Category Archives: Bike

Reheated pizza never tasted so good

September 12, 2010 21:22 | Leave a Comment |

Yup, that’s what I scoffed down when I finally made it home after today’s Degani Kinglake Ride. It really wasn’t warm enough but I was hungry.

And entitled to be so. I managed to ride the 70kms in under three hours, which was my aim. I discovered there are some really fun descents between Whittlsea and St Andrews. I even crouched right down over the bike to see how much speed I could get up (apparently around 60kms) which isn’t something I’d normally do. But the descent was really, really straight so I could see exactly where I needed to be. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. I’m discovering a lot of the riskier activities in cycling comes down to confidence and I felt pretty good so it didn’t feel that risky even though I knew that if I came off at that speed it would’ve definitely meant a trip to the hospital.

I’m really glad I did the climb up to Kinglake before the ride. As I was climbing it became obvious that there were quite a few people who hadn’t. There was plenty of suffering going on but I actually felt pretty good. Knowing what to expect made a huge difference. I’ve had some problems with my back in the last week and it really started complaining about half way up but I was determined to not walk so I struggled on. I made a point of getting out of the saddle more often which relieved the pressure on my lower back.

They had a signs at the start and end of the climb so the riders could track how long it took them to get to the top. I was pretty pleased with my efforts – 35 minutes from start to finish. I actually overtook a lot of people and I think – once again – preparation was key in that. There wasn’t meant to be any overtaking on the climb up but I was moving faster than some people and it felt flat out dangerous to get stuck behind someone who was moving so slowly. That climb really isn’t one to be wobbling about on and I did get stuck behind a kid who was doing just that which really worried me. I preferred to take the risk and overtake. I was very careful and only did it when I could be 100% sure it was safe.

There was a nasty surprise on the way out of Kinglake. All of a sudden there was a climb of about 750m – 1km with a 9-10% grade. It was horrible, it felt like it was never going to end and my legs were like rubber. And then there was the nasty crosswinds which we were protected from when climbing up. We were getting hammered and I was finding it hard to keep the bike in a straight line. It was tough and at that point I just wanted it to be over but there was still 30kms to go.

Things did improve though. The descent into Whittlesea was amazing. The only way to handle the winds and give the bike more stability was to crouch down but of course, you do that – you accelerate, a lot. I hit 70kms (fastest I’ve ever been on a bike) and I was still being overtaken. I thought it’d be brown trouser time going at speeds like that but it was awesome. I wonder what it’d be like if it wasn’t quite so windy…

My stats…

My stats in graph form…

(The flat bits in my graphs are from when I stopped at two of the rest spots.)

Check out the top speed!

So yes, the ride was good. I don’t know if I’ll do it again. $140 seems a lot of money to do a ride that doesn’t really benefit the community and is one I can do any time I want. I suppose that’s true of any of the recreational rides. I’ll definitely head out that way again.

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What you missed today

August 26, 2010 20:31 | Leave a Comment |

Me finally doing a serious hill climb!

My brother and I drove to Hurstbridge and hit out from there. A few very small climbs to get into the mood and then a long hard slog up to Kinglake. Actually there was a bastard of climb just before we hit the big one. Short and sharp, which I always suffer on.

Kinglake is about 500m above sea level and it’s a 7km climb up to it. I’ve discovered I do better when the rides are hard if I have something to pretty to look at. Kinglake is still recovering from the massive fires but it’s an amazing ride up there. The view on the way up was amazing. I would’ve stopped to take a photo but if I had, I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t have been able to get started again.

I really suffered in the last three kilometres. My average speed dropped down to 12kph. It was okay at first, the grade wasn’t too bad and there were lots of twisty bits to keep me distracted. The higher up we got, the more I suffered. A few times I was certain I wasn’t going to make it but my brother was great, he slowed down and offered encouragement. He actually got in front at one point and forced me to slow down. Being a much more experienced rider, he saw the signs of me about to blow up and made me slow down enough to get my heart rate down.

