Lake Wendouree Challenge 2010 - Sun 21 Feb

[raptordesigns]

Team update:

We now have a full team (see below), assuming the non-asterisked folks sign up.

Don't let that stop anyone coming along anyhow. We'd appreciate having a reserve or two available if anyone is unavoidably unable to come.

Team BentRiders

* John R (h/b lowracer, fairing maybe)
* Lloyd H (Optima Orca)
* Rick H (Barchetta)
* Eric B (h/b lowracer)
* Steve N (h/b LWB racer)
* Graham S (RANS)
* Ray L (velocraft lowracer)
* Mike B (Greenspeed GT5)
* Mark P (Greenspeed GTO)
? Ken H? (Trisled velomobile)
Rob L (optima Raptor lowracer)
Greg C (Fujin lowracer)

I'll be sending out a team email shortly.

[Gregory_carroll]

Hey Folks

I'm in - all paid up. I'll get JP to pay up when he gets back from leave - he's on a fujin SL2.

Can't wait!!

[william]

Hi John,
Looking forward to it. Beach road training to Patterson lakes would be great. I ride that road most Sundays anyway.
Carnegie is tempting but so-so for me, but not impossible. I'll let you know.

William.

[raptordesigns]

Hi John,
Looking forward to it. Beach road training to Patterson lakes would be great. I ride that road most Sundays anyway.
Carnegie is tempting but so-so for me, but not impossible. I'll let you know.

William.

Thanks to wrenching my knee in Canberra last week I may be taking it easy until the lake ride. Hopefully it will have cleared enough to ride by then.

[raptordesigns]

I've just sent out a "Bent Riders" team update. But, even if you're not part of this prestigious team (!), feel free to join us on the day either as a reserve or just to watch and cheer us on. We really do need a couple of reserves in case of injury or no-shows.

For anyone who wants to come up on Saturday - I will post an update with a venue for a team carb loading session (dinner) in Ballarat on Saturday night. Suggestions as to a good pasta-pizza restaurant are welcome!

Don't forget, for anyone, on the team or not that can make it, the Pre-Spon training ride on February 7th. This starts at 8am on Sunday from Cafe Racer on Marine Parade St Kilda and is a 60km ride at training pace to the Patterson River at Carrum and back.

John Reynoldson
"Team Manager"

[william]

7th has been noted in my diary.
I think if others who want to join would be welcome too. Not just the Ballarat riders.

william.

[raptordesigns]

7th has been noted in my diary.
I think if others who want to join would be welcome too. Not just the Ballarat riders..

Absolutely!

[raptordesigns]

Those on last years ride may be interested in looking at the event managers evaluation of last year's event at:

http://www.ballaratcycleclassic.com.au/Evaluation-April-09.doc

In particular, read the intended "improvements for 2010". Hopefully they'll come good on the 3 highlighted ones.

Improvements for 2010
The following improvements have been identified to achieve increased safety and efficiency…
• ensure the ride does not become a race
• add one more water and fruit stop to 4 in total on course
• ensure all relay riders have completed the relay before the 100km riders rejoin the ride on Wendouree Parade
• improve the relay transition area
• improve the system for relay lap counting
• source improved power supply for the event precinct
• cover tram tracks on Wendouree Parade
• improve the positioning of vendors around the start/finish area
• provide a portable toilet adjacent to the Fly Fishing Club facility

[Gregory_carroll]

Hi Folks

Sorry, not going to be able to make this one. Good luck with it.

Cheers

Greg

[raptordesigns]

Ouch!!!

So we're one down so far. So if anyone else would like to join the team, put your hand up now.

John R.

Hi Folks

Sorry, not going to be able to make this one. Good luck with it.

Cheers

Greg

[Freddyflatfoot]

Greg, is your mate able to make it? From my count, we have 11.
Is that correct John?
I still haven't paid up yet (cough, cough).
Will do it this week! Yeah, I know, I'm slack!
Haven't been able to do any lake training due to the new roundabout construction, so just doing my normal 60-80 k rides.
Hope everyone else is fit and ready to ride fast!

[Gregory_carroll]

No JP can't make it. Shame though, because he is very quick

[Freddyflatfoot]

Gotta see how I go! Been having a minor health issue, which wont prevent me from riding, but is interfering with my work. Been off work sick, and seeing the quack tomorrow. Just checked my roster, and they stuffed up my leave, which was supposed to start on Sunday, now they have me working an extra week, and guess which day I'm working?
You guessed it, Sunday!
So a lot will depend on what happens with the Dr tomorrow, as far as a sick certificate i s concerned.
If anyone happens to be interested, been suffering quite bad Tinnitus, been driving me nuts!
At least going for a ride gives me some relief/solitude,

[Freddyflatfoot]

Ok, been to see the Dr today. now officially 'sick'!
Paid my registration today, so I'm in! *grin*
Also made a couple of minor mods, put on a new chain and re routed the chain to original, so no longer dropped.
Re-configured my cassette, from an 11-28, to an 11-26, with one less jump in the top end, so hopefully a bit more conducive to maintaining higher speeds.
Dunno how that new roandabout is going to go. Checked it out this morning, and the road is still all dug up, and only one lane open.
Hope its going to be all good for Sunday!

