Lone Cyclist

What's new..

2010-01-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

Since starting this blog in 2007 I've experienced some huge changes.

I commute to work 4 days a week from Eight Mile Plains to Spring Hill. I hammer the trails at Daisy Hill most weekends and hit the roads with the local cycling club most weekends for coffee rides and the like.

I race competively on both Road and MTB and I've even managed a few top three finishes along the way.

Oh and I own 4 bikes!! - (More about them later).

Health wise I'm much better off. I've dropped about 20 kilograms and I have to say I've never felt better. Technicaly I'm still a Clydesdale at a 100kg but being 191cm I manage to cope ok. I'm hoping to get down to 94kg as I ramp up the training for 2010.

A bit about me

2010-01-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

I'm Mark, (aka Wellsy) and I'm 45 years old. I've always been pretty active in my life. I grew up in the bush and as a kid I played representative footy, hockey and various other sports. I also rode a bike everywhere. Not the Malvern Star that many of my mates had though. I rode a big steel framed fixed wheel racing bike that once belonged to my father from his cycling days. It was big and heavy but I loved it. I clocked up plenty of miles on that old bike.

I met my High School sweetheart T, (aka MBW - My Beautiful Wife) in 1982 and we married in 1986. Two and a bit decades later we're still together, (patient woman that one) with a couple of kids, J (18) and S (14).

I am the king of unfinished projects and hobbies so when I told MBW a couple of years ago that I was going to start cycling again she responded with the aptly appropriate comment "that's great babe, how much will that cost". A pretty acceptable thing to say in my case so I copped it on the chin. A quick glance at my Ebay history will give you an insight into some of my abandoned hobbies.

Anyway 3 years later and I'm still at it. I have four bikes, a commuter (to ride to work), a roadie, a Dually MTB and a Hard Tail MTB.

I'll post more about the bikes later but suffice to say they get plenty of use. I'm a member of Logan City Cycling Club and Brisbane South MTB Club and I've competed in plenty of Road and MTB races. Not really enough though so I've decided to really step it up this year.

A small part of my reasoning for this blog is the challenge to myself.

This year I will get my finger out and get out there!

2010 Resolutions & Time Travel

2010-01-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

From May 2008 to January 2010!!

When I was transferring posts from the old blog I thought it might be appropriate to jump forward to the present day... who needs a flux capacitor.. :)

One of NYE resolutions was to get my Blog up and going again. In reality its not so much a blog as it is a personal journal really. A place where I can record my personal experiences, achievements and of course failures on my journey towards sustained fitness in my forties. It's more for me than anyone else but if you're interested, happy reading..

It'll develop as time goes by I guess. Here's hoping anyway.

22 Jun 08 - Wheel Trueing 101

2010-01-03T16:59:00.001-08:00

I spent a bit of time this morning researching the best methods to straighten my rear wheel. Schooled up I headed to the garage and broke out the spoke wrench. 30 minutes later and it was done.. Success

Switched to trail tryes over to the commuters and performed a snappy service and lube and I'm ready for tomorrow's ride to work.

Youtube is an excellent source of MTB maintenance information.. I think I might put together a maintenance hints and tips page.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP6cwZxxAFM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhE9ahpyIHM[/youtube]

21 Jun 08 - Daisy Hill Run and a Bent Wheel

2010-01-03T16:58:00.001-08:00

Galps and I put in a couple of house on the trails at Daisy Hill today. Good fast run down possum box then into Chocolate Buddha, back to the Five-Ways and into Tunnel of Love then onto Koala and round the back fire trails and finally onto Turning Japanese before riding back to the top car park.

While heading down a section of Buddha I mad a last minute attempt at rolling over a high rock. Unfortunately I picked the line badly and dropped the bike resulting in a warp in the rear wheel. Lucky the bike was still rideable because it would have been a long walk back to the car park.

I guess tomorrow's lesson will be "Wheel Truing 101"...

18 Jun 08 - Rain!!! (A Commuting Update)

2010-01-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

Wow, there’s really nowhere to hide when it’s bucketing down during a ride home. I reckon I left work about 30 minutes two late. By the time I hit the City Botanic Gardens it had started sprinkling but by the time I crossed the Good Will Bridge it was all over, it was pissing down.

