Better late than never. I must thank the one reader of this drivel for pointing out my laxness in not riding Monday. This was not the case it was not typing (however poorly) that was the real issue.
Ride was in 3 parts. On bike at 6.13pm.
Across town plus a play in town on trials obstacles. Which are off road as it happens. This was not constant riding and may have involved some time chatting about important things like bikes etc.
Then the real riding started at around 9.09pm.
By my self again. No one wants to ride at night even though its far to hot during the day. Oh well. I was kitted out for the long haul - night light - reflective vest.
Reflective vest - $2(shop) item. Very Very highly reflective strips on a blue mesh. The blue mesh is nice and cool (air flow not cool like hip or whatever the word is now).
This does not look like a workman safety vest but is very effective. Now I am not a big one for UNESSERY and ineffective safety equipment. Hence no rear safety light for riding across town. BUTTTT up this way the drivers have a habit of running over pedestrians and cyclists at night.
Soooo I want to be seen. I want to be really seen. Not a shitty wee red light seen. A glow in the dark bloody miles away seen. This is exactly what this vest provides and far more effectively than a rear light. The car lights are far stronger than any rear cycle light (red ones) and pick the vest up at a far greater distance.
Yes i am aware that rubberjaws has a red rear light that can be seen from the moon. I am not sure how good it is to blind the car drivers who are coming up from behind however.
Its is also obvious that its a vest and so there is no confusion over it possibly being a rear light of a motorcycle traveling at the same speed as the car.
There is a particular 80kph section of road with no streetlight where this is the issue.
Little safety rant over - well other than this - For f#$ks sake if you want to be safe -
1) Access the ACTUAL danger you want protection from.
2) Access the BEST way to actually avert this danger in the most effective way.
3) DO NOT be diverted into thinking INCORRECTLY that the norm ie helmet - or bullsh%t wee red rear light - equates to safe.
4) dont use bullsh%t saftey devices when not needed because this will install a FALSE sence of saftey. The False will be shown AFTER you are seriously injured.
5) Answer this question - if you really really want to save yourself from damage - why is the back of your head worth so much to you than the front - jaw - nose - teeth - cheek bones etc. Why wear a helmet that only does half the job??? Unless the job is to feel safe but not actually be safe?????
oops rant was not over was it... perhaps it is now???
The question now becomes - did I actually do any riding mon evening or just compose that rant???
Oh yes i did....
across and up hill. Playing on difficult climbs - that gets the heart pounding. It actually began to get cool around1pm so Icut short from going to the top as I know i get very cold on way down and then cant warm up heading back across town.
As I am training for a possible try at the 24hr I rode the majority of the time standing. This also was handy due tot he sore butt from Sundays ride.
Off bike 12.30pm.
3529 cal for the days ride - from 6.13pm.
big day.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday 30th jan 11
Huge ride day.
Picked up a little after 9 and on bike a little after 10.
4hr 39 ride time. 4098 cal. hr av 145.
hot 27 deg (30 in valleys i rekon) then more climbs.
death march up a valley or 2.
great ride - toms farm and surrounding farms.
Picked up a little after 9 and on bike a little after 10.
4hr 39 ride time. 4098 cal. hr av 145.
hot 27 deg (30 in valleys i rekon) then more climbs.
death march up a valley or 2.
great ride - toms farm and surrounding farms.
sat 29jan
rest day. only 36min on bike checking out possible 8km training course for 24hr training. Legs sore from runnig still and big day sunday so rest needed.
Friday, January 28, 2011
fri 28 feb
Its a fri night. bugger the pub - fun to be had instead. (pub really dull when not drinking)
Drove up hill. Parked at tanks 3/4 way up.
On bike at around 7.30pm.
2 fellas on bmx bikes had just past while unloading bike so thought would catch them by top - easy as they were walking bikes.
Was pretty surprised at each corner not to see them on the following straight. By the top climb
I was pretty sure they must have either gotten onto a vehicle or headed down one of the side tracks. So I went up my preferred track - very steep where I was further surprised by not cleaning it. Its not easy but usually I can get it. I then remembered that this was the first time I had attempted it on Victoria in her current configuration.
More surprise to come.... At the top sitting on a wall having a rest - 2 bmx riders. Hard case and they must have ridden all that they could to get up that quick. (yes i know its possible that I am far slower than I think....but really??? not that slow...).
So a chat with them - a pair of 20something tattooed czech nationals - here for the apple picking and the riding of bmx on the peak it would seem.
They didn't have the best English but it was far better than my czech - if thats their language - ti's all french to me.
They had no idea of best way down and were trying to decide between middle ridge and mtb track down.
They did wish for the most scenic way down so the only solution was the goat track. I did warn them that there was a carry portion which involves a cliff. They were happy to proceed so off I lead.
They chose the less steep track for the first part. I was in agreement - bmx brakes and not the best and they had street tires not knobs. They came down surprisingly fast and with decent control so i
I upped the pace a bit.
I did stop at the cliff part and warn them not to go over the edge there and then again for the carry part.
All way down into redwoods then the climb back up and out to the car park. I was trying to go slow for them as they were pushing and I doubt they were used to climbing that type of track. However when I slowed they speed up so in the end the pace that they set nearly killed them.
They were glad to be back to their vehicle and quite surprised that I was heading back up the hill.
Caught the kids and their mum - the kids had driven her up the wall. They can be like that - so I took over the being annoyed job and put them in the ute and drove them to the top where they were kicked out and told to head down and they would be collected further down the hill.
Quiet again nice.
further ride down hill and then back up the steep (previously not cleaned) track to regain my ability to at least be able to get up tracks that i could in the past.... clean - happy.
Into ute and off for dinner about 10pm.
