Cycling About ! : November 2021

Monday, November 29, 2021

South Gippsland rides 26,27,28 Nov

Four cyclists, namely Kirsten, Kerri, Werner and Jurgen took off from Sandy Point to do the rail trail this time. Friday was from Fish Creek to Koonwarra and back, about 70 km. past the worksite where they are re-aligning the South Gippsland highway. A mammoth undertaking. On Saturday we cycled from Fish Creek to Port Welshpool and back, about 90 km. Headwind there, tail wind on the way back. Sunday like the good lord said was a day of rest so we became tourists instead of cyclists and drove to Agnes Falls and Mt. McNichol. We thought we will leave some really good road rides until next time.

Check out my ride on Strava.
https://strava.app.link/o6HgbvfIzlb

IMG_3444.JPG

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Tuesday ride CHANGE

Hot weather and other delights have cause changes to Tuesday ride from the library.

NOW

0830 Start. Mortimer's Picnic Ground, Gembrook.

Dirt bikes.

Jon

Friday, November 26, 2021

Tuesday 30th

Meet at the library, 0930, for a shortish ride.

As the destination is in the lap of the gods, dirt bikes best.

Jon

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Dirt track to Berwick

On reflection, I think our objective was to get to Berwick from Emerald without riding on bitumen. I reckon we managed around 80% success, especially if you count all three of us (Helen, Mike, Jon) swearing we will never climb another bl....y hill nor cross a river, again.

Jon

Monday, November 22, 2021

Tuesday 30 Nov

Default place & time, namely Emerald 9.30. Dirt bikes I assume
Jurgen Weller
0429 384 416

*Sent remotely

Tuesday 30th Nov. Emerald library 9.30

Thursday 25

No scheduled ride due to doom forecast; however that doesn't stop any hard core person from venturing out and getting a wet arse. Good opportunity to brush up on the spiritual side of riding by doing yoga and breathing exercises or some Zen meditation focusing on the wheel of life or in our case the wheel of the bike

Jurgen Weller
0429 384 416

*Sent remotely

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Tuesday 23 Nov

Meet at the library at 0930 on dirt bikes for a ride somewhere.

Fwd: Strathbogie bike tour. Jurgen and Peter

----- Original Message -----
From:
jweller@vtown.com.au

To:
litchy1levi1@blogger.com
Sent:
Wed, 17 Nov 2021 19:59:22 +1100
Subject:
Strathbogie bike tour. Jurgen and Peter
Day 1 Seymour to Euroa 88km, 1.177m climbing

Very smooth asphalt all the way with hardly a car in sight. The signs along the road suggested that many bike clubs use this stretch as a training run. The terrain could be described as undulating. There was no wind or rain but it was sooo cold. It seems that the Bureau stuffed up. You know you are cold when you start looking forward to the uphill stages as a means of getting warm and start dreading the downhill runs because the wind created chills you to the bone. We started fantasizing about the possibility of the motel in Euroa having a sauna with perhaps Swedish blonds. We were so excited by this thought that we took a short cut and shaved off 20 km of a potential 108 km ride. We rode faster and faster to keep warm and in the process arrived in Euroa in record time. Alas .... there was no sauna, nor were there blonds from Sweden - but there was a bloody good hot shower. With the heater on full bore in the room we soon became over heated and it was time to check out the best pub in town for dinner.

Day 2 Euroa to Violet town via Strathbogie 55km 737m climbing

A shorty today because we had done most of the hard Yakka yesterday. Sunshine and warmth greeted us as we stumbled out of the motel room with only a slight hangover. Again, we rode along smooth, quiet roads along beautiful scenery. This is truly road bike territory. We knew we were in for a grunt of a climb up to Strathbogie because I had studied the profile. Gradient on average was 7% but there were some pinches of 13%. It was all doable but the climb was endless. (about 10km). From the top of the range there was a delightful 5km downhill run into the hamlet of Strathbogie. Today we revelled in the downhill runs. We were rewarded for our efforts with some seriously good coffee at the cafe. From Strathbogie we enjoyed more extensive downhill stretches all the way to Violet Town.
Guess what ! When we boarded the train to take us back to Seymour where we left my car, the conductor didn't even give us a hard time for having bikes. Things are looking up at Vic Rail.
This is a tour that will definitely be repeated.

Jurgen

Re: Strathbogie bike tour. Jurgen and Peter

----- Original Message -----
From:
jweller@vtown.com.au

To:
<litchy1levi1@blogger.com>
Cc:

Sent:
Wed, 17 Nov 2021 19:59:22 +1100
Subject:
Strathbogie bike tour. Jurgen and Peter

Day 1 Seymour to Euroa 88km, 1.177m climbing

Very smooth asphalt all the way with hardly a car in sight. The signs along the road suggested that many bike clubs use this stretch as a training run. The terrain could be described as undulating. There was no wind or rain but it was sooo cold. It seems that the Bureau stuffed up. You know you are cold when you start looking forward to the uphill stages as a means of getting warm and start dreading the downhill runs because the wind created chills you to the bone. We started fantasizing about the possibility of the motel in Euroa having a sauna with perhaps Swedish blonds. We were so excited by this thought that we took a short cut and shaved off 20 km of a potential 108 km ride. We rode faster and faster to keep warm and in the process arrived in Euroa in record time. Alas .... there was no sauna, nor were there blonds from Sweden - but there was a bloody good hot shower. With the heater on full bore in the room we soon became over heated and it was time to check out the best pub in town for dinner.

