It never rains on a BR -- BR(52)

TimC said:

OK, so not technically, but it did rain all the way to the starting
line. And the roads were plenty wet for maybe an hour or so
afterwards. Evidentally, it just doesn't rain in the hills, though.

OK, hands up all your new comers.

OK you can put your hands down now.

Hands up who painted that BR(x) sign that I managed to miss?

And dutchy? Where? We waited for you and you didn't come, dammit.

And no photos today?

It turns out it's not the tool, it's the legs. I am still damn slow
🙂 Anyway, no more blaming the tool.

I met with asphalt around the second or third roundabout - I wasn't
sure beforehand just how much traction you have when you have 700x25C
pumped up to the maximum 102psi, in the wet. It turns out, the answer
is "bugger all". I felt what I guessed was the rear wheel sliding
(guessing, because it is a sensation I don't think I had ever had
before on any bike), so I pulled back a bit. The sliding stopped, but
then within a second started again. And then I met the ground. Hoods
were twisted in, and the chain kept on falling off and not sitting in
gears properly for the rest of the day. The hill immediately after
the roundabout saw me slipping all the way up. Oil? Or is 102psi
just too much in wet weather?

I took the long way, but I didn't quite catch up to the peleton - I
was riding in the shoes for only the second time, and I still take
quite some time to clip in and get away successfully. All of the
people behind me went the short way, so I had to fiend for myself. I
saw Alma rd, and I recalled seeing it on the BR map as "the long way",
but last time, we went on a road a bit further up, which comes out at
the bakery. Since I couldn't remember what road that was, I decided
to go up alma road instead.

94 km, and the stats are too embarrasing (still, maybe 1km/h faster
than the BV bike) 🙂 I certainly had no legs left after I left
everyone at the yarra boulivard. I'm just glad I had any legs left at
all - lastnight I was so tired on the way home, I averaged 15km/h from
the city. How does one just *lose* 9km/h? Where'd it go? Eeek!

--
TimC
"The thing I love most about deadlines is the wonderful WHOOSHing sound
they make as they go past" - DNA

Good to see everybody and put some faces to names (although I think I've forgotten most of them already :-) ) And the lesson here is "put muguards on, and naturally rain will stop - making you look a tad goofy"

Well, I'm just glad to have made it 'there and back again'. With the pace up Doncaster Rd and rapidly fading for the first 10 minutes by the time we hit Donvale I was ready to admit defeat at Warrandyte. Of course, by the time we hit Warrandyte I'd inhaled a few jelly snakes and had found my legs so continued - Glad I did. Went further and harder than I ever would've done myself, so thanks for that guys, and thanks to those of you who hung back, kept me company, showed me directions. I could blame the 'perpetually at the back' on the mtb, but I think the driver had a lot to do with it too. But when I found my own pace it was quite an enjoyable ride, squizzing at some lovely views and cruising around thos roads.

First real experience of bunch riding too - enjoyed that immensely as we hurtled through Hurstbridge. Now I understand a bit better what all the fuss is about!

TimC - that explains the crunching! I was a bit concerned with the noises emanating from a new bike... I've heard of 'breaking it in', but this is taking things to the extreme!

Anyway, not sure I'll be a regular - might return sometime, but I think I'll be waiting for the road bike before I do this too often.

Eddie(home never looked so good)c

TimC said:

Hands up who painted that BR(x) sign that I managed to miss?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaywoo/20161826/

😄

"Jay Woo" wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

Hands up who painted that BR(x) sign that I managed to miss?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaywoo/20161826/

😄

hahaha.. very subtle.. love ya work!

cheers
GPL

quote='Jay Woo'TimC said:

Hands up who painted that BR(x) sign that I managed to miss?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaywoo/20161826/

😄[/QUOTE]

Oooo, is that paint flecks? Do tell the story.

BTW, noice LW band, we're wearing ours as we type. If you're gonna do it wrong, do it completely wrong. 😄

Bikesoiler absent due to racing at Beaconsfield. I'll prompt him to write up a RR.

"TimC" wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

OK, so not technically, but it did rain all the way to the starting
line. And the roads were plenty wet for maybe an hour or so
afterwards. Evidentally, it just doesn't rain in the hills, though.

It doesn't rain in the hills, it buckets down!!!.. The day Jay Woo, Ess, and
I did the Kinglake route had to be the wettest I've ever been on a bike..
dried out by the time we got home though.. today I only had drizzle on the
way to the start..

