Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

BenevolantDictatorD
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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Thu Oct 15, 2015 6:34 am

After a few weeks away it was back to business in old Richmond town. Under glorious skies we headed off at 9:00:00.000 on the 'old' course of water tower and Back Tea Tree and return. We started with twelve but a combination of sore knees and four months off the bike saw our numbers reduce to ten by the top of water tower. Off again at what seemed a gentleman's pace with conversations maintained along the way. I dropped off with a slow puncture and the group sped on. I thought that was a good tactic and it would save me a bit of effort. The change went quickly and off I went as a sedate pace. I was a bit surprised when the bunch started coming back earlier than I thought. The road was being seriously dug up at the top of duckpond so we all turned around and headed back.
To make up the distance we took a sideline up to the kart track on Fingerpost and back. There was around seven of us left by the finish as not all took the left turn.
The average was over 30kph which still seems strange to me as I thought we weren't going that hard. Maybe having Christian drag us along for most of the ride made the difference. Another five 'gentlemen' joined us for coffee. Another great day on the bike and off.

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Wed Oct 21, 2015 10:20 pm

It was raining in old Hobart Town as I left for Richmond this morning. I had watched the weather coming up the river and wasn't too sure whether it would reach as far as Richmond. It wasn't surprising that the windscreen was dry about 5kms short of the town and it was dry when I got there. Clearly my optimism wasn't shared with too many other as we had a huge peleton of seven to start off with.

The course was set as a straight out and back to get away from the weather and assume that it would be gone by the time we got back. So off we went at a significant pace with a strong tail wind behind us. Seven soon became six as work commitments got phoned in. Six soon became five as a sore knee got in the way. Five soon became four as one declared an intent to turn at the top of the hill. Strava was going crazy with PBs everywhere for everyone. An average speed of 34kph to the top of Cole Hill was mentioned. I was glad they waited for me!! :? :oops:

We continued on to the turn and prepared ourselves for the return journey. It wasn't easy. Into a solid headwind pretty well all the way we swapped off turns as best we could. Its the first time I have come down Cole Hill on the 13 cog going as hard as I could and not making much head way. We stuck together until a couple of kms out when it all got too much for me and I dropped off with the view of rolling back to the start. That wasn't a good idea. I was then in the small ring pushing a small gear and getting nowhere. Luckily the boys waited for me and shepherded me home. The average for the day was somewhere around 30kph - so it was faster out uphill than it was coming back. That's novel! :|

The sun was shining brightly when we got back for coffee. We had about 2kms of a light misty drizzle but otherwise it was dry. A good ride. coffee chat was subdued as we readied ourselves to attend the launch of the Tour de Norfy at Parliament lawns in the early afternoon. For those with nothing to do on Sunday the 1st of November - get along and sign up for the ride. Not only is it a great challenge ride but it is for a really deserving charity of RAW (Rural, Alive and Well) which is aiming to reduce suicides in rural Tasmania.

Next week - who knows :twisted: :twisted: :mrgreen:

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:57 pm

Another glorious day in old Richmond Town this morning saw the gathering of a large peleton ready for the off. PMM Man assembled along with the rest but its been so long since his last ride that he had forgotten that you actually need shoes and a helmet to look the part properly :D :) :( :shock: Welcome back to Brian the younger who would suffer seriously for the rest of the day.

So the route was given out and off we went heading to another road never ridden by RBWR. We tootled up Middle Tea Tree, right over Water Tower and then left to Campania and then left up to Native Corners Road and followed that to the end. That meant quite a bit of dirt - Strada Ochre - with most of it being a bit powdery so it wasn't the fastest trip we've ever done. Not everyone enjoyed the dirt so a few took alternate routes at this point.
A puncture on the way back slowed us a bit and a regroup at Campania had the peleton back together and readying for the sprint. Lots of jockeying for position - some strong (?) riding by the returned PMM Man and many plans made and failed. ScottyB just put a little bit of pressure on the pedals and rode away from all of us.

Ride of the day to Rob S for doing better than most on one leg. Second best ride to Brian the Elder for a top 5 to the turn!

I didn't have time to partake of the normal coffee chat but no doubt it was up to its usual standards. 2IC Tony will be in charge next week. Pretty safe to assume no dirt next week :roll:

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Thu Nov 12, 2015 6:35 am

With PMM Man in charge last week it was an easy guess to see the course was Fingerpost, top of Cole Hill and back.