It was really helpful. My brother was more than happy to explain the ride to me, where the corners were and we worked on finding a suitable tempo that I will be able to sustain on the Degani Kinglake Ride in two weeks. My heart rate monitor is turning out to be a really valuable piece of equipment. I didn’t think I’d find that much for it but I find myself using it all the time.

The descent was awesome. Took us over an hour to climb up but about 45 minutes to get down. The only problem was that it was bloody cold coming down! My brother ended up giving me his rain jacket because I was so cold. We talked about how to descend, how to take the corners, when to brake and where to look to be safe. He stayed behind me a lot of the way, shouting instructions. Heh. My maximum speed clocked in at 60kph and I didn’t even realise I was going that quickly. Of course, my brother shot past me quite a few times. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to ride like he does but I think I did okay.

It was hard going but I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself right now. I suppose it’s because I’m setting goals and achieving them. I may never be the world’s best climber but I’ve proved to myself that I shouldn’t be so defeatist. Hill climbing is definitely about mental attitude and telling myself I can’t do it is stupid because today is evidence that I can.

Me at Kinglake
Me in Kinglake, in front of the restoration project centre.

About to suck down a gel
About to suck down a gel but you can still tell I’m smiling.

Anyhoo… this is something my brother wrote in my birthday card which I really liked:
Bike riding is not about where you are going but what you see, feel, smell and think about along the way. Don’t try to destroy (yourself!) when you ride but create thoughts, ideas and a broad smile on your face. As you discover, make sure you enjoy!

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Beyond happiness

August 17, 2010 12:47 | Leave a Comment |

Sometimes I really do wonder why I do it. Why, in god’s name, am I out on my bike when it’s cold, wet and miserable? Every turn of the cranks is a huge effort and I feel like I’m pedalling squares. Hands have gone numb from the cold and I stopped being able to feel my feet about two minute into the ride. It hurts to breathe because the air is so cold. It’s a torture of my own devising.

And then there are days like today.

That’s not to say it wasn’t cold – it was (4°C). And indeed, my hands did go numb. When they finally warmed up, it was time to not being able to feel my feet. But you know what? It didn’t matter.

On occasion, I manage to feel that elusive cyclists’ high. It’s something beyond the endorphins that have been released. It’s beyond feeling happy. The closest I can come to describing it is that it’s a sensation of fierce joy. Like I could take on the entire world. I want to scream to the sky that I’m here, that I’m truly alive. It’s a high unlike anything else.

This isn’t to say it doesn’t hurt. It does. The cold seeps into every part of my body and to breathe is like breathing in ice. My face hurts, my teeth hurt, my nose goes numb but I am alive in that moment in a way I can never be in my everyday life. My heart pounds and my whole body shakes from the effort. It’s cold, so cold, but somehow that makes it even better. In the moment, I feel like I’m best version of myself that I can possibly be. I’m strong, in control, capable, fierce and utterly blissed out. I rise above all monotony in my life and everything is so clear. All that matters is the moment, the joy I feel. It’s truly living in the moment.

“The bicycle has a soul. If you succeed to love it, it will give you emotions that you will never forget.”
– Mario Cipollini

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I <3 Jens Voigt

July 22, 2010 22:43 | Leave a Comment |

The guy is simply amazing.

He crashed during a descent on stage 16 doing about 70kms and simply brushed it off. The team car was miles ahead so he flagged down an official race car, hopped on a teeny weeny juniors’ bike with toe clips and barrelled down the rest of the descent so he could catch up with the team car and get one of his spare bikes. Then at the finish he gives this funny interview about what happened.

Like I said – simply amazing.

When I stacked and busted my ribs, all I did was complain and whine for weeks. Jens? He just dismisses it. One of the last hard men of cycling. Check out cycling tips blog for the story of Jens’ crash in his own words and see a photo of Jens on a bike that’s way, way, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too small for him. I think Wade needs to make a t-shirt that says “What would Jens do?”

