Heidelberg and surrounds group training rides

[anth73]

Mordy Massacre!

Myself, Nicko, Rodney and Troy met up this morning for our cruise down Beach Road, planning to meet up with Sean, Captian Kirk and Steve the Greek in Port Melbourne at 6:45am. Troy's watch must have been fast 'coz he set a cracking pace up Brunswick St which was a prelude for things to come!

Our rendevous executed to perfection, the 8 of us cracked the whip and sat on a comfortable mid-30's pace until Nicko threw out the challenge to Sean (on his TT bike) and those two pulled away at a rapid rate of knots, Sean tucked as aero as can be and Nicko riding tall on Sean's rear wheel. I had a bad feeling about the end result for Nicko's sake and sure enough just outside Black Rock our peleton claimed Nicko once again and Sean was nowhere to be seen.

The sprint to Mordy was taken out by yours truly and I just missed out on catching Sean but I was pretty much spent anyhow and he had no view of what was going on behind. Along the way we dropped Captain Kirk, only to see him ride past Mordy about 5 minutes after we arrived, mobile off and seemingly on his way to Frankston....or further. We also lost Rodney somewhere after Black Rock.....but nobody knew for certain.

The return leg was done at a cracking pace and there were victims a plenty! Our group diced with another for most of the ride between Mord and Black Rock. We'd overtake each other at a rapid pace and the strain started to show on our guys. The other group established a break approaching Black Rock that we were not pulling back so I decided to give it my all . Out in front pulling 45kph for what seemed like an eternity split our group and only Sean stayed on my wheel. I managed to pull the gap down to about 6 seconds and I was hopeful some luck with the North Rd lights might have us rejoining their group but it wasn't to be. Defeat isn't a dish that tastes well!

By the time we approached Brighton our group had reformed and Nicko was keen for a sprint. Troy set off with Nicko on his tail and the spoils went to the Scorpion King on this occassion!

We decided to seek respite in Port Melbounre with some well deserved coffee and muffins before we set off on our respective journeys home. My legs felt great and I led Rodney and Nicko home, pulling the big-ish ring (I run a 50 ) up the Ivanhoe hill, Nicko was knackered whilst Rodney motored along at a comfortable pace and blitzed us through the Ivanhoe shops...well done mate!

I must admit to having enjoyed the change from the St Andrews loop though there were far fewer riders out today than what you'd expect too see on a Saturday morning ride. And the junk miles from Heidelberg to Port Melbourne are a PINA. Nonetheless we've agreed to do this ride once a month on the last Saturday of each month.

[anth73]

One word to sum up todays ride - fantastic!

A lovely summer dawn greeted the 20 riders, a record for the ride and thats without Sean and Troy too!

The holiday traffic was thin and the pace consistent to ensure a couple of the newer riders stayed with the group. Well done to young James completing his maiden Mt Pleasant Rd!

Happy new year everyone and thanks for making 2009 a great riding year!

[anth73]

Back from holidays and the legs are fresh after two weeks off the bike. I should say they are really fresh as just before our trip I got them both waxed!

Did it hurt? A little but nothing worse than mild sunburn for that split second the hairs were departing my legs for the wax strip bin. I did clip them however so they weren't too long and Leanne who did the waxing was really great too! My kids keeop asking when I'll do my arms now.....

I rode yesterday in morning in the pouring rain but managed to miss the late afternoon rain thankfully. Also did a couple laps of Kew boulevard as I can't ride the Wednesday AM Tour de Eltham due to an early work commitment.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone on Saturday's ride.

[anth73]

Great ride this morning guys! I was apprehensive that I wouldn't have the legs in me given a hard training ride on Monday and yesterday I ventured out with Sean's tri club for a blast down Beach Rd to Mordy. They continued on to Dromana whereas Nicko and I turned home, yet the ride was still 90km and Adrian set a frantic pace at the front.

Back to today's ride, a smallish group of 9 riders laughed at the BoM's "possible scattered early drizzle" forecast and headed off just after 6am. The Captain and Scarface (our new nickname for Steve given his Lincoln Continental fetish) had to turn around due to mechanical issues. The remaining 7 riders set a pretty solid pace with Sean taking the chocolates for getting to the top of Mt Pleasant first. Yours truly and Troy weren't that far behind and I was really surprised to be able to keep up with him today.

It was a non-eventful return leg with me up the front down Main Rd pulling the rest of the guys home. The highlight being a neck-and-neck duel between myself and Sean for the final sprint. Sean managed to grab a wheel=length break, I pulled it back but was pipped on the line to a tyre width...hats off Seano! I won't mention he did the full 180km ride yesterday so was probably suffering a little for it

Good to see Big Nick with us again. Turns out he broke his foot and hasn't ridden in 3 months. No worries mate, you'll be back at the head of the field on your mountain bike soon enough!

