Sydney 2 CAMberra

Firstly a big thanks to everyone who support us, the group raised over $80,000 for the both Stillbirth Foundation and SIDS.

Three riders from ER rode this two day charity ride, including Matt Telfer and myself. Also riding was honorary ER member Steve Wooldridge. The ride can be broken up into 3 stages

Stage 1. Sydney to Goulburn

Stage 2. Goulburn to Canberra

Stage 3. Canberra to Eagle Hawk (Rydges)

There were 70 riders in total doing the ride and we were broken up into 3 groups, A, B & C. The original plan was to have four groups of 20 riders each depending on ability, however, due to a couple of withdrawals we started with 3 groups only. Once we got to our first stop the plan was allow riders to either go up or down a grade depending on how they felt. Matt and myself were in ‘A’ group. Also in the A group was Steve Wooldridge.

Stage 1: Moorebank to Goulburn

We all met at 5am in Moorebank for a rider briefing and some breakfast. First group (C) got away at 5.30, B group got away at 5.45 and A group departed at 6am. The early start allowed us to avoid the heavy traffic around Moorebank area.

We rode out via Holsworthy, then across the Campbelltown area and we picked up the freeway at Narellen Road. We were all surprised by the amount of debris in the breakdown lane. We were warned we should ride with Gatorskin tyres because of the possibility of punctures and they were right. Before we reached our first stop at Pheasants Nest (56 kms) we had at least 3 punctures in our riding group. Morning tea was provided by the volunteers which was more than we needed. Drink bottles refilled, pockets filled with bananas etc and we were off. However there was now a D group. A few riders shuffled around. We all remained in the ‘A’ group. After leaving Pheasants Nest we traveled down the freeway for another couple of K’s before turning off and heading towards Mittagong on the old Hume Highway. A couple more punctures occurred before reaching Mittagong. At Mittagong the first KOM was held for the climb over the ‘Gib’ into Bowral. It was a testing climb of nearly 3 K’s at 6%. After nearly 85 K’s it was hard on the legs. All of us did it in style.

On the descent into Bowral, I suffered my 2nd puncture. No need to repair the tyre as the support vehicle travelling behind had spare wheels 9, 10 or 11 speed cluster and one with Campy. So stops were reduced to the bare minimum, in fact on my first puncture the group kept riding.

Lunch was at Moss Vale (105 kms mark). Freshly made rolls were provided along with icy cold cokes etc. After 45 minutes A group rolled out for the next sector to Marulan. This was all done on back roads via Exeter, Bundanoon, Penrose etc. beautiful countryside and plenty of rolling hills. Road surface was pretty good for most of the sector. Afternoon tea at Marulan was again a feast. We had now covered 158 kms, now for just a quick 40 K’s to Goulburn. At Marulan we were back on the freeway to Goulburn, we managed to get within 2 k’s of Goulburn when Matt had a puncture and so did another guy. Again a quick swap of wheels and we were off. Arrived at Goulburn right on 4 pm, average speed for A group was 29.1 Total kilometres was 189.6 on the Garmin.

Day Two

Stage 2: Goulburn to Canberra

Slightly later start to the day, 7.15 all groups gathered in front of the Big Merino (plenty of bad sheep jokes) for a group photo. Both A & B groups had to wait to depart to allow the D & C groups to get well in front. ‘A’ group finally left just after 8am, the temp was a cool 13 degrees with a very thick fog, only about 100 metres visibility. First stop was about 20k’s from Goulburn at Breadalbane, where both A & B groups joined together to ride the narrow one lane road to Collector. Fantastic cycling terrain, fast and plenty of rolling hills. We knew we were in the country when we came across cows and sheep wandering across the road. Once we got back to the Federal Highway A & B groups split again, A group went first and the pace stepped up markedly as we sped off to the next rest stop. Punctures were again a feature of the morning with our group having another 4 before the rest stop. Luckily we had plenty of spare wheel sets. We later found out Shimano loaned the ride 9 wheel sets.