By midnight the short ride had taken its toll. Was expecting a few laps of hill. So off for a run - in the rain as it happen. Most pleasant the rain (warm night). 1hr 20 running and gees my legs feel it. Will take a while to get running fit again.
So in all a big day.
tennis was good.
4am sleep.
Drove up hill. Parked at tanks 3/4 way up.
On bike at around 7.30pm.
2 fellas on bmx bikes had just past while unloading bike so thought would catch them by top - easy as they were walking bikes.
Was pretty surprised at each corner not to see them on the following straight. By the top climb
I was pretty sure they must have either gotten onto a vehicle or headed down one of the side tracks. So I went up my preferred track - very steep where I was further surprised by not cleaning it. Its not easy but usually I can get it. I then remembered that this was the first time I had attempted it on Victoria in her current configuration.
More surprise to come.... At the top sitting on a wall having a rest - 2 bmx riders. Hard case and they must have ridden all that they could to get up that quick. (yes i know its possible that I am far slower than I think....but really??? not that slow...).
So a chat with them - a pair of 20something tattooed czech nationals - here for the apple picking and the riding of bmx on the peak it would seem.
They didn't have the best English but it was far better than my czech - if thats their language - ti's all french to me.
They had no idea of best way down and were trying to decide between middle ridge and mtb track down.
They did wish for the most scenic way down so the only solution was the goat track. I did warn them that there was a carry portion which involves a cliff. They were happy to proceed so off I lead.
They chose the less steep track for the first part. I was in agreement - bmx brakes and not the best and they had street tires not knobs. They came down surprisingly fast and with decent control so i
I upped the pace a bit.
I did stop at the cliff part and warn them not to go over the edge there and then again for the carry part.
All way down into redwoods then the climb back up and out to the car park. I was trying to go slow for them as they were pushing and I doubt they were used to climbing that type of track. However when I slowed they speed up so in the end the pace that they set nearly killed them.
They were glad to be back to their vehicle and quite surprised that I was heading back up the hill.
Caught the kids and their mum - the kids had driven her up the wall. They can be like that - so I took over the being annoyed job and put them in the ute and drove them to the top where they were kicked out and told to head down and they would be collected further down the hill.
Quiet again nice.
further ride down hill and then back up the steep (previously not cleaned) track to regain my ability to at least be able to get up tracks that i could in the past.... clean - happy.
Into ute and off for dinner about 10pm.
By midnight the short ride had taken its toll. Was expecting a few laps of hill. So off for a run - in the rain as it happen. Most pleasant the rain (warm night). 1hr 20 running and gees my legs feel it. Will take a while to get running fit again.
So in all a big day.
tennis was good.
4am sleep.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
thurs 27 jan11
Hard out across town - big head wind running late. Need to remember it takes 40min to get across. From there hard ride uo hill. Pulled a 191 max hr trying to keep up with the jack russel. 2846cal. good hard ride. Won the around house at end. Some debate over 2nd run but I claimed interferance as I was held up by the food.
Of note - came acorss dom dom on way up. He had his usual crash downmiddle ridge. And his mate mandy also had an off followed by a most amusing dead ant.
Of note - came acorss dom dom on way up. He had his usual crash downmiddle ridge. And his mate mandy also had an off followed by a most amusing dead ant.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wed 26 jan 11
Started off small.
On bike up hill at 8.20pm. To flaming hot to get out before that. Had made more mods to victoria - the most important being dropping 2kg off the weight, This took it from heavy - 15kg to reasonable. Rode far better - also changed forks to some marzocci DJ.
About an hour playing up hill got to dark however.
Then another ride in town later on under the lights - 10pm till midnight, Was still hot when finished. Did some ok riding. Pedal kicks ok - and 90deg pedal.
On bike up hill at 8.20pm. To flaming hot to get out before that. Had made more mods to victoria - the most important being dropping 2kg off the weight, This took it from heavy - 15kg to reasonable. Rode far better - also changed forks to some marzocci DJ.
About an hour playing up hill got to dark however.
Then another ride in town later on under the lights - 10pm till midnight, Was still hot when finished. Did some ok riding. Pedal kicks ok - and 90deg pedal.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tue 25 Jan 2011 2nd ride
I assume that if one has 2 distinct and different rides in one day - on different bikes even - then its only fair and correct to have 2 distinct posts to reflect this.
(now redundant but kept so the development can be seen)
change of plan - road ride will only just (if even) receive an honorary mention. So this was completed earlier in the day -
So far around 1 hour on bike - tridem. A bit of road play - helping training program. Did around 1000cal over 1.5 hr and 17km distance - hard work on tridem.
So on bike around 6.30pm. Trials bike and kids on blackout and kitty.
2 times the stump gap via pedal kicks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRLi1U61u4g&feature=related
like that only not as good.
New record of 5 front wheel hops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZcz9-bOlb0&feature=related
link is not me - and I'm not that good.
Pedal kick up wall by village. First time.
see pedal kick above - but up a wall - small wall - axel height - try it its scary when you cant do it and may end up face first in a wall.
All good stuff.
(now redundant but kept so the development can be seen)
change of plan - road ride will only just (if even) receive an honorary mention. So this was completed earlier in the day -
So far around 1 hour on bike - tridem. A bit of road play - helping training program. Did around 1000cal over 1.5 hr and 17km distance - hard work on tridem.
So on bike around 6.30pm. Trials bike and kids on blackout and kitty.
2 times the stump gap via pedal kicks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRLi1U61u4g&feature=related
like that only not as good.
New record of 5 front wheel hops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZcz9-bOlb0&feature=related
link is not me - and I'm not that good.
Pedal kick up wall by village. First time.
see pedal kick above - but up a wall - small wall - axel height - try it its scary when you cant do it and may end up face first in a wall.
All good stuff.
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