I saw a couple of guys huddling under an overpass but I figured what the hell, why delay the inevitable. The backpack cover was on so I just kept going. The only drama was the water which was rinsing out the padding in my helmet caused dirt and dried sweat to wash into my eyes which really, and I mean really hurt…

I made it to the car in one piece, although very wet. Stopped for fuel on the way home and a lady working in the coffee shop took pity on me, (I was dripping) and made me a free coffee. Nice!

Still not deterred…I love the ride. I used to ride a Suzuki Bandit 1200 to work and never got too wet thanks to the protective gear. No such luck on the MTB..

17 Jun 08 - Jerseys – Are Italians really this small???

2010-01-03T16:56:00.002-08:00

I bought a jersey on Ebay the other day for $23. It's a "Santini" size XXL apparently. Seemed like a good buy. Anyway it arrived today and I could barely get the thing over my shoulders. The label clearly said XXL but in reality it was barely a Large. It wouldn’t even fit my son!!! Why is it so bloody hard to find a jersey (under $90) that actually fits? This one is going back on Ebay!!!

13 Jun 08 - Grandma passes away – 99 years – a good life

2010-01-03T16:56:00.001-08:00

My dear old Grandmother passed away today at 99 years. What a wonderful woman.

She was, (and remains) a true inspiration to me. I got to spend some time with her in hospital during the week and she still pretty chatty. She actually apologized for being such a “wet blanket”. She was very resigned to her condition. A couple of quotes.. “it comes to us all in the end"... "good things come to those who wait".. She said that she was looking forward to being with her Husband and my late Dad..

A sad, but also happy day..

26 May 08 - Changes to the Bike Way

2010-01-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

I was riding to work the other day when I was stopped at a corner and given information about a new section of Bikeway opening on the 28th. The lady was very nice and an employee of River City Motorways Pty Ltd.

She handed me an information sheet and a map. When I got to work I checked out the company website and found a wealth of information about bikeway updates (including maps). Here’s the detail..

Traffic and Community Notices section of the RiverCity Motorway Website. Select Cycling and Pedestrian information.

Looking forward to riding the new section..

21 May 08 - Road Riding – MTB Tyre Choice

2010-01-03T16:53:00.001-08:00

I got sick of the road noise caused by my trail tyres and I don’t want to wear them away riding to and from work so today I bought a pair of Maxxis OverDrives (a touch over $30 each @ 99 Bikes). They are narrower and provide more “rollability” (that’s not a word) that the MTB tyres.

Unfortunately I don’t have a second set of rims to I’ll have to become proficient at the quick tyre change!!

18 May 08 - Winter is coming – What to wear to avoid the chill

2010-01-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

They mornings are getting cooler so I bought some leg and arm warmers. The leg warmers were perfect but the arm warmers are a bit too warm at this stage. I also bought a Fluid brand cycling vest which is very good. It’ll be interesting to see how cold it can actually get while riding!

17 May 08 - Nutrition – Beer, Pringles and Vegemite Sandwiches

2010-01-03T16:51:00.002-08:00

Spoke to a pretty high profile bike racer today who says that he swears by “Pringle” brand chips during MTB events. He says that they are very easy to digest and have lots of sodium.

He also suggested that rather than munching on muesli bars and the like simply make a Double Decker wholegrain vegemite sandwich and roll it flat with a rolling pin. Cut it up into squares and wrap it and you’ve got an easy to digest fuel source while riding. (I’ll have to give this a try).

Oh and he also said that the odd beer is handy source of carbohydrates during the 24 hour rides. Sounds a bit sus but I have to admit to a having a couple of beers during the Merida 24 hour.

15 May 08 - Tough Love – On Myself!!

2010-01-03T16:51:00.001-08:00

I cancelled the car parking today and bought a Translink “Go Card”. The plan is to ride to work 3 days (from next week) and get the bus at Eight Mile Plains on the other 2. The revised cost of travel to work will now revert to about $120 per month, (oh and medical bills if I get run over!!!).

