Tag Archives: saturday

saturday 29th aug – risely and cott

4 Comments

ride report by peter

 

back from the dead but riding like a corpse.

 

a brisk 3 degrees this morning, but being a dry day, we had a decent turn out.  i was back on the bike after fighting off another chest infection and probably my 7th cold of the year.  i knew that i would suffer today, but was determined to stick it out with the fast group as long as possible.  the route would head into booragoon before splitting with the fast taking south and the main group taking leach.  both groups would head past cott before heading home via dalkeith. 

it started out well and we headed down canning and up risely.  the small hill played havoc with a couple of riders and i dropped back to help out.  as i was not at 100% this became a big struggle for me to catch back up.  ryan dropped back and drafted me back to the group, but even that hurt like hell.  we reached the end of risely just as the groups split and turned left to follow the fast group.  we reached the group at the lights and had a moment to catch our breath.  when the lights changed, ryan dropped his chain and i waited for him to fix it.  we only just made it through before they turned red.  we were chasing again.

i couldn’t hold ryan’s wheel but managed to jump on with mike b to make the group.  unfortunately, when we hit the slight rise, i was off the back again.  luckily the lights let me catch back up.

now i knew that south street was going to hurt.

as soon as the small rolling hills appeared i was off the back.  couldn’t even hold a wheel and didn’t have the power to catch back up.  pretty soon the group was off into the distance.  after a couple of hills mark, melvyn and myself formed up and worked together.  we were a long way off by the time we hit freo so decided to skip cott and headed straight up stirling.  the hills along there were a struggle and we were sure that the group was too far ahead.  we decided to continue along stirling, but got caught at the lights a christ church grammar.  as we sat there, the fast group came through the lights and into dalkeith.  we changed lanes and headed after them.

still too far behind, we took waratah and only just got ahead of the group.  so we finally made it back to the group before it revved up on mounts bay road.  i was just happy to be there and had nothing when the group all went for the sprint.

so a really hard day for me and i had to head straight home, so no time to relax with a coffee and company.  hopefully i can hold on a bit longer next week.

saturday 22nd august – tv stations

4 Comments

kind of a ride report by peter.

another weekend off the bike for me as i just can’t seem to shake this cold.  two weeks of coughing and spluttering and a week and a half of no bike can be quite soul destroying.  anyway, i was playing “official photographer” today so with the young lad in tow,  followed the group around the course. 

there were quite a few out and only a few brief showers along the way.  the group didn’t split and waited on wanneroo rd when dr greg got a puncture going through some roadworks.  pretty uneventful from my perspective (inside a car), but anyone else is welcome to elaborate on how the ride went.

saturday 8th aug – canning vale and welshpool

8 Comments

ride report by peter.

 

i checked the weather this morning and it said that it was 14 degrees.  i checked the radar and there were generally clear skies with maybe the odd shower.  it was all looking good and i was set for an excellent morning ride.  the roads were a little wet but not saturated and you know that it had only been a light shower as there were dry spots under the trees.  must be those little bits that i saw on the radar.  not a problem.

not really sure how many we had at the start but i would say close to 40.  the threat of weather had scared away the novice group so we were down to just the two that would split up later.  we had quite a few new riders out with us this morning so it was good to have them along.  especially young alex who was only 12 and managed to keep up with the main group ok.  it was also good to see steve back on the bike after a bit of back surgery had him laid up for a while.

the course was a fairly new one as we had only done it once before.  a common route past booragoon and onto canning vale before splitting at nicholson rd.  the main group would take nicholson back to albany before crossing it and coming home via welshpool rd.  the fast group would continue on and take warton up to welshpool.

we wouldn’t have made it 500 metres up the road before the rain started coming down.  not just the light showers that were predicted, but a decent soaking.  at least being at the front meant that i also did have to endure the road spray as well, so i only got rained on once.  we also managed to get every set of lights once we hit canning hwy so by the time we were heading up risely, the group was a tad splintered.  the easy pace meant that the stragglers could regroup but it all came to a halt when dan’s tire spectacularly went bang while as we took off from the lights.

