have very - Audax Australia

Transcription

Checkpoint
Audax Australia
The endurance cyclist’s magazine
No. 20
Baw Baw
Ride reports & photos
Audax Australia
How it all began
Start ‘em young
Kyran Beasley, 9 years old
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National Committee
The Audax Club of Australia Inc.
Association No. A0014462N
in this issue...
REGULARS
President’s Pedals
Letters to the Editor
Committee Talk
Brevets
NEWS
Young Achiever
Melbourne Region News
Opperman Memorabilia Auction
Audax in the Media - Tumut
New Opperman Challenge
Full house for PBP night
Cafe Audax
We Need You (to organise a ride)
EVERYTHING ELSE
Cycling with Diabetes
Hubert Opperman Autobiography
The Beachcombers
Too many Kangaroos?
Award Recipients
Completing the Circle
The Early Days of Audax
Bound for Baw Baw
Proposed new Awards
A Radical Reconnoitre
Don & Enid Halton - Rider Profile
Comparing randonnees
Bosch on Track Cycling for fitness
Lighting the PBP fuse
ACP celebrates
Going Fixed Wheel for PBP ‘07
Brilliant: Setting out at twilight on the Heywood 300/400/600 in early March.
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President
Hans Dusink
03 9314 3815
[email protected]
Secretary
Don Briggs
08 9458 8175
[email protected]
Treasurer
Greg Lansom
02 4271 6091
[email protected]
Membership Secretary
Lorraine Allen
03 5783 2427
[email protected]
Brevet Secretary
Peter Mathews
03 9890 6089
[email protected]
Committee Members
Barry Moore
03 9803 6529
[email protected]
Henry Boardman
02 4275 3130
[email protected]
NSW Correspondent
Malcolm Rogers
02 9415 1204
[email protected]
QLD Correspondent
Vaughan Kippers
07 3376 6761
[email protected]
SA Correspondent
Matthew Rawnsley
08 8370 0415
[email protected]
Photo: Russell J Freemantle
TAS Correspondent
Paul Gregory
03 6229 3811
[email protected]
VIC Correspondent
Martin Haynes
03 5674 2157
[email protected]
WA Correspondent
Colin Farmer
08 9330 4441
[email protected]
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Checkpoint
No. 20 - Winter 2004
Editor/Producer
Patrick van Dyk
[email protected]
Brevet Editor
Stephen George
[email protected]
Distribution
Phil Bellette
[email protected]
Checkpoint is published 4 times
per year on the 20th day of
January, April, July & October.
Contributions, especially those
accompanied by photos and
graphics, are always welcome.
Contributors should confirm that
articles have not previously been
published elsewhere.
Articles
are subject to editing for clarity
and length. Articles submitted
may also be published on our
website.
Please send to:
[email protected], or
Editor
PO Box 12144
A’Beckett St
Melbourne VIC 8006
Closing date for the next issue
is 28 August, for publication by
20 October 2004.
Advertising is available at
attractive
rates
please
contact the Editor. Checkpoint
is distributed to around 600
members Australia wide.
Members of Audax Australia may
place free classifieds for bikes,
bike-related items, and club
events.
For back-issues, contribution
tips, advertising rates and other
information, please visit the
website at www.audax.org.au
or contact the Editor.
4
The Lucky
Country
The Audax riding season in the northern
hemisphere is now in full swing after a
winter of few or no events. We in Australia
should consider ourselves lucky. Every
weekend of the year, somewhere in this
wonderful country of ours, we can take part
in an Audax ride. I must admit though that
in the middle of winter in Melbourne, I
prefer to do an Audax Australia distance of
100km rather than the Les Randonneurs
Mondiaux (LRM) sanctioned ones of
200km or above. I find that this keeps up
the mileage and the bike fitness.
I raise this issue to point out to all
members that there is a place in the Audax
ride calendar for both LRM and non-LRM
events. The trick is to ensure a balance
between the two. Audax clubs worldwide
promote long distance endurance events
of 200km and above as recognized and
homologated by Audax Club Parisien.
All Audax clubs also promote rides
of lesser distances that are designed to
encourage riders to participate in cycling
events where the aim is to finish and not
to “win”. By using the shorter events riders
can build up the endurance to tackle the
longer brevet rides. These shorter rides can
also be used by experienced members to
recover from injury or extended time off
the bike, or to encourage new riders. The
shorter rides are a great chance to pass on
Audax tradition.
At most Audax rides, after the first 20
kilometers or so the starting peloton breaks
up into groups of ones and twos. This does
not lend itself to passing on information
nor for much social interaction. The larger
regions of the club, such as Melbourne, are
able to hold regular social nights. Some of
the other regions are a little less structured
and there is a social dinner for Christmas
or at election time.
If you take part in a ride away from your
normal region don’t ride off on your own,
try to ride with some of the locals and have
a chat. If you can, stay after the ride and
have a coffee or a meal before heading
home. Audax is also about making friends.
President’s
Pedals
with Hans Dusink
At a recent club night in Melbourne
there were about 100 people in attendance.
Admittedly the topic was PBP. The 2003
video was screened and a panel of PBP
anciens told of their experiences and
fielded questions. This video is available to
members on loan. First preference will be
given to PBP anciens. If you wish to borrow
the video, please contact me.
Your national committee is committed
to promoting Audax. Currently about half
the membership resides in Victoria. We
are interested in promoting Audax in other
areas of Australia. On a recent trip interstate
on business, Barry Moore had dinner with
members in the ACT. Discussions took
place regarding the promotion of a feature
event in the ACT that over time could grow
in appeal. The ACT members will also
look at expanding their calendar of rides.
There is now also an ACT email chat list.
We are hoping that the Audax activity in
Canberra will grow as a result of this.
Brevet Results
We have noticed a delay by organisers
sending in ride results to the brevet
secretaries. This delay can have very serious
consequences.
Unless a ride result is sent to France
within a month of the completion of the
ride, the ride will not be homologated. This
means that ride organisers need to get their
results to the State organiser within a week
of the ride being completed. It is in all our
interests to comply. Besides, the paperwork
takes just as long to do the day after the ride
as it does a week or two later.
Safe riding during the winter months.
Correction: The photo of the three sleeping
beauties, Doug Kennedy, Alan Tonkin and
George Caulfield, shown at the Brest control
on PBP in the previous edition of Checkpoint,
was incorrectly credited by the Editor to Greg
Lansom. The correct credit should go to Ian
Boehm, and the Editor extends an apology to
Ian for this error.
�� Young Achiever
Audax Australia
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No. 20
A 100km Audax ride in Rochester to commemorate Oppy’s 100th birthday was held on
on 29 May 2004. The ride also celebrated the official opening of the renovated Opperman
museum.
Baw Baw
Ride reports & photos
Audax Australia
How it all began
Fifteen riders participated in the commemorative ride. They enjoyed a relaxed late start, and
reported that it was a great event.
Start ‘em young
Kyran Beasley, 9 years old
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Completing his first Audax randonnee was Kyran Beasley, nine years old next month,
who rode with his father, Gary. Kyran completed the ride on a mountain bike with knobby
tires, completing the ride with a generous five minutes to spare. Bravo Kyran, a fantastic
achievement!
Letters to the Editor
Address letters to Editor, PO Box 12144, A’Beckett St,
Melbourne VIC 8006 or [email protected]
Dear Editor,
Edition No. 19 was outstanding. Good to
see the return of the Letters to the Editor
section. It was great to review the Alpine
Classic through the superb coverage in the
magazine. Please, can we have more of
Twenty Years Ago ?
Tony Bolduan’s article The First Classic
brought back memories of the 80’s,
back when t-shirts, stubbies (a popular
brand of cotton shorts) and tennis shoes
were standard gear. These days I cannot
contemplate a 50km ride let alone a 200km
ride without lycra and cleats. Tony stated
that “back then a lot of randonneurs were
carless...”; perhaps ride organisers could
keep in mind that some still are!
Barry Moore’s Committee Talk column
mentioned a proposal for Audax Australia
to increase it’s range of awards, can we hear
more?
Once again, outstanding magazine, keep
up the good work.
Russell J. Freemantle
Ed: Thanks for your feedback Russell,
which is most welcome. Some of your
wishes have come true in this edition.
Alan Walker and Russell Moore take us
back in time to when Audax just started,
and Vaughan Kippers discusses increasing
the number of Audax awards. If other
readers would like to see more (or less) of
something, please write in. The accolades
for Checkpoint generally belong to those
who contribute, as without them there
would not be a magazine. Thanks to the
regular and occassional contributors, and
for those considering contributing, please
don’t hesitate.
Dear Editor,
Over a year ago there was a competition
for a new club jersey. The competition came
to nothing. Now that the last PBP is over
and the excitement leading to 2007 PBP has
not yet started, is now the time to re-open
the competition?
Peter Weiss
Reply from the President, Hans Dusink
At the last national committee meeting
on 5th May, it was decided that as the last
competition did not come up an acceptable
jersey design that we would enlist the services
of a designer. Our clothing manager has
commenced this process and the National
Committee will review the result.
We still have in stock the current jersey.
As a club we cannot afford to just give this
away, as a new design is probably some time
away, I encourage members to snap up a
very good quality jersey for a good price.
Committee
Talk
with Hans Dusink
At the last national committee meeting
held on 5 May 2004, the following items
were discussed:
• Whether the club should continue to pay
the cost of awards (in lieu of applicants
paying themselves). Resolved that the club
continue the current practice.
• Amendments to the constitution have
been sent to the Department of Fair
Trading, Victoria.
• A policy statement will be created to cover
expenditure authorisations for those on
the national committee.
• Further liaison with Cycling Australia was
required to clarify some insurance issues
regarding Raids.
• President of Audax Australia may allow
change of closing time of intermediate
control points by prior application from
ride organisers where the terrain is
unduly hilly in the early part of a ride.
• Arrange a designer to establish some
design ideas for a new clothing range.
• Issue of new awards will be put to
members (Ed: see article in this issue).
5
Cycling with Diabetes
by Richard Connelly
This year, I received an Audax membership as a Christmas present. After a few rides and meeting
some inspiring people, I turned my sights on a ‘Super Series’. As a new rider to long distance events,
the usual queries flooded through my mind: How do you manage exhaustion on such little sleep?
How do you train for a 600km event? I had however one added question... How do I cope with my
insulin dependant diabetes on such a ride?
Photo: Jean-Philippe Battu
Managing diabetes presents the challenge
of finding the right balance between food,
exercise and injected insulin to control
blood sugar. Usually this is done by the
pancreas. In Type 1 diabetes the pancreas
doesn’t produce insulin. With high blood
sugars, there is a long term risk of developing
health complications. Too low, and there is
the risk of drifting into unconsciousness. I
generally find this balance easy to strike
when undertaking my sedentary lifestyle.
So, off to my endocrinologist for a few
pointers. “Well, you look healthy, so there
is no reason why a diabetic cannot do such
a ride. Crazy maybe? Just keep a close eye
on your blood sugars, lower your insulin,
and you’ll be right!” So with a green light
there, I set my sights on training for the
Super Series.
Riding endurance events begins pushing
a few boundaries.
First boundary: Bonking
Bonking is dangerous with diabetes.
After riding for 4-5 hours, everyone’s stores
of glycogen are depleted. Glycogen is the
body’s main form of carbohydrate storage.
It is readily converted to glucose to satisfy
the body’s needs. After this point eating
is what keeps fuel up to those leg muscles.
Not enough food and the “bonk” occurs.
However for me, not enough food, and
I’d have low blood sugars (have a “hypo”):
erratic wondering, not thinking straight, at
worst become unconscious. Not so good for
the person slipstreaming me!
Second Boundary: How much insulin?
Insulin is the hormone that allows glucose
to get from the blood stream into the muscle
cells. With insufficient insulin, glucose
builds up in the blood stream (giving high
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Just as any hill can be conquered, so too can riding with diabetes.
blood sugar levels) but more importantly,
the muscle cells receive no glucose from
which to derive energy. However, with too
much insulin on board, the muscles get all
the glucose and don’t leave enough for the
brain to work. Again resulting in a “hypo”.
To make it more complicated, exercise also
increases the efficiency of insulin as the
body’s metabolism rate increases. So the
trick is to take as little insulin as the body
needs to get sugars into the muscle cells to
function. Any more than this and hypo’s
happen.
I experimented with a 300km ride the
week prior to the Adelaide 600km and I
found that taking as little as 15% of my daily
insulin was enough to maintain constant
blood sugar level within the ‘normal’ range
of 3-8. Even then, I had to eat constantly
throughout the day to maintain my blood
sugar levels as regular checks indicated that
they were hovering on the lower end of the
scale.
luxurious shower before finishing off the
last 200km. The ride started crossing
the Adelaide Hills (climbing!) to Murray
Bridge and back. I found the first 200km
to be no problem and my sugars were well
maintained within the normal range. This
took me 9 1⁄2 hours all up.
Third Boundary: Which insulin to use?
I use two forms of insulin; immediate
acting insulin with an active period of 15
minutes to 2 hours and slow release insulin
with an active period of 5 - 12 hours. The
problem now becomes that when taking
part in a 600km event, the riding lasts longer
than the insulin is working. I have to top up
at some point to keep insulin on board.
However, too much too soon and I risk a
hypo. In practice rides, I found the insulin’s
effect lasted longer than usual. So I planned
to regularly check my sugars (by pricking my
finger and using a blood glucose machine)
every hour until my sugars started to rise,
and then take some short acting insulin.
By Sunday afternoon, my sugars started to
rise, indicating that the insulin had been
depleted. I topped up with the short acting
for the last few hours.
So how did it go?
I headed across to Adelaide for the
600km event put on by Matthew Rawnsley.
The course was well thought out, with 3 x
200km loops from a base, where I could
keep a store of food to top up on the way,
a place to sleep after 400km and even a
During the second 200km I thought my
sugars would start to rise, especially as the
night wore on as my insulin ran out. However,
when I pulled in at 3.45am, my sugars were
still manageable without needing further
insulin. The night stretch was a flat 200km,
even though a nasty headwind brought us
home over the last three hours. Ten-and-ahalf hours for this section.
To be held at 92 Shuter Ave, Greendale
on 15th August 2004 at 3.00pm.
Melbourne Region is the largest of the
Regional Groups within Audax Australia
and co-ordinates rides over the whole
State of Victoria. The majority of rides it
coordinates are in rural areas of the state
as far afield as Warragul, Wangaratta,
Shepparton, Maryborough, Ballarat and
Geelong. It is felt that the current title
of “Melbourne Region” does not truly
reflect its field of operation and only adds
to the general confusion of the Regional
structure within Audax Australia.
I finished!
The end came after 36 hours. Three
months ago I would not have thought it
possible to ride such a distance, and now
I am a Super Randonneur! Wow! Tackling
such a distance was a huge challenge. I learnt
about my physical capabilities and I felt that
I had achieved something amazing for
having completed this ride with diabetes.
Looking back, it’s hard to believe what I
ate along the way: 2.5 litres of orange juice,
9 bananas, 2 coffee scrolls, 5 large Big M’s,
a hamburger with the lot, 3 sausage rolls, a
bowl of cereal and 3 potato cakes, not too
Three months ago I would not have thought it
possible to ride such a distance.
After three hours sleep, it was “up and at
‘em’” to complete the last 200km loop into
the Clare Valley. I found that the insulin I
took on Saturday morning was still effective
throughout the night and half way through
Sunday. We were frustrated by a head/cross
wind for 140km. The route took us along
some fairly busy roads with Sunday drivers
and climbed out of the Adelaide plains
into the hills. From Clare Valley there was
still further climbing up into the hills of
Melbourne News
Notice Of
Extraordinary General
Meeting
Kapunda, before the final run home.
To clarify this situation it is proposed that
the name of Melbourne Region be changed
to Victoria Region in a motion to be put
at an Extraordinary General Meeting on
15 August 2004.
No changes in structure or operation of
Melbourne Region are envisaged. Any other
region within Victoria wishing to operate
independently could do so.
If you wish to contribute to the discussion
and voting of this issue, members of Audax
Australia residing in Victoria are invited to
this meeting. If you are unable to attend
you are invited to complete the Proxy Form
below and return by mail. Please mark the
envelope “Melbourne Region Title Change”
mention 15 litres of water. Even after this,
my sugars were still low. Its amazing how
much energy we all use on these rides!
Thanks must go to Alan Jones, and
especially to Chris Rogers, for their
company on the ride, and to Matthew
Rawnsley for organising this great event.
Now, for the next challenge…Paris
maybe?
Proxy Form
The Audax Club of Australia
Association A0014462N
PO Box 12144, A’Beckett Street
Melbourne 8006
Melbourne Region
I ........................................... (full name)
being entitled to vote at the extraordinary
general meeting of the region to be
held on 15 August 2004 appoint:* The chairman of the meeting
* ..........................................................
(name of proxy) (*delete one)
to vote for/against (delete one) the
motion that the name of Melbourne
Region be changed to Victoria Region.
Signed...............................................
7
Oppy Memorabilia Auction
In late May, Bonhams & Goodman
Auctioneers of Sydney put under the
hammer the Sir Hubert Opperman
Collection of cycling and political
memorabilia.
