQ_xnRDGIdOAAgtxSfpyV3jWNvNM3QMGmGdyK-3M7sml3s5BI3iVe0il/s1600/IMG-20121117-00017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TNdNBBKZdikdm2S4Z_9z8eQ6F6zD0bVud78kmbkmXjRtjC4g0_indHKYHJC1EZrQCs-xrroSU-4yqCucWp4rNQ_xnRDGIdOAAgtxSfpyV3jWNvNM3QMGmGdyK-3M7sml3s5BI3iVe0il/s320/IMG-20121117-00017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well now that's something you don't see everyday</td></tr>
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And in the front garden, amongst the mulch, an ornate burrowing frog.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMHGZ3gPb1IaS0nmbu6Fxcc7vNFVXMJNb-9NafKXtNy6fUxsp79TrqhhbEQB9XKhRpuUbl9tmWvPxAERTQ59tCFooG4MWzlGMf9vf6lYA5P2G4zdWRcKWX_oMYirmdV7o1tmuXfww7HX9/s1600/IMG-20121127-00029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMHGZ3gPb1IaS0nmbu6Fxcc7vNFVXMJNb-9NafKXtNy6fUxsp79TrqhhbEQB9XKhRpuUbl9tmWvPxAERTQ59tCFooG4MWzlGMf9vf6lYA5P2G4zdWRcKWX_oMYirmdV7o1tmuXfww7HX9/s320/IMG-20121127-00029.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I am not a toad!!"</td></tr>
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And last but not least- a zodiac moth.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Okay- I promise the next blogs will be more cycling-focused.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Cheers- ride safe</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">BoaB</span><br />
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<br />BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-32550833004594744532012-09-02T03:13:00.000+10:002012-09-02T03:13:07.173+10:00At the top of the Hill.....It's not a big hill- no craggy peaks or snow-fringed cols up in the thin air. But it is at the beginning and end of every ride we have done so far in Nova Scotia. It's only about 150 metres in height and about 2 km long. According to my GPS, the grade varies from 4.2% to 16.5% depending on which road I take to hook up with the main road which runs to the top. The average grade is probably around 6.8% to 7.0%.<br />
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I was hesitant about riding up the hill the first time around. Had to do a bit of on-the-bike coaching- telling myself to just keep the pedals cranking over- "Don't rush. It's not a race. You can do this."<br />
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And I did- I wouldn't go so far as to say it was the most fun I've ever had, but it certainly wasn't a stop-the-bike-and-throw-it-to-the-ground moment either. In fact I actually made a point of picking out the hilliest approaches to some of our old familiar neighbourhoods during our trip back to N.S.<br />
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It's coming to the end of summer and there is a coolness in the air- not just in the morning but right through the day. A near cloudless sky today and in the bright sun in the backyard, a most pleasant day but step around the side of the house and away from the shelter and the wind has a freshness that cuts straight through. Doesn't feel like it has even made it to 20C today.<br />
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The end of summer also is when the harvest is in full swing. We pass orchards on our rides where the trees are heavily weighed under good crops of apples and peaches. Acres and acres of pumpkins turning orange amongst the tangle of vines- a bit early yet for Hallowe'en. And fields of corn stretching almost as far as you can see.<br />
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Friday saw us travel down the Annapolis Valley to Digby for a visit with my older brother. We piled into his car and drove up to Bear River- a lovely, vibrant community in a most picturesque setting on a tidal river. In fact it is so picturesque that I was overcome by its picturesqueness and forgot to take any pictures- trust me- it's very nice. Lunch in a wonderful little restaurant perched over the river followed by a wander through a marvellous art/craft gallery/studio/shop.<br />
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Then off to one of the local wineries for a tour and tasting. The Bear River Winery is a small operation based in an old dairy barn on a south-facing, predominantly shale-based soil just up the road from the restaurant and studio. The young lady who was our tour guide was a most engaging and knowledgeable employee. She has been working at the winery since she was 15 and shows considerable passion and enthusiasm for the grapes and the resultant end product.<br />
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Interspersed throughout the afternoon, no matter where we went, was the rumble of motorcycles- big motorcycles- many, many, many motorcycles. An event called the Wharf Rat Rally is taking place in Digby and there have been estimates of anywhere from 7,000 to more than 25,000 motorcycles may be in town as part of the rally.<br />
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I really don't know how many bikes we saw yesterday, several hundred I'm sure and on the drive back to the Top of the Hill yesterday evening, I'm sure we passed at least another couple of hundred headed for the rally.<br />
I hope they have brought in a good supply of earplugs for the locals. Or I suppose if you have enough of these- the sound will eventually just fade away- Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale- "those who like it, like it a lot." (Or like a lot of it....)<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaB<br />
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BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-79955303168328567412012-07-02T16:10:00.000+10:002012-07-02T16:10:07.481+10:00Ladders, Lemons and Lengthy Legless Lizards (Oh and a Weekend Race Too!!)It's Canada Day +1 today. In honour, our city in Australia has declared today a public holiday....not really..... although it is a public holiday here in Townsville. Every year there is a public holiday declared to coincide with the local show.<br />
These were formerly agricultural exhibitions which showcased the best that the region had to offer in cattle, poultry, small crops and home-made goods amongst many other things. These days it's more about the carnival rides and show bags than anything else.<br />
We went once (I think it was only once) when our son was much younger and even he tired of it very quickly so we enjoy the day off and putter in the yard. We will be heading to eastern Canada next month and should be around for the Hants County Exhibition-a regular annual event throughout our youth and even into adulthood. It's the longest running agricultural exhibition in North America.<br />
So what does puttering on the yard on a Monday entail?<br />
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Well actually I worked from home for the morning and then watched a replay of last night's stage of Le Tour- great thing those digital recorders- you can really make a 200km road race flash by pretty quickly to get to the pointy end of things.<br />
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Then I decided it was time to harvest a few more lemons. Our tree has been loaded this year and there were a few that were desperate to be relieved of their grip on the branch. So I relocated the ladder and grabbed about half a dozen fruit- then moved the ladder around to the other side of the tree- there were a couple of very big fruit- much too high to reach from the ground.<br />
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Now that's a lemon!! 566 grams worth.<br />
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While I was recovering said lemon from the tree, I noticed one of the branches move slightly and upon closer inspection, found that I had company at the top of the ladder-<br />
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A nice little (probably 2.5 metres or so) python was basking in the sun and my harvesting activities had disrupted his slumber and he didn't seem all that happy about it. Needless to say the rest of the afternoon's lemon-pickin' has been rescheduled to a date to be confirmed. Mind you he did hang around while I fished out my phone and took a bunch of photos.<br />
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And yesterday and today were a couple of those fantastic North Queensland winter days where it is just blue skies forever with clear, clear air and nary a cloud. Bright and early Sunday morning Dee and I jumped in the car and headed inland to Charters Towers for a road race. A really nice 35km circuit with rolling hills that are enough to test the legs and get the heart rate up a bit.<br />
