I have set myself some goals for this year on the bike.
#1 : As I have done the last 2 years, I have a goal of 6000kms for the year. Not the most difficult goal to achieve, but one that is important to me and the 6K Club.
#2 : Do 12 x Century rides (100+kms) in the year. (Note. I started this post in December 2011, before I had chalked up 3 Centuries in the first 9 days of 2012, so the goal stands.)
#3 : Do 1 x 200+km ride in the year.
#4 : Climb 50,000m for the year.
#5 : Drop below 90kgs.
To help me attain the climbing goal, I am looking at doing as many of the more difficult local climbs as I can. When I say local, within 75kms of home. See map below.
Climbs like these for example…
Once I have found the 12 major climbs I will post them up and keep tabs of how I am going. My aim is to try and do them within 150% of the KOM time.
Well, 2011 was my biggest year yet on the bike. Here are a few statistics from the year.
Highlights from the year.
– Around the Bay in a day, the hardest thing I have had to do on a bike. Also my first 200+km ride.
– Completing the Rapha Festive 500 Challenge.
– 6 rides over 100kms in the year
– My new Avanti Giro 4 road bike.
Add to that the fact that I rode with a load of great people, Lewy, Sam, Woodsy, Duke, Damian, Adrian, Michael and a few unknowns on roads around the place. Certainly makes the time go faster.
Here are just a few of my favorite photos taken on these rides.
Thanks to all the people who I have ridden with and those who have supported my riding over the past year. Especially the bride who has to listen to me rant and rave about idiots in cars.
Went out for a crack at Cambewarra Mountain this morning with Lewy. It is about a 35km trip just to get there, a mere warm up for the pros, but for a 44 year old pushing 90+kgs, a bit more than a warm up. We got to the bottom and the deal was we would both ride til we could ride no more.
It seems like such an easy thing to do, until you start doing it.
I was spent. My left calf was cramping and I was getting really hot. So I pulled the pin about 25% of the way up. Lewy, not to be out done, smashed himself to get up to where I was.
My Muppet legs could go no further for now.
We both had a drink and a rest, then, I was starting to think about going on further when Lewy said something like “Fastest top speed down wins!” Damn him. He was out of site before I had clipped in.
The result, me 76.7kph, Lewy, 82.1kph. Bugger.
This is what 76.6kph looks like from the GoPro.
From there it was a meandering trip to Nowra before I dropped Lewy off and did another 50kms on my lonesome.
A good 102kms in the bank and my first hundred of the year.
Another day sans GoPro camera. It was a pretty relaxed ride into town with Sam. Sam is a big fella and he was doing a hell of a job. He ended up with 421kms in the challenge and I reckon that was a hell of an effort. I am partly responsible for him not finishing the challenge, as it was me who suggested he needed a rest. I do know that with out Sam, Lewy and Michael, I may not have finished the challenge myself. Knowing they were going out certainly helped keep me motivated.
Day 7 – December 29th. 117kms Total 501kms 100%
Mission accomplished. Sometimes riding the roads can be an arse pain. This day I was lucky enough to do about 80kms on silky smooth private roads around Albatross Navy Base at Nowra Hill. Big thanks to Lewy for getting me in there, the riding was terrific. So much more relaxing when you don’t have to worry about cars whizzing by at 100kph.
I left home early enough to be in town and waiting for Lewy’s call to OK the trip out to Albatross. I stopped for a coffee and some fruit bread before the short run to the base.
Sugar, loads of sugar.
I got signed into the base and dropped the backpack off at Lewy’s car, then we were off.
Here is a timelapse of the 8.5kms around the base.
We did 3 laps then stopped for a rest. Another couple and then it was snack time. Lewy was feeling a bit flat after his epic 140km MTB ride a few days earlier. Weird thing was, I was starting to feel terrific.
Really Satisfies.
There was lots to see and lots of questions to ask. I now know what FOD is. 🙂
FOD Line
Those people with a keen eye would have seen Lewy doing the pointing in the video, but here is a still of him at his finest.
You can only see 2 of his pointers!
You know you are at an airfield when you have to swerve for planes.
PLANE!
We pedalled and pedalled and finally I got to my aim of 117kms, thus chalking up 500kms in 7 days. I had made it with 2 days to spare.