we pulled into murdoch drive and got off the road while melvyn and i helped him change it.  there was a fair gash in his back tyre and we tried to cover it with some spare rim tape that i had with me.  new tube in, a quick lesson on how to use a gas bottle and the tyre was up…and bulging all around the flesh wound.  not good.  we sent him on his way as there was no way it would survive a fast paced effort in the rain.

up and running again, the group meandered along to south st and headed towards canning vale.  the group splintered a bit along the way and i had to get the boys to ease back a bit.  i think that they were just trying to stay warm.  pretty soon we were at nicholson rd and the group split quite evenly. 

a bit of crappy driving from a local, who couldn’t use the accelerator, found the group split in two with a car in the middle.  she had ample room and time to come around but didn’t before the road narrowed and made it impossible.  it soon widened out and we got a roll through happening.  all this time the rain seemed to be intermittently coming down, but combined with the road spray, it was pretty much a constant thing.  we turned up warton rd and the roll through involved almost all of the group.  stu is training for a mtb tour of timor and as such had the fat wheel beast out with us today.  unfortunately he was a bit short on gears and couldn’t keep the pace up when we were really hammering.  he did manage to sit in quite well for a lot of the ride though. 

a couple of intersection and roundabouts played havoc with the group and we needed to ease back a bit to allow the group back together.  it was a pretty hard slog but we finally reached the end and turned onto crystal brook rd.

a slight downhill and tailwind made this section a lot more pleasant and the group hummed along quite nicely.  we passed another group and one of the guys that we know from it came up for a chat.  resplendent in my yellow jersey today, i was content to act as protected rider and hang back to catch the draft.  i managed to sit in this spot for the majority of welshpool rd and onto shep rd and had a few good conversations in the meantime.

the rain got a bit stupid along shep rd but at least it was double lane, so cars were giving us a wide berth.  the lights made sure no attacks went on this section and we all rolled down to the causeway together.  it was great to see the group stay in the lane at the lights and no-one tried to slip around the cars for and early break. 

contador3the pace started to pick up as everyone was anticipating the sprint along riverside drive.  jerry went early and had a decent break by the time we veered off the causeway.  the group started to string out as they chased him down and at one point i though he may have gotten away for good.  i was jumping from wheel to wheel coming from the very back of the pack and was soon sitting about midpack.  about then the group caught jerry showing lots of compassion for his efforts, sat on his wheel instead of coming around.  this caused the group to bunch up and spread across the lane.  i looked back twice to check for traffic (a sure sign of a move coming) and then hit the accelerator.  this was not a stand up sprint but just a power down seated time trial.  someone called out that i was going, but no-one responded and i got a decent gap.  running scared i looked back a couple of times, but i had managed to put enough space between myself and the chasers to allow me to be first to the stop lights.  if is was really thinking straight i should have done a pistol in the air salute like contador (since one of john’s kids thought i was riding in the tour this year).

no stop for me as i had an appointment and i was too damn wet to want to sit still for too long.  the rain cleared later in the day to reveal much better riding conditions and to mock us for being so stupid.  however, i had a good time even if my bike now needs a damn good clean.

saturday 1st aug – benara rd

ride report by peter.

 

a cold, cold start to the day but that didn’t stop close to 70 riders turning up this morning.  quite a few new faces and a couple of recent acquisitions returning so we must be doing something right.  i blame the tour de france.  everyone is trying to make up for cadel’s lacklustre performance this year.

the route today was to be an old favourite.  this used to be one of our regulars back in the old bikeforce days when simon used to lead the rides.  the main group would take the tried and true path through ascot, guilford and back via benara rd, while the fast group would take a extended trip past guilford to return via midland before heading back to the original route along benara rd.  well that was the plan anyway.

we all started out well but i had to move to the front to get james and ben to ease back a bit as i was having trouble holding a conversation with brendan.  they said that they were only trying to keep warm.  the group managed to keep together well and despite the size did not get split at any of the lights that we past through.  it didn’t take too long and we were at the split point for the main group to head through ascot.

the group made their decision and i would say ¾ went the main route today.  with the pinjarra race and atta time trial tomorrow, some of the usual fast group were hoping to save their legs a bit. 