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First race for both of us for a bit- with work and a couple versions of flu and colds keeping me off the bike for a bit, it was nice to have a bit of a hit-out. And everybody in The Towers is so friendly and what little traffic there is, is always accommodating to the riders.<br />
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They are trying to revive the cycling club in Charters Towers and if we can help garner enthusiasm by racing there, I'm all for it.<br />
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We'll be heading back out there next month for a three stage race (their second year) and a fondo (first year) so it should be a great time.<br />
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Cheers- ride safe (and watch out for snakes)<br />
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BoaB<br />
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<br />BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-10059093555658953132012-05-19T17:55:00.001+10:002012-05-19T19:55:03.976+10:00Can it Be???It's good to be home again. I headed off last Sunday on a work-related trip to the northern part of the state. The project I have been working on is getting to the pointy end and we are making every effort to ensure that those who are impacted by the project have as much information, training and support as we can give them.<br />
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After delivering sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday- Thursday was a travel day so I was in the car and headed further north to Cooktown. It is noted as the location where Capt James Cook had to make repairs to his ship Endeavour after holing the hull on the Great Barrier Reef in 1770. Later it was a port of some importance in the gold mining rush in the late 1800's. On the way north, I stopped at a lookout on the Mulligan Highway and took a few pics........<br />
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I was not due to visit the local depot until Friday morning so after checking in to my accommodation, I took a bit of a stroll through the local museum and then climbed Grassy Hill- the spot which Capt Cook climbed in 1770 to see if he could plot a course through the myriad reefs once repairs to Endeavour were completed.<br />
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Hopefully the panorama I have stitched together comes through OK on the blog.<br />
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Then after the delivery of the session on Friday morning it was back in the car and off to Cairns for the return flight home. It's great to be home.<br />
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Thanks to Mae and Eric, my hosts in Cairns, for a great visit, lots of wine and laughs and great food.<br />
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And then it was back on the bike bright and early this morning for a nice coffee roll. Tomorrow we'll play a support role for one of the local club's longer road races of the season- Townsville to Charters Towers. Did I mention how nice it is to be home?<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
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BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-45803668721952909092012-03-24T17:55:00.001+10:002012-03-24T17:57:02.530+10:00Challenges? Well, yes I suppose...Crit this morning....postponed from last Saturday when the weather wasn't fit for man nor beast- unless you're a duck. The monsoonal rains were wreaking havoc with many facets of everyday life- not just cycling races.<br />
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I had been hoping to redeem myself somewhat after the dismal showing in the time trial but if redemption was on offer, it would have to wait another week to be received.<br />
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We did manage to squeeze in a coffee ride last weekend but that was about it. The rain returned with a vengeance- and while I don't mind getting wet (and we're talking about having the rain water run down your legs and out the holes in the bottom of your shoes here) while on a ride, I have a bit of a problem heading out into that sort of weather. Once I'm on the road- let it pour- I can handle that and have on many occasions. There just seems to be something about stepping out into the open, from a dry environment, into a wall of water that just doesn't seem to have much appeal.<br />
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Looking at our digital rain gauge, it currently reads 566mm. That's over half a metre of rain since I last changed the batteries- and that was less than 2 weeks ago. I think it was on about 680mm just before I changed them. Anyhow, that's a lot of water.<br />
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Tuesday morning, I was thinking about my regular training ride- and how I was probably not going to make it. The rain had hammered down for most of the night making sleep a fairly scarce commodity. Just on 5:00am, there were a couple claps of thunder and the wind started to gust- nothing too unusual there. Then the wind picked up further and the power went out- then the streetlights went out.<br />
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Over the top of all of this was a loud roar- like a large military transport overhead- but it went on for a few minutes. Even the military wouldn't be heading out in the current conditions- at least not locally. A quick check on Facebook showed that a friend's home (amongst many others) had lost its roof and that there were extensive power outages.<br />
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A tornado had formed and torn through an area approximately 500 metres wide and 2 kilometres long. The roar we had heard was the tornado as it tore through the neighbouring suburbs. As the crow flies, it was probably less than a kilometre away.<br />
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Through my work with the local electricity distributor, I was well aware of the impact shortly after arriving for work. What I wasn't fully braced for was the level of physical devastation which took place. I saw a few photos of infrastructure which came back from the field crews but that did nothing to prepare me for what I saw on Thursday.<br />
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We did our regular training ride and as we passed the affected area, as we do every Tuesday and Thursday, I was struck by the twisted, shredded remains of the vegetation along the road- and the definition of the tornado's path. It must have been terrifying for those who endured those seemingly endless minutes enveloped by screaming wind and flying debris.<br />
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As we got closer to my turn off on the return leg, I was shocked at just how close we were to the twister. Tornadoes are not a common occurrence here- cyclones and thunderstorms usually have some warning and time to prepare. This was, like they say, "A bolt out of the blue".<br />
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Oh and the results from the crit were acceptable, 2nd in the preem lap and third overall. The result paid for my nomination and coffee with enough left over for the next crit's nomination.<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
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BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-55719221177765953732012-03-11T16:18:00.000+10:002012-03-11T16:23:32.741+10:00The Results are in.....The local race season kicked off last weekend with a 10km individual time trial- as it has for the last several years. Same course, same distance, even pretty much the same weather- a bit grey and overcast starting out with the sun breaking through and heating things up toward the end.<br />
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Pre-race nomination started at 6:30am with racing scheduled to commence around 7:00. That target might have been achievable if we had the same numbers as last year- around 60 or so. I think the official total for this year was 117 and as a result of the influx of riders, we didn't get started until almost 8:30. It was great to see so much early season interest from the regular club members, new and potential members and a good showing from the local tri club.<br />
