MSGong Ride

That is a good site.

It might be interesting to see a similar thing done with rides that aren't necessarily just hills eg I saw an entry there for the M2, and an M7 one would be interesting.

And like Bikely its great site, as is this forum but the international flavour takes away the relevance sometimes

It woudl be nice if there was a truely local version, this could be done with a sort of syndication, I suppose it just dilutes the advertising money.

warday said:

I have checked out all the Sydney rides, but this site seems to have every hill climb anyone could ever want - worldwide.

cycle2max.comcycle2max.comOpen ↗

Hope it is of use - I can't say I would be keen to post my times!

Regards
Peter

46kgToDate said:

And like Bikely its great site, as is this forum but the international flavour takes away the relevance sometimes

It woudl be nice if there was a truely local version, this could be done with a sort of syndication, I suppose it just dilutes the advertising money.

There is a local forum ..... look up bicycles.net.au but I'm here to tell you it is VERY quiet compared to this forum (and I am comparing it to Aussie traffic on this forum).

46kgToDate said:

That is a good site.

It might be interesting to see a similar thing done with rides that aren't necessarily just hills eg I saw an entry there for the M2, and an M7 one would be interesting.

And like Bikely its great site, as is this forum but the international flavour takes away the relevance sometimes

It woudl be nice if there was a truely local version, this could be done with a sort of syndication, I suppose it just dilutes the advertising money.

I think that one's worth while using. I'm setting my eye on grabbing onto the bottom of the board for the Taronga Zoo hill I think!

An M7 one would be good as well, can't be bothered riding the entire thing though! I usually do a TT to Eastern Rd from the entrance at Gavin Place.

1q2w3e4r said:

I think that one's worth while using. I'm setting my eye on grabbing onto the bottom of the board for the Taronga Zoo hill I think!

An M7 one would be good as well, can't be bothered riding the entire thing though! I usually do a TT to Eastern Rd from the entrance at Gavin Place.

Its nice though and relatively dog on leash and glass fragment free. There's something almost poetical about going from Castle Hill to Camden...and back again.🙂

46kgToDate said:

Its nice though and relatively dog on leash and glass fragment free. There's something almost poetical about going from Castle Hill to Camden...and back again.🙂

Hehehe, that's defiantly true. It's something I've been meaning to do, I always manage to talk myself out of it for some reason. Probably because I'd rather ride it with someone else.

warday said:

I have checked out all the Sydney rides, but this site seems to have every hill climb anyone could ever want - worldwide.

cycle2max.comcycle2max.comOpen ↗

Hope it is of use - I can't say I would be keen to post my times!

Regards
Peter

Cool site. Heres NSW specifically

Got my Gong stuff today I had signed up at first opportunity!!

I thought the jersey was a bit small for an XXL🙁, I wasn't expecting it to be quite as cosy, may have to do some serious traiining to fit into it!

46kgToDate said:

Got my Gong stuff today I had signed up at first opportunity!!

I thought the jersey was a bit small for an XXL🙁, I wasn't expecting it to be quite as cosy, may have to do some serious traiining to fit into it!

If it's not too rude to ask, what weight are you aiming for?

I noticed that you're up to 49kg to date; at what point will you cease to exist?

I'm at 27kg to date (past year (though winter was a step back)), another 20 and that'll be about my goal.

Feels good to be half way

SCotty

scotty72 said:

If it's not too rude to ask, what weight are you aiming for?

I noticed that you're up to 49kg to date; at what point will you cease to exist?

I'm at 27kg to date (past year (though winter was a step back)), another 20 and that'll be about my goal.

Feels good to be half way

SCotty

[font=&quot]Well I'm 109.9 but who counts the grams? I'm aiming at 10 more gone by 2007. Another 25 from here would set me up nicely. If I get to thirty from here I reckon I'll write a book.

Ever heard of Mike Magnuson? Heft on Wheels Subtitled a Field Guide to doing a 180. In his first chapter we find him lead the training pack he had just 18mths before trailed 10 miles behind. That is until he crests a hill and is sent 25 feet into the air by an old ford pickuptruck.
It's a great read I would recommend to anyone, not just entrants for this year's Biggest Loser. He does everything "the wrong way".

My Saturday morning cycling buddy put me on to it, and the MSGong ride BTW. So yeah, I'm 49 kg in 23 months and I am bragging a bit. I reckon it makes me more of an expert and better qualified than anorexic dieticians.