the pace didn’t pick up that much and the group continued to just ride two abreast with the front guys peeling off once they had enough.  heading towards guilford, the pace increased slightly but nothing too strenuous as it think that people were a bit unsure of the exact course.  the last time this one was planned, there was not much following the map happening. 

extra confusion as we went to turn right onto west road as another group coming the other way also turned and managed to split our bunch.  the front half then decided to slow down to regroup while the back half wanted to speed up and pass to regroup.  meanwhile part of the other group also sped up and some managed to get past our front half.  we eventually upped the pace and started dragging everyone along.

the roll through had started and the pace quickened such that it began to string out in places.  as we approached the rail crossing the group slowed and spread out to avoid the tracks.  we were riding almost directly into the sun and while we were warning everyone of the tracks, no-one saw the two massive potholes just before them.  last minute warnings and some evasive action still didn’t stop a number of guys going straight into them.  as expected the result was a couple of flat tyres.  james and jerry were the lucky recipients but i am guessing the it is better than actually coming off after hitting the hole.

they both had a couple of helpers so the rest of us formed up a bit further up the road to discuss the important things that cyclists talk about.  bikes, bike parts, bike clothes, you know, the usual.  once we got going we decided to cut the route short to make up for the lost time.  a left onto bushmead rd instead of a right, and we headed back towards guilford.  although melvyn did suggest we just stay on that road, we still managed to turn up west swan road to head to benara rd. 

the group started rolling through again and we had a real good flow happening.  benara rd came up fast and we chucked a left to start the run towards home.  this route is usually planned when there is a massive easterly blowing, so it was an interesting experience to ride it with almost still conditions.  it was so much harder.

the roll through tended to degenerate quite rapidly and the fast boys came to the front to pull turns.  james, julian and ben did the majority of the work with kimbo and myself slotting in for the occasional turn.  we had a relatively good run with the lights but had to slow enough that the majority of the group were together by the end.  we did lose 3 or 4 at one set of lights so we hope they made it home ok.

the run south is punctuated by a number of short sharp power climbs and these often brake the group apart.  today was no exception.  the splintered group managed to reform a couple of times but i was off the back fighting my way back on for much of the remainder of the ride.  we caught up at a extra long light change on whatley crescent but then slipped back on the next hill.  fought back to the group on east parade but then got split at the lights coming down towards riverside drive.  at the end i never saw the sprint so was not sure who claimed coffeeshop glory.

an early appointment for the family meant that i was not stopping for coffee so didn’t even get a chance to find out how the other group went.  i am sure that there is someone in that group that can let us know the story.

saturday 25th july – canning vale

11 Comments

ride report by peter.

 

cold mornings seem to be the order of the day. however, after enduring a week or so of rain, it was definitely easier to accommodate.  the rain had coincided with me coming down with a cold, so my butt had not seen a bike seat for over a week.  i was debating which group i would ride with today but settled for the fast group and would just sit on the back.

the route would take us on the tried and true roads of canning vale after taking stock and south street.  the main group would head along banister road while the fast group would head around to nicholson.  this time we would take the correct route and go straight through the roundabout rather than turn left as we usually do when heading along that road.

a few new guys and girls came along today and it was good to see especially in the middle of winter.  i think the tour de france is sometimes that little bit of incentive that people need. not sure of the total numbers but plus 40 anyway with most of the regulars out for a trot.

we had a nice and easy start and headed down canning hwy to stock rd.  dr paul and crew peeled off early to lap the river instead while the fast and intermediate groups took the first hill up to the stock rd intersection.  the lights were good to us today and everyone made it up the hill and around the corner.  once we hit south street i went to the front to let the group know that the fast group could have it’s head of steam.  i slunk back to the back and waited for the fireworks to happen. 

it took quite a while but once the rolling hills started the pace certainly picked up.  the selection was soon made and the fast group separated from the rest.  this didn’t last long, however, as a lights change meant that we were all back together.  normally this is a good thing, but in this case, it meant that the main group tried to hang onto the back of the fast group and may have splintered it a bit over the remaining south street kms. 