Here goes nothing.

14 May 08 - Petrol Prices & City Parking $$$$

2010-01-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

Bloody petrol prices are through the roof and they have just put up the cost of parking near work. I did some arithmetic and calculated that with parking costs of $170 per month and fuel costs of around $100 per week, it’s costing nearly $600 per month just to get to work!!!!!!!

That’s it I’ve had enough!!!!

13 May 08 - My 1st city commute

2010-01-03T16:49:00.000-08:00

It went pretty well! I parked at Eight Mile Plains (near the start of the bikeway about 6:30am and followed the path and detour signs into Southbank and over the Good Will bridge. After exiting the Botanic Gardens I got a bit confused about the best route to Spring Hill but after figuring out a route I ended up at work at 7:20am (50 minutes and 19km later). I’m lucky enough to have good locker and shower facilities at work and we’re also allowed to park the bikes at work so it’s all good.

The afternoon run was a lot better, nice and warm. I rode straight down Wharf Street into Eagle and down into the botanic Gardens and home.

Riding the pushbike in the traffic was a bit intimidating. Lucky I’m tall and have lots of flashing lights on the bike.

11 May 08 - The City Run – Southbank Breakfast

2010-01-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

My mate Waddo and I, and our two sons did the commute ride into the city today. I have to say I’m impressed with the bikeway. With the exception of a couple of sections under construction it's a great ride. While there we grabbed some breakfast at Southbank and then rode by the river for a while. I’ve decided the city ride is do-able!

07 May 08 - Commuting - Can I Ride to Work?

2010-01-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Riding in from out at Carbrook is out of the question but a mate has told me that you can ride into the city from Eight Mile Plains. A snappy question posted on the MTBDirt Forum Commuting Forum resulted in some excellent advice and even offers of a guided tour of the route to the city (what a great bunch of people)… I think a trial run is in order.

01 May 08 - My “Race Elements” evaluation…

2010-01-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

During the Merida I received a voucher for a personal training evaluation at Race Elements in Brisbane so I booked myself in.

I went along today and met Greig Smart the Studio Manager and Trainer. To be honest I was a little bit intimidated about going to a personal trainer because I’m not sure if I really wanted to know how unfit I actually was and how much hard work it would take to “fix me”…But I’m serious about getting my fitness back on track so I took a dose of HTFU and went along.

The Race Elements facility is very impressive and Greig couldn’t have been a nicer bloke, (he knew his stuff too). The session started out with a comprehensive questionnaire about my medical history, exercise background and my fitness goals (upcoming MTB events etc). Once that was done it was into the gym for a snappy evaluation. It wasn’t a full-on training session but it was a very good evaluation and I was pretty buggered after it. The session consisted of tests involving, Bench Press, Leg Press, Push Ups, and Seated Rows. I also did this squat test which involved me holding my butt in a suspended seated position above a seat. Greig said the worst he’d seen was about 5 seconds and the best was something like half an hour.. I came in at a couple of minutes which about average.

All in all it was a great session. Greig was a great source of advice and he’s planted the “ride to work” seed.

Race elements offer personalized training programs which you can monitor on-line or in the studio. They also boast a couple of specialist on-line training coaches in Nikolai Razouvayev and Anna Sheldon both very well respected in cycling circles.

As soon as the budget allows I’ll be doing more with Race Elements. For more information visit their website at www.raceelements.com.au.

25 Apr 08 - What Next??

2010-01-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

Well we all survived the Merida 24 hour intact so now it’s time to look to the next challenge. There’s heaps to choose from. The Insomnia is just around the corner but I can’t get the boys that interested and there could be a work conflict that weekend also.

I think the Noosa Enduro is the way to go.

22 Apr 08 - Ay-Ups and an Ass Kicking!!

2010-01-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

I just told the missus that I lashed out and bought some Ayups over the weekend during the Merida... Oh boy!! She's not thrilled but I think she was happy that I was safe during the night riding.. Oh and I think that she'll be buying something new for herself soon..

I highly recommend the Ay-Up lighting system. It's cost effective and great value for money. Oh and they are blindingly bright!