This week - with another glorious day evident we headed in another direction. Up Middle Tea Tree to Brighton and then out to Brighton and return. There was a nice tail breeze on the way out. One of those that you don't really notice but just makes you think you are riding really well. :lol: The peleton numbered 14 to start with and split on a regular basis. A regroup at Brighton got us all together but the tail breeze lifted the pace and splits were the order of the day yet again.

The harsh reality struck after turning and that nice head wind now became a reason to hide as much as possible behind the strong men at the front. The bunch splintered again and regrouped in Brighton again and splintered again. A nice day for a nice ride. Those at the front for the day scored average speeds of around 33kph :shock: That's uncharted territory for RBWR. The rest of us down the back were anywhere upwards of 27kph depending on how much we waited or went into 'touring' mode.

A reminder for those looking for a ride on Sunday. The annual Variety Charity Ride is on again starting and finishing at the Variety headquarters at 14 Kennedy Drive in Cambridge. The distances are 100km - starts at 9:00, 60km - starts at 9:45, and 30km - starts at 10:30. Pre-event registration is $50. All the details can be found on their site at http://www.variety.org.au/TAS/Events/20 ... ycle-Ride/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This is a really worthwhile event.

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Wed Nov 18, 2015 11:02 pm

Another glorious day in old Richmond Town - another RBWR run and won.

There was a light-ish breeze coming out of the north-west as I contemplated the course for the day. The Back Tea Tree upgrade is still not finished so the default option was out. We hadn't done Baskerville for a while and PMM Man was there so that was a real incentive to make him hurt - but at the cost to me given too much wine last night :mrgreen: .

So - the plan was a PMM Man course of Fingerpost and Cole Hill. The peleton of 14 headed off at some time after 9:00:00.0000 :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: as we waited for Baz to emerge from places best not mentioned. His history of being totally unable to follow us was a reasonable excuse to be 16.27 seconds late in leaving the car park - never again :evil: :evil: :twisted:

Off we went at a sensible pace which seemed to be maintained for quite a while. The head wind out kept us together and onto Fingerpost we swung in a tight knit unit. We were doing so well for most of the journey until ScottyB did what he does best and dropped everyone in a simple surge that few were interested in. Over the top and down to the highway and back to the top. PMM Man, Baz and I did the right thing and waited at the top to make sure everyone else got back okay. The wine was starting to wear off and my bidon was emptying quickly. :shock:

Off again after the requisite regroup with everyone being told that the dipper would be the location for the surprise attack. Down into the dipper we went ----- and where was Baz leading us out -- so I had a bit of a go and cleared the rest of the Chardy cobwebs. Most of the rest caught up soon after and we regrouped at the turn back on to Colebrook Road. And then we waited for Baz for some time. He caught up making mutterings of something about seeing a snake on the road blah blah blah. Maybe he had more chardy than me! :wink:

Off again into the side head wind and the bunch sat nicely together. A couple of rolling regroups and we got to the bottom of Cole Hill in a compact unit - and then - PMM Man and Baz attacked the bunch. We continued at the same pace laughing and counting backwards from 10. He did well - making it to 4 before he blew up. Good to see a bit of fitness returning to our urger in the bunch. Of course everyone passed him and continued on.

The pace up Cole Hill was rolled back in keeping with the general view of the day's pace. And then --- PMM Man came past again and took off. We didn't realise poor old Baz had been pushing him to get him back on. :D :D :D . He maintained a distance and we slowed as much as we could to keep him battling away but the inevitable happened and we started catching him. A bit of encouragement saw him take off again and then completely disintegrate as he could obviously not breathe by that stage - kudos PMM Man. And then it was up to those interested in kom points or Strava segments. DictatorP and JohnH set a pace that wasn't going to be matched and made the top in very good time. I had a bit of an effort but never looked like picking them up.

The turn saw most within short distances and instructions were issued to ensure everyone was together at the bottom of the hill to give us a chance of being together again for a while. in the true tradition of RBWR and the concept of herding cats the bunch wasn't together at the bottom of the hill and wasn't again for the journey. Much as we tried we couldn't quite get the momentum together to catch the front runners. The best I can report on is that half the bunch were working well at the front and half the bunch were working well at the back. The gap remain consistent but un-closable.