[bradwoodbr]

Also made a couple of minor mods, put on a new chain and re routed the chain to original, so no longer dropped.
Re-configured my cassette, from an 11-28, to an 11-26, with one less jump in the top end, so hopefully a bit more conducive to maintaining higher speeds.
Dunno how that new roandabout is going to go. Checked it out this morning, and the road is still all dug up, and only one lane open.
Hope its going to be all good for Sunday!

good onya mate! - I reckon the closer ratios will have you maintaining a very fast average.
Have a great ride everyone and fly the flag really high for recumbents.

Cheers

[raptordesigns]

Good to hear that you can make it (with a bit of a fiddle), Rob; not so good that you've got Tinnitus. Hopefully it doesn't sound like bicycle bells!

So far it looks like a warmish day, not too windy, but it's early in the piece to make a good weather prediction.

We only really need one lane, I guess.....

John.

Ok, been to see the Dr today. now officially 'sick'!
Paid my registration today, so I'm in! *grin*
Also made a couple of minor mods, put on a new chain and re routed the chain to original, so no longer dropped.
Re-configured my cassette, from an 11-28, to an 11-26, with one less jump in the top end, so hopefully a bit more conducive to maintaining higher speeds.
Dunno how that new roandabout is going to go. Checked it out this morning, and the road is still all dug up, and only one lane open.
Hope its going to be all good for Sunday!

[Freddyflatfoot]

The only lane open is the far right side (opposite direction), so would make that section quite twisty and slow. Sent Julie an e-mail, to see if she knows what's happening!

[william]

"Road dug up". Yearrrgh! Thats bad timing.
With only 3 "working" days left I wonder...
Then again it would make a difference if it was contractors of local council, would it not?
Hmmm!

william.

[Freddyflatfoot]

Might go down tomorrow and take some piccies and post them. looks like the lane ha been narrowed as well. That might make life interesting for us ballarat cyclists! Especially on our Sat morning rides where we might have 30+ cyclists!

[Freddyflatfoot]

Checked out the roadworks today. Looks like they have a fair way to go! Spoke to one of the workers, and they tell me that the ashphalting is booked in for Friday! I hope so.
The lane has been narrowed quite a bit, and is the minimum 3 metres. They are also redoing the bicycle path which bypasses the roundabout, and that is not going to be quick either! has some trendy bends in it!
You can see the dirt track on the left of pic 2.
Here's the link to my pics,
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/kk20 ... roadworks/

[raptordesigns]

2 sleeps to go until this event.

We're down to 11 riders so we have a vacancy. If anyone is interested, give me a call on 0418335335

Or if you're in the area, drop by and give us some encouragement!

Fingers crossed for weather - and the roundabout being asphalted!

John.

[bradwoodbr]

2 sleeps to go until this event.

We're down to 11 riders so we have a vacancy. If anyone is interested, give me a call on 0418335335

Or if you're in the area, drop by and give us some encouragement!

Fingers crossed for weather - and the roundabout being asphalted!

John.

Have a blast everyone and take care on the off road section.
John with your full fairing you can ride like two and that brings the team back up to 12.

[Freddyflatfoot]

Well, the ride is done and dusted for another year. And did we have a great day or what? Fantastic weather, light winds, and a great team!
WE DID THE MOST LAPS OF ANY TEAM! WOOHOO! 52 laps.
I did 6 (1,2,2,1) of those laps, and IIRC, that was about par for the course with the team we had.
A big thanks to Ken, who brought an early version of the Trisled Avatar. I had a try, and it is pretty quick, although a bit noisy! Speedo wasn't fitted, so not sure about speed. I was in top gear pretty well all of the lap, and cadence was around 90. Ken said that's around 40 kph+!
Quick trike/velo.
A big thanks again to John for organising the team.
I'm sure all the other riders will post their thoughts on the ride.

[raptordesigns]

A big, big thank you to the whole Bent Rider team for turning up and showcasing recumbents at the Wendouree Challenge. (Even though the commentator told the crowd that "they're not real bikes".)

The "winning" team:

* Lloyd H (Optima Orca)
* william (Barchetta)
* Eric B (h/b lowracer)
* Steve N (h/b LWB racer with mu-mu)
* Graham S (RANS)
* Ray L (TW-Bents 20/26 SWB)
* Mike B (Greenspeed GT5)
* Mark P (Greenspeed GTO)
* Ken H (Trisled Avatar)
* Rob L (optima Raptor lowracer)
* John R (h/b lowracer, with fairing)

A great time was had by all, and plenty of high speed riding and lots of "get out of the way!" and bell ringing when overtaking. Despite the howling winds on Saturday, the wind abated entirely early on Sunday morning and didn't pick up until the ride was over. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

We had 5 for pre-ride dinner on Saturday night at Agostinos, a very friendly restaurant.

If you didn't sign up for the ride, you missed a fun day. Don't miss it next year!

John.

[John Lewis]

Well done guys. Congratulations. Sounds like you all had a ball. I'd haveLoved to have been there but its too far away for me unfortunately.
The cheek of that commentator. Not real bikes indeed.
Do you have a team photo?

John Lewis