A balmy day in Bendigo

Peter Searle organised some great weather this time of year for Balmy Bendigo. After a drive of a few hours I was greeted wuth a cool but not too cold start to the ride.

Peter briefing riders at start

I have done this ride a few times before and thoroughly enjoy it each time I do it. The main features of this ride are the climbs of Mt Alexander and Mt Tarrengower. For a bloke who doesn't like hills that much and who struggles with an ordinary power to weight ratio when the road inclines I do somehow enjoy certain climbs. These two are in that category.  They feature in the early and mid part of the rides so getting to them relatively fresh is a big help. The ride started at 8am and I finished at 5pm which wasn't too bad as the second half of the ride was into a solid headwind for much of the way. Thanks  to Peter for organising the ride and the weather.

Flat 400

Martin and Libby Haynes put on this ride which began in Marong near Bendigo headed to St Arnaud, Charlton, Boort, Kerang, Cohuna, Pyramid Hill, Mitiamo and back to Marong.
Well I thought Flat 400 meant it wasn't hilly. To tell you the truth it wasn't at all hilly but at about 350k into the ride I felt flat. Flat as a tack. Tired and cold. Probably the result of a lot of hard riding over the past month or so and not enough food intake during this ride. After 3 or 4 years of solid Audax riding I feel I am finally getting better on the hydration side of things but every so often, particularly when I ride outside the comfort zone a bit I find I have trouble taking in enough food. On this ride it was probably exacerbated a bit by the longish distances between fuelling stops and my poor planning. One day I'll get it all right. Thanks to Mick Creati, David Eales and Phil Giddings for great company for most of the the ride, sorry I had to drop off towards the end. Thanks to Martin and Libby for organising it and braving the cold at Mitiamo to feed the riders. The ride also attracted a bit of spectator interest from attendees at a local wedding in Mitiamo and also the local lady priest!

Coming into Boort (181k)

Madness in May

The first of May saw the running of Moorabool Mayhem. Carol and I organised this ride which was largely unsupported. The ride is over 158 km and climbs in and out of the Moorabool River Valley that runs north of Geelong through the Brisbane Ranges. The climbs are not long but several are quite severe. The steepest known as "Godzilla" in Perdrisat Road Maude usually requires a short walk on the steepest section. This was case this year as all riders walked some of it. All riders I think felt it was quite a challenging ride but they all enjoyed it. The weather was cool and there was frequent drizzle. One experienced Audax rider suggested the ride should be renamed "The Valley of Pain". I am thinking about adding a few k to make it a 200 next year. Perhaps running it as a 150 and 200k ride.

Carl

Stephen

Ken

Philip

George

Young, Younger Youngest

The Easter weekend provided an opportunity to ride with some interstate members when I undertook three consecutive 200k rides from a base in Young on the south west slopes of NSW. This series of rides were organised by Kerri-Ann Smith and Michael Bentley of the ACT region. I had a great weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the riding and the company.

Looking fresh early on the Young 200

Kerri-Ann briefing. Some of the riders before chilly start of Younger 200



Crazy - Just a little

At Lancefield the You would have to be crazy ride attracted a good number of riders for various distances from 200 to 600k. Ron McInnes was the chief organiser for this ride this year but the usual organiser Andy Moore was there to help out at the start. After being the sole finisher on the 600 last year I thought I might try to keep my current run of 200s going as I feel I am getting a little better with each ride. On leaving Lancefield I tagged on to the back of the fast bunch but after a few k I knew the wise thing was to drop off and ride at my own pace. I settled in to a good rythem and it was with about 70k done that Leigh Paterson, Pepe Ochoa and Gareth Evans caught me and we rode the next 30k into Bendigo together. Just before the stop we passed, in the opposite direction, the quickest riders who were already heading back to Lancefield. Sandwich lunch at a milk bar and I left before the others as I knew I did not have their strength in the hills. They caught up to me after the grinding hills through Metcalfe at about 160k. Leigh and Pepe riding strongly with Gareth working hard to stay on terms. I quickly decided cruise mode was my better option so that meant letting the 3 of them move off ahead. Riding through Kyneton I could see that they had paused to top up their bottles or something as I was only a short distance behind. Gareth must have been taking a slightly longer stop as I could not see him ahead. I continued riding as the finish for me was only about 30k away. I rode into Lancefield just before 2:30 pm. My riding time was 7hrs 8 mins making it one of my quicker 200k rides in a while. The 1672 metres of climbing, the gusty northerly wind and warm afternoon were all aspects that meant I was quite pleased with my effort.

