Recumbents The new Audax vehicle? nia g rewards

Transcription

Checkpoint
The endurance cyclist’s magazine
No. 25 Spring 2005
Recumbents
The new Audax vehicle?
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No.
N
o. 25 Spring
2005
Contents...
President’s Pedals .................................. 5
Giro Tasm
ania
Big effort,
big reward
s
Recumbents as Audax vehicles ............... 6
Recumbe
nts
The new
Audax
Committee Talk...................................... 9
vehicle?
Fitz’s Epic versus the Alpine Classic ...... 10
Hunter Valley randonnée ...................... 12
Checkpoint
South Australia Region News ................ 13
No. 25 - Spring 2005
2003 PBP Survey Results ...................... 15
Editor
Patrick van Dyk
[email protected]
The Argus, South Africa........................ 16
Production
Red Press Newsletters
[email protected]
Victoria Region News ........................... 21
Brevet Editor
Stephen George
[email protected]
Distribution
Phil Bellette and volunteers
[email protected]
Contributions, especially those
accompanied by photos and
graphics, are always welcome.
Closing date for the next issue
is 21 Nov, for publication by 20
January 2006.
Please send to:
[email protected], or
Editor
PO Box 12144
A’Beckett St
Melbourne VIC 8006
Cover photo: Peter Mathews,
elated at having finished his
second Paris-Brest-Paris, the first
on a recumbent. See the full
story on the pros and cons of
recumbents in this issue.
Disclaimer Opinions expressed
in this magazine are those of
the respective authors, and not
necessarily those of the Audax
Club of Australia Inc.
Borrowing this copy?
To
receive your own copy, simply join
the club at www.audax.org.au/
membership.htm or write to the
above address.
The Murray Magic A-Series .................. 14
Okayama Brevet 600, Japan ................. 18
Women in Audax ................................. 20
Backing up the Giro on four wheels....... 22
World News ......................................... 24
Brevets................................................ 25
Time for the Oppy................................ 26
The colossal impostor?
Editorial
Astute readers of Checkpoint No. 24
(Winter 2005) reported that the bird shown
in the story “The colossal magpie”, by Chris
Rogers, wasn’t a magpie at all. Why? Well
it was the wrong size and colour, for a start.
Despite the Editor’s lack of knowledge of all
things avian, it was nonetheless an American
maggie, and so was not recognised by the
majority of Checkpoint readers, which are
not suprisingly, Australian, and used to
seeing Australian maggies, both dead and
alive.
It’s only through the reporting of such
grave errors that Checkpoint can maintain
the standard it does. The member that
first reported the impostor shall remain
nameless, but thanks go to Canola Canter
ride organiser Ray Stenhouse of Wagga
Wagga, NSW, for pointing out that the bird
shown was not aggressive, and therefore
the reputation of the Canola Canter would
suffer because no one would be attacked.
Well, something like that anyhow. Seriously
folks, it’s not scary - well, just a little.
Wombat Wallow ride cancellation
Ken Dowling
Please note that the Wombat Wallow dirt
ride from Daylesford, Victoria, which was
advertised for Sunday 3 December 2005 has
been cancelled.
Checkpoint Spring 2005
3
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The musings of a
randonneur
Welcome to another edition of what I like to call “the musings
of a randonneur”.
I have often thought to myself whether
anyone actually reads this column. I was
actually surprised a couple of rides ago
when somebody remarked on an issue I had
raised. This perked me up a bit. I would
hate to think that I take up space that could
be used to educate riders on the intricacies
of randonneurring.
I suppose that I start off in this manner
because last issue I asked for some ideas
for medallion designs for the new awards.
Thus far none have been forthcoming. The
easiest thing to do would be to give it to our
medallion manufacturer and let them come
up with a design. But I believe that we, as
a club, have the expertise to design our
own awards. So I am asking that you put
your thinking caps on and come up with
a design for the new awards as previously
announced.
Rides Calendar
At the time of writing the rides calendar
was not completed. I know that between
writing this and when Checkpoint is
published that the calendar will be
completed. This publication takes a lot of
effort to compile. There are many hours
on the phone cajoling members to consider
organising a ride. I put to you that most of
us already organise rides, whether it is a
local coffee run or a weekend training ride.
It does not take much more to make this
into a club ride. So next time, please freely
volunteer your services. Just remember that
we are a cycling club, we cannot survive
without organised rides.
Club Election
I know that this is early and that it is a
favourite hobbyhorse of mine. The club
needs a continuous supply of new blood in
its committee structures. I have often stated
that a club will only thrive and prosper if
it has a healthy turn over of office bearers.
President’s
Pedals
with Hans Dusink
The national elections are to be held in
February. Nominations for all positions
will be called for in December. I urge you
to consider serving the club. It is not healthy
for a club or for the long tern incumbents to
remain static.
Now that I have got that off my chest,
our membership continues to grow. When
I first joined Audax, the base membership
was around the 350 mark. The base
membership now seems to be around 550
members and growing. This is pleasing. I
know that our populaire rides are attracting
numerous riders. Our brevet rides continue
to attract healthy numbers. It is good to see
newer members stepping up to the brevet
distances.
Many of us are passionate about our
hobbies and pursuits. Randonneurring takes
up large chunks of time. Last issue I wrote
about making sure that we kept a balance.
I plead guilty to sometimes concentrating
on my riding and ignoring family and noncycling friends. For several reasons, I have
not been Audax active over the last several
months. It became more important to spend
time attending to family issues. Suffice to
say that hobbies are important, but there
is an optimum life, work, hobby, family
balance. As we start to prepare for the next
riding season, I ask you all to take this into
account when planning your riding year.
In fact try to involve your family. If a ride
takes you out of your home town, consider
making it a weekend away. Australia has a
lot to offer.
I think I have said enough. Safe cycling,
5
Recumbents as Audax
vehicles
by Peter Weiss and Peter Mathews
With the recent increase, we hesitate to say upsurge, of interest in recumbents among Audax club
members we are urging readers to consider the suitability of recumbents as Audax bikes.
Your scribes have done PBP on
recumbents, Mathews on a bike and Weiss
on a trike. They were not alone.
So the answer is clear, right? Wrong.
Who will forget the rider who did PBP on
a scooter in 2003? The question is not the
possibility but the suitability of a recumbent
for Audax riding. That means doing long
rides within the time limit in a fair degree
of comfort.
As this article is about recumbents
as Audax vehicles, we will consider two
questions: Why recumbent, and two wheels
or three? We will not write about their use
for commuting, for touring or as generalpurpose sports bikes.
Why recumbent?
Comfort
Weiss: Imagine a club meeting with a
few dozen members present. (Your scribe
Mathews not present) The speaker asks all
riders in PBP 2003 to stand. A significant
number do so. The speaker then asks anyone
to sit down if during PBP they suffered from
sore wrist or arms, neck pain, back pain,
or sore bottom, or who took pain killers
or applied creams or ointment to various
parts of their body to cope with soreness or
chafing. Every PBP rider sits down. That’s
right folks, not one rider who did PBP on
a conventional road bike escaped painfree. Your scribe Weiss who did PBP on a
recumbent trike remained standing.
There you have it, in one paragraph.
Recumbents are comfortable. Your scribe
Weiss still remembers the first time he
came across PBP. It was in Checkpoint,
just after the 1999 edition of PBP. Weiss
had just done his first 200 (Around the Bay
6
Peter Weiss glides along on his Ultra Swift recumbent
in a Day) and he wandered into the Audax
tent. He remembers reading an article about
PBP in Checkpoint, and thinking that the
participants must be mad. They battled
pain, tiredness, pain, fatigue, and did he
mention pain. They were nothing less than
heroic. Weiss didn’t want to be heroic. So
recumbent for him.
much more sleep and longer stops, grinning
from ear to ear! Rode the recumbent two
days after arriving back in Australia.
Mathews: I rode PBP in 1999 on a custom
built road bike. A lovely machine, still much
treasured but ridden only about half the
distance I have so far accumulated on my
recumbent. The engine suffered serious
pain and lasting physical discomfort in the
neck, toes and fingers as a result. I didn’t
ride a bike again for several months. In 2003
I finished PBP in a slightly better time, with
Weiss & Mathews: On a recumbent, lie
back and enjoy the view. Going recumbent
has for both of us rekindled the joys of
riding in the country, bird, bee, and buswatching all take on new meaning!
The view
Have you ever tired of looking at the road
just in front of your front tyre, especially
when slogging up a long steep hill?
Weiss: Sure we can’t stand on our pedals,
but we don’t need to. The gearing on most
recumbents is so low that on steep hill the
rider just twiddles away in low gear until the
crest is reached.
Mathews: And with a final gear ratio of
about 120 gear inches developed by a 67
front ring and an 11 small sprocket at the
back, my bike has serious down hill gears.
At the other extreme my great-granny 30
(front) to 32 is so low that it requires fast
spinning to stay above “minimum velocity”
to avoid falling over – a problem not
encountered by tryciclists.
Medical conditions
Some riders choose recumbents because
of physical problems such as spinal
degeneration or stiff neck. Others may
be worried about loss of sexual function,
which is said to afflict some men who
ride huge distances on conventional bikes.
Still others suffer from numb fingers and
toes, mostly temporary, but for some
riders permanent. We contend, from our
very personal experiences, that all of the
above conditions are mollified during
recumbenteering.
Mathews: I think it important to note
that I still get occasional fits of tingling in
both fingers and toes.
The nose
Weiss & Mathews: Discussing the
content of this article we came to the
amazing realisation that when riding
their conventional bikes their noses drip.
Recumbent, they don’t.
Two wheels or three?
Like so much in life, the choice of
recumbents is a compromise. What to
choose depends on one’s priorities. Weiss
rides a trike, Mathews a bike. Here are our
experiences.
Weiss: Trikes are reluctant to fall over. It
can happen, but it’s less likely than on a twowheeler. The story of Raoul Mill’s fall is well
known. Wouldn’t have happened on a trike.
Mathews: Trikes don’t lean either. This
imposes some skills at least at high speed
and cornering. I have certainly come off my
two wheeler several times. Most dramatically
during the 2004 Alpine Classic a rear tyre
blew out while descending Tawonga Gap
towards Mt Beauty at speed. After one and
a half rotations along the road my knicks
had no bum left and I had some holes in my
treasured PBP jersey. The bum recovered
and I rode again in a week. Had I come off
my road bike maybe would I have come off
so lightly?
Peter Mathews hugs the corners during Paris-Brest-Paris.
Weiss: One evening well into ParisBrest-Paris Weiss fell asleep while riding.
The first he knew of it was when the
rumbling of the wheel on the grass verge
woke him. Had he been on a two-wheeler
he would have tumbled. Yes, we know that
when we are too tired to ride on safely we
should pull over and sleep. But on long
Audax rides (400 and above) that’s not
always possible. With the time limits we
subject ourselves to, we sometimes just
have to keep going. Eventually our bodies
can have enough, and then we have no
choice but to sleep.
One hundred km into a ride, time for a
lunch break at the cafe in the town we’re
riding through. Pull up outside the cafe,
where to park the bike? Cafe owner doesn’t
want it leaning against the plate-glass
window. Prop it against a tree? Lie it on
the road? Lean it against a brick wall out of
sight? With a trike it’s simple. Park outside
the cafe next to the window, sit down inside
7
with the trike in full view and enjoy lunch.
After lunch, go outside, sit down on the
trike and pedal off. A little point? Maybe,
but ask Bob Bednarz what can happen to a
road bike left out of sight even locked up.
Mathews: I like to get off the bike to walk
around, talk to people, and find it very easy
to lock the bike to purpose-made or other
street furniture.
Convenience
Weiss: One can sleep on a (stationary)
trike. Sometimes on a long ride you just have
to stop and sleep. It’s not always possible to
find somewhere convenient to sleep. There
may be no shelters nearby, the ground may
be hard or wet or stony or dirty. On a trike,
just stop, apply the parking brake, pull on a
space blanket if it’s cold, and take a nap.
Mathews: On Audax rides I have slept
on some of the loveliest concrete you’ll
find! Mr Weiss is correct, and during bad
weather I have rested on the recumbent seat
by leaning the shoulder gently against a wall.
I prefers beds!
