Todays rides

[mrgolf]

Just did a nice easy little 50k loop out through Gungahlin to Sutton (via Mulligans Flat Rd/Gundaroo Rd) and back via the Fed.

Just did the same loop minus a couple of little detours. God its a good route. Cant wait for the dirt section to be done. 6 weeks away, or so the lollipop man told me. http://app.strava.com/rides/6992435

[mezla]

Awesome! Yeah, I really really like that route... it's got a bit of a mixture of scenery/terrain. I don't mind the short dirt section... bit of fun ... but the grids are hardcore.

Smashed out a ride to Shingle Hill this morning... left in the dark and it was so foggy... so much moisture in the air! Had to ride without glasses

BoM tells me it was about 12 degrees, but it felt a little colder than that. Still, good times

[mezla]

Another pre-dawn Shingle Hill ride this morning... this time with added rain!

Need better shoe covers... mine are totally waterproof on top, but let WAY too much water in through the bottom.

[skull]

Another pre-dawn Shingle Hill ride this morning... this time with added rain!

Need better shoe covers... mine are totally waterproof on top, but let WAY too much water in through the bottom.

I looked out the window at 0515 and said, nope not going out in the rain, then went back to bed and slept in and was late for work.

[Ross]

Red berries in Northbourne Ave cycle lane are very slippery when wet....ask me how I know

[jcjordan]

Red berries in Northbourne Ave cycle lane are very slippery when wet....ask me how I know

Dont tell me you hit the deck again?

[Ross]

Maybe

[mrgolf]

Man! I was just bummed that they made my bike dirty. Stacking is waaay worse. Hope you are OK.

[jcjordan]

Maybe

so how much skin did you take off this time?

more importantly how is the bike

[psike]

Earlier this week the Audax Stargazers 1000km... DNF

Ride from Cowra, out to Dunedoo, Coonabarabran and up to Siding Springs Observatory and back.

Day 1: 385km all done and dusted. Nice ride, lots of undulations, quiet roads and awesome little country towns. Got to see "Animals on Bikes" http://www.animalsonbikes.com.au/around Cumnock and Yoevel, and the scale model of the Solar System http://www.solarsystemdrive.com/.

Finished up at Dunedoo in a rented cottage where the ride organiser had food waiting, and caught a few hours sleep.

Day 2: Wet. 40 km to Coolah was crap. False flat, tired legs, rain. Great bakery, great coffee picked us up for the decent climb coming. Then things went bad. Broke the rear gear cable. Found I'd not packed a spare. Got in to Binnaway ate and started to check if there was a bike shop on Coonabarabran. Continued into to Coona - sure enough someone had answered my tweet for help and I rang the Mower Shop (come Bicycle Shop) and they didn't know what I was talking about. At this point with about 50km of tough work behind me (climbing with two gears) I was feeling it in my right knee. Managed to scavange a cable but couldn't get it working properly and was more worried about the checkpoint cutoff at the observatory. On the way out there every hill was causing a lot of pain in the knee, I hit a steep section and made the decision to preserve the knees for another day. Headed back to Coonabarabran and bailed.

Ended up with about 550km of riding, 75ish with the one gear on rear cassette. Lesson learnt about spares.

Two others dropped out of the 1000, 8 started 5 finished.

Really well organised ride through great country,

Russell.

[Ross]

Maybe

so how much skin did you take off this time?

more importantly how is the bike

Pretty much the same amount from the same places as last crash - hip and forearm. Bent the rear derailleur hanger on the bike and bar tape was a bit scuffed up, took the bike to Ian and he sorted it out and gave it a clean and a service at the same time.

[mezla]

Ouch. Always hurts more when it's cold too :-/
I am yet to have a stack at speed. I'm not looking forward to it.

Riding to Captain's Flat with a mate this arvo, beautiful day for it!

[twizzle]

Ouch. 109km, about half of which was after I clipped the back wheel of my mates bike and came off at about 20-25kph. First ever crash, just bruises and scrapes as I came down in the loose gravel by the side of the road, but I can't lift my left arm out to the side and have a really sore elbow. And chipped the ends of my carbon aero extensions and scratched up the brifters. Luckily the new aero shifters weren't fitted yet.