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I felt pretty good- I had been riding quite well and in fact had ridden the course the day before. Looking at the log of that ride, I averaged about 37 on the outbound leg and almost 39 on the way back in with a couple of high 40 intervals. We had a good meal the previous evening and took all of the usual pre-race prep.<br />
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What a difference 24 hours makes- outbound was reasonable- around 35 but just as I hit the turn, I bonked, for the first time in a race. I could not will my legs to turn the pedals any faster- I think I maxed out at 29 km/hr. Looking down at the speed and watching the following riders catch and pass one after another had no affect- there was no response- no option, "this is the speed you're going and this is all you've got."<br />
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I have had club members approach me and ask if I had checked my time- surely the result was wrong (it appears there were a couple of riders' times which were out of whack) but alas it was the truth.<br />
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So I have awarded myself a little certificate, just as a reminder of how quickly things can change. Don't worry, I'll be back......<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-90639632137405697222012-03-07T18:56:00.000+10:002012-03-07T18:56:47.623+10:00BlogostomyCan't find a definition for "blogostomy" but I would submit that it is a blog which has been excised from existence in the blogosphere.<br />
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I can hear people saying, "What the hell did you have on your cornflakes this morning?"<br />
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To which I reply, "I didn't have cornflakes this morning. It was toast and peanut butter."<br />
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Back to the blogostomy- last week I did a bit of experimentation with one of <a href="http://troppocycle.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/ride-to-breakwater.html" target="_blank">Dee's photos</a>- the panoramic shot she used of the city looking back across the breakwater and harbour. The only way I could do it was to create a blog, insert the photo and then view the blog to see the result with the intention of immediately deleting the blog.<br />
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And that is what I did; however, (and doesn't it always seem that there is a "however" or a "but", or a "whatever") what I didn't realise was that for the many thousands, sorry, make that both, of the people who religiously follow my musings, that moment of digital and binary existence became a bit of a mystery.<br />
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The blog showed up as a new post yet when anyone tried to access it, it was a dead end and so I offer my most profound apologies- well, maybe not my most profound but certainly up in the top 10,000.<br />
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"So what else has happened?", I hear you ask (Or is that the rain gurgling in the downpipes?) The running program which I embarked on some weeks back has been completed successfully. The Couch to 5 K program is a 9 week progressive plan to get non-runners conditioned to run a full 30 minutes (or approximately 5 kilometres). I would recommend it to any and all.<br />
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I have found that my cardio has improved, even considering the amount of cycling I was doing prior to getting with the program and my overall strength on the bike is improving. Although if I had to base my judgement on race results, I would call that judgement into question. Sunday was the first event of the year- a 10km time trial and you know how some days you just don't have it- Sunday was definitely one of those days.<br />
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Some project work I'm doing at the moment has seen a bit of an adjustment to my morning ride regime- an early start sees me having to cut my ride short by about 30 minutes. Yes I suppose I could get up another 30 minutes earlier but setting my alarm for 3:45 doesn't hold much appeal.<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaB BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-24328683806641095262012-01-21T17:18:00.001+10:002012-01-22T06:18:59.013+10:00Where Were you Warnie????Earlier this week, former Australian Test cricketer Shane Warne created a bit of controversy when he took to the Twittersphere after an <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hWmenZ9PnJU11-Bv8UMuSBliaJkw?docId=CNG.82d34fc4affe66dfee340b574d1077bb.91" target="_blank">incident</a> involving a cyclist in Melbourne.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun68ygj1aEBYDumsYECUGz7A2p3wrb_6yEvUWNlrySqna2ehnOpmXvQ3EprvOwbwCLLePCzh1fJowDBan5BM_4TuGXL_oPN7Ola4v7rX6MPsaSl4gYqd2YkekXEh-D3zVXQ0sXNrmJ7zl/s1600/SWBMLH1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun68ygj1aEBYDumsYECUGz7A2p3wrb_6yEvUWNlrySqna2ehnOpmXvQ3EprvOwbwCLLePCzh1fJowDBan5BM_4TuGXL_oPN7Ola4v7rX6MPsaSl4gYqd2YkekXEh-D3zVXQ0sXNrmJ7zl/s200/SWBMLH1.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here's a couple of pics of S. Warne in the era SWBMLH (Shane Warne Before Meeting Liz Hurley)<br />
Photos from au.sports.yahoo.com and brent-goodman.blogspot.com<br />
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And in the SWAMLH era. (From heraldsun.com.au)<br />
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According to Warne's tweets and subsequent story in the media, the cyclist had held onto his car for a free ride and then when traffic was stopped at an intersection, the cyclist made his way past Warne's stopped car and then thumped the car with his fist as he went by. He (Warne) was so incensed by this behaviour that he filed a police report and then took to Twitter.<br />
The media jumped (as did Warne's Twitter followers) to the defence of this "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larrikinism" target="_blank">larrikin</a>" of a sporting hero. Everything from, "You have no right to be on the roads" to "We'll see how some of these cyclists might like to have someone throw a shoulder charge at them". There was also a resurgence in calls for mandatory bicycle registration as a means of reeling in the "out of control" cyclists on the streets of the nation. (As if that has done a lot to reign in the motorists who are wont to flout the laws)<br />
Then the cyclist decided it was time for his side of the story to be brought into the light. He said it was important that people had both sides of the story- so he contacted cycling blogger Wade Wallace at <a href="http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2012/01/cyclist-versus-warnie-the-cyclists-story/" target="_blank">CyclingTips</a> (this link will take you to the article).<br />
The Reader's Digest version is that the cyclist had weaved past Warne's car which was stopped in the middle of an intersection- against a red light. (I thought it was poor form to enter a blocked intersection but then again, what do I know- I've never played cricket- maybe the road rules are different if you're a former test cricketer). The cyclist made his way past the car when Warne yelled at him- the cyclist responded in kind, Warne had a further exchange and then moved his car forward into the cyclist's bike causing damage to the bike which rendered it unrideable and forcing the rider to carry his bike out of traffic. He subsequently carried his bike to the nearest police station and filed a report.<br />
It is interesting to note that independent witnesses have come forth to corroborate his (the cyclist's) version of events and as far as I am aware, none have come forward to support Shane Warne. The cyclist has indicated that really all he wants is to have is bike repaired but in light of the media coverage and furore, thought it best to at least give the public an opportunity to hear both sides.<br />