RobS had a big go in the front bunch and stretched out everyone. ScottM took the sprint in style. ScottyB pulled the balance of the bunch back with his usual strength. The slow ones - me and PMM Man came in some time later. What a great ride. If Master6 had been there it would have been better but ---- ah well ---- maybe next week :roll: :roll:

Average times were up there again for a day where the bunch was fairly compact for most of the day. The front boys did an average of 31kph. Mine was probably around 28. It still amazes me that we are hitting averages that we couldn't achieve over 17 years ago when we started this ride. Staggering really. Coffee chat was a bit more animated than normal - another cruise ship in port. Next week - who knows - we might let Master6 pick the course.

master6
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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby master6 » Mon Nov 23, 2015 8:52 pm

BenevolantDictatorD wrote:Another glorious day in old Richmond Town - another RBWR run and won.


Next week - who knows - we might let Master6 pick the course.

I can hear the response now, when I nominate Delmore Rd :D

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Thu Nov 26, 2015 2:07 am

No ride to Delmore Road today Master6!

The weather was a bit interesting in old Richmond Town for the weekly RBWR. The wind was a reasonably strong one out of the NW and the clouds had a bit of a rain look about them. With Back Tea Tree still out of action we took a twist on the usual high wind course - up Grass Tree, back down and then Middle Tea Tree, Tea Tree, Fingerpost road, the highway and then back over Brinktop.

We started off with around 14 riders and the pace picked up early on the first climb. A regroup and back down in a formation - that's a first :shock: We lost our first rider to ill health effects as we neared Richmond and the rest of us turned into the wind and the climb up Middle Tea Tree. The bunch stayed together all the way with one slow-coach being popped off the back. I wasn't having a good day :oops:

Tea Tree Road and the legs stretched with the tail wind. The peleton splintered and regrouped on Water Tower. Off again and more splintering as the fun of a robust tail wind took its toll on the peleton. Another regroup towards Fingerpost saw a number reduce as one sensible one just kept on straight back to Richmond.

ScottyB in recovery mode dropped us all up Fingerpost and PMM Man had a short stop to consider tactics. And then the highway. Seven kms with a fair breeze behind us. The fast boys managed to average over 55kph for this segment - not me. And then the pain - back into the wind and up Brinktop to boot. The downhill into Richmond was interesting in terms of trying to stay on the road!

The gentlemen joined us again for coffee and chatting went on for some time as usual. A hard course in the conditions was mentioned many times. It would have been hard anywhere in those conditions. Next week we can count on the start time being 9:00:00.000 :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

master6
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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby master6 » Thu Nov 26, 2015 9:22 am

BenevolantDictatorD wrote:The gentlemen ..................................joined us again for coffee

I am not alone in the universe? Gentlemen?

Tell me more about the gentlemen aspect please? :D

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Fri Nov 27, 2015 8:50 am

A recent aspect to the RBWR has been a group of gentlemen who choose to ride over and join us for coffee a little bit after 11am. This gives them plenty of time to ride over from Hobart and then either get a lift back or ride back with those who have done the full morning's ride. This shows the good drawing power of a nice bit of coffee chat - just suited to you Master6!

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby master6 » Fri Nov 27, 2015 3:59 pm

Mmmm....where is the "Like" button here.

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby master6 » Wed Dec 09, 2015 7:28 pm

BenevolantDictatorD wrote:A recent aspect to the RBWR has been a group of gentlemen who choose to ride over and join us for coffee a little bit after 11am. This gives them plenty of time to ride over from Hobart and then either get a lift back or ride back with those who have done the full morning's ride. This shows the good drawing power of a nice bit of coffee chat - just suited to you Master6!
I rode over to Richmond last Wednesday BDD, and again today.
I dont know where you are exactly, however I did gain the impression that you are doing a Paul Hogan..........."rendering assistance to a lady" was the way Hogan described it; bushwalking in your case ? :)

My advice is "get back to RBWR asap"; coffee table reports from riders indicate that the ride has, at best, been shambolic in your absence. PMM man seems to have lost any 2ic skills that he might once have possessed, and Paul and Barry have, I am certain, inflicted damage on their own eyesight viewing strava at length while ignoring their fellow coffee addicts.

Richmond Bakery remains top quality :?

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby Paul B » Wed Dec 09, 2015 8:48 pm

master6 wrote: Paul and Barry have, I am certain, inflicted damage on their own eyesight viewing strava at length while ignoring their fellow coffee addicts.
Now Master6, we all know that if God did not want us to engage in Strava pursuits then He would not have invented KOM's :shock:

Meanwhile out on the road it was a test of riding skills just to stay on the bike due to the incredibly strong winds, a feature of riding here in Tassie at this time of year.