Rapha 500, Done
Day 8 – December 30th. 61.3kms Total 562.3kms 112%
Day 8 and it was another day with 4 riders. Lewy’s mate Adrian joined us and we had another easy paced ride. This time we went out to the end of Terrara Rd to the Comerong Island Ferry for a look around.
Lewy, Sam and Adrian
Terrara Road isn’t what you would call silky smooth. Actually, it is horrible in parts.
Smooth as ........
It was a nice ride out to the ferry on a terrific day. Sam even got to the front near the end of the bunch sprint and can be seen claiming victory!
Sam wins the bunch sprint.
Ferry Man.
Y.M.C.A.
Adrian and the bike of colour.
On the way back towards Nowra, we had to share the road with another big bunch.
Bunch Riders
Moooo-oove Over.
And here is Adrian clipping the apex on the bike of not enough colours.
Adrian and the Apex.
We rolled into Nowra for a coffee and then we stopped for a nature break by the river. Guess who got a flat?
Bugger
Arghhh. Oh well, was bound to happen. I quick fix and we were off again. It was an easy trip home after a very enjoyable ride.
Day 9 – December 31st. 68.1kms Total 631.3kms 126%
Well this was an interesting day. I was well and truly home and hosed as far as the Rapha Festive 500 went. So, defying all logic, I thought I would push hard and see how fast I could go. Also, I needed 58kms to make it 1200kms for the month of December. I really pushed hard and set a few personal best times on Strava segments. I rode out to the ferry again and had a bit of a spell.
That Ferry Again
It is times like this that I need to slow down, but I was feeling good for most of the ride, until I started heading home into the breeze. A stop was needed.
Sugar, give me sugar.
That got me home, and got me past 1200kms for the month.
So that is that. A Big month and lots of riding with good mates.
A big thanks to Sam, Lewy, Michael and Adrian for the company. I couldn’t have done it with out your help.
And thanks to Strava and Rapha for putting it on. Great work.
So 2011 has come to an end, and for me, it ended with a flurry of activity on the bike. As you can see from the graphic above, I decided to have a crack at the Rapha Festive 500, Ride to Redemption. The idea was to ride 500kms in the days from December 23rd to December 31st. Nine days to grind out 500kms, and over the Christmas period.
I had a quiet start to December, not riding until the 7th, so I wasn’t exactly primed such a challenge, but hey, that’s what a challenge is all about. I am going to briefly describe each of the 9 days of my Rapha Festive 500. There are more details of the challenge at the Festive 500 web site.
Day 1 – December 23rd. 62.3kms 12.4%
This was my last day at work, so a commute was in order. Normally, it is a 55km round trip, but I thought I would give myself a bit of a flying start knowing there maybe be a break at some time in the next nine days, so I took a side trip on the way home, crossing the Shoalhaven and looping around Bomaderry.
The Shoalhaven River
The ride to work.
And the long way home.
Day 2 – December 24th. 65.8kms Total 128.1kms 25.6%
A ride with Sam and Lewy today. Some regulars to the blog might remember the video I made with Lewy. He is a fountain of knowledge.
Lewy and the finger.
Always pointing things out is our Lewy. I don’t know whether to call him the Tour Guide or not. It was a new route and had some nice little climbs.
Lewy getting some riding advice.
We stopped for coffee in Nowra and then headed home. With about 10kms to go, my stomach was playing up, so I left Sam behind and made it in the door by a matter of seconds.
Day 3 – December 25th. 53.7kms Total 181.8kms 36.2%
Christmas day and I was out on the road at 5:45am. I wanted to knock over a lazy 50kms before the day started. It was a beautiful morning, and as I got to the floodplains it was covered in a deep fog. It looked fantastic.
Early morning fog on Christmas Day.
I even took a self portrait to mark the occasion. It was a terrific ride and I was home before any of the festivities started.
Me and My GoPro
Day 4 – December 26th. 65.1kms Total 246.9 49%
Boxing day was an exciting time. The first real group ride for the Culburra Beach Cycle Club. All 4 members. Lewy, decided the best warm up for a 140km MTB ride the following day was to meet us at Culburra Beach. We did the same loop around Bomaderry as Day 2. I didn’t take the GoPro camera this ride, so no action shots. Another stop in Nowra for coffee. C.B.C.C. new boy Michael decided a full breakky was in order. It must help him keep up that heady cadence. Never off the big ring and red lining at 45RPM, he has calves like an Adonis! After he had finished off the full continental breakfast, we headed off. When lewy was due to turn off, Sam decided it was time for a forensic check of his gears.