But we all know Shane was acting in humanity's best interests and as a revered sporting figure (dare I say hero? I suppose to some he is) was trying to smooth the rough and stormy waters that so often extend across the gulf between motorists and cyclists. I'm not saying that all cyclists are without blame- I see my share of pinheads on two wheels almost everytime I go for a ride- running red lights, failing to indicate turns, riding more than two abreast....all the usual stuff. But I also see motorists doing the same things (other than more than two abreast)- more often than cyclists- and in vehicles which can sometimes be in excess of 20 tonnes.<br />
So where were you Warnie on my ride yesterday morning when the bloke in the sedan failed to give way at a T intersection until he was actually in the lane of oncoming traffic? I had to come to a complete stop to avoid being another statistic....<br />
Where were you Warnie on my ride yesterday morning when a large commercial vehicle with a 30 foot sea container on the back ran a red light at approximately 70 km/hr when we had a green light? I could see he wasn't even considering touching the brakes from about 200 metres from the intersection.<br />
Where were you Warnie on my ride yesterday morning when yet another bloke with his personalised plates (JORDYN) failed to give way at another T intersection forcing me, again, to come to a complete stop?<br />
So Shane, if you're out there, can you send out a few tweets to some of your idolising, vehicle-piloting, adoring fans to keep an eye out for me and my friends? We're pretty fragile you know....unlike a Mercedes sedan.....<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-50207636185717227672012-01-01T13:59:00.000+10:002012-01-01T13:59:18.520+10:00By the Numbers....A happy New Year to all who happen to come by my little missive page. We didn't actually see out 2011- I packed it in around 10:30. We heard the early celebratory fireworks in the distance but the midnight display was lost on me. I was well and truly into Dreamworld by then.<br />
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We had done our usual Saturday morning coffee ride and then in the afternoon, teamed up with our son and some of our friends to take in the Tin Tin movie. It was a lot of fun and very true to the books. I think Messrs Spielberg and Jackson have quite a franchise before them should they choose to do all of the books.<br />
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Then late in the afternoon, Dee and I did a stage of the "Couch to 5K (C25K)" program. For Dee it was the end of her first week and for me, it was the first session so I really haven't missed out on much. I figure that the inclusion of a few running km's per week will help in my training program and make me a stronger cyclist. <br />
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Then some barbecued chicken with pasta and salad, a few glasses of vino, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo (one of our New Year's Eve traditions) and a Bollywood movie (which isn't one of our NYE traditions and which I didn't see through to the end- but my guess is the hero got his woman in the tradition of the genre).<br />
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Then this morning it was up and on the road for a leisurely ride into the city and a coffee and back home.<br />
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Time to start the 2012 mileage (or kilometres for those of us who are metrically inclined) spreadsheet. If anybody would like a user-friendly spreadsheet, I recommend one created by Mark D. Pankin. It is available free of charge at this <a href="http://www.pankin.com/miles.htm">site</a>.<br />
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For 2011, the total was 11157.5 with December being the biggest month at 1353.1km. February was the lowest with only 4 rides for a total of 135.4. That was mainly due to the cyclone which struck early in the month and the ensuing road closures and hazards from fallen debris.<br />
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Here's hoping 2012 is a safe and happy year for all.<br />
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Please ride safely<br />
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Cheers<br />
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BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-20021659453016915532011-12-22T18:43:00.000+10:002011-12-25T17:00:50.944+10:00'Bout Time!!!"So, long time no read. You been overseas or something?"<br />
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"Vicariously, I suppose. We can all go anywhere, any time we choose through the magic of the web."<br />
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"So- where did you go?"<br />
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"Nowhere basically. But I have put an absolute shedload of k's on the bike since last I posted."<br />
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"And, so, to what do we owe the honour of this post?"<br />
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"It's Christmas- that time when we all need to over-indulge for 24+ hours and then catharticise for the previous 358 days of the year. And so the Christmas season has descended upon us.......prepare for the onslaught."<br />
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Last night, we hosted the annual Christmas light/bike ride/alcohol intake/pig-out.....We had about 2 dozen participants (kids included) who took part in our ride. I think we covered about 8km and I have to say that the lights were every bit as impressive as last year but the number of displays were down on previous rides.<br />
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Pre-ride preparations included nibblies and a few "bubbly" appertifs and lots of laughs. As darkness settled, we headed off (on bikes of course) with lights aglow. Fellow road users were most accommodating of the two-wheelers as we made our way to common locations.<br />
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As we cycled around the various suburbs, it struck me that we were accorded lots of room and friendly waves- none of the angst so apparent betwixt road users at other times of the day/week/year. Maybe I need to enlist a couple of kids to ride with me in the early morning (and wear a bunch of battery operated Christmas lights all the time). Here we were, cycling at about 8-9 km/hour without issue.<br />
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Try and do that during daylight hours. What brought this home was watching several mowers moving from one suburb to another via a road bridge- a two lane, non-shouldered, no bike lane bridge. Now these things move along okay (certainly not as fast as most cyclists I ride with) and motorists are content (notice I did not say happy) to fall in behind these guys and "go with the flow".<br />
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I can guarantee that if it was cyclists ahead of the vehicles, there would be angst, horns sounded and letters and/or texts to the local paper about the "lycra clowns" or "Lance wannabe's".<br />
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Go figure eh!!!!<br />
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The next few days will be society's gift to cyclists in our area. Warm mornings with very, very few motorists on the roads. If you have the chance- get out there and enjoy it!!!<br />
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Merry Christmas to all<br />
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Ride safe<br />
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BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-83412610791070906702011-11-14T17:29:00.001+10:002011-11-14T17:54:06.809+10:00On This Day.....14 November- a quick search of the famous search engine application that rhymes with Dougall lists some well-known identities with birthdays falling on the fourteenth day of the eleventh month:<br />
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William III (1650)<br />
Claude Monet (1840)<br />
Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1922) a name so nice he used it twice<br />
P.J. O'Rourke (1947)<br />
Next King of England and the Commonwealth (maybe) (1948)<br />
Mozart -Johann Georg Leopold, not Amadeus (1719)<br />
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And some musical events of note:<br />
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Leonard Bernstein made his debut with the New York Philharmonic (1943)<br />
Black Magic Woman by Santana was released (1970)<br />
The band Queen was formed (1971)<br />