The collection was offered by Ian
Opperman, Oppy’s son, and included
a large collection of photographs of
Opperman taken throughout his career,
including 1928 Tour de France, Bol D’Or,
1931 Paris-Brest-Paris and many of his
record breaking performances in Australia.
The collection also included his
favourite signature beret, complete with
a one centimetre moth hole, which sold
for an incredible $5,700. Also sold were
autographed photographs and letters to
Oppy from various famous names such
as Don Bradman, one of which sold for
$1,500.
Pre-auction publicity: Sydney Morning Herald, 19 May 2004
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Both the National and Melbourne
committees considered purchasing some
items. However, due to both high prices on
the day and other factors, no purchases were
made by the Club.
The national committee instead donated
$750 to the Opperman Museum, which
was presented on the day of the 100km
commemorative ride in Rochester.
Audax in the Media
From the Tumut and Adelong Times (NSW), Audax Tumut pulls in the big names again. Courtesy John Quinn.
Newsflash
Opperman All Day Trial
by Sue Taylor
The Melbourne Region of Audax
Australia is excited to announce an
innovative approach to introducing the
concept of the Opperman All Day Trial to
those less experienced or less confident in
tackling this unique event.
In 2004 Melbourne Region will offer on a
trial basis a Petit Oppy event in conjunction
with the Opperman all Day Trial (OADT).
Teams comprised of five bikes/trikes/
recumbents/unicycles (you get the idea)
made up of either :
• all females (positive discrimination!)
or
• four riders under the age of 18 and one
adult member of Audax experienced in
riding the OADT
are invited to register to ride a distance of
no less than 180km over the 24 hour period,
comprised of at least 155km on the Saturday
beginning at 10am, and the remaining
25km on the Sunday morning between
7am and 9am, finishing at Rochester at Sir
Hubert Opperman’s statue at 9am.
PS. A huge thank you to Lorraine Allen
and Ray Watt for taking over the running of
the OPPY 100 held at Rochester recently.
All other rules common to the OADT
will apply. Riders will spend part of their
journey cycling at night, and all bikes must
be fitted with lighting complying with
Audax Australia regulations and must have
reflective gear and roadworthy bikes.
So get those entries and letters flooding
in. We can’t book the band and the
scrumptious breakfast until we know there
are LOTS of cyclists planning on arriving
in Rochester.
Impressive: The new Fleche Opperman All Day
Trial medallions for 2004 and beyond.
9
Pedals, Politics and People - extracts from the autobiography of Sir Hubert Opperman
Lands End to John O’Groats
by Hubert Opperman
Checkpoint is pleased to be able to bring you selected extracts from Sir Hubert Opperman’s
autobiography, Pedals, Politics and People. In this issue, we take up the story of Oppy attempting
the End to End record, and other records immediately after, in the UK. We begin with his training
ride prior to the record attempt.
I trained from Land’s End to John
O’Groats, grappling with the problem,
even at touring pace, of finding my way
accurately over the labryinth of excellent
roads which bisect England. At Exeter it
was found quicker to by-pass the narrow
congested streets but with the risk of taking
a wrong road back to the main highway
when at racing pace. In daylight, at Bristol,
Gloucester, Warrington, Wigan and
Preston the streets were a maze and on the
open roads in the darkness the signposts a
time-wasting mystery.
By regulation an official time-keeper and
commissionaire were always in a following
car, and unless one was off course no
audible signals were permitted, nor any
interested motor vehicle allowed within
100 yards, were the rider in motion. Special
checkers cycled to the chosen route and
conscientiously verified that these rules
were being observed. I could visualise
myself being repeatedly recalled back from
incorrect turnings and losing precious time
when halting unhappily for guidance.
We had not budgeted for English Club
life and its solid basis of sportsmanship and
dedication. I had joined the Century Road
Club, to which Jack Rossiter also belonged.
Nevertheless, it accepted responsibility for
the entire road organisation from “End to
End”, and arranged for 250 marshals to be
on point duty day and night at doubtful or
difficult junctions.
I returned by car from John O’Groats
after my training ride to learn how much
better one can appreciate and understand
the topography of a country from personal
effort than motorised propulsion. England,
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with hedge-fringed roads, and Scotland with
its sheltering stone walls, are a cycle tourist’s
Elysium. My prior 6,000 miles over those
smooth highways remain not as memories
of arduous, punishing preparation but as
those of a privileged visitor to a ‘Sceptred
Isle,’ viewing its fresh green meadows,
spectacular rugged hills, contrasting murky
industrial areas, always fringed and softened
by the charm of surrounding wooded valleys
or silver winding streams.
These older and more discerning years
are tinged with some regret that, as in
France, circumstances did not permit in
training even a brief halting of the wheels
for one to gaze on and study the close-by
milestones of history. But when in pursuit of
a future, there is no gain in permitting the
past to divert one from the present.
I commenced from Land’s End at 7 a.m.
on July 16th. English cycling’s clandestine
formula gave it the drama of a postman
pushing off on his daily round. Some
10 officials, mechanics and drivers, the
hotel-keeper and his wife comprised the
gathering. Accustomed to the emotion of the
crowded boulevardes and the unconcealed
assembling of Australians on arterial roads,
despite the confident presence of Bruce
Small and the unceasing supervision of Bill
Sweeting, the departure had the inspiration
of a Bankruptcy Court, until a Mr and Mrs
Spencer Nall, of Geelong, attracted by
the activity of the small group, drove up,
made enquiry and introduced themselves
as interested Australians. Their added
presence to the sparsity of attendance lifted
my morale immeasurably out of proportion
to their number. Not, though, by any stretch
of mental projection could any one of us
visualise, as photographs were taken and we
shook hands, I would 16 years later be their
Parliamentary representative.
I left with a previously announced
threefold mission, although by choice I
would not have signalled my combined
attempt, on the “24 hour”, “End to End”,
and “1,000” miles. Because of the R.R.A.
need to advise supervisors prior to record
attempts, cards cannot be played “close
to the chest”, but all extras which could
become integrated into the main objective
must be revealed by previous applications.
After detailed analysis of the schedule with
Bruce, I agreed we should incorporate the
24-hour as a “starter” and the “1 ,000”
miles as continuation after John O’Groats.
This carried an in-built risk. Over-exertion
early could have adverse consequences for
the principal task, or alternatively a failure
in any one could dim the prestige of success
in the others. But the plan had been sealed
and from the outset I pursued the 416 and a
half miles of E.B. Brown, missed by a halfmile on Australian roads in 1927.
I remember little now of that first day’s
ride. Incidents in massed start events
remain more firmly embedded in the mind.
There are such variations - the breakaway,
the chase, the struggle on a hill, the
smash or a puncture, or even the painful
remembrance of a champion’s beautiful
“cadence”, such as one witnessed from Le
Calves, Magne, Leducq, Rebry, or Speicher,
tearing the resistance of the best to shreds.
But unpaced riding can pass through many
hours, and total many miles, with only
the mental assessment of averages and
schedules to break the methodical beat of
patient endeavour.
One misconception was soon removed.
For some obscure reasons, from one’s
European perspective, perhaps because of
the Alps and Pyrenees, one had presumed
that England’s countryside would be
comparatively flat. Certainly roads were
narrower, better sheltered and faster,
but Cornwall and Devon, despite their
smooth surfaces, retained a vicious “bite”
which would have pulled the best of the
Continental climbers out of their saddles,
while Shap in Northumberland, and
Berriedale in Scotland in cohorts with the
centuries of miles, made me leave the saddle
and “dance” on the pedals.
According to the local colloquialism, this
was “honking”, and in the eyes of the purist
(of whom there were so many in England)
a pedalling sin almost bereft of absolution
from success. I was informed afterwards
that nearing one town a Club rider ranged
alongside Bruce Small’s car and said in
a Lancashire accent as he viewed me
swaying from side to side, “He is not a good
pedaller like Rossiter” upon which Bruce,
slightly frayed by sleepless hours, snapped
unkindly, “But he’s three hours ahead of his
time!” Ironically enough, when I first rode
in France, my background of Australian
handicap road racing, where one depended
upon co-markers for “pacing” until the front
groups had been overtaken, developed a style
which led Continental critics to complain,
“Oppy seldom leaves the saddle.” However,
a season of education in en ligne events in
which one left the saddle or was left behind,
soon taught me to ‘reef’ and pull and fling
every ounce of body weight on to the pedals,
to immediately break a gap, or surmount a
rise, whether paced or unpaced. But I can
barely recollect the miles between Exeter
and Wellington, Taunton, Bridgewater and
Bristol, or between the Continental style
cobbles of Preston or Wigan.
There was evidence of an ever growing
interest by friendly wheelmen. Advised by
telephone and telegram and some type
of fraternal intuition, they were clustered
in force as at Bristol, for the puzzling
crossroads, traffic lights and roundabouts,
waving handkerchiefs during the day and
a signalling torch at night, always I learned
later, well ahead of the most rapid possible
rate, to call, “This way Oppy; good luck!”
and then turn for home to wait for news.
Had I failed and again attempted the
record, they would have been patiently
waiting once more. The majority I never
saw again, but some to my intense pleasure
I met as migrants during post-war political
days. They still represent to me, however
the Olympic oath may be read, and its spirit
be extolled, a demonstration of the most
admirable and self-effacing fidelity to sport
and the stranger in their midst I have yet
encountered.
Nearing the 24-hours, for the first and
last time in cycling effort, my digestive
system went sulky, high-hatted its food and
refused to assimilate. Two years later, I
had dietary problems, self-inflicted, which
“There is no steak - what would you like?”
“Well, I’d like chops and eggs,” but as sure
as death and taxes, the end result would be
“bacon and eggs.”
Gastronomically,
from
a
cycling
perspective, I never felt completely
adjusted in England away from base and
I certainly never felt worse than in those
final poisonous miles of that “24”. As the
reaction sapped strength from my legs and
slowed my speed, there was consternation
when the chances of this first record began
to recede. “It’s still yours, if you don’t stop
again,” cajoled Bruce, and the extra pedal
poundage continued up the 1,400 feet
elevated, fog-shrouded slopes of Shap. A
“Come on in, laddie,” he invited, when I informed him I
was an Australian record-breaking cyclist with a rebellious
stomach. I stretched out on his table; he mixed a potion;
I drank it, and promptly slept for an hour.
“You’ll be all right, laddie.”
affected me for a complete season, but never
such an intense inner rebellion, when in
action, as this one imposed. In retracing my
cycling locations and reactions, and without
prejudice to so many things English, for
which I have the most profound affection,
I must admit that its food for cycling always
left food for thought.
In France it was like being at home in
quality and variety, within ready access.
I think the general lack of this latter was
the most irritating and damaging. I have
no doubt that if living in one area, or in
the one home permanently, one could have
located an adequate, palatable, nourishing
regime. This was evident the following year,
when my wife and I made Birmingham
our headquarters and she attended to my
cuisine. But it was a repeated joke of when
“on the wallaby”, one would call at a roadside
cafe and ask for a meal. “What would you
like?” would be the query. Consistently the
reply was, “I would like a steak and eggs,”
and just as certainly the answer came back,
car signal signed off the first complete day
and a journalist wrote, “The first stile was
crossed; half the journey was done and a
wonderful record of 431 and a half miles
already made. For it was wonderful. Taken
in his ordinary stride over all the hills and
bad towns lying along the End to End route,
the record bore no comparison to all the
other 24-hour records which were made on
a picked course and day while the rider went
all out for 24-hours and more.”
But my interior workings were
unimpressed and had I read this eulogy
at the time, it would have carried no more
comfort than a wet towel to a shivering
swimmer. Memories of that second
day contrast sharply with the first. Like
alternating station lights from the window
of a racing train, they changed from bright
to blurred. There was no energising help
from food. Every mouthful was rejected
as rapidly as it was eaten. Hard won hours
went into the discard as I halted repeatedly
for relief from the nauseous illness, and
11
the once exhilarating advance on schedule
degenerated into a grim prospect of
complete cessation.
The night climb over the Grampians
from Blair Athol during the few dark hours
became a torment of uncertainty. Mistshrouded trees formed ghostly tunnels,
and training landmarks dissipated as the
machine shot down the slopes, with rabbits
rasping nerves as they scurried dangerously
across the road.
In the pre-dawn light as I slouched
through Beauly, bleary, strained eyes
sighted a doctor’s plate. The bicycle was
instantly propped against the fence and
without hesitation, I rang his bell. The
Scotch medico who answered was the
most imperturbable man I have met. A
figure garbed from neck to ankle in black
cashmere, white capped, smeared with
mud and perspiration, standing on his
doorstep at 6 am, speaking with a foreign
accent, and a dishevelled troupe hurrying
towards him, was accepted without a lift
of the eyebrows. “Come on in, laddie,”
he invited, when I informed him I was an
Australian record-breaking cyclist with a
rebellious stomach. The followers crowded
behind me; I stretched out on his table; he
mixed a potion; I drank it, and promptly
slept for an hour. When we left, there was
no discouraging lecture on such folly but a
smile, a handshake, and the words, “You’ll
be all right, laddie.”
Two hours later, some grilled fish,
roadside-cooked by Bruce, remained
loyal, the calorific effect of nourishment
flowed again through the limbs, and I
knew I could reach John O’Groats. This
is how the remainder of the ride appeared
to one of the journalists who followed:
“Though obviously weakened by his lengthy
illness, Opperman continued to press on
resolutely, nor was he unduly perturbed
by the additional discomfort and hazard
of heavy rain. Through Bonar Bridge, then
on to Golspie he went, and 800 miles went
by in two days 4 hours 11 minutes. A few
miles later the record breaker, now riding
gears of 73, 64 and 53 inches, made an
amazing ascent of the Ord of Caithness
which rears itself up for over four miles.
Opperman, always an excellent climber,
averaged more than six miles per hour for
12
the entirety of this hill. The B.S.A. man
also negotiated Berriedale in a completely
unruffled manner, the drop into the valley
being taken with a poise borne of the days.
in the Continental mountains, while the one
in four rise that followed did not compel a
dismount. At Berriedale he was more
than four hours up on the record and had
accumulated still more by the time he had
reached Bill Best, the time keeper, at the
famous John O’Groats Hotel.”
angled back south on an alternative road.
Salt went on the wound. The road selected
on the map had not been reconnoitered. In
our haste to return from John O’Groats,
we had accepted local assurances it was
in good condition and carelessly, I had
not trained over it. It plunged through
the wildest parts of Sutherland shire, the
weather degenerated from mist to heavy
rain and the road into ruts and shingle. The
situation was later described by B. W. Best,
Two hundred and fifty assisted me to break the records
of their own riders and then, without reservation,
I was granted their own national honour.
At Beauly, I had said to Bruce as I walked
out, “I’ll be lucky to reach John O’Groats I’ll have to forget the 1,000.” “Sure,” he said,
“if you can now break the End to End, after
the 24, that’s good’ enough. You can have
a go at the 1,000 some other time.” That
soothed the final hours and I raced that last
extraordinary drop to John O’Groats which,
until the last few hundred yards, appears to
be heading for a direct dive into the sea, in a
happier physical and mental state than I had
known for over 30 hours.
Compared with the commencement at
Land’s End, by English standards, the finish
at John O’Groats was like a Mardi Gras. A
“Bravo Oppy” banner over the doorway, I
was photographed, signed the Guest book,
telephones rang for Bill Sweeting from
Australia’s A.B.C. and stiffly and thankfully
I climbed the stairs for a bath and bed.
Bruce maintains to this day that he
informed me then, because of my obvious
recovery during the latter hours, the “1000”
was still to be completed. I had no thought
at all of this horrifying proposal which
must have been made during instantaneous
slumber, until four hours later, when I was
resurrected into reality, protestingly attired
in a clean outfit, and pushed off into what
was a surprisingly black night, when we had
hoped for the clarity of a summer twilight.
I had, of course, run out of northern miles,
the timekeeper and journalist:- “The road
became a tortuous mountain track, a gale
and a rainstorm arose. Only Oppy knows
how he kept to the road or perhaps even he
does not know. At such times, one rides by
instinct and who could blame a man if his
instinct wavered after such an ordeal! The
storm raged against him and at times at
a bend it threatened to upset him, but he
continued to ride like a superman and when
the terrors of those mountain passes were
over, and the good main road at Helmsdale
was reached, it was found that the 25 miles
from Forsinard to Helmsdale had taken
exactly two hours.”
The entire party, by this time, due to
sleepless hours, responsible supervision,
driving strain and irregular meals, were
nerve-taut like myself to the edge of hysteria,
so that my feeble query to them when
delayed by the Forsinard railway gates, “if
I was Forsinard enough,” was greeted with
immoderate peals of laughter completely
unworthy of its humour. Finally, at 3 days
1 hour 52 minutes, the 1,000 miles ended.
There was nothing left to think of but sleep
after what had proved unexpectedly, not
to be so much a bicycle battle against the
extrovert resistance of miles, weather or
roads, but the delaying, disloyal introvert
ailment which had cursed the second day.