Re: PSIs.. I run 115-120 even in the wet.. Just have to be careful of your
weight distribution and speed into corners, to stay over the cranks when out
of the saddle.. with the tip of your seat just brushing the back of your
legs (or something to that effect that I read once).. seems to work.. and
stay away from the white lines.

Clintons Rd is the new 'long' route. It is about 4kms past the Alma Rd
turnoff.

Dutch left us all wondering where he may pop up.. I had thoughts of him
sitting in his 'birthday suit' in the Smiths Gully store waiting for us..
and thank god that didn't eventuate 🙂

I'm expecting craigster to post about his stack into some recumbent riding
*$%Ker in Ivanhoe.. I've never liked recumbents, and as Jay Woo pointed
out.. homemade ones are even WORSE... hope the damage was minimal when you
got home and went over everything craigster!...

cheers,
GPL

On 2005-06-19, eddiec (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

TimC - that explains the crunching! I was a bit concerned with the
noises emanating from a new bike... I've heard of 'breaking it in', but
this is taking things to the extreme!

I must have lost the chain about 6 times. The final one was up the
hill just after the crash at the end (what was the name of the person
who crashed?), so I lost everyone left and went home by myself.

Losing a chain when still getting used to clipping out
is... treacherous.

Auto-gear shifting on indexed gears are also a pain. Should probably
learn where the cable adjuster thingy is, shouldn't I? 🙂

--
TimC
NOP NOP NOP NOP <bang> NOP NOP <bang> <ouch>
-- TimC spinning in the corner.

TimC said:

Hands up who painted that BR(x) sign that I managed to miss?

And dutchy? Where? We waited for you and you didn't come, dammit.

sorry. got spooked by downhils in wet. apparently my head still needs time...

and BR(x) painted sign???

wozzat all aboot?

FD

TimC said:

OK, hands up all your new comers.

Hi. My name's Craigster and I'm a long-time reader, first-time BR'er.

Early indications were not good. I checked the radar at 6:10 and large bands of blue were shownsweeping into Melbourne from the west. Set out shortly after and sure enough, the rain came down almost as soon as I was onto Chapel Street. Still, it had pretty much abated by the time I got to Doncaster, and met up with everyone else.

I won't try and summarise the rest of the ride 'cos Tim's pretty much already done that. The bit just after the stop (Diamond Creek road?) saw some good turns between Gags and myself trying to catch the rest of the bunch after had to go back and get my seat-pack from the bakery.

All was well until the final furlong. I was following Jay Woo from the meet point at the top of Burgundy Street, and shortly after we turned onto Heidelburg Road we passed a guy on a recumbent. As we hit the downhill the recumbent (being more aerodynamic, and me being utterly sh*gged) passed me again. Next thing I know, he hits a pothole and his chain comes flying off, and being a front-drive bike, gets caught in his front wheel, mangling his rim and rupturing the tyre. He goes flying over the front (pretty impressive sight on a bent) and me being only about 4 metres behind, smack into his bike which sails into my path. I go over the front, and just when it looks like I'm going to do a perfect 'duck and roll' and ride off into the sunset, my face smacks into the tarmac.

After a look around at each other, it both seems we're OK. Jay Woo comes back and is great, getting us to take it easy and sit down for a bit. The rest of the BR's catch up with us, and after quick check over the bike (and my first thought - my lovely new Assos jacket), everything is still in place - except my computer which came flying off as I hit the deck. After a good look around, we decide that the storm drain right next to impact point probably swallowed it up. The recumbant's chain was snapped and the derailleur mangled to buggery so he called his support team.

Back home, no major injuries. Grazed elbow, knee and left (facial) cheek. Left hand feels a bit sore, but I think I've been pretty lucky. The rails under my saddle have bent out of whack, partly because I have the seat a long way back and it was first to hit the ground, but I should be able to re-angle the clamp until I get a new one. Hopefully it also prevented the impact going thought the frame as much as it could have. The bike was going into the LBS anyway next week so I'll get them to check it over. Still haven't decided if I'll follow it up with the other guy - depends what the bill is. It was mechanical failure after all.

Anyway, thanks for the ride guys. Probably a bit out my way to make it a regular, but I'll make a showing now and again.

Cheers,
Craigster.

"TimC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

OK, so not technically, but it did rain all the way to the starting
line. And the roads were plenty wet for maybe an hour or so
afterwards. Evidentally, it just doesn't rain in the hills, though.

