Well guys, if I gained 15kg and training minially before this guy and finished in one piece. I am sure you can do it too.

I completed my Around the Bay yesterday - a bicycle ride that goes around the Port Philip bay. Although it is my 5th ATB and my 4th finish. I will share my experience as a fat unfit person perspective.

1) Carbo loading: it is very important. It comprises of a carbo dinner (which means to me is a lot of rice and soy sauce, lean meat (BBQ pork) and veges. Then I will be nibbing on the plain brown bread for the whole night before nighttime, which is usually 7-8pm (I have to wake up 3am on the ride day). I eat a solid breakfast - a lot of toast, egg and sausage and do it an hour or 2 prior to start. Generally if you have a lot to eat the night before then it is ok, but I was hungry yesterday morning :o .

2) Jump the gun @ start. There is no point waiting around in the start/finish line, particularly if you arrive early. I did all my initial warm up and stretching.

Well another 200 or so did that but we were all waiting at the Westgate bridge. If we go Sorrento direction then we don't have this problem. :o


3) Eat & drink well when you ride. I had about 5 packet of carbo gel on my back pocket and drink about 3 litres of Gatorade during the ride.

4) ID the group that you are comfortable with. I forced myself in a 40kmh group for 10 km and I paid the penality just before Queenscliff. I ran out of puff... then I suffered the whole way home. I rested on the ferry and ate a lot. Bicycle Victoria provided Ham and Cheese Pita and a Go gril guice drink for me on the ferry. I did not mind the drink at all ... I could eat a horse.

A very happy man reaching the 9 am ferry


A cool hair style comes with wearing the helmet for 4 hours


5) Keep chaning position when you ride and no stiff muscles... I did quite well, although that makes every muscle on your body hurts.

.... the best is during downhill session that - although you are not fit, if you are a speed freak then you will be faster than anyone down the hill. I even scared the old Ford driver next to me. I was doing a tucked down style to reduce drag during the downhill from Mt Martha to Frankston.

Oh... also the hills. Although ATB is considered a flat 210km but there are challenges. The hills between Geelong and Queenscliff and the big hill at Mt. Martha between Mornington and Dromana.

I did quite well. Finish in a time of 7 hours 29 min. I think xatnep came in 2 hours behind me



The picture were taken with my Camera phone (I had to scale them down) :o. I had my headphone on and my phone can take a 1G memory stick and I put some upbeat songs into it. I, however, was chasing the cricket score most time and listen to the radio

 

Come and see me TAKA ,,might be able to strap on a custom turbo to your rear hub LOL :D
Nice work BTW..I stopped riding 4years ago ,and now have the chins to prove it ...Keep it up ...

Ciao

Dave

 

Whats wid da orange hair Bro ??

 

Thanks Dave,

I am sure it will be handy on the climbs

I swapped White King with hair shampoo one day... don't you like it. It is brown with red tone not orange btw.

 

Well done that man, that's a very fair effort!!!! (riding not the hair).....I have (had?) a few mates from Mainland who were in this as well, you've prompted me to see if they are still breathing!

 

Like it .......I love it !!

Ciao

Dave

 

thats a good effort mate.

my spray painter is going for the sydney city ride in late october and sydney to wollongong ride in november (2nd time this year). and he rides to work every morning and sometimes rides home after work.... he is about my size, and he is getting quite fit now, its crazy

i hear alot more ppl taking up bike riding after tour de france thingo.....

 

Tell your spray painter to enjoy the Royal National Park. It is not a bad climb.

I rode in a year that is full of danger.
http://www.step-hen.com/e_STG00.htm

and this
http://www.msnsw.org.au/oe/stories/s...gong-read.html

 

he loved it! thats why he is doing it again this year.
next year he will take his grandson with him....
he is hoping for a better finish this year (since he has spent all year riding and training etc)

 

Hey Taka looking for a bit advice on purchasing an MTB. I think I've said we're moving to a hilly burb and I need more gears. I've been offered a brand new but superseded Cannondale F500 , ticket says $2500 original price, reduced to $1250 to clear. What do you think? The frame looks really nicely finished ("hand made") compared to other bikes.