There were, though, pleasant rewards
for the hours of pedalling labour. From its
Photos: Gordon MacMillan
Full house for PBP night
Pedals, Politics...
...continued from previous page
Key speakers Top photo: Barry Moore (standing, centre) with Peter
Matthews (sitting to his right). Portaits, from top: George Caulfield,
Kathryn Temby, Howard Duncan and John Boyle.
by Peter Curtis, Martin Haynes and Howard Duncan
well-concealed actuality the trio of records
now emerged into a public spotlight of
press coverage, trade publicity and personal
appearances. Cables arrived from Australia,
including one from the then Prime Minister,
Mr Joe Lyons. I spoke to Australia from the
B.B.C.; B.S.A. hosted a grand presentation
dinner.
I was nominated for the Golden Book
of Cycling, but the award of the Bidlake
Memorial prize “presented to the rider
whose achievements are deemed the
greatest of the year” was worth every penalty
in every mile. I was proud of it then, I am
proud of it today for it represents the true
English outlook of those times towards the
sport.
Two hundred and fifty assisted me to
break the records of their own riders and
then, without reservation, I was granted
their own national honour.
***
This extract from Pedals, Politics and
People has been reprinted with kind
permission from Ian Opperman, the son of
Sir Hubert Opperman. Pedals, Politics and
People was published in 1977 and is now out
of print. The Editor gratefully acknowledges
the assistance of Henry Boardman in making
available his copy of the book for loan.
A record attendance of over eighty
people
attended
the
recent
PBP
Retrospective Night held in Melbourne.
Howard Duncan organised the evening and arranged a
variety of speakers who related their experiences of the 2003
PBP randonnee. They were:
• John Boyle, the fastest Victorian, starting in the 80 hour
group and finishing in about 68 hours
• Kathryn Temby, the first Victorian female to finish, who
rode fast and enjoyed lots of sleep, including a one hour kip
at Mortagne on the way out, in the 85 hours she took. She
attributed her well being throughout the whole ride to this
sleep and riding to a pre-arranged plan.
• George Caulfield, who rode with Alan Tonkin of Melbourne
and Doug Kennedy of Sydney. They stuck together like glue
and rode as a close team.
• Peter Matthews, who rode the event on a two-wheel
recumbent
• Barry Moore - who’s notoriety was the least amount of
training of any starter, but he still successfully finished.
All agreed they would be keen to give it another go. The
talks were followed by a screening of the PBP 2003 video.
13
The Beachcombers
by Chris Walsh
For the first time in the three years that this writer has taken part in a Fleche Opperman All Day
Trial, everything went pretty much perfectly, which is one of the main reasons I wanted to write
this report.
Every randonneur anticipates certain
target times for reaching different
checkpoints along their route, and
visualises rolling in bang on schedule. How
often these go out the window because of
weather, mechanical breakdowns or just as
frequently, human ones! How much easier it
is for this to happen when planning a team
event like the Oppy. So when everything
works, why not write about it?
Garry Armsworth, Geoff Robb and I
first teamed up for an Oppy in 2001. In my
inexperience I set a course that in retrospect
(well, I actually realised it during the ride)
was too challenging. We took in a large loop
through the Sydney Basin, taking in Peats
Ridge, Wisemans Ferry, Windsor and
Picton before climbing up to the Southern
Highlands and Bundanoon. The Sunday
saw us roaring down Macquarie Pass to
Dapto. The hot weather and hills took their
toll and although we completed the course,
I felt that a revised route would be better for
the following year.
Amazingly, Garry and Geoff signed up
for 2002 and were joined by Tim Hoskins
and Sue Attreed. The course went due west
to Penrith, then to the Southern Highlands
where we looped around for a while before
lobbing in to Sue’s parents’ home (at 255km
or so) to sleep and complete the last 110km
to Dapto the following morning.
With an astonishing sense of timing, the
Oppy was ridden the day the fires roared
through the Southern Highlands. As we
rode through Yerrinbool towards the last
climb into Mittagong the scene was a little
like that from Apocalypse Now, with black
plumes of smoke rising into the air and
helicopters everywhere. Our efforts to
reach Mittagong were severely thwarted
by fire roaring across a hillside less than
a kilometre away, forcing the closure of
the main highway through the town. A hot
14
southwesterly wind in our face much of the
time only added to the misery.
We spent much of the time re-evaluating
our course as the fires closed down sections
of the planned route, and it was a shattered
band of troopers that crawled into the
Attreed’s late that evening. Further injury
was added the next morning when the
planned descent of Mt Keira, which I had
used as an encouragement the day before,
was abandoned because of road closures,
forcing us to come into Dapto via Mt
Ousley.
I was staggered when in 2003, Garry, Tim
and Geoff put their hands up again, and Sue
would have as well but for a family function.
Graham Jones stepped in and we lined up
with a full team of five riders. What on earth
would the Oppy throw at us this time?
The answer was an absolutely superb
weekend’s riding! Our route took us from
Parramatta out towards Penrith, then
through Picton, Bargo, Mittagong, Moss
Vale and Fitzroy Falls to a steep descent into
Kangaroo Valley. The weather was kind, the
scenery gorgeous, with plenty of winter rain
on the Highlands producing lush pastures
and grass right up to the road verges.
From Kangaroo Valley (the first time it
was really warm) we climbed over Berry
Mountain, stopping a number of times
to admire the view, down to Berry, and
then along the Princes Highway. We took
a turnoff south of Jervis Bay that led to
Cudmirrah, a beachside village at which
our overnight accommodation was located,
courtesy of Tim and Vicki. That was around
255km and the plan was to be there by 9pm.
We succeeded admirably in this, rolling in
at 8:45pm. The red wine packed in the
overnight bags by a number of riders went
perfectly with Vicki’s spaghetti bolognaise
and we rolled off to bed around 11 PM.
The 120km back up the Princes Highway
the following morning commenced at 3:30
am, with no more than a dozen or so cars
passing us before we reached Nowra. The
sun rose as we rode out of Nowra towards
Shoalhaven Heads. We breakfasted in
Gerringong at 7am and had a leisurely
35km or so to complete in the two hours
before 9am.
At Dapto we enjoyed the traditional cooked
breakfast, which always tastes wonderful,
with Henry and his team. We rode just
under 380km with only two punctures
between five riders, and no other mechanical
or rider problems. This, combined with the
very favourable weather, good team riding
and -may I say - a well-chosen route, were the
main factors behind our success.
The enjoyment was heightened by Tim
and Vicki’s hospitality on the Saturday
night, and Henry’s organisation of the
event. Many thanks to them all, and also to
the rest of Team Beachcomber!
For those who are interested in such
things, and because I have no photos,
I thought I would include the elevation
maps of our course, split over four sections,
courtesy of Garry Armsworth.
Alpine Classic - Trivia
Too many Kangaroos?
by Phil Bellette, Organiser, Audax Alpine Classic
While it is not necessary to give a reason when claiming an
Alpine Classic refund, about half of the claimants do so.
From previous years’ experience I have
been amazed at the number of people
sustaining cycling related injuries while
training for the event. This year I decided
out of curiosity to keep a log of the reasons
given.
About 41% of the claimants withdrew
because of training related injuries, mainly
injuries to foot, back and hand. Of the
four riders who were in cycling accidents
two collided with kangaroos and two with
vehicles. Of the vehicle related accidents
one was driven by a drunken driver.
It is quite obvious from the statistics that
kangaroos are more of a hazard on the
roads for cyclists than we may be aware
of. This point is further highlighted when
we consider that of the two accidents that
required ambulance transportation on
the day of the Alpine Classic, one was the
result of a rider colliding with a wallaby
while descending from Falls Creek.
The rider received injuries to his hand,
whilst the condition of the marsupial is
unknown.
So what can we learn from all this?
Probably nothing if you are an average
Audax rider. But maybe it is best to take
a measured and planned training program
for the big event.
We can be thankful that kangaroos
don’t consume alcohol but it’s just as well
not many koalas choose to travel by road!
Reason for requesting refund
Did you know the club has an active
email chat-list to discuss anything
related to Audax cycling?
For subscription details, visit
www.audax.org.au
It’s free!
The club receives a number of
magazines and newsletters from
Audax Clubs around the world.
To borrow the magazines, or to view
back-issues of this magazine, visit
www.audax.org.au (News/Magazine)
Number
Training Injury
16
Family reasons
6
Illness
4
Work Commitments
3
Moved interstate
2
Accident with car
2
Accident with kangaroo
2
Medical Procedure
2
Home Renovations
1
Lack of training
1
Death of entrant
1
Under age
1
Pregnancy
1
15
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16
Award Recipients
courtesy of Enid Halton
Congratulations to the following riders who attained Nouveau
and Super Series Awards for the Audax year ending 31 October
2003.
Nouveau Award
Algefski, Chris
Armitage, Loretta
Aston, Brian
Baron, Phillip
Brandis, Howard
Brown, Joan
Campbell, Debra
Cockcroft, Gordon
Green, Lindsay
Hagedorn, Klaus
Haynes, Libby
Jones, Ken
Lee, John
Leyden, John
Lostoh, Susan
Matuszek, Maria
Monot, Stephan
Newton, Noel
Pascoe, David
Povey, Neil
Preyer, Frank
Rawnsley, Matthew
Rogers, Chris
Smith, Ross
Southren, Michael
Stoneman, Peter
Vella, Aldo
Watt, Raymond
Watson, Peter
Wood, Lee
Super Award
Armitage, Loretta
Armsworth, Garry
Bednarz, Bob
Blasse, Bjorn
Caulfield, George
Cunningham, Greg
Curtis, Peter
De Jong, Melonie
Dickson, Allan J.
Dixon, Peter
Duncan, Howard
Dusink, Hans
Gavan, Brian
Grant, Phillipe M
Halton, Don
Haynes, Martin
Helyar, Gillian
Helyar, Keith
Jenkins, Roy J
Jeppesen, Bill
Kennedy, Douglas
King, Trevor
Lansom, Greg
Martin, Greg
Mccartan, Ron
McDonald, Duncan
Malzinskas, Leon
Morgan, Ken
Palmer, Grant
Paterson, Leigh
Peak, Ian D
Portway, Oliver
Pinkerton, Richard
Preyer, Frank
Quinn, John
Rawnsley, Matthew
Rogers, Chris
Searle, Peter
Stevenson, Barry
Temby, Kathryn
Theo, Ross
Vella, Aldo
Watt, Raymond
Watson, Stephen
Wilkinson, Graeme
360 km
+
24 hours
3-5 bicycles
per team
Experience
the thrill.
Challenge yourself
for a day and a night.
Opperman
All
Day
Trial
Adelaide (SA) • Dapto (NSW)
Ipswich (QLD) • Perth (WA)
Rochester (VIC)
6-7 November 2004
(03) 9786 9807
[email protected]
Cycle Coaching
Tanya Bosch
Level 2 Accredited Cycling
Coach
Whether your goal is 50km or
1200km, it can be achieved!
For professional coaching please phone
Tanya on 02 9369 1436, 0419 217 974 or
email [email protected]
17
Audax History
Completing the Circle
By Alan Walker
Cast your mind back to a time when very few people had seen a computer. Imagine a world without
email discussion groups or web pages. In such a world, how did anyone know about cycling events
in another country? Communication depended on a few cycling magazines, mostly aimed at the
racing world. The only publicity available to people on the fringe of cycling, itself a fringe sport, was
an occasional article in a magazine.
That is how I first heard of Audax.
While I was on a three month cycling tour
of Britain in 1979, I picked up a copy of a
cycling magazine. It included a long article
about members of an organisation called
Audax United Kingdom taking part in a
ride of 1200km in France. I read it with a
mixture of excitement and incredulity.
Back then, I assumed that only a highly
trained athlete, approaching Olympic
standard, could ride 400km in a day. The
prospect of covering triple that distance in
90 hours was overwhelming. But there was
the evidence in front of me - a photograph
of ordinary-looking people. Some of them
had grey hair. Their bikes had mudguards
and handlebar bags. Some of them were
even smiling. I was determined to join them.
I carried the magazine all over Britain,
carefully folded up in my rear pannier.
A few months after I returned to Australia,
I decided to start an Audax club. By pure
chance, I saw Sir Hubert Opperman among
the officials at a criterium in Richmond in
Melbourne. I walked up to him, introduced
myself, told him that I wanted to do ParisBrest-Paris (PBP) and asked for his advice.
Who better to ask? Oppy invited me to his
apartment. We spent an evening talking
bikes and he gave me a pile of literature
about randonneur rides, about the Audax
Club Parisien (ACP) and about Audax
United Kingdom.
I wrote to ACP and asked if we could
start an Audax club in Australia. I wrote to
Audax United Kingdom and asked for their
assistance. That was how it was in the days
18
before email and the World Wide Web.
We wrote letters, posted them and waited.
A two week turnaround was unusually fast.
In this case, I waited rather longer.
I never knew the whole story, but it seems
that ACP had contacted Oppy and asked
about my bona fides. It took him a while to
establish that I was not the rabble-rousing
ratbag, with a very similar name, who
repeatedly wrote incendiary letters to the
newspapers, damning cars and demanding
cyclists' rights. Eventually, Robert Lepertel
from ACP replied, approving the formation
of an Audax club in Australia, offering me
the position of Australian correspondent
and suggesting that I contact Russell Moore
from Sydney, who had independently written
to them just a week or two after me. Audax
United Kingdom sent me a copy of the rules
in English. With so much encouragement,
the idea was bound to take off.
I wondered how to get started. The main
ingredient was missing - riders. Explaining
what Audax was about took a lot of work.
I persisted in talking and cajoling, telling
anyone who would listen that Audax was
great idea. I talked to the Bicycle Institute
of Victoria. I advertised in Australian
Cycling magazines. I contacted cycling
clubs in Melbourne. Some long, hard rides
already existed. The "Knox Hard Hundred"
of 100 miles, the "Two Hundred Miles
in 24 Hours", after the fashion of similar
events held by the Cyclists Touring Club in
Britain and the "Bendigo Double Century",
of 100 miles from Melbourne to Bendigo on
Saturday and back on Sunday were all of a
comparable difficulty to the shorter brevets.
Despite this background, Audax style rides
encountered resistance. Checkpoints and
time limits seemed alien and unnecessary.
The notion that the clock keeps ticking
even during sleep breaks seemed unfair.
Nevertheless, I enticed Glenn Rodda,
Fabian Dexter and Malcolm Martin from
the Melbourne Bicycle Touring Club to
accompany me on a 200km ride starting at
Flinders Street Station. Audax had taken its
first step.
Early in 1981, Russell and I agreed that
it was time to form a club, to organise
qualifying rides for the 1983 PBP. I wanted
to avoid state rivalries and to ensure that
any rider anywhere in Australia could have
confidence that we intended to form a truly
national club. To reinforce the message,
we agreed to meet in Albury, as it is on the
border of NSW and Victoria.
Rather than merely hold a meeting, we
decided to combine it with two 600km rides
to Albury, one starting in Melbourne and
one in Sydney. "The Age" in Melbourne
used to have a regular page of free notices
for community events, so I advertised
a supported ride of 600km in two days
from Melbourne to Albury. The support
consisted of one car to carry luggage and
two very generous volunteers who put up the
riders' tents for them at the overnight stop.
I was too naive to be surprised that several
people rang up and joined in.
Russell was the only person to complete
600km in under 40 hours. All over northern
Victoria, the Melbourne group was plagued
by three-corner jacks (also called caltrops or
Photo: Terry Gross
Early days: Tim Laugher, Neil Irvine, Peter Annear and Alan Walker celebrate the completion of Audax Australia’s first 1000km brevet in 1984.
bindi-eyes). People had punctures three at
a time. When we needed to stop, we were
reduced to halting in the middle of the road
and carrying our bikes to safety, taking care
that our tyres did not touch the ground. At
one point I could not slip my foot into my
toe-clips (remember them?) because the
soles of my shoes were covered in prickles.
We spent hours fixing punctures.
Nevertheless, on Easter Sunday in 1981,
about ten cyclists sat on the banks of the
Murray and formed a club called "Audax
Australia", with Russell Moore as president,
myself as secretary and Tony McDonnell
as treasurer. In those happy days, no-one
thought of legal incorporation. We just did
it.
The greatest difficulty continued to be
finding people who would organise rides
or attempt such distances. Most racing clubs
simply scoffed at the idea. No-one had any
experience in organising randonnees. The
most enthusiastic response came from
veteran racing clubs and from the more
hard-bitten touring cyclists. In Victoria, we
began with a typed newsletter of two pages,
including a calendar of one ride every six
weeks.
The rides went the standard distances
within the standard time limits with
designated towns to stop for rest and
refreshment. At first no-one carried a brevet
card. It was hard enough to find routes,
organise rides and promote them. Brevets,
supported checkpoints and homologation
had to wait until we had enough members to
share the work. In hindsight, the prospect of
a medal from France would probably have
made the club more attractive, but initially
there was no money and no time. Some
rides started with two entrants. A field of
10 was a big success. Often, everyone taking
part would ride the entire course together
in a peleton, waiting for anyone who had
to stop.