Since November though, I've gone nuts on cycling. I'd been noodling arond on a MtB since 1997 but now I am so bitten! This last two weeks off the bike (last stitches out tomorrow) have driven me and the family crazy. Managed 36klms on Saturday without a major tear or leak from the wound so I'm back into it big time this week. Gym this morning trainer tonight, riding every day plus 3 more gym sessions til Saturday morning then its the Perthville Clover leaf [/font][font=&quot]at Bathurst[/font][font=&quot](20k each loop with a hill as high as you want in the middle).
[/font]
25kg in one year is better than me though. well done, we can both be experts.

Back to the jersey, my Ground Effect and US ordered jerseys fit snug but fine, these Netti's must be a smaller fit.

46kgToDate said:

[font=&quot]Well I'm 109.9 but who counts the grams? I'm aiming at 10 more gone by 2007. Another 25 from here would set me up nicely. If I get to thirty from here I reckon I'll write a book.

Ever heard of Mike Magnuson? Heft on Wheels Subtitled a Field Guide to doing a 180. In his first chapter we find him lead the training pack he had just 18mths before trailed 10 miles behind. That is until he crests a hill and is sent 25 feet into the air by an old ford pickuptruck.
It's a great read I would recommend to anyone, not just entrants for this year's Biggest Loser. He does everything "the wrong way".

My Saturday morning cycling buddy put me on to it, and the MSGong ride BTW. So yeah, I'm 49 kg in 23 months and I am bragging a bit. I reckon it makes me more of an expert and better qualified than anorexic dieticians.

Since November though, I've gone nuts on cycling. I'd been noodling arond on a MtB since 1997 but now I am so bitten! This last two weeks off the bike (last stitches out tomorrow) have driven me and the family crazy. Managed 36klms on Saturday without a major tear or leak from the wound so I'm back into it big time this week. Gym this morning trainer tonight, riding every day plus 3 more gym sessions til Saturday morning then its the Perthville Clover leaf [/font][font=&quot]at Bathurst[/font][font=&quot](20k each loop with a hill as high as you want in the middle).
[/font]
25kg in one year is better than me though. well done, we can both be experts.

Back to the jersey, my Ground Effect and US ordered jerseys fit snug but fine, these Netti's must be a smaller fit.

Sounds like we have a fair bit in common.

I'm coming off just under 150.

Until August last year I believed that climbing two flights of stairs twice a day was exercise. Yesterday, I rode 104 km at 24 av (well within my limits) and felt as though I could have done another lap (may not have made it though).

Unlike you, I've changed very little in my lifestyle other than gone nuts on the bike (8,000kms so far this year) and am increasingly giving McDonald's a wide berth (once or twice a month now).

I'm just trying to talk myself into joining a fitness club (I don't want to do the weights room and start kissing my own biceps in front of oversized mirrors - just the cardio classes). I know I will feel stupid in a gym but, I guess that feeling will go away plus, since I ride far more kms than I drive and McDonald's is not getting half my salary any more (although Gloria Jeans probably does with all the coffee stops) I don't even have a financial excuse anymore.

So, I've hooked up a nice friend to hold my hand at Fitness First next week. She'll make me comfortable and happy in there so, hopefully, I'll keep going and increase the fitness.

I'm aiming for a double digit weight (I'm a tallish (6'3"😉 front row forward sort of guy, so somewhere in the 90s is probably within the zone for me).

Scotty

scotty72 said:

Sounds like we have a fair bit in common.

I'm coming off just under 150.

Until August last year I believed that climbing two flights of stairs twice a day was exercise. Yesterday, I rode 104 km at 24 av (well within my limits) and felt as though I could have done another lap (may not have made it though).

Unlike you, I've changed very little in my lifestyle other than gone nuts on the bike (8,000kms so far this year) and am increasingly giving McDonald's a wide berth (once or twice a month now).

I'm just trying to talk myself into joining a fitness club (I don't want to do the weights room and start kissing my own biceps in front of oversized mirrors - just the cardio classes). I know I will feel stupid in a gym but, I guess that feeling will go away plus, since I ride far more kms than I drive and McDonald's is not getting half my salary any more (although Gloria Jeans probably does with all the coffee stops) I don't even have a financial excuse anymore.

So, I've hooked up a nice friend to hold my hand at Fitness First next week. She'll make me comfortable and happy in there so, hopefully, I'll keep going and increase the fitness.

