Tag Archives: saturday

SPR Early Bird & Main 1 Saturday ride

Cycling, SPR, ,

Well it is about time I did a write up on a ride. So here we go. Shaw mentioned on Tuesday before he jet setted off to Melbourne that Saturday morning he would be doing the Early Bird ride and then the Saturday Main 1 ride. My reply was good luck with that. Famous last words. Since I had no plans Friday night and had not been on a Saturday ride since the christmas ride in December nor made up for my skipping last Saturday ride. I was joining Shaw at stupid O’clock on a Saturday morning under the narrows.

At 4am this morning I woke up and knew I wasn’t going to get back to sleep so Early Bird it was. Lucky because I was feeling confident. By 4:50 I was on the bike and heading on my normal route to meet the others under the narrows. Actually more people showed up for this ride than show up for the Thursday morning Main group ride. What is the deal with that? Anyways we headed off and got the finger by some driver on the corner of Mounts Bay Rd & Hackett Drv. Good morning to you too dickhead.

First incline of the day was Steves Hill. No Problems there. Got stuck on the front with Johnathan through Dalkeith but was still feeling good by the time we got to Queenslea Drv. Descent down to Mosman Park hill was fun as normal. Flat water out on the river. The Geese made us all hit the brakes hard at the bottom because they wanted to cross the road same time we were roaring through the round about.

Peter took off to try claim KOM on Mosman Park Hill. No idea if he did was too far back but Strava says I did a PB up there today so watch out Peter I am coming for you LOL.

Uneventful through to Stirling Hwy. Crossed Stirling Bridge and no real cross wind today. Put no effort in on the Hill on Preston Point Rd. I cruised down the other side along with most of the others. We seemed to have picked up a couple more people now. A good roll through on Burke Drive this morning saw us up around the 45 – 47kph mark. Peter again showed off his bunny hopping skills on Dunkley Ave. Nothing special until we reached the Raffles.

Had trouble getting clipped in when we jumped onto Canning Hwy too make our way to Coode St for the second ride. Smashed my ankle against my pedal and cut myself. Meh, bit of blood never hurt anyone. Took the commute to down a power bar before the Main one ride.

Main 1 ride kicked off and we had around 20 – 30 people with us. Not a bad size. Headed out as if it was a normal Sunday Hills ride heading towards Welshpool. Pace was sedate and we even caught the fast group by the time we got to Orrong Rd. Think this lit their fuse as they stepped up the pace and made a good gap quickly. We turned off Welshpool Road East and onto Lewis Road. This road gets rough from here and starts to rise a little so was more than happy no to be on the front and just suck a wheel for a while. A quick left and then a right on Holmes Rd. Nice descent but was short lived until a rise about equal to that of Ridge Hill Rd. Knowing this area I used the descent to get the speed up for the next rise just around the corner. Plan worked as the first hill was easily rolled up and then only a little bit of effort on the second incline. Then you get a nice descent to the end of the road.

A short regroup and Kalamunda Rd and then we were off down the hill. Shaw was suffering a little by now so handed him a gel to get him home. Seemed to have worked because five minutes later he was his perky self in the next roll through. Quickly made our way to Guildford road and then I was done. The pace was back up and I found myself falling to the back. Was very tempting as we passed my place to pull off but I wanted to finish the ride.

We were still all together as we turned onto East Pde. Last hill in East Perth and it was the roll down to River Side Drive. Don’t know who won the sprint on River Side Drive. I was just happy to finish. Good Saturday ride today much enjoyed. Hills ride tomorrow. More torture before the critt next Sunday.

SPR Saturday Main 1 ride 14/11/2010

Cycling, SPR, , ,

Not the best preparation for this mornings ride. Beer & pizza. Can’t eat pasta every night. Woke up feeling fine.

After being weak and going back to bed Thursday and not even attempting to get on the bike Friday morning I had plenty of carbs to burn off.

Was assisted by a nice tailwind on the way to Coode St but knew it would come back to bite me on Hale Rd. Felt confident of keeping with Main 1 today so again rolled out with them.