Gradually, Audax caught on. John
Drummond, the editor of National
Cycling, agreed to publish a short article
about Audax. Word of mouth attracted a
few more. Occasionally, one would meet
another cyclist who had heard of Audax.
In NSW, Russell Moore had established
a nucleus of riders and four Australians
completed PBP in 1983. After about a year
as secretary, I bowed out of the organisation
of the club. I had recently married, started
a new job and moved to a new city and I
could not put in the effort Audax deserved.
Fortunately, the seed I planted was in fertile
ground. The credit for cultivating the
seedling belongs to others.
Terry Gross formalised the use of brevet
cards and organised the first awards of
medals. In those days, ACP had us parcel
up completed brevet cards and post them to
Paris to be checked. They would come back
weeks or months later with an homologation
sticker and a medallion, but better than
that, they came back with the mystique,
the aura, of having been approved by the
organisers of the oldest marathon cycling
event in the world. At first, ACP would not
sanction any other 1200km rides anywhere
19
Audax History
in the world but accepted 1000km brevets
as a compromise. Terry organised the first
Australian 1000km ride in August 1984.
That, to my mind, is when Audax Australia
came of age.
By this time, Audax had become
unstoppable. The big signature events,
the Opperman and the Alpine Classic,
became fixed points on many calendars
and many non-members participated. The
club still struggled occasionally, but one or
two people always picked up the baton and
continued the relay. From this distance,
I will not attempt to single out names:
there were many and I might unfairly omit
someone, especially those from Sydney.
In the beginning, life was simpler. No-one
needed to consult a lawyer before they got
on a bike. Risk management consultants
were unknown. The volume of traffic
on rural roads was half present levels. So
now I am especially grateful to those who
participate in our rides, with their mixture
of fun, hard grind and camaraderie, to those
who stand at a picnic table in a cold, dark
park in the middle of nowhere, preparing
food for cyclists who dash in, eat and dash
out, and to those who organise meetings,
Frank Brandon, one of three Aussie participants in the 1983 Paris-Brest-Paris. See “The Early Days of
Audax” , facing page. Photo by Terry Gross.
bank money, print newsletters and attend to
the myriad of other tasks demanded by such
a successful organisation. As Oppy used to
say, we Audax riders are among the last of
the true sporting amateurs.
On the day that Checkpoint Editor,
Patrick van Dyk, asked me to write this
story of how Audax began in Australia, my
PBP medal arrived in the mail, 25 years
after I read about it in a cycling magazine in
England. It was worth the wait.
The brevet card of the first Australian 1000km
event, held during August, 1984. At this time,
French brevet cards were being used.
20
Thanks to Alan Walker and Russell
Moore for their outstanding contribution to
this edition of Checkpoint. (Ed).
WANTED
Old issues of “The Journal of the Audax
Club of Australia” - the club magazine
between 1984 and 1994. Temporary
loan of material required to help
document the history of the Club. All
postage costs re-imbursed.
Please contact the Editor, Audax
Australia, PO Box 12144, A’Beckett
St, Melbourne VIC 8006 or
[email protected]
Audax History
The Early Days of Audax
by Russell Moore
I first heard about Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) and Audax around 1979 from a magazine and Novocastrian,
Chas Coin. He knew of a UK cyclist who had done the 1979 PBP. This started my interest in PBP, and
in 1980 I wrote to Audax Club Parisien (ACP) enquiring about PBP and Audax in general.
Imagine my surprise when Robert
Lepertel from ACP wrote back to say that
they had given permission to Alan Walker
from Victoria just two weeks previously to
be Australia's Audax representative. We
contacted each other and were pleased to
see that we were both following similar
paths in promoting long distance cycling in
Australia.
Victoria) rode 600km to get there! As Alan
has noted I was the only rider to manage to
arrive inside the 40 hour time limit. Alan
and the other Victorians had a hard time
with constant flat tyres. For me the ride
was a long, lonely event with the (illegal?)
company of my support crew riding some
sections, the rest of the time they drove in
the support car.
After my participation in the 1976
Bikecentennial in the USA, I came home
and started running the now defunct Green
Valley Twin Century, amongst other long
rides.
Our first brevet cards were pieces of
photocopied paper. These were sent to
Melbourne, to be forwarded to Paris and
in the fullness of time were returned via
Melbourne to us. It took many weeks to
return. Our first medallions were ACP
ones, we later had our own Aussie ones.
Alan and I decided to have a meeting to
start up Audax Australia. Not wanting to
start small, we decided to meet at Albury,
after riders from each state (NSW and
Russell back in 1984, starting good habits that
would last for over a decade of randonneuring.
Terry Gross became President around
1983/84 and brought a more organised
form of administration to Audax Australia. I
remember him being in the army and going
to an AGM at his house in Greensborough
in 1984.
An example of Terry's adherence to the
rules was what happened sometime in the
mid 1980's. An army friend of Terry's came
on a 600km randonnée from Sydney to
Canberra and return. On the way back he
withdrew at Moss Vale with a bad case of
piles. I said, 'no worries!" he could have a
300km brevet for the ride to Canberra and
a 200km brevet for the ride from Canberra
to Moss Vale. When I mentioned this to
Terry his reply was that if you nominated a
distance at the start, you couldn't do a lesser
distance, only a greater one. The fact that
his friend had piles cut no ice with Terry. I
never saw that rider again.
Only three Sydney riders, being myself,
Audax Australia co-founder and recipient of the
first 600km brevet, Russell Moore.
Stephen Poole and Frank Brandon, rode
the 1983 PBP. An article I wrote went into
the Bicycle NSW magazine Push On in late
1983 or early 1984.
Audax kept growing at a steady rate,
especially in Melbourne and the rest of
Victoria, and went from the occasional
small event every month or so, to the large
events of today. Participation in PBP went
from three in 1983 to 13 in 1987, 33 in 1991,
50 plus in 1995, 75 plus in 1999 and 83 in
2003. Events such as the Alpine Classic
(we first knew it as 'The Bright Ride') have
blossomed beyond our wildest imaginations,
and although my efforts no longer include
cycling, it was fun to be at the start of Audax
Australia, with Alan and all the others.
21
Bound for
by Barry Moore
Each Audax ride is different, but this one may have been a little more different. It started in a cow
paddock, rose to a mountain village, then swept back down to the cow paddock. In between was
some of the most beautiful riding country anywhere, a wonderful evening in a very special cafe and
a relaxed interlude in a comfortable ski lodge.
A hundred up, a hundred down, and in
between a night at Baw Baw Village, one
of Victoria's best kept secrets. That was the
first weekend in April for fourteen riders,
four organisers and one family.
Baw Baw is a small ski resort about
180km by road to the east of Melbourne.
It comprises about 30 lodges, mostly noncommercial. In the summer, not much
happens except for some maintenance and
repair work. The last 30km of road has only
been sealed in recent years, so an Audax
ride has now become feasible. We decided
on two rides of 100, anything longer could
have spoiled a good weekend. We were
lucky with the weather. The ride would have
been most unpleasant in a blizzard.
The ride started on a dairy farm
near Tynong (about 80km to the east of
Melbourne) where Martin Haynes had
arranged for the cars to be left. The sight of
lycra clad cyclists picking their way between
the cow pats was interesting.
The finish of the 100 was at the entry to
the park, a very steep 7km from Baw Baw
Village. Riders were offered the option of
attempting the ascent or accepting a lift.
Some brave souls did manage the climb
under their own power.
Martin and Libby planned and supported
the ride, with Barry and Callum Moore
making the arrangements at Baw Baw.
Many thanks to Chris Rogers and Leon
Malzinskas for recording their impressions.
22
Baw Baw
23
Bound for Baw Baw
A Family Affair
by Leon Malzinskas
It was Saturday the third of April and a great morning to
be "Bound for Baw Baw". This ride was a little different to
other Audax rides in that we were doing two 100km rides on
consecutive days.
The format of the ride also allowed us
to stay on Saturday night in Everest Lodge
at Baw Baw Village, close to the top of Mt
Baw Baw. The plan was that this would be a
social evening.
The Saturday morning start was too early
for my family so they drove directly to Baw
Baw from Inverloch, arriving in the early
afternoon. They spent the time waiting
for me to arrive (as I had taken the scenic
route) bushwalking, floating bark boats
down the creek and enjoying the scenery.
24
Shota, our Japanese exchange student,
found it all too much and flaked out on the
sofa in front of the fire.
I arrived at the control at about 4pm and
then proceeded to attempt the last 6km up
to the lodge. If you haven't been to Baw Baw,
this section is one of the steepest roads in
Victoria. I lasted 1.3 km and took a lift with
Martin. I got to the Lodge at about 5pm and
caught up with my family.
The evening was great. My kids made
their own fun and played cards or watched
the television. Carmel and I mingled with
the others that didn't go out to the restaurant
and happily sat near the fire and enjoyed
a wine. The eater outerers eventually
returned and after further discussion over
wines and coffees, most hit the sack for a
well earned rest.
Next morning, we had breakfast which
consisted of cereal and toast with tea and
espresso coffee. The kids were outside
again early playing at or in the creek. At
about 8.30, I started down the mountain
taking the first 6km very slowly. It was
good to warm my hands on the rims at the
control point. My family passed me on the
way down headed for home.
The ride back to Noojee was fantastic,
through the cool Gippsland forests. I
arrived back at Bramleys in the mid
afternoon and headed home soon after. I
must say that my family and I enjoyed this
weekend immensely. Thanks to Barry,
Callum, Martin and Libby for organizing
this ride. Work permitting, the Malzinskas
Family will be "Bound For Baw Baw" again
next year.
Bound for Baw Baw
Ride with a View
by Chris Rogers
There is something about Gippsland rides. They never
disappoint, either with the scenery, or the names of the towns.
A group of riders started at Bramley's
dairy farm near Nar Nar Goon, and sped
along the flat road through Bunyip to
Robin Hood, and then through undulating
country up to Jindivick. From there we
rode to Neerim South and Noojee, where
there was a delightful supported contrôle
in a picnic area. From Noojee the serious
work began with long climbs and fantastic
descents through Icy Creek and Tanjil
Bren to finish at the resort entrance. For
the remaining excruciating six kilometres
to the ski village some tried to ride, many
ended up walking, but the smart ones
hitched a ride with Martin or Barry.
At the lodge there was a beautiful fire in
the centre of the casual room, which tired
riders sat around and yarned away the time
till dinner. Most of us walked the short
distance to the cosy and inexpensive café
for a cheery meal, and some cooked their
own food or had take-away pizza back at the
lodge. The easy stroll from the café back
to the lodge through an almost deserted
village ghost-landscape of silhouettes and
shifting mist was eerie.
The Sunday ride down the mountain
was magic. It was a bright clear morning,
with the sun slanting through lush green
foliage, with vibrant light strips and darkest
shadows alternating on the road. The
forest in this part of Victoria is different to
any other part of Victoria, perhaps apart
from the Otways. It is lush and dense and
damp and mossy. The roads up many
of the mountains in Victoria seem to be
statements of engineering conquest, as
straight and wide as possible, with attempts
at shoulders, and white lines defining their
presence. But the road up to Baw Baw is
narrow and winding, with the forest right
up to the edge of the bitumen, and not a
white line to be seen. It is as though the
road still seeks permission to exist, and the
rider is alone deep within the forest. There
was almost no traffic present, enhancing the
feeling of isolation.
From the hilltops around Neerim South
and Jindivick there were sweeping views of
rolling hills and the flat lands leading down
to the see. At Jindivick there was a section
of cool sunken road between hedgerows and
large oak trees that seemed to be an English
country lane transplanted.
The scenery and views on the ride were
brilliant, but they were only one aspect of
this superb weekend ride. My name is first
on the list if the ride is offered next year.
25
Proposed new Awards
by Vaughan Kippers, Queensland Regional Correspondent
For some time, there has been a feeling that Audax Australia has insufficient awards to encourage
riders to enter more rides, either during one season or over the period of a few seasons. The
current awards available are shown in Rule 20 of the Audax Australia Ride Rules, which lists both the
awards and their associated rules.
If you look at the Audax UK website, you
will see that they have a long list of awards;
probably more than Audax Australia would
consider at this stage. I used the UK site as a
guide during preparation of a draft proposal
for the introduction of more Australian
awards. The draft proposal was discussed
during a national teleconference on the
5th May, 2004. After some discussion, it
was decided to publish the proposals of
the meeting in Checkpoint and ask for
comment from the general membership.
The following points summarise the
suggestions made during the teleconference
discussion:
•The Nouveau Randonneur award, which
totals 350km (min), should be retained
with an added rule that it only be available
for members during their first two years
of membership. For existing members,
they will have two years in which to apply
for this award.
• The Super Randonneur award totals
1500km (min) and should be retained.
• The Dirt Series Award totals 205km and
should be retained.
• Introduce a Brevet 500. Ride 5 x 100km
rides in one season to gain your Brevet
500 (no substitutes)
• Introduce a Brevet 1000. Ride 5 x 200km
rides in one season to gain your Brevet
1000 (no substitutes)
• Introduce a Brevet 2000. Carry on
collecting 100s or 200s over as long a
period as you like (commencing in the
2004-2005 season), and eventually you
will have your Brevet 2000. That's 10 x
200km or 20 x 100km. You can't mix
them, and you can't substitute longer
rides.
26
• Introduce a Brevet 3000. Collect 300s,
400s and 600s over as long a period as
you like (commencing in the 2004-2005
season, and eventually you will have your
Brevet 3000. Any mixture of the three
lengths is acceptable for this award. *
The Woodrup 5000 award should be
retained.
• An alternative 5000 which does not
require an Oppy, 1000 or 1200 rides,
aggregated over a number of seasons.
Members are reminded that, except
for the Woodrup 5000, a ride counted
towards one Audax Australia award
cannot be counted towards another award
. It is anticipated that this rule will not be
changed.
The names listed for the proposed awards
are the same as the UK awards. Members
may like to suggest some more interesting
Aussie names such as "The Outback
3000' or 'The Blackstump 3000' or 'The
Kangaroo 3000', suggested by Don Briggs.
We could also consider naming the rides
after famous Australian riders such as the
Gray 1000 (after Dunc Gray, suggested by
Garry Armsworth), the Stephens 2000
(after Neil Stephens) or the Anderson 3000
(after Phil Anderson).
All members are invited to send
any comments on the above award
suggestions directly to Vaughan Kippers at
[email protected] or 50 Tekapo Street,
Westlake, Qld, 4074. You can also write to
the Editor of Checkpoint if you would like
your comments to be read by the general
membership.
Contributions for next Checkpoint close on
28 August 2004
Café
Audax
You read about Hotel Audax in the
last issue of Checkpoint, now we can
announce Cafe Audax.
Jointly operated by Audax Life
Member Terry Gross, the café opened
on 15 June 2004. Aptly named, the
Café Audax can be found at 14 Doveton
Street North, Ballarat, and specialises
in nourishing home cooked food made
from the freshest ingredients. It will
meet the needs of the hungriest cyclists
for the quality calories necessary to
follow Oppy’s enthusiasm and courage.
The café decor emphasises its cycling
theme and is decorated with many
pictures and photographs of Oppy’s
and Audax Australia’s history.
The Café’s name was chosen to reflect
the spirit of boldness and the “can do”
attitude of the randonneur. Meals and
snacks, most home cooked on the
premises, are available from Monday
to Friday as is an extensive range of
teas and coffee. Vegetarian and many
special dietary needs can be met.
The Café Audax can also be opened
at weekends to enable Audax events to
be conveniently run from the City of
Ballarat using the café as a base and
control. For further enquiries, ring
Terry on 0438 452060 or during the
day at the Café on 03 5332 9308.
A Radical Reconnoitre
The Tin Trail
North-East Tasmania
by Jenny Caldwell
In mid February I ventured down to
Tasmania to have a look at the Tin Trail,
with Paul Gregory. We were kindly picked
up from Hobart airport at 6pm and headed
towards St. Helens campground for a
Saturday morning start.
Six of us set off, with Paul doing support
in the van. The ride out of St. Helens
headed north taking the coastal track along
the Bay of Fires to ‘The Gardens’, where
we then headed West. Fun on a gently
undulating forest track had me in a joyful,
carefree mood, which at my age should ring
at least a medium size bell! Cliffords Road
was marked as ‘no through’ so we rode
onto Terrys Hill Road, then into Murdochs
Road. The terrain was changing to taller
trees, low cloud and hanging moisture.
The detour to Platts Lookout was a densely
forested 2km climb - superb even though
there was too much cloud for a view. We
were told on a clear day Flinders Island is
visible from this fire spotting lookout.
Back down the hill, across Murdochs
Road and onto SunFlats Road. Now there’s
a funny thing with names. It’s definitely not
a road, it wasn’t sunny and you can guess the
rest. A steady climb over flat rocks, running
water, beautiful ferns and not much chatter.
We ultimately came out at Poinema, 810m
above sea level, where Paul had a wonderful
Above: Checking directions after passing over a small twig, and below, giving the bikes a wash!
lunch prepared. Poinema, once an open-cut
and underground tin mine, was a thriving
town at the turn of the century. Supporters
of this area’s natural beauty hope that the
next incarnation of the Blue Tier is as a
National Park. There are many walking
trails and clearly sensational riding.
