Happy New Year !

Proof that the years don't change us much at all - still young at heart and still full of adventuring spirit - JB and self with the Warbies in China 2007. Happy New Year to all ! 

Only Fools and Horses !

Admittedly it was the Xmas period, King Karlo was in Tassie and the days forecast was just marginally lower than the surface temperature of the sun but this was the chance to set the standard for 2020 - sadly though i was about to set it all by myself !

Despite enjoying the social company of fellow cyclists I found out that there are actually some advantages to riding alone. The debate about which route to take is short (yes you still might debate), the coffee order doesn't require the use of any aliases and being by yourself means that you are more predisposed to meeting people.

One of those opportunities presented itself at the start when Peter ("I've not had a stroke") D turned up in causal clothes stating that he'd only come to see if anyone was actually mad enough to ride ! Thinking this was some form of compliment I politely asked Pete how he pulled up from his Donna Buang effort on Boxing Day with Jurgen. "A little sore" said Peter "but nothing like how I pulled up later that day when lunching with the Relo's" !

At the Boxing Day Clan gathering Pete apparently borrowed a smoke from someone he later found out was down from Nimbin. Apparently the combo of the mornings ride, dehydration and the "smoke" of dubious origin soon had Pete on his back doing a wonderful impersonation of an upturned sea turtle in front of the whole family !

Back to the ride - it was a lovely tail wind to Dandenong before i made my 2nd mistake of the day (the first was turning up !) ordering a Muffin with my Hot cuppa before turning back.

The hot Northerly head winds and the remains of one partly digested muffin helped to significantly slow my return. Limping back to the Library car park with a bottle now 1/2 full of boiling water I did actually wonder whether i'd got something out of the days ride !   Mike-L           

Ride Thursday 2nd Jan

PAKENHAM to DROUIN

 Thursday  2nd Jan

Time to stretch the legs on a quiet country road. 

Hence, the Delights of Drouin beckon with wonderful weather wending our way.

Starting at 0900 hrs, we will gather at the Mac Donald carpark on Racecourse Road, Pakenham. (Opposite Bunnings on the roundabout). 

Around 70 to 80 km of tamac with one largish hill just outside Drouin.

Good time for us to practise peleton riding.

John (Max) Mudgway

0408 567 210

All Points Skye (78kms) !

With a new decade quickly looming Kirsten reckoned there was still time to try and turn a group of slapdash cyclists into culturally enlightened members of society by leading us all the way to the McCelland Gallery and Sculpture park in Skye.

With Jurgen backing up from his heroic Donna Buang Boxing Day effort and John Mudgeway still in Xmas mode, we started off from Dandenong Stadium making our way down to the Skye on a combo of trails and roads that had most of us very quickly geographically bamboozled. Thx to Kirsten we eventually arrived at the Gallery and settled back for a well earned cuppa after having confused the hell out of our poor waitress (and ourselves) by using so many aliases when ordering that we soon forgot who was whom !

After a quick "enlightenment " tour Kirsten led us back in the thickening smoke / heat to Dandenong to complete another great days ride.

Both Kerry and John immaculate in their post Xmas presentation - note that JB's attire even colour matches his bike ! 

Kirsten explains which Alien race left behind this unusual contraption at McCelland !

A well earned cuppa with the heat kicking in  

McCelland Park

We look on in envy at the Patterson Water Park  

John Mudegway gets in the Xmas spirit by wearing one of his "pressies" ! 

   

Pete does it hard up Donna !

Donna hangover cure ride. Gr8 for the hangover not so gr8 for the tired body. Peter, the poor buggar couldn't get into his lowest gears - had to ride up there in very slow cadence. Never seen a guy sweat so much

Art Gallery Ride 27 Dec

Friday 27 Dec,

Meet at the Stadium on Stud Road, at 0930, then cruise to the Art Gallery at Skye. 

Around 80 easy kms.

Kirsten 0476 877 791

Werners Lemon Slice - Lost in Translation !

It was a day where we unashamedly hijacked Karlo's tradition of a Monday morning pedal. With Karlo in Tassie we elected Karlo look alike (in a dark room) "Jurgen" to take control of proceedings. Leading the group of 7 (mainly Alt Thurs riders) we cycled along the beautiful Mullum Mullum trail to Beazley's nursery for a lovely pre xmas cuppa. Werner's order of a Cuppa with a Lemon Slice  came back with exactly that, a Cuppa and a slice of Lemon instead of the Lemon slice Cake he thought he'd ordered ! Our 55km round trip succeeded in burning off enough calories to allow us an extra spud each on Xmas day. ps it was great to see Irene back in action after her recent back niggle

Cuppa time at Beazley's 

Werner's Lemon Slice !

Irene back in action ! 

The beautiful Mullum Mullum !

                 

Donna Buang. Boxing Day

The hangover cure ride to Donna to eliminate from the system remnants of booze & results of gluttony. 8.00 am Warby East carpark Dec 26

Jurgen Weller
0429 384 416

*Sent remotely

Blog the Blog !

