Australia day wknd riding.

hope you like the pics... there all out of order but oh well thats charlie with mr pink:) i turned the free australia day bucket hat into a cycling cap it got plenty of laughs.

The wknd started with a trip out to ourimbah on the sunday, i was riding my santa cruz blur lt which is forsale will have pics up when its fixed i get to that later..

so i we did a cruzy lap 1st up then i put the hammer down to see the difference between the epic and a santa cruz, the cruz is a lil heavier but it climbed like a mule yes it made it but slowly,,it descended like ummmm like a mudslide smooth fast and stuck to everything lol were the epic can be a bit like the big roll of cheese they throw down the hill ok prob not that bad...if i was a bike shop owner i wouldnt sell an epic to rider with not much experience but if ya love the bike moving about a bit then they are fun to throw about and they just fling ya up a climb.

one lap done 10.4km 30.33m avg 20.4kph

lap two came with half a crash chain popped off but still held same time and avg lap3 was a bit sloppy but i was still on the same pace maybe a lil slower and then i caught charlie on her 2nd lap so i just rode with her and then i noticed my front tyre going down the result of sloppy cornering and just cruzed back to the finish had fun but oh i cant wait for my 09epic:)

Australia day ride started at 7am in erina all 23 of us took on the 1st climb to the top of a ver muggy mossy infested kincumber mountain with a big range of fitness level the tail end get to the top at the same time as the fit guys wana get going, but this anual ride is a very socialable one and no one is in a hurry. some of the trails were knew to ppl so it was great to extra large smile or bright eyes of fear on the descents. over to the trails at macs the second big climb really hurts a few ppl so they take the short option to big berther, we all fly down the luge which takes you to the bottom of heart brake hill it has about 20 water bars up a steep climb turn left at the top 200m of rolling before to reach the bottom of big bertha i have a crack at in middle chain ring completly rooted when i reach the top. single speed riding has made a diference. into the the turkey track and onto the cliff ride all very tight techy single track we cross the road into the strome track hmmmm why is there play in my cranks... oh crap the bottom bracket has just died.

miles from home... one of the riders lives 200m away n her husband was away with the kids sweet ill jump on his bike.. a scott something seat hight was already perfect length was all sweet change sum pedals off we go.. hmmmm very narrow did i say narrow bars hmm no back break oh this will be interesting.. on the descent down to the rip bridge was the 1st challenge trying not to over heat the brakes sorta went ok i joked about being the padding for anyone who couldnt stopped before the guard rail at the bottom cause i had a good chance of slamming it hard... and one guy went over the hangers on the descent i think the gumleaves on the cement did him in.

on the other side of woy woy i rode with the girls to the top of this massive climb that takes u to staples look out.. the faster riders took a trip to the pie shop... the girls continued on so i turned n headed back down the hill to meet the others this hard scott bike shook me down here real rocky all the way n on the front brake:P got to the bottom to suggestions i had a mental prob wanting to do the climb again... we meet up with all the crew at staples look out.. and ride the road to kariong for the last section of dirt.. nearly didnt make it down there alive.. onto the cycle paths to gosford thru lots of banked traffic due to road closure and some time trail racing over the last 2km to smash it to the end...

i good day out on a strange bike.. better than no riding at all..

a week of spin classes and hopefully more xc racing prep come th wknd.

cheero chops:)