About 12 riders assembled for the ride today and we set out at 9:00am on a course selected by PMM Man. No Strava points for guessing where we went... up Fingerpost to the hwy, turn around and head out to Cole Hill and the return to Richmond.
It was a slow ride against the wind out to Fingerpost rd where the bunch stopped for the regroup. Andrew T and I didn't need any prompting to make the most of the wind. So off we went up Fingerpost at a reasonable (fast) pace in order to move up the Strava ladder. As a result, at this point I can only imagine the anguish being experienced by the former KOM holder as he weeps over the Strava email informing him of his loss :roll:

So mission accomplished, Andrew & I rolled slowly back up the short climb to the go cart track where the rest of the bunch had regrouped and were waiting for the highway men to return. Two of them however, Scotty M and Brian the younger made the decision to return to Richmond via the Tasman hwy and Brinktop

So back down to the road and right at the intersection for the trip to Cole Hill. This was tough going, the wind was crazy and pushing into it took a huge effort. So much so that we lost about half of the remaining peloton who decided enough was enough and turned back. That left Scotty B, Rod, Stewy, Ross and myself to continue to the top... then we lost Rod...

So just 4 of us assembled at the top for the return. Having been blown in all directions in conquering Cole Hill there were some remarks around the safety of the trip back. But if caution can be exercised while going as fast as possible then we did what we could, at least for as long as we had to. In the process of the cautious return we first dropped Scotty, and slowed for him to get back on, while Ross was the next to fall off the back. We were pretty civil though and made it to the outskirts of Richmond as a bunch where the pace really picked up. I looked down at the Garmin and saw that I was doing well over 60. Stewy was out front, but Scott was hot on his wheel. I noticed Ross looming large :mrgreen: and fixing to pass me... I pedalled a bit harder. Meanwhile, Scotty got Stewy in the sprint :!:

On our arrival back at the bakery we were greeted by the main bunch... can't blame them for turning early, it was tough on the road today. There were a number of HOT times recorded on the 1000 meter STVCC segment.. no emails here though.

So overall it was another great day at Richmond. See you again next week Master6.
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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby master6 » Sat Dec 19, 2015 2:31 pm

Short story. Can you lend or donate a left hand shifter please?

Long story. Our friend Anita, an avid cyclist, who recently rode 1680 km and raised over $1000 for Fighting Kids Cancer, in October, has had an accident involving some signage stand left behind by road workers. Damage includes destruction of her left hand brake lever/gear shifter. It is Shimano Sora/Tiagra for double chainrings.

She has had a new bike on order since late October, however it looks like being New Year before it is delivered. Another problem is that her bike shop is flat stick with Christmas looming and cant even look at her damage until after Christmas.
Anita has brought her bike to me, and I can repair the buckled wheel, straighten the saddle frame, and get her back on the road if I can find a left side shifter.

Any offers of help will be appreciated.

BenevolantDictatorD
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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Mon Dec 21, 2015 3:14 pm

Late and brief report for RBWR.
Glorious weather.
Dozen riders.
Left at 9:00:00.000
Baskerville circuit - Tea Tree first.
Fast boys averaged over 30kph as appears usual these days.
The rest of us grovelled in as we could.
Coffee chat was good as always.

Standard ride this week - 23rd
Orford ride next week - 30th - leave Richmond at 9:00:00.000 Leave Orford 11:45ish. Back at Richmond 3:00ish

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:08 pm

Another glorious day in old Richmond Town. A light south-easterly for something completely different greeted the assembled fifteen riders ready for the off.

The course was a simple one - out to Colebrook and right towards Brandy Bottom. We held a reasonably brisk pace on the way out with the tail breeze very helpful. Very few attacks or surges - ignoring the attempts by PMM Man - proof the pace was reasonable :roll:

We lost one rider somewhere along the way - never to be seen again - and another on Cole Hill as family duties called him back. Most of the rest of us made good time to the turn and managed to remain together to the regroup point at the top of the hill and again at the bottom. The flag dropped and the ra-ride-ce began with ScottyB making multiple fake surges to get away and then take it easy into the head wind. The bunch was compact with a klick to go and it all got willing from there. There were many winners as the various lines were crossed at the right time with TonyF getting the major nod for the best finish at the best time. Well done Tony - and the rest of the bunch - a good ride in good company.

The gentlemen joined us for coffee along with around fifty tourists so space at the table was at a premium.

Next week is the Orford ride - leaving at the usual time - back about 2ish - around 55kms each way - or less if we use Prossers Road.