we hit the banister rd intersection and the group split in two as quite a few of the main group had made it that far.  the fast group continued up towards livingston marketplace to take the left hander onto nicholson.  i was hanging onto the back of the pack and didn’t do a turn at all.  i knew that i would be spat out the back straight away if i tried and i really wanted to make it home with the group today.  the group worked quite well together and swapped out turns at the front and even had a roll through going at some stage. 

we hit the roundabout and went straight and into unchartered territory for us.  the road wasn’t too bad.  not double lane, but not as much traffic so we could still power our way along to spencer rd.  still happy to be on the back of the pack at this stage.

a right turn back onto nicholson almost had snuggles taking a left and heading back towards canning vale.  he claims he needs a garmin as they do seem to be breeding and have popped up on quite a few handlebars in our group.  the group slowed quite a bit heading through cannington but i knew that it would start up again once we past welshpool rd.

a few attacks went off the front on shepperton rd with lisa and jerry both having a tap.  the group was together for the roll to the lights at the causeway and everyone started looking for a wheel to hide behind ready for the sprint.  lisa was back on the front and no-one seemed eager to come around as we approached the bridges.  knowing that i had no sprint, i decided to bury myself and went to the front.  over both bridges and onto riverside drive where, for a change, the lights didn’t hold us up.  i motioned for the group to go through and sat up to cruise the last bit home.  not sure what happened in the sprint, but i did hear of some lane changing going on.  try to keep it in the left lane and if you need to come around, at least look behind you to make sure that there are no cars coming.  no accidents to hear of so off to coffee.

unfortunately, the grinder broke down again, so coffees were a bit slow.  cold too as we sit on the shade side in the mornings.  any suggestions, leave it in the comments…

saturday 4th july – hale rd

ride report by peter.

 

it was a crisp and clear morning, although the sun wasn’t due to get up till quarter past seven, as i sprinted my way to the start line.  i was late again and so blamed the fact that i didn’t win 53.2 million bucks on ozlotto during the week and couldn’t afford a house right on the foreshore.  in actual fact having both kids wake up within the usual “getting ready and out the door” time kind of made things hard.

i would have to say that there was about 40 or 50 on the road this morning, but i haven’t really done a head count for a while.  the break in the weather must have inspired a few people to kit up and make the most of it.  if it isn’t raining next weekend, then i expect even more as people get inspired after watching the tour.  maybe i schedule gooseberry hill as our own saturday morning pyrenees.  even mike b was out on a brand new cube bike after breaking his norco at the cyclo-sporitf last weekend.

the course would take us out shep rd and onto welshpool.  up hale then a variation where the main group turns left along kalamunda rd while the fast group get to do ridgehill rd before the routes converge for the stretch home along guilford road.

the size of the group meant that we were repeatedly split by traffic lights but we kept it pretty well under control and the group always got back together.  after we turned onto welshpool/orong rd, there was a sound of a tyre not feeling well and michael pulled off to the side.  he waved the group on.  he has been trialling the new tubeless rims and tyres so it is interesting to know how they go.  not a good advertisement for them so far.

after we turned onto hale rd we moved the fast group to the front so that after tonkin hwy they would take off.  it all went fairly well to plan and everyone made it across the intersection.  the fast group started to turn the pace up and i was content to sit at the back and take in the stretch and compress that you always find at the rear of the peleton.

i could see up the road the guys like jerry, ryan, judd and mike were forcing the issue.  the pace, however, was not that high as i think that people were saving themselves for ridgehill.  i know that i was.

we hit the lights at kalamunda rd and got a breather.  the group eased off a bit on the next section with the anticipation of the hill to come.  it is not that big, but as there is a long, long way to chase afterwards, it can make a bit impact to your day.

as we hit the base of the hill, holly and lisa both made moves to get closer to the front and onto ryan’s wheel.  however, as he started to power up the climb they both slipped back.  i jumped around and onto his wheel and found myself in unfamiliar territory.  i have not been this close to the front in ages.  while ryan stayed in the big ring, i dropped down and span out a bit.  the new bike geometry allows me to finally get more power down while seated.  as the road hit a sharper pinch, the bigger gear slowed ryan down a bit so i made a move to go around.  the fact that i was close to the front of the pack again, must have gone to my head as pretty soon i was struggling for breath as ryan, mike, jerry and judd came past me as we crested the hill.  i peaked at about 187 bpm on the heart rate monitor and knew that i was in trouble.  i also knew that if i didn’t get on, i would be chasing for the rest of the morning. 