I'm aiming for a double digit weight (I'm a tallish (6'3"😉 front row forward sort of guy, so somewhere in the 90s is probably within the zone for me).

Scotty

Yeah well the gym thing. I would feel very uncomfrotable in a traditional gym as well. The place I go to is a small shop front in the suburbs. You can only go there in a session with a trainer and they record everything you do and its a gradual increase. I went there first with my wife she gave me 10 sessions as a christmas present (WTF??) When I didn't die the first time I went three days a week- have been ever since. I managed 10 mins on treadmill at 0% and 3.5kls per hour this April I did 6kph at 6% for 6mins, now I'm doing freaky stuff on the Stairclimber and scary prone hold thingies for 1 min with three reps. Been getting some great exercise from a guy who is in the AIS cycling program who trains me there for an hour on Thursdays. He's concentrating on core strength and gluts. I'm looking to get my confidence up with longish rides in the next few months. My ultimate goal is a century ride, 100 miles.

104 klms is great, hopefully I'll go close to that this Sat. BTW at 6'3" you tower over me. My local Fitness centre traditional gym has a great spin class I 've been to sometimes, only 35min but its hard core!

Maccas just makes me feel like I've put in a session at the gym for nothing, and the good thing about going so often is you are reminded that in X hours you'll be there on the treaddy, you kinda gag on the Royale with Cheese. Supa Size Me on TEN last night was scary ...

scotty72 said:

Sounds like we have a fair bit in common.

I'm coming off just under 150.

Until August last year I believed that climbing two flights of stairs twice a day was exercise. Yesterday, I rode 104 km at 24 av (well within my limits) and felt as though I could have done another lap (may not have made it though).

Unlike you, I've changed very little in my lifestyle other than gone nuts on the bike (8,000kms so far this year) and am increasingly giving McDonald's a wide berth (once or twice a month now).

I'm just trying to talk myself into joining a fitness club (I don't want to do the weights room and start kissing my own biceps in front of oversized mirrors - just the cardio classes). I know I will feel stupid in a gym but, I guess that feeling will go away plus, since I ride far more kms than I drive and McDonald's is not getting half my salary any more (although Gloria Jeans probably does with all the coffee stops) I don't even have a financial excuse anymore.

So, I've hooked up a nice friend to hold my hand at Fitness First next week. She'll make me comfortable and happy in there so, hopefully, I'll keep going and increase the fitness.

I'm aiming for a double digit weight (I'm a tallish (6'3"😉 front row forward sort of guy, so somewhere in the 90s is probably within the zone for me).

Scotty

Be wary of Fitness First, or if you go. Make sure you put down an incorrect phone number. They like cold calling and are quite forceful with getting people to join. Well there were a few years back, maybe things have changed now.

But a hassle you probably dont need!

46kgToDate said:

Its nice though and relatively dog on leash and glass fragment free. There's something almost poetical about going from Castle Hill to Camden...and back again.🙂

Finally had a run through down the M7 cycle path and back on my own last night. Figured it was a good idea to get a long one in before the Gong ride. I could have probably taken a bit more water in hindsight though as I had to conserve what I used. Anyway I managed to do it in 2:54 in RT with about 5 minutes worth of food and drink stops. Happy with it for a first effort and learning the course.

1q2w3e4r said:

Finally had a run through down the M7 cycle path and back on my own last night. Figured it was a good idea to get a long one in before the Gong ride. I could have probably taken a bit more water in hindsight though as I had to conserve what I used. Anyway I managed to do it in 2:54 in RT with about 5 minutes worth of food and drink stops. Happy with it for a first effort and learning the course.

[font=Arial]For my own part I think that's a great time. We did it in 3 hrs 20min plus stops of about 10-15min in total. I found going south harder and there was a little bit of a headwind that way, plus I wasn't sure how many more of the hills there were. We went through three water bottles. The only water tap is at the M7 office in its car park - that was where we left our car.

Somewhere on another thread somebody described it as about 7/10 of the Gong ride, if so I feel I'll manage the Gong OK.

Going to Bathurst tonight trying to do 100k tomorrow am with my brother.

I'm going back the M7 after the Gong ride we might even do a one way from Beecroft and meet the spouses for lunch at say Camden.
[/font]

If you guys want to join a fitness club then just do it. If you feel that it will be good for you, then go for it.

To be honest, its the big guys/gals doing something about it who are the winners.