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Thu Dec 31, 2015 1:17 pm

It was another glorious day in old Richmond Town which greeted the assemble 15 or so riders ready for the annual Orford Ride.

9:00:00.000 and we were off. Our first casualty was racked up on Fingerpost as a sore knee behaved as expected. A regroup at the top of Black Charlies and away we went again. Two more casualties at the bottom of Bust-Me-Gall as another sore knee took its toll. Another casualty at the top of Bust-Me-Gall as the dreaded working mans curse took another. From there it was a fee-for-all to Orford. Bad luck for mechanicals, cramps or getting tired.

Another withdrawal and the rest headed off at a variety of paces. JB's cramp issues continued and he was nursed as best we could. Rossie must have been tired so he broke a crank and waited on the side of the road. Thanks to Clive for picking him up. JB must have been getting sick of the cramps so threw some spare clothing into the transmission and broke his derailleur. A little bit drastic but it worked. A very kind policeman gave him a lift to Richmond even though he was heading for Orford. Most impressive.

Everyone else arrived fairly safely for refreshments at Richmond from about 2pm onwards.

This will be the last or our Orford rides. Next year we will start the annual Oatlands ride. There are now too many tourists on the road to make it an acceptable risk to take a bunch down this way. I've seen some extraordinary driver behaviour over the years but never so concentrated as happened on this ride. Heading up the back roads to Oatlands is a much safer option for the future.

We've now managed 17 years of the RBWR so Happy New Year and safe riding to all our participants - both old and new - enjoy.

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby Paul B » Thu Dec 31, 2015 10:00 pm

BenevolantDictatorD wrote: This will be the last or our Orford rides. Next year we will start the annual Oatlands ride.
I'm looking forward to next year's course. I've really enjoyed the Orford ride on the two occasions I have been able to ride. Always a challenge made more enjoyable by great company ! Best to all for 2016.
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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby master6 » Fri Jan 01, 2016 8:15 am

Paul B wrote:
BenevolantDictatorD wrote: This will be the last or our Orford rides. Next year we will start the annual Oatlands ride.
I'm looking forward to next year's course. I've really enjoyed the Orford ride on the two occasions I have been able to ride. Always a challenge made more enjoyable by great company ! Best to all for 2016.
Two years of your apprenticeship completed Paul. :D

You only have another two years of study, under the master BDD, to become a fully fledged dictator. :?

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Wed Jan 06, 2016 1:16 pm

There must have been some Victorians around in old Richmond Town today as the weather was a bit on the dodgy side of 'variable'. Patchy drizzle on the way out and a south-easterly isn't a good combination but we had a dozen or so ready for the off.

Welcome back to Clive who had promoted himself from the "Gentlemen" to join the rascals. Also good to see Andrew T back on the bike.

The course was set as the traditional one - water tower and Back Tea Tree and return. The pace was very reasonable to start with. It must have been - PMM Man could talk on the Water Tower climb! :shock: :shock: :shock: Delusions of grandeur and off he went charging to the front and creating mayhem in the bunch that, along with a bit of drizzle and stops for coats, split the bunch that didn't regroup until the turn.

ScottyB and Garnet had so much time to spare they did a bit extra while waiting. They caught us up soon after. Around about now the pace was back down to a tempo ride and everyone seemed to be much happier. The spirit of rides past even had everyone waiting at the top of water tower until PMM Man used another of his favourite tactics - launch an attack while a 'natural break' was happening. The tactic worked and four of the sprint participants never made it back to the front group.

Well done to Casey for a nicely timed win.

Coffee chat was a bit louder than normal as we competed with the cruise boaters to be heard. Another great day on the bike.

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Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby Paul B » Thu Jan 14, 2016 10:38 pm

The forecast was for temp hitting somewhere in the mid 30's accompanied by a Northerly wind... you just know it's going to be a tough day on the bitumen. Maybe the Benevolant Dictator had some divine foreknowledge and that is why he opted not to ride this week. He mumbled something about a pilgrimage somewhere, it may have been the Gobi desert or an equally auspicious location... it was definitely north of Hobart. In any event, he did appoint his chief disciple... PMM man, as the chief tormentor... ahhh... organiser of todays event :|

What would the course be :?: . yea I know, the usual PMM route. Fingerpost - Cole Hill. It's one I really enjoy actually :P

14 riders assembled at Old Richmond Town for the day's event, including a face I hadn't seen before.Simon. Michael Richmond bought him along and it was clear early on that he is a decent rider and likely to finish near the front.