even though i was feeling faint, i pushed on and was on their wheel as we reached the bottom and flew through the roundabout.  i looked around and saw two other riders on my wheel but could not sustain a long enough look to actually identify them.  ahead of me ryan, jerry, mike and judd continued to roll through.  myself and the other two riders just held on for dear life.  instead of rolling off the front, these guys were coming up from 3rd or 4th wheel to get back to the front.  there was no way that i would have had anything left to do a turn is i had made it to the front.  i just sat in.  judd admitted to me later that he would always leave a gap between 3rd and 4th wheel before he moved to the front to try to cause a split and get us three passengers dropped off the back.  fair call as we were not doing anything to help.

we made it back onto guilford road and started to get caught up in the traffic congestion.  as we were stopped at the lights in the centre of guilford, the main group turned onto the road in front of us.  we would be passing them pretty soon by the looks of it.  the lights also allowed some of the chasers back onto our group and this effectively doubled our numbers.

after the lights at lord st in bassendean we passed the main group and i noticed anthony speed up to jump on board.  tricky move.

with the bigger group and the double lane we had a more consistent roll through and the pace picked up again.  through the rolling hills of bayswater a few splinters appeared as the group attacked and surged.  we got a few lights though to bring it all back together.  on the final hill the group stretched out and i was at the back.  by the time we hit the lights onto east parade, they were well red so we got separated from the rest of the front runners.  the usual multiple lights stops and by the time we hit riverside drive, we could see the rest of them just getting the lights at the far end.  we upped the pace a bit, but no real sprint to be had.  the rest of the group filtered in so that there was a decent size group for coffee.  all up a good ride with some nice weather.

saturday 20th june – spr winter breakfast

ride report by peter.

 

rain.  every time we schedule in a breakfast it decides to rain.  even the christmas ride in december was held in a absolute downpour.  well this was scheduled for the middle of winter, only one day before the shortest day of the year, so cold and wet was expected.  the forecast was for strong winds and showers.  they were predicting over 10mm so the house was set up accordingly.  there were towels on the floor, towels on the couches and a basket for wet socks by the door.

on checking the radar first thing in the morning, i was pleased to see that even though there were showers, they were very sporadic and quite light.  this meant that it would be a hit-n-miss situation where we would either come through unscathed or be dumped upon.  the rain and clouds had one benefit though as the morning wasn’t as cold as the previous few days.

we still had a decent turnout despite the weather and there were over 40 riders waiting at the carpark as i rolled in late…again.  at least i had an excuse this morning as there were some last minute preparations before our house was invaded.

being a breakfast ride, we were sticking together to make it a bit more social.  no splitting meant that we needed to be a bit more careful especially on the hills along stock and south streets.  however, we rolled out nicely in one big group with three novices braving the weather to do their course separately.

the trip was quite uneventful along canning but the hill leading to stock did manage to break things up a bit.  i hung back to keep an eye on scott who was making the step up from the novice group today.  up over the hill and we were a way off the back off the group.  i had a chat to dr paul and he said that he would look after scott and probably take a shortcut to get home.

i chased to catch up with the main group and found that it had been split at the leach hwy lights.  the “escapees” weren’t pushing hard though and by the time we hit south street we were all together.  a few struggled with the hills, but by the time we turned onto banister the group was pretty much intact.

i went to the front to sing out some instructions to let them know the we would be going hard along banister rd but would regroup afterwards.

ryan and brendan were close to the front and started the pace up.  neil manning from the plan b team was out with us today and as the current state open road champion, he was going to give them a run for their money.  i was drifting back though the group to make sure that everyone knew what was going on.

once i reached the back, i then started pacing up and jumping between groups to make my way forward again.  there were a few strong groups caught up at the back and i used them as much as possible.  working with stu and some others we managed to almost get back onto the what was left of the main group.  unfortunately i ran out of legs by this point and had to sit up and cruise in the last couple of hundred metres.