Hills
Weiss: If the going gets too tough (e.g.
climbing Mt Buffalo after 130 km of the
Audax Alpine Classic) the trike rider
just stops. No need to unclip, no need to
balance, just stop and apply the brakes.
To go, release the brakes and pedal. No
clipping the shoes in, no wobbling until
speed is reached.
Mathews: The two wheel contributor to
this article acknowledges this advantage.
Starting and stopping on any two wheeled
machine on a steep hill is tricky. On my
two wheeled recumbent I seem to wobble
less on starting than my conventional bikes.
Why? Perhaps because of less strain on the
handle bars. You need to be in the right
gear. Getting uphill speed on my recumbent
has been a real challenge.
The recumbent bike
There is little doubt that recumbent bikes
can be faster than recumbent trikes, and
faster than most road bikes. Recumbent
bikes can be lighter than trikes (only two
wheels, no heavy cross-member to hold
the two front wheels) and much more
aerodynamic. In fact a recumbent bike can
combine the speed of a road bike with the
comfort of a recumbent trike. Of course
it lacks the stability offered by the third
wheel, but in this, as in so much in life, it’s
a compromise. You have to decide what’s
more important to you – speed or stability.
8
Weiss: Recumbent bikes are easier than
trikes to carry inside or on top of a car.
They are usually lighter and easier to lift
and carry.
a trike for longer rides, but money is a
consideration. Mathews is happy with his
‘bent bike for all distances.
Footnote on prices
Mathews: Not much! And I suspect Mr
Weiss’ trike probably weighs less than my
bike (stark naked). I think we both suspect
that once you add lights, water bottles
and recumbenteering paraphernalia the
differences are not great. Rider power
to weight ratio has been one of the
most influential factors contributing to
improvement of my cycling performance.
And is independent of the type of machine
I ride.
Disadvantages of recumbents
Weiss: Because ‘bents are low-volume
articles, they are generally dearer than road
bikes1. Because they lack the strength of the
diamond frame they are generally heavier
than road bikes2.
Mathews: Not sure about either of these
assertions Peter. $4000 gets you into a good
Audax recumbent two wheeler (2 wheeled
Flying Furniture of very recent manufacture)
and plenty of road bikes cost more. Not sure
about strength – my engineering ain’t quite
good enough to make that assertion.
Trikes are slower than bikes. How much
slower? That varies from trike to trike.
Weiss has tallied up his brevets, and finds
that on average on his trike he takes around
30 minutes more for 200 km than on his
road bike. That’s slow enough to be last,
and to lose the sociable aspect of Audax
rides. Does that matter? On shorter rides,
maybe yes. On longer rides, safety and
comfort are paramount. At least to Weiss.
Mathews: finds that overall his times
are at least as good as on his road bike.
Never world beating, but its not a race, eh?
Terrain always plays an important part. On
a hilly course I am always slower. Always
have been. On flattish courses – like the
Irene Plowman very credible times are
common. Comfort, more specifically lack
of pain in hands and wrists makes riding
the recumbent a joy which was disappearing
from long rides on conventional bikes.
Recumbent trikes in Australia start below
$3,000 while ‘bent bikes start just below
$2,000. As with good road bikes, lighter is
dearer, and you can easily pay $5,000 for a
lightweight trike or a fast recumbent bike.
Footnote on weight
Some Dutch makers like Optima and M5
make (expensive) bikes weighing under 10
kg. But most bikes weigh more. Mathews’
bike, for example, weighs 13kg. Trikes
are even often heavier. Weiss’ trike, a
lightweight in the trike world, weighs about
12 kg stripped down, but ready to ride
Audax, considerably more.
PBP
Re-run of the
2003
Paris-Brest-Paris
Australian Team
Jersey
If you participated in PBP in 2003
and are interested in obtaining another
Australian team jersey, please contact
Greg Cunningham as soon as possible.
Greg will forward you the details
and prices and how you can order. He
will be finalising the orders by the end
of October, if it is to proceed. So be
quick.
Conclusion
Peter Marshall (an Englishman who did
PBP in 1999 and again in 2003 on different
trikes) has written that for rides below 600
km he chooses the road bike for its speed;
for longer rides he chooses the trike for its
comfort. Weiss thinks that he might prefer
a recumbent bike for rides below 600 and
Greg’s contact details are as follows:
[email protected]
Phone: 02 6288 6997 (ah)
0438 249 112 (m)
Committee Talk
with Barry Moore, Vice-President
The most recent National Committee teleconference was held
on 25 August 2005. In the absence of Hans Dusink, I chaired
the meeting.
We had a lot of items on the agenda and
managed to cover them all. The meeting
ran for about an hour and a half. Items
discussed included:
• Our membership fee for 2006 has to
be set before 1 November 2005. Garry
Armsworth will approach Cycling
Australia to get an indication of our
affiliation fee.
• Our Membership Secretary (Lorraine
Allen) reported that membership
numbers have fallen just a little since last
year. She also reported that administrative
arrangements with Cycling Australia were
working smoothly, after some minor
initial problems.
• Stephen Chambers, our Treasurer, reported
that our financial position is sound.
• Stephen has also examined our GST status.
The result is that National will register for
GST, as our annual turnover exceeds
$100,000 which is the threshold for not for
profit organisations. The net result is that
the Alpine must also register but none of
the regions will need to. Registration will
be effective from 1 July 2005.
• We have another issue with our
Constitution. When our Public Officer
(Ian Boehm) attempted to register the
February 2005 changes with Consumer
Affairs he was told that the proposed
constitution did not comply with the
requirements of the Victorian Act. One
issue was a technicality on postal voting vs
proxies. The other was lack of a disputes
resolution mechanism. We were aware of
this one and had intended to address it in
the next set of amendments. When we
dug a bit deeper with CA, we found that
the last Audax Australia constitution they
claim to have registered was in 1987! This
did surprise us as we have made some
major changes since then. The effect of
this is that we have to quickly validate the
current (February 2005) Constitution,
with the amendments required by CA.
This is in hand and a Special General
Meeting will be called for this purpose.
The structural changes we still need will
be put to members in a separate exercise.
• A decision was made to move to regular
meetings of National Committee, every
two months. Up until now, we have had
meetings as the need has arisen.
• All Regions will consider whether there are
local requirements which apply to Audax
events (such as the Victorian Guidelines
for On-Road Cycling Events – under
consideration by the Victorian Committee)
and what response is required.
• We agreed to investigate holding a
planning meeting, to consider how
we should take the club forward. The
best time for this would probably be in
association with the Alpine.
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Join in the worlds largest one day
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The Tour de France is the greatest
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in the first half of the race including
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9
Fitz’s Epic: a comparison
with the Alpine Classic
by Greg Cunningham
Pedal Power ACT will be hosting the 18th edition of the ‘Fitz’s Challenge’ non-competitive randonnée
event on Sunday, 20 November 2005. The 2004 edition drew just over 500 riders for four distances
on offer of 50km, 100km, 160km and 210 km.
All four rides start at the attractive village
of Tharwa near the south-western edge of
Canberra, and follow ‘out & back’ sealed
road sections through the foothills of the
scenic Brindabella Range, covering roads
used in the prestigious annual ‘Canberra
Tour’ race.
While this is not an Audax event, the
format is very similar to the annual ‘Audax
Alpine Classic’ event conducted by Audax
Australia from Bright, Victoria in late
January. A brevet card is issued to riders
for verification at checkpoints along the
course, and the aim is to complete the
chosen distance within a target time. For
the longest two options of 160km and
210km, this target time is tighter than the
usual Audax time limit.
The large number of riders and the
use of Tharwa as a ‘hub’ for the four
rides produces a great atmosphere, with
significant numbers of riders on opposite
sides of the road during the event. This
is particularly so on the northern part of
the course when returning riders from the
shorter distances pass those on the longer
hauls heading out to tackle more hills after
completing the southern segment.
Features of ‘Fitz’s Epic’
The ‘Fitz’s Epic’ 210km option was a
welcome and successful addition to the
event in 2004, with a very encouraging
turnout of 43 riders, nearly all of whom
finished successfully within the 12.5 hour
target time. The Epic makes for short but
pleasant (and demanding!) excursions into
the higher reaches of the Namadgi National
Park.
10
‘Fitz’s Epic’ elevation profile
Fitz’s Epic: lots of little hills
There is an estimated 3830m of climbing on the 210km Fitz’s Epic course,
virtually
identical
the 3810m
scaled
the profile
200km below
course
the200km
annualAlpine
The Fitz’s
Epic to
course
includes
mostduringThe
forofthe
Audax Alpine Classic event. This takes in the very long climbs to Falls Creek
of that for the shorter 160km ‘Fitz’s Classic course illustrates that despite a
and Mt Buffalo in the Victorian Alps, as well as the shorter and steeper
Challenge’,
whichboth
has sides
an estimated
2600m
sections over
of Tawonga
Gap.similar amount of climbing, the two courses
of climbing. This includes the tough climbs are vastly different, with the many short
over
(10.4%
over
2.6km),
theClassic
sharpcourse
climbs illustrates
of the Fitz’s
contrasting
TheFitz’s
profileHill
below
for the
200km
Alpine
thatEpic
despite
a
similar
amount
climbing,Crossing,
the two courses
arethe
vastly
different,
withlong
the hauls
manyuphill
steep
section
afterofGlendale
and with
less steep
but very
short sharp
the 1km),
Fitz’s Epic
contrasting
the course:
less steep but very
Pierces
Creek climbs
(8.8% of
over
amongst
of the with
‘Alpine’
long
hauls
uphill
of
the
‘Alpine’
course:
lots of other hills.
Fitz’s Epic versus Alpine Classic: anecdotal
‘Audax Alpine Classic’ elevation profile
To this already challenging course the comparisons
Fitz’s Epic course adds 3 tough ‘out &
The introduction of the Fitz’s Epic led
back’ sections – the series of short hills in to a healthy though inconclusive debate
the Orroral Valley and the longer steep amongst Canberra long distance cyclists
climbs up to Honeysuckle Creek and Corin about which of the two events is the hardest.
Forest. The elevation profile illustrates the Observations by several riders experienced
consistently ‘up & down’ nature of the Epic in both events are set out further below.
course:
However, the final word probably goes to
Michael Carden, a veteran of many Alpine
Classic rides, who commented as follows
There is an estimated 3830m of climbing regarding the inaugural Epic in October
on the 210km Fitz’s Epic course, virtually 2004: “…En route we tried to work out
identical to the 3810m scaled during the whether the Alpine Classic or the Fitz’s
200km course of the annual Audax Alpine Epic is harder and I concluded that the ride
Fitz’s Epic v Alpine Classic: anecdotal comparisons
Classic. This takes in the very long climbs to you’re doing on the day is harder”.
Falls
and Mt Buffalo
in theEpic
Victorian
TheCreek
introduction
of the Fitz’s
led to a healthy though inconclusive debate
Alps,
as well
as the long
shorter
and steeper
Michael’s
amongst
Canberra
distance
cyclists about
which comment
of the twoimplicitly
events isrecognises
the
sections
overObservations
both sides of by
Tawonga
Gap.
the widely indifferent
nature
hardest.
several
riders experienced
both events
areof
setthe two
out further below. However, the final word probably goes to Michael Carden,
a veteran of many Alpine Classic rides, who commented as follows regarding
the inaugural Epic in October 2004:
courses, and the need to tailor preparation
for the type of terrain that will be
encountered on these long hard rides:
short, steep hills for the Fitz’s Epic, and
longer mountain hauls at lesser gradient for
the Alpine Classic.
Michael’s
interesting:
other
observations
“In my experience I think both rides are
complementary to each other. You have the
friendly gradient of the Classic long climbs
and the punchy short climbs of the Epic.
If you combine both that makes a good
introduction to hill rides.
are
If I had to compare them in terms of
difficulty I think the main thing for me is
something that has nothing to do with the
“Prior to taking on the Epic I thought course: the weather. The hotter it gets the
that
the isplanned
route was
madness
and on
harder
it is forFitz’s
manyEpic
of us.
Therefore the
There
an estimated
3830m
of climbing
the 210km
course,
virtuallybeidentical
to the
3810m
the 200km
of of
thethe
annual
couldn’t
completed
in the
time scaled
allotted.during
classic
is hard course
because
afternoon
Audax
Alpine
Classic
event.