Just a reminder about the 150km ride on Feb 14th too!

[anth73]

Hmmm...something tells me autumn isn't too far away. Only 9 degrees when we set off this morning so the arm warmers and windproof vest were retreived from the backof the wardrobe.

A couple of new riders this morning, nice to have ridden with you John and apologies to the other chap, I've forgotten your name but hopefully you'll be back again.

Sean, Adrian and Mark set a cracking pace on their TT bikes through Wattle Glen, Hurstbridge and up to St Andrews. Adrian trells me they were nudging 50 the whole way! Four of us tried in vain to stay with them but lost touch around Cottles Bridge. Nicko wanted me to help drag him back to the chasing group so I put in a big effort to get back on only to then realise he hadn't stayed on my wheel and was nowhere to be seen.

Nice to see Keiren and Rowdy with us again.....these two sure can ride!

My biggest riding week this week.....290km of hills and TT. Legs felt OK towards the end of the ride but didn't have much zip in 'em.

'Til next week.....

[Zabriskie19]

Nice reports anth on your group rides.. enjoyed reading them all.

[anth73]

Thanks for your feedback. I enjoy sharnig the experience with others as hopefully it encourages people to come along and try out a group ride with us. We've had a couple of guys join us after mostly riding on their own previously, which is great to see!

You're welcome to come along anytime you can!

[anth73]

Well my fears of Autumn ariving early were well and truly thrown out given the balmy conditions that greeted our peloton this morning. I believe it was around 23 degrees when we set off, with Will Walker joining us for the ride.

Despite his heart ailment Will can clearly put some sustained power through those pedals. He absolutely flew up Mt Pleasant Road at a pace that left me in awe.

I did get a chance to talk to him a couple of times during the ride, at regroup points and at coffee afterwards...what a great guy! We had a good chuckle when I sprinted up the short but steep Bolton Road climb from Main Rd to take unofficial KoM points there from Sean and Will......though they weren't really trying. At the top of the climb, with heart rate at 178bpm, I jokingly asked Will for a tow and he dutifully pushed me along whilst I kicked back and relaxed to catch my breathe. Will wasn't even panting at this point mind you!

His superman impersonation down Old Eltham Rd was also a good spectacle.

Will, best of luck with coaching the Malaysian team and thanks for the ride!

Edit: Karl Hungus requested I make special mention of him dropping Will on the climb up Hillcrest Ave. The fact that Will dropped his chain apparently has nothing to do with this great feat......

[Fabby]

Yes have ridden with Will before he's a terrific guy.
Pity his career was cut short.
Fabian

[anth73]

Was it the rain on Thursday or some other trigger that had us pacing along at over a 30kph average to St Andrews? We definitely had "ants in our pants" for some reason ????

Captain Kirk forgot his glasses back at the dunnies at Leo's supermarket and prompty had to turn around barely 200m into the ride. We heard from him when he reached St Andrews, only problem was that we were already at the regroup point just before Eltham College

What wasn't a laughing matter was the knob on the mountain bike who hit one of our riders and wanted us off the road at the said regroup point...tosser

Great to see Kieren and John with us again this week and both have nominated for the St Valentines Day Massacre, viz-a-viz the Peak Bike Hub Summer Challenge 150km ride this coming Sunday. Thanks guys.

Back to the frantic pace of the ride and it did take its toll. Nicko went pop just before St Andrews, whilst Dan streaked the field to claim bragging rights into St Andrews. I tried catching him but to no avail, he was just too good! Way to go Dan!! Rowdy rode strongly as ever and Xavier spent a fair bit of time up the front too. Steve "Scarface" continues to improve each week...well done buddy and the improved bike fit is helping him! George from our Wednesday ride also gave this Saturday's ride a strong showing.

It was nice to see a few new guys to the ride also. I was aware that the pace was on and at least one of the guys dropped off pretty quickly. It's a hard call as the boys in the shop need to be back in reasonable time to open up. Hence Troy, Dan, Kieren and a couple of others continued on whilst Xavier, Rod and I waited a while at Smith's Gully for the rest of the guys. The climb out of St Andrews to Smith's Gully is much better still warm so I think we'll be doing this from now on rather than waiting outside the market.

Other than the tosser on the mountain bike it was a beautiful morning for a ride. Rod, Xavier, John and I were sipping our lattes (or long machiato's for me!) by 8:45am with Steve and Nicko about 10 minutes behind and lamenting our pace

Looking forward to recovery this week and the massacre ride on Sunday! No shop ride this Saturday boys and girls!