along nicholson rd the pace slowed significantly but there were some riders who definitely struggled with the pace and were still making their way back.  by the time we reached albany hwy the group was all together again.  this made for a nice cruise the rest of the way along manning rd and up into como ready for breakfast where dr paul and scott where also just turning up.  at the end of the day we never really encountered any rain but the wet roads made for some soggy socks.

with bikes in the garage and socks in the washing machine, it was inside to see what gastronomic delights lorriane had provided this time.  some people had the smart idea of parking their car near my place so that they could quickly get change after the ride and not have to stand around in wet knicks.  others skipped the ride altogether but still turned up for the breakfast.  it was all about socialisation after all.

there were a few announcements and we had a quick general meeting to vote on some minor constitution changes before moving onto the all important raffle draw.  with some extra prizes donated by cycling wa and perth integrated health clinic, we had quite a few to go around.

mike b took out the major prize of a torque wrench and drink bottle, while russell, yas, brendan, sandra, brett, stu and ???(i will check later) grabbed the minor prizes.  thanks to ben and aiden for drawing the raffle tickets.  ben has improved his number recognition in the last 3 months, so didn’t say that every ticket was “nummer four”.

so after another bike weigh-in (no sneaky surprises), the winter breakfast was over until springtime.  thanks to kate, jody, brett and rob for their help and, as always, thanks to lorriane for donating her time and energy to provide such a excellent breakfast.

saturday 6th june – canningvale

9 Comments

ride report by peter.

 

i was scheduled in to take the novices this morning so i decided to cut a lap of the river beforehand.  with the state time trial championships the following weekend, i took the tt bike to do some efforts.  unfortunately my young lads conspired against me and delayed my start by about 15 min.  this meant that i was running hell late by the time i reached freo so had to go to plan b and ride straight back up stirling hwy.

i had pushed fairly hard so was looking forward to the nice easy pace on the novice ride when dr ronny came up to say that he would take the novices for me.  my brain said yep, my legs screamed wtf.  my brain promised my legs it would release some more endorphins and so we were off to chase the fast boys.

both the groups stayed together along canning hwy and stock road where we managed to get split a number of times by the lights.  a small group got ahead at the lights at leach hwy so managed to stay ahead as we turned onto south street.  luckily, they kept the pace down until the group was totally back together and i announced that the fast group could then take off.  the pace picked up immediately and group split into their respective speeds. 

the fast group started to roll through to keep the pace high and we started to drop one or two riders.  not a lot of time to catch up but at least the option to join back into the main group would be available until we past banister road.  our next challenge was to encounter another group ride heading in the same direction.  we were catching them but being on a busy road i didn’t want to take over a second lane so we had to single file it past at speed.  i think we may have lost a couple more who latched onto that group for comfort and security. 

we reached the turn to banister rd and few turned off to ease the pain a bit.  we continued on with the group rolling through up to nicholson rd a where we turned left to skirt past livingston shopping centre.  i was starting to miss more and more turns by this time as my legs were pretty much over the promise of more endorphins and were filling with sweet, sweet lactic acid.  we managed to reach the end of nicholson rd and swung left to head towards albany hwy.  julian commented to me that he thought that we were supposed to go straight.  no, i thought we were on the right track as this was the way we always went.  then my gps started flashing up on the screen that we had gone off course.  ah, maybe julian was right.  didn’t matter.

we past by the end of banister rd to find the main group waiting at the lights, so we managed to sneak past them.  we had a lot of trouble when the two groups got caught up a while ago, so i am keen to keep them apart as long as possible.

coming back in along albany hwy the pace was still on but we managed a few lights to catch our breath before swerving onto shepperton rd.  no big attacks so on the last rise i managed to just surge when i was on the front and got a gap which brendan and lorraine bridged across to.  once back on the flat near the causeway the group had caught up but we had also caught the early escapees that had not been caught by the main group when they turned off.  i jumped back onto the front and did some more time trial training across both bridges and onto riverside drive.  i was so buggered by this stage that i needed to change down gear to negotiate the minuscule rise that the road takes to cross the bridge.

i continued to lead out, knowing that i had no sprint and needed the tt practice.  no-one was coming around so i just kept the pressure on as long as i could.  once we crossed the lights the first set of lights i felt a rush of air as ryan took off with brendan fixed on his wheel.  the rest of the group then also took flight in dribs and drabs according to their ability and remaining fitness.  i was pretty buggered by now so cruised the rest of riverside drive.  ryan managed to hang on to the sprint, but not without a major rub of wheels from brendan, just so he knew he was there.

saturday 30th may – gooseberry hill

6 Comments

ride report by peter.