A commonly made comment: Jens doesn’t get road rash, the road gets Jens rash.

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So, what’s doing?

July 3, 2010 13:21 | 2 Comments |

Umm… well, right now I’m off the bike. I’ve got a bung knee so the physio I’m seeing has asked I do no long rides this weekend. I’m allowed to commute to work but I have to tape my knee.

My knees started hurting about a week after my bike fit. My seat was put down and it turned out to be too low. I didn’t exactly rush to put it back up which was a bit stupid. The right knee has sorted itself out but the left is giving me grief. One trip to the physio later and it tuns out my patella has been scraping the tendons underneath it and the muscle on the outside is pulling it off-centre with every turn of the crank. The inside muscle isn’t doing its job of creating equal tension so my patella doesn’t move from side to side.

Kate – the physio – said she doesn’t think it’s too bad (she said she’d seen a lot worse) but it does need correcting. So now I have to flex my quaddie 100 times whilst tapping the inner muscle. Weird huh? Apparently the tapping sends a message to my brain to grow the muscle. I also have to tape my knee if I’m going to get on my bike. I’ve been cleared to continue riding to work but I’m not allowed to do any long rides at all. *pouts* She also thinks I may have a Baker’s cyst. These aren’t dangerous at all as it’s just a pouch of fluid that’s formed at the back of my knee. There’s not a lot I can do about it anyway except rest it and take some ibuprofen to get the inflammation down. I’m sure all will be revealed and hopefully resolved with treatment.

I have a sneaking suspicion that both my patellas get pulled to the outside of my knees but it’s never hurt before so perhaps it’s being pulled a little further than normal.

I chose a sports physio this time as I figured my knee is a sport-related injury. Knees are tricky too so I thought it’d be better to see someone who was more likely to be familiar with their problems. But lordy, did she hurt me or what? She did a thing called a muscle strip from my hip to my knee and I nearly cried. Basically, it’s her running her fingers down my leg as hard as she can right over over the bone to break up the muscle fibres. This forces the muscle to relax but holy crap, It was painful!! I’m also sporting a rather lovely bruise at the moment where she did the most work. Haven’t decided if it helped or not as it still hurts. I’m supposed to roll a tennis ball down my leg as hard as I can but I decided I’m going to wait until the bruising heals.

The scary thing is that she said she wasn’t even doing it that hard. The pros would get it done infinitely harder than what she did to me. I also think I detected a note a slight note of satisfaction in her voice when she said that. Perhaps I should be worried…

As for the house hunting, well lets not talk about that. Every time I think about it, I end up with this slight feeling of PANIC!! Looked a place today that was okay and am about to go see another. This one I think I really want so I’ve already filled in the application form. Hopefully that will put me at the top of the pile.

Posted in: Bike, Blatherings | Tagged: , , , ,

I’m hardcore baby!

June 20, 2010 12:31 | Leave a Comment |


Yup, I felt compelled to take a photo of my leg after I’d peeled off my overshoes and socks when I finally made it home this morning.

I’m so hardcore. 😉

It stopped drizzling about 15 minutes into my ride and I felt pretty good. Got all the way to Black Rock with it only drizzling briefly once or twice. It was when I’d turned around and started to head for home that the heavens opened. Today’s lesson was that rain coming in sideways on your face when you’re ticking along at about 30ks actually hurts. However, I pedaled past plenty of whimpy men who’d stopped to take shelter.

My thinking was that I was already saturated and I had no idea how long the rain was going to last so I might as well continue. It really took it out of me though. At one point I was thinking about finding the nearest train station but I figured actually finding one, waiting for the train, getting on it, heading into the city and changing trains to one that would take me home would’ve taken longer than simply riding home. I still would’ve been saturated but not moving so there would’ve been no body heat being generated which would’ve left me feeling utterly miserable. Plus I probably would’ve stunk the train out and been very unpopular.