The last rest stop before Canberra was just before the climb out of Lake George at the 59k mark, again plenty of food was on hand. Punctures fixed, wheels swapped and away for the final 40k’s into Canberra. Pace was again high with our average speed just over 33kms! A deviation was made for the A & B group to climb Black Mountain, 2.7k’s at average of 11%.

Final push was now onto Parliament House, via the War Memorial, what a sight to see the big building on the hill once we turned down Kings Ave after 300 kms. Waiting for us was a large crowd of family and well wishers. Plenty of photos taken in front of Parliament House. Average speed 32kph, 120kms. Would have to be the best 120 kms I’ve ridden.

Stage 3: Canberra to Eagle Hawk

Final stage was the ride back to our hotel, another 16kms to go, steady pace for both A & B groups. We arrived to find a late lunch all set out and ready for us. As couple people commented that we would more than likely put weight on after all the food we have given…truly remarkable.

Big thanks to the organisers for the ride, clearly the best ride I have ever been on. Just imagine bunch riding with both a car in front of you and one behind you, all in radio contact with bunch leaders telling when safe to move ‘over’ etc. Next year we should consider putting together an ER team.

Scott

There’s not much left to be said having read the great reports already submitted. Suffice to say a great weekend, no-one left anything out on the road and everyone dug equally deep both for themselves and the wider collective. Precisely what ER is all about.

So my perspective:

• text from Drastique, 5.15am Saturday “Problems, BT’s car has run out of vegetable oil, he’s getting it towed”
• arranged for Drastique to awake Lady WBA to get keys to my car instead (which was at WBA’s)
• WBA couldn’t contact Lady WBA; grave concerns for both Drastique’s and WBA’s safety
• Kudos Lady WBA for taking all in good humour, BT and Drastique now on their way
• team ER relieved as Drastique on dinner duty Sat night (which was again sensational)

• started at what turned out to be the back of Wave 3
• Ivan and WBA pulled up just over the start line, yelled out to them, all sounded OK, headed onwards (will let Ivan tell the story there; bulk kudos Colette for her assistance here)
• went past the 10km mark that brought me unstuck last year

• caught up with Simba up Tawonga, rode the descent together, jumped on a group, gathered in Phantom, all good
• Buffalo climb was good with the “softer than Thredbo” gearing I had on
• aim was to try to gather in as many ER brethren as possible up the hill
• and anyone wearing Sydney-based kit (with the hope of saying “we’re just a bunch of casual commuters”)

• lunch stop, NNNick departing when I turned in, still 10 minutes to the good….
• quick bite with Pink, Gav, Bill, Drastique, Wilson
• good train out to Ovens with Drastique, pulled in Wilson who had gone 2-up up the road

• stopped with Drastique who needed more painkillers, headed off before him as he needed his seat fixed too
• tough hit out towards Mount Beauty, difficult to find a group as many crystal cranking, workshy or too quick for me
• hot but thankfully not windy
• Drastique returned favour by turning up on my wheel…”Get going….here’s a bunch” (our boy had about 20 behind him and had hauled them back onto my wheel…..champion)
• that lasted about 10km, split up on the Rosewhite climb

• rolled into Mount Beauty, 30km to go
• game of two halves
• didn’t read the instructions, missed the detail that second 15km was tougher than first 15km
• hammered first 15km, felt good
• then struggled in that last 15km, felt ordinary

• finished
• but no jersey unfort…..

Credits:

• ER. Period.
• everyone who participated and contributed to the weekend making it what it was, everyone rolled up their sleeves and didn’t need to be asked twice to assist with food, clean up etc etc
• WBA, NNNick and Ivan for their company in the WBA’s car there and back
• NNNick for grabbing the BBQ tongs for Sun night meal
• PD for the Thredbo weekend, many lessons learnt, unlikely I would have finished 3P had I not have learnt those lessons 2 weeks before
• VD; soulmate following our respective Thredbo disappointments
• those who texted, emailed, followed on Latitude etc

And for those considering next year:

• it’s all within our reach
• manageable with limited weekend ride time
• let’s do it.

Thanks all

Mark/Satnav

The weather was almost Fluffer-like gorgeous this morning after Half Lindfield had booked a 0730 hours start at Half Corner – a bit of a lie in was had by all; but clearly as an academic Half didn’t want to rush the morning.