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And a few historical events:<br />
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Hungarian uprising crushed by the USSR (1956)<br />
Apollo XII blasted off for the moon (1969)<br />
Blue Ribbon Sports became Nike (1972)<br />
BoaB and <a href="http://troppocycle.blogspot.com/">Dee</a> wed (1981) Okay so that one didn't actually come up in the search results.<br />
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And on that note, the historical and romantic significance of which cannot be surpassed, I give you this link of one of my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrGDoDloD1M">favourite songs</a> which pretty much sums up the way I feel today, our 30th anniversary, and every day.<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaB<br />
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<br />BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-29660984180594096022011-11-01T21:01:00.001+10:002011-11-02T16:48:16.865+10:00Some Rides Just Give Me the Sh*ts.....I should have posted this on the weekend but, well, sh*t happens and things get pushed aside.<br />
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We did our regular Saturday coffee ride and things were really quite controlled. Before we headed off, one of the group suggested (rather strongly I might add), that perhaps the group should split in two- those who feel the "need for speed" and those looking for a leisurely, social ride (I'm not talking "dawdle" here but just a nice steady pace of 28-30km/hr).<br />
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The "fast" group headed off first, leaving about a dozen and a half of us to make our way at a more sedate pace (or so we thought). Turns out the fast group had a bit of a think about their behaviour and sort of reigned things in. Anyhow, we all got together for a cup of java as per usual and eventually made our way home for the rest of the weekend.<br />
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Saturday afternoon rolls around and I thought I needed a few more kilometres (as you do). So, off I went with a circuit in mind and I had probably done about 75% of it when I had a flat- rear tire of course. It was midday- full sun, windy and probably not the best time of day to be cycling.<br />
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I found a bit of shade and proceeded to make repairs. I was using a patched tube and upon inspection, it turned out that the patch had failed. "No worries", I think. Just peel off the old patch and replace it with a "You beaut'" glueless patch.<br />
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2 minutes and I have pumped it up and I'm ready to go. I think I made it about 200 metres when I had that sinking feeling that it just wasn't right. Sure enough, it was flat again- guess you didn't do such a great job anyhow did you????<br />
<br />
No messing around- just change the tube and get going will you? So I did and when I attempted to disconnect the pump, the Presta valve snapped off and all of my efforts were gone in one quick little "pffft".<br />
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So now I have to look at resurrecting the previously patched tube to make it home. So I put some air in it to see if I can find the leak- nothing, rien, nichts, nada, zilch, zip, SFA. (Turns out I hadn't screwed the Presta valve closed on the first go-round and again, all of my work disappeared like a puff of wind) .<br />
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Okay, third tube change completed and I'm on my way- sort of. I couldn't clip in with my left shoe- seems while I was concentrating on getting the tube replaced/repaired/pumped up/etc I managed to stand on a lump of semi-dessicated dogturd which was now firmly packed into the cleat of my shoe.<br />
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Okay- find a branch/twig/anything to dig this shit out so I can get home. "Gawd"- if it didn't smell so bad you could probably use this stuff as a cyclone-rated building material. It was packed in there pretty well. Took about 5 minutes to wash the remainder out of the cleat when I got home. What can I say????BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-82264644277659040402011-10-22T20:54:00.002+10:002011-10-22T21:02:11.704+10:00If Only.......- Despots, tyrants and dictators had been made obsolete 3000 years ago....<br />
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- The only "drones" were those found in beehives....<br />
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- World food production was directed where it is needed, not just where it is wanted.....<br />
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- Clean, safe water was available for everyone....<br />
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- There was no need for "armed intervention"....<br />
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- People could believe that "the other side of politics" isn't out to get them....<br />
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- "The other side of politics" trusted <b>the other side of politics</b>....<br />
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- Some people would learn to read....<br />
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- Some people would learn to comprehend what they read....<br />
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- The angst suffered between road users could be made to disappear....<br />
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- Everyone could experience the joy that comes from making the pedals go round....<br />
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Even making the pedals go round can sometimes bring pain and suffering. Our Saturday group rides have been getting a bit unruly of late. What started out some years ago as a social coffee ride of about a dozen riders has grown (blossomed/swelled/transmogrified/transitioned) into a free-for-all of up to 60 riders.<br />
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I had been, until recently, sending out a weekly email to the group with a bit of local cycling news and what was on for the weekend- pretty mundane stuff in the scheme of things but if I didn't send it, inevitably, there would be a text or email- "Is there a ride on Saturday?"<br />
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Anyhow, I gave it away- despite my efforts to impart a bit of cycling etiquette to some of the newcomers, they just didn't want to hear it. Erratic behaviour, failure to point out hazards, leaving riders with mechanicals or flats on their own, no consideration for other road users- the list goes on.<br />
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After last week's ride when a few "new riders" (new only in the sense of new to our ride- apparently they have been riding for years- you would think they would know better) showed up and displayed their "skills" for all to see, I decided that if those same riders fronted this morning, I would ride off the back and leave them to their own.<br />
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Needless to say, Dee and I rode as a group of two this morning. We did manage to catch up to the group after about 20km- they were all standing around waiting for the ambulance to cart off one of the group who was looking decidedly "the worse for wear" after touching wheels with the rider in front of him. A broken collarbone, some road rash, a smashed helmet and some spilled "claret" took a bit of the edge off some of the group. He will be experiencing some pain and suffering for a few days at least.<br />
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My weekday rides for the past 18 months have been on my own. I ride as hard as I like for as long as I like- without having to rely on someone else to come through on the front or worrying that I'm going too soft or too hard for those riding with me. I insert intervals where I like and make the ride "mine". Ideally, I head out about 2 to 3 minutes ahead of the two main group rides and work to stay ahead. Sometimes I stay away, other times- well, let's just say I have bad luck at the traffic lights.<br />
