2009 Rotary Spring Cycle 27/9/09 (5 Peaks Ride)

[psike]

http://www.rotarnet.com.au/users/9/97109/Cycle%20tour/Bike%20ride.html

You have a choice between a relatively easy Family Fun Tour that goes around the lake on bicycle paths (Tour #1, 22 km) or:

A longer Lake and Rural Challenge on cycle paths and bitumen roads. You can choose a suitable distance between:

Tour #2: Parliament House, 28 -46 km
Tour #3: Lake and Rural, 50-74 km
Tour #4: "Five Peaks", 77-100 km

To add to the challenge, you can include one or up to five hills.

All tours start and finish at Blundell's Cottage, on the north shore of Lake Burley Griffin (click here to see a map). Enjoy fruit and cakes for morning tea at two sites (provided by members of the Canberra-Woden Inner Wheel Club). A free BBQ sausage will be available for all entrants at the finish.

Get together with a group of family, friends or workmates to enjoy the scenic beauty of Canberra in spring. Regardless of your age and ability, you can choose a distance and difficulty that suits you. There is a tour to suit everybody - all ages and abilities are catered for.

The tour is again actively supported by Pedal Power, The Canberra Times and Elect Printing.

The total vertical climb and typical gradient of each of the hills are:

Mt Pleasant - 80 m high, 3.0%
Mt Ainslie - 220 m high, 8.9%
Black Mt. - 230 m high, 9.2%
Red Hill - 100 m high, 8.5%
Mt Stromlo (only available on tour #4) - 160 m high, 4.5

This time around I'm not doing it on the mountain bike with nobblies!

[twizzle]

Time for a compact crankset.

[lemmiwinks]

Time for a compact crankset.

On Saturday morning I did Mt Ainslie with my 42/21

[Bantam Roosta]

This is a great event. I did my practice on Saturday. Fairly steady, maybe a bit too slow. I used to be able to climb well, apparently not so much now, as my times will attest to.

Approx times
Mt Pleasant - Skipped it (not much to write home about)
Mt Ainslie - 15 min
Black mountain - 16 min
Red Hill - 6 min
Stromlo - 15 min

Then me being the genius I am decided to go back to Gungahlin via Coppins Crossing.

[twizzle]

Time for a compact crankset.

On Saturday morning I did Mt Ainslie with my 42/21

Now go back and do all five in one go. By the time you get to Red Hill, you will want better than 42/21.

At the end last year (riding on the hybrid), I had someone kindly point out that I needed to unhook the front brake before taking the wheel off. Seriously bonked!

[twizzle]

This is a great event. I did my practice on Saturday. Fairly steady, maybe a bit too slow. I used to be able to climb well, apparently not so much now, as my times will attest to.

Approx times
Mt Pleasant - Skipped it (not much to write home about)
Mt Ainslie - 15 min
Black mountain - 16 min
Red Hill - 6 min
Stromlo - 15 min

Then me being the genius I am decided to go back to Gungahlin via Coppins Crossing.

Good effort! Now do that every Saturday until the event.

[psike]

Last year I did it on my mountain bike with nobblies. This year I shan't repeat that mistake, although being a terrible descender I probably actually went faster down on the mtb than the roadie.
Cyclocross bike or roadie, haven't decided yet, but I have started training for it. Lower gearing of the cyclo might be worth it It's a nice training ride for Fitz's, but what only about half the climbing?

[Bantam Roosta]

Good effort! Now do that every Saturday until the event.

Are you going to join me?

I did Mt Ainslie again this morning. Pulled a 13:50. Better than Saturday, but still frustrating me. I probably should have waited another day. I'm also lazy, which doesn't help. I don't have that mental fortitude to push through.

[twizzle]

Good effort! Now do that every Saturday until the event.

Are you going to join me?

I did Mt Ainslie again this morning. Pulled a 13:50. Better than Saturday, but still frustrating me. I probably should have waited another day. I'm also lazy, which doesn't help. I don't have that mental fortitude to push through.

You would be a couple of minutes quicker than me I reckon. I really need a compact to get the cadence up.

I think I killed my knee last week on the trainer - cadence was good, but continuous load not so good. Been rather sore since my failed crit on Saturday... something in the joint catching when I first start riding.

[lemmiwinks]

Time for a compact crankset.

On Saturday morning I did Mt Ainslie with my 42/21

Now go back and do all five in one go. By the time you get to Red Hill, you will want better than 42/21.

Ah, no chance mate! I don't think it would be physically possible for me to do multiple of those mountains with that gearing. I was out of the saddle for pretty much the entire climb up Ainslie. Didn't time myself, just took it nice and steady as I didn't know if I'd make it up but ended up with plenty left in the tank. Goal was to make it up without walking so it was mission accomplished there.

Great fun descending as unlike Black Mountain the road was sunny and dry

[HAKS]

I really need to start doing some climbs, been way to lazy for a long time and been staying to relatively flat ground . Might give Stromlo a crack this weekend since it is closest to my house.

[twizzle]

Stromlo is easy, it just feels like it goes forever. Mt Pleasant and Red Hill are O.K. (Red Hill is steep but short), but Ainslie and Black Mountain are hard!

If you want to travel a bit, ride Wallaroo road to the end. I hit around 70 on the descent at the end... and then you realise you have to ride back up it again!

[HAKS]

Went and did Stromlo this morning. Had never done it before so took it pretty easy the first half. From the gates onwards went a bit faster as i had someone ahead i could use to target. Bottom to the Trig station in 14:11. Will def give it some more next time though now i know the route.