OK, hands up all your new comers.

OK you can put your hands down now.

Hands up who painted that BR(x) sign that I managed to miss?

And dutchy? Where? We waited for you and you didn't come, dammit.

And no photos today?

It turns out it's not the tool, it's the legs. I am still damn slow
🙂 Anyway, no more blaming the tool.

I met with asphalt around the second or third roundabout - I wasn't
sure beforehand just how much traction you have when you have 700x25C
pumped up to the maximum 102psi, in the wet. It turns out, the answer
is "bugger all". I felt what I guessed was the rear wheel sliding
(guessing, because it is a sensation I don't think I had ever had
before on any bike), so I pulled back a bit. The sliding stopped, but
then within a second started again. And then I met the ground. Hoods
were twisted in, and the chain kept on falling off and not sitting in
gears properly for the rest of the day. The hill immediately after
the roundabout saw me slipping all the way up. Oil? Or is 102psi
just too much in wet weather?

I took the long way, but I didn't quite catch up to the peleton - I
was riding in the shoes for only the second time, and I still take
quite some time to clip in and get away successfully. All of the
people behind me went the short way, so I had to fiend for myself. I
saw Alma rd, and I recalled seeing it on the BR map as "the long way",
but last time, we went on a road a bit further up, which comes out at
the bakery. Since I couldn't remember what road that was, I decided
to go up alma road instead.

94 km, and the stats are too embarrasing (still, maybe 1km/h faster
than the BV bike) 🙂 I certainly had no legs left after I left
everyone at the yarra boulivard. I'm just glad I had any legs left at
all - lastnight I was so tired on the way home, I averaged 15km/h from
the city. How does one just *lose* 9km/h? Where'd it go? Eeek!

--
TimC
"The thing I love most about deadlines is the wonderful WHOOSHing sound
they make as they go past" - DNA

Sorry about my disgraceful exit. It would seem that despite all obvious
signs of the flu having vanished that there's no way I was going to keep up
with you guys. Hell, I was never that fast ever and I suppose I should have
guessed that I was going to find it hard given how much the commute to work
has gotten harder, but I didn't expect to be that noticably off the pace. A
combination of the body shouting rude things at me and the fact that I was
feeling the cold really badly pulled me up after a couple of km. Nasty to
hear about dropping it Tim, hope nothing got permanently damaged (you or the
bike!).

On 2005-06-19, craigster_jd (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

OK, hands up all your new comers.

Hi. My name's Craigster and I'm a long-time reader, first-time BR'er.

And they sentenced you to BRers anonymous instead of what?

Quoted message said:

I won't try and summarise the rest of the ride 'cos Tim's pretty much
already done that. The bit just after the stop (Diamond Creek road?)
saw some good turns between Gags and myself trying to catch the rest of
the bunch after had to go back and get my seat-pack from the bakery.

Just leave it there, and come back next week, eh DaveB (IIRC)? 🙂

Quoted message said:

sh*gged) passed me again. Next thing I know, he hits a pothole and his
chain comes flying off, and being a front-drive bike, gets caught in
his front wheel

Is that a design flaw that affects all 'bents?

It was messy.

Quoted message said:

Back home, no major injuries. Grazed elbow, knee and left (facial)
cheek.

Glad you clarified that 🙂

My thigh's just a tiny bit grazed.

This reminds me of Höllentour -- would the Tour de France cyclists,
assuming straight, be disappointed that the masseur is a guy? I want
my money back; I want a buxom wench to massage my thigh, dammit!
Ahem. 🙂

--
TimC
cpu time/usefulness ratio too high -- core dumped.

On 2005-06-19, Resound (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Sorry about my disgraceful exit. It would seem that despite all obvious
signs of the flu having vanished that there's no way I was going to keep up
with you guys. Hell, I was never that fast ever and I suppose I should have
guessed that I was going to find it hard given how much the commute to work
has gotten harder, but I didn't expect to be that noticably off the pace. A
combination of the body shouting rude things at me and the fact that I was
feeling the cold really badly pulled me up after a couple of km.

I didn't seek introductions from people dammit. You were the guy (in
orange, IIRC?) who pulled out before the turnoff? Does explains it,
it does.

Quoted message said:

Nasty to
hear about dropping it Tim, hope nothing got permanently damaged (you or the
bike!).

Just my head. Just my head. Just my head. Ahem.