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Then about two months ago, several riders approached me and asked if they could ride with me. They were tired of the behaviours of the group ride and were looking for a safer option. After a couple of weeks of listening to their requests, I agreed- but these were the rules- this is how I ride- basically, if you don't like it, don't bother coming along.<br />
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I have sent one bloke packing- seems he is allergic to fresh air and didn't want to come to the front. That's not the biggest issue- I have been riding solo and if I give an elbow flick, there just isn't anyone to come through and take a pull. As the Velominati would say, "Have a dose of Rule V". My issue comes from dragging his butt along for 20km and then when the group which he wanted to get away from comes by, he jumps in with them. I guess I'm just not high-profile enough....<br />
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The bunch that he jumped with make a turn and head through the port area of town- things tend to heat up a bit as far as pace goes so he avoids that part of the ride. We caught up to him in town, at which point I called the court to order, read the charge, provided the evidence, asked for evidence in defence, determined the verdict and issued the sentence in less time than it took for the traffic lights to change.<br />
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As for the rest, I have advised them that they're going to have to lift their game. I record all of my rides and over the last couple of weeks the average speed has dropped by a couple of km/hr and the intensity is dropping as well. If things don't turn north this week, well, I just may be back to riding with my group of one. And if anyone misbehaves, I know who to speak with..... I guess I am my own little dictator.<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
<br />
BoaB<br />
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<br />BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-89093191458868471502011-09-04T20:44:00.001+10:002011-09-04T20:45:37.105+10:00September- Where Does the Year Go?????The first weekend of September- here in the tropics, it's the first week of spring- a new beginning. Time to cast off the cold (cool by anyone else's measure) weather gear and luxuriate under the clear blue skies which so soon will fade to a washed out blue in the tropical summer. In the land of my birth, it's Labour Day weekend- that last gasp of summer holidays before the return to school.<br />
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Today (Sunday) is also Fathers' Day in Australia and Dee and I spent the day on the hop as it were. Not that we usually have a slothful Sunday- just that we usually spend the day puttering in the yard and garden. Today veered a bit from the normal course we steer.<br />
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No early morning ride and coffee. My legs were strident in their refusal, "It's not fair- you made us do something different....and we don't like it!!!" That "something" was a run. On Friday I thought I should start working a bit of running into my exercise regime. Nothing too strenuous, just a couple of km's to start out- at a pace which most runners would probably consider to be just "slightly above shuffle".<br />
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And I felt good- even the "morning after" I felt good- 55+ km ride with a few good hitouts thrown into the mix. I felt good....until this morning. Sometime during the night, I'm sure a troop of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_(Middle-earth)">Gimli</a> and his fellow dwarvish warriors descended and made merry with their axes and hammers upon the flesh of my legs. I could hardly walk this morning let alone pedal a bike.<br />
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After a Fathers' Day breakfast of French toast with strawberries and maple syrup, we made a trip to the local beachfront promenade, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strand,_Townsville">The Strand</a>. This year is the biennial art display<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/09/02/3308934.htm"> "Ephemera"</a>. And so we walked the Strand and took in the artworks that make up this year's Ephemera. (It made my legs "happier" and my soul)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BZZvPdR1xp8OykRhXkvdpoVw8WQEeqqS_Uq00LrooP5gIXPQNJyD-7ABNHkcahL2dLvoPkUTpTEvU5Dh8bV075OKgfHS5ba-zPeuM_HRBt2ZRH97Zl9ObAmkTtFL0OMd8Dyuz1LkRMUO/s1600/Townsville-20110904-00066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BZZvPdR1xp8OykRhXkvdpoVw8WQEeqqS_Uq00LrooP5gIXPQNJyD-7ABNHkcahL2dLvoPkUTpTEvU5Dh8bV075OKgfHS5ba-zPeuM_HRBt2ZRH97Zl9ObAmkTtFL0OMd8Dyuz1LkRMUO/s320/Townsville-20110904-00066.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The giant Crayons<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TnJAwkG2byqgBKDsxVew_nVQaH9sT6xTT2Ry5wgMx3CqIg-8IbTg5LU43mC4Zg3_rAWuBKqgS9d04Q9-WNXo3ING6dA9B-0tmTVXjif5Fjl7fOI8pfBmHhz8nP2YMO-JuvgSWv8CIkI4/s1600/Townsville-20110901-00051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TnJAwkG2byqgBKDsxVew_nVQaH9sT6xTT2Ry5wgMx3CqIg-8IbTg5LU43mC4Zg3_rAWuBKqgS9d04Q9-WNXo3ING6dA9B-0tmTVXjif5Fjl7fOI8pfBmHhz8nP2YMO-JuvgSWv8CIkI4/s320/Townsville-20110901-00051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0S0VL0ojysilE8BcFMpJaxCicLXI4NFCRuzO2ySRH2pT1VcfE-03_jdliIZKtES-g2VMMZpK2IZbj6OcTYx4_j7lmKF1qT0YW2PzvXjZhQtQFFCogHpNzTfFjx8xtRfE4o2hfcWgDeLcI/s1600/Townsville-20110901-00052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0S0VL0ojysilE8BcFMpJaxCicLXI4NFCRuzO2ySRH2pT1VcfE-03_jdliIZKtES-g2VMMZpK2IZbj6OcTYx4_j7lmKF1qT0YW2PzvXjZhQtQFFCogHpNzTfFjx8xtRfE4o2hfcWgDeLcI/s320/Townsville-20110901-00052.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRkG7ZnI8EbvXjoMd67cqbWNJUv2b3-uUkGIQGDJpZPVNTDwqad48KxLe7HbGDJZv1TO8moxnIIPw3Exe-TMne7AvBFizHZdopklwwVtGiV1G9b_GziNwSnXpWgWN0Izfz-vUNESH7RpU/s1600/Townsville-20110901-00053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRkG7ZnI8EbvXjoMd67cqbWNJUv2b3-uUkGIQGDJpZPVNTDwqad48KxLe7HbGDJZv1TO8moxnIIPw3Exe-TMne7AvBFizHZdopklwwVtGiV1G9b_GziNwSnXpWgWN0Izfz-vUNESH7RpU/s320/Townsville-20110901-00053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Toadstool Garden<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvu6e9dL_3sQ63pLYHqu_hLeJEg78aO_1UEWPkTbSW0ilxL6asMxVaNHLpiKmE2BvQKqjRVRgbK9kMnH3J5SLTW2KyT0qz1mp-KLaghB_7lLJ-zuTJUd7vz5z_gD7LpKGiIbLm2f-IDqRE/s1600/Townsville-20110901-00054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvu6e9dL_3sQ63pLYHqu_hLeJEg78aO_1UEWPkTbSW0ilxL6asMxVaNHLpiKmE2BvQKqjRVRgbK9kMnH3J5SLTW2KyT0qz1mp-KLaghB_7lLJ-zuTJUd7vz5z_gD7LpKGiIbLm2f-IDqRE/s320/Townsville-20110901-00054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Bagu Aboriginal art installation<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqY9nrCvBaEC2L3uUvMMwHM0WG7bg2e6fzScLmIZVegMA7HNczaVA7g_xnhPu62HzkpBu_WJGYabidZfrP5EUaBMCk5eZBqBcDddv5qXC-rp7ZqF7ck-zWMDw4bScET_ZUoI39MV33gfU/s1600/Townsville-20110904-00055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqY9nrCvBaEC2L3uUvMMwHM0WG7bg2e6fzScLmIZVegMA7HNczaVA7g_xnhPu62HzkpBu_WJGYabidZfrP5EUaBMCk5eZBqBcDddv5qXC-rp7ZqF7ck-zWMDw4bScET_ZUoI39MV33gfU/s320/Townsville-20110904-00055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Japanese "raked sand" garden<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6YVBtakLC1NHa1SxVkailEbxt7dO2CMgcJGZADhFXUgI9Ndy3abt2UpbyhaUvQ0n26i4lo-LEV_CTqzB1EjsAvHWKLMKBPw3_VKSt_NkXYYDVlspy4PDirRii6Zc5T3mpLAAxN0l_Syk/s1600/Townsville-20110904-00058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6YVBtakLC1NHa1SxVkailEbxt7dO2CMgcJGZADhFXUgI9Ndy3abt2UpbyhaUvQ0n26i4lo-LEV_CTqzB1EjsAvHWKLMKBPw3_VKSt_NkXYYDVlspy4PDirRii6Zc5T3mpLAAxN0l_Syk/s320/Townsville-20110904-00058.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Glass turtles making for the sea<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVT8YNOJJzH0NdGc0iQbKiBIj_jJmKgQu6j_26-tLK0m6FaLsYgcH_sEFWnI7J2SN55NIVs7mXDm-aPEwNBwx_SOmA3GUrphyphenhyphenLi__TzZdckZg3vMfi0R4lKjYKGiv79kwjhbMuqszQ60o/s1600/Townsville-20110904-00059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVT8YNOJJzH0NdGc0iQbKiBIj_jJmKgQu6j_26-tLK0m6FaLsYgcH_sEFWnI7J2SN55NIVs7mXDm-aPEwNBwx_SOmA3GUrphyphenhyphenLi__TzZdckZg3vMfi0R4lKjYKGiv79kwjhbMuqszQ60o/s320/Townsville-20110904-00059.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> And a bike- there are always bikes...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGX2ThKpIxMHk7N_MGt6ujt8zI1Xyp_AwT64Hn35QCY0lbpnySyRSmyTDJWJQANK5wp6MQ3T4GJNEaKGwjyClH1NuDZcKAOhG22dChFNW98peTc1YfEw31AetxfklNd-2HD5VolTDNlI3/s1600/Townsville-20110904-00063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGX2ThKpIxMHk7N_MGt6ujt8zI1Xyp_AwT64Hn35QCY0lbpnySyRSmyTDJWJQANK5wp6MQ3T4GJNEaKGwjyClH1NuDZcKAOhG22dChFNW98peTc1YfEw31AetxfklNd-2HD5VolTDNlI3/s320/Townsville-20110904-00063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Flying fish....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIIl9SsidHrB4iSbWi58VAnDmbQuM_kWU4i0lwJJ8J_4StYB_httMqHbknV6mFa7JK3Oif56MUAe7AEDlF1uYqAiwLJf8z2zJOU7WMg8H0Gy29Nqqlmf8zDO9HpSBMkRnAaukcukGIz1N/s1600/Townsville-20110904-00064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIIl9SsidHrB4iSbWi58VAnDmbQuM_kWU4i0lwJJ8J_4StYB_httMqHbknV6mFa7JK3Oif56MUAe7AEDlF1uYqAiwLJf8z2zJOU7WMg8H0Gy29Nqqlmf8zDO9HpSBMkRnAaukcukGIz1N/s320/Townsville-20110904-00064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dee and "3D" chalk work....<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaB<br />
