Normal service shall resume soon.....

I'm relaxing here and will return to posting on 1 November......

2012 Tour De France course

The course has been released and there are some changes that may alter the outcome of next years tour.

The tour starts earlier on 30 June with the Grand Depart from Liege in Belgium.

The course has two less high mountain stages at only four with two being summit finishes compared to four last year. This may hamper the Schleck brothers and with this inclusion of two individual time trials in 2012 swing the advantage back to Cadel,Wiggins and even Contador. There will be no team time trial in 2012 with organisers opting for the return of the prologue.

The 2012 stats are:
- 3,479km - nine flat stages
- four medium mountain stages (one summit finish)
- five mountain stages (two summit finishes)
- two individual time trails
- one prologue

Map of the tour:

The bay conquered.......

A little prophetic of me to post the video of hideous conditions late last week in reference to the Around the Bay in the Day. Not deterred by the storm clouds and buffetting winds the LAID Cycling crew rolled out in their eye catching kit for the 210km (counter clockwise).

Man on the spot Mark 'Woof' Maiolo relives the journey.

Think of a number. Any number.
Nup... higher.
Keep going.
Higher!
Have you reached 33,082 yet? Ok you're done.

Now have a think about that number. It's quite a bit, isn't it?

Thirty three thousand and eighty two. That's how many pedal rotations I made in our 210km jaunt for the 2011 BUPA Around the Bay ride.

What this number can't convey though, is the highs and lows of weather, comfort and emotion that came along with seven hours of riding, nine hours out on the road, and many months of preparation.

We woke at 4am to greet a mild morning as we slid into our gear and loaded our saddle bags and jersey pockets with repair kits and enough nutrition to keep us sustained for the day. A 5am roll-out from Elsternwick allowed us time to warm the legs, collect a few more mates waiting for us at the Arts Centre and claim a position towards the front of the starting area. By the time we crossed the official start line, we were ahead of thousands of equally eager riders, pain-free and full of optimism.

As always, mass-starts can be a little dicey for the first few kilometres, but we made it through incident free. The only exception being the extremely slow rider complaining about people unsafely passing on his left, while he was positioned to the very right of the lane. Give this guy a Nobel prize for logic. Or maybe a Darwin Award.

Before we knew it, we were at the base of the Westgate Bridge and the sight of an ascending road got the juices pumping for our resident Tasmanian mountain goat Phil - onward and upward he surged and we overtook many riders as we huffed and heaved to the top of the bridge. We didn't get much of a chance to savour the views from the bridge's zenith before zooming back down and commencing the long grind into the wind towards Geelong.

I can't tell you much about the next 60 kilometres, besides the fact they were tough and long. Heading directly into the wind we pushed hard and worked amongst a group of 10 or so equally eager riders, rolling turns to push the pace and each take our time in the wind. LAID Cycling looked a treat at the front of the peloton, doing the badge proud as they forged ahead in the blowy conditions. The town of Geelong was a welcome respite and the views of the water lifted our spirits. Coming out the back of Geelong we were presented with a most welcome tailwind and a dead-straight road. At this stage, Rob's eyes lit up and was chomping at the bit to lay the hammer down.

Now let me take a moment to tell you about Rob. If you were to put Rob's thighs side-by-side with a tree trunk, the tree trunk would be shitting itself. This bloke is a powerhouse! His background is in track racing and time trialling, so this segment of road was made for him. He soared past and yelled out "jump on!" so we caught his wheel and comfortably raced along at speeds nearing 52km/hr. Needless to say, the trip to Queenscliff was more pleasant and we arrived at the ferry stop just before 10am. Through our huge efforts and teamwork we just managed to squeeze onto the boat before it departed - beating last year's time by nearly one and a half hours. That's huge in anyone's book! 110km down, 100 to go.

The 40 minute ferry ride gave us time to stretch out, grab a decent feed and reflect on our efforts so far. Surprisingly the optimism was still very high and we took the time to realise how much we've exceeded expectations already. The home stretch is a familiar route and the plan was to take it easier, enjoying the ride considering we'd made up so much time on the outbound leg.

We stuck to the 'take it easy' plan by rolling off the ferry and straight to the nearest cafe for a preparatory cafe latte. The coffees were finished and the drizzle started so we clipped in and started on our homeward leg. Ten minutes of warm-up spinning saw us get into a comfortable rhythm before Rob transformed into the TT-Man again - and again we jumped on his wheel and held 45km/hr along Point Nepean Road through Rosebud and Mt Eliza, but stretched out as we went skyward into Mount Martha. The top of the climb afforded us a suitable rest point to regroup and roll down into Frankston via Oliver's hill - we're into familiar territory now boys, 50km to go!

