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flipping heck

that was hard ( ok more than two words but I'm still tripping)

I could make this a single word post - "Hurts!"

When I saw who was coming on this ride it was a bit scary, but aside from some cramp in the right calf it was rather enjoyable.

Things started out sedate enough (if you can call riding Tavern to bottom of Duck Hole in 20 min sedate) but at the bottom of the climb to Centre Woz & Shaun were off like crazies with Steve and Supagav in pursuit. Thankfully Damien is on a single speed so kept me company up here.

Great weekend, challenging course, as always great to have friendly banter, and great results by everyone.

I had a good race, pacing myself well to my objectives, getting to the end in ‘good’ shape and avoiding cramps.

Kept my heart rate below 80% most of the time, averaged 75% (143) over the 8 hours, didn’t cramp and had enough fuel in the legs for another lap. But.... the short travel bikes really meant hard work on the downhill track descent, and the rest of the time it was either pretty technical or open and gravelly, meaning pretty loose. As Steve01 commented, good practice for drifting & sliding around!

Not quiet as advertised, but the ride today was still certainly a hill fest - 1724m in 66.7Km. That ratio would certainly be much better for the first 50Km though - if only MB would give these stats per lap.

Changes were made because once we got moving the consensus was that Cascades & behind the Wildflower garden would be a bit too wet so we hit up all the trails on West Head to Towlers and back. Yes, even Elvina on the way back - the gang loved it when some mad fool peeled off down there. Oh yeah - and a quick up and down Chiltern too, just for good measure.

This was the first time I had done the Oaks Up & Back. When we arrived at the first gate (start of single track) on the way up I wasn't feeling the best. I knew it was going to be a hard ride and I wasn't wrong as I was already stuffed. I pushed on and with one stop at the helipad and then to the top. I actually thought the group would have started descending before I made it. I arrived with time to down a Gu stretch and we were off again.

Today I did the 6 foot track with Leon.

WE didn't ride all the way, just to the top of the first hill. WE rode from Megalong Valley, doing 25km all up. It was a surporisingly tiring ride.

THe views were spectacular, and the weather was interesting.
The descent from 700m -300m was fantastic. By the end I was going as fast as I could. My front tyre had a low enough pressure that when I applied my front brakes hard, it would fold a little, like a drag car tyre.

While we were down at the Towlers Bay section of this ride I commented, "Remember when we used to ride Towlers Bay on it's own, 'cos the ride out was so tough? And now it's just an insignificant bump tacked on to make up some kays".

Ah, the memories!

Sat 16th 8:30am ride West Head

I was going to delete the 'archived' forums but isn't it nice to look back and see how far some of us have come! Eh MEEE

On my way to site this morning I was traveling through the General Holmes Drive tunnel heading down to Sutherland.
As I was approaching the Cooks River Bridge I noticed a large group of road cyclist, about 40, in the left hand lane up ahead.
To my disbelief, it was like slow motion, one of the rear of the group shot to the right taking out three mates. I think a bike in front braked and he didn’t notice in time.

So yeah...
Sat 2nd, rode at Manly Dam w/ Mr lights - awesome time, even made it up heartbreak hill twice

thought "yeah, I can do a ride tomorrow too"...
Bad decision! Without realising, I'd "gone out for an extra lap"!! That's the cardinal rule...

So rode around cascades w/ markterai for about an hour, we went over to the wildflower garden...then I fell over clipped in...onto rock...and heard a crack...

"I'm fine" I said...I was wrong...

So I'm off the bike until at least late Sept...AAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!

It was a very nice day at Yellowmundee this weekend for their round of the Working Week Series. Good course, dry weather (just) and plenty of top NoBMoB company and banter made for a most enjoyable race day.

Mind you, the early start (6am) after late night (2am) wasn't easy, nor was the freezing start (yes, the car thermometer saw 1 degree on the way in).

Sam & I had paired up in the duo of 'Two worn out Nobs', the start being decided on the flip of a coin which saw me shivering by the river just gone 8am.