 

Cannondale is a very nice brand and famous for their MTB. Is the shock a one pin.. I mean one of those weird one that goes on ONE side of the wheel and not like the traditional 2 folks that has suspension on both sides...

I heard the one side ones are pain to service. I think it is always wise to purchase a superseded model, bikes are built to last and who care if it has been sitting in the shop for a year . Bike change nearly as quick as the computer. The DuraAce on my bike is already old style - and it is only 3 years old . Unless you are extremely keen (as the hundreds of riders I was riding with). You don't need topend bike.

I saw a lot of Colnago struggling up the hill yesterday. $13000 cannot buy you speed.

 

No, it's actually a centre shock (above the fork), and you can lock it with a lever on the stem post so the bike doesn't bob up and down when you climb up a hill.

You're right of course about price not buying speed. I'm happy if I can turn the cranks. It is reasonably light at 12kg.

I think I might be happy on the wider tyres too. I've got 20mm wide tyres on my roadie, pumped all the way up to 150psi to ward off punctures, and it is quite skittish if you hit a small stone or a twig.

 

Labrat,

You will be glad to know that they don't make 20mm tyres anymore. The leanest tyre that are now commonly use are 23mm @ 120psi. I think some people still use 20mm for time trail but one Grade A rider told me that they don't make one single difference.

I am shocking - I cannot wear out a Conti race tyre in 2 summers - that is why I am 15kg too heavy I need to get back on my bike.

 

Sounds like a good buy to me labrat. Too many fashion victims buy bikes for $10,000 but as Taka said rely upon $10 legs. :D

Well done Taka. 210kms is no mean feat when you're unfit, even when it's flat. Love the chipmunk cheeks - what's that old line from Monty Python - "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" :p :D j/k.

I've gotta get into training for the Australia Day Harbour paddle. It's been going for the past few years and I've done each one. Crazy bunch of surfers paddle 3.5kms or so around Sydney Harbour, finishing at Blues Point. Doesn't sound far until you try it. :o

 

Struth! This is Wayne Campbell, the just retired Richmond Football Club champion. Taka, you are my hero.....you were in the company of a GOD

 

yeah... i reckon he is a look-alike

 

Ezzy, believe me....I know Wayne Campbell when I see Wayne Campbell.... :p

I am an RFC tragic.

 

****

OMG

I am too tired to look around me..... I think the lady next to him is familar too (I think her in the Brownlow red carpet coverage)??

A better resolution for you Mez... still Wayne Campbell. I am about 50% certain. How about a Tiger like you?`

 

Thanks, but I don't need better resolution. I am 190% certain that that is Wayne Campbell. You are now my hero.....

 

its AFL, and thats okay kall, greeks dont play AFL.... :D :p

 

I did the ride yesterday too, but not as quick as you, Taka...

I started at 5am, got to Queenscliff at 9:15 to get on the 10am ferry (but I waited for my mates at Geelong for half an hour, so maybe I could have got the 9am ferry too!). Then arrived back in Docklands at 4pm. I didn't stoke myself up quite as much as Taka but the Powerade freebies at Frankston helped a lot.

At the end of the day I cycled 215km, average speed 26.7km/h which was better than last year AND the year before. Not bad for 51 years old, I reckon. Plan to do even better next year.

Maybe if enough of the Melbourne crew take up the challenge we could mount an RX-8 club team next year, as Taka suggested somewhere else...!

Labrat, I have a 3 year old Cannondale F500 MTB which I was told I could get $1600 for, so $1250 is a good price if it's in good nick (mine's hardly used because I got a Cannondale R800 road bike the following year).

Will

 

See obviously the guys behind me aren't football fans. I was too tired to look behind me and no one came up to him and yelled, "Hi Wayne Campbell."

BTW there were about 500 of us in the ferry.