Familiarity of surroundings brought a sense of relief that we are close, ohhhh so very close to the finish line although to some home was still too far to dream about. With 160 km completed Serge (pictured above looking like he completed the Paris-Roubaix), the old fellow Puppa, was also pushing his own pain thresholds with back spasms, stomach cramps and seat rash in the nether region. A million thoughts pass through ones mind at that stage including giving up, going home, getting off the bike, stopping .... but as the good LAID jersey says “Pain is temporary, quitting is forever”... we all shared his pain in the ass and peddled on with kilometres counting down one by one.

The winds whispered to us "take it easy fellas, can't have you home too quickly..." as it gusted into our faces through Chelsea and Blackrock, slowing our pace considerably. The extra effort required to push into the wind burnt up our calories and we started flagging - we're on the home stretch so hopefully the legs and lungs and heart will keep us forging ahead. With each pedal stroke we made it closer and closer to the finish line, and every so often the wind picked up to let us know who's boss.

We finally reached Pickles Street and turned away from the oceanic gusts along the Esplanade. A few hook turns later, and we were greeted by a cheer squad of Bicycle Network Victoria volunteers applauding us for our efforts and letting us know we're only one kilometre away from finishing. The emotions swelled and the excitement peaked as we took the final u-turn into the Alexandra Gardens and we crossed the line arm-in-arm, the sense of relief clear on our muddy faces.

So it's now nearly 24 hours since we finished the ride and the legs are still a bit sore, the eyes are hayfever-dry, and the legs are on the burnt side of tanned - not to mention the awesome burnt demarcation lines on my wrists and mid-bicep - it's going to take some work to even out these tan lines!

So what do you say, shall we try the 250km option next year??

Some ride pictures below:

Tough day ahead? not this tough.......

With many of the LAID Cycling crew heading out this Sunday to take on the Around the Bay in a Day ride I figure they'd need some inspiration.

With a challenging circumnavigation of Port Phillip Bay covering a total distance of 210km it will be tough, but as with Melbourne the weather is alway an element. So with that in mind and when things are tough on the journey and the wind is pushing you back; remember it's not anywhere near as bad as this......


Good luck to all riding in it this weekend - we will have a post telling the tale of the event early next week.

Ride to Cure Diabetes

Adelaide will host a ride during the heat of January to raise funds to cure diabetes. The Ride to Cure Diabetes is run by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and aims to raise around a million dollars to aide research for a cure.

It's a great cause, and a friend of LAID Cycling, Matt Baker has put his hand up for the ride. He and a few optimistic, community focused individuals are planning on embarking on the ride which will cover 160km through the Barossa Valley region.

It will certainly be a challenge as temperatures in January, during the ride, can get as high as 40 degrees and wind speeds of over 40kph. So it's no walk in the park (otherwise it would have been called the Walk in the Park to Cure Diabetes).

Fitness and heat aside the first challenge for Matt is to raise funds for the ride. He needs to raise $3,500 before January to attend this important event. So if anyone is interested in contributing to this cause, please click on the link below:

http://ride.jdrf.org.au/TeamANZ/MattBaker/

All donations, regardless of amount, take the JDRF closer to improving treatments, preventing new cases and ultimately finding a cure. So anything contributed will be very highly appreciated by Matt and the JDRF.

All donations will generate a tax receipt.

For more information on the ride, click here: http://ride.jdrf.org.au/

Eat free for a year.......

BREAKING NEWS:
Our friends at Home Dining Room have a fantastic competition on at the moment where you can win a dinner for two for an ENTIRE YEAR!

So drop in and see Glen and his friendly staff and enter. Who said there's no such thing as a free meal.

Home Dining Room
601 Burwood Road
Hawthorn
eat@homediningroom.com.au

** Offer includes 2 x mains, 2 x entree and 2 x desserts. All drinks, starters and sides will be charged

Transport evolution - commuter bikes

Every tram ride into work gets me thinking as I see the swelling in numbers of those who chose to ride each morning. The numbers are growing significantly; to the point where the number of bikes at the intersection of Swanston Flinders Streets waiting at the lights often out number cars and trams.

It’s an awesome sight each morning as the lights go green and the “peloton” takes off heading down St Kilda Road. There are all shapes and sizes, both in bikes and people all in the pursuit of.......well I’m not sure.