Great Ocean Road 200k

Last weekend I undertook the no lights 200k option of the Great Ocean Road ride. Like last year the ride started in Anglesea. Peter asked me to lead the bunch out of town but I knew as soon as we hit the climb  I would start to go backwards raher quickly. By the time I reached the top of the climb and the Forest Rd turn off 9 or 10 riders had passed me and formed a bunch about 200 metres ahead. I sensed that they were travelling at a pace I might be able to stick with so over the next kilometre or so I made an effort to catch them. I slotted on to the back and chatted with Peter Curtis and Fraser Rowe for a while. I rode with the bunch into Moriac and along the Cape Otway road into the Deans Marsh road but then knew I would not be able to stay with them as the climb to Bambra began. I dropped off to settle into my own comfortable climbing pace through Bambra and onto Deans Marsh. As I approached the high point of the ride at Benwerrin I caught Richard Freemantle and we started the long fast descent into Lorne. A few riders who had taken a break at Deans Marsh came past me on the way down and most of the lead group were already enjoying a coffee and bun from the bakery when I arrived. The ride onto Apollo Bay was into a solid south west wind but it was good to know that it would be of benefit on the return journey to the finish. A great spread of food was available and I took advantage of some lovely hot soup. Refuelled, bottles filled and the knowledge that more than half the ride was done I set off back along the road towards Lorne and Anglesea. A stop at Lorne for a little more food and drink and I was feeling good so I was able to ride on for a strong finish. This was another quality ride staged by Peter Donnan and crew.

I'm a tardy blogger

Apologies, I have completed a few rides since my last blog.

• A permanent - Not So Wild West 200k
• The Oppy - around 370k starting at Cobram, visiting Beechworth on the way back to Rochester
• Mal's Merrimu Meander - over the new 200k distance

As I am a bit short of word,s here are a few pictures

 

Granite Road looking towards Staugton Vale on the Not So Wild West

 

 

"Oppy on Oppys" Oppy Team @ Start (Thats me, Rodney Kruz and Russell Noble)

 

 

"Oppy on Oppys" heading towards Corowa, NSW

 

 

"Oppy on Oppys" Oppy team at the finish at Oppy's statue in Rochester

 

 

 

There off in the Merrimu Meander

 

 

I'm very happy after a good ride

 

Midweek 600 on the Great Ocean Road

The lure of the Ocean Road and a ride organised by Peter Donnan was too much for me. I just had to take time off work, an easy decision, and prepare The Oppy for the distance and night riding. The weather was ideal, unseasonly cool with no rain. The route was quite familiar, along the Ocean Road from Geelong, over a few bumps on the way to Port Campbell, Warnnambool, a mid ride loop into the hills out of Port Campbell then over the bumps again and back to Geelong. This was very similar to my first 600k ride on the 2008 Great Southern Randonnee. The good thing was this ride started at 6am rather than the more challenging 8pm.

Early 6am start

 I rode the early part of the ride in the company of a few riders but taking a nature break I was alone for a while before picking up with a few riders at various stages to Lorne and on to Apollo Bay.

Apollo Bay checkpoint under the rotunda

Leaving Apollo bay I chatted with Fraser Rowe for a while but eventually settled into my own comfortable pace matching the effort I was looking to sustain for the entire distance. Out of Port Campbell I rode with Richard Scheer for a period as we passed a DSE burn off of undergrowth adjacent to the road. Smoke filled air is not exactly ideal for the travelling cyclist. Richard eventually pulled away as I made my own pace again to the turnaround point at Warnnambool. I had become a little ill feeling and it was an effort to get the food down. On the ride back to Port Campbell I made the strategic decision to sleep at the 350k mark rather than pushing on for an extra 50 which I felt could degenerate into a real slog given my knowledge that it was quite a hilly loop and my distinct lack of zip. This turned out to be a great decision because when I left in the morning at some time after 4am I was feeling refreshed and enthused. Back again at Port Campbell for breakfast then off towards Geelong at a conservative pace to ensure the Lavers Hill and Horden Vale climbs could be negotiated in comfort. Final official stop at the Apollo Bay checkpoint then a break at Lorne for a drink and some more food then I set the radar for the finish. I pushed on strongly through Aireys Inlet, Angelsea and Torquay only pausing to ring Carol so she could come and pick me up from the Kardinia Cafe at the finish.

All in all another memorable ride made great by Peter and the enthusiastic volunteers. Thanks!

Happy finisher

Spa Country Flings - A Top 200

Massive rainfall and flooding across the suburbs of Melbourne started on the Friday night before this ride. The scheduled start time of 8am at the Hepburn Spa Centre on the Saturday morning had me doubting whether this ride would take place. I left home around 5:30 am so I would have plenty of time to get there. A road block for flooding on the road I was taking to get there had me heading up the Midland Highway towards Ballarat instead. A massive downpour along here had me convinced I was going to be heading back home sooner rather than later and that I was a bit soft in the head to be thinking of riding 200k. An SES report on the radio spoke about some properties in Creswick being flooded during the night. Creswick was on the ride route!
I arrived in plenty of time, I was first there. Was anyone else going come? Finally Roy Jenkins arrived, then more including Steve Xerri, Andy Moore and others from the Lancefield crowd. Ride organiser Greg Martin said however he had a large number of cancellations. This was understandable as water levels were rising all around Melbourne and its suburbs.
Although dry when we left on the ride a few K's down the road and heavy rain began.  The first 45 minutes saw pretty much continuous and at times heavy rain. Fortunately it was not cold. Once the rain had passed it would be the last rain we would see although the high humidity ensured that sense of dampness continued.  I pretty much rode with Roy most of the way to the first stop at Creswick. Greg and Peter Martin were there at the rotunda with a feast. I set off solo from the checkpoint on route back to Creswick. Lunch back at Daylesford was equally impressive. The second 100k included a stop at Kyneton then off to Tylden before heading back through Daylesford to the finish and more fantastic food. Hamburgers with salad followed by ice cream ~ brilliant. Thanks to Greg and his band. A Top 200.

