Brisbane to Gold Coast 2011

[dclnmurray]

I went no faster or slower than the bunch I rode with. The trick is get the bunch and hang in there. Get in early to get up the front - 4.30am. BTW i am 50 so anyone can do it.

Great time and at a good age I turn 50 in two weeks and managed a really good time. Looking at how much time you spend on your bike shows the benefit of riding lots to maintain fitness and form.

Cheers and well done.

Dave

[themerlin]

17% overweight.

I have your disease! Time for me to delete the dominos pizza app off my phone and try and get down from 105kg !

[brades68]

Garmin stats show a ride time of 3:10:41 for the trip down, exceeded my expectations of a sub 3.5 by a long way.

I also attempted the ride back (solo) - nice headwind - and was advised to follow the V1 which is a good idea for the service roads etc but bites the big one in the burbs - poorly signed, a magnet for broken glass and gravel. i run over something (glass my guess) which split my tire and despite best bush mechanic attempts was only able to limp another 9 or 10 km before doing both my spare tubes

But at least i made 160km!!! i was almost begging the last tube to last the distance and it did, 160km 5:54:xx

Good to meet Lisa - nice bike - prior to second stop, sorry we didn't catch up Steve, next year?

thanks to all who i wheelsucked, i think i was able to pay it forward a few times so i'm not a total shirker

cheers
mick

[Hux]

Oh I wasn't bothered about people skipping in at the sides on the way down - it was there loss. I was in the first bunch to get to the Gold Coast. Police escort the entire way. 39.6kph average.

Mate of mine was part of escort. Non cyclist but amazed at speed of first groups. He was surprised at mine - first time, 4 months on the bike and 47 and did 28 avg which I was wrapped with. Great course and definite starter next year in the 30+ group aiming for a 3 hour

[winstonw]

17% overweight.

I have your disease! Time for me to delete the dominos pizza app off my phone and try and get down from 105kg !

yeah events like this are great for setting wt loss goals. Incidentally, I was 106kg 10 months ago, and got down to 84, but it crept back to 89 over winter. I had intended to drop to 78 by B2GC but ...... too much fine dining over the last few months, and an issue with a burned out thyroid, but not consistently bad enough to go on thyroxine currently.
According to GP, this keeps appetite stimulated and suppresses neural drive of heart rate. I am 52yo btw.

Anyway, I have new impetus to watch the portions.

[ValleyForge]

If that was the average, what were you doing along the busway?

First group took 2.35 hour to roll from the start to end at Gold Coast. Busway is only a short distance in the overall journey. So no matter how fast you go down the busway it counts for little unless you can maintain above your average through all parts of the ride - to cater for the slower turns, going uphill, thru that horrible mud transition at stop 1 ...

That explains a few things; like when I arrived at the coast there was only about 20 riders there at the finish. Aim to better my 2.41 next year.

[Retro man]

What a great day enjoyed every minute of it.
I managed to finish the 100k in 2h 55m riding on my own. I tried to hook onto groups that I could stay with, or anyone travelling at a speed I could sustain, one thing that puzzled me was if I caught up with a single rider and drafted for a while and then moved in front and stayed at the same speed most did not come back around for another pull, I would look back but they just stayed there. I managed to get something going with one bloke around 60km but at the 80km stop he pulled in and stayed a bit longer so I lost him. I noticed with some of the groups that it was mostly one rider who did all the work, I can't understand this? why would you not want to contribute by working at the front, even if it is only for a short time.
Me being 47 and my bike an 83 Gitane, I felt a bit like a fish out of water until I saw a man with a Flandria wool jersey, (drool) and then I saw a man with a Dawes touring bike with full mudgards, I spoke to him after the ride and had a look at his bike, fully restored and looking very nice, good to see steel is not dead.
Rob...

[Max]

why would you not want to contribute by working at the front, even if it is only for a short time.

Because it's work. Most people are lazy by default!

Max

[schurms]

Great time and at a good age I turn 50 in two weeks and managed a really good time. Looking at how much time you spend on your bike shows the benefit of riding lots to maintain fitness and form.

Cheers and well done.

Dave

Dave great attitude. Yes I think the k's keep me ticking over - I only have one car so fortunately I have to commute 70ks every day - rain or shine or cold on my Mountain Bike. If you look at my bike journal you will see I only average 22kph for those rides - i don't burn myself out for the training rides on the weekend. I am a strong believer in K's building up your recovery and long term stamina.

I think everyone on the forums should be proud of themselves as well - and I take my hat of to you all.

Next challenge - get your mountain climbing legs going for the Mt Cootha Challenge.

[marinmomma]

Next challenge - get your mountain climbing legs going for the Mt Cootha Challenge.

We've got til March, here's hoping that it's fine for the 2012 edition

[ezzy]

Oh I wasn't bothered about people skipping in at the sides on the way down - it was there loss. I was in the first bunch to get to the Gold Coast. Police escort the entire way. 39.6kph average.