We soon caught the back of the fast group. Fast and Main 1 seemed to kind of join together. So we had a large group rolling down Welshpool Rd.

As expected the wind on Hale road was punishing along with the pace. When I dared look at my speed it was in the high 30s so I stopped looking and focused only on the cluster of the wheel in front sucking the thing for dear life. I didn’t want to lookup, did not want a bearing of how far more this pain was going to hurt or how it would make me suffer later. Finally we rounded the bend and saw Kalamunda Rd. I think I then discovered I had Jen following me all the way. Thought he went with the fast group.

Passed three or four mountain bikers with all but the kitchen sink on their bikes. I thought they are totally mad if they plan on going up Gooseberry Hill Road.

It was about now I discovered I had not restarted the timer on my Garmin. So Coode St to here had not been recorded. I don’t know why no alarm exists for this it is so frustrating.

Seemed to have fallen a fair way back on Ridge Hill Rd. Shaw was suffering so I got in front and he sucked my wheel. On the descent he was right on my back. That is the last I saw him for a while. Feeling good I put some more effort in and was hovering around the 45kph mark. Yo yoing with another spr kit rider we started to work together to peg back a pack of three including Blair and Michael Roper.

Felt like I was doing all the work on the front but was enjoying it. Short recovery for a few hundred meters and on it again slowly slowing cutting the gap. About 1km or less from Guildford Road the gap was just meters. Few more hard pushes and we were now on the back. Instantly the relief of a draft was felt and time for a drink.

Guildford Road was great fun with the tailwind. Didn’t really look at the speed but it was fast. Small WTF moment when three riders took the right lane at some light then were stuck there for a while with cars and trucks backed up behind them. Couple splits along the way but due to some lights the group of around 7 or 8 were all together at East Perth and finished together.

Enjoyed the ride and hope I carry the form into tomorrows long hills ride.

SPR saturday Main 1 ride

Cycling, SPR, , ,

Today I rolled out of Coode St with Main 1. For the ride out to Mill Point Rd I was next to Geoffrey. Chatting away about the new bike. Sitting behind Toby doing leisurely 26kph. Along riverside drive Toby pulled off and we took over. Another rider jumped in front so I moved up and joined him until we got along Mounts Bay road where we pulled off. As I let the pack move by I realized just how big Main 1 was. Probably little larger than needed.

Off Mounts Bay road and now the pace stepped up. Soon we were doing high 30s low 40s. The back was yo-yoing a little and I wanted a little more protection so at the first rise I slipped back a few places. Managed a good pace staying in the saddle. Just to be sure I decided through Dalkeith would be a good place to take on a power bar. Wasn’t much chance later. Pace through Dalkeith was kissing on 50kph at points. Was happy to get to Stirling Hwy and get some water down.

Still feeling good. Legs ok but the short transition up Stirling Hwy normally makes my legs burn a bit. Descent down to Mosman Park hill. Keeping an eye on the rowers swinging a kayak ahead. Mosman Park hill. My Tuesday wake up call was today my Saturday wakeup call. As I got my rhythm at the bottom I saw Blair over half way up attacking someone who passed him. Bloody kids and their energy. Reaching the top panting like a dog.

Recovered halfway to water tower and pushed on. Short regroup at water tower and then another descent. Side by side with Anna. However our rhythm was lost on the rise due to bikes in front. Found back at the front of the pack for the next few kms then on the front for the ride over the bridge.

After the bridge I was swallowed up on the hill but made up some ground on the descent. The group ahead was a little all over the place and as I past Toby he yelled some disciplinary orders. By now the power bar should have been kicking in.

Burke Drive I think broke the group slightly. Was not a massively high pace but by no means slow. Think it was all in the 40s. Was a little spent by the end and took on a fair whack of water.

Canning Highway was a little dodgy with a couple of cars where we merged into the center lane to cross the freeway but cars appeared to be giving way. They were out numbered. I think we broke into two packs but thanks to some lights we were back together by South Perth. Another crossing of the causeway and back onto Riverside Drive for the sprint finish. I used the people in front for short drafts before moving onto the next. Was a good ride with an average of 34kph according to Blair. Was happy I could hang on.