And to show just how hardcore I really am, a photo of the back of my jersey before it went in the washing machine.

I am wondering if it will be white ever again.

But to turn to other things…

Viewed a few places yesterday. At one of them, the current tenant had a very sexy black Bianchi. (Geez, I really can’t get away from the bike stuff can I?). The first place I looked at was totally disgusting. And grossly over-priced. The last one was actually kinda depressing. It looked like it was currently home to a divorced dad with two kids that he got on the weekends. It was crammed full of stuff and there was hardly any room to move.

This probably isn’t the best decision but I’ve decided to be choosy about where I end up. I really don’t want to be somewhere crappy. I’m okay with spending more to have something nice. Worse case scenario plans are falling into place so I feel a little more relaxed about it then I did.

Oh, and I’m so totally digging the ads for the upcoming Tour de France on SBS’s FIFA World Cup coverage at the moment. After the Giro d’Aussie, sorry d’Italia, I think I might be having a few late nights in July.

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What to do about zero motivation…

June 13, 2010 09:51 | Leave a Comment |

It’s 9:15 on a Sunday morning and I’m not out riding my bike. What’s wrong with this picture?

I have zero motivation to do so at the moment. I’m actually still lying in bed. I pulled my blind up a little so I can see that it’s not raining and probably won’t rain but I just can’t be bothered to get up. Plus there’s this whole thing of having my legs squeal in pain every time I move after yesterday’s heavy-on-the-legs group training session.

Whinge, whinge, whinge.

What I should be doing is remembering that it’s okay to not get on the bike every single weekend. That I am allowed to have a rest. The weather also isn’t helping. It’s hard to get motivated to get out of bed when you know it’s only around 6 – 8°C and if there’s any wind at all it makes it feel even colder. I am looking forward to the day when going for a ride doesn’t involve putting on multiple layers of clothing in an attempt to keep warm. It’ll also be nice to not have to ride in the dark so much, although it is pretty amazing to see the sunrise. I’ve seen a few where the sky looks like it’s on fire. Still, not going to miss the numb feet (even with fleecy overshoes) or the cold ears.

There’s also no rule that says I have to go for a ride in the morning. Maybe I’ll feel motivated later in the day to go out and that’s fine too. At least it’ll be a little warmer.

I suppose there’s an obvious answer to what’s causing my lack of motivation – this being that I have to find a new place to live as the owner wants to move in. If I’d decided to move off my own bat I think I’d have a much more positive attitude about it. Having a deadline by which we must be gone is more than a little intimidating. However, my brother put it best when he said I was looking at this the wrong way and I should embrace it as an opportunity for a fresh start. And I think he’s probably right.

Right now I think a fresh start would be an excellent idea. I’ve found myself feeling angry so much of the time and I feel really dissatisfied with the direction my life has been taking. I’m not a fan of the person I’ve become in the last few months so this is an opportunity to do something about it. To a degree I feel that I have very little control over what happens in my life and going out on my own again is a way to wrest that control back. New home equals new opportunities and a chance to work out what I’m doing at my own pace without any outside pressure or influences. Financially it’s going to suck as living on your own isn’t cheap but I’m choosing to think of it as investing in my well-being.

My first reaction was to panic. Two months seems like such a short time to find somewhere to live. But panicking serves no one and I need to have faith that everything will work itself out. It’s happened before so there’s no reason to think it won’t happen again. I just have to keep telling myself that I will find somewhere to live and that there’s no need to freak out. Chances are it won’t be my dream home but I’m sure I’ll find somewhere that’ll be okay. Also, if I’m honest, as much I love this house, there are some thing I will not miss about it – like the rather loud religious chanting in Greek that’s being played next door right now.

This whole growing up thing sucks. It’s not fun when you realise you’ve actually made a bit of a mess of your life. Still, helps to remember that life is nothing but progression – gotta be with the whole moving forward.

