Sunday - TDU Reconnaissance

All

Its that time of year when we man up and try to find out what we might be in for on the TDU ride. Usually the last ride before Christmas is a Beach Ride but we delayed the Reconnaissance this year to give more time to prepare .

Meeting Times

• 7:30 am at the City 
• 8:00 am at the Tower
• Slower Riders leave the Tower promptly at 8:00 for a 8:30 am regroup at the Norton Summit (across from the Scenic)

Brian has had a look at the Tour Challenge course and suggested the following route for our ride:

As per Stage 4 course to Norton Summit - Summertown - Meadows - Macclesfield. Stop for Coffee in Maccelsfield. Optionally on to  Strathalbyn as its a great downhill run. 

Return via Macclesfield then direct to Echunga – Mylor – Stirling – Mt Lofty then down Greenhill Road.

http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/en/the-race/tour-details/stages/stage-4

The last climb up to Mt Lofty will replicate the Crows Nest climb at the end of the TDU to some degree.

Escape Route 1: Stirling Return via Mt Lofty Bike track
Escape Route 2: Mylor Return via Mt Lofty Bike track
Escape Route 3: Echunga Return via Mt Lofty Bike track

Brian estimates that course will be about 120km if we go all the way to Strathalbyn and about 100km if we only go to Macclesfield. This ride, even to Strathalbyn, is shorter than the actual Tour ride but much harder second half.

Its Christmas so Anything Can Happen

Due to the way Christmas falls this year we have not scheduled any rides for the

 27th of  December 2015 or the 3rd of January 2016 as Sunday is too close to Christmas and New Years day

If you feel like a Ride please go to City at 7:30 am on those days and we will decide from there. 

Definitely not available in the BG kit Shop. 

For those doing the Chistmas Eve ride this year. Good Luck. I hope the weather smiles on you.

Sunday Ride is a Beach ride

Hence Sundays Ride is the good old Outer Harbor loop. 

• Meet 7:30 am Hindmarsh Square in the City
• The usual sprint points
• Coffee at the Glenelg Marina (Esca) but the coffee committee is still willing to accept alternate suggestions

Sunday Ride Change & Ride Report

Hot

The weather forecast 40 degrees and 20 kph winds. I have consulted the Director Sportif and we have decided to shorten the route and stay toward the city side of the Hills. 

As such the ride for Sunday will now be the Pain Series ride 

Meet in the City at 7:30 am or at the Tower Hotel at 8:00am 

Source to Sea  

Graham 

Has recently returned from the 160km  ‘Alpine to Ocean’  Source to Sea Ride on NZ South Island. 

"The race starts at Lake Rotoiti near the St Arnaud Range in Nelson Lakes National Park and follows the Buller River - one of New Zealand’s longest - to Westport, squeezing through the Buller Gorge between Kahurangi and Paparoa National Parks. From Lake Rotoiti the Buller River quietly trickles away being joined by 12-major rivers tributaries turning into a mighty flow before it finally reaches the sea."

http://www.sourcetosea.co.nz/

Grahams Report 

The event for me was very interesting as up to 90 km mark, I rode in the bunch that was in the photo and we were averaging 35k/hr but I was very sick at that stage vomiting while I was travelling at 45k/hr drown a steep hill. After recovering I continued for the remaining 70k by myself against a head wind as I was between bunches. I finally finish suffering from cramp and lack of drink and food. I average 25k/hr for the total 160 km, so the last part was very slow! This race included 5 category 5 hill climbs, the first at 60 km mark. It was a great ride even though I got rid of the night before meal and all the drink and gels for the first half of the ride. 

Well the Jersey looks great in among the bunch.

Graham - Pre losing his breakfast. He does look a little peaky. Claims it was the gels 

Sunday Ride Report 

Last Sunday started a little disappointing with only 6 BG's leaving the city on a tailor made day for a beach ride. I suspect the Pimm's tent at the cricket bore a lot of the blame. However I shouldn't have worried however as Dan, Mike T and the David H all joined as the ride progressed giving a reasonable turn out post cricket test of 9. With David H having one hell of a chase and catching me just as I passed the southern end of West lakes. 

The Outer Harbor sprint point was interesting. Brian and Hugh, in the interests of keeping the group together planned to start the sprint later and hence peeled of the front just before the turn. With the cunning of a fox Geoff  waited until they both fell in behind me (last wheel)  and then put the hammer down in hope of opening the gap in the slight cross wind. We hit the mid/upper 40's in the acceleration (according to my strava) and I have to say It worked brilliantly.......but only briefly. Geoff's lead out fizzled and allowed the usual suspects to the front. Serious Kudo's he took them completely by surprise and had them worried for a few hundred meters.