At the finish

A New Year Jaunt

I needed a long ride with a relaxed effort to continue the build up of my base fitness after a few months of easy training and just a few Audax rides. So Meredith just before 6:30am was my starting location for a 200k ride through the Brisbane Ranges, the western plains of Melbourne and the Pentland Hills. It was decidely brisk so a long sleeve windbreaker kept me warm for the lumpy ride to Anakie. The Moorabool River valley, Steiglitz and the DeMotts Road climbs made sure I wasn't too cold and shortly after Anakie the air began to warm and I was able to function well with my summer top and arm warmers. I paused after the long downhill into Staughton Vale at the Anakie Gorge turn off.

at the Anakie Gorge turn off

Then onwards passing the You Yangs on the way to Werribee (72k) and a stop and a servo for some refreshment and food. Out along Tarneit Road through the endless sea of houses then through Rockbank and on past the Windmill before turning west towards Toolern Vale.

past the Windmill

There were now some good views back over the Werribee Plains, with the You Yangs in the distance,  as a good bit of elevation gain had been achieved. As I passed Lake Merrimu it was pleasing to see it holding much more water than the last time I had passed.

I passed Lake Merrimu

A rapid sweeping descent to my next stop at a servce station in Bacchus Marsh (136k) at about noon. A bite to eat, some more drink then off for the climbing into the Pentland Hills. Up to Myrniong, then Korebeit, Greendale and Ballan all with challenging grades to negotiate but all very rewarding with great views of the countryside. A fight with a stiff headwind for the last 35k to Meredith including a bone shaking ride through Morrisons and my 200 was finished. Then a quiet 30k ride home meeting up with Carol on the way to ride with.

Seat bolt blues on Bah Humbug

Bah Humbug attracted almost 20 riders on the last Saturday ride before Christmas. It wasn't hot but there was a stiff wind assisting the riders to Seymour. The normally quiet roads had more traffic than normal brought about by an accident on the Hume Freeway. Ride organiser Tim Laugher had to do a detour and only just made it to set up the Seymour checkpoint before we arrived. One rider Michelle had her seat bolt fail early in the ride and was an early DNF. Most people had not heard of this happening before.  Now contrary to the law of averages but consistant with the sentiment of Bah Humbug Ron McInnes arrived back at the finish in a ute as a 2nd DNF'er. The cause  - a broken seat bolt! 

BAH   HUMBUG!!!!

Nearly shot at Jump the Gun

Jump the Gun at Maryborough this year attracted a good number of entries for distances from 100 to 600 kilometres. The ride startred from the Maryborough Caravan Park. We had booked a cabin there and I literally just had to walk out the door, take about 5 paces and I was on the start line!

Riders assemble before the start

After my experience a fortnight ago with illness during a warm 300k I chose the conservative approach of only doing 200k in conditions that were to be humid and warm to hot.
The early weather was very pleasant being quite mild with an overcast sky. The sizable peleton held together for the 40k to the first checkpoint at Dunolly.  We seemed to cover the first 100k fairly quickly and on arriving back at Maryborough I split off from Hans and Garry with whom I had been riding to have a quick coffee with Carol at a local take away.

I linked up again with Garry and Hans as we left Maryborough on our second lap.

we left Maryborough on our second lap

The clouds having burned off had the temperature rising to the low 30's and the humidity was quite oppresive. The long gradual climb to the historic town of Maldon was a bit of a hot grind so we decided to stop there for a well earned cold coke. Peter Curtis had joined us on the climb and Bridgette pulled in for a break also. We watched a number of riders go past heading for the checkpoint at Newstead a further 12k or so down the road.

The long gradual climb was a bit of a hot grind

At Newstead we took another break for more refreshments before setting off on the last leg (for 200k riders) to Maryborough.  On a descent shortly after Newstead I seemed to roll away from the bunch and found myself a few hundred metres behind Bridgette and Peter and the rest of the group seemed to have fallen some distance behind. I decided to push on and caught Bridgette and Peter and chatted for a while but on reaching Campbelltown I decided to let them move on ahead. Just after Tullaroop Resevoir I caught Frank Preyer and rode with him for a bit but then I began cramping and I let him move off ahead as Maryborough approached.  

I was very  happy the ride for me finished at 200k as the conditions were certainly not to my liking and any further and I would have repeated the ride a fortnight earlier. As I sat with Carol recovering Hans and Garry rolled in only a few minutes behind.

Thanks to Gareth Evans for putting on this ever popular ride.