[anth73]

RIDER DOWN!

The call we all dread to hear echoed around the dark streets of Heidelberg this morning. Evan struck something in the middle of the road and tumbled over less then 200m into our ride this morning. Turns out a large chunk of ashphalt was the culprit. the bike was OK but Evan suffered gravel rash down his left side and in the light of day we noticed his helmet was also cracked. He did complete the ride however...that's gutsy!

I think it's time for the lights to go on the bike again given sunrise is now well past 6:30am.

Karl Hungus invited his brother John along too this morning, must have been pay back for something as he turned up on an old steel 7-speed "triathlon" bike. A puncture meant Paul and John fell out the back of the group however I'm reliably informed Mt Pleasant Road did not live up to its name for John and they rolled into Rocket Cafe about half an hour behind the group.

I'm astounded with Sean's ability to climb! Having done the Geelong half iron man on Sunday I was suspecting (hopeful?) his legs may need a rest today. NO WAY! He powered up Mt Pleasant Road and probably put 200m on me in less than 1km.....amazing

Chris joined us again today...it's been a while mate, good to see you again. His riding was top notch too! James also continues to impress, I don't know how he rides his old steel bike so well but on the climbs I am no match. We rolled over the final sprint section together up past Rosanna golf course with no challenge from the more established sprinters this week. Scorpion King (aka Nicko) had a day to forget....you might need some recovery time bro!

All looking good for the Valentines Day massacre 150km ride on Sunday with at least a dozen confirmed starters. It's a 6:30am start from the shop. No shop ride on this Saturday.

[anth73]

Rumour has it that someone in our group cracked the 16 minute barrier for the Humevale climb!

Holy mountain goat Batman...that's some impressive climbing

Hopefully my ITB is sufficiently mended for the Tour de Eltham ride on Wednesday.

[m3hitam]

G'Day,
I'm a newish cyclist and its my first post in this forum.
I'm hoping to find group rides around my area and this one seems to be the closest one.
The saturday ride seems to suit me best. Can I just check if there will be one this coming saturday 27th Feb?
Do I need to register for the ride? or I can just turn up?

Cheers,

Vic

[anth73]

Hi,

You're welcome to come along but I do generally give this piece of advice to anyone new who's starting out. Can you complete two laps of the Kew Boulevard non-stop at a good pace, say averaging mid to high 20's kph?

It's not meant to embarrass or be a negative. The route out to St Andrew's and back has some reasonable rolling hills and the guys from the shop need to be back at a reasonable time to get the shop open. We've had a couple of guys from time to time join the group who haven't done much riding and they generally get dropped pretty early on, sometimes up the Rosanna road climb right at the start. Whilst we have a regroup point at St Andrews and a mix of riding ability in the bunch, waiting 15 minutes at St Andrews isn't much fun for anyone.

If you're not sure about Saturday give Kew Boulevard a crack, that'll give you a good idea of where you're at. Importantly, improvement comes quickly if you're committed and it's a great sport to get into due to the fitness and social aspects.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Anth

[m3hitam]

Hi Anth,

Thats a good advise. I've tried kew blvd before few times but never really time my ride.
I will try and do it this week before saturday just to gauge myself.
Also, is the actual climb from St Andrew to Kinglake? (something like will walker challenge??)

Cheers,

Vic

[anth73]

We don't always do the Kinglake climb that starts just out of St Andrews.

The ride profile can be viewed at http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/australia ... 3472267359 and click on the "Show Elevation" option. This will give you a feel for how lumpy the ride is. For a comparison, map a section of a ride you do that's somewhat hilly and check the elevation. You may be surprised.

[m3hitam]

Thanks for that.
Normally how long does it take you (the group that is) to complete the ride?

Thanks

[anth73]

Somewhere between 2 hours and 2 hours 15 minutes is the usual pace. If we're "on", we normally get to St Andrew's under an hour averaging just over 30kph for that leg. The return via Kangaroo Ground andeltham is a fraction slower due to the greater hills but we normally average at least 28kph for the entire ride.

[anth73]

The first really cold morning in ages...but what do I care? I was snugly tucked up in bed

I decided to sit out this morning's ride to ensure I don't come back too quickly nor too early from my ITB inflammation. I did catch up with Sean, Nicko, proud new dad Troy and a couple of others for a coffee after the ride however.

Sean continued his great form a did a Will Walker up Mt Pleasant Road, hitting lactate at the top of the climb however going from last to first in the process!