Mate of mine was part of escort. Non cyclist but amazed at speed of first groups. He was surprised at mine - first time, 4 months on the bike and 47 and did 28 avg which I was wrapped with. Great course and definite starter next year in the 30+ group aiming for a 3 hour

You serious? I didn't ride during winter ( I seriously need a truckload of HTFU capsule), trained 4 days one week before the ride up to 50k, rode once a week before that for 3 weeks. My hardest part was when 4 guys took turns and hammered it to 45K's at Runaway Bay, I felt a big rat tried to come out off my left leg near my groin and have to stop pedalling for 300 meters and continued when I was sure that it wasn't gonna come out. My diet also includes long neck new a couple of nights a week and s@#t I started smoking again up to a packet for 2 days.
All that for 3:08 with two 10 minute breaks. But then I'm only 41 and 72 kilos.

[jasonc]

But then I'm only 41 and 72 kilos.

I remember when I was 72 kgs... I was young, fit and healthy. Took up cycling 3 years ago to lose 5 kgs (to get me back down to 78kgs), but instead I put on damn weight.

[themerlin]

I've only been riding for 6-7 months as well so not too disappointed with my time, so close to 3 hours though if only I didn't need the toilet on the second stop

First time, 4 months on the bike and 47 and did 28 avg which I was wrapped with. Great course and definite starter next year in the 30+ group aiming for a 3 hour

[ezzy]

But then I'm only 41 and 72 kilos.

I remember when I was 72 kgs... I was young, fit and healthy. Took up cycling 3 years ago to lose 5 kgs (to get me back down to 78kgs), but instead I put on damn weight.

I guess I'm lucky on the weight department as I tend to stay around 72 kgs. 76 when I get really slobby.
I had a friend overseas (115K) can hold himself on the flats and even win some crits
but when climbing uphill, his bike rolls back when he gets off the saddle

[dclnmurray]

......I think everyone on the forums should be proud of themselves as well - and I take my hat of to you all.

Next challenge - get your mountain climbing legs going for the Mt Cootha Challenge.

There is one more challenge before the end of the year that us 'Crouching Tigers' group are doing and that is the Rainbow Ride at Byron. Either 160 or 100km rides through stunning NE NSW country. Very similar to the Battle of the Borders rides out of Kingscliffe. If you love open country roads without annoying traffic lights and crowds these rides are superb.

Check them out.

Dave

[Retro man]

What are the gradients like (length and %) for that ride. My old bike has a 52/42 on the front and 14/28 0n the the back. Would this be too hard?
Rob...

[brades68]

Ride photos are up!

marathon-photos.com

Cheers
Mick

[jasonc]

Ride photos are up!

marathon-photos.com

Cheers
Mick

Mick - I only see 5 photos, are there more?

EDIT: scratch that, no photos of me

[London Boy]

All of which said, Cav's average over the 266 km world championship distance was 47kmh. Even buried in a friendly peleton that takes some work, and shows the difference between us mere mortals and the professionals.

I've got a bit of work to do.

Overall I had a great day, my first 100km ride completed in 3:11 averaging 32km/h including rest stops. This was mainly just a mate and I pulling ourselves along. Couldn't be happier!

Any idea when ride photos are out?

About today. I imagine you got the same email I did?

Averging 32kmh for your first 100 is pretty good going. It's a fair old distance to keep up that kind of work rate.

[notwal]

Personalised photos! That's a surprise.
They must be using the same sort of character reading software that the DOT uses on speed camera photos.

[Comedian]

Ride photos are up!

marathon-photos.com

Cheers
Mick

Mick - I only see 5 photos, are there more?

EDIT: scratch that, no photos of me

Oh well.. you could always buy a photo of someone else.

[jasonc]

Mick - I only see 5 photos, are there more?

EDIT: scratch that, no photos of me

Oh well.. you could always buy a photo of someone else.

yeah, no

[notwal]

What are the gradients like (length and %) for that ride. My old bike has a 52/42 on the front and 14/28 0n the the back. Would this be too hard?
Rob...

I don't think it gets over 10% and none of them are long. You could do the whole thing on your big ring.

[jasonc]

What are the gradients like (length and %) for that ride. My old bike has a 52/42 on the front and 14/28 0n the the back. Would this be too hard?
Rob...

I don't think it gets over 10% and none of them are long. You could do the whole thing on your big ring.

I don't think i could do the whole trip in the big ring. I keep telling people the hills I get on my commute were harder than anything on that ride
52/42 - I reckon that'd be more than doable - especially with a 28 on the back

[Comedian]

What are the gradients like (length and %) for that ride. My old bike has a 52/42 on the front and 14/28 0n the the back. Would this be too hard?
Rob...

I don't think it gets over 10% and none of them are long. You could do the whole thing on your big ring.

I don't think i could do the whole trip in the big ring. I keep telling people the hills I get on my commute were harder than anything on that ride
52/42 - I reckon that'd be more than doable - especially with a 28 on the back

After you've been riding for a while you just get stronger and stronger. It takes a long time but it happens. I've just ditched the standard crank 34/50 on my bike because it makes more sense to go for a standard now.

On my commute which I was flat out being able to ride without walking I now do the whole lot in the large chainring. It's time for a standard for me.