[HAKS]

Ouch

Weren't doing Uriarra loop today were you? May or may not have passed someone i thought was you

[twizzle]

Ouch

Weren't doing Uriarra loop today were you? May or may not have passed someone i thought was you

Yep, on the blue Ribble. Stacked out the front of Uriarra settlement after my mate suddenly slowed and I didn't get on the brakes quick enough. Left arm is munted, can't use it for anything now. Might have to walk to work tomorrow, it's only 8.5km each way...

[HAKS]

Ouch

Weren't doing Uriarra loop today were you? May or may not have passed someone i thought was you

Yep, on the blue Ribble. Stacked out the front of Uriarra settlement after my mate suddenly slowed and I didn't get on the brakes quick enough. Left arm is munted, can't use it for anything now. Might have to walk to work tomorrow, it's only 8.5km each way...

Yeap . Saw you at SFP this morning and I thought you had Ribble frame.

[the_big_fella]

Ouch - hope you both heal up real quick Ross and twizzle.
I got back on my bike for the first time a few days ago after nearly 3 weeks off the bike following my stack.
A nice leisurely ride around LBG.
Everything has healed up pretty well.
Hopefully I'll get a leave pass on the weekend to clock up some kms....

[twizzle]

Ouch - hope you both heal up real quick Ross and twizzle.
I got back on my bike for the first time a few days ago after nearly 3 weeks off the bike following my stack.
A nice leisurely ride around LBG.
Everything has healed up pretty well.
Hopefully I'll get a leave pass on the weekend to clock up some kms....

Any idea what happened yet? Witnesses? Not knowing would freak me out badly.

[the_big_fella]

Ouch - hope you both heal up real quick Ross and twizzle.
I got back on my bike for the first time a few days ago after nearly 3 weeks off the bike following my stack.
A nice leisurely ride around LBG.
Everything has healed up pretty well.
Hopefully I'll get a leave pass on the weekend to clock up some kms....

Any idea what happened yet? Witnesses? Not knowing would freak me out badly.

Still no clearer on what happened. No witnesses, bike holds no clues, health checks came back ok.
It might have to remain one of life's mysteries. And yep, it does freak me out a bit.
I am noticing i am a bit nervier on the bike at the moment. That'll pass i hope.

[twizzle]

Big progress today - I managed to drive myself to work instead of having my wife drop me off and pick me up.

[skull]

Well after todays exciting ride I am going to stick to just riding the mountain bike parks now

Details here: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=52259

[petie]

I had an excellent ride to work and back for the first time in the early morning (530/6am). Have been keeping it to evening shifts but decided to bust out and ride this morning. A little chilly, but far out the hot shower was worth it at the end!

[nickdos]

Well after todays exciting ride I am going to stick to just riding the mountain bike parks now

Details here: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=52259

FWIW, I don't think a single episode should dictate your riding habits... s#!t happens from time to time, just move on.

Anyway, if you do stick to the MTB trails (or don't)... have you ridden Sparrow Hill/East Kowen Forest lately? I think this area has supplanted Stromlo as my favourite place to MTB. On the East Kowen side (Mont 24 tracks), there are some changes with a fully sign-posted 25 km loop that is so flowy, plus has a bit of everthing. And today I rode the new interlinked and sign-posted trails on the Sparrow side, where there is a 16km and 27km loops (all one way too). So that makes 50+ km of single track in the one place without riding the same section twice!

[mrgolf]

Yeah, I agree on the road thing and the Kowen/ Sparrow thing.

You can't make a call about road riding with an incident like that when you weren't even riding on the road... I did more than 10K on the road alone last year and had very few problems.

Kowen was prepped for the Mont by Kowalksi and co, and then returned to working order afterwards. Nice trails. A mate was riding Sparrow yesterday and reckons it was bumpier and more fatiguing than Stromlo. Either way, Kowen will do me fine. Then Bruce, Majura and Stromlo.

[cp123]

Rider down this morning - corner of Melrose Drive and Theodore street Curtin (at the bottom of the hill).

Hope whoever it is is okay.

I went past and assumed the rider had been already taken to hospital (a friend of mine said she saw someone on the road being covered by a blanket when she went past earlier) . Police and a fire truck were there and they were looking at a red bike with black handlebar tape. I didn't stop to gawk as it was all a bit congested and traffic being directed straight on towards yarra glen. A group of people standing around talking (whether they were witnesses, helpers a moron motorist?) I don't know.

It looked as though he/she was possibly hit by something turning across in front of them. Anyone know any more?

heal well whoever you are.