After a late lunch Paul informed us there
was a 16km descent and that he would see
us at the Weldborough Pub for dinner.
Excitedly we all mounted and began along
an exquisite track that came out onto
peat high plains. After getting a bit wet
we began the descent through different
forest types-sub-alpine, mytrle and then
eucalypt. A special feature of the descent
is the rocky terrain known as ‘Doughboys’,
but personally I was busy keeping myself on
the bike, the bike not in the bushes and my
heart not interrupting hearing. So the 16km
descent consisted of rock, creeks, wash-outs,
uphill and took 3 hours.
At 6pm we fell into the Weldborough Pub
- most going straight to the Bar. The dinner
discussion consisted mainly of trying to elicit
a more accurate description of Sunday’s ride
from our laid-back, van driving leader. It
appeared there were two options-there is
no doubt I will be back to do option A (St.
Columba Falls), but the decision for this trip
was the easier option B. We enjoyed a good
breakfast in a room filled with the amazing
historical memorabilia, particularly the
Chinese involvement in the tin trade.
We were back on the bikes the next
morning ascending the Weldborough
Pass. This was a steady bitumen climb of
approximately 3-4km through beautiful
Nothfagus (mytrle) forest. The descent
down into Pyengana was one of those
yahooing big-smile events and the coffee at
the new cafe was excellent. Gough’s Road
out of Pyengana showed us that the country
is now being shaped by forestry not mining
as we crossed three ridge lines planted either
with eucalyptus Globus or Pinus Radiata.
The ridges, running roughly north-south,
gradually petered out into a sandy track
(Argonaut Road, named after the Argonaut
tin mine), which was a delightful run straight
back into St. Helens. We ate, then showered
back at the campground.
Most of us dozed as the wonderful Paul
drove us back to Hobart. I loved this
weekend: wonderful insights into the northeast of the state, its tin mining history, the
need to preserve the Blue Tier and the great
company of my fellow riders. So if this ride
makes the calendar next year, don’t miss
out. Remember though, practise your rockhopping!
27
Rider Profile
Don & Enid Halton
Questions by Phil Bellette & Sue Taylor
The accents are a dead give away. Why,
from where and when did you come to
Australia?
For the first ten years after our marriage
in 1957, we lived in five different homes in
various parts of England and Don’s mother
reckoned we had ‘itchy feet’. ‘Emigration’
seemed to be the next logical step. There
was an advertisement in an English
paper asking for a Linotype Operator in
Western Australia which Don answered.
Whilst waiting for a reply, ‘The Age’ also
advertised for a Linotype Operator and
at his interview Don was told one of the
conditions of the job offer was that we had
to be in Melbourne within six weeks.
We come from Lancashire in England,
more specifically the Manchester area.
We arrived in Melbourne with our
three children aged 10, 7 and 3 years
on the Queen’s Birthday weekend in
1969, a beautiful day with clear blue skies.
This meant of course that once the sun
went down it was very cold - the coldest
Melbourne night for 21 years - and our
accommodation at Preston hostel was half
a Nissen hut and one blanket per bed.
On our arrival in mid afternoon we were
offered a meal of stewed rabbit and potatoes
after which we went to bed as we had been
travelling for about 48 hours. Unfortunately
we slept through the evening meal time and
after a very disturbed cold night fell asleep
again and missed breakfast!
Did you cycle before making the move
downunder?
Enid: My parents were cyclists and I
was originally carried around in a sidecar
before progressing to a chair on the back
of a bike followed by riding on a tandem
and then eventually my own bike. My dad
was of the ‘old school’ that riding up hills
meant sitting on the saddle, putting your
heels down and pushing. I still can’t ride
out of the saddle.
Don: I originally started cycling at 13 with
school friends.
28
You were active in other sports prior to
Audax - why the move and do you still
participate in other forms of cycling?
We have always been interested in cycling.
Don joined Southern Vets when they started
up in 1975 and has raced with them since.
We both took part in the Bicycle Victoria
rides and joined a local cycling club when
the children were older. We found Audax
challenging and it was something we could
do together.
How did you find about Audax.?
From a friend in Peninsula Pedallers
cycling club.
What was the incentive/catalyst for
deciding to do PBP in 1995? Will there be
any more?
Enid: Strangely enough, I think age had
a lot to do with it. As I would be aged 59 at
the time of the ride, it seemed like a case
of now or never. This probably accounts
for the fact that I continued riding in spite
of problems with my left leg and spending
hours at various checkpoints getting
treatment. On our second Audax ride in
April 1993 which started and finished at
Castlemaine, Tim Laugher was at the finish
talking about what a wonderful experience
PBP was. At the time, having just completed
the 100km ride, I thought you’d have to be
crazy to even contemplate riding 1200km,
but gradually as I built up my distances and
enjoyed the challenges and the company I
started wondering whether perhaps it may
be possible.
After being made redundant, I was
working on a one year contract which ended
in April 1995 and we decided to have a
‘once in a lifetime’ retirement trip which
would include PBP and the Land’s End to
John O’Groats ride in England. Much as
I loved the atmosphere of PBP, I doubt I’d
ever again reach the fitness necessary.
Don: As I completed the longer Audax
rides, PBP became another challenge and
yes 2007 is a possibility.
You have both been cycling for a long time.
Tell us about your early experiences.
Enid: My early cycling years were spent
with my family and cycling friends of my
parents and their children. As this was
during and just after World War II there
were very few cars on the roads, as well as
very few, if any, signposts. (I believe this was
to confuse the enemy if they ever landed).
We used to go out along country lanes
taking our sandwiches and stopping at cafes
for pots of tea.
As a teenager I joined a cycling club
(where Don and I met) which was quite
regimented on the road. We cycled in pairs
and were not allowed to overtake the leaders
who were older members. Once at a café for
lunch or tea, there was always time ‘to let
off steam’.
The Clarion Cycling Club owned ‘club
houses’ in various parts of the country.
These were similar to Youth Hostels with
male and female dormitories, cooking
facilities, etc and set in their own grounds.
We cycled to those further afield at holiday
times.
The cycling club was a big part of our
lives and we always travelled by bike to the
social/club nights and the organised dances
carrying a change of clothes. We also did
a lot of cycle touring in England staying at
Youth Hostels.
Don: I started fairly serious cycling in
1948 and joined a club (East Manchester
Clarion) the following year. These were
fantastic years for cycling with very few
cars on the roads and most Sundays were
spent on club rides with a few youth hostel
weekends thrown in. A couple of years later
I progressed to racing, mainly on the track,
which marriage and children curtailed. I
later returned to racing, specializing in time
trials with the occasional road race.
You have been described as never home.
You must like traveling? Where are some
of your favourite places and do you always
take the bikes.
Enid has two brothers in England and
Don has two sisters and it’s always nice
to catch up with family. On our overseas
trips we spend some time in the UK then
travel over to France where we find the
cycling excellent. We have had three more
European trips since 1995 but none as big
spending! In 1999 we cycle camped our
way through France arriving at St Quentin
in time for Don to ride PBP. We cycled
from Manchester to Poole for the ferry to
Cherbourg. We then had a wonderful trip
winding our way through France along very
quiet lanes and through some beautiful
villages with houses and village squares
festooned in flowers. After PBP we travelled
by train to Donaueschingen for the start
of the Danube Bike Trail. We cycled as
far as Vienna with a side trip to Beilngries
alongside the Main-Donau-Kanal and then
took the train to St Malo visiting Jersey and
Guernsey in the Channel Islands, before
returning to England.
Randonnee when neither of us had done the
necessary preparation and were therefore
not fit enough. We also encountered
adverse weather including snow on Lavers
Hill and Enid had a problem with her knee.
Enid: Best experience (apart from the ‘high’
of successfully completing PBP 1995 in 85
hrs 10 mins) was the magic of Mt Buffalo on
a volunteers ride in January 1999. We had
left Bright at 6 am on a very cold morning
and part way up Mt Buffalo I stopped in
the sunshine to look down on the mist in
the valley and watch and listen to some
Much as I loved the atmosphere of PBP, I doubt I’d
ever again reach the fitness necessary.
In 2001 and 2003 as well as having bikes,
we took advantage of the offer of a car
from family in England. We would drive
to a chosen area, pitch our tent at the local
camping ground (which seem to be in every
little village in France) and explore the
surrounding territory by bike. We prefer the
quieter country areas of France as opposed
to the bigger cities and have visited different
parts of the country each visit. (We still have
a few Departments to go). So saying that we
have also cycled along the Loire Valley and
stayed in the Dordogne and both areas get
very busy at certain times of the year.
lyrebirds. Don: Completing PBP 1999 in
76 hrs 5 mins - (Enid and I had ridden as a
team in 1995)
During our 2001 trip we cycled a few of
the Pyrenean cols frequented by the Tour de
France riders, albeit at a much slower pace!
It did mean we could appreciate the beauty
of the surrounding countryside though.
We have also twice taken part in Semaine
Federale in France. In 2001 this was at Crest
in the Drome-Ardeche region and in 2003
Aurillac in the Auverge. This is a fantastic
cycling experience which is very well
organised by the FFCT (who are involved in
the organisation of PBP). There are a choice
of five rides each day of varying lengths and
difficulties and excellent maps are provided.
The maps are virtually superfluous as there
are arrows on the roads as well as signs at
strategic corners. Well organised food areas
are set up at nominated towns to cater for
the 10,000 or so cyclists.
A pot of tea, freshly brewed with boiling
water!
What are your first, worst and best Audax
experiences?
Our first Audax was the Bellarine 100km
in 1993 and our worst (through no fault of
the organiser we hasten to add) an attempt
at 1000km on the first Great Southern
What has been the best/favourite
development in cycling equipment since
you started cycling?
Enid: Gear levers on the handlebars
instead of on the downtube.
Don: Clipless pedals coming close behind
STI’s.
What do you think about in the middle of
the night on a 400km ride?
Best bit of advice for Audax aspirants?
Don: Ride a bike, ride a bike, ride a bike.
Enid: Ride at a pace you are comfortable
with to be able to finish the distance. Also
I believe doing weight work for upper body
strength in preparation for long rides would
be helpful.
Any Other Comments?
Enid: After completing an Opperman
and a 1000km ride in 1996 to qualify for a
Randonneur 5000 Award, my next project
was to qualify for a Woodrup. Unfortunately
this wasn’t to be as for various reasons, I was
not able to complete some of the necessary
distances. I have now accepted that it is most
unlikely that I will be able to complete the
longer distances again, but I can, and still
do, enjoy the shorter Audax rides as well
as cycle touring. We both also get great
pleasure out of taking our grandchildren
cycling along the local bike tracks (at their
request) when they stay with us.
29
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Comparing randonnees
by Bob Bednarz
Some Paris-Brest-Paris veterans may be inclined towards further testing their endurance on 1200km
events sanctioned by Les Randonneurs Mondiaux (LRM). The question of degrees of difficulty of
other 1200km rides compared to PBP then becomes of interest.
From the Internet I have been able to
download and then combine elevation
profiles
for
Paris-Brest-Paris
1999
(PBP99), the Perth-Albany-Perth (PAP),
Boston-Montreal-Boston (BMB), and the
Rocky Mountain 1200 (RM1200) into
a single chart. The advantage of having
them on a single chart is that they all have
a common scale and axes and therefore the
ride topology, such as slopes and altitude
variations, can be visually compared
at a glance. The result is shown in the
accompanying chart.
In terms of cumulative climb over the
course, both PBP and BMB have been
recorded at around 10,000m. In 1997,
Melbourne club member Peter Moore
recorded a total climb for PAP of 7,200m
and the cumulative climb for the RM 1200
held in 2002 was given as 7,850m.
A better measure than cumulative
climb for appraising course difficulty was
brought to our attention by Derek Dawkins
in January 2001. He appraised Alpine
Classic hills in terms of a climb rating,
which involves both grade and altitude
2
gained by using the formula H / 10D or
(height difference in meters) squared / (10 x
distance travelled in meters). Source: Dutch
bicycle-magazine Fiets.
Applying this formula to the altitude
variation data that I compiled for each ride,
and summing the rating of each individual
climb over each course yields the following
comparison of ‘Cumulative Climb Ratings‘:
RM1200
BMB
PBP
PAP
36
46
36
32
While PBP is characterized by endlessly
rolling countryside with no particularly long
and steep climbs, BMB passes through
the Green Mountains of Vermont, which
has indeed more challenging climbs. So
although they both have approximately
the same cumulative climb, the BMB is
a more difficult course, as indicated by its
“Cumulative Climb Rating.” Although the
RM1200 climbs to the greatest altitude, in
general the climbs are gradual, thus yielding
a rating similar to PBP.
Of course, topology is not the only
consideration in determining ride difficulty.
Prevailing weather during the ride is a
major factor, as is road surface conditions
and level of support. In particular, the New
England region in the USA can be hot and
very humid during August when BMB is
run.
By far, PBP is the most prestigious
event, offering the greatest international
participation with some 4000 riders from
around the world; together with its historical
significance, the cycling enthusiasm of
the French, their unique scenery and
particularly smooth road surfaces.
In contrast, the other 1200km rides have
only a small fraction of PBP rider numbers
but offer more personalized support such
as bag-drops, quick food service as well
as showering and sleep accommodation at
checkpoints.
References
Perth-Albany-Perth, Peter Moore,
Checkpoint, Summer 97/98
http://home.t-online.de/home/
randonneur/pap2000e.htm
http://home.t-online.de/home/
randonneur/pbp1999.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/
2750/route.html#Profile
http://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/
Resources/maps_etc/RM_profile_2004.jpg
http://www.komcycling.com/
31
32
Using Different Modes of
Cycling to Improve: Track
Cycling is such a great sport. There are so many ways in which you can enjoy it. In a series of
articles I will be looking at ways to improve your skills, endurance and general enjoyment on the
bike, using the various forms of cycling.
Presently as I write, the World Track
Cycling Championships are about to start in
Melbourne. I will make no secret of the fact
that I have a bias in this area. So track is the
subject for this time.
Track Cycling is done on velodromes or
“tracks” around ovals. The banking can
be from 45 degrees to a couple of degrees.
The surface can be concrete, bitumen or
wooden boards. The distance once around
varies from 185 to over 400 metres. The
venue can be outdoor or indoor. Entry can
be restrictive like Dunc Gray Velodrome
in Sydney, where you must have a cycling
licence, or it can be totally open to the
public. It can cost or be free.
It is recommended if you are going to ride
track, unless it only has a slight bank and
there are no other riders around, that you
do use a track bike.
A track bike has a single fixed gear
(which means no freewheeling, you have
to pedal) and it has no brakes. It also has
a high bottom bracket which prevents you
digging the pedal in when going slow on the
banks. It is a lot lighter than the road bikes
as it doesn’t have the braking and gearing
paraphernalia. You’ll find you go a lot faster
on a track bike with less effort once you
get used to the fixed wheel and having no
brakes.
What does it do for your skills?
1. Pedalling
Pedalling a fixed wheel improves your
general pedal stroke and not having brakes
forces you to adjust pedalling pressure to
control speed
3. Sitting on a wheel
A lot of the aerobic work on the track
is done by pace line which is a single line
of riders where the front rider does a lap
turn, swings up the bank, and then goes to
the back of the group. Therefore as well as
becoming fitter the cyclist is spending most
of his/her time sitting on a wheel. This is
good practice is you are riding in a tight
group on Audax rides.
4. Reactions
Riding the track improves your general
reactions and handling skills as you have
to adjust your line using your positioning
rather than the brakes
What does it do for your fitness?
1. No Rest for the Wicked!
Fixed wheel means you cannot rest while
you are riding.
2. A Lot of Anaerobic Threshold Training
Track riders generally train faster
which means for most of us we would be
at our anaerobic threshold (the hardest
work you can do aerobically). This has the
effect of making us fitter faster. This pace
line training doesn’t last too long so it is
achievable. If you find the going too hard
you can always hide at the back or pull off
and have a bit of a rest and then come back
in.
This will not train you for the long
distances of Audax but will raise your fitness
level so that together with long distance
training the cyclist will be able to put out
more power at lower heart rates.
Coaching
Tips
with Tanya Bosch
Tanya Bosch is a Level 2 Accredited Cycling Coach
and has trained numerous Audax riders including
several PBP finishers. Readers can contact Tanya
on (02) 02 9369 1436, 0419217974 or by email
[email protected]
Coming
Event
Fitz/Tharwa Challenge
Sunday, 31 October, 2004
Whilst not an Audax randonnee
this ride is run under similar rules
including a time limit. Choose from
90km or 150km routes, with inclusion
of a 200km route this year also a
possibility.
The one day event passes through
scenic bushland and countryside
settings in the Canberra district.
For further details, please
[email protected] or
Power ACT Inc, PO Box
Canberra ACT 2601 Ph (02)
7995.
email
Pedal
581,
6248
33
Lighting the PBP fuse
by Allan Dickson
On 4 December 1999 at Verdun, South Australia, I entered my first Audax ride - the 200km Midnight
Madness. Ian Peak, Oliver Portway and Matthew Rawnsley rode too and they lit my PBP fuse with
their lively conversation about the 1999 PBP. Riding to Bright in Victoria for the Alpine Classic was
now merely a step towards Paris.
