Once again, the year rolls by and the Great Perth Bike Ride rolls up!
Sunday, 22nd November and perfect weather for the ride: sunny, not too warm (low 20's C I think), and a light easterly. Around 4000 people showed up to enjoy the chance to blast around the river with a little bit of traffic control here and there.
As per usual, I chickened out and stuck to the 53km 1-lapper: early wakes aren't my style. Met up with a few people from my Saturday morning ride club and waited around the 15 or so minutes in pleasant conditions for the start. The organisers will have to start allocating larger spaces for each allocated group – quite a few of us had to stand off the road to the side of our respective groups until they rolled forward to the staggered start, due to the space being packed with riders.
Anyway, inched up to the start, got the 'go' signal, and a guy in front of me promptly fell off and did the old 'domino principle' trick to the two guys next to him! So, within the first 30 seconds, I'd lost my mates. Not sure what happened to them – I know I must have passed them early on without seeing them, but not matter as I'm sure they enjoyed themselves.
Had a good ride: very uneventful although a little on the slower side at times. Spent most of the first half of the ride chasing down a group, finding it a little slow and then pulling across to the next, rinse and repeat. Got into a slightly more motivated group after half way and had a reasonable speed ride from there on. Not that the recorded time is important (cough), but it was a little slower than last year – oh well! No fault of my Colnago CX-1 - since I've owned her I literally jumped at every chance to ride her. I need to put down a ride impression of the 'Nago one of these days - just have to find time when I'm not riding.
A couple of guys from the Sat. morning ride did the 106 km two lapper and really enjoyed it, so I resolved to bite the bullet and go for it next year: might as well celebrate my 50th year with an early morning scoot!
So, thanks to the organisers for another successful Ride – 106km 2 lapper in 2010, here I come!
Ride safe!
Monday, 23 November 2009
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish - Edward Woodward
Edward Woodard passes away at 79. Not entirely non-bike related - after all, Edward did ride a bike in his classic film "The Wicker Man".
That film, along with the searing "Breaker Morant", and his portrayal of a hard-nosed yet sometimes reluctant servant of 'The Section' in 'Callan' (in which he virtually invented the 'complex hard-man' TV serial genre) endeared me to him over the years. To this day I still recall the classic 'light-bulb' intro and hypnotic theme score of Callan, which I sneakily try and sit-up to watch as a younger lad way back.
So, thanks Edward, and cheers. You shot straight...and never made a mess of it!
That film, along with the searing "Breaker Morant", and his portrayal of a hard-nosed yet sometimes reluctant servant of 'The Section' in 'Callan' (in which he virtually invented the 'complex hard-man' TV serial genre) endeared me to him over the years. To this day I still recall the classic 'light-bulb' intro and hypnotic theme score of Callan, which I sneakily try and sit-up to watch as a younger lad way back.
So, thanks Edward, and cheers. You shot straight...and never made a mess of it!
Saturday, 7 November 2009
2009 Great Victorian Bike Ride
Well, lucked out and landed the WARBY gig for the upcoming Great Victorian Bike Ride spanning 10 days from November 28th to December 6th. WARBIES (We Are Right Behind You) are volunteers who ride along with the participants and assist with mechanicals, offer a smile and encouragement etc. Mucho thanks to the Bike Victoria organising team for choosing little ol' WA-based me :).
Had a great time doing those duties during the Great West Australian Bike Ride in March of this year, and am really looking forward to this upcoming experience. Especially looking forward to tootling along the Great Ocean Road. I did the road many years ago on a motorbike – needless to say, I was younger and the challenge wasn't what you could see, rather how fast one could go. So, this time I will definitely get to see a whole lot more.
Apparently there's also the 'famous Laver's Hill'? Meh – don't know and don't want to know: if it's just called a hill, it can't be all that bad, and anyway, I've whacked on a wimpy 50-34 compact crankset on the front of the Dean so I'm all set to climb goat tracks!
The GVBR this year is going to be huge – all sold out, and I think something like close to 6,000 participants! Man, that's an awful lot of potential punctures requiring repair! The WARBIES will be up for it – my past experience definitely confirms it as one of the best volunteer roles in terms of mixing it with the people, and also of the most enjoyable: sometimes hard but always rewarding and fun.
Roll on November 28th! (And the sun and good temps).
Ride safe!
Had a great time doing those duties during the Great West Australian Bike Ride in March of this year, and am really looking forward to this upcoming experience. Especially looking forward to tootling along the Great Ocean Road. I did the road many years ago on a motorbike – needless to say, I was younger and the challenge wasn't what you could see, rather how fast one could go. So, this time I will definitely get to see a whole lot more.
Apparently there's also the 'famous Laver's Hill'? Meh – don't know and don't want to know: if it's just called a hill, it can't be all that bad, and anyway, I've whacked on a wimpy 50-34 compact crankset on the front of the Dean so I'm all set to climb goat tracks!
The GVBR this year is going to be huge – all sold out, and I think something like close to 6,000 participants! Man, that's an awful lot of potential punctures requiring repair! The WARBIES will be up for it – my past experience definitely confirms it as one of the best volunteer roles in terms of mixing it with the people, and also of the most enjoyable: sometimes hard but always rewarding and fun.
Roll on November 28th! (And the sun and good temps).
Ride safe!
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