Troy couldn't resist the urge to have a crack down the Research - Warrandyte road and in my absence put up a good showing until "swamped" (his words) by Karl Hungus, whom I think has fully recovered from his AAC duties and is bearing the fruit of some serious training in the lead up!

Not sure who won the sprint on the return leg, it wasn't Nicko as he was preserving his legs for tonight's crit.

I'll be back Saturday boys!

[m3hitam]

Somewhere between 2 hours and 2 hours 15 minutes is the usual pace. If we're "on", we normally get to St Andrew's under an hour averaging just over 30kph for that leg. The return via Kangaroo Ground andeltham is a fraction slower due to the greater hills but we normally average at least 28kph for the entire ride.

Wow, sounds really quick stuff, I'll try my best to keep up with you guys.

C u on saturday morning. Hopefully not too cold.

Vic

[anth73]

No worries...see you at 6:30am. Don't forget some flashing lights as it's still darkish at this time.

[j-ho]

Great read guys! Inspiring me to really get into some serious riding. I did a lap of Kew Blvd last night on my fixie nonstop after riding from home in Nth Carlton, def not at the speed you guys do. But it's great to feel the fitness I am regaining after about 5 years of non activity. Only 2 weeks ago the hills there would have killed me, now they aren't an issue at all. I then crossed the freeway and road down Heidelberg Road to my gf's in East Brunswick and felt great this morning after it. Since jumping on the bike again 4 weeks ago I ride about 100kms a week, just around the inner suburbs, but planning to head out into the country near my sisters just outside of Ballarat near Bunningyong.

[anth73]

A briliant lightning display greeted our peleton for our regular St Andrews loop yesterday morning but thankfully carbon is a better insulator than conductor, so we set off in the pre-dawn light with Vic and Jerry having joined us for the first time.

The pace was brisk without being over the top...Xavier must have been having an off day, perhaps Sean also! Sure enough onc we hit Diamond Creek we got the usual bogan ute driver screaming something incomprehensibe at us as they passed from the opposite direction. This was the last we saw of Nicko too. He mentioned he was struggling and I got an SMS from him to say he'd turned around to head home. Wednesday's crit accident probably left him worse off than he actually thought.

From Hurstbridge we were like a bunch of greyhounds chasing a rabbit and there were surges galore, which took a decent effort given the prevailing headwind. I took a turn at the front even though my legs were feeling it and lasted about 5 minutes before I had to give it away. This took its toll and I failed to hang on to the leading group of Dan, Sean and Xavier a few k's out of St Andrews.

Matty and I rolled into St Andrews with Sean and Dan having ridden on to get back in time to open the shop. Dan got the sprint points into St Andrews with Sean a close second, followed by Xavier desperately trying to hang on to his wheel.

With Matty and Xavier going up Kinglake I waited for the rest of the group to head them home back to Heidelberg....and this proved to be a painful mistake. It was probably about 10 minutes before we were ready to roll again and I'd cooled down enough for my troublesome right ITB to tell me it didn't want to play anymore. On the return leg home my right leg was useless and nothing more than additional weight being carried by my one good leg. We may as well have chopped it off!

I managed to stay with the remaning riders but at times I had to pedal with only my left foot clipped in...I'm sure it looked hilarious but it was not a fun experience.
Despite this we still managed to roll back for a well earned coffee just before 9am. Well done to Vic and Jerry, hope to see you guys with us again!

[m3hitam]

It was a brilliant ride. I have to admit the pace was a little faster than I expected however its a great challenge for me to get faster.
Not having ridden the course before I had no idea what to expect and may have pushed a little too hard too early and left with an empty 'tank' 5km towards the end.
But it was a lesson well learned.
I hope to do this ride more regular in the future.

Cheers,

Vic

[anth73]

I've been managing my riding load to try and beat my ITB blues and hence riding time has suffered. I did complete Saturday's ride however I was more-or-less pedalling with one good leg by the time we hit Eltham. Serves me right for not resisting the temptation to lead the bunch from Hurstbridge to St Andrews. Rowdy and I decided to contest a sprint and I couldn't stay with him...well done mate!

Also missed Wednesday's ride however I know the road reports for the ride weren't good due to the recent storms.

This Saturday we're going to venture south to Mordialloc via Beach Road. Usual departure time from Peak Bike Hub. I'll only be venturing as far as Black Roack as I have family commitments however. The weather forecast looks the goods so should be a good one!

FYI - a few of us are considering doing the 2010 Whittlesea Challenge on Saturday May 29. Let me know if your keen to join in. Google it for details. We're also in early discussions for ATB 210km....Steve is dead keen given his recent 3 Peaks exploits! Let's hope the weather doesn't follow him