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BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-42194000029642981172011-08-14T20:32:00.000+10:002011-08-14T20:32:32.521+10:00Well That Was a First.....Not a first in the sense of being first amongst a group of like-minded individuals to pass a specific point marking the end of a defined distance in the shortest possible time- but rather as a participant in an inaugural event. Charters Towers is a gold mining/beef production/boarding school town located about 125 km south-west of Townsville.<br />
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Each year the town has a bit of a festival (The Gold Fever Festival) centred around the gold mining industry. It is a lifestyle festival which incorporates the history of mining and current operations as well as sporting activities like a Fun Run and this year, a three stage cycling race.<br />
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Gold Fever LeTour included an individual time trial (18km) and a criterium on a 1.3km circuit on Saturday and then a road race back to Townsville with the distance varying from 103km to 121km depending on the grade.<br />
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Our local club has had a memorial race (The Bob Campbell Memorial) which has been run on this weekend for many years. This year, that race was incorporated into the Gold Fever LeTour schedule with considerable support from the Charters Towers Regional Council, Townsville City Council, Xstrata Great Western Games and many financial sponsors.<br />
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For a first time event, the support was fantastic-more than 80 licensed riders registered for the weekend's racing. There were additional riders who took part in the time trial only and as part of the festival, a "Come and Try Day" was held for unlicensed riders on the criterium circuit.<br />
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I had never taken part in a stage event and wanted to be part of the weekend so I registered and headed off Saturday morning for the TT and crit. I have done a TT before- but never one which included so many, what shall we call them- undulations perhaps??<br />
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Okay- just over half an hour of self-inflicted misery and it was all over. But it wasn't bad for for someone with a keen aversion to hills- had me in sixth in our grade (almost commuter grade). Then a bit of a break and off to the crit circuit- 25 minutes plus 3 laps of a 1.3km circuit with a couple of testing corners and a downhill finish into a headwind.<br />
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About 10 of us got away after 7 or 8 laps and managed to stay away for the rest of the crit- I didn't manage to pick up either of the sprint prizes on the intermediate laps and I didn't get lapped and was able to hang on for a top ten in the general classification after two stages.<br />
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Then it was in the car and back to town- <a href="http://troppocycle.blogspot.com/">Dee</a> was coming back from her trip to Nova Scotia. Gawd, the last four weeks have been lonely.<br />
<br />
So with my support crew back in town, it was up and at 'em at 4:15 this morning. We headed back to "The Towers" for a 6:30am race start. About 8C and foggy was how it all began and 103 km (2 hours and 45 minutes) later, it was all over. And despite the great hand-off of the water bottle, I didn't manage to squeeze it like I intended (sorry Dee) and it hit the deck. Fortunately I still had about half a bottle on board which was enough to see me through. Overall the race was less painful than I had feared but that last "little" hill before the finishing straight was my nemesis. Despite leading the group on to the hill, I felt the cramps coming on in my thighs and had to back off in order to keep moving. I was not alone as the sprint leader of our category fell to more severe cramps and fell well behind me.<br />
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I think I finished in about 9th in today's stage and it was enough to take me to 5th place overall in GC and plant the seeds for next year's race. The dates have been set and the planning has begun. Here's hoping this is the start of a great event on the race calendar.<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaB<br />
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BoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-16598231420813284062011-07-31T16:22:00.000+10:002011-07-31T16:22:59.595+10:00Now, how did I do that?About a week ago, I woke with a sore back- lower back- sort of, just above the waist. Have no idea what I did- there hasn't been any heavy lifting, twisting or turning. No games of football, soccer or hockey- I just don't know.<br />
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I did some gardening and some painting, but nothing any different to the normal chores around the house and yard<br />
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It seems to be at its worst early in the morning although some mornings there isn't a single twinge. And I have had lots of suggested cures: You need your spine re-aligned, you need acupuncture, you need to stretch on the balance ball before your feet hit the floor in the morning, you need to stretch your hip flexors......needless to say, I haven't taken on board all of the suggestions.<br />
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I have tried some stretches and some ball exercises and while I definitely feel better, I can't say unequivocally that one or the other is responsible for the improvement. This morning I got up for an 80+km ride and as I started to get ready, there was the twinge.<br />
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I decided to forego the long ride- it would be rather unfortunate to get to the furthest point from home on an out-and-back trek and start really experiencing some pain (other than the self-inflicted type from mashing on the pedals). Instead, I just did a 50km loop around the city. And the further I went, and the more I warmed up, the better my back felt.<br />
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So I guess I'll just have to ride more- what a shame.......<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-79881987530478602852011-07-24T21:01:00.004+10:002011-07-27T08:31:36.360+10:00How Good was That Ride???Like 99.998% of all cycling fans in Australia, I was glued to the coverage of the ITT from Grenoble last night. The hopes of a cycling nation were resting on the somewhat slight shoulders of Cadel Evans and his not-so-slight quads and hammies.<br />
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With a deficit of 57 seconds to Andy Schleck, Cadel entered the penultimate stage which was being held on the same course as the TT stage of the Criterium Dauphine in June of this year- a race which Cadel rode as a precursor to the Tour.<br />
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Watching the intermediate times come up on the screen quickly allayed any fears that Evans would yet again fall short. Before the half way point, Cadel had erased the deficit and was quickly establishing a strong account with time being the deposits.<br />