Then headed over for a lap of LBG and starting thinking about Mt Ainslie tomorrow. Eventually decided to give it a crack today as i was feeling pretty good. Had a guy jump on my wheel just as i started the climb and he over took me about 1/3 of the way up. Legs were saying have a break but this guy had a little mirror on his bike so there was no way i was going to let him see me pull over. Soldiered on and did it in 14:09 (that was to all the way to the lookout). Was def a struggle towards the end, and made Stromlo look like a sunday ride . Happy overall considering the plan was to only hit Stromlo and I haven't done Mt Ainslie in a good 4-5years let alone the same day as Stromlo.

Then to top it off I hit Mt Pleasant on the way back to the lake, haha now that was nothing in comparison. Happy with my efforts, might give Black Mountain a crack tomorrow if the legs pull up alright and maybe Red Hill following that if i feel good. Def going aim to have a crack at the 5peak challenge by end Sep

[HAKS]

Ended up doing Red Hill & Stromlo last sunday. Red Hill is steep............but only short so not so bad. Did it in 6:58 (stopped lap at the Cafe right at the end). Did stromlo again in 14:00. Legs were pretty tired after 3 big rides. Flatted on way down from Stromlo so my ride ended there (no spare).

Did Black Mt this arvo. Holy doly now that was an effort. It sure does kick straight away. Did it in 15:47 (all the way to the walkway over to the tower) which i was happy with. Will concentrate my training on Mt Ainslie and Black Mtn now, they are the killers. But tomorrow i'm heading out for a 100km flat effort

ps: i hate descending on a road bike . I use to roar down Mt Ainslie road on my dual suspension MTB, even hit 90km once. Road bike though i need some work, i just don't trust the brakes as much

[twizzle]

The 'official' timing point for BM on Hillclimbr are from the T intersection to the top of the hill (just past the walkway). My record is 14:13 - but on the hybrid. Best on the roadie was 14:30.

And descending on the roadie scares the living daylights out of me. V brakes rule!

[HAKS]

Lots more training over the past week.

Tue/Wed: Did Red Hill sessions. PB was 5:20. Can descend Red Hill at speed now no worries

Sat: Long flat ride with Stromlo at the end. PB of 13:31 to the trig station, was about 12:30 (AT) the speedhump which is the Hillclimbr timing point.

Sun: Hill session with Black Mtn 1st, then Mt Ainslie, Mt Pleasent and Red Hill. Wanted to do Stromlo on the way home but had already eaten into Sunday arvo time with the missus so headed home. PB up Black Mt (14:21) and Mt Ainslie (13.10). Was very happy to string all those 4 together . Descending Black Mtn was pretty dodgy as the road was still wet from overnight rain

Number 1 lesson so far: Take a spare pair of helmet pads to change at the top of each climb to avoid sweat running down face on the descent . Tie sweaty pads around stem for the ride between hills so they dry for the next climb

[sandman]

Stromlo is easy, it just feels like it goes forever. Mt Pleasant and Red Hill are O.K. (Red Hill is steep but short), but Ainslie and Black Mountain are hard!

I remember riding out of the HP office and over to Black Mountain, guys said the first 300m are the hardest so I thought what the hell and attacked it, well when it didnt get easier the hurt started and kept going:-) Finnished that ride and then over to Ainslie where I met a guy on the way, who happend to want to do the same climb. We rode over and just at the base this guy flys past on a Pinarello (at the time I had no idea what it was)....I quickly said goodbye to my partner and chased this guy up the hill...I didnt realise he was doing efforts..well I went past him thinking I'd leave him behind, then he attacks me and I get going again....50m from the top I was exhausted, zigzagging on the road and the bugger rode past....we met at the top and rode down together, awesome descent...

Had a great chat, the Pinarello was this carbon beast, very very nice and here I am on my 9.5kg Scott I can only say these are 2 great hills to ride, it will hurt no matter who you are

Sandman

[Bantam Roosta]

So are we all paid up and ready to roll? This is what I'll be wearing on the day. Come and say hi.

[HAKS]

Not yet, i havn't got a AU certified helmet. I know the chances are slim they would check but not sure i want to risk it.

Been doing the training though . Did all 5peaks on Saturday . Wasn't the actual race route but did the important parts nevertheless. Legs are sore today though.

Which route are you doing Bantam?

[Bantam Roosta]

Tour # 4. The 5 peaks. Will turn out to be a big day. I've got to ride there and back from Gungahlin.

[twizzle]

Not yet, i havn't got a AU certified helmet. I know the chances are slim they would check but not sure i want to risk it.

It's not a competition, there won't be any helmet checks.

[familyguy]

I will be in Canberra that weekend (Canberra Motor Village, O'Connor), and was planning a ride up Black Mtn on the sunday morning. Would the organisers take a dim view of random road users horning in on their routes? Or is Sunday in Canberra a bit like Sunday in Sydney, with every man and his dog turning out for a ride?

Jim

[twizzle]

Go for it, but you won't have a card to be stamped at the top. Watch out for me, I'll be the big guy on the red roadie screaming in terror on the descent because my bike won't slow down.

[Bantam Roosta]

You can do what you want. They don't close the roads off.

Why don't you just join us and do Mt Ainslie, Stromlo and Red Hill as well.

[familyguy]

I have yet to gain approval from the GLW for The Taking of A Bike, so I dont want to commit to anything I cant keep. I'm sure you know how it is.

To those riding, have a great ride. It sure looks like a nice day out.

Jim