21 Apr 08 - The Merida 24Hr MTB Challenge

2010-01-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

MTBdirt Kamikaze Bushrangers (No: 93) had a go AND survived!

Our 4 man team consisting of me, Galps (Ian), Waddo, (Mark) and Oldsy (Paul) showed up on Saturday morning more than a little apprehensive about the 24 hours ahead. Actually it was only just morning for Oldsy who arrived 10 minutes before start time which earned him the illustrious “Rider 1” position. Truth be told; he was the only one who had competed in a MTB event before, (several for him in fact) so there was a bit of monkey see, monkey do involved from the rest of us.

When Oldsy returned a 27 minute first lap the rest of our collective thoughts were something like “Oh shit how am I going to keep up with that”.. Unfortunately for Oldsy a strained hamstring saw him out after 5 laps..

What a great course. It was tough going for us newbie’s but what a blast. I didn’t hear a harsh word spoken and I reckon I was most the most appreciated rider on the course because I couldn’t count the number of times I heard “thanks mate” when I made room for approaching / passing riders. I did pass one guy though…… which was great….but he was on his 20th straight lap.

I loved riding in the dark with the new Ayups blazing away and even the rain was fun, (maybe I have masochistic tendencies).

To summarize, we finished with 21 laps, (yeah I know, not that great), no mechanicals, a couple of other bumps and bruises, (I could not shake the stitches during my laps) but our pride remains intact. We didn’t win any prizes but in terms of personal achievement we all did pretty well I reckon. This 43 year old is still hooked on the sport and despite being a bit sore today I plan to keep competing, (wish I discovered this years ago!!!).

Finally thanks to the organisers and my hat is off to all participants, particularly the soloists, the juniors and that guy who ran into transition carrying his bike over his shoulder after two flats, (wish I had a photo of that!). You are incredible athletes.. Truly amazing stuff!

Cheers,

Wellsy

19 Apr 08 - Race Day !!!!

2010-01-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

It's race day! I'm picking up some of the boys soon......... and .......... it's RAINING!!

15 Apr 08 - Race Preparation

2010-01-03T16:39:00.002-08:00

Race preparation is underway. I got a few tips regarding tyres from the guys at 99 Bikes at Underwood who have formed a team of their own. I'll be running Maxxis tyres.. an Advantage on the front and a Crossmark on the rear. The tool kits are ready, Waddo has some great Maquees organised and we've got a massive tent to sleep in. I'm really excited, (and shit scared) about this.

The bike is serviced and read to go. I'll be having a few days off training ust prior to the weekend to rest up. The team is all fired up!!!

30 Mar 08 - Training is on track..

2010-01-03T16:39:00.001-08:00

So far so good. The training seems to be on track. I'm doing about 8 hours a week on the bike (combination of road and trail). Some of my teammates aren't doing so good though. A couple of weeks to go!!

15 Mar 08 - Training for Dummies...

2010-01-03T16:38:00.000-08:00

The Merida is just around the corner so training it in order.. This is my plan.. Scour the MTBDirt forums for training tips and clock up lots of hours on the bike. Basically smash the trails at Daisy Hill, smash the trails at Bayview and clock up heaps of kilometres on the road..

11 Mar 08 - Anaconda to the rescue - I've got a new bike!

2010-01-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

Talk about customer service. The Manager of Anaconda Springwood, (Andy) rang and we had a long chat about the problem. He basically said, "we will fix this". He asked me to come into the store with the bike and spend some time with the Manager of the Bike Section. I went over and spent what was about 1 1/2 hours with Karl who couldn't have been a better bloke. I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say I was propely measured and fitted with a new, Fluid Renegade. It's a bit higher up in the range so I had so shell out a few $$ (not too many, trust me) but I'm now on a $900 bike instead of a $500.

10 Mar 08 - The first Bike isn't right..

2010-01-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

Well this bike isn't right. I can't put my finger on it but I just can't get comfortable while riding. My back aches, my wrists hurt. It all feels wrong. The bloody bike just feels too short for me . I can't figure it out... It's a 19 inch frame and I was assured that it was the right size. I've stuck it out but it's not working.