The ride set out at a fairly slow pace, probably a symptom of the early heat and headwind. Half way up Fingerpost I looked down at the computer avg speed reading and remarked that this was the slowest RBWR I had ever been on. Not that I, or I think anyone else cared, it was just that sort of day. Anyhow, about half way along Fingerpost, with the wind now at our backs, and just before it becomes interesting leading into the nice climb up to the go cart track, Andrew T launched an all out attack to which I responded, and it was a fast effort from there to the highway. I reached the turnaround point with SImon, who had set off in pursuit not far behind, and Andrew next along. That got the heart started and we went back up the hill to meet the rest of the peloton waiting to start the next leg out to Cole Hill. And of course, a headwind all the way.

While most of the bunch were still going along at a comfortable pace, Simon led the charge down to Mudwalls and I sat on his wheel... he had to slow at one stage as I popped off the back. We stopped and regrouped and set out again into the headwind...

It can be a bit of a slog out to Cole Hill in these conditions. Stewart Sayer was doing a lot of work on the front, Michael did a share, Simon was solid and I had a crack as well... though not as long as the other guys. Meanwhile, Scotty B was hanging back with the veteran cohort who eventually turned early for the return to the bakery with a nice tailwind. SImon, myself and Andrew made it to the top of Cole Hill first, with Stewy and Brian Bennett not too far behind. Tony made it up... Pmm man had strategically positioned himself part way up the climb in order to join on the descent and launch one of his devious plots in an effort to be in the mix on the finish line.

So off the peloton set, I fumbled around getting my foot in the pedal and set out last... been there before ... got dropped never to recover. Not today. I had worded SImon up on the strategy around the Wednesday race... err ride, and advised him that as the best rider there I had every expectation that he should take it out ... and to go for it. So I guess I should not have been surprised when I saw him about 300 metres in front on the descent... I put in an all out effort to get on his wheel, passing the bunch in the process but getting on and set for a fast return to Richmond. And fast it was :mrgreen: We were joined on the front by Michael and Stewy who had both put in hard efforts earlier. Even at that early stage, less than a couple of Ks into the return we had dropped the rest of the field, with the exception of Tony who also made it on for a while. SImon had turned his head and made a note of the absent peloton, I said good... go faster :twisted: At one stage Michael attacked on a small hill and I responded passing him at speed with Simon then finding his way back on the front. We dropped Michael and Stewy came alongside saying he had nothing left for a turn... I told him not to worry but to hang on. A little late Simon advised me that Stewy was off... that left the pair of us with about 10 ks to go.

All credit to SImon, he was just smashing it and I was sitting right on his wheel. There was no point in trying to get on the front, it would have only served to slow us down... there was no way I could ride any faster than the pace he was setting. It was a case of hang on and enjoy the fun... fast guy on the front and a tailwind :arrow: :arrow: :arrow:
So there comes a point where the finish line appears and a final decision has to be made on how to manufacture a win. This is an area I have very little experience in but having seen enough wins from the rear end, I had a bit of a clue. So with about 75 metres to go I pulled out of Simon's draft at about 60 kph and took the win by a meter :shock: All credit to SImon for a fantastic ride. He did all the work and I was lucky enough to be there at the end for the chocolates. Great day and can't wait till next week.
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Paul B
Posts: 861
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Location: Myrtleford Vic.

Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby Paul B » Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:14 pm

On approaching the Bakery at Richmond this morning there was an unexplained presence, something mystical almost, and there he was, the Benevolant Dictator, seated in the gutter, like Gandhi. He seemed to be engaged in a cleansing of the feet ritual; apparently the sign of a successful pilgrimage is demonstrated in painful blistering. Clearly our Dictator is an ascetic of the highest order :!:

There was a hint of an Easterly breeze in Old Richmond Town this morning, and unlike the heat of last week, the temperature was mild... quite pleasant in fact 8) What more could you ask for :?: Coffee :!: :!: :!: Later :P

So enlightenment aside, the 12 assembled riders eagerly awaited the announcement from BDD of the day's course :roll: ...
Back Tea Tree, Middle Tea Tree Loop... twice :shock:

The pace was easy as we set out from the bakery and remained so for the duration of the ride right up to the top of Back Tea Tree Rd (BTT). Once at that point it was a tailwind hammerfest down to the bottom as we covered the 6+ kms in just over 8 minutes. Other than Casey having a taillight fall off it was pretty standard fare. The bunch generally arrived at the regroup together, a bit of a gap from first to last but nothing significant. From that point the pace was fairly sedate as we made our way the couple of kms along to Middle Tea Tree Rd (MTT). A few did turns on the front on loop #1, most notably Scotty, and it would be Peter Day who would take it on for the majority of loop #2 :roll:

Not long into loop #2 an inquiry was made into the whereabouts of The Benevolant Dictator. Clearly, during his pilgrimage he had been taking instruction on the art of detachment. Apparently he had learned the art very well as was demonstrated in his detachment from the bunch and return to the bakery in search of caffeine :idea:

So loop #2 was essentially a repeat performance of the first. Tailwind and hammerfest down BTT. Daisy set a blistering pace & PMM Man sat on his wheel and I sat on his until Daisy opened up a gap which I couldn't quite close. Fast forward to half way down MTT, with Dasiy on the front, and the peloton was moving along at a nice pace into the inevitable payback headwind. Andrew T then decided to do a turn on the front and the pace gradually dropped, which ensured the bunch wouldn't fragment and the win would be there for the taking :mrgreen: After a few minutes of easy pedaling, Peter was back on the front :arrow:

Despite the headwind, which wasn't particularly strong, the pace, as strategies around the finish line began to formulate was pretty reasonable. Peter had lifted it back up to about 40 kph. And then the finish line came into sight :!: At this point, Casey was on Peter's wheel and I was on Casey's. We hit hit the 80kmh advisory sign which prompted Peter to pick up the pace on the front :shock: Casey pulled out of Peter's draft and made a break getting out by a couple of bike lengths. I responded and went out after Casey at which point Baz attacked. Baz dropped out of the dash for the line and I surged past Casey to take the win :D Pete who had done so much of the work didn't quite have the legs to take it at the end... great ride though Pete :!: :!: :!:

It should be noted that some of the riders have been off the bikes for a while and not long back. Brian Bennett, Andrew T, PMM man, Baz and BDD. They all acquitted themselves with distinction today. Great to see Daisy in the bunch too & Bianci Dave looking in fine form Great guys, great bunch = another wonderful day at Richmond. See you all next week 8)
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BenevolantDictatorD
Posts: 307
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:41 pm
Location: Bellerive, Tasmania

Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Wed Jan 27, 2016 9:28 pm

It was another glorious day in old Richmond Town that greeted the dozen or so assembled riders. The weather had a few stories to tell and which one was going to play out was a bit of a conundrum. In had rained quite nicely in Hobarton around four this morning and the forecast was for showers increasing from early afternoon from the east. The planned trip to Millvale Road was shelved given the probable state of the gravel/slush after the rain - maybe next week. So - the old fall back - the traditional course over Water Tower and then Back Tea Tree and return.

We tapped along at a very nice talking pace for quite a while with a South Easterly side-tail breeze until the ranks broke and a surge put everyone at odds. A breakaway took off and the sensible ones followed on at the nice talking pace. Onto Tea Tree and the breakaway slowed, the second breakaway slowed and the chatting bunch caught up. A regroup at water tower and we were off again - with PMM man in full cry! Plans were hatched as PMM Man drew up strategies that had no bearing on his ability to keep up - so his troops took off at speed and he ran out of puff. Some tried to maintain the talking pace but with little success as everyone scramble for wheels with a nice tail breeze pushing us along for a change.

The pace ticked along quite nicely with everyone chasing everyone until the turn onto Back Tea Tree where a regroup was attempted without a lot of success. Two bunches turned into three and then four and then about eight until the turn when all but two made it.

Another tail breeze along the return leg of Back Tea Tree set the legs whizzing as breakaways set the pace with some interesting tactics on the front - as directed by PMM Man who once again completely failed to show any stamina in terms of seeing though his strategies. Another regroup at the Tea Tree turn and off we went into the head wind - and that hurt! The straight on head wind made about four gears difference so there weren't too many thrashing themselves at the front as AndrewT drove himself into the ground pushing hard for the rest of us.

Another regroup at water tower saw all the group back together for the trip down the hill and onto Richmond Road. The wind had changed from southeast to northeast so we headed towards coffee with a side tail breeze - nice after a side tail breeze on the way out. The legs stretched and the bunch thinned and thinned again. some idiot went for a very long breakaway - but they soon caught me and I flew out the back as a consequence. The rest of the contenders played with the cars that were weaving in and out of the bunches with ScottyB taking the strong man option and rode everyone off his wheel to take and easy win across most of the available finish lines.

Ride of the day went to TonyF who showed some scary form ahead of the February Ride coming up in ten days or so.