On the way back we decided to add extra kilometers, Hugh set the pace and gave the group a serious work out. Which with only this ride being  only 8 weeks out from TDU week was seriously needed.

Hope to see more people out in the coming weeks.

KIT STORE IS OPEN AGAIN UNTIL 22 DECEMBER 2015

New kit is now available to order, but get in quick as orders close on 22 DECEMBER 2015.

We can also order from the full range of stuff, which means if you want socks, gloves, arm warmers, jackets, winter jerseys etc you can go for it. 

By following these step by step instructions you should have no problems ordering and paying for your order online.

If you've ordered before you can use your existing CS DIRECT account.

If you are ordering for the first time follow the basic steps below to place your CS DIRECT team order.

1. Surf to http://www.champ-sys.com.au/ 

2. Top right hand corner click LOGIN

3. You will be presented with a login page. Here you need to enter the username and password (both are "bast").

4. You will then be presented with a personal login page where you will be required to set up your own individual account.

5. Once this is done you will see the MY ACCOUNT page where your CS DIRECT TEAM order will be listed – simply click ORDER NOW

6. You will be presented with the MY CUSTOM ORDER PAGE. Here you can order the items you want for your team order. You will see the designs that have been set for your team. Simply select the item you are after, follow the order process, enter size and quantity just like

any other online store shopping cart. As you follow the process you will be asked to confirm your order – you can add more items or checkout.

7. Once you finish the order process you will be presented with the payment page. The only payment method accepted is credit card. You will also note at this stage that the CS DIRECT administration fee has been applied to your total. Once you confirm your payment an order summary will be emailed directly to you.

8. Delivery – Your order will be delivered 4‐6 weeks after your team CS DIRECT order is closed.

Your order will be individually packed and delivered with all your other team member orders

and freighted to me for distribution.

You’ll need to know what sizes you want, for each bit of kit.

Regarding sizing’s – jerseys, I have an XL Club Cut . As you probably already know, race cut jerseys are for grey hounds only - ie VERY F...ING TIGHT! Bib sizing is fairly standard.

Sunday Ride Is the Beach - not the TDU reconnaissance

This week was meant to be the TDU reconnaissance however after discussion its been decided that this is too early. We will give people some more time to prepare.

Hence we will now do the TDU reconnaissance on December the 20th. 

This meant swapping the Beach/ Hills sequence. So the rides up to Christmas are

29 November 2015		Outer Harbor via Port Rd		Hills
6 December 2015		Lobethal Loop		Hills
13 December 2015		Outer Harbor via Port Rd		Beach
20 December 2015		TDU Reconnaissance		Hills

We have also changed Hahndorf to the Lobethal loop. 

So Beach Ride this Sunday, meet 7:30 am in the City

Sunday Ride - Surf and Turf

This weeks ride is a Surf and Turf, it is not a long one so perfect if you haven't done much climbing lately

Route: City,Tower Hotel, Norton Summit, Ashton, Mt Lofty, Bike Track, Cross Road, 

Coffee at Glenelg

Originally it would have been Bower Road and return  via Henley beach road but with the square still under renovation we will stop for Coffee at Glenelg.

We will discuss return routes at coffee.

Meeting time:

• 7:30 am at the City
• 8:00 am at the Tower Hotel

Regroup at Scenic Hotel, Mt Lofty, Toll Gate 

Sorry no ride report this week.

Sunday Ride the Heritage round - Hahndorf

I don't know about you but I regularly get compliments on the design of the BG kit. Four or five on Amy's Ride alone this year. 

However this means the BG kit gets a hammering while a lot of us have a drawer full of cycling jersey that only see the light of day on non BG rides. This was discussed at length over Coffee last week so by popular acclaim we have declared this week the Heritage round. 

This weeks ride is Hahndorf via the Freeway

Meeting Times 

7:30 am in the City

8:00 am at the Tollgate (bottom of the freeway bike track)

8:30 am at the Bollards 

Coffee at Otto's bakery

Return options will be discussed over Coffee and Cake

If you are interested in a Beach Ride please go to the city and see if there are any like minded individuals,

Heritage Round Rules

• Wear a jersey other than the BG jersey that invokes interest, envy or humor, or preferably all three
• Wear some other item of BG kit e.g. knicks, gloves, bandanna if possible. We are still a club
• Points will be added for  being able to identity what the major sponsor actually does/makes and if they are still in business
• Points will be deducted for a TDU challenge Jersey (an exception will be made for the rare 2004/2005 jerseys with extra points if they fit)
• Points will be added for matching socks
• Millions of Points will be deducted for muffin tops 
• What the points means and what they are worth will be called at some random point on the road either by Brian or the road captain. Kinda like the sprints.