A reminder that the blog is for all to use. If you have an upcoming ride, a review of one, some cycling pics or simply a cycling story either past / present then don't hesitate to post. If you don't know how to then just ask. In the interim may your xmas be blessed with happiness and health and 2020 be full of all things cycling ! Mike-L

     

Scotland by Air - 2019

Some very short vids of aerial scenery taken while on Scottish Highlands Cycle (self supported tour) - an amazing place to cycle when the sun's out !  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdc9shZOCSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO7ThbfGKKA
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z3u_gbIdzw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIjLZ0ZufyI 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvAcP9krNU4

When sun screen becomes bum cream !

Yes it's true - the day i got stitched up in China when given "bum cream" in lieu of sun screen. Sadly neither Henley or self read the label - it worked brilliantly even though it took me 3 weeks to finally get it off  !!

 

Monday Ride in Karlos absence - Mon 23 December

Looks like a few are up for continuing Karlos fine tradition (in his absence) of a Monday morning ride. Same drill 9-00a.m. start at Upper FTG Library. Route to be decided on the day. 

Jells to Williamstown Pics

Some pre ride planning !

Jon and the Melb skyline 

Great lunch spot in Williamstown !

On our way back 

Westgate Punt skipper missing in action !

On the Bay !

Its' Kirsten fault that we had to stop for an ice cream !

We must be getting close to Emerald ! 

Kirsten leads the way ! 

Werner, Jurgen and Helen

Kerry, Jon and Pete

Kerry's first 100 !

105 kms at an average of 20+ kms/hr on a perfect summer days (perfect for cycling at least), in great company  across a network of Melbourne's finest trails from Jells to Williamstown and back - what more could you wish for !

Thx to Kirsten's great skills (a Dan Price navigational protegee) we successfully navigated our way to Southbank and sunny Williamstown for a well earned lunch break. Unable to entice the Westgate Punt Skipper out of a long lunch break we cycled back into the city before detouring down to the Bay for some a much needed ice cream, some great Bayside views  and some harrowing stories from the Port Melbourne Life Guard !

Cycling inland we picked up the Djerring trail underneath the shadows of the space age overheard rail line making our way back to Jells to complete a fabulous days ride (txh again Kirsten) while also celebrating Kerry's inaugural 100 km ride - well done Kerry !       

Jacob keeps on keeping On !

The round the world cyclist self and 3 other ex Warbies bumped into a few weeks back near Camperdown has made it to Darwin. Along the way he tackled the Oodnadatta Track clocking up a few 200+km days in 47c temps !!!

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1mr&page_id=595100&v=l

When we met we tried to talk Jacob out of the Oodnadatta without success - but he didn't think too down of us going by the entry in his blog !

After Camperdown, there was a 20 mile (32 km) headwind section; before that I'd had mostly crosswinds to tailwinds today. It was slow and it was raining occasionally but I met some cycle tourists; a group of four older men from Melbourne who were out for a four day tour. I talked with them for a while and I enjoyed it too. 

Thursday 19 Dec

As a means of preparing for Xmas pudding, we will be riding on Thursday 19 Dec.

Where to?   The beachside suburb of Williamstown.

Where from?  Jells Pk Cafe.

What time?  0900hrs

And .... how far?   About 90km. Good for road bikes and we will avoid Waverley Hill.

See you there. 

Kirsten   0409 026 781

1 in 20 finally conquered. Thurs 5 Dec

1 in 20 finally conquered. Thurs 5 Dec

 

The weather god relented, smiling on approx ten "Alt Thursday" cyclists as they dashed out of Bayswater Park in a south easterly direction toward The Dandenong Ranges. Along the Dandenong Creek Trail they climbed to meet the Mountain Highway at The Basin for the start of the 1 in 20. Regrouping here, engaging Grandi Gear, the boys and girls proceeded up, up, a six kilometre sidle to Sassafras. A steady grind of respectful, considered, gear and fitness management up through some of the best forest in the State. Eventually all made it within a respectable time frame. Having completed the goal, most continued on up the mountain, crossing to One Tree Hill before commencing the plunge back down into an awesome, free wheeling descent, via Titania Rd, through Upwey and into Upper Ferntree Gully for coffee and chocolate.

 

Bravissimo! Here were Karlo and Bob heading into Hahndorf, having completed the Feat solo as they had missed the Group's start and were just then returning to Base via an alternate route.

 

Most satisfied, the Group worked its way back to Bayswater, skirting around the base of the Range before retracing the Dandenong Creek Trail to the awaiting cars.

 

Exhilarating! Must be repeated.

 

Helen

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Helen Geddes
m 0417 494 496

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Ride forthcoming

The "Work Out" ride of Emerald to Gembrook and return via Stilwells Deviation is on once more.

Trail and deserted dirt roads so leave the road bike home.

Thursday 12th, 0930hrs, Emerald library bottom carpark. 

Jon 0439 311 212