--
TimC
Beating is one thing .... pounding accompanied by the shakes is a bit
unnerving -- Andrew Comeau in RHOD

cfsmtb said:

Jay Woo said:

TimC said:

Hands up who painted that BR(x) sign that I managed to miss?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaywoo/20161826/

😄

Oooo, is that paint flecks? Do tell the story.

Being the Anniversary there had to be some sorta shenanigans. I drove
the route to Smiths Gully in the wagon last night. 1st stop was "Sort
sharp hill" (Tyndals rd). I pulled into the school drive way and
proceeded to slap down 3 'BRX's somewhere in the middle of the
hill. I thought this was going to be easy, but there were way too many
cars, which made it 'one letter then run back to the car, load the
roller and wait' Bloody cars! So I head to Harris Gully rd to the
'quick down' and again too many cars to wack something down with
artistic flare (not that I have any 😄). Shouldn't everyone be in bed
by now? Frustrated, it's back in the car and up the Warrandyte climb.
I have to get something down here! I stop at the bus stop start
desperate to get something down, but yep, heaps of cars and it's lit
up like day time! Arrrr! I'm getting [censored] with hoons coming up my
ass as I'm looking for spots to stop(maybe it was because I was going
way under the speed limit?). I find a place over a crest next to a bus
stop and with Black Flag blaring out of the back of my wagon; I don't
give a stuff about cars and go about slapping down a BR with a Trident.
Yeah! Now that's Punk😉 There's little room to pull over as the climb
goes on, so I cut my loses and make my way to Eltham - Yarra Glenn
Rd. This has to be quite! I want to mark the turn off up Alma Rd, but
there's a car pulled over with the interior light on! ARRRRRR! I
drive on to Clinton's. Dark and quiet. On goes the head torch and
down goes a 'BRX' without too much drama. It's up Clinton's and
to 'the corner' at the top of the climb. Again dark & quiet, head
torch and I'm slapping away🙂
It's getting late, so it back home and into bed hoping that the rain
doesn't wash my handy work away and I'm feeling 16 again🙂... pity
my legs didn't this morning :/

craigster_jd said:

I won't try and summarise the rest of the ride 'cos Tim's pretty much
already done that. The bit just after the stop (Diamond Creek road?)
saw some good turns between Gags and myself trying to catch the rest of
the bunch after had to go back and get my seat-pack from the bakery.

Yep I was pretty glad to see you guys while I sorted out my dropbars
which decided to ... well drop. If I hadn't been abble to jump on the
back of you guys it would have been a hard run to catch up.

DaveB

TimC said:

OK, so not technically, but it did rain all the way to the starting
line. And the roads were plenty wet for maybe an hour or so
afterwards. Evidentally, it just doesn't rain in the hills, though.

OK, hands up all your new comers.

OK you can put your hands down now.

Hands up who painted that BR(x) sign that I managed to miss?

And dutchy? Where? We waited for you and you didn't come, dammit.

And no photos today?

It turns out it's not the tool, it's the legs. I am still damn slow
🙂 Anyway, no more blaming the tool.

I met with asphalt around the second or third roundabout - I wasn't
sure beforehand just how much traction you have when you have 700x25C
pumped up to the maximum 102psi, in the wet. It turns out, the answer
is "bugger all". I felt what I guessed was the rear wheel sliding
(guessing, because it is a sensation I don't think I had ever had
before on any bike), so I pulled back a bit. The sliding stopped, but
then within a second started again. And then I met the ground. Hoods
were twisted in, and the chain kept on falling off and not sitting in
gears properly for the rest of the day. The hill immediately after
the roundabout saw me slipping all the way up. Oil? Or is 102psi
just too much in wet weather?

I took the long way, but I didn't quite catch up to the peleton - I
was riding in the shoes for only the second time, and I still take
quite some time to clip in and get away successfully. All of the
people behind me went the short way, so I had to fiend for myself. I
saw Alma rd, and I recalled seeing it on the BR map as "the long way",
but last time, we went on a road a bit further up, which comes out at
the bakery. Since I couldn't remember what road that was, I decided
to go up alma road instead.

94 km, and the stats are too embarrasing (still, maybe 1km/h faster
than the BV bike) 🙂 I certainly had no legs left after I left
everyone at the yarra boulivard. I'm just glad I had any legs left at
all - lastnight I was so tired on the way home, I averaged 15km/h from
the city. How does one just *lose* 9km/h? Where'd it go? Eeek!