The expectation was an 80-90km ride through the 4 Gorges followed by a Hearty Breakfast – ‘Don’t worry Big G we’ll be there in a couple of hours as we passed the Bobbin Head Road Cafe!’. The biggest case of mis-selling I have heard this year………

In true Pied Piper style Half meandered through The Hills Of Near Death, St Ives Alps, turning the wrong way into the Mona Vale Road (apparently to catch the lights into Pentecost – thanks for the call Halfie!) and up Bobbin Head Road to pick up the ‘Merry Few’ that decided to join Halfie and I including Leonardo De Finchie (LDF), Dragon, Bucky and Andora.

For me there are a few key things that I want to call out about this mornings ride:

• I absolutely applaud what I call ‘The Spirit Of The ER Community’ including the advice that is given during these rides as people want to encourage others to improve – Today’s ride included many constructive comments from all around. It started with Half’s advice about focusing on the pedal strokes during the upward phase of the rotation, ‘Staying in the Big Chainset Big Goaders to develop your power’ through to LDF’s advice and encouragement on climbing. All welcome. Thank You.
• This ride wasn’t about smashing it. Half had been clear on the expected pace, as the ride leader, and not once did I hear anyone question it. This was about enjoying a ride with others. Great example was on the last Bobbin Head climb I could see LDF working to pull us all up the hill. Every so often he would look around, realise he was widening the gap and then ease back a little to get us in striking distance – a form of teasing and encouragement to keep pushing it up the hill. Now LDF is in top form at the moment with his recent KOM’s to add to the bag but he really lived ‘The Spirit Of The ER Community’ today. His, and others, speed reflected the group and where gaps did exist people pulled over to regroup regularly. My Strava PR’s on this ride is down to the help all around me. Once again a big Thank You.
• Bucky was an absolute gem – How many people follow you up a climb, and down a drop, to tell you that your wheel is slightly off alignment and you should get it looked at to prevent any problems. I picked this ‘pronounced wheel deviation’ – in Bucky’s words – in mine it was a minor buckle but then apparently I hadn’t seen it with my weight on it!! Bucky – clearly a man passionate about the spin and alignment of a wheel and the safety of a fellow ER. So much so that after we all departed at the end of the ride he suggested that I came up to his ‘wheel lab’ so that he could put it right. Let me tell you the Wheel Lab has more spin than the Fluffer – if you are interested in a set of wheels then he is definitely worth a conversation with. If you need a set aligning then that too is worth a conversation.
• I learn’t more with Bucky in 20mins about the general maintenance of a bike than I have learnt all of last year. I know that I need to work on the maintenance of my bikes but wouldn’t know where to start. Schleck gave me some good advice on Friday also. After the 20 mins with Bucky I have suggested to him (and Brownie previously) that we should run some short sessions on general bike maintenance especially for all the Newbies (including myself). Think of these as 40 min masterclasses. We could try the first one and see ‘how it works’ if this is of interest to people. Let me know if you are interested and I will try and set one up if there is enough of you. The first session could be about general maintenance i.e. wheel alignment, cleaning chain sets, altering gears and brakes etc. If anyone is interested in this the let me know. I am willing for the first one of these to run in my garage if one of the ‘experienced’ ones are willing to give up some time. We could probably do one on a return OTP one day and each throw in a few dollars to have a beer during and buy the professional a few coffee’s as a thank you.

Reflecting on the ride (and the 17 PR’s…..) we shouldn’t forget ‘why’ we enjoy riding together. I spent nearly a year riding on my own in Sydney because I didn’t know of people who I could ride with. I can only thank you all for the ‘Spirit of the ER community’ that every rider demonstrates. A very big thank you to you all – I am loving it.

The Fluffer is on both Tuesday and Thursday this week as normal – meet at 5.15am at St Ives. The Spirit of the ER will be on full show. The weather is forecast to be excellent. Let’s get pedalling. Don’t forget your big lights. If any Fluffettes are coming up from Manly/Mosman let me know and I may be able to link a couple of you up if you are riding up to the start.

Thanks

Big Goaders