Spoke to someone who has been riding and repairing MTB for years and he reckons the bike is too small. Shit!

What to do..

I've decided that I'll touch base with the Manager of Anaconda to express my concerns about possibly being given bad advice. It's worth a try considering that I am most likely looking at a new bike purchase.

17 Feb 08 - Merida 24 Hour Challenge - A team is formed

2010-01-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

I figure what's the point of doing all of this riding if I don't really challenge myself and set some goals. Had a chat to a few mates (also newbie MTB riders) and we've decided to give it a crack as a team of 4... I can't wait!

Holy Crap.... Better get training...

06 Feb 08 - Accessories on a budget...

2010-01-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

I’m a bit of a boy scout when it comes to being prepared for both the inevitable and the unknown but I’m also a bit of a miser out of necessity. So here is what I have put together for the bike.

Under saddle tool bag – Huffy Brand - $9:00 from BigW. Kmart does cheapies also..

Couple of spare tubes. - $15

Topeak Hexus 16 multi-tool - $40

Topeak Mini MasterBlaster pump - $20

Set of plastic bike levers from Big W - $6

Chain Links $3 from any LBS (Local Bike Store).

A basic setup but enough to get you going..

If you're after a Backpack, check out the range at Anaconda. They do a great Fluid brand cycling backpack with support frame and built in hydration back for under $40. (You can actually pick this up for about $25 during member specials)..

05 Feb 08 - What to wear...

2010-01-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Cycling gear, whether its MTB, Road or whatever is so bloody expensive!! Jerseys and brand name MTB shirts at $100 and $70+ bike shorts are a bit beyond my budget.. I still can’t come to terms with wearing the skin tight Lycra kit so this is what I came up with.. Firstly T-Shirts are out..(wear one on a decent trail ride and you'll find out why) and you need proper bike shorts..

Kmart sells good quality moisture wicking shirts of various brands for between $14 and $25. Anaconda also has nice Fluid Brand shirts for $25 (keep an eye out for member specials). This is good value and allows you to have a couple in your drawer so you (or your better half) is not constantly washing. Big W also came to the rescue with excellent quality padded bike shorts for under $40. Wear them under a pair of light shorts and you're golden.

This kit is pretty basic but it'll do for now.. or until someone wants to sponsor a 43 year old nobody.. ..

28 Jan 08 - First ride with the MTBDIRT guys - Bayview

2010-01-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

I'm lucky, We live about 300 metres from an entrance to Bayview Conservation Park. I'd never explored it that much so when some of the forum members from MTBdirt decided to organise a ride there I was in! so my son Jake and I headed out to the Days Road entrance and met for the first time a great bunch of guys. Deon, DeanO, ODG, nucnud, MaxR, Rich the Stitch, Premevil and J1m led Jake and I throughout the many trails of Bayview. From memory about 30km in about 3 hours..

I came off the bike about 3 times including a spectacular high speed over the handle bars crash that was worthy of Funniest Home Videos at high (gotta love "the Rollercoaster"). Riding past later I could still see my face imprint.... When I hit the deck I distinctly recall thinking, "thank Christ I'm wearing this helmet..

25 Jan 08 - Shoes & Pedals

2010-01-03T16:27:00.000-08:00

I bit the bullet and bought shoes and pedals today. I figure if something is worth doing, it's worth doing right.

I got them from BikeHub at Shailer Park. The guys (Ben and his Dad) were very helpful and happy to listen to my silly "newbie" questions.. Here's what I bought:

Shimano MT41 SPD Shoes
PD-M424 Pedals
Hopefully money well spent...

20 Jan 08 - MTBDIRT.com.au - An Oasis in the Desert

2010-01-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

This is the place!!!! If you haven't found this website and you live in South East Queensland you have to visit and join immediately. Trail Maps, Competition Information and best of all a forum where you can hook up with other guys and gals who share the passion for all things Mountain Biking.

The forum is great, there are literally hundreds of topics to browse through and unlike a lot of other forums (cycling and non-cycling) out there, you are made welcome by other members.