Sofie's Ride Report

This weekend we were back to the beach on a glorious day fro a ride. It was the ride where we celebrate the Chris and Alf becoming grandfathers on the same day as each other and both Granddaughters having very similar names Sofie for Alf and Sophie for Chris. Spooky!

As always Alf and Chris put on the coffee and cake. The attraction of free coffee and cake meant we had good turn out (13 by my count). Must have been a few psychics among us as I didn't even advertise free cake on the blog.  

This ride we also welcomed Brian back after his recuperation from a knee injury. He told us to remind him to take it easy which we did but he still was up there at the front. He has slowed down as he only manged fourth in the sprint but claims he didn't sprint!

Coffee at Esca was really pleasant and it was great to see such a good turn out.  We had a few much needed discussions about things we should do on rides going forward which I will endeavor to include.  

The beach rides are now getting people home around 11am so plenty of time for other Sunday activities

Not a sign I ever want to see on a bike going up, down is better.

Sunday Ride - Beach

All

I realized I made a mistake on the Sunday Ride Calendar and didn't reshuffle the Rides to take into account Amy's ride. As it would have been 3 Hills in a row and the TDU reconnaissance is approaching. So I have adjusted the ride schedule to bring the Beach ride forward. 

Hence Sundays Ride is the good old Outer Harbor loop. 

• Meet 7:30 am Hindmarsh Square in the City
• The usual sprint points
• Coffee at the Glenelg Marina (Esca) but the coffee committee will accept alternate suggestions

No ride report this week we can discuss Amy's Ride over Coffee.

Special mention Michael R who rode the 35km including O'Sullivans hill on a Mountain Bike with a trailer and his daughter Alice. Alice did say she would help dad by pedaling on the hills but I still think he deserves some Kudos. 

All correctly kitted out in BG colors and ready to roll.

All Michael needs is an air horn!!

Sundays Ride - Amy's Ride

Meet up details 

AMY's RIDE Meet in Hindmarsh Square to ride to Flinders University  @ 7.00am

• Please try to be not to be late as we will leave @ 7.10am sharp 
• We will ride at a steady pace to Flinders. Meet @ Flinders around 7:40.
• The "off" for Amy's Ride will be at 8:00am

If you want to ride straight there, meet at trees behind the goal posts on the oval, If all else fails look out for BG jerseys.

BG Beach Ride: Those not doing Amy's Ride but looking for a Sunday roll to the beach meet @ Hindmarsh 7:00am (yes its early, but you will be home early) and ride down to Flinders with the group and do a beach ride from there.

Return Trip From Amy's Ride 

I should also have a spare bike rack and seat available. First come, first served and you will have to wait for me to arrive.

Sunday Ride Report - The Epic

Sundays Ride was the Epic 100 km ride out to Meadows,

I started early expecting that most of the BG riders from the City and the Toll Gate would pass me on the way up to the bollards. It didn't work out that way as I met Graham at the bottom and Michael and Dan passed me on the way up. We gathered at the top and were joined by Neil and his pilot Derrick on the tandem, along with Daniel who has ridden with us a few times before.

More BG joined at the Bollards.  By 8:30 Twelve BG gathered at the bollards and after the standard 10 minute wait we set off. At that point none of the fast guys were there, hence we decided to regroup at Mylor and decide the route from there. In Brian's absence I was elected road captain, which might I say is not a role for the fat slow dude at the back.

The descent from Stirling and the Aldgate Valley road was fantastic, We couldn't have picked a better day for a ride in the hills. The new tandem has a serious set of disk brakes which makes them even quicker on the descents,  We hit Mylor and the consensus was to push on to Echunga. We stopped at Echunga mainly because I was about 5 minutes behind and we had to wait for me the to get there in order to make a decision and set a direction. Did I mention I am the fat slow dude at the back? This turned out to be good decision as while the group was regathering  David H, Andy T and Hugh arrived. They had only missed us by a few minutes. We pushed on to Meadows as it would have been the same distance back to Hahndorf.

There were lots of groups out and we arrived at Meadows just as a group of about 30 riders, mostly from "Snowy's", were leaving the Bakery. I recall from the shadowy mists of time when we were one of the few groups to venture that far out. We were a bit startled to see that there has been  a housing boom in Meadows since our last visit.

At this point the consensus was to do an out and back rather than the loop. The day was good so staying in the hills appealed and no one was keen on tackling the traffic on the southern loop. Return trip done at a good pace but after regrouping at Mylor, I relinquished my road captaincy and told the guys to ride ahead as it would take me a while to complete the climb. I took off up the Aldgate Rd expecting not to sight the group again. Instead, half way up Dan had a puncture and almost at the top of the climb the Tandem had a mechanical, so to my surprise I met the group again at the top of Aldgate Valley. Turns out that they might as well have waited for me.

PS: For the record I did do Ayers Hill rd without unclipping.