In line with the riding strategies of the day the coffee bunches were spread across three tables. Oh dear! The chat at the first table was of seriously good quality and I can't vouch for the others. Next week - maybe Millvale Road - maybe laps of the car park ........

BenevolantDictatorD
Posts: 307
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:41 pm
Location: Bellerive, Tasmania

Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Thu Feb 04, 2016 7:55 pm

Well ....... it happens every now and then ...... the RBWR left after the allotted start time of 9:00:00.000 :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

The much needed rain in southern Tasmania failed to abate by the standard agreed time of five to nine. This was met with much consternation amongst the assembled seven riders ready for the off. Plan B was quickly put into operation and the important part of the day was brought forward - coffee all around.

By ten past the horrible cloud had passed and the order was given to get ready. Off we went to the car park and readied ourselves to find that PMM Man had - once again - left his shoes at home. Despite an offer to duct tape his feet to the pedals he refused to join us and took Brian the younger with him and went home. :evil: :roll:

The rest of the five of us rolled out on wet roads in warm conditions to do the big loop - Cambridge Road, Malcolms Hut Road, Back Tea Tree Road, Tea Tree Road, Richmond Road, Fingerpost Road, East Coast Highway and Brinktop to finish. By the time we turned on to Back Tea Tree the sun was hard on our backs and by the time we got to tea Tree Road the bitumen was dry and the tail breeze pushed us along quite nicely. Our numbers dropped to four with a sore ankle taking its toll. We made good time with multiple regroups and picked up ScottyB on the Highway to swell our numbers.

Brinktop played it usual games with us making it hard for everyone. The breeze had picked up a bit. Its not often I have to pedal down the hill into Richmond! Even with the reduced numbers and the consistent breeze we still managed to average around 29kms which was quite a surprise.

Because we could - another coffee and a nice chat.

BenevolantDictatorD
Posts: 307
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:41 pm
Location: Bellerive, Tasmania

Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Wed Mar 09, 2016 4:42 pm

I've been a bit slack lately so here's the catch up of the last five :shock: rides

1. I missed the ride due to a family funeral but did the right thing and went our early to have a coffee, read the paper and wave goodbye to the assembled throng. PMM Man was in charge so he set about taking them on an innovative course consisting of a loop out on Fingerpost and then to the top of Coal Hill and back. Who would have thought? The wind was up on the day and the peleton split on many occasions.

2. We headed up Middle Tea Tree to Coal Hill and return. A good ride with the obligatory smash fest at the end. Ride of the week to Rob Seabourne who sat on the front and kept going for much of the day.

3. I had been threatening Mill Vale Road for some time and this was the day. We left a few to turn around at the dirt on Mill Vale but everyone else kept going strongly. Memory is a funny thing because I thought there was quite a lot of gravel - there wasn't and I was a bit surprised when we got to the top much sooner than I had expected. We returned via the industrial estate and Middle Tea Tree. Ride of the week to Andrew Forbes who finished with the second bunch i.e. everyone who couldn't match ScottyB.

4. Back to the traditional course for a nice out and back. Apart from a puncture here and there it was a pleasant ride until the smash fest started.

5. Today we paid respect to the rain gods and didn't travel far from the coffee shop. A twin loop of the Trees Roads with the finish on Middle Tea Tree. A nice ride. ScottyB took a flier before the train lines :evil: and took Mark with him. Most of the rest of us blew up or sat on AndrewT's wheel. Well done everyone and nice to have someone who can match it a bit with Scotty.

BenevolantDictatorD
Posts: 307
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:41 pm
Location: Bellerive, Tasmania

Re: Richmond Bakery Wednesday Ride

Postby BenevolantDictatorD » Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:09 pm

After last week's old course ride some hills this week and Baskerville it was. Grass Tree first and then Old Beach, Baskerville and Honeywood saw the end of the big hills. The run back along Tea Tree Road was pleasant at my end of the peleton and the run into Richmond was nervous.

We started with 12 riders in perfect conditions. It was a sort of a "Tasmanian" gathering with more heads than helmets!! A glorious day for a ride. Down to nine at the first hill with two turn arounds and one heading home to find a helmet.

A good group with lots of splits over the hills with plenty of regrouping. A great day for a ride. And history was made! After years and years of trying PMM Man won the sprint from Tea Tree Road to Fingerpost Road. Impressive!

ScottyB won the sprint. Coffee chat was great as usual. Next week PMM Man is in charge. Hmmmm.

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