C.B.C.C. Pitstop.
We waved Lewy off and headed back to the seaside. With Mick on my wheel, I pointed at a nasty broken bottle, only to hear about 2 seconds later something that sounded a lot like a tire being punctured. I turned around to see Sam staring at a deflated front tyre. Bugger. A few minutes to fix that and we were off again and the ride ended with out further incident.
Day 5 – December 27th. 83.1kms Total 330 66%
An early start for me for Day 5. Lewy was off on a 140km MTB ride with a few blokes, one of which, Shane Black, I know of from an internet forum. So I decided to meet them at the starting point and then ride back towards home to meet with Sam and Michael, who were leaving Culburra Beach later. About 15kms into the ride a bloke blew past me and asked if I was heading into town. Well, yes I was, so I caught up. Big mistake. He was a machine. We averaged 32kph for the next 10kms until I could hold on no more. I was stuffed.
I met Lewy and Shane and had a quick chat and wished them well on their epic ride. I then retraced my ride in and met up with Sam and Michael on Jindy Andy lane. After that it was a nice pace all day and I got home with another 80 odd kms in the bank.
That’s it for part one, part two in the next few days.
This video was taken using a Go Pro Helmet hero HD set to capture 1 frame per second. I then went through about 10,000 photos looking for the better ones. It is my first attempt using iMovie and there is a lot to learn.
I can hear my heart thumping. My legs are burning. I hit the top of the climb and slowly assume the tuck position and grab the drops. When I am on the drops, I have to hold my breath. Speed is building. Off in the blurry distance I see another cyclist. The rabbit.
This is no story of the Commuter Cup. This is a blost (BLog pOST) about cycling attire and the seemingly ridiculous lengths people go to look good on a bike whilst at the same time having bugger all ability on a bike. As I said yesterday, I am no Eddy Merckx. I am heavy, closer to 50 than 30 and most days struggle along at my own pace. The opening to this blost happened on my ride after work yesterday. The rabbit as it turned out was a bloke I have seen before. He is obviously younger, leaner and richer than me. He is decked out in Sky racing gear from head to toe. He has the build of a Edvald Boasson Hagen in about 10 years time. The only thing NOT Sky about him is his Liquigas-Cannondale Super Six. I only know it is a Super Six because it says so on the chain stay.
The rabbit is about 300m in front of me, with a small kick in front of him. It is a nasty little rise, topping out at 10%, but it is short. 200m short. He hits it and I am still 150m back. Wait, make that 120m, 100m, 50m. He seems to be going in slow motion. Even his legs. He isn’t halfway up and he is out of the seat and I approach. I pull up next to him and his is bright red and doing about 7kph. Wheezing and groaning he is grinding away at about 40RPM. I remind you dear reader, I am no gun on the bike, but at this point I feel like Contador after a 800g Spanish steak. I fly past, and in the process set my 3rd faster time on the Strava segment I am on.
For reasons even I don’t understand, that sort of thing drives me mad. I know, if people want to spend big dollars, they bloody well can. It just feels like false advertising to me. His bike may well be worth more than my car, and he looks like he has just been plucked from the Pro peleton, but the fact that he can’t get up a small him drives me mad. And before you say “He might be new to the sport!”, I have seen him a few times down here last summer, albeit on a different bike. There is no rational reason I feel this way, so I thought I would take a look at how people look on the bike and how important it is to you.
In the past few days, this photo of Anquetil and Merckx has been doing the rounds.
Anquetil and Merckx
A lot of comment has been made about tucking jerseys into knicks. Well if it was good enough for the Cannibal, it is good enough for me. What worries me more was the fact they were sitting like a pair of supermodels on a beach in St Barts.
Cycling gear is never the most flattering clobber about. Not many people can get around in bib knicks and a team jersey and look as good as this bloke does.
I hope they are SPD Sandals.