Meanwhile, back on the Verdun ride, I
could not find the Woodside control and
returned to Verdun without my brevet card
stamped. This could have caused me to be
disqualified, but instead I was encouraged
and told by the organisers that the Springton
control would wait for me until 6am that
morning. Inspired, I completed that ride in
just 12 hours.
The cycling and camping that I did as a
scout paid off when I began preparing for
PBP. My best friend and I had cycled 160km
in the Adelaide Hills when we were only 13
and after beginning cycling again in 1973,
I soon wanted to do that again. In 1992 I
achieved that and was further enthused by
reading about PBP and the Alpine Classic
in the Australian Cyclist magazine. When I
joined Audax Australia and ordered knicks
and a jersey, Sue Taylor put the 1999 PBP
Information booklet in the parcel too, and I
was hooked. In 2001, I had planned to take
seven days to ride to Bright from Adelaide
but didn’t reach Bright until 4pm the day
before the Alpine Classic (the Raleigh had
only 14 gears then!). On the day of the
Alpine Classic, I drafted five girls from
Germantown because of the headwind,
arriving in Bright at 2:40pm, with no hope
(I thought) of completing the climb to the
Mt Buffalo chalet. However, the organisers
encouraged me, and, eating a salad-roll, I
continued on to arrive at the chalet with
three other riders. The magic of descending
for the third time that day and a 12 hour
50 minute brevet are highly treasured
memories.
Three-hundred kilometres was next and
I remember Elle Mattey and Sam Blight
driving out past Kersbrook during the
night to encourage me. With haemoglobin
at the wrong end of the normal range, my
cruising speed was reduced but shorter rests
offset this. My first 400km brevet in March
34
2001 was difficult. I had only ten minutes
to spare because I tried to have some sleep
after about 18 hours and then encountered
a strong head wind for the last 30km and
300m climb to Belair.
In 2002 I retired from a 600km brevet
when an August frost made me shelter
under my space blanket for too long. I rode
a 200km out and back course from home
that I could add on to the 400km loop that
we use in SA for Audax rides. After several
400km rides when I could not start the
extra 200km, I learned to pace myself and
did the 600km in 37 hours without sleep.
Then PBP qualifying and the insurance
crisis arrived. I enjoyed a 400km ride with
Rob Reid-Smith, who kindly waited at the
top of that 300m climb to Belair so that we
could finish together, only to find that our
‘pseudo-brevets’ would not be sent to Paris
for ratification.
When I set off for the 2003 Alpine
Classic, I had arranged to do the Western
Districts Wanderers 400km brevet on 8
February and I was hoping that the bushfires
would be extinguished. Seven days later, in
Wangaratta, I learned that the Classic was
cancelled. I camped at Tarrawingee and
then rode through the smoke via Bonnie
Doon to Phillip Island, back around the bay
to Sorrento, along the Great Ocean Road to
Cumberland River near Lorne, and back to
Geelong for the qualifying ride. Again I lost
ground on the other riders until a shorter rest
at the Sebastopol control placed me ahead
of a group, which caught me at Rokewood.
I managed to stay with them all the way
back to Geelong, very much enjoying group
riding. I declined the invitation to ride the
last 116km to Weribee and back with
them, but they insisted, and I found that
I could stay with them because they were
pacing themselves for a 600km brevet. That
brevet is 54 minutes quicker than any of my
eight 400km rides. I now knew more PBP
entrants and those five weeks and 3200km
of cycling and camping were the beginnings
of my build up for PBP.
The qualifying 600km comprised three
200km loops from the Gawler Soaring
Club, 50km north of Adelaide. I rode the
first loop with Ian Peak and the last two
alone. After 400km, I set my timer for an
hour and slept for nearly two hours and
started the last loop in panic at 8am. It
was good to arrive back with 3 hours 40
minutes to spare. After a beer with Matt
Rawnsley, I set off on the 50km ride home
and discovered that my legs were OK but my
eyes had quit. That was the last time, except
for a few hours during PBP, that I cycled
with ordinary spectacles. I purchased a pair
of Euro sunglasses with blue-mirror, clear
and amber glasses and a clip-in frame for
prescription lenses. My optometrist advised
me that I had ‘dry-eyes’ but I considered that
the new specs would cure them.
I went by Singapore Airlines to Zurich
and assembled my 1976 Raleigh Carlton
Clubman to do 11 weeks and 5,500km of
cycle touring and camping in France before
PBP. About 10km from the Zurich airport,
one of the 16 spokes in my Shimano rear
wheel broke. Thirteen days later my search
for another spare spoke was rewarded
when a cycle shop in Beaune gave me two.
When the second spoke broke in Grenoble
3000km later, I returned to Beaune and
rebuilt the wheel with new spokes. I had
just descended from watching the Tour de
France at Col du Galibier, 2645m, and Col
de l’Izoard, 2360m.
In Versailles, I saw the last stage of Le
Tour and rode into Paris but I was at the
wrong camping ground. After one night at
Parc Etang (the right camping ground in
Guyancourt) I started a two week trip on
the PBP route. This was OK until I was
returning from Brest, when 2 spokes broke
on Monday and another one on Wednesday,
so I spent the Saturday before PBP
rebuilding the wheel again with reduced
spoke tension. With the scrutineering
passed and our ‘last supper’ eaten I forgot
to turn in my ground sheet edges and awoke
on Monday to find my route book and PBP
clothing sodden. There was no sleep during
that day!
I started in the 10:30pm group and after
only a few hours, discovered in Nogent-leRoi that my rear wheel had nearly collapsed.
Wednesday was the high day for me. I
knew the roads and had camped at Huelgoat
two weeks earlier. Instead of hurrying I
took time out for a Yoplait drink, bun and
banana in Huelgoat and arrived in Brest
about 41 hours after starting. I left Carhaix
as darkness fell in a large group with a police
escort. There were many Americans in that
group and I was astonished at our speeds
down hills in the darkness pierced only by
our puny lights. In St Martin-des-Pres I
feasted at midnight and practised my French
with the villagers. Then at the Loudeac
control, after eating, I slept for an hour on
the floor by the heater.
I forgot to turn in my ground sheet edges and awoke on
Monday to find my route book and PBP clothing sodden.
I frantically adjusted the spokes and set off
at the rear of the field. Five minutes later,
at the last street light, I stopped again to
make more adjustments before riding the
84km to Mortagne-au-Perche for a beer,
soup and bread breakfast. After truing my
wheel, I set off in good spirits and was soon
amongst other riders again. That afternoon
between Villaines-la-Juhel and Fougeres I
needed a 20 minute power-nap, and then
another 20 minutes about two hours before
sunset, because I knew that to continue
riding in a group was unsafe. I left Tinteniac
as darkness fell intending to sleep for about
3 hours at Loudeac. Gradually I became
confused and could not recall the roads that
I had seen earlier in daylight. At a left turn
I shouted in vain to a rider going straight
ahead and then around midnight, I tried
to sleep for two hours in a field in my space
blanket. I lost another 15 minutes searching
for my LED light that doubled as a torch and
then headed confusedly towards Loudeac.
Groups of approaching PBP riders
and locals clapping for me in complete
darkness, gradually restored reality and
I reached Loudeac with one other rider,
who sounded like an excited Japanese
tourist as he discovered the PBP ‘arrow’ on
the edge of the town. There was no entry
chute and I continued for a kilometre until,
after crossing the railway, I turned back
and entered the control from Brest. My
despairing, “Le controle ferme?” to the
official for outward riders was answered,
“Oui.” Immediately the official for the
returning riders cheerfully announced, “He
must have started after ten.” Then, with my
book stamped and card swiped, I was back
in the carnival!
I ate well at every control from the wide
range of foods and drinks. After settling
in, an hour power-napping and four meals
per day was all that I needed. I telephoned
my wife, Kath, from Sens-de-Bretagne,
announcing, “PBP dans la poche!” little
knowing what lay ahead. Gradually the two
pairs of knicks and the layers of Silcon cream
grew thinner and the hills became steeper.
The crunch came when darkness fell after
Mamers and that 43km to Mortagne-auPerche seemed to take forever. The LED
tail lights of hundreds of riders coming past
continuously, were blinding me. Removing
my wrap-around, amber cycling specs
improved my sight sufficiently to continue
but those cold hours, with bare knees, were
the hardest to conquer. Finally I made it
to Mortagne-au-Perche for a feed and 25
minutes under a blanket before setting off at
midnight on the last 141km.
Apart from eating at Nogent-le-Roi,
I stopped only once to chat with fellow
Aussie Ian Peak in Faverolles, and arrived
at Guyancourt at about 4pm. The wrong
turns only lost 100 metres until a red
cross indicated ‘wrong road’. My average
from Mortagne was only 9km/h and my
riding speed only a bit higher but I had no
doubt that I would finish! Loretta Armitage
stopped only a few metres in front of me
and about 10 minutes later a French rider,
who had been riding with me earlier,
came alongside to ask me, “Did I know
the Australian who said that she just could
not ride any further?”. At Nogent-le-Roi,
Bernard Collins couldn’t see anything
wrong with my eyes but my vision was very
blurred. I used my 26 teeth granny-ring for
the first time about an hour later and fell
off when the chain ‘sucked’ and then, after
the umpteenth wrong turn, an official, who
had been keeping an eye on me, asked me
what was wrong. He hadn’t seen my fall and
I managed to assure him that I was OK. At
about 3:30pm in Montigny-le-Bretonneux
a motorcycle Gendarme (one of many)
escorted our little group for the last 30
minutes through all the traffic signals and
roundabouts to the finish, where we were
cheered by thousands. The tears didn’t
cure my chronic dry eyes but the satisfaction
surpassed my wildest dreams.
In July 2007 I will fly to Milan and cycle
tour in France again before the next PBP. An
Air Friday with a Rohloff 14 speed hub and
Lightspin generator will replace the Raleigh
and I will have a larger rack bag for the leg
warmers and gloves that I missed in 2003.
Poly Gel drops and an optical correction of
my clip-in lenses has fixed my eyes. My legs,
which improved in France, will surely last
another ten years. A bag of toy kangaroos
will also start PBP with me in 2007!
ACP
celebrates
Audax Club Parisien (ACP) has
announced that a special award will
be presented to 100 people around
the world to celebrate the 200,000th
homologation of a 200km brevet.
Jean-Gualbert Faburel, ACP’s results
coordinator for all foreign nations, has
asked that Audax Australia notify him
when any of the following people do a
200km brevet ride this year, so that they
may receive a special medal.
The list was developed by Bob &
Suzanne Lepertel of ACP, to thank
people for their involvement in BRM.
The Australian riders that have
been selected for this honour are Hans
Dusink, Sue Taylor, Phil Bellette, Colin
Farmer, Tim Laugher, Peter Mathews
and Henry Boardman.
Congratulations to
Australia members.
those
Audax
35
PBP 2007 Fixation
by Alan Tonkin
I have just had my first ‘brake free’ 20km commute to work, which includes stopping the bike downhill
at a T-intersection from what would normally be a speed of over 50 km/h. By ‘brake-free’, I mean a
fixed-wheel bike without brakes or gears. My intention is to ride the 2007 Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) on a
fixed-wheel bike, and it was friend Peter Moore who suggested I document my experiences thus far.
Why ride fixed?
The answer is simple. It’s lots of fun,
it’s a challenge, its a chance to improve
existing skills and to learn new ones in
bike handling, it improves pedal action and
cadence, and the legs get heaps stronger.
It also has its idyllic/trance like moments
when you are just floating along with the
pedals effortlessly coming around (like it
or not). It’s heaps cheaper and easier to
maintain the bike, there are no worries
about it getting knocked off because the
thief will get bucked off, the worry of the
derailleur getting knocked is a thing of the
past, plus it is a kind of cool and trendy
thing to be doing here on the streets of
Melbourne, especially for this ‘Johnny
come lately to cycling’. The ultimate of
course will be commuting with no brakes - I
still have the front one operative. And the
super ultimate challenge will be doing the
2007 PBP on it.
What got me thinking about a fixed wheel?
Three things. Firstly, my final qualifier
for the 2003 PBP was the flat 400 out of
Bendigo and I had the privilege of riding
it with Alan Kellette and Trevor King.
Their pedalling action and smoothness was
something to behold and I decided that I
wanted to learn to ride like that, seeing as
how I had only really gotten into cycling
later in life at the age of 49, some seven
years ago, and my pedalling action was a bit
crook. They attributed their cycling finesse
to riding fixed wheel as younger folk on
track bikes.
Secondly, my mate at work (an ex-courier)
had this thing about commuting on a single
speed and finally he bought a KHS single
speed. Apparently single speed is a bit of
an emerging trend among couriers. I was
impressed by the simplicity and economy of
such a bike especially as I go thru a couple
of cassettes, set of chain rings and a number
36
Look mum, no brakes! Alan’s fixed wheel bike takes shape.
of chains in my 12-15000km cycling year
- just about the cost of a what my mate paid
for his single speed which is essentially
maintenance free.
Finally, on the 2003 PBP I happened to
cycle a bit of the time with a couple of Scots,
both on fixed wheel. So I thought if they can
do it, so can I.
What’s happened so far?
I had my original 1999 PBP road bike
in the garage (it was Leigh Kilpatrick’s
original tourer/Audax bike) which I had
subsequently stacked and replaced with
the yellow made to measure Cecil Walker.
I realised the frame was basically still okay
and all I needed to do was to get some
horizontal drop-outs welded in and I was on
my way to single speed.
In preparation for the day I would go
single speed, I started to do my 40km
daily commute on one gear each day on my
mountain bike until I found the gear that
would be optimal for getting me up the hills,
but still be high enough to be able to keep
up with the pedals on the downhill and of
course, with the rest of the pack on the bike
path. I must admit though, that during this
experimental stage I always ended up using
a higher gear to keep up with the packs.
Who did I know who could help me get setup on a single speed?
This is where Peter Moore comes into
the picture. He kindly offered to help
me build up the bike using second hand
bits and pieces so that I could in a sense
‘suck it and see’, without initially investing
unnecessarily.
I also did a bit of reading about going fixed
and one of the most informative articles was
Going Fixed Wheel at www.deepwater.ukli
nux.net/www.fixedwheel.org.uk/howto/.
I needed some advice about gearing and
found this advice to be spot on from the
Going Fixed Wheel article:
“Gearing is another matter of personal
taste - tradition usually calls for a gear in
the mid-60s, usually 66” or 68”, and a
moderately fit rider should be able to push
such a gear up all but the steepest hills. For
the `dodgy knee’ brigade or those who
don’t live in the flatlands something like 59”
or 63” is usually the gear of choice. Since I
live in the flatlands I run something a little
bit higher, notably 72”, but then I have no
qualms about dismounting and walking up
a hill. Contrary to popular belief, running
a fixed gear in very flat country isn’t
necessarily a good thing unless you either
a) like saddle sores or b) are prepared to get
out of the saddle from time to time.”
With this advice and the experience of
riding the mountain bike in a single gear
we decided on a 40 spoke flip-flop rear
hub with a 17 tooth (71.4inch) fixed and
an 18 tooth (67.4inch) free using a Velocity
deep dish rim (I am heavy on rims - close
to 100kg, and go through a couple a year)
coupled to a 46 tooth chain ring. I needed
a ‘set back seat post’ and decided on bull
horn handle bars - drops inverted and cut
off.
Interestingly, as the bike was low to the
ground anyway, we needed to get 170mm
cranks to minimise the risk of the pedal
bottoming on corners because one thing I
didn’t think about was that on a fixed you
don’t have much choice as to the pedal
position on corners. I have been told if you
do bottom-out you are quickly propelled
over the handlebars.
I also decided to fit Vittoria Randonneur
28mm tyres with a good tread for
commuting as I did not feel confident
enough to be using the normal 23mm
slicks. I have subsequently learnt though
that having a uni-directional tread I would
have to change the tyre around when I
change the wheel around from fixed to
free.
I spent the first Saturday I had the bike
made up trying to get the hang of pushing
away and getting the other foot onto the
other pedal. I live on a slope so rolling
down the slope helped me get the hang
of getting started on a fixed wheel. As for
braking, my legs were too weak for doing
a back pedal stop so the normal brakes
became a godsend. Having developed a bit
of confidence, the next thing was to go for
a real ride. Realising that I was constantly
needing to lift the back wheel and to scoop
the pedal around to my natural starting
position on the left leg, I decided to change
my ordinary pedals for those I could attach
toes clips to. The first ride was around 60km
and I soon found out that I was not skilled
enough to get my foot into the toe clips. I
spent the whole ride on the underside of
one pedal with the toe clips scrapping the
ground on every corner. I resolved then to
use my normal clipless pedals.
I also found the 17 tooth was too high
a gear for some of the hills, so I decided
to swap the wheel around to the 18 tooth
freewheel side for the start of my first
week’s commuting. In the meantime, Peter
sourced an 18 tooth fixed cog. My cadence
improved out of sight during the week and I
found I could get up all the hills I needed to
by standing on the pedals.