Posted in: Bike, Blatherings | Tagged: , , ,

Gee, I can ramble on

May 24, 2010 11:30 | 1 Comment |

My dilemma has been resolved. I’m going to do the Degani Kinglake ride and try to ease myself into rides that include a serious hill climb by doing the 70km one. Means I’ll probably be doing it on my own as the other person I know who’s doing it is going to do the 120km version. I suppose I could give the 120km one a crack. I have some time to train for it and I should be setting myself a challenge. If worse comes to worse and I find myself defeated by the hills, I’ll just have to get off and walk for a bit. Like no one has ever done that before!

Still, I think a lot of my problems are that I always tell myself I can’t do it. My attitude is one of defeat from the onset. The stupid thing is that I’m aware that I’m doing it. I told myself that Yarra Boulevard was too hard for me and I’m riding that twice a week now with improvement. Tiny little increments of improvement but still improvement. So why I do I always underestimate what I can do? It’s a similar thing to when I go clothes shopping, I always assume things aren’t going to fit. When I was in San Fran trying on jeans I had to go down three sizes before finding the right ones. I think that I’m still disgustingly fat even though I know I’m not. Okay, I’m still on the chubby side but I’m nowhere near as big as I was.

So, in my head, I’m still incapable of doing over 60km on the bike even though I knocked over 75km last weekend. I still think of myself as being weak when I’m probably not. I feel like I’m not improving on the bike at all but the question is am I actually restricting myself because of my attitude? I really don’t believe I can do 100km or that I can get up the big hills. My attitude from the onset is one of defeat and that’s stupid. Maybe I just need some encouragement and a bit of a nudge but I don’t know where to get it from.

I’m wondering if I’ve lost sight of why I ride. When I have a good ride, I feel sensational for the rest of the day but when it’s hard or I struggle, it knocks me for six. It was ridiculously cold yesterday morning so I was wearing multiple layers to keep warm, including a beanie which only just fit under my helmet and two pairs of gloves. But that left me feeling uncomfortable on the bike so it was a really hard ride. My friend who I was riding with has leapt past me in fitness and he left me behind on the hills and once or twice on flat sections. Plus, I underestimated how much energy I was burning and I took too long to eat so I started to feel really light-headed. I was on the verge of bonking and only just managed to stop it by sucking down an energy gel. It was a hard ride and I was really glad to get off the bike, which isn’t helping my attitude now because it looked like it was a cruise for my riding partner. But I did get up a footbridge with what must be at least a 15% grade that I couldn’t do before. I was very worried I was going to tip over but I did it so go team me!

I’m full of sighs about my SIDI shoes. I had a bike fit on Saturday which was quite interesting. My arm reach (fully extended with right finger tips touching the ground and left arm stretching up) is actually bigger than my height and I can reach about 2cm past the tips of my toes when sitting on the floor. He measured my shoes, my feet, my height, my bike, just about everything he could think of. He was pleased with the way I sit on the bike, especially with a back injury. He actually said he thought he’d have to make a few changes but he didn’t change anything at all. All he did was put my seat down a little as he felt I was stretching out a little too much.

He videoed me on the bike wearing both pairs of shoes and I’m not doing anything different that would cause the pain I’m experiencing with the SIDIs. However, measuring the shoes showed that the SIDS are a tiny bit smaller than the Shimanos, which is weird considering the SIDIs are marked a size bigger. They’re a narrower shoe and more rigid which he thinks is causing the pain. I have to decide what to do about them. Do I continue with them and try to stretch them in the hope the pain will stop? Or do I cut my loses and sell them? At the moment I’m thinking of selling them. They seem to be more hassle then they’re worth and there are plenty of other shoes out there.

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Not sure what to believe

May 21, 2010 22:15 | 2 Comments |

So, Floyd Landis has come out and accused Lance Armstrong of being a drug cheat.