This
takes
in
the
very
long
climbs
to
Falls
I discussed this with a number of other climb to Buffalo at +30 degrees.Creek
and Mt
in the Victorian
Alps, as
riders
andBuffalo
most thought
that it couldn’t
be well as the shorter and steeper
sections over both sides of Tawonga Gap.
done, but we decided to give it a go anyway.
The Epic was run for the first time last
I The
was profile
quite surprised
when
we
managed
year,
I always
find a ride
below for the 200km Alpine Classic and
course
illustrates
that harder
despitethe
a first
tosimilar
complete
the course
in well
11 time,
I remember
thinking
on the day
amount
of climbing,
theunder
two courses
are but
vastly
different, with
the many
hours”.
that I with
was happy
that
it wasn’t
too hot and
short sharp climbs of the Fitz’s Epic contrasting
the less
steep
but very
long hauls uphill of the ‘Alpine’ course:
‘Audax Alpine Classic’ elevation profile
Alpine Classic: just a few big hills
Fitz’s Epic v Alpine Classic: anecdotal comparisons
The introduction of the Fitz’s Epic led to a healthy though inconclusive debate
amongst Canberra long distance cyclists about which of the two events is the
Fitz’s Epic
and the Alpine
Classicriders
are experienced
that if it was run
more
into the
time
hardest.
Observations
by several
in both
events
aresummer
set
both
which
reward
solid preparation.
would begoes
‘tres dur’
(very hard).
So I guess
out rides
further
below.
However,
the final worditprobably
to Michael
Carden,
The
weatherofonmany
the day
will Classic
also playrides,
a big who
with
the Epic being
in lateregarding
November we
a veteran
Alpine
commented
as follows
part
the outcome.
are entering new horizons with a potentially
theininaugural
Epic in October 2004:
hotter day that would make it harder.”
Both rides take place in some of
Australia’s most picturesque alpine
In conclusion I think the Epic is harder if
environment, and are worthwhile goals for you have the same weather conditions (heat)
their sightseeing potential if nothing else.
as the Classic.”
The Alpine has been a must-do for me
every year since I first rode it in 1998, and I
expect that the Fitz’s Epic is destined to be
the same.
I think that rather than trying to define
one or the other as ‘harder’ or ‘better’ or
anything else, riders should be encouraged
to attempt both so they can join in the
perpetual debate.”
Christophe Barbaret suggested that “On
a hot day, the Epic will be the toughest of
the two rides” and added:
Tony Carmichael, an experienced bunch
rider who is a relative newcomer to rides of
this distance, commented as follows:
“…the only 2 rides over 200km I have
completed are the Classic and the Epic. I
found them both very difficult rides, but the
Epic is more difficult to me because of the
undulating nature of the ride makes it more
difficult to get your rhythm.”
Bob McHugh has experience with these
rides and with challenging ‘cyclo-sportiv’
events in Europe, including the ‘Etape
du Tour’ edition that scaled the ‘Giant of
Provence’, Mont Ventoux, in bad weather
conditions. Bob contributed the following
comments and advice:
“Much to my surprise, I completed Fitz’s
Epic in almost exactly the same time as the
Alpine Classic (on the same bike). Then I
was amazed to find that the two events have
the same gross elevation gain. I think the
similarities are probably more important
than the differences.
In both cases, the climbing is moderate
provided it is tackled in a measured way.
Each of the Epic’s sharp hills is short and
completed fairly quickly. The long ascents
of the Challenge and the Epic’s climb to
Corin forest are never really steep. However,
the combination of two hundred kilometres
and almost four thousand metres of ascent
makes these demanding rides, particularly
in nasty weather. Compare this to the
single-day alpine events in Europe which
have much, much harder ascents but tend to
be shorter than two hundred kilometres.
The psychological demands of the two
events are similar. The dog-bone shape
fractures the courses into two halves
requiring strong motivation at Tharwa and
Bright to get back on the bike. (I also think
that the fractured routes steal some of the
satisfaction at the finishes, compared to an
out-and-back or loop course). Don’t count
on inspiring scenery to keep you going in
either the Epic or the Challenge. Only on
the final climbs does the uniform forest
yield to spectacular views.
Both rides are high on enjoyment but this
comes from the riding itself, from working
with the bike in spinning or pushing up
each climb and twisting and weaving down
it. I think it’s probably better to approach
each ride with a sense of play rather than
trepidation, but that’s easier said than done
on the morning of the event! “
Alpine Classic 2006 Newsflash
The ride is almost fully booked.
If you are attending, ensure your
accommodation is confirmed.
Stay tuned to the Audax website at
www.audax.org.au
for updates on the ride.
Enquiries: [email protected]
11
Hunter Valley randonnée
by Chris Rogers
It was mid-Winter, and my wife Judith wanted a holiday. While she played on the net looking for
possibilities I scanned the Audax calendar. Malcolm Rogers had a new ride from Gordon in the north
of Sydney into the Hunter Valley, and the end of financial year sales were starting early. That seemed
to be perfect conjunction, so we booked into an apartment in central Sydney for four days.
A quick look at the map indicated that
it was about 15km from the apartment to
the start of the ride at Gordon station. I
decided to ride the distance. I was more
worried about leaving Judith with the car
and the credit cards than the traffic at 5am.
There is a great bike path on the western
side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but
it was a bit fiddly getting onto the Pacific
Highway without a map, though after that it
was straight forward to get to Gordon.
At the start I met Malcolm. We were
yarning away when Pat Dorey and Tim
Laugher from Victoria rode up. Garry
Armsworth from Sydney arrived just before
the starting time. Pat, Tim and Garry
were riding the 400, but I was riding the
200. The weather forecast was for clearing
showers. The starting time was 6am, which
to my mind is ideal for a city-based ride.
There is almost no traffic at that hour on
a Sunday, and I would rather ride in the
dark on deserted roads in the morning than
finish in the dark in heavy traffic.
The four of us rode together through
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park down
to Bobbin Head. It was cool, dark and
foggy on the descent, and first light as we
rode up the other side to Mt Colah. It
was magnificent riding through the half-lit
forest, with bird calls all around us. We saw
less than a dozen cars in the first 20km.
At Mount Colah we joined the Pacific
Highway, back in suburbia. After a couple
of kilometres we heard that unfortunate
ffffftt fffftt fffftt sound. At first you hope
that it is someone else, but pretty soon the
bump bump bump in the rear wheel tells
that it is your personal flat. I told the others
to continue on as they had a long way to go,
and I was fully equipped.
The old Pacific Highway was a delight
to ride on. The new freeway has taken
12
Sydney Harbour Bridge: Using the cycleway is a much more scenic and relaxing option than the bus
lane, as Chris Rogers discovered.
almost all the traffic, leaving a deserted well
graded road with a good shoulder. There is
a good descent into Mooney Mooney on
the Hawkesbury River, then steady climb
back onto the ridge. The only traffic on
the whole road was first the MG Car Club,
followed later by the Porsche Car Club, then
a few knots of motorcyclists. There was no
wind at all, and a bit of fog around. The
long sections of horizontal sandstone strata
and natural bush made this one of the most
beautiful rides I have done in recent years.
In Peats Ridge I rejoined Pat and Tim at a
service station where we had refreshments.
On this section of road there was a cycling
race in progress. It is a little disconcerting
to be struggling up a hill in low gear and
have groups of racers fly by at four times the
speed. The three of us rode together till my
turn around point at Buckety Fire Station.
The weather seemed to be lifting, with
occasional moments of sunshine.
On the way back I was in need of a
serious feed, so pulled into a service station.
The driveway was pot-holed and the outside
appearance a little rustic. I thought that I
would be lucky to get Mars Bar nearing its
use-by date. But it was like the Tardus. Inside
was a gourmet café with all sorts of delights:
Pies, quiches, hot meals, gourmet foccacia,
soups, sandwiches, rolls, a huge expresso
machine… Perhaps I was hallucinating. I
dreamt that I had a cheese and salad roll
on Turkish bread, and a banana smoothie,
and read the Sunday paper far longer than
I should. All along there was a stream of
bikies and locals calling in for lunch. The
place was a cheery bustle.
The return to Gordon was as delightful as
the ride out. The traffic was a little heavier
than in the morning, but no trouble with
the broad shoulder on the road. On the fly
down to the Hawkesbury I again heard that
ffftt ffftt ffftt sad song. Twenty minutes later
I was riding again. I rode down to Bobbin
Head in twilight, and up the other side in
dark. The road was wet with recent rain,
and trees dripping, and the bush alive with
the sound of a million frogs. I checked into
the Gordon Police Station a little after 6pm.
Twelve hours for a 200, but it was such a
glorious ride that I don’t remember once
looking at my watch.
Getting back to Sydney, however, was
not that simple. I rolled south down the
Pacific Highway at a canter at first, but just
below Crows Nest it all fell apart without
a map. There were signs to suburbs I had
never heard of. What I thought was the
Pacific Highway turned into a ten lane
motorway with signs forbidding cyclists and
pedestrians. It looked like the Grand Prix
down there, but with ten thousand drivers.
I retraced my steps slightly, and asked a
local how to get the Harbour Bridge. He
said go here, there and somewhere else
and she’ll be right. Well I did, but I ended
up on the same motorway. No bicycles, no
pedestrians. Why wasn’t I on a camel, or a
yak, and I would be OK? I ended up back
where I started.
So I went to the professionals. I rode up
to a taxi rank and explained the problem.
No worries said the driver: Turn left at
the pedestrian crossing and just follow the
bus route signs and she’ll be right. Well I
did just that. As I entered the motorway I
looked down so that I couldn’t see les velos
interdit signs. I cruised past the toll booth,
and nobody seemed to notice.
Till half way over the bridge all was
well. For those unfamiliar with the Sydney
Harbour Bridge the bus lane is on the
right for southbound traffic, physically
separated from the rest of the traffic by a
low concrete barrier. There was me alone in
the bus lane, with a million cars streaming
by on the other side of the barrier. But
then I looked behind. Five huge buses
were coming down my lane. On a quick
calculation the lane was 4.2 m wide, and
the buses 4.1 m wide. Not a lot of room. So
I jumped off my bike and squeezed against
a dividing fence, hoping that I was as thin as
a layer of paint – I would rather be vertical
graffiti than horizontal roadkill. The buses
had to slow down to get past me, and there
was much honking of horns, and eloquent
gesticulation from the drivers.
At this stage I thought it wise to
reappraise the situation. I shouldered the
GT, and dodged between frantic traffic to
get to the side of the bridge where there was
a pedestrian path. I hoisted the bike over
the fence, and was off like a rabbit. Just
as I caught sight of the hotel sign a bridge
guard started waving and shouting at me.
“This is a pedestrian path! The bike path
is on the other side of the bridge! Are you
stupid or what!” “No mate, I’m in Audax”,
I said. He then gave me a lecture on serious
consequences, told me to walk the rest of
the way, and started talking to himself like
they do on The Bill. But it didn’t bother me
because I was almost home.
When I contacted Malcolm later to
thank him for the brilliant ride he told me
that Garry came in during the early hours
of the morning. Pat and Tim had technical
problems and were forced to pull out at
Wyong, where they caught a commuter
train back to Gordon.
Bike riding is all about new experiences.
It is the only way to explore new territory.
We all owe our gratitude to organisers such
as Malcolm who use their local knowledge
to devise routes that are safe and show some
of the great countryside and cityscapes of
Australia.
The Visa bill arrives next week.
Results
of SA
AGM
Courtesy Ian Peak
The South Australia Region
Annual General Meeting was held on
the 1st September, 2005 and was well
attended. Well, more than for a usual
600km ride anyway.
The election off officers resulted
in Ian Peak becoming President,
Matt Rawnsley becoming Secretary/
Treasurer/Rides Convenor, Oliver
Portway and Alan Dickson becoming
committee members, and Darren
Kelly was to be co-opted onto the
committee when we need to set up
special interest groups or special
activities. The position of Equal
Opportunity
Officer
remained
vacant.
National Committee
The Audax Club of Australia Inc.
