Ocean Ride for MS

[moosterbounce]

I haven't seen any posts for this, but here is a linky if you or friends and family are interested.

This has been posted as information only. Please let's not make this a "I'm not paying that much to ride" bashing.

[psmitty]

Signed up for it the other week. I'm SOR so be nice to head along the NOR coast. Done the ride on the motobike a few times and it looks fun! Reading my info pack this morning, not sure if I like the idea of the first 2km being behind a pace car. Why don't they just stagger the start like the great bike ride?

First post on here, noted the "no price bashing" haven't cruised the forum enough to see it!
...but on price, , I checked the ATO website and this event should be tax deductible, and it's a good cause!

[Aushiker]

Signed up for it the other week. I'm SOR so be nice to head along the NOR coast. Done the ride on the motobike a few times and it looks fun! Reading my info pack this morning, not sure if I like the idea of the first 2km being behind a pace car. Why don't they just stagger the start like the great bike ride?

Hi

Not sure of the route, but if they are going out of Fremantle via the Old Fremantle Bridge/Tydeman Road then I can understand this.

Andrew

[moosterbounce]

Welcome aboard!! Glad to see you signed up and keen. I'm not so keen on leaving Joondalup at "sparrow's" to get to Freo to ride back up, past my house, then south past my house, then ride home

It is a nice ride along the coast though - you will enjoy it.

First post on here, noted the "no price bashing" haven't cruised the forum enough to see it!

In relation to this, historically there have been comments that an organised ride is too expensive when in many cases the roads are what members ride on a daily basis - therefore it becomes a bit of price bashing and detracts from the ride itself.

Please let us know what the ride was like when you've done it

[Mat]

I just signed up to do this ride with a mate of mine. I must say the communication from the organisers post-signup is a little bit ordinary. Basically received an email with a:
1. Thanks for signing up
2. Here is how you can raise more money for MS

It would have been nice to see things like:
1. How do we collect our participation pack
2. Information for getting there etc

Oh well, should be a nice ride!

[Mat]

Just an update regarding this. My initial grump was short-lived when my entry pack arrived at home, it had all the information that I required.

A bit of a story I wrote for my sponsors (if you are bored)


Well the ride is over and for it's first year, it was a great success. (Linky....http://www.mswaevents.org.au/Ocean-Ride-4-MS/mplatel)

I only decided to join in the ride last week in a vein attempt to:
a) Raise some money for a charity I have been following from my childhood, through the MS read-a-thon (which I sucked at, massively)
b) Keep myself away from drinking for at least one weekend...especially considering my epic lead-up to Christmas including 2 Bucks nights, 2 Weddings, 1 staff Xmas party, the Jay-Z (and allegedly U2) concert and a friends birthday drinks...where I will probably make an arse of myself.

Anyway...here is how the day went.

430am - wake up on a couch in a place known only as "The Quarry". Look around, realise that it is far too early to be awake and try to snuggle myself back into the couch. The sounds if Jai and Josh's snoring from their upstairs bedrooms is noticeable.
6am - wake up and check my phone, thinking it is a little before my alarm is set to go off...at 530am. Panic...massively.
605am - start slamming down a bowl of Coco-Pops, well, a box of Coco-Pops.
610am - squeeze into the Lycra...yes ladies!
620am - leave the Quarry to meet up with Luke and John in front of Gino's
640am - the lads arrive, we talk some crap and head off to the Freo Passenger Terminal. Upon arrival we are confronted with a sea of lycra, some of which is stretched to within it's engineering limits.
7am - the ride starts...the sounds of shoes clipping into pedals, free-wheels zipping and bad jokes, from myself and Luke.
From here on in the ride goes well, we have some slow points but most of the time sit at a comfy 35kph...we pass through Cottesloe, Swanbourne, City Beach, Floreat, Scarborough, Trigg etc...such a great way to see Perth, whilst coated in lycra. We pass Hillaries and a lot of people peel off as they have finished the 30k ride, but we are here for the long-run, the 50k ride, time to ride on.

One thing you need to know about riding a bike on the roads, you soon get to understand how many hazards exist. Usually, it is motorists...but today it was glass, lots of glass. I would like to say, to all of you bottle throwing bogans out there, FU! About 4ks shy of Burns Beach, which was the turn-around point, I was riding in a group of about 10 people when at the last minute I heard the call "Glass!!!". Due to a close kerb to my left and rider to my right, I had no where to go, except into the glass. Usually you will get through this and at worst, get a slow puncture. This time was different, the glass pierced the tyre, sliced a 1 inch hole in it and destroyed the tube...needless to say I had to pull over and stop rather quickly. After fixing the tube and inflating it I discovered that the tube was actually protruding from the tyre, which would not doubt lead to another puncture. I let the pressure down and continued on my way, finishing the course in a little under 2 hours with the puncture.

I would like to say a massive THANK YOU to all of those who sponsored me (yes even you anonymous...whoever the hell you are), whether it was a small or large amount, you are helping a worthwhile WA community cause...and to bottle throwing bogans, read above!

[moosterbounce]

Great read Mat. Thanks for letting us know how it went.

I usually ride the stretch of coast from Scarbs to Burns Beach and yes, there is glass that seems to hang around certain areas (such as the Mullaloo Beach Hotel area). Not much you can do bout it in a situation like that. Sounds like you had a good day though, despite limping home.

Off you pop to Wiggle to order a couple of new tyres

[roller]

we saw the tail end of this ride as we were riding south along marine parade. .

saw a guy doing it on what could be described as road-skis. man that looked like hard work.

[Mat]

Well unfortunately I did not have the time to wait for an internet order as I really want to ride this weekend so I popped down to TBE in Belmont. Picked up a Micelin Pro Race 3 for $60, can be had cheaper online from overseas but not much cheaper within most Oz online stores I have seen.

Will see how these goes, I went against my gut feeling to go for a Conti 4000...hopefully I am not made to look the fool.

Great read Mat. Thanks for letting us know how it went.

I usually ride the stretch of coast from Scarbs to Burns Beach and yes, there is glass that seems to hang around certain areas (such as the Mullaloo Beach Hotel area). Not much you can do bout it in a situation like that. Sounds like you had a good day though, despite limping home.

Off you pop to Wiggle to order a couple of new tyres