1q2w3e4r said:

Be wary of Fitness First...

Yeah - they'll happily sign you up, and then make it hell for you to cancel your membership if you ever need to for any reason.

There *are* better value gyms out there, although not many that offer the network and easoe of dropping in and out to any of heir sites that FF does.

n

nerdag said:

Yeah - they'll happily sign you up, and then make it hell for you to cancel your membership if you ever need to for any reason.

There *are* better value gyms out there, although not many that offer the network and easoe of dropping in and out to any of heir sites that FF does.

n

Thats why I joined FF, my work location changes regulary, so in the end there was no other realistic choice. Often the local gym is cheaper.

[font=Arial]Did my Bathurst ride yesterday 97k - it was great! Averaged 23.8kph which was alright because there were some good hills; we had one 10 min stop after 60k.

There were some reasonable hills. We rode out of Bathurst to Perthville and then up Mt Rockley - not all the way but 2/3rds of the way up, which is a 8klm climb - I tried to go up too fast and with too high a cadence:o.

We came screaming back down at an average of 47kph some sections doing over 60kph.

Back to Perthville and then to Georges Plains round to the back of the mountain to go part of the way up the other side and out along the Goulburn road, not as long nor steep but still a long reasonable climb - this I managed better.

By then the wind was up and there was a howler of a Northwester as we came back into Bathurst past the cattle yards. We then went out along the cycle trail past All Saints, eventually we turned and with the wind at our backs and going down hill flew back into Bathurst and what they call the "lanes" to add a few k's to get over 95.

We ended up doing a lap of the park to make it up to 97, but the longing for coffee got too strong at this point for even 3 more k's[/font].🙂

mikesbytes said:

Thats why I joined FF, my work location changes regulary, so in the end there was no other realistic choice. Often the local gym is cheaper.

Yeah I joined up last week (Fitness First)

If they hassle me after a year if I wanna stop then, let 'em - they'll get sick of wasting their time.

Like Mike said, I like the fact that I can go to anyone of their clubs. So far, in just a week, I've been to three of them (the one close to my home, friend goes to another and the third was just where I happened to be.)
.

Not sure what I was so reluctant about. I went in and said, 'if you want me to join, then drop the joining fee - that is just free cash for you. So they did. Then, I noticed that the admin fee was $60. I asked what that was for - when they told me I explained that that was rubbish. Entering my name on a database, giving me a tag etc. did not equate to $60 - so i paid $30. Overall, I was happy that $160 in joining fees was reduced to $30 (which is reasonable- just ask).
Anyway, I am having a ball - the equipment is great and the eye candy is pretty good and I've always found someone to chat to.

I'm happy.

Scotty

scotty72 said:

If they hassle me after a year if I wanna stop then, let 'em - they'll get sick of wasting their time.

When I tried to leave FF earlier last year (Randwick gym), they wouldn't cancel my membership unless I personally came in and made an appointment with their membership accounts manager, who only works 9-5 weekdays. Strange, since they don't have any problem signing you up on any day or night of the week.

Now of course, if you work (as I did, 7:30am-6pm at the time), this tends to be a problem. To add to that, the only day I could get some time off to go, the person I needed to talk to was on leave, and they were not prepared to have the person acting in that position perform those duties.

I asked why a face-to-face meeting was needed, and was told it was so I could complete the necessary paperwork. I requested that the paper work be given to me, so I could fill it in in my own time, and then drop it off. No - that was against the gym's policy, or whatever, and they refused to do it.

I gave up, and cancelled my credit card (was going to do that anyway - was switching cards at the time), thinking that would be the end of it.

Not so - they sent me a bill for the next month's membership when they couldn't get it off my card, plus an administration fee.

To cut a long story short, I demanded to meet with the manager later that month, explained the situation, got a whole lot of run around bullsh!t, but got what I wanted eventually (cancellation of membership). Ended up paying the month's fee though (without admin fee), because they threatened to take "further action" to recover the cost of it.

I know they wouldn't have done anything for the peanuts it was worth, but I couldn't be stuffed dealing with it any more. It was taking more time than the months membership fee was worth.

I've not been to another gym since - I'm just riding for cardio work, and invested in some free weights and an adjustable flat/decline bench for strength work. The cost is a whole lot less ($300 all up, not including bikes of course, which I already had) and I don't have to deal with any more crappy service.

Of course, the experiences of others may be different.

n