Association No. A0014462N
President
Hans Dusink - 03 9314 3815
[email protected]
Vice President
Barry Moore - 03 9803 6529
[email protected]
Secretary
Greg Cunningham - 02 6288 6997
[email protected]
Treasurer
Stephen Chambers - 03 5952 5969
[email protected]
Membership Secretary
Lorraine Allen - 03 5783 2427
[email protected]
Brevet Secretary
Peter Mathews - 03 9890 6089
[email protected]
Committee Members
Henry Boardman - 02 4275 3130
[email protected]
Gordon Cockcroft - 03 5368 7278
[email protected]
Garry Armsworth - 02 9416 7462
[email protected]
Keith McCulloch - 02 4822 0908
[email protected]
NSW President
Chris Walsh - 02 9924 2200
[email protected]
QLD President
Vaughan Kippers - 07 3376 6761
[email protected]
SA President
Matthew Rawnsley - 08 8370 0415
[email protected]
TAS President
Paul Gregory - 03 6229 3811
[email protected]
VIC President
Martin Haynes - 03 5674 2157
[email protected]
WA President
Colin Farmer - 08 9330 4441
[email protected]
13
South Australia
The Murray Magic A-Series 200km
by Michael Dwyer
If you are going to plan a 200km event, do you plan it for the shortest day of the year? Hell, no!
Travel at 25km/h and it will be eight hours in the saddle non-stop, for those who can do 25km/h.
So, we did it two days before the winter solstice! Oh well!
As for the weather, that was much better
organised. It rained everyday before the
event and absolutely bucketed down the
day after but the rain held back from our
competitors on the day. Cool!
The “Murray Magic” is both an Audax
event and an A-Series event too. Adelaide
Tea Tree Tourers cleverly puts a nice little
twist in the shorter Audax events. In the ASeries you elect an average speed to complete
all four events. The bronze certificate is
above 15km/h, the silver is above 20km/h
and the gold is above 25km/h. Now, just
sit back in a comfortable chair and with
cappuccino confidence or beer bravado, you
mentally tick off how pathetically easy it is to
cycle above 25km/h and grab a gold.
or later and we reached the first control at
the 40km mark for a quick hot drink and
cake for those inclined. But the clock keeps
ticking.
Then it was very good. A little light tail
wind and a gentle down-slope took us into
Murray Bridge at a heroic 45 – 50km/h
over some 25km. And we stopped in at
McDonald’s. Did you know that these
were made for cyclists in a hurry? They sell
extreme high energy food very quickly; how
good for cyclists looking to get the clicks in.
But funny about all the other people eating
there as well.
We had to start at 7am in the gloom and
had to carry lights as required. Very safety
conscious, we Audax people are even if the
event itself will kill you. My fellow riders took
off at what I thought was a cracking pace,
considering we were about to rise up into the
cyclist’s playground of the Adelaide Hills. Up
we went and they wouldn’t slow at all and
allow me to do the same with grace. It was
cold too but I was sweating like a pig halfway
up Greenhill Rd and my beer bravado was
just about gone.
On we went, over the bridge, left towards
Mannum and a head wind, not the worst
but definitely there for consideration.
Somewhere on that stretch, we hit the 100km
mark. There is not a lot of scenery along that
bit of road and the mind has all this time
to think about important things. I raised a
cyclist’s conundrum to speed the time. Try
this. If there is a group of 20 cyclists drafting
in two columns and the left hand column is
travelling at a speed of 30km/h and the right
hand column is travelling at 26km/h, what is
the average speed of the bunch? Obviously,
the front rider slips over to the right hand
slow column as he/she hits the front. And
vice versa at the rear. Half the bunch is always
doing 30km/h. The neatest correct answer is
awarded a cycle trip from Murray Bridge to
Mannum with a head wind. But I digress.
The Adelaide Hills are just so good for
cycling. There is usually very little traffic and
none that day, just a few old dears on their
way to praise the Lord or call on the nephew
whose 500cc motor bike slid out on a corner
and who would live to take up true cycling.
But I digress. All hills stop going up sooner
If you have been bad, you will miss the ferry
at Mannum and have to wait for the next.
I didn’t but the guy behind did. He needs
to be more good. The control at Mannum
provided hot drinks and food and appalling
humour! We did not linger as time keeps
ticking (besides, the controllers thought more
But then comes the day of the 200km.
There is a lot of wind about (which has
nothing to do with last night’s carbo loading
pasta and wine). Is it going to help or hinder?
14
of feeding the pelicans than us). And it was
on to the long ride across the river plain and
the very nasty uphill to Tunkillo. Very steep
and nasty. Don’t look up just keep pushing.
There is a top and we got there and stopped
for a stretch and bite and drink. This was
followed by a section of ten minutes with a
tail wind. Come back, all is forgiven! God
loves cyclists after all.
The checkpoint at Lobethal was at the
160km mark so it seemed almost home. Just
time to look at the watch and make a few
calculations on my probable overall average
speed. Shock, What! I have to complete the
last 40km at an average of 20km/h or blow
my silver time. And there are big hills in
between. I have done this section a number
of times but always in the opposite direction.
Fearing defeat and looking for someone to
blame (the controllers at Mannum come to
mind) I pedal hard into the gloom of a day
around 4:30pm on the near shortest day of
the year.
Finally, we were at Norton Summit and
speeding the last downhill to suburbia. And
there is Buongiornos at Norwood and I yell
at the controllers to record my final time and
they yell back to give them the bloody brevet
card.
Then life improves. There is a carafe of red
on the table and coffees to be had and the day
starts to literally shine under the sparkle of
the café lights and the heat from the overhead
gas. All competitors came in to a round of
applause from the café and the bonhomie
increases. There are stories of struggles
against time to be swapped, of bike parts
that worked well and legs that sometimes
wouldn’t. I got my silver. It was all good and
next year it will be even better.
Paris - Brest - Paris
2003 Survey Results
Part 1
Survey results courtesy Jason Andre/Lynda van Dyk/Sam Blight and the 33 respondents
After participating in the 2003 Paris-Brest-Paris, 33 male Audax Australia members kindly completed
a survey regarding their preparation and participation in PBP of that year. Whilst this represents just
under half the number of actual Australian participants, it nonetheless gives aspirants for the 2007
event an idea of what previous participants have done.
Did you carbo-load prior to the event?
Was the language a problem?
100%
100%
80%
80%
60%
60%
40%
40%
20%
20%
Yes
No
Yes
No
Did you take French lessons prior to PBP?
Did you do the ‘Semaine Federale’ prior to PBP? (a week
long ‘training camp’ with 10,000 cyclists)
100%
100%
80%
80%
60%
60%
40%
40%
20%
20%
Yes
No
Can you speak French?
Yes
Did you cycle tour prior to PBP?
100%
100%
80%
80%
60%
60%
40%
40%
20%
20%
Yes
No
No
Yes*
No
*Countries toured included France, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium,
England, Switzerland and Germany. Two respondents toured the PBP route.
15
The Argus
by Howard Duncan
Cape Town in South Africa, is known the world over for its stunning waterfront setting with Table
Mountain as a backdrop, and also as the location of the Robin Island prison that incarcerated Nelson
Mandela for many years. Amongst cyclists however, it is gaining fame for the annual staging of the
Cape Argus Cycle Challenge which has been held every year since 1977.
Over the years the ride has grown from
a local event attracting a few hundred
enthusiasts, to the world’s largest one day
timed sporting event, with about 38,000
people taking part in 2005. It was the
curiosity of riding in such a massive crowd
that tempted my wife, Danya, and me to
travel to Cape Town in March 2005 to ride
in “The Argus”, as it’s affectionately known
amongst South Africans.
A holiday in South Africa two years
earlier had left us keen to see more of the
continent, so a visit to the majestic Victoria
Falls and a safari in Botswana was added to
the beginning of our trip. After a week off
the bike and taking in the wonders of the
African bush, we arrived in Cape Town and
set off to explore the city on our wheels.
Despite some undeserved publicity, the
city is quite safe to cycle around, particularly
the older parts with their interesting Dutch
Cape architecture. Riding up into the hills
away from the city centre, we saw suburbs
of large houses with stunning coastal views,
but the only people in the streets are the
black domestic workers scurrying off to
catch their busses back to their homes in the
shanty towns on the city outskirts.
A visit to one of the black townships later
in the week was a real eye opener for us,
not just because of the extreme poverty,
but due to the spirit and optimism of the
people in the face of what to us seems like
insurmountable problems.
The day before the Argus, we went to
register and collect our information packs
and timing transponders from the Cycle
Expo that runs in conjunction with the
event. It is only when we got there and saw
thousands of people lining up in the expo
halls that we got a hint of the buzz that
would follow the next day. That afternoon
16
Argus riders enjoy a great atmosphere and spectacular scenery along the 109km route.
I took a ride from our hotel up through
the city and over Table Mountain to the
fashionable seaside suburb of Camps Bay
on the Atlantic coast. The climb out of the
city is very steep but in my lowest gears I
struggled up to the cable car station on Table
Mountain to enjoy the view over the city and
harbour. The winding descent down to the
coast was exhilarating with the coolness of
the descent being a welcome relief from the
afternoon sun. The local motorists possibly
realised I was a visitor to their city so showed
me a degree of respect and left plenty of
room on the road.
The following morning, we were greeted
by the colourful sight of thousands of excited
cyclists all lining up in their designated
starting areas. For the locals, this is the
premier event amongst many mass rides that
are held over the year in South Africa, and
they take it very seriously indeed. Although
only 109 kilometres in length, it is seen as
something of a challenge for many of the
riders, some whom have done the ride since
it’s inception in 1977. Our group of riders
finally pushed off at 8.20 am, somewhere in
the middle of the 38,000 starting that day.
As the roads are closed to traffic for the
entire route and we started off on a wide
multi lane road, there was never any sense of
the massive number of cyclists on the road.
The locals lined the road and cheered
us on as we climbed the long hill out of the
city through the hills to the coast of False
Bay on the Indian Ocean side of the Cape
of Good Hope. A strong headwind slowed
our progress as we passed through the small
coastal towns of Fish Hoek and Simons
Town, famous for its resident penguin
colony. A bit further on as we entered the
national park, we were confronted by a
troop of baboons for which, after some close
encounters during the previous week, I have
a healthy respect. It seems they have taken a
liking to eating the discarded gel packets of
thoughtless cyclists and were hyped up on
sugar, so we rode carefully past as they bared
their fangs.
After 50 kilometres, we reached the
southern most point of the ride at the
entrance to the Cape of Good Hope Nature
Reserve. With the wind now behind us, we
flew up and down the rolling hills through
the dry bush country before making our
first stop at one of the refreshment stations
which were every 10 kilometres along the
route. The views along the Atlantic coast
are breathtaking as we approached the
much talked about climb over Chapmans
Peak. The climb turned out to be relatively
easy and I took great delight in overtaking
as many fit young things as possible on my
funny little folding bike.
As the day progressed, the dry
Mediterranean heat became more intense
so it was with some relief that we rode
through the seaside suburbs of Camps Bay
and Sea Point to the mass finish close to
the city waterfront. As we crossed the finish
line to the cheers of the waiting crowds,
we could see our elapsed ride time on the
The breathtaking panorama at Chapmans Peak.
large displays and the official photographer
captured the moment for posterity. We
avoided the temptation to take up an offer
of visiting one of the official hospitality tents
and headed down to the beautiful Victoria
& Alfred Waterfront to settle in to one of
the cafés with a cool drink and gelati. The
whole area had been transformed for the
day and the usual camera toting tourists
were replaced by lycra clad cyclists, all very
proud of their achievements.
The day after the Argus, we headed
off with our bikes to spend a few days in
a 300 year old Dutch Cape farmhouse
in the town of Paarl, with views of the
surrounding vineyards. The entire Cape
has been transformed in recent years with
many foreigners, including TV’s cycling
commentator Phil Ligget, moving there for
the wonderful climate and relaxed lifestyle.
In Paarl, we enjoyed a wonderful meal
at a local restaurant run by a Frenchman
from Alsace who moved there years earlier
because he saw it as a land of opportunity.
This charming host’s generosity extended to
driving us the 500 meters to our hotel, which
he considered unwise to walk in the dark.
The wine areas close to Cape Town offer
some good cycling with great scenery and a
combination of flat valleys and steep passes.