After the first week of freewheel riding,
the 18 tooth fixed was fitted and at the
end of the week my legs were killing me,
especially the adductor muscles. I needed to
get a really good massage and to learn some
exercises for stretching and strengthening
them. I came to realise that trying to hold
or slow the bike without brakes meant I was
doing a back pedalling action and using
muscles not normally used.
After the second week of fixed wheel
riding, I attempted some longer and more
hilly rides. The legs were getting stronger
and I was gradually acquiring the art of
brakeless slowing and of holding the bike
on hills so it would not run away on me
because on some hills my cadence would
get so high I’d be wobbling all over the
place trying to keep up with the pedals. I
also noticed I was sitting on the saddle a
lot more and became aware of how often
on a conventional bike I momentarily stop
pedalling just to lift the bum off the seat or
to position the pedals to go over a bump,
kerb, speed hump and the like.
What have
2,500km?
I
learnt/observed
after
My commuting time was initially longer
due to stopping/starting/pulling away in a
higher gear than I would normally, going
slower down hills as I couldn’t freewheel
up to say 60km/h and could only pedal up
to 43km/h, not having as high a top speed
on the flat, trying to slow down and stop
without using brakes required a longer ‘lead
time’, and slower cornering to stay more
upright because of a fear of pedals touching
the ground.
Apart from my legs aching as new
muscles got used, my arms and shoulders
also started to get sore because I was using
them more to climb and hold the bike back.
Also the hands/fingers have became sore
because I was gripping harder - fear? Looks
like I need to do some ‘core strengthening’
to develop that ‘cage of steel’.
Standing on the pedals to go up hill
with the slower cadence has resulted in
more rhythmic breathing and in fact has
improved my climbing speed.
The ‘adjustable angle’ head stem needed
to be changed to an A Head because of the
stresses I was putting on it. I also decided
to get a new handlebar because I could not
risk the second-hand one any longer for
fear of it breaking due to the stresses I was
putting on it.
I needed a better quality rear hub because
the initial one needed constant adjustment.
It has been replaced by a 32 hole Velocity
flip-flop.
After week four and with more than
1000km in the saddle I was confident
enough to remove the back brake.
Where to now?
I am still having problems with the chain
stretching so I will be investing in a better
quality chain and replacing the chain ring
with a wider and better quality version. The
tyres I am using for commuting (Vittoria
Randonneur 28mm) seem to tuck-under
on heavy cornering, so for Audax rides they
will need to be changed to the standard
23mm Conti.
Thanks Leigh Kilpatrick for being a
mentor and encourager, Peter Moore for
the patience and research in developing
the bike, and Alan Kellett and Trevor
King on the May 2003 flat 400km for the
inspiration to go fixed.
In closing Audax UK has The Audax UK
Fixed Wheel Challenge/Super Fixed Wheel
Awards. See their website at www.deepwate
r.uklinux.net/www.fixedwheel.org.uk/auk/
fwc.html Anybody interested in pursuing
a similar idea here in Oz? If so, let me
know: [email protected] or
03 9890 2420.
For a list of websites on going fixed wheel,
visit www.audax.org.au (News/Magazine) .
37
We Need You (to organise a ride)
by Gordon Cockcroft & Keith Lowe
Do you have a favourite training ride, or would you like to organise a ride in your favourite riding
area? Have you enjoyed our rides in the past, which have not been on the calendar recently? Then
please consider organising a ride for other members to enjoy. You don’t need special experience
and help is available.
Ride Organisers are essential for
the future of our club, and sharing this
role amongst members ensures great
diversity and enjoyment. If you would like
additional information and guidance in
organising a ride, please talk to your State
Correspondent or Rides Co-Ordinator (see
contact list at foot of this article).
If you’d like to run a ride but are put off
by the work of having to start from scratch,
we have details of a large number of previous
rides and would be happy to suggest one
which suits your interest or location. If you
don’t want to run a ride but would like to help
please fill in the enclosed volunteers form
or contact your State Ride Co-ordinator.
Helpers are often needed, especially for
longer or popular rides. To have your ride
considered for the 2004/05 calendar, please
fill out the attached form. Please also submit
a map, highlighting the route, together with a
description of the ride and checkpoints with
a signed copy of the enclosed Ride Proposal
Form. These steps are important as they
help us plan safe and successful rides by
ensuring that all aspects of the ride have been
considered in the planning stages.
Consider hazards which might be
encountered by both riders and support
team during their event and ways to
minimise risks.
good condition. Major roads should only be
used in situations where there is no suitable
alternative and traffic is likely to be light. In
traffic, left turns are safer than right turns.
Riders and the support team will face the
usual potential hazards of:
• Cycling or driving on a public road.
• Being in public places, commercial
premises or those owned by local authority,
voluntary or similar organisations.
Weather
While these hazards are not under the
organiser’s control they can be minimised
by careful planning. In the planning stages
of your ride, you should reflect on your
route and consider any advice that you
might like to give to your event participants,
possibly including:
Please consider the following safety points
prior to filling out the Ride Proposal Form.
• Advice at the beginning of the route
sheet; concerning steep descents, poor
road surfaces etc.
• A specific mention in the route
instructions where a particular feature
has caused problems in the past. (eg
wooden bridges). If your ride is especially
difficult, advice in the Ride Description,
or any advertisement of the ride, as to the
gruelling nature of the route and stamina
required.
Guide to Proposing A Ride
General factors requiring consideration
Registration of rides closes on 6 August
2004. For each of your events, please send
a completed and signed Ride Proposal Form
and a highlighted copy of the route map.
Roads
Planning Rides
The Melbourne Region has put together
some ride organiser’s notes which provide
much valuable information for both the
planning and running of rides. The notes
are suitable for use Australia wide. They are
on the club’s website at: www.audax.org.au/
pdf/docs/MelbourneOrganiserGuidelines.doc.
38
Apart from Dirt Series rides, routes should
be on sealed, secondary roads that have low
to medium traffic flow. Many organisers
will choose routes with the lowest possible
volumes of traffic, but be aware that such
roads have their own particular potential
hazards; choosing a good cycling route is
a matter of balance. In considering the use
of major highways and roads carrying heavy
traffic, account should be taken of possible
alternatives, likely traffic conditions and
whether there are wide sealed shoulders in
When setting the date and location of a
ride, consider the likely weather conditions.
Adverse weather should be avoided. Most
states have extreme weather policies,
indicating under which circumstances
rides should be cancelled. For rides likely
to occur in hot conditions, consideration
should be given to the availability of water.
Traffic Conditions
Peak traffic conditions (holidays, beaches,
snow, festivals, etc) should be considered
and avoided when setting date and location.
For rides that involve night riding (300/
400/600km, etc.), the less traffic the better.
Start times and routes should be chosen to
optimise this.
Night Rides
When planning night ride start times
organisers must be aware of the risks
involved. Any ride that involves a lot of night
riding should preferably be planned close
to a full moon. Late night starts that are
popular, especially in the year leading up to
PBP, can cause fatigue problems from riding
through the night. Ride Organisers should
consider minimising risks from these rides
by planning facilities with opportunities
for sleep for riders in the early hours of the
morning. Driving home after an overnight
ride is dangerous and riders should be
encouraged to sleep before driving their
car, or to arrange alternative drivers or
alternative means of transport.
Please remember that if you are
submitting a ride which has been run in the
past the details of the route may need to be
updated.
Contacts for Ride Organisers
These members are responsible
for co-ordinating rides for their
respective states.
Submit your ride proposals as per
the guidelines on the facing page,
by 6 August, 2004.
VIC
Gordon Cockcroft
92 Shuter Avenue
Greendale VIC 3341
03 5368 7278 (Fax 03 5368 7427)
[email protected]
NSW
Malcolm Rogers
02 9415 1204
[email protected]
TAS
Paul Gregory
03 6229 3811
[email protected]
QLD
Vaughan Kippers
07 3376 6761
[email protected]
WA
Colin Farmer
08 9330 4441
[email protected]
SA
Matthew Rawnsley
08 8370 0415
[email protected]
ACT
Jon Gowland
02 6291 5495
[email protected]
Product Review
Polybrite Illuminated Vest
by Bob Bednarz
I used the Polybrite illuminated vest during the night on a 300km ride recently. There’s no doubt
that it provides superior illumination than the traditional passive reflecting material used by Audax
riders.
The ride organiser, Sue Taylor, who
overtook me in her car as she proceeded to
the Poowong checkpoint claimed that she
could see the vest before noticing my bike
lights. The route was on a quiet country
road, with essentially no background
lighting and few passing cars.
My riding companion, Frank Mitchell,
said that when riding behind me he found
the vest’s flashing light not irritating to the
eye as flashing LED tail lights often are.
I was supplied with the XL size vest,
which comfortably fitted over my Hydropak
water container. Earlier in the night, as I
climbed from Wonthaggi to Poowong with
the ambient temperature probably in the
mid-20’s C, I found the sleeveless cloth vest
to be uncomfortably warm. However later
in the night I enjoyed the warmth of the vest
as I cycled through pockets of cold air.
I found that the main problem in using
the Polybrite vest for Audax riding is its
bulk. The XL size weighs 400gm, and
rolls up into a semi-cylindrical package
approximately 26 cm long by 12 cm
diameter. This means that it cannot be
carried in a pocket, bum bag, or under-seat
bag.
In addition to my road test, I brought
the Polybrite equipment to the Audax
- Melbourne Region’s AGM where I
modelled the vest and displayed it, together
with the various bands and straps, on a table
during the coffee break. There was a roar of
laughter when, wearing the vest, I switched
on the flashing lights, with remarks that
I looked like a Christmas tree! However,
later during the coffee break, there was
little interest in the equipment displayed.
Of the 36 persons present, no more than
six approached the display for further
inspection. There was but a single person
keen on obtaining the vest.
My personal view, as well as comments
received after the meeting, is that its weight
and bulkiness hinder its suitability for most
Audax rides held on quiet country roads.
However, the Polybrite vest would be
particularly useful in metropolitan areas or
on busy highways where there are many light
sources competing for motorists’ attention.
I’d judge it to be ideal for metropolitan
commuting on busy roads.
Ed: The distributor has advised that
subsequent to this product being tested, a
new over-the-shoulder type harness, literally
a vest with the Polybrite flashing polymer
but without the vest, is under development.
For contact details of the supplier, see page
30 of this issue.
39
40
Brevets
with Stephen George, Brevet Editor
50km, 18-Jan-04, Adelaide, Alpine Warm-Up
Gary Alexander, Alan Capell, David Cox, Thomas
Eltridge-Smith, David Foster, Matthew Rawnsley,
David Routes
50km, 18-Jan-04, Melbourne, Invitation to
Inverloch 2004
Annette Connelly, Cara Malzinskas,
Malzinskas, Roger Miller, Donald Millin
Carmel
50km, 31-Jan-04, Melbourne, Melbourne by
Bike Path [1]
Paul Addison, Sue Brown, Chris Chapman, Val
Johnston, Leigh Kilpatrick, Roger Miller, Frank
Mitchell, Tony Porritt, Catherine Stephenson, Alan
Tonkin
50km, 1-Feb-04, Queensland, Watershed
Wander
Trevor Anstley, Howard Brandis, Liam Callaghan,
Rob Callaghan, Debbie Campbell, Dino Morgante,
Andy Stephens
50km, 1-Feb-04, Melbourne, Quiet 50
Bernadette Cranswick, Mariam Cranswick, Nunz
Mantini, Graeme Mitchell, Tony Porritt, Tony Shinton,
Peter Silver, Fiona Silver
50km, 14-Feb-04, Tumut, Pizza in Park
Michael Bush, Scott Dowell, Bruce Giles, David
Glastonbury, Lisa Glastonbury, Jimmy Goode, Bob
Langridge, David O’Brien, Ray Quinn, Andrew Raod
Gever, Allan Tonkin, Andrew Tonkin, Lee Wood
50km, 21-Feb-04, Sydney, Waterfall
Alan Dunn, Maria Matuszek
50km, 21-Feb-04, Perth, Burkes Backyard
Jenny McCloskey
50km, 21-Feb-04, Melbourne, Philip Island
and Beyond
Kristy Chambers, Marie Devlin, Stephanie
Dowden, Howard Jones, Trevor Key, Graeme Key,
Claudia Rebaunn
50km, 21-Feb-04, Melbourne, Bring Your Tent
Along
Susan Albert, Fay Sydes
50km, 22-Feb-04, Queensland, Ups And
Downs
Brian Aston, Vaughan Kippers, Dino Morgante,
Noel Newton
50km, 28-Feb-04, Maryborough, Goldfields
Howard Gibson, Brian Park, Paul Volk
50km, 29-Feb-04, Maryborough, Leap Year
Loop
Gordon Cockcroft, Robyn Doyle, Helen Lew
Ton, Andrew McDowall, Caroline McDowall, Gloria
Moscattini, Renae Moss, Simon Parsons, Di Taylor,
Simon Woodford
50km, 6-Mar-04, Perth, Dupuy Dawdle
Ross Cussons
50km, 21-Mar-04, Melbourne, Bunniyong and
Back
Lewis, Frank Preyer, Ben Roache, Stephen Rowlands,
Kingsley Sexton, Mal Shaw, Judith Whelan
50km, 17-Apr-04, Queensland, Flying Fifty
100km, 18-Jan-04, Melbourne, Invitation to
Inverloch 2004
Robyn Doyle, Tony Knight, Simon Woodfored
Brad Christiansen, Denis Cowan, Lindsay Green,
David Horton, Vaughan Kippers, Dino Morgante,
Tom Philp
50km, 24-Apr-04, Tumut, Festival
Ben Casuaria, Tania Doyle, Jim Goode, Don
Hobson, Sussan Ley, Jan Mohandas, David Obrien,
Margaret Sheens, Ron Smith, Allan Tonkin, Andrew
Tonkin, Duncan Watt
50km, 1-May-04, Maryborough Meander
Ryan Bath, Ian Buckingham, Craig Carter,
Elizabeth Ennis, Brian Meir, Sally Middleton, Jenny
Needham
50km, 16-May-04, Melbourne, South West
Match’n Mix
Anglelo Faccin, Stan Karaoutsadis, Peter Martin,
Greg McVicar, Callum Moore, Brian Nelson, Jan
Pannifex, Gary Payne, Cath Stevenson
John Abery, Paul Addison, Peter Bell, Arnold
Birrell, Domenico Conforti, Richard Connelly, Kevin
Dawes, Francisco Golieguillos, Lyn Honan, David
Koschade, John Laszczyr, Greame Lock, Leon
Malzinskas, Bruce Marriot, Barry Moore, Gary
Payne, Tony Porritt, Rob Ramsay, Christopher
Rogers, Mal Shaw
100km, 20-Jan-04, Queensland, Watershed
Wander
Vivien Brooks, Craig Campbell, John Gowty,