I am not known as a fashion aficionado, actually, far from it. So looking good on the bike really doesn’t matter a whole lot to me. I have been known to cycling in construction workers fluro tops and el cheapo knicks.
I have cleaned my act up just slightly lately, with bib knicks and even a cycling jersey or two. The problem for me is with the fit. The jersey for instance, fits great around the upper body, shoulders, arms, look great. South of the nipples though it is a very different story. If I let the zipper go just after it has crested my mid section, it will zing 6 inches up my chest all on its own. As for the 2XU bib knicks I just bought. They really are telling me to lose some weight. From the nether regions upwards, they are as snug as a 4 Sumo wrestlers in a Toyota Yaris. But around my less than massive thighs, they are loose like shorts. It really isn’t a good look. But really, I don’t care. All I know is that when I put all that gear on, I am going out for a ride. I might not look the elite athlete, but I couldn’t give a bugger. Looking as flash as a rat with a gold tooth is lost on me. But it got me thinking, it could possibly make for some interesting thoughts, and at least an interesting poll.
So vote away and leave comments. I am looking forward to what people have to say. I know guys like Wade at www.cyclingtipsblog.com love looking the part. I see enough people out there that look the part. Euro cool is all the go. I say stuff that, lets get into to Aussie cool, that is, wear what you want, whether you look pro or not. Who’s with me?
Cycling and photography stand on the 2nd and 3rd step on the podium of my life. In between them on the top step is my fantastic and beautiful wife. The fact that she tolerates my other two passions is just one reason I love her so much. If I could drag her along to some cycling events I was taking photos at, it would be just about the perfect day.
What is it that I love about cycling and photography? Probably the fact that I can always improve in both hobbies. I will never be a Eddy Merckx or Cadel Evans on the bike. The same way I will never be a Graham Watson or Veeral Patel (I will never get a call from Fabian Cancellara). 🙂
I have ridden a push-bike since I was five. I have been taking photos on and off since I was ten. It is in the past few years that I have started to combine them.
My first bike. Age 5.
Opportunities to photograph cycling events are few and far between for me, so when I do get an opportunity, I really enjoy it. In early 2007 I had a chance to have a look at some world class cyclists at Dunc Gray velodrome. It was my first time there and I loved it. Shane Kelly was there and I managed to nab this shot of the Aussie great.
Shane Kelly, Dunc Gray Velodrome, Sydney, 2007
As much as the flashy panning shots excite me, I get more of a kick out of producing something a bit different. Some might even say arty. It is more a challenge to me to get photos like this than the panning shots that I just mash the shutter button and hope one sticks (that actually makes it sound easier than it actually is).
Playing with light, Ducn Gray velodrome, Sydney, 2007
There is also the challenge of taking a shot of just the bike, or a component on the bike. These I find the hardest of all. There is a set of guidelines for shooting bikes. Cranks at 3 and 9 o’clock. Tyres and rims lined up. Chain on the big ring. You only have to be slightly out to have the experts make comment. For example.
Avanti Giro 4, Greenwell Point, 2011
The cranks aren’t parallel to the ground. Ever since it was pointed out it has driven me mad. I am by no means a perfectionist, but little things like that drive me mad. Some times it works out completely differently. I was experimenting one night and got this shot. People loved it.
Motion Blurred, Dunc Gray Velodrome, Sydney, 2007
I think the sense of movement is exaggerated just enough to make it more dramatic. A little like this shot, taken at night at an outdoor velodrome at Unanderra, near Wollongong.
Unanderra Velodrome, 2009
I am sure the black and white has helped it. The aforementioned Veeral Patel was the one that really opened my eyes to the wonders of black and white cycling photography. Some of his photos from the 2011 Tour de France were superb. The close up portrait ones stand out in my mind. Some were very high contrast and the shots I took last weekend in dramatic light were inspired by his black and whites.
Inspired by Veeral, Dunc Gray velodrome, 2011
Sometimes I don’t have all the DSLR gear with, especially when I am out on the bike. That doesn’t mean you cant get a reasonable photo. This was taken with a crappy iPhone 3GS.
On your bike, 2010
Proof that it is more about having a camera with you, not having the best camera on the market.
So there you go, a little insight into my two hobbies when they happen to intersect. It makes me happy and I hope others enjoy the results.