 

it has actually been a while since i have written a ride report as i have had so much on lately.  we have 28 people registered as authors to the blog so i am sure that you can probably do an entry once in a while.

anyway, after last weekends atrocious conditions, it was good to see a few clear days open up for riding.  it is now predicted that it will start raining sunday and not stop till next weekend.  i suppose it is expected as it is two days off being winter.  the other thing i have noticed is how dark it is in the morning and how soon the sun is going down at night.  luckily with our 7am start, there is normally no need for headlights on the bikes.  a back flasher is usually advisable as it will help in getting to the start of the ride.

i think we had about 40 odd riders at the beginning this morning.  it never seems really big until we start moving and you see how much road we take up.  the course was one to sort out the men from the boys and i added a fairly hard hill in to the middle of it.  gooseberry hill doesn’t sound that frightening, but it is steep and hell deceptive if you haven’t ridden it before. 

the group snaked it’s way out through belmont and cut through maida vale to come out at the top of hale rd.  well we would have if julian hadn’t got a flat front tyre.  the group pulled over onto the footpath and proceeded to wake up the neighbours while julian tended to his wheel.  we were soon on our way and heading up gooseberry hill rd.

at the roundabout before the climb starts proper, we bid adieu to the main group as they headed across to ridgehill rd.  it surprised me how many we had coming along on the fast group even though they new that they would suffer on the hill.  i would estimate the ¾ of the group decided to tackle the hill.

i had started dropping back to make sure that everyone knew which way to head at the roundabout so was a fair way back as the climb started.  i put in a bit of an effort and managed to get around some of the guys.  the combination of the pre-ride lap of the river and the stop to help julian meant that my legs were not firing well at all.  we weren’t even at the top of the first section and i felt like i was going to be happy just to make it to the top. 

the slight reprieve that we get in the middle section didn’t do it’s job for me as i felt like i was still pushing just to keep the bike moving.  the road then has two left hand kinks in it.  each time it turns the road pitches up steeper and steeper.  i was already in first gear by the time i hit the steepest section, so it was a matter of sucking it up and just keeping the bike moving.  i was well pleased when i finally saw the sign for the roundabout.  one final push saw me shed a few fading riders and finish the damn hill.

we regrouped at the top and allowed the back markers to catch up.  we usually don’t wait for anyone once the group splits, but i wanted to make sure we didn’t kill anyone on that hill.  down the zig zag for a bit of high speed free-wheeling. 

about halfway down, i noticed that gaps were beginning to appear and thought that we would be split from the front of the pack if we weren’t careful.  i came a round a few riders to try to gain position, but by the time we reached ridgehill road, there was a group with a definite advantage.

once we got onto helena valley rd it was important to organise a chasing pack or we would never see the front runners again.  after our experience a few weeks back were we never chased properly, i barked some orders and soon we were doing 10 – 15 sec turns on the front of a single file.  this meant that we soon picked up some of the riders spat out the back of the front group and were making up some ground.  after we crossed the bridge at bassendean we saw them ahead at the lights of lord st.  unfortunately, there was a quick change and we were held up again by the lights asthey made well their escape.

this allowed a number of other riders to jump back on our group so we now had more helpers to do turns.  we continued with our strategy along guilford rd and our luck and hard work paid off as we caught the front guys just before tonkin hwy where they were stuck at the lights.  as they were caught, the incentive was not quite there to work as hard so the pace was a bit pedestrian.  i moved to the front to do a turn but managed to gap the group without even attacking.  as we approached the start of the rolling hills i decided to attack and sped ahead.  i was soon bridged by mike with paul in tow and thought that we may be able to get something going.  the lights took care of that for us and we were back together again.  a few more attack on the rolling hills but nothing really stayed away.  even ryan’s big push at the end was eventually chased down along east parade.