Laurie Handcock, Susan Lostroh, Andy Woodman,
James Woodman
100km, 24-Jan-04, Melbourne, Alpine Vollies
Malcolm Faul, Kay Frank, Bill Jeppesen, Brian
Joyce, Raoul Mills, Barry Parsons, Alan Richardson,
John Rundle, John Webster
100km, 31-Jan-04, Perth, Freo Flyer
100km, 15-Mar-03, Melbourne, Gippsland
Gourmet Trail
John Leyden, Keith Lowe, Baden Lowe, Tony
Porritt, Robert Wilkinson
Graham Batholomew, Dan Boulter, Pat Briggs, Ron
Collins, Colin Farmer, Adrian Giacci, Tony Gillespie,
Klaus Hagedorn, Geoff Helliwell, Andrew Jackson,
Ken Jones, John Lee, Rod Marston, Stephan Monet,
Ralph Morgan, Brian Smith, John Talbot, Alan
Tolcher, Morris Warren, Henry Wurm
100km, 20-Sep-03, Wollongong, Starter Gong
Ride
100km, 13-Feb-04, Melbourne, Irene
Plowman
Henry
Boardman,
Tanya
Bosch,
Auriol
Carruthers,David
Cunnyghame,Shane
Granzien,David Langley,Richard Pinkerton, Tony
Ring, Kate Roberts, Aldo Vella, John Webster, John
Webster, Gregor Whiley, Marguerite Young
100km, 11-Oct-03, Queensland, Dam Good
ride
Lindsay Green, Vaughn Kippers, Noel Newton,
Jopck Pharley, Peter Watson, Andrew Woodman,
James Woodman
100km, 12-Oct-03, Sydney (Wagga Wagga),
Canola Canter
Ron Addison, Shane Burkett, Peter Dixon, Anton
Els, Craig Gibbins, Brian Grant, Denis Ross Inch,
Garth Mayger, Adam Michalowski, Gordon Moore,
Graeme Nelson, Andrew Raadgever, Ray Stenhouse,
Peter Stoneman, Ben Turner
100km, 6-Dec-03, Melbourne, Alpine Delight
Nick Boylan, Simon Costa, Stephen George,
Phillipe Grant, Mark Vardy, Sharon Weiss
100km, 6-Dec-03, Perth, Dog Hill
Danny Boulter, Patrick Briggs, Ross Cussons,
Colin Farmer, Adrian Giacci, Klaus Hagedorn, Geoff
Helliwell, Andrew Jackson, Ken Jones,Stephan
Monot, Ralf Morgan, David Pascoe, Brian Smith,
Morris Warren
100km, 11-Jan-04, Melbourne, Wheels to
Walhalla 2004
John Abery, Sue Brown, George Caulfield, Kirsty
Chambers, Stephen Chambers, Peter Harris, Michael
Henley, Ewan Hill, Philip Hugenin, Richard Jeffery,
Peter Keefer, David Koschade, John Laszczyh, Peter
Paul Addison, Chris Algefski, Lorraine Allen, Steve
Barnett, Ian Boehm, Carolyn Bolton, Mark Boyd,
John Chadwick, Bernard Collins, Yvonne Conyers,
Noel Cranswick, Paul Crump, Peter Curtis, Robyn
Curtis, Peter Daly, Malcolm Faul, Jacqui Fernados,
Bill Jepperson, Brain Joyce, Kaye Kaye, Raymond
Lelkes, Helen Lewton, Peter Mathews, Hugh
McMullan, Barry Moore, Paul Mulroney, Catherine
O’Hehir, Brain Payne, Lesley Pearce, Frank Preyer,
Dennis Ray, Brett Riley, John Rundle, Rodney
Snibson, Warren Steinicke, Andrew Thomas, Grant
Tudor, Stephen Watson, Chuck Ziegler
100km, 14-Feb-04, Wollongong, Coffee Ride
Henry Boardman, David Cunynghame, Richard
Pinkerton, Jean Viader-Etienne, John Webster
100km, 15-Feb-04, Queensland, Out&About
Joan Brown, Debra Campbell, Neil Francis,
Vaughan Kippers, Noel Newton, Daniel Radford,
Andy Woodman, James Woodman
100km, 21-Feb-04, Perth, Burkes Backyard
Danny Boulter, Pat Briggs, Adrian Giacci, Tony
Gillespie, Klaus Hagedorn, Geoff Helliwell, John Lee,
Ellen Oliver, Mike Oliver, Daved Pascoe, Brian Smith,
Alan Tolcher, Morris Warren
100km, 21-Feb-04, Melbourne, Bring your
Tent Along
Robyn Curtis, Peter Curtis, Charles Day, Hans
Dusink, Sandra Fraser, Joan Gauhwin, Sandra
Howard, Jacinta Mahony, Alex McNee, Joanne Pugh,
Christopher Rogers, Kevin Simcox, Ray Watt, Lea
Watts
41
Chris Algezski, Arnold Birrell, Gordon Cockcroft,
Lauren Collier, Margaret Douglas, Rod Herron, Brian
Joyce, Ron Kirwan, Andrew Lighten, Chris Mennie,
Steve Murphy, Barry Parsons, Brian Payne, Tony
Porritt, Jamie Robinson, David Robinson, Andrew
Thomas
100km, 29-Feb-04, Maryborough, Leap Year
Loop
Judy Beswick, Arnold Birrell, Neil Christensen,
Tony Doyle, Danya Driessen, Howard Duncan,
Laurie Foley, Wendy Gowing, Glen Hepburn, Mark
Hibberd, Cliff Jones, Mike Kenealy, Ron Kirwan,
Deb Lesinskis, Steve Murphy, Ron Norton, Barry
O’Connor, Glen Pascall, Gary Payne, Tony Poritt,
Maxine Riggs, Janet Robinson, Micheal Rogers,
Merv Tozer, Arno Van Der Schans
100km, 6-Mar-04, Wollongong, Sat Coffee
ride
Henry Boardman, Greg Lansom, Maria Matuszek,
Aldo Vella
100km, 6-Mar-04, Perth, Dupuy Dawdle
Patrick Briggs, Tony Gillespie, Allen Gunther,
Klaus Hagedorn, Brian Hughes, Ralf Morgan, David
Pascoe, Brian Smith, Alan Tolcher
100km, 7-Mar-04, Westvic, Rifledowns
Phil Adams, Owen Barr, Peter Couttie, Stephen
Crossley, Frank Donnelly, Neil Ellery, Noel Gorey,
Geoff Hunter, Darrell Ralph, Kevin Saunders,
Kathryn Temby, Kathryn Temby
100km, 13-Mar-04, Queensland, Blackall
Ranging
Neil Francis, Dino Morgante
100km, 20-Mar-04, Maryborough, Central
Lakes Tour
Chris Algeski, Ian Clark, Lauren Collier, Margaret
Douglas, Rod Heron, Brian Park, Tony Porritt
100km, 21-Mar-04, Melbourne, Bunniyong
& Back
Neil Clayton, Bernard Collins, Hans Dusink,
Russell Freemantle, Matthew Gale, Glen Hepburn,
Elaine Johnson, Ron Norton, Tom Probert, Maxine
Riggs, Shane Scanlon, Andrew Thomas, Andrew
Webb, Ron Wescott
100km, 27-Mar-04, Melbourne by Bike Path
Paul Addison, Steve Brown, Joe De Losa, Leigh
Paterson, Daniel Potter, Christopher Rogers, Alan
Tonkin
100km, 28-Mar-04, Melbourne, Gippsland
Gourmet
Ian Bukingham, Laurie Foley, Mathew Gale,
Graham Gill, Julie Gill, Mary Green, John Iiott, Max
Pemberton, Brenda Spargo, Ronald Spargo
100km, 3-Apr-04, Melbourne, Bound for Baw
Baw up
John Abery, Laura Bettio, Steven Brown, Dominic
Confortis, Ian De Bruyne, Harry Dudink, Stephen
George, Leon Malzinskas, Gary Payne, Anne Reilly,
Christopher Rogers, Malcolm Shaw, Kevin Ware
100km, 4-Apr-04, Melbourne, Bound for Baw
Baw Back
John Abery, Laura Bettio, Steven Brown, Dominic
Confortis, Ian De Bruyne, Stephen George, Leon
Malzinskas, Gary Payne, Anne Reilly, Christopher
Rogers, Malcolm Shaw
100km, 18-Apr-04, Adelaide, Gawler Gallop
Alan Capell, Avis Pearce, Gwen Pye, Michael
Southren, Dan Taylor
42
100km, 18-Apr-04, Melbourne, Wangaratta
Wahine
Michael Fitzsimons, Max Fletcher, Lawrence
Foley, Anne Ford, Kelvin Ford, Don Halton, Enid
Halton, Martin Haynes, Tony Jago, Terry Kirby,
Michael Maher, Ann McDonald, John Myles,
Tony Porrit, Andrew Raadgauer, Tony Ransom,
Jarrod Riches, Stuart Russell, Colin Stokes, Peter
Stoneman, Paul Thomas
100km, 24-Apr-04, Queensland, Woodford
Wanderings
Andrew Claus, David Horton, Catherine Johnson,
Vaughan Kippers, Dino Morganate, Bert Ockhuisen,
Nicholas Ockhuisen, Philip Rowley, Andy Woodman,
James Woodman
200km, 2-Nov-03, Melbourne, Spring Rail
Trail Mania
Geoff Austin, Lawrie Piko, Chris Rogers
200km, 15-Nov-03, Melbourne, Seaford
Loops
Stephen Chambers, Kevin Dawes
200km, 2-Dec-03, Hobart, Ride of the
Cornflowers
Kevin Bushnell, Greg Dwyer, Clive Jackson, David
Wylie, Frank Zuchi
200km, 14-Dec-03, Sydney, Hawkesbury
Valley Randonnee
Douglas Kennedy, Belinda Pursey
100km, 25-Apr-04, Tumut, Festival
Ben Casauria, Tania Doyle, Bruce Giles, Jim
Goode, Don Hobson, Simon Mann, Jan Mohandas,
David Obrien, Margaret Sheens, Charlie Tayloy,
Duncan Watt, Celia Woolcott
200km, 18-Apr-04, Wangaratta, Wangaratta
Wahine 200
100km, 1-May-04, Maryborough,
Maryborough Meander
200km, 18-Apr-04, Adelaide, Gawler Gallop
Matthew Bradbury, Gillian Brook, Stephen Brown,
Susan Brown, Chris Cornish, Felicity Ennis, Gareth
Evans, Bente Furneaux, Howard Gibson, Richard
Guest, David Hare, Rod Herron, Richard Hodgson,
Michael Konstandinou, Scott Lacey, Ken McDougall,
Peter Neville, Peter Plymin, Tracey Plymin, Tony
Porritt, Dale Price, Ian Robert, Wayne Saunders,
Peter Silver, Dale Slver, Arthur Tziaus, Paul Volk,
Alan Walker, Bill Weefen
100km, 8-May-04, Melbourne, Cobden
Phil Adams, Owen Barr, Adrian Bell, Gill Brook,
Steve Carlin, Carl Cole, Ken Densley, Bruce Fry,
Christopher Hammond, Geoff Hunter, Neil Jackson,
Carl Leahy, Graeme Martin, Ken Morgan, Steve
Murphy, Grant Palmer, Alan Paton, Shane Plummer,
Kevin Saunders, Julie Sinclair, Philip Soderstrom,
Robyn Spering, Alison Vanderschans, David Wall,
Stephen Watson, Neil White
100km, 8-May-04, Queensland, Psych Hell
Howard Brandis, Brad Christiansen, Vaughan
Kippers, Dino Morgante, Andy Woodman, James
Woodman
100km, 8-May-04, Wollongong, Saturday
Coffee ride
Henry
Webster
Boardman,
Richard
Pinkerton,
Arnold Birrell, Hans Dusink, Keith McCulloch,
Gordon Moore, Steve Murphy, Garry Skeers
Allan Dickson, Matthew Rawnsley
200km, 8-May-04, Adelaide, Super Catch Up
Ian Peak, Ray Taarnby
Match’n Mix
Russell Freemantle, Trevor King, Keith Lowe
300km, 13-Dec-03, Melbourne, Eildon
Endurance
Hans Dusink, Russ Hamilton, Ray Watt
Roger Holmes
400km, 6-Dec-03, Adelaide, 400
Allan Dickson, Matthew Rawnsley
400km, 13-Dec-03, Melbourne, Eildon
Endurance
Bob Bednarz, Raoul Mills, Christopher Rogers
John
Mix n’ Match
Ryan Bath, Ian Boehm, Gordon Cockroft, Bernard
Collins, Peter Curtis, Robyn Curtis, Charles Day,
Paul De Podolinsky, Malcolm Eley, Bruce Hicks,
Helen Lew Ton, Peter Mathews, Raoul Mills, Tony
Porritt, Anne Reilly, Maxine Riggs, Geoff Robinson,
David Temby, Kathryn Temby, Claude Urbini, Andrew
Webb, Neil White, Robert Wilkenson, Wright Wright
110km, 17-Aug-03, Melbourne, Mike Rossiter
Memorial Ride
David Arnup, Phillip Dell, Shane Dove, Reg Goltz,
Richard Jeffrey, David Koschade, Maree Langshaw,
David Murray, Kevin Perry, Anita Pickering, Ted
Pickering, Domenic Sabatino, Marshall Thompson,
Wayne Ware
200km, 25-Oct-03, Sydney, Hunter Valley
Explorer
Douglas Kennedy, Daniel Morgan
200km, 25-Oct-03, Melbourne, Noojee Loop
Bob Bednarz, Peter Curtis, Howard Duncan, Reg
Goltz, Phillipe Grant, Martin Haynes, Mal Shaw,
Ross Smith
Richard Connely, Allan Dickson, Oliver Portway,
Matthew Rawnsley, Christopher Rogers
GSR
Great Southern Randonnee
100km, 28-Feb-04, Maryborough, Goldfields
300km
400km
600km
1000km
1200km
25-29 October 2004
Angelsea, Victoria
Australia
Peter Moore
[email protected]
27 Swan St,
Richmond VIC 3121
Need your bicycle serviced or repaired in Melbourne?
Peter Moores
Abbotsford Cycles @ Richmond Station
www.abbotsfordcycles.com
Telephone 03 9429 6889 Fax 03 9429 9262
27 Swan Street (under Richmond Station)
Riding at Night
OPEN: 8am to 6pm weekdays
9am to 12:30 Saturdays
Service and Repairs
Winter is well and truly upon us; time to look at
lights. Abbotsford Cycles has a range to suit
everyone from commuter to riders tackling four
nights in the Great Southern Randonnee.
Front LEDs bright spark is the Adder which
gives a sensational light to see by or a fast flash
to be seen from a distance.
The Smart dual headlight lead-acid battery unit
will get you through the night on low beam with
high beam for fast descents ($110).
Our speciality. Check the website for a full explanation of what we do.
We will normally have your bike back to you within two days.
We now provide a full repair service on site for steel frames. Painting
costs just $140 for one or two colours.
Our range of touring
gear includes Ortlieb
and Avance panniers
and German made
Tubus pannier racks.
The Australian
designed Niteflux
Vision Stick has Nicad
and NiMh versions running 5, 10 and 20w
lights. Prices start at
$115.
We make up
two LED rear
lights screwed
to an aluminium strip,
drilled to go
straight to a
reflector
bracket only $45.
If you dont want
the hassles of
finding lights, batteries and mountings, dont forget
Shimano have a
hub dynamo for
$115 which will
run a 6v 3w
globe.
Audax reflectors in stock - front and rear for only
$5! And dont forget our mudguards, starting
from $19 for protection from spray. The new
SKS Race Blade clip-on road mudguards are
worth a look.
Discount
Audax Members receive a discount of 10% on every
item except labour, but including Specials. We accept
telephone orders with credit cards, or by mail with
cheque. Postage is extra.
We stock an extensive range of the
good quality moderately priced BBB and
Cyclo brand tools.
The BBB Pullstar is
an excellent cartridge
bottom bracket
removing tool.
Interesting Bits
We sell the BOB trailer - and have one for hire if you want to try it
before you buyThird Eye Chain Watcher prevents chain dropping off the
inside of cranks, $31.
Sugino chainrings top quality for 6/7/8speed, 130, 110 and 74 pcd,
most 90 cents/tooth.
We now have kidney bags to strap to your bike frame. They are still
very rare but at Abbotsford you can name your own colour as long as
you want red, green,blue or yellow. A steal at $10.
Our favourite lube, nice clean Prolink $16
Direct from America!
CueClips ($12) -at right- are now back in stock as we
have been able to source them direct from the manufacturer. We have also finally tracked down a stock
of Kevlar Fiberfix spokes ($22), a temporary fix
which will get you to the end of the ride.
If you are carrying spare spokes we have also found
a replacement for the Hypercracker to remove the
cassette lockring on the roadside. The Mini Cassette
Lock will be back in store by the time you read
Checkpoint.
Our small shop in Melbourne is dedicated to the upkeep of all kinds of bicycles. We sell most things you need, except new
bikes, shoes and clothing.We take the time to source the unusual and useful gadgets that often seem to disappear from bike
shop shelves. Come in and have a look or check out our ever evolving website.
Abbotsford Cycles is a proud supporter of the Cycling Promotion Fund
43
If undeliverable return to
Audax Australia Inc.
PO Box 12144
A’Beckett Street
Melbourne VIC 8006
SURFACE
MAIL
POSTAGE
PAID
AUSTRALIA
Print Post Approved
PP327687/00033
Checkpoint
Winter 2004
Issue No. 20
Association No.
A0014462N
625 members (11/6/04)
Audax Australia is proudly affiliated with:
Audax Club Parisien
www.audax-club-parisien.com
Les Randonneurs Mondiaux
www.lesrm.be
Cycling Australia
www.cycling.org.au
Are your address details above correct?
Notify changes by email to [email protected] or by phone on (03) 5783 2427.
The Audax Clothing Shop
6A Ebor Avenue, Inverloch VIC 3996 (03) 5674 2157 www.audax.org.au
Jerseys - $10 off
(limited time only)
Long Sleeve Audax Jersey now only $63.00
Size (S/M/L/XL/XXL): ____ Your chest size: ____ cm
Short Sleeve Audax Jersey now only $60.00
Size (S/M/L/XL/XXL):____ Your chest size: ____ cm
Audax Knicks $60.00
Size (S/M/L/XL/XXL): ____
Audax Socks $7.00
Size (S/M/L): ____
All items can be viewed on our website,
www.audax.org.au
Postage
First item $5.00, each additional item $2.50
No postage payable on socks if ordered with other items.
Mail order
Complete the details above, then return this entire page (or a
photocopy) including your address label, to the above address.
Include a cheque or money order payable to Audax Australia or
supply your credit card details as follows:
Mastercard/Bankcard/Visa (please circle one)
Card No. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Expiry date: __ __ / __ __
Cardholders signature _______________________________
Internet
Simply go to www.audax.org.au to order and pay on-line with your
credit card.
Phone
Phone Liz Haynes at the Clothing Shop on (03) 5674 2157 after hours
and pay by credit card, or simply phone for assistance in choosing
your products.
Note that clothing sizes are on the small side.
Your email address and/or phone number:_____________________________________________
44
Phone if in doubt.

have very - Audax Australia

Transcription

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