The climate in the Cape Wineland area
is unbelievably dry and even our two litre
camelbacks were quickly consumed on our
first ride to a local winery. The winery,
Spiers, contains a cheetah conservation
centre which re-houses cheetahs in danger
of being shot by farmers. To help raise
funds for the project, you are able to go
into an enclosure with cheetah cubs or full
grown cheetahs and pat them, which was
a great thrill for Danya who is an ardent
animal lover. A male cheetah in an adjacent
enclosure seemed very curious, jumping up
and sniffing us through the fence. The staff
remarked that cyclists seem to have this
effect on the big cats, possibly because of the
tight fitting lycra making us unrecognisable
but, we thought, more likely due to the
odour emanating from our sweaty bods.
A visit to Africa and a ride in The Argus
should be near the top of the list of any
keen cyclist. It is a superbly well run event
with a great atmosphere, over one of the
most beautiful routes in the world. It is
even broadcast on South African television,
with the commentator none other than Phil
Ligget.
The people riding the event come from
all over Africa and the rest of the world,
although surprisingly we saw very few black
people amongst the riders. I am sure that
will change over time as the black population
becomes more affluent and pursues leisure
activities such as cycling. A positive move
is that that there are companies involved
in special sponsorship programs set up to
encourage young black people from the
poorer townships to be involved in cycling.
Who knows, maybe one day we’ll see a
South African winning the Tour de France.
Argus event information can be found at
www.cycletour.co.za
17
Audax Japan
Okayama Brevet 600
by Mathew Rawnsley
Yurubinya, Hayashima
Way back in December 1994, Audax South Australia ran a 400km brevet. Since then, I thought it
was the hottest Audax ride I had ever done. Until now.
Right from the start, when I was thinking
how I was going to cope and how I was going
to keep cool, I knew I was in for a battle.
Despite all this, I had to remind myself
that I had chosen to ride this 600km brevet
in the middle of the Japanese ‘rainy season’,
which also means if it was not raining, it was
going to be very hot and humid.
The day before the 600km brevet, Mr
Hiroya Okazaki and Ms Nobuko Sawada
met me at the local Youth Hostel and
introduced themselves. Mr Okazaki was
my very good translator during the time
I was in Japan and Ms Sawada was the
Okayama Region Representative for Japan
and organiser of this 600km brevet.
The official starting time was at 11pm on
the 16 July 2005, but Ms Sawada started us
about 10 minutes early. We were off and I
was on my guide’s tail straight away, as was
the rest of the group. Mr Izumi had the
reputation of being the fastest rider. As they
knew my 2003 Paris-Brest-Paris time, they
all thought that I was a fast rider and should
be able to stay with him. In the end I did.
The route, I was told, had about 13,000
metres of climbing. One thing I know for
sure, the route had quite a few 7 - 8 %, plus
one 10 % grade climbs I can remember.
The route rolled out of the city centre
and then onto a bike path, following the
Ashimori River. We had to look out for cars
as they are so small that they can drive down
any size lane, as we discovered.
We all got to the first control point,
which the Japanese called ‘PC’. PC-1 was
at the 35km point at Lawson convenience
store in Kibichuou. We were there in one
hour. Luckily, we were all still dry, but I
18
The unique logo of the Okayama 600 made many riders happy!
could smell rain in the air. Whilst the high
speeds continued to the next PC, the rain
had started to set in. We had had a few small
climbs already by the time we got to the 7Eleven convenience store in Kuse Kusakahe
(PC-2). I was beginning to get very wet, but
at the same time I was already going through
a lot of drinking water having done 70km in
two hours.
A hundred and ten kilometres lay between
the second and third PC. This was the start
of our first hilly section. At the top of one of
the many climbs, we found we could not go
through one of the tunnels. We had to take a
detour that went up and around.
The rain still poured down heavily,
making an interesting, if not scary descent
for me, in the dark, even with goods lights
on. I took it easy at this stage.
At this stage I was riding with three
others riders, one of which was my guide
(Mr Izumi, with a PBP ‘03 time of 73 hours
20 minutes). Mr Izumi was the same rider
I swapped my Australian 2003 PBP jersey
with at the end of PBP! Also with us was
another tall guy wearing a bright funny
looking jersey (Mr Yasuhiro Nakai) and
a short gutsy guy (Mr Kenji Matsumoto).
During the first night we stopped at some
traffic lights and Mr Matsumoto lent on
one of the plastic reflective posts thinking it
would keep him upright while waiting for the
lights to change, but guess what, it snapped!
It almost took Mr Matsumoto with it. If not
for everything else, it made us all laugh.
The descent in the rain did not concern
the riders much, but they waited for me
nevertheless. It was a long descent of 950
meters to the Lawson convenience store
at Sakaiminato Takeeueki (PC-3). It was
almost 5am and as we rolled into PC-3, the
sun began to rise.
The timing was right for the rain to stop.
Early morning brought us very spectacular
scenery of the Mt Daisen National Park.
The low misty clouds hovering in the lush
hilly valleys made for an awesome sight.
Again as we passed nearby Mt Daisen, it was
time for another photo opportunity.
We soon descended towards the flatlands
and to the coast road along the Sea of Japan.
By now I could start to feel the heat of the
day begin to rise. I started at each PC to use
my little neck towel. At each stop I would
find the restroom and soak my towel with
cold water and wipe it all over myself: my
face, hair, arms and legs to clean and cool
myself. Just before we would leave I would
soak it again and place it around my neck to
keep cool.
Despite this being the flattest section
of the ride, we still managed to find a hill
climb, a bridge that went over the Naka
Lake. Although hot, we were still moving
along. I noticed from the first few PC’s that
Mr Izumi was not going to hang around: eat,
drink, toilet, go! In the end this proved to be
a good idea, as we were not hanging around
in the intense heat.
As we turned away from Ota (PC-4),
we were staring right into the path of the
The organiser of the 600km randonnée, Ms N
Sawada, (nicknamed ‘Ray’), reads instructions
to the group before departure. Matt is standing
next to the post, adjacent to ‘Ray’.
Riders enjoyed spectacular scenery along the way, including Mt Daisen, above.
mountains. I remember asking my fellow
riders “Is that way we’re going?” pointing
towards the mountains. The expression on
their faces said it all. “Yep, we’re in for one
hell of a time”.
Unfortunately, form here my memory
becomes a bit vague of exactly in what
order things happened and places we went
through. But what I do remember is that for
the rest of day and most of the second night,
the ride was one of the most continuously
hilly sections of an Audax randonnée I
have ever experienced! In addition, having
to deal with the extreme heat made it even
more challenging.
This is where most of 7-8 % grade climbs
were crammed in, when ascending and
descending into and out of the spectacular
lush green valleys. The roads around
here, as we headed straight towards the
mountains, did not deviate to go around
a mountain. They just go straight through
them. We were going through tunnels one
after another. The thought of going through
so many tunnels was a scary one at first.
As I went through the first few I could see
the tunnels were all very well lit, so my
confidence grew. I was especially cautious
with the downward slope tunnels. Taking
it easy was the safe bet as they usually had
a stream of water running through them.
It appeared to me that you could not get to
some townships without going through the
tunnels.
in the heart of the mountainous region of
the Chugoku Prefectural, and Shobara (425
km) and Jogeekimae (449 km) went by.
Closing in on PC-7 at Tojo (485 km), the
ride here was definitely one with the most
spectacular scenery I have ever seen. I was
just amazed at how Tojo sat in the middle
of all the mountains, especially with all
these cliff faces around. We must have gone
through half a dozens tunnels just to get to
this place.
A few other points during the day while
Mr Izumi and I were still with Mr Nakai.
We descended into a valley after going
through a very steep tunnel and on the other
side we come out at what was an intersection
of roads, intersecting each other, way above
the valley floor. This was a very spectacular
and unusual sight.
continued overleaf...
Stocking up on reserves at Restaurant ‘Joyfull’.
Matthew is fourth from left, with Mr H Okazaki,
his translator, on his right. Mr H Izumi, Matt’s
personal guide who he rode with, is sitting on
the far right.
By now I was only with Mr Izumi and
we were making good time. Now we were
19
The navigation of these two Japanese
riders was excellent. That is until we came
across a small country lane and we ended
up going in a circle. While the two of them
were trying to understand the route sheet,
I came across a girl on a bike, who turned
out be an American living nearby (teaching
English). What luck! She knew the area
well, spoke Japanese and pointed us in the
right direction.
Well into the second night we were finally
riding out of the mountains with 546km
down as we reached Takahashi (PC-8).
We retraced our route back to Hayashima,
following the rice fields of the valley that was
carved out by the Takahashi River. Before
we knew it we were again riding along
side the Ashimori River, on the bike path
that was at the beginning of the ride. We
were both very tried at this stage and both
eager to finish the event. As we entered the
outskirts of Hayashima, we knew our wishes
were about to become true. Mr Izumi
was following the route sheet to the letter,
making sure we did not take a wrong turn.
“You know what’s it like, you don’t want to
make a mistake and do extra kilometres!”
so beautiful, I would go again. Prior to doing
this event I was riding and climbing a lot in
Colorado for two weeks, so I was ready for
whatever terrain I found in Japan.
We were zigzagging in and out of narrow
lanes, under narrow bridges, when we finally
turned the corner we had been waiting for.
There in front of us stood the building of
Yurubinya and the finish line. Waiting
eagerly was Ms Sawada and Mr Okazaki
to congratulate Mr Izumi and myself on
finishing a very tough ride. They were also
very pleased that I was the first foreigner to
finish an Audax Okayama region brevet. So
was I.
Statistics
• sixteen starters: ten finished, six DNF.
• 13,049 metres of climbing (figures from
the organiser’s computer software)
• I rode through 23 tunnels
• I drank around about 40 litres of water.
• the temperature during the day was
between 30 - 35˚C and 80 % humidity.
Some notes
I would not recommend doing a 600km
brevet in Japan during their rainy season, for
the reasons that you have just read. Another
time of year would be better. Maybe only for
the fool-hardly, like myself! But don’t get me
wrong, I loved Japan. The countryside is just
Women in Audax
• the temperature during the night was
between 20 - 25˚C with 50 - 60%
humidity.
Personally, this was Audax ride no. 197
for me, giving me 60,700km ridden to date
in Audax rides.
Cycle Coaching
Tanya Bosch
Level 2 Accredited Cycling Coach
by Heather Murray
As you may have read in the winter edition of Checkpoint
(No. 24), I was recently appointed to the Victorian
Committee.
I have created a Forum Topic on
the Audax website under the General
Topic titled Women in Audax. You
can find it at www.audax.org.au/forum/
topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=44
I am hoping to create a spot where women
riders can talk about what interests and
concerns them about Audax cycling. I am
currently using it to announce when I am
riding, so that other people will know that
there will be at least one person they could
cycle with. My idea is that once people get
in touch we would ride as a group, meaning
that we go as fast as the slowest person and
wait for each other at the top of hills.
Personally I don’t have a problem with
just turning up for a 100km ride, and I
did the same for my first 200km ride too.
However, I did tell the organiser it was
20
my first 200 in advance, he made an
announcement before we left thus ensuring
I was accompanied for most of the ride.
However, I am not so sure I would want
to “just turn up” for my first 300km ride
and I can quite understand people, not
only women, being put off by the prospect
of being alone for the duration or cycling
in the dark (my concern). On Audax rides
in my experience (my first ride was in June
2004) people tend to ride alone or in small
groups but it can be difficult for new riders
or for those moving up a distance.
If anyone has any other ideas please let
me know. I can be contacted by email at
[email protected]. Note that
this address was published incorrectly in
the last edition of Checkpoint, so if you
have emailed, please try again using the
above address.
Whether your goal is 50km,
600km or 1200km, you can
achieve it!
Paris-Brest-Paris is just
around the corner - start
preparing now for this ultimate adventure.
For professional coaching
please phone Tanya on
02 9369 1436, 0419 217 974
or email
[email protected]
Next issue (Summer 2005/06):
• Rider Profile returns
• Club History - we take a look at the
club 20 years ago
• PBP Survey Results - part 2
and lots more!
Be sure to renew your membership to
receive the next Checkpoint on time.
Victoria
Club Night
Photo’s courtesy Gordon McMillan
Victoria Region members enjoyed guest speaker and Great Australian Cycle Expedition (GRACE)
rider Kate Leeming at their July club night.