this meant that we were together in a fair size group for the sprint.  even better was the fact that i was actually their for the sprint.  although it didn’t help me much as my legs were pretty much shot by now.  james took the lead out and set a nice pace along riverside drive before some other guys made a late move.  ryan sat in until the last moment and just sprinted over the top in convincing fashion.

i couldn’t stay for coffee as we had to hit the shops today.  it was as struggle though after 4hrs in the saddle, the last thing i wanted to do was chase a 3yr old around a busy shopping centre.  and now, almost 12hrs from finishing, i am seriously having trouble keeping my eyes open.  should have had a nanna nap in the arvo.

saturday 25th april – leach vs south

5 Comments

ride report by peter.

 

early start for me as i decided to do some “secret” training and slip in a lap of the river before the saturday ride.  the benefit is that at least  i was pretty warmed up by the time we were underway as it usually takes me a good ¾ hour to get the legs firing.  i bumped into judd as i was about to cross the narrows and rode towards south perth with him.  however, he was yet to have his early morning coffee so shot off for a quick take-away before the ride.  he really needs a cup holder on his bike.

about 35 riders at the start today and an old familiar face with matt who years ago worked at the bike shop in south perth.  we were delayed slightly when the sound of a tyre being pumped to explosion rang out like a gunshot from a book depository.  brett had borrowed a pump to put some extra air in his tyre and may have over done it.  by 10 past we were off and racing.

the standard light changing interference along canning hwy didn’t dampen the spirits and soon we were at attadale and ready to split the group.  the main group were heading straight down canning and back up leach while the fast group were taking a detour along burke before using stock road to access south and home via albany hwy.  the split was a successful 70/30 division and we were on our way.

the pace along burke was not too extreme, and the roll through only really got going after about halfway.  next thing you knew we were at stock rd hill and were the fun really starts.  a couple of the boys hit it quite hard and sprinted up the first section.  i tried to sustain a bit longer and got into a tempo.  eventually the hill wore the boys down and their early antics cost them as they dropped back.  at the top i saw james turn back and wasn’t sure what was going on.  i debated stopping the group, but we were spread too thin by then and also wasn’t sure if he was coming back.  we managed to slip through the lights on canning and so it was the last we saw of him. 

not much rolling through on stock road but the pace picked up a bit after recovering from the hill.  once on south st, the roll through started, but the small hills put an end to any consistency.  for the majority of it there were maybe 5 or 6 riders continually on the front swapping out turns while everyone else just seemed to be hanging on for grim death.  ryan, mike, michael and jerry were consistently at the front and managed to get off the front a few times.  once it flattened out, the rest of the group would start rolling through, but every time there was a hill, the group spread out again.

there is no caption that can do this picture justice
there is no caption that can do this picture justice

pretty soon, south st became ranford rd and we were on our way to the left hander into nicholson.  one last small undulation before the shopping centre and i stood to keep the pace up.  unfortunately, that didn’t feel right and i looked down to see my front tyre bulging out more than it should.  luckily i was on the inside and a turning lane was there for me to use so i drifted off to the side.  i told everyone to keep going, but dr carl, lisa, john and brett swung around to make sure i was ok.  the rest of the group disappeared over the hill.

a quick change of the tube and we were on our way again.  we tried to set a consistently high pace, not in the hope that we would catch up, but more that we were not going to be too late to coffee.  everyone did turns at the front and we were clipping along at plus 40 kmh for most of the ride.  it was quite uneventful but very hard as long efforts at the front were beginning to take their toll.  as lisa pointed out once we cleared the hills around vic park, it was so good to finally see the city.

no sprint to speak of, but there was a final rush for the line at the end. probably more likely to be first in line for coffee.  it turns out that we were not that far behind as some of the group were still ordering their brew as we turned up.  the place was a bit busier with the anzac day holiday but they still had a table ready for us and service was not too bad.

at the end of the day i was just happy to have arrived and grateful for not having to be siting a bike seat.  i didn’t find out whether the main group was caught today as they were when we last did this route.  i’m sure that someone can let us know what happened…

also, someone left an spr drink bottle at the coffee shop.  i have picked it up as they are very rare (none left as spares), so if it is yours, let me know.