--
TimC
"The thing I love most about deadlines is the wonderful WHOOSHing sound
they make as they go past" - DNA

eat more food, dude.

A lesson I re-learned on the way home from the crit yesterday...

Tam

TimC said:

On 2005-06-19, eddiec (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

TimC - that explains the crunching! I was a bit concerned with the
noises emanating from a new bike... I've heard of 'breaking it in', but
this is taking things to the extreme!

I must have lost the chain about 6 times. The final one was up the
hill just after the crash at the end (what was the name of the person
who crashed?), so I lost everyone left and went home by myself.

Losing a chain when still getting used to clipping out
is... treacherous.

The instinct to "just keep pedalling" is strong and inappropriate!
(Embarrassing incident outside an infantry unit...)

Quoted message said:

Auto-gear shifting on indexed gears are also a pain. Should probably
learn where the cable adjuster thingy is, shouldn't I? 🙂

I would send you a link, but you'd probably be offended.

Quoted message said:

--
TimC
NOP NOP NOP NOP <bang> NOP NOP <bang> <ouch>
-- TimC spinning in the corner.

That cracked me up 😄

Tam

You guys are a bit hardcore, flying around in the wet. I'm past that
stage, a 4hr ride in the rain with my coach killed it for me. I'm glad no
one was hurt too badly, take care of yourselves and it's good to see you
taking care of each other.

Tam

"TimC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 2005-06-19, Resound (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Sorry about my disgraceful exit. It would seem that despite all obvious
signs of the flu having vanished that there's no way I was going to keep
up
with you guys. Hell, I was never that fast ever and I suppose I should
have
guessed that I was going to find it hard given how much the commute to
work
has gotten harder, but I didn't expect to be that noticably off the pace.
A
combination of the body shouting rude things at me and the fact that I
was
feeling the cold really badly pulled me up after a couple of km.

I didn't seek introductions from people dammit. You were the guy (in
orange, IIRC?) who pulled out before the turnoff? Does explains it,
it does.

Quoted message said:

Nasty to
hear about dropping it Tim, hope nothing got permanently damaged (you or
the
bike!).

Just my head. Just my head. Just my head. Ahem.

--
TimC
Beating is one thing .... pounding accompanied by the shakes is a bit
unnerving -- Andrew Comeau in RHOD

That was me. I'm really not happy about dying that badly, that fast. I've
not been riding all that much lately other than to work, and I've had my
shifts cut back so that's only been 2-3 times per week. So I'm unfit and (it
would seem) still not 100% anyway. Arses.

craigster_jd said:

Next thing I know, he hits a pothole and his
chain comes flying off, and being a front-drive bike, gets caught in
his front wheel, mangling his rim and rupturing the tyre. He goes
flying over the front (pretty impressive sight on a bent) and me being
only about 4 metres behind, smack into his bike which sails into my
path. I go over the front, and just when it looks like I'm going to do
a perfect 'duck and roll' and ride off into the sunset, my face smacks
into the tarmac.

We had to be doing around the 60km/h mark! I'm still amazed that you &
your lovely steed came out of it the way you did?! Get a tatts ticket🙂
And how were all the kind people in their cars that stopped to make
sure everyone was alright too? NOT!

Quoted message said:

Back home, no major injuries. Grazed elbow, knee and left (facial)
cheek. Left hand feels a bit sore, but I think I've been pretty lucky.

Maybe go and get yourself checked out just to be sure. Adrenalin is
wonderful thing, till it runs out.

Jay Woo said:

<insert cool story here>

lovin yer werk, Jaywoo! 😄😄😄

boy am i [censored] i didnt show now. is this in permanent(ish) paint?

and welcome to BR(hell) Craigster! boy, sounds like you lucky!
better ride than that darned (mainly) boring bikelife 1/20 ride, i'n'it gov !?!?

and despair not Resound. flu/cold can do really depressin [censored] to your lungs/head. I always take a few days extra off, 'just in case' as i have far too often hammered myself upon return. you'll be amazed how much easier it feels once your healthy again. (and the pace was probably higher being more riders than usual. that happened the one day we got 10 riders)

So what were the numbers? did you beat the '10' ?
(i count 7 names mentioned...)

apologies once again for all the bluff and bluster then no-show!
didnt realise till i saw wet-slippery surfaces just how screwed i am psychologically after accident. my ride at 9am was ridiculously tentative as i yelled at myself to 'get over it'.
At this rate I aint gonna be racing again in a hurry 🙁

F"stealth"Dutch