Kate Leeming was the first woman in
history to cycle the Canning Stock Route,
as part of the 25 000km Great Australian
Cycle Expedition, held in 2004/05. The 9
1⁄2 month journey involved extreme physical
and mental endurance and involved
7000km off road on isolated tracks.
The purpose of the expedition was to
promote awareness and contribute towards
sustainability education. The project was
selected as a ‘demonstration activity’ for the
United Nations Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development.
Kate’s presentation described the story
of the GRACE Expedition, illustrated by
photographs and a video.
Within the framework of the story, Kate
addressed:
• organisation - developing the project from
an idea to making it happen.
• motivation, goal setting, leadership.
Above: The hazards of outback cycling, as Kate encounters the world’s second largest dump truck.
Below left: Kate at the Victoria region club night. Below, Kate’s ride makes news on the UNESCO
website, and Kate’s route around Australia.
• cycling unsupported involved travelling as
a sustainable model. Sustainability issues
encountered during the expedition were
highlighted.
• learning to adapt and cope to the
environment, especially in isolation.
• characters
• physical geography of the Australian
continent.
Kate was also the first woman in history
to cycle the breadth of Russia, when she
organised and completed the five month,
13 400km Trans-Siberian Cycle Expedition
aiding the ‘Children of Chernobyl’.
More information about GRACE can be
found online at www.gracexpedition.org
21
Backing up the Giro
on four wheels
by Paul Gregory
In the last issue of Checkpoint (No. 24 - Winter 2005), Tim Stredwick wrote his account of the
gruelling 1000km Giro Tasmania as a participant. Here’s how it went from the support side.
After having dropped Gareth off at the
official starting point in Salamanca Place,
I returned home to refill the back of the
car with all the goodies I thought we’d be
needing for this three day odyssey. It was
here that I discovered that I’d left my wallet
full of credit cards somewhere and a few
frantic phone calls hadn’t produced any
sign of it. An auspicious way to start. Armed
with the wife’s Keycard and PIN number,
plus fully laden hatchback, I set off in
pursuit of the three riders who had officially
started an hour or so earlier. A quick stop at
Salamanca, a hunt around the foyer at work,
and then a visit to the newsagency led to a
recovery of the missing wallet. Things were
looking up.
I caught my first glimpse of the trio just
short of Buckland, making good progress
after only two and a half hours on the road.
Only Bust-me-Gall and Break-me-Neck
Hills between here and the East Coast.
Everyone seemed okay so we agreed to meet
at the toilet block in Orford for some hot
noodles and a cuppa. Gareth made some
mention of the number of hills - the others
looked at each other knowing that the real
hills were yet to come. At least the next
hundred or so kilometres would be relatively
flat by Tasmanian standards - a hill every
20km or so. After repacking the car, I set off
slowly trying to avoid the nocturnal creatures
that gather around the middle of the road.
It’s estimated that one million Tasmanian
native animals end up as roadkill each year,
and on our PBP qualifiers we had a number
of scares from possums and wallabies that
were intent on getting from one side of the
road to the other.
After what had seemed like a short nap
in Swansea, I stretched my legs and waited,
expecting the trio to arrive at any minute.
A while later, and no sign of them so I
decided to drive on towards Bicheno and
the next hot food stop. About 30km further
on I passed our heroes, who had somehow
slipped past without bothering to wake me.
Our meeting point was the toilet block at the
waterfront park in Bicheno. I was getting a
bit concerned about appearances and made
a point of mentioning this to Tim. A middle
aged fella hanging around toilet blocks in
the middle of the night was not what I had
planned for my holidays. With the pre-dawn
chorus from waking penguins, I set about
boiling water and cooking noodles for the
hungry who were about to arrive. I was a
little uncertain as to whether Gareth would
last the distance, excluding bad weather
or breakdown. Tim and Rowan should
be capable of finishing, after their Fleche
Opperman All Day Trial in November.
This consisted of a 330km ride to the start at
Wynyard on Friday, followed by the 381kms
return to Hobart the following day.
Fed and watered the three left Bicheno
22
just before dawn and arrived at St Helens
in time for breakfast and a short rest before
taking on the next two big climbs, Pyengana
Pass and Weldborough Pass. Weldborough
Pub is a good overnight stop with clean
rooms, cold beer, excellent pub food and
a bunkhouse and campground out back.
Across the road is the workshop of violin
craftsman Warren Nolan Fordham who
specialises in native Tasmanian timbers.
Once a thriving town supplying miners on
the Blue Tier, not much remains apart from
a few houses.
By early afternoon they were approaching
Scottsdale and a well earned lie down for
a few hours in a shaded, grassy park (near
the public toilets). Time to refresh for the
next big climb over the Sidling. The view
from near the top of the Sidling is worth
the climb, extending as far as Flinders and
Cape Barren Islands and south towards
the Fingal Valley, not to mention the run
downhill to Launceston that follows. A
late afternoon meeting on the outskirts of
Launceston had me off to the city shopping
while the trio made their way west on the old
highway towards Carrick. Almost 24 hours
of riding. Hubert Opperman would ride
Launceston to Hobart in a little over five
hours - a competitive time for today’s cyclist
who takes part in this annual race. In those
days, they had the old road still visible in
parts if you travelled the Midlands Highway.
Some years Oppy would tackle Launceston
-Hobart-Launceston. Of course the route
didn’t follow the East Coast then, which is
200km longer.
Next checkpoint was Deloraine public
toilets by the river 11pm at night. It was a
long wait with the trio stopped at Westbury
and Gareth having a nap. I’d become
accustomed to late night radio by this time
and would listen half asleep to whatever
frequency I could pick up. Sometime after
midnight they arrived, were fed and had
another short nap before setting off for
Sheffield, town of murals, although they
wouldn’t see many by the time they arrived.
Before that they would have to negotiate an
unmarked turn and the long climb up from
Kimberley.
Mt Roland and the tricky plunge down
Cethana hill before crossing the bridge
and beginning the long and steep climb
(that’s Tasmanian long and steep) up to
Moina. It was a cold morning but the climb
would soon warm them up. First one to the
top would have the luxury of waiting in the
warmth of the car for the others to arrive. All
were exhausted by the top and looking ready
to pack it in, but they managed to summon
enough strength to mount up and continue
to the 600km mark which happened to be
on a long stretch of deserted road halfway
between Cradle Mountain and the west coast
with no shops or shelter for another 40km.
By this time Tasmania’s notoriously fickle
weather had changed from bright blue skies
to almost snow. Tim grabbed his tent and
sleeping bag and headed off into the scrub
while Rowan and Gareth made do with a
tarp sleeping bags and space blankets. I’ve
never seen three more miserable looking
cyclists so I drove off to the nearest town to
get some hot food.
My slumber in Sheffield ended with a
phone call from Tim saying they had passed
me a while back and were approaching
Paradise - could we meet at Gowrie Park?
The campground at Gowrie Park has a huge
day shelter and as soon as I arrived I laid
out some mats and sleeping bags, put on the
kettle and settled in to wait. Rowan arrived
first, followed by Tim and Gareth a few
minutes later. All were exhausted and after
some hot food were soon asleep.
Rowan and Gareth had recovered not
long after I returned and were ready to
roll on, and we went looking for Tim. We
couldn’t find him anywhere, but eventually
he scrambled out of the bush and onto the
road, looking only slightly better than before
his sleep. Reluctantly they pushed on to the
highway and over the hills to Tullah and the
warmth of the café. Gareth had only enough
time to order some food before he was
asleep at the table. Tim and Rowan’s spirits
had lifted knowing that they would have
a shower and be sleeping in a bed before
dark and headed off, arriving at the hostel
in Strahan at around 6pm with Gareth two
hours behind.
With the first rays of dawn they set
off again past the imposing outcrops of
I awoke at some ungodly hour to find the
others had left. It was still dark and there
was a heavy fog that cut visibility on these
unfamiliar roads to only a few metres. As
I drove the long uphill out from Strahan,
I half expected to feel the bump of bicycle
on the front of the car before seeing the
rear light. Twenty kilometres later I caught
Gareth, but by Queenstown I hadn’t seen
Tim or Rowan. I left Gareth as he was
climbing the hill out of Queenstown and
set off to see what the others were doing,
eventually catching them as they were
preparing to leave Collingwood Bridge.
Both were expecting to see Gareth in the
car, and were a bit surprised when I told
them he was pushing on. A hunt through
the back of the car turned up enough food
to get them over Mt Arrowsmith to Derwent
Bridge. Gareth was two hours behind, but
holding up well, and managed to eat half a
bowl of soup at Derwent Bridge.
At Tarraleah there’s one of those tourist
information boards that shows the layout of
dams and power stations on the Derwent. I
pointed out to Gareth that once he managed
to get to the top of the next hill, a steep
twisting section, it looked all downhill to
Hamilton. Well it did on the display! I
rarely visit the West Coast, and most trips
I’ve taken go along the gravel road through
Victoria Valley. In reality the road rolls up
and down over seven or eight hills until
Wayatinah then there is an eight kilometre
climb out with false summits every two
or three kilometres. I felt really bad, but
Gareth never made mention of the extra
hills, either he was too tired, just didn’t care
or is too much of a gentleman.
Leaving Hamilton there’s another long
climb, the last one before Hobart this I
know because we often ride the 200km to
Ouse and back on our Riverbank Ramble.
I managed a photo of Gareth halfway up in
the late afternoon light. He was now fuelled
by lollies and soft drink, determined to
get to Hobart before the finish time so he
didn’t have to come back next time and do
it again.
As the Salamanca Place nightlife was
just starting to warm up, Gareth arrived
within the time limit to finish the 1038km
trip, having visited every coast of Tasmania.
An exceptional achievement for any cyclist,
I have the utmost admiration for Tim,
Rowan and Gareth for what they did in early
January 2005.
The Giro Tasmania will be on the
calendar again in 2007. Next year though
we’ll try a 1200. Hobart-Marrawah-Hobart,
with a few less hills.
23
World News
USA
United Kingdom
Last time for BMB?
by Larry Midura. Courtesy Bob Bednarz
London-Edinburgh-London (LEL)
Courtesy Greg Lansom/Barry Stevenson
Boston-Montreal-Boston will be held for
the last time next year. Then Jennifer Wise
and company are giving it up. No rumors as
to who may take it over, or if it will die, or if a
new New England 1200km will surface.
Audax Australia members Greg Lansom
(NSW) and Peter Moore (VIC) recently
completed the gruelling LEL randonnée
(1400km). Thanks to technology, almost
instant updates were made available to
subscribers of the Audax-oz email chat list.
Here’s a look at how Greg reported:
Washington’s Cascade 1200 and the
California 1200 were about equal in
difficulty and challenge, although the
mountain passes of the Cascade ride were
longer. Two of the passes - Elk Pass and
Loup Loup Pass were 32km long! It took
five-and-a-half hours to climb up and
descend them.
Not many dropped out of the Cascade,
but the California ride had 30 DNFs mostly
due to heat exhaustion. In California, the
afternoon heat was 41.6˚C in the high
desert. Using a Camelback for extra water,
and using ice-packed in tube socks wrappedaround your neck was necessary to stay alert
and alive. No rain in California at all, and
just drizzle at the start of the Cascade, and
rain and cool temps descending the last
pass, Rainy Pass, on the last day.
I enjoyed both the Cascade and California
Gold Rush equally. Different aspects made
them a bit unique. I would repeat both if
had the opportunity, time and money. A
Camelback hydration system was essential
for 32 - 42˚C daytime conditions on both
rides while in the high desert terrain of 1200
- 1500 metres above sea level.
As a general comparison, I would rate
the terrain difficulty of the Cascade as 8.0
on scale of 10; the California Gold Rush
terrrain as a 7.5 on a scale on 10 , but due
to the real hot weather that caused the
high DNF rate, you could rate it also a 8.0.
In general, I would compare the British
Columbia Rocky Moutain 1200 as about a
difficulty level 6.5 to 7.0 against the Cascade
and California event.
24
23/7/05 @17.10est 8.17 London time
Well I’m just about to start LEL. After
some great weather the forecast is not so
good but OK. Oh well, only 1414km to go
and 600 directions on route guide. I have
seen Peter Moore but not the other Aussie.