What is driving this change in behaviour? First instinct for many would be the “Cadel effect”, especially when bike shops were reporting boom trade during and in the wake of the victory at the Tour De France, but this is unlikely as the ground swell started much earlier with a 32 percent increase in people cycling in Australia since 2000.

I think it is a combination of factors that are at play such as public transport patrons disgruntled with inconsistent performance, employers improving facilities for storage and showering at work, environmental conscious citizens keen on reducing their carbon footprint and Melbournian’s on a quest to improve their health to name a few.

In 2009 the Federal Government invested $40million into the National Bike Paths Fund sighting that the “provision of high quality infrastructure costs a fraction of other transport modes“. Whilst this is a national focus, some change or improvement will filter down to Melbourne and it’s growing number of cyclists.

The Victorian Government support to develop bikes as a means of short trip vehicle was evidence by the installation of the Melbourne share bikes. This system works well in Europe; in particular Paris Parisians are never more than 300 metres away from a ‘Velib’ terminal and have between 50-100,000 users a day depending on the weather. Early data suggested that increased usage of the rental bikes also had a positive correlation in usage of bikes owned by individuals. In fact, this is where the largest increase in bike usage in Paris has come from.

All of these drive change, but for me one of the more significant elements locally has been the availability of low cost commuter bikes.

Melbournian’s are at the forefront of the fixie/single speed revolution here in Australia which other cities like Sydney are catching on to. If you want a piece of art like the bikes here (http://www.fyxomatosis.com/index.php/trackcnt) then you’ll need to pay some serious money. In reality you’ll need not drop thousands of dollars on a commuter bike; instead the prices I found ranged from $350-$600 depending on your desires.

This price point is appealing to all, whether it’s a second bike for the serious cyclist or even uni students. It is made even more attractive when you compare it to an annual zone one Metcard which is just over $1,200.

My wife and I are also caught up in this revolution, looking to dump the car for short trips in favour of the healthier bike option. We started shopping around and found that there was no shortage of options online and in the shops. One of the most appealing things was the ability to custom design your bike, thus creating a sense of uniqueness. Here is short list of sites where you can whet your appetite:

Brown Jersey - http://www.brownjersey.com.au
Chappelli - http://chappelli.com.au
Jelly Bean bikes - http://www.jellybeanbikes.com.au/
Reid Cycles - http://www.reidcycles.com.au/
Papillionaire - http://www.papillionaire.com.au/

Trying not to play favourites, but for us it will be hard to go past Papillionare and Reid cycles. I just think they give the best value.

We stumbled on Papillionare when looking to buy a gift on the Melbourne Wedding Registry. After playing around with designs and options on their website we decided we must go see these bikes in the flesh. I admit to getting caught up in the excitement of walking down an off piste cobble stone laneway to the shop, but their bikes have a sense of style and the vintage look was so appealing.

For me the build was fantastic and the three gears provided some options for my wife when encountering hills. For my wife it was all about the bike. She was sold; the vintage styling, the range of colours and the option of the basket on the front. It was like a little piece of Paris in Melbourne for her.

You can also check one out at one in the window of my favourite Melbourne bike shop - Northside Wheelers (http://www.northsidewheelers.com/), but be warned you will walk away wanting to buy more than just a bike.

The Reid Cycles shop is located over near the Vic Market. It’s a very simple exchange, pick the model, the wheels and the colour and you’re away. I managed to do a very quick test ride of the Reid Harrier and can tell you that I was more than happy given the price. It’s simple and clean looking although slightly heavy, but I’m used to bikes sub 8kg and this weighs in around the 10kg mark.

We will undoubtable be getting her a Papillionaire bike shortly, but for me I am torn between the Pappillionare and the Reid “Harrier”. It’ll come down to whether I want a single or three speed. Once we purchase the bikes I will put up some pictures and a more detailed review.

Join the evolution of transport in Melbourne and get on your bike. The more people who commute on bikes, the more likely the Government are to increase funding for bike paths. The added bonus of course is the health benefits and reduction in unnecessary obesity.

Worthwhile read:
Gears: One, Three or Twenty-One?
http://www.papillionaire.com.au/2011/08/gears-one-three-or-twenty-one/

Training ride

In preparation for the Around the Bay in a day a group is heading off for a training ride this Sunday.

Details:
Distance 120km
Departing from Elwood at 7am
Course: Elwood to Mornington and back via Mt Eliza or Arthurs Seat
Pace: ~30km/h

email laidcycing@gmail.com if you want more details