Be sure to check out the "Organise a Ride" section where you can arrange to join other members for social rides and get-togethers. You can find me in the forums as "Wellsy".

You can find MTBDIRT at www.mtbdirt.com.au

17 Jan 2007 - Book Learning - Google Searching

2010-01-03T16:20:00.000-08:00

I love to learn so a new hobby presents a great opportunity to scour the internet looking for information about mountain biking especially the "how to" stuff like "how to adjust a dérailleur".. how not to get killed etc etc. There's tonnes of information out there but it takes a bit of searching to find it. I'll post links to some of the good stuff but a great place to start is YouTube and Expert Village...

Here's an example..

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=x0H7zbSvdAc&feature=related[/youtube]

29 Dec 2007 - Buying my first Mountain BIke

2010-01-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

Now I don't have the best track record for sticking with things, (in fact I'm king of the unfinished project) so I thought that when buying a bike I better not spend too much money just in case it spends the next few years gathering dust in the garage. This pleased the Minister for War and Finance (aka my lovely Wife, I'll call her "34C" and leave the rest to your imagination) who is always willing to remind me that I am prone to the odd impulse buy.

I visited quite a number of bike shops around Brissie and was pretty bloody surprised how the "newbie" wasn't actually made that welcome about 75% of the time. Now I'm not an overly sensitive bloke but I was astounded by some of the people, (assistants to owners) who I dealt with who, when they discovered that I didn't have 5 grand in my pocket really didn't want to know me. Pretty short sighted really because I'm not exactly in the poor house and I'm traditionally a very loyal customer if shown a bit of courtesy. I honestly would have imagined that with interest rates, fuel prices and grocery bills all on the rise that any business would be insane to treat a potential customer with anything other than courtesy and respect, (is it possible that all bike shop owners are all millionaires?? Probably not me thinks...).

My mate Galps (who rides an older Merida) and I thought, why not try Anaconda. They have plenty of specials and generally have decent quality products. So we rolled into Anaconda at Springwood and checked out the Fluid brand of Mountain Bikes. So about a month after being abandoned by my mates at Burleigh, I found myself on a brand new Fluid Momentum for the conservative sum of $450. Not bad... the bike seemed to have all the main components I needed for a bit of social riding around the trails. Actually as it turned out.. it wasn't such a crash hot purchase..

More to come...

Wellsy

6 Dec 07 - The Cycling Seed Planted

2010-01-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

Every year a group of families in our circle of friends get together and book out about 10 rooms at a resort at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast. The idea is that for 10 days well all get to hang out, surf, party into the wee hours and forget about work, bills and other day to day stresses. The kids and parents alike have a blast!

By way of background we are average folk aged between 35 & 45, (I'm 43) from a variety of employment backgrounds. More than a few of us a pretty active Motorbike Trail/Enduro Riders and we are all pretty active in trying to stay at least a little bit fit.

The December 2007 trip to Burleigh was the usual blast until one night after a few beers one of the newer members of the group asked if anyone was interested in a Mountain Bike ride to Nerang Forest. This guy (Scott) was right into it. A few of the other guys had brought bikes for themselves and their kids to ride the pathways so there were plenty of nods of agreement. I didn't have a bike so I mentioned that I could shoot back to Brissie and grab my trusty hybrid Repco. NO I was told, they're not riding bike paths... this was to be serious Mountain Bike trail riding.

Right I thought, that sounds SOOO tough. Mountain Biking... whatever, How tough could it be? I was sure it was nothing nothing compared to the fire trails we ride on the Enduro bikes down at Emu Creek during the Easter week with the boys.

Anyway the next morning they all shot through and I awoke to find that I was left alone with the wives and the kids (mmmm, mountain biking wasn't looking so bad after all). Anyway they guys arrived back later that day and I was entertained with war stories from the ride. My favorite was Waddo's stack on a his son's Kmart special.. he had bark off him everywhere! These guys had had a blast and gotten hours of exercise and none of them were that shagged or sore, (even the guy with the bad knee). I really had to investigate this further because years of Rugby and Hockey had really taken its toll on my knees and running was becoming increasingly more difficult.