Friday, June 20, 2008

Feeling Guilty

As we're almost at the nadir of the solar cycle, I'm getting optimistic about getting some more riding in before work within the next month or so. I wish I was more like Kent Peterson who's blog I enjoy and who'se family have had a carfree lifestyle for the last couple of decades.

Years ago I was a committed commuter and rode regardless of the weather, or the darkness. These days life and work is more complex and my 56km commute to work up and over the escarpment and subsequent driving around while at work, really gets in the way of cycling. I am a pretty conservative motorist, and while I have a reasonably fuel efficient car, I'm still driving a long way, and the drive eats into the available cycling time (not to mention the pool of non-renewable resources, ozone layer etc).

I'm seeing the day coming, and quite soon the way fuel prices are going, when I will be looking for a job closer to where I live so the costs of motorised transport, both financial, environmental and physical will be reversed.

The other thing is that I haven't been on the bike since the last cafe ride on the 7th. Maybe this weekend!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Cirque du Cyclisme

While Nancy is compiling a shortlist of desirable rides over at blogscrement , the annual Cirque du Cyclisme classic bicycle event was held over the weekend, in the part of North America that wasn't flooding, but was very hot.

There's a whole heap of pictures turning up on flickr - try this link http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=+cyclisme&ss=2&s=rec for some eye candy. I think JP Weigle's rando bikes are looking awsome, but there is some great stuff if you have the time to wade through it all.

The Daily Randonneur has more specific links plus some interesting ride reports from the Shenandoah 1200km which was ridden last week. A jolly time was had by all.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Cafe Ride

A veritable crowd assembled for today's 100km cafe ride. The usual crowd were augmented by Greg and a bunch from Goulburn (Rodney, Lauren and Marie?) and a visitor from overseas(Rob), so with Henry, Richard and Me we were a regular peloton.

The group rode the coastal route - from Dapto north along the princes highway to Ruby's cafe at Bulli then south to Shellharbour (village) and then looping back through Jambaroo to Dapto station.

After the rain of the week, today dawned clear and still a southerly wind blew through the day and took us to Bulli in great time. Heading south was less enjoyable though the ride was going well for me until we stopped at the second checkpoint at Shellharbour. Getting up from the Cafe table I was again overcome by cramps (I wasn't even doing anything) and then set myself up for suffering for the remaing 30 odd kilometers. Rod was a real friend,even though I had just met him - he selflessly gave me a salt tablet from a nifty pill dispenser in his handle bar end, and some kind of salt based tablet (will research the brand) and lots of encouragement.

Later on Jambaroo road, when I had fallen off the back of the group, Rod came back to help me and gave me a draft. A great guy and a strong rider.

The climb up past Jambaroo wasn't too bad, still cramping I eventually made the summit and with the last 10k down hill I was happy to be heading home with a tailwind and the odd twinge in the thighs.

Despite the suffering, I really enjoyed the ride today and the company. Richard and I rode back into town after the ride and I was really beginning to feel quite drained after the day. By the time I got home I crave sugar terribly and actually ate sugar out of the sugar pot before scarfing down a packet of figs.

The shopping list now include some salt tablets and I've got to find out what the tablets were. They were great.

Mileage in kilometers = 2170.19

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Eleven!

I guess that technological improvement is predictable in the current age but a couple of weeks after I decide to upgrade and get a bike with a ten speed cassette, Campagnolo up the ante. See here http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=/tech/2008/news/06-04 . Reminds many of Nigel Tufnel in Spinal Tap





Meanwhile, interest in the long distance cycling blogger ride (LDCBR) is high so I guess I just need to organise it. Any suggestions to where and how long? I'm initially thinking border country and about 200km?