Day 2 Euroa to Violet town via Strathbogie 55km 737m climbing

A shorty today because we had done most of the hard Yakka yesterday. Sunshine and warmth greeted us as we stumbled out of the motel room with only a slight hangover. Again, we rode along smooth, quiet roads along beautiful scenery. This is truly road bike territory. We knew we were in for a grunt of a climb up to Strathbogie because I had studied the profile. Gradient on average was 7% but there were some pinches of 13%. It was all doable but the climb was endless. (about 10km). From the top of the range there was a delightful 5km downhill run into the hamlet of Strathbogie. Today we revelled in the downhill runs. We were rewarded for our efforts with some seriously good coffee at the cafe. From Strathbogie we enjoyed more extensive downhill stretches all the way to Violet Town.
Guess what ! When we boarded the train to take us back to Seymour where we left my car, the conductor didn't even give us a hard time for having bikes. Things are looking up at Vic Rail.
This is a tour that will definitely be repeated.

Jurgen

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

No rain but there was a goat.

What matter a few black clouds and adverse rain forecasts for a select few of the Alt Thurs riding group. Who believes in forecasts anyway. Rain jackets at the ready and the ride was on. Kirsten and I led the way to UPPER Beac, through the road puddles, thus showing Mike and Jon how to avoid them.

It was a route mapped out in the distant past by Kirsten and later checked again when Kirstsn and I rode it. Bearing in mind that Mike was one of the intrepid riders on this occasion and is still recovering his fitness, the route was carefully selected to suit the status of his riding muscles. Nothing outrageously steep. Only 47k and 800+m of climbing??????##@@%%. If Mike had known that at the outset, the group composition might have changed, right at the start of the ride.

So be it. It is a delightfully scenic route, a mixture of dirt and tarmac, that neither Mike nor Jon had witnessed before. We all oggled houses with views to kill for as they overlooked the rolling lush valleys around Upper Beac.

Coffee was taken at the Apple/cider farm on Browns Rd. where we were told of their upcoming enhancements intended to attract more bike riders. E.g. a pizza oven with provision to serve apple cider. comfortable out doors seating and sundry bike racks. It will be worth another visit when finished.

So from the flatlands around Browns Road in Pakenam with stomachs full of coffee and cakes and our bodies warm from sitting under a gas heater, (outside temp = 9degrees) our peloton headed UPWARDS, back to UPPER Beac. The noun "UPPER" features heavily in this ride.

Near Upper Beac, an encore of pitiful bleating hit my ears. Hoping it was not one of us, I stopped, checked my riding partners and decided they were not the cause. Phew!

It was a Billy goat with enormous razor sharp horns stuck in a fence on the verge of the road.

Naturally, Kirsten and I took one look at the horns and decided all rescue endeavours would be the responsibility of Mike and Jon.

Rescue duly implemented. No injuries to any parties involved. A relaxing ride UP the neverending hills from Upper Beac to Emerald was all that remained to complete a lovely circuit, one that goes on the "must do again" list.

Mike is still talking to us.

Kerri

Goat and Mike

Here's the entangled goat that waylayed us on the ride home. It fell to the boys to affect the rescue. Kirsten and I provided (distant) encouragement.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Thursday 18th. Woori 9.30 am

Warby trail to Lilydale, Coldstream, Gruyere etc. You all know the one

Disc vs Rim brakes

This story can be seen from three different perspectives. Jugen, Werner with their intimate view and the third from the rest of us who came later.

THE STORY:

There is time when the difference between disc brakes and rim brakes is crucial. So it proved in a recent escapade with Jurgen and Werner.

Borh were zipping along the bike path at Abbotsford, Jurgen being the forward scout with Werner next in line, around a corner, over a rise, down the hill .....and what happens? A surveyer with a rampant, predatory big yellow box appeared in their direct path. Now for the challenge. Who can stop fastest and hardest. Disc brakes won, which is the good news. That meant Jurgen, who was leading, won. He had the discs. Werner, right behind him did not.

They collided

The rest is a construction of what we think took place as neither participant can remember a thing. Jurgen ploughed the concrete path with his left thigh, left elbow, left knee, left wrist and left rib. Rib not broken, we think. Anyway, he rode back to Bayswater, cursing every bump on the Bayswater bike path and headed home for R and R and red wine.

Werner was carted off in an ambulance having spent a good 3 mins unconscious on the pathway. We just hoped he was only unconscious as there was no initial sign of movement. When he came to, he had no recollection of the event, wanted to stand up and get riding again. This did not happen with a couple of us pinning him down until the medics arrived. No obvious injuries according to the ambos, just a precautionary ride to a hospital somewhere in Melbourne.

Both bikes fared better than their riders. No damage.

Kirsten

Monday, November 8, 2021

Jurgen's moderate ride

Jurgen redefines "moderate"

Jurgen advised he had selected a "moderate" ride to celebrate the first gathering of the full Alt. Thursday Grp. after covid restrictions eased.

870m climbing, on dirt, in 32 k ???%$@^&.

Jurgen's "moderate" ride

Maybe it wasn't the cleats !

Loss of Control Point - see Kitty Litter on ground

Wide skid mark !

Hard Landing !

Suspected Culprit !

No longer a virgin !

Well it had to happen, after so many years of indecision it was time to take the 'plunge! I mean all the right ingredients were there, a motivating friend, some necessary lube and the equipment I'd need to make this a memorable experience !

As Jon helped me jump on board I nervously "inserted" myself and took off with a degree of caution not knowing what to expect. Steady she goes said Jon who had to take a phone call from Anne mid stroke.

As it was If Strava could have measured the outcome it would have been an exceptionally short and mixed experience. You might need to ask Jon how it was for him ! As for my cleats (of course) they have been put back into storage till next time ha !

Kerri, Kirsten, Werner and Jurgen