Will update.
24/7/05 @11.52est 2.52 London time
At Thorne (300km). 4 hours sleep. Going
ok. Having breakfast.
24/7/05 @16.09est 7.09 London time
At Hovington (381km). Now the hills
start.
24/7/05 @21.04est 12.04 London time
Just got to Eppleby (461km) starting to
slow down. Peter Moore going well.
25/7/05 @12.49est 3.49 London time
London-Edinburgh DONE (707km). Just
have to get back. There is lots of climbing.
Greg summed up after the event with…
It was a really excellent ride. The Scottish
hills were fantastic (scenery wise) and the
weather was great. Cool, light winds and
very little rain, well for us at least. Most other
people got pretty wet in a couple of stages.
It was good the Aussies won the 1st cricket
test because that gave me good value for
quite a while.
The ride had a great atmosphere.
Around 200 started from London (there
was a second start at Thorne). Out of
the 200 London starter about 150 were
internationals. As most of us stayed at the
hostel before the ride this gave me a chance
to get to know some of them. I largely rode
with a couple of English guys but at most
check points we would run into the same
riders. We got to know a group of Germans
pretty well and you wouldn’t believe it I ran
into one of them in London today!!
I saw the weather last night on the tv and
where we had been riding a couple of days
again had a mini tornado, and heavy rain
and wind across Scotland and Northern
England. We were blessed.
Anyway, better go because I think my
internet time is about to expire.
26/7/05 @18.29est 9.29 London time
At Hoveringham. Going OK. Showered,
clean clothes, the world is good. 385km to go.
I’ll try and write up a bit of a ride report
later. Thanks for all the encouragement.
27/7/05 @12.29est 3.29 London time
And from Peter Moore…
At Lincoln. Had a good sleep in a bed.
220k to go. Peter Moore also at Linc.
G’day everyone, I have been to Scotland
and back, and have my finishers badge, so
now Jan and I can have a holiday.
27/7/05 @16.35est 7.35 London time
150 to go. Peter going well. Saw him at
breakfast.
It was hard, what else would you expect,
but fortunately cool, and enough wind north
of the border to keep the midges down.
28/7/05 @6.50est 21.50 London time
LEL completed! A brilliant ride. Tough
in the Scottish hills and the Pennines. Lots
of sleep. Weather cold but dry, for me. Peter
has also finished. A great ride.
I finished around 6pm, 106 hours. The
red tastes very nice! Talk to you all again.
Brevets
with Stephen George, Brevet Editor
Processing by Barry Parsons & Peter Mathews
Ride organisers: Did you have volunteers
assist you with your ride? Please send their
names with your ride results so they can be
acknowledged.
50km, 29-May-05, Victoria, Southwest Mix
‘n Match
Organiser: Bob Bednarz
Heather Allen, Ian Knox, Chris Kouts, Trevor
Reeves, John Rowlands, Merryn Rowlands,
Raymond Lelkes
50km, 12-Jun-05, Victoria, Grampians
Challenge
Organiser: Pam & Grant Palmer
Louise Baker, Stephen Carlin, Jill Edwards, Kerrie
Fox, Lyn Mc Connell, John Mc Intyre
‘n Match
Owen Church, Peter Curtis, Robyn Curtis, Daniel
Dobrosak, Hans Dusink, Naomi Fountain, Howard
Gibson, James Hahnel, Tony Holovka, Megan
Hughes, Ian Lightfoot, Greg Martin, Peter Martin,
Jeff Meister, Ron Norton, Arthur O’Connell, Tim
O’Doherty, Jennifer Reed, Maxine Riggs, Geoff
Robinson, Martin Scarlett, Don Skinner, Trevor
Skinner, Peter Tierney, Robert Wilkenson, Simon
Woodford, Wayne Wright
100km, 29-May-05, Victoria, Happy Birthday
Hubert
Organiser: Lorraine Allen
George Allen, Lorraine Allen, Laurie Atkins, Jenny
Bould, Neil Dugan, Phillipa Duggan, Richard Franks,
Bill Frost, Phillipa Hayes, Michael Kater, Gordon
Ross, Leah Ross, Anne Stacpoole
100km, 4-Jun-05, Victoria, Tour de Tarwin
Organiser: Libby & Martin Haynes
Paul Beck, Felix Border, Colin Byatt, Kirsty
Chambers, Robyn Curtis, David Eales, Mal Foul,
Brian Hammond, Bill Jeppeson, Willi Ketzer, Peter
Martin, Rob Macauley, Jeff Meister, Barry Moore,
David Nickson, Rhonda Nickson, Maxine Riggs,
Wilfred Scloemer, Patricia Stewart, Rob Stewart,
Peter Weiss, Neil White
100km, 12-Jun-05, Victoria, Grampians
Challenge
Organiser: Pam & Grant Palmer
John Bahoric, John Bleechmore, Wayne Cox, Ken
Dacomb, Greg Davies, David Eales, Darryl Edwards,
Chris Eichler, Brian Gavan, Bruce Geddes, John
Green, David Hare, Geoff Hunter, Dominic Jackson,
Michael Kater, Garrie Lette, Keith Lowe, Graeme
Martin, Ken Morgan, Phil Morris, Garry Page, Trevor
Page, Darell Ralph, Peter Rauert, Denis Ray, Ian
Roberts, Peter Rose, Stephen Rowlands, Gerard
Santamaria, Kevin Saunders, Mal Shaw, Les Solly,
Ron Sommerville, Joan Stribley, Roger Teale, Paul
Volk
200km, 13-Feb-05, NSW Tumut, Highlands
Tour
Organiser: Jimmy Goode
Bruce Giles, Jimmy Goode, David Ham, John
Leary, David O’brien, Andrew Raddgever, Greg Rees,
Charles Taylor
200km, 26-Feb-05, Victoria, Phillip Island and
Beyond
Organiser: Russ Hamilton
Leon Malzinskas, Max Payne, Peter Stoneman
200km, 27-Feb-05, Victoria - Maryborough,
Wander about the Central Highlands
Organiser: Andy Moore
Lorraine Allen, Pat Dorey, Hans Dusink, Libby
Haynes, Martin Haynes, Tim Laugher
200km, 13-Mar-05, New South Wales Sydney, Morriset Express
Organiser: Steve Coman
Keith Scott, Dennis Shaw, Johan Brinch, Roslyn
Russell, Steve Rawnsley, Stephen Taylor, Maria
Matuszek, Garry Armsworth
200km, 26-Mar-05, New South Wales Sydney, Hawkesbury Loop
Organiser: Garry Armsworth
Dennis Shaw
200km, 2-Apr-05, Victoria, Dances with
Dinosaurs
Organiser: John Laszczyk
Steve Ambry, Hans Dusink, Steve Fraser, Simon
Mullumby, Steve Murphy, Heather Murray
200km, 3-Apr-05, New South Wales - Tumut,
Murrumbidgee Meander
Organiser: Jimmy Goode
Jimmy Goode, Dennis Irvine, Leanne Irvine, Andrew
Raddgever, Peter Stoneman
200km, 9-Apr-05, Victoria, Kelly Country
Classic
Organiser: Chris Rogers
Paul Emery, Gareth Evans, Tim Ford, Steve Fraser,
Richard Hoskins, Terry Kirby, Keith Mc Culloch, Simon
Mullomby, Steve Murphy, Leigh Paterson, Colin
Stokes
200km, 14-May-05, Victoria, Great Ocean
Rode
Organiser: Peter Donnan
Peter Bacsak, Paul Balchin, Bob Bednarz, Tony
Bolduan, Reno Borsi, Stephen Brown, Gordon
Cockroft, Bernard Collins, Roger Cronk, Dalice
Dalton, Pat Dorey, Hans Dusink, Gareth Evans, Brian
Gavan, Ken Gawne, Phil Giddings, Russell Hamilton,
Matthew Harrison, Phil Jarvie, Rudy Loosten, Judy
Kinnersly, Tim Laugher, Jock Lee, Kevin Marshall,
Gary Mcintyre, John Mckain, Frank Mitchell, Ken
Morgan, Steve Murphy, Heather Murray, Brian Pitman,
Rodney Potts, Phil Purdam, Dennis Ray, Stephen
Rowlands, Mal Shaw, Dennis Somogan, Les Tokolyo,
Neil White, Mark Withers
200km, 14-May-05, Queensland - Brisbane,
The Boonies
Organiser: Vaughn Kippers
Bill Brown, Joan Brown, Mike Clare, Mark Guest,
Jayson Hawke, Jeff Isles, Gerard Keating, Tony
Limpus , David Mcgrossin, Peter Watson
200km, 21-May-05, WA, Through the
Wheatlands
Organiser: Bjorn Blasse
Nicky Armstrong, Bjorn Blasse, Nick Dale , Rob
Godkin, Wayne Hickman, Les Sharpe, Rod Marston
200km, 21-May-05, Victoria, The King Parrot
Creek Ride
Organiser: Peter Martin
Bob Bednarz, Penny Buxton, George Caulfield,
Stephen Chambers, Bernard Collins, Stephen George,
Leigh Paterson, Gary Payne, David Woollard
Blackall Ranging 1-2-3
Organiser: David & Chris White
Errol Ross, David White
‘n Match
Jeff Anderson, Ian Boehm, Geoff Christmas, Heather
Christmas, Bernard Collins, Russell Freemantle, Peter
Heal, Peter Mathews, Frank Mitchell, Peter Moore,
Steve Rowlands, Simon Watt
200km, 4-Jun-05, Victoria, Tour de Tarwin
Organiser: Michael Grace
Linda Carmody, Vaughan Kippers, Chris Lewthwaite,
Kevin Mcmillan, Dino Morgante, Noel Newton
Organiser: Libby & Martin Haynes
Paul Balchin, Bob Bednarz, Stephen Chambers,
Bernard Collins, Peter Curtis, Stephen George,
Keith Lowe, John Mc Kain, Alan Melville, Raoul Mills,
Frank Mitchell, Brian Norman, Heather Murray, Leigh
Paterson, Chris Rogers, Kevin Ware
200km, 30-Apr-05, Victoria, The Big Dipper
200km, 5-Jun-05, Victoria, Hills to the Coast
200km, 24-Apr-05, Queensland – Brisbane,
Long Weekender
Organiser: Raoul Mills
Gordon Cockroft, Gareth Evans, Martin Haynes,
Rod Heron, Roy Jenkins, Peter Mathews, Andy
Moore, Barry Moore, Gloria Moscatini, Brian Pitman,
Chris Rogers, Les Solly
200km, 30-Apr-05, New South Wales
– Wollongong
Organiser: Henry Boardman
Alan Dunn, David Langley, Greg Lansom, Maria
Matuszek, Barry Stevenson, Aldo Vella
200km, 7-May-05, Victoria, Seaford Loops
Organiser: Enid & Don Halton
Stephen Chambers, Alan Melville, Steve Murphy,
Leigh Paterson, Kevin Ware
Organiser: Kevin Ware
Stephen Chambers, Rus Hamilton
200km, 11-Jun-05, New South Wales Sydney, Escarpment Crossing
Organiser: Martin Maticka
Maria Matuszek
200km, 18-Jun-05, Victoria, Two Bays from
Town
Stephen Chambers, Carl Cole, Joe De Losa,
Gareth Evans, Raoul Mills, Frank Mitchell, Andrew
Raadgaser, Geoff Robinson, Chris Rogers, Peter
Stoneman, Kathryn Temby, Casey Tydens, Kevin
Ware, Neil White
25
Brevets
Oppy time
200km, 19-Jun-05, Adelaide, Clayton Breezes
Organiser: Ian Peak
Volunteers: Adelaide Tea Tree Tourers
Bob Braunsthal, Richard Crawshaw, Allan Dickson,
Michael Dwyer, Tom Eltridge-Smith, Paul Ferrett,
Suzie Gray, Dean Lambert, Oliver Portway
300km, 2-Apr-05, Victoria, Deciduous Delight
at Bright
Organiser: Tim Laugher
Steve Agnew, Bob Bednarz, George Caulfield, Ian
Crang, David Crump, Gareth Evans, Phillipe Grant,
Martin Haynes, John Laszczyk, Garrie Lette, Leon
Malinskas, Frank Mitchell, Leigh Paterson, Scot
Plummer, Chris Rogers, Stephen Rowlands, Kathryn
Temby, Kevin Ware
300km, 2-Apr-05, Queensland - Brisbane,
April Animation
Organiser: Lindsay Green
David King, Vaughan Kippers, Anthony Limpus, Dino
Morgante, Neville Watts
300km, 21-May-05, WA, Through the
Wheatlands
Organiser: Bjorn Blasse
Bjorn Blasse, Nick Dale , Wayne Hickman, Colin
Law, Rod Marston
300km, 11-Jun-05, Queensland - Brisbane,
Downs & Back Short
Organiser: Vaughan Kippers
Tony Limpus
400km, 26-Feb-05, Victoria, Phillip Island and
Beyond
Organiser: Russ Hamilton
Steve Agnew, Bob Bednarz, George Caulfield,
Gareth Evans, Phil Grant, Frank Mitchell, Frank
Preyer, Chris Rogers, Stephen Rowlands, Kevin Ware
Wells & Boony
Errol Ross
600km, 22-Apr-05, Victoria, Magical Mystery
Tour
Organiser: Peter Curtis
Geoff Austin, Bob Bednarz, Jorgen Bobenko,
George Caulfield, Peter Curtis, Peter Donnan, Paul
Heckler, Ron Kirwan, Leon Malzinskas, Frank Mitchell,
Peter Moore, Leigh Paterson, Scot Plummer, Chris
Rogers, Stephen Rowland, Gary Skeers, Kathryn
Temby, Tim Laugher
– Wollongong
Richard Niven, Richard Pinkerton, Dennis Shaw
600km, 11-Jun-05, Queensland - Brisbane,
Downs & Back Long
Vaughan Kippers, Errol Ross
by Sue Taylor
Come the weekend of November 4-6,
teams across Australia will be gathering
in strange locations and preparing to ride
remarkable distances over varied terrain
and in weather conditions that will challenge
and tease the most determined of groups, in
honour and memory of our past Patron, Sir
Hubert Opperman.