You’d think by now no one would care as Armstrong has been accused so many times before and it’s never gone anywhere. Either Armstrong is clean or he’s the best drug cheat on the planet seeing as he keeps getting away with it. Landis is pointing the finger at everyone in the U.S. Postal Service team, including George Hincapie who I’ve always liked, as well as cycling officials both American and international.

The thing is, why now? Why wait nearly four years after being stripped of a Tour de France win and fighting the charges for so long before making these accusations? Wouldn’t it have been better to said all this in 2006 when his voice would’ve still had some weight and to a degree been believable. By waiting so long and taking a line of “deny, deny, deny, deny” he’s destroyed his credibility. It’s very difficult to believe someone who swore black and blue he wasn’t doping and set up a foundation for donations to use for his various court cases. People donated a substantial amount of money and he used it in an attempt to clear his name even though he knew he was lying. How can you believe someone who was willing to do that?

I’m not sure why this is bothering me so much when Armstrong has been accused so many time before. I didn’t really know who Landis was before he won the 2006 Tour de France and I’m sure I’m not the only one. He came out of nowhere to win the most prestigious cycling race in the world. I wasn’t really surprised when he tested positive.

I suppose it’s the timing of it that’s bothering me and the way he’s going about it. It has the feel of a man who knows he’s going down and has decided to take everyone down with him. It’s very hard to believe him because I feel he destroyed his credibility by sitting on his accusation for so long while maintaining his innocence.

The other thing is that I really don’t want Armstrong to be a drug cheat. I want him to be clean because for him to be a drug cheat would utterly diminish everything he achieved. I’ve always admired him even though I know he’s a bit of an arsehole. For someone who should be dead, he’s achieved amazing things. If Landis is right and Armstrong is a cheat, it’s all been a huge con.

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I have a dilemma

May 16, 2010 18:45 | Leave a Comment |

Two rides on the same day. Which one to choose?

Ride number one: Degani Kinglake Ride

Ride number two: Fruit Loop Ride

My original plan was to do the 180km (!!) Fruit Loop Ride. At first, I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to complete the ride having not broken 100km as yet but that’s something that can be easily fixed. Plus there’s a 14km climb in the later part of the ride which is a bit of a concern for me. Climbing is difficult for me and I am trying to improve but I have serious doubts about my ability to manage such a climb after already been on the bike for about 100km. I know I’m strong but I don’t know if I’m that strong. My other problem is that I don’t have the time to do enough hill training to feel 100% certain I could do it. So, this weekend, I decided to do the 100km ride instead. There’s a few small hill climbs in that ride too but I know they’re ones I can manage.

However…

The Kinglake Ride is 70km but has a decent climb in the middle of it. I feel I could actually achieve this and that it’s not beyond my capabilities. It just fits better in my head. Plus, even though the entry fee does seem a little steep (Fruit Loop is cheaper), I’d get a nice jersey out of it. It also has the advantage of being much closer to Melbourne and to see part of the state I haven’t visited before. A lot of cyclists rave about the riding around Kinglake so it’d be something to experience and I’d learn a new route.

But I have to make a decision soon because the Kinglake ride is capped and I know it’s rather popular.

Anyhoo… I’m getting a bike fit next Saturday. I’m really hoping the guy I’m seeing will be able to sort out my shoe issues. I’m also very curious to see what he says about my position on the bike. I feel pretty comfortable so I can’t imagine there will be too much, if anything, to change. I’m really hoping he can get my shoes right, otherwise I wasted $300 when it could’ve been spent on a nice piece of comic book art. If I really can’t wear the SIDIs, I’ll just have to sell them and get something else. Just sucks because I really did like them.

Oh, and I made it to Mordialloc and back yesterday. All 75kms. I must admit I did feel a small sense of achievement when I got home. I felt I’d really earned a nanna nap on the couch – not something I usually do.

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