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It was clear before Evans even crossed the finish line that he would be wearing the yellow onto the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Avenue des Champs-Élysées</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>on Sunday and become the first Australian to wear the golden fleece as the victor of the Le Grand Boucle.<br />
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Dragging my weary butt off to bed at 2:30 this morning, I didn't foresee getting in an early morning ride and turned off my alarm (and I have been suffering from a very sore lower back for a couple of days- cause unknown but as of Sunday evening is definitely on the mend).<br />
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Today was also the big event on the local MTB scene- the Paluma Push. "The Push" is a cross country race/ride which raises funds for the local rural fire brigade in the rainforest community of Paluma- located about 60 km from Townsville. There are two categories- a recreational class which covers 40 km and a competitive class which covers an extra 20 km.<br />
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A number of our friends have taken part in this race in every edition of the race and still finish with a smile on their face. I drove up to Paluma to cheer them on at the finish line- having done this race a couple of times myself, any encouragement over those last 300 metres helps you to forget about the cramps, the lactic build up, the bumps and scrapes and is well received.<br />
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I took the camera in the hopes of getting some pics- and I did get some pictures- just not pictures of what I thought I was aiming at. I find the digital display very hard to see in bright sunlight and as a result I ended up with shots of riders and backgrounds- sometimes minus the rider. Oh well...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tiIjUKSJawW8FQmIephpT2Ps0aUKOjQN0l3uZI9I9L5PmMHB4qg2X59fojqSNd5KmvPRfLHqhBno_BNDaElnGKihrH9Zl6Fh9JZS8O3aZ-qHydkHr0d8LEHW10Er1qsbUQFbQwtUeI71/s1600/S+Butler+and+Ash.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tiIjUKSJawW8FQmIephpT2Ps0aUKOjQN0l3uZI9I9L5PmMHB4qg2X59fojqSNd5KmvPRfLHqhBno_BNDaElnGKihrH9Zl6Fh9JZS8O3aZ-qHydkHr0d8LEHW10Er1qsbUQFbQwtUeI71/s320/S+Butler+and+Ash.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Steve Butler and Ash O'Neill (Steve didn't even get lost this year and had a PB)<br />
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Steve Breen's back (at least he's in the picture)<br />
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Steve Donaldson (post Timor L'Este secret training)<br />
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Bill and Julie (minus Julie)<br />
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All in all- good fun. Now it's almost time to watch Cadel make his way in to Paris and lay claim to the Maillot Jaune and a place in this country's sporting history.<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
<br />
BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-48111593111210892602011-07-17T20:55:00.000+10:002011-07-17T20:55:48.349+10:00Racing Cancelled- Let's go into Rescue Mode...This morning's (Sunday) race was supposed to be a criterium to be run in place of a road race which scheduled for a circuit which is still showing the ill effects of this year's wet season. Unfortunately, the crit was cancelled. This is a bit of a disappointment as this was to be the last crit before the 3 stage race next month.<br />
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So in light of the cancellation, I decided to do a bit of work in the garden while <a href="http://troppocycle.blogspot.com/">Dee</a> made her final preparations for her trip to Canada. The garden beds needed to be edged and weeded so I got stuck into it. I then noticed a stump- the remnants of a wattle that came down in the cyclone in February. Better get rid of that too while I'm at it so I got the mattock to cut the roots and dig out the stump.<br />
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I took one swipe and cut one of the six roots that were keeping it anchored in the ground. As I moved on to the next one- I heard a plaintiff, little mewling cry. Turning to my right, I saw a little pinkish figure sprawled on the sugar cane mulch. It was a very young possum- still mostly hairless with eyes looking to be just recently opened.<br />
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I looked in the surrounding trees but there was no sign of Mum Possum. Not sure if this little one was the smaller of twins and was rejected or fell from her mum's pouch but she definitely wasn't going to make it on her own- not with a nesting pair of sea eagles next door who happen to have a couple of young chicks constantly demanding a feed.<br />
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I grabbed a tea towel and scooped her up and asked Dee to ring the Wildlife Carers. We are very fortunate to have a wonderful local volunteer group who look after injured and abandoned native creatures. They advised Dee that their Animal rescue Centre was open today and could we bring the possum around. We took the little possum to the carers who immediately placed her in a fluffy pouch and said they would immediately start her on a rehydration formula to be followed by a "milk" formula.<br />
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The carer advised that the possum should do quite well- she had a very strong cry and was squirming strongly- very reassuring words.<br />
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And for Dee- enjoy the trip back to Nova Scotia. Eat lots of seafood and ride lots of km's. <br />
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You know- sometimes it's not about the bike.<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684621539117639532.post-5393155402685989382011-07-03T17:15:00.000+10:002011-07-03T17:15:03.440+10:00Winter Racing and Busted Glass......After a warmish week (I didn't even have to wear the arm-warmers and leg warmers and full-fingered gloves on a couple of days), the thermometer is having a hard time making its way to moderate and the forecast is for it to be progressively cooler right through next week.<br />
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This morning's (Sunday) race saw the club head off to a crit circuit which we haven't used for 9 or 10 years. It's in a smallish light industrial park and with nice wide corners is well suited to some of the newer riders. The only downfall was the glass. Despite the best efforts of the sweepers, some of those lovely little diamondesque daggers were just laying in wait for us.<br />
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I think there were about 5 flats in all. I managed to have two- one just before the start and one about 3/4 of the way through the race. A couple of the A graders each had one and a bloke in C grade had an absolute corker. Unfortunately his was not caused by glass but rather he was the author of his own misfortune. Pedalling through one of the corners on a far too sharp angle, he contacted the kerb (curb for NA readers) with his left pedal. That contact threw the rear of the bike sharply to the right- much to the concern of his fellow racers. He did manage to counter balance and bring the bike back under control, but it would seem that the force with which the rear jumped and hit the road was enough to roll the tyre (tire- another concession to the Canadians) off the wheel, exposing the tube which let go like a gunshot.<br />
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Needless to say, he and I sat out the remainder of the race. I put my hand up but there just didn't seem to be any team cars or mechanics anywhere to hand me a new wheel- I guess they must have all been watching reruns of the first stage of the TdF.<br />
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Given that one of our broadcasters here in Aus is showing every stage of the tour, live, I suspect there will be more than a few sleep-deprived people showing up for work over the next three weeks. The last 10 kilometres of last night's stage provided enough action to pique everyone's interest. Will tonight's team time trial provide anything like that??? Highly unlikely- but you just never know.....<br />
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Cheers- ride safe<br />
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BoaBBoaBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678257970919217966noreply@blogger.com2