Teams will consist of 3-5 bikes (tandems,
trikes, recumbents, singles – you name it -any
combination, any number of people, as long
as they all fit onto up to 5 machines), Riders
will have chosen their own starting point and
a route of 360km or more to finish in one
of the several finishing destinations around
Australia, all within a 24 hour period.
By 9am on the Sunday morning, teams
will appear from every possible direction, in
every possible state of euphoria …or distress,
but join together to celebrate the achievement
and enjoy a breakfast of champions.
Riders finishing at Rochester, Victoria, the
birthplace of Oppy, will know when they’re
getting close as the strains of the band reach
their windblown ears. This grand finish
can only be surpassed by the waft of the
cooked breakfast awaiting you after your
hot shower.
The clock is ticking...
Only
12 months
until qualifying rides start for the 2007
Paris-Brest-Paris.
Are you ready?
Be prepared. Plan ahead. Speak to past
PBP riders. Test everything in advance.
Know your bike. Know your body.
Enjoy the ultimate randonnée in 2007.
26
We bet you and a few friends can ride
180km in 14 hours, starting at 10:00am
on Saturday, off the road by 10:00pm and
on again for another 2 hours on Sunday
morning. You still get to pick your own
route, spend a little time on your bike in
the deep dark countryside at night, finish
with the rest of the mob at your state’s
destination, enjoy breakfast, glory and a hot
shower, but feel rested after a good night’s
sleep and not too worn out.
Take the Petit challenge and set your sights
on bigger things next time around. This
event is open to all first-time Opperman
riders, but you must have an experienced
Oppy rider with you and you must comply
with the lighting and safety rules associated
with the event.
Hope we’ll see you on the road and at
breakfast in 2006. Or if there’s still time,
rush on down to the finish line this year to
experience the atmosphere of the Oppy.
[email protected]
Are you a budding Oppy rider for 2006?
Will it be your first potential Oppy? Are you
– Wollongong, Parkes 1000
Errol Ross
worried about doing the required distance in
the 24 time frame but really want to be part
of the event? If you can you gather 3-4 likeminded friends and someone who’s ridden
the Oppy before, then why not try the Petit
Oppy in 2006?
Wanted
2006
Audax Alpine Classic
A volunteer Transport Co-ordinator
and a volunteer Equipment Coordinator are required to assist with
the running of the 2006 AAC.
Job descriptions are available
by email from Phil Bellette at
[email protected].
Need your bicycle serviced or repaired in Melbourne?
Peter Moores
Abbotsford
Cycles
www.abbotsfordcycles.com
Telephone 03 9429 6889 Fax 03 9429 9262
@ Richmond Station
8am to 6pm weekdays
9am to 12:30 Saturdays
27 Swan Street (under Richmond Station) Richmond Victoria 3121
Fold-up tyres - what's goin' on?
Folding tyres generally weigh less than their wired cousins and often operate at much higher pressures. Less weight
translates to easier climbing and better acceleration. Higher air pressure allows for higher speeds on flat roads.
Schwalbe Stelvio, 700X23, 145 psi.
Puncture-resistant, "Raceguard" belt,
five colour options. $60rrp, $72 posted, including tube.
Clement Galibier, 700X20, 115
psi. Ideal for time-trials or
triathalons. $25rrp, $40 posted,
including tube.
Vittoria Rubino Pro TECH, 125 psi.
120 threads per inch (TPI), racer's
favourite. $75rrp, $88 posted, including tube.
Schwalbe Stelvio PLUS, 700X23,
145 psi. Contains strong, thick antipuncture layer Smartguard. Ideal
rear tyre for long rides and Raids.
$72rrp, $82 posted, including tube.
Clement Gavia Pro, 700X23,
115 psi. Portable spare or perfect training partner. $30rrp, $45
posted, including tube.
Vittoria Revolution KXS, 150 psi.
Dual-tread, long-life 290TPI rocket.
Warning on pack advises: "This tyre is
made to enhance rolling efficiency and
SPEED." $130rrp, $135 posted,
including tube and rim-tape.
Any folding tyres ordered before 2 pm (Melbourne time) will be sent Express Post the same day.
We make an aluminium strip with two LED rear
lights attached and drilled to go straight onto a
reflector bracket, $40 or $45 with a reflector to
make you Audax legal.
We can attach a red LED light directly to a rear rack
so it is always there and cant be stolen.
Our small shop in Melbourne is dedicated to the upkeep of all kinds of bicycles.
We sell most things you need, except new bikes and shoes. We have a basic
range of rain jackets, wind vests and knicks.
Touring gear includes Ortlieb, Avance, Summit and Tioga panniers and good
quality front and rear racks. We can fit racks to almosrt any bike. The large
Ortlieb under seat bag (capacity 2.7 litres) is very popular with Audax riders and
it is available for $95. We have a range of Tioga under seat bags from $15 to
$22. We stock an extensive range of the moderately priced but good quality BBB
brand tools.
We still have some Surly Long Haul Trucker frames (steel, of course)- we can
add the components to make you the most comfortable tourer you are ever likely
to ride.
RonDswan has visited and left us some fantastic locally made reflective anklets and vests. Made
out of recycled materials and factory waste, as well as 3M reflective tape. The anklets ($21 each)
come in fashion colours and have two reflective strips. The vests ($49) are ideal for Audax rides
and will be great for city trips when you are carrying your dark backpack. Rons vest will attach to
the straps of the pack around the outside, providing nop loss of reflectiveness.
CueClips at only $12 take the hassles out of keeping your Audax directions in front of you on the
bike when you need them.
Sugino chainrings top quality for 6/7/8speed, 130, 110 and 74 pcd, most 95 cents/tooth.
"Sidelights" brilliant silver reflective tape, $4 per sheet.
"Viewpoint" mirror to stick inside spectacle lens, pack with two for $35
Side entry bottle cages, for small frames $10.
Prolink $16 is the best of the lubes. Sheds the road grime - try it on your mtb in the dirt and you
will appreciate it even more.
Handlebars include the snazzy Gullwing ($25) and Trekking($38).
Pumps from $6. The classic Zefal is $45, the Topeak Mountain Morph is $49, the topeak road
Morph is $59 with the inline gauge.
Service and Repairs
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 have a full repair service on site for steel frames. We can convert your old road frame into a single speed bike. Painting costs just
$130 for one or two colours.
We take the time to look for solutions to all sorts of bike issues. All
work guaranteed - we aim to make all our customers want to get
out on their bikes as much as we do!
Audax Members
receive a discount
of 10% on every
item except labour
and Specials. We
accept telephone
orders with credit
cards, or by mail
with cheque.
Postage is extra.
Lots of trailers in stock
Pacific stroller/trailer, room for two - $550
Phillips alloy child trailer $535
B.O.B. trailer with or without suspension new,
or hire ours for the weekend - try before you
buy!
A couple of others perfect for the market
shopping: the plastic box Eco Trailer for
$179 or the sturdy low trailer with the metal
mesh sides for $220.
K9 trailer for gear and dogs $349
We have an extensive
range of Shimano components in stock and
have daily deliveries.
Brake blocks, cables
sets, tools, gear levers
(including 8 and 9
speed bar end shifters),
brake levers, disc brake
parts, clusters, cassettes, chainrings,
cranks, grease - the list
goes on...........
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
Spring 2005
Issue No. 25
Association No. A0014462N
ISSN 1832-4711
628 members (25/8/05)
N YOU RIDE
1500 K
IN O NE W EEK ?
O L É!
MALLORCA
Audax Australia is proudly affiliated with:
Audax Club Parisien
www.audax-club-parisien.com
BREVET
Les Randonneurs Mondiaux
www.lesrm.be
www.audax.org.au
&
Cycling Australia
www.cycling.org.au
CYCLING
CAMP
Are your address details above correct?
Notify changes
email to [email protected]
Heaven on aby
bike!
ly European cycling camp designed especially for randonneurs.
relax and enjoy this delightful Mediterranean cycling paradise.
Ride every day or take a vacation and tour the island.
or by phone on (03) 5783 2427.
(Non-riding guests pay $636 (US) registration fee.)
Can you ride 1500km in one week? Olé!
April 1 to May 6 2006
Saturday-to-Saturday camp
ing Camp fee $795 (US) per person/per week (airfare not included)
vet Camp fee $895 (US) per person/per week (airfare not included)
MALLORCA BREVET & CYCLING CAMP
(+$100 (US) single supplement)
Cycling Camp Includes:
Heaven on a bike!
Breakfast & Dinner daily
Different daily ride routes
& refreshment
stop camp especially for randonneurs. Ride, relax and enjoy this delightful
The with
onlyguide
European
cycling
Challenging cycling routes or relaxed scenic cycling routes
Mediterranean
mmodations at ****Hotel Playa
Cala Mayor (basedcycling
on doubleparadise.
occupancy) Ride every day or take a vacation and tour the island.
ox transport service from airport-to-hotel (for group of four
or more)
(Non-riding
guests pay US$636 registration fee.)
Brevet Weeks (April 24-May 6) also include
Registration fee for each of the four brevets
ACP Sanctioned Super Randonneur Brevet series
ACP Brevet Results certification processing
2 April to 7 May 2006: Sunday to Sunday camp
Cycling Camp fee US$795 per person/per week (airfare not included)
Brevet Camp fee US$895 per person/per week (airfare not included)
(US$100 single hotel room supplement)
Cycling Camp fee includes:
Breakfast & dinner daily
Different daily ride routes with guide and refreshment stop
Challenging cycling routes or relaxed scenic cycling routes
osted by Stig Lundgaard, experienced
Danish
randonneur at the 4-star Hotel Playa Cala Mayor (based on double occupancy)
Seaside
accommodation
www.mallorcabrevet.com
gister before Feb 1 2006 get 10% off entry fee. Contact Jennifer WiseBrevet
for information:
Week
[email protected]
fee (April 23-May 7) includes:
Registration fee for ACP sanctioned Super Randonneur Brevet Series
ACP Brevet Results certification processing
ACP Brevet Medal
Hosted by Stig Lundgaard, experienced Danish randonneur
www.mallorcabrevet.com
10% discount off registration fee to those who register by February 1, 2006.

Recumbents The new Audax vehicle? nia g rewards

Transcription

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