Asides
24 June 2012 • Melburn Roobaix - a fabulous day in Hell
There are certain rides on the cycling calendar that should be on everyone's bucket list, and as a resident of Melbourne the Melburn Roobaix has been on mine since I arrived nearly two years ago.
The ride is inspired, in a tongue in cheek and almost parodied way, by Paris Roubaix.
Paris Roubaix is one of the oldest races in cycling history, it started in 1896 and has only stopped for two world wars. It is an epic one day race on the cycling classics calendar. Known as Hell of the North - A Sunday in Hell the race is well known for the brain numbing, body jarring cobblestone sections (known as pave) that it is raced over such as these:
The sections of cobbles are graded according to length, irregularity and general condition. The original motivation of the organisers of Paris Roubaix was not to send the riders out for a pain filled slog fest on the cobbles but simply to run a one day race from Paris to the organisers newly built velodrome in Roubaix. The roads on the way there were cobbled roads and in the early days the Frenchmen were used to it. In later years and once the race was televised a number of the towns sought to seal their cobbled roads for fear of the rest of France viewing their region as a back water with unsealed roads. For a while it appeared the cobbles may be lost forever and somewhat ironically the same issue may afflict Melburn Roobaix in the coming years but more for budgetary than aesthetic reasons. More on that later.
The Melburn Roobaix ride is the brainchild of Andy White owner of Fyxomatosis. I have not met Andy and have no idea about the evolution of the Melburn Roobaix but I imagine one day Andy must have had an idea that went something like this:
"How awesome is Paris Roobaix... Melbourne has a lot of great pave through the old bluestone laneways particularly in the north just like Paris Roubaix. Hey I will organise a ride where we all go out and ride through the laneways of pave and then drink beer at Brunswick velodrome".
Whatever it was that inspired Andy, 2012 saw a group of my friends (and some newly made ones) take on the epic Hell of the North. DB even came from all the way from Noo Zooland.
Our day is best described in a few photos (the copyright of which mostly belongs to Jenna Makgill who thankfully hijacked my camera early on and rode most of the day one handed on the pave taking pictures):
In preparation for the day DB and I purchased a hip flask and some whisky. It is important to note that the key to a successful social ride is to be appropriately socially lubricated.
We started the day at my favourite local cafe Two Bob where we had hearty breakfasts and coffee, and some coffee with whisky.
We then meandered our way to the start at Hawthorn velodrome to collect our maps and race numbers. The key to Melburn Roobaix is that no one knows the exact course (other than that it finishes at Brunswick velodrome) until the day of the event when the map and pave sections are revealed. It is not a race so how long it takes doesn't really matter. Once kitted up we posed for photos with each other and I, and others drank some more whisky:
We then set off guided by master navigator Pete, a Melbourne local, to ride some pave.
Obviously along the way some of us drunk more whisky than others.
Importantly we then stopped for lunch, where we drank more coffee and whisky and some of us ate pies at a bakery on Lygon Street:
We then rode along more pave and the beautiful bike lanes of 'Melburn'.
Most importantly we then made it to the finish at Brunswick velodrome where we drank beer and congratulated ourselves on being awesome.
A big thank you to my awesome little grupetto in no particular order:
David Benson (DB) - the wizard of all things bicycle and hip well before hipster was in anyone's vocabulary
Mick Peel - that leather master of Busyman Bicycles fame
Peter Lunt - master navigator and generally nice guy
Chris Tennent Brown (CTB) - famous economist from the NZ TV3 news, cycling fanatic and phenomenal whisky consumer
Brett Tennent Brown (BTB) - veterinarian and cycle enthusiast
Paul Larkin - fellow Kiwi, best bike mechanic in town, cyclo cross champion and owner of an awesome Eddy Merckx
Jenna Makgill - previous world cycle courier champion, Red Bull sponsored rider and the best bike handler around
Alex - cycle enthusiast, awesomely nice guy and keen mountain biker
and a big thank you to Andy White and his team for this epic event. Well done, keep it up and see you next year.
Here's hoping that the refurbishment of the cobbles being discussed by council never happens, and that your event firmly cements the cobbles into Melbourne's heritage and your race on the cycling calendar.
15 May 2012 • Phillip Island
Staring down the barrel of another long, wet winter in Melbourne I decided in mid April to write myself a training and racing plan. Not really a training program, but more like a gathering of races and proposed training that (all things being equal) I would try and stick to (when not working 70 hour weeks). The first of the races on this plan was the Phillip Island Grand Prix, a 64km circuit race around the motor racing circuit on Phillip Island used for, among other things, one round of the Moto GP series. Given the location I was able to coax Cam into coming down with me, and he turned out to be a very good soigneur for the day.
I found myself stuck in this funny conundrum where I didn't feel fit enough to race, but was not going to get fit enough to race without racing! In any event on the drive down to Philip Island I was only having thoughts of challenging myself to keep up for as long as possible and to simply enjoy the racing while knowing I was never really any chance of placing!!
I thought this would be a good race to start with given the circuit is pretty flat and fast with only one small lump to contend with. My friend Bridget also entered and together with our Hawthorn team mates Georgie and Carolyn we lined up with 45 other women on the start line in wet, cold and windy conditions.
The first few laps were sketchy to say the least. The home straight was the only section of real tail wind on the course and from this we flew into a gusting cross wind which had girls switching all over the place and braking accordingly. The rain was also just heavy enough to ensure the road stayed nice and slick. The only goal for these early laps was to stay upright.
Interspersed throughout the race were Queen of the Mountains points (to be obtained at the top of the 4% lump) and sprint points over the start/finish line on other laps. These ensured the race simply became one of attrition after a while. I was starting to suffer quite badly around lap 8 but just kept telling myself one more time up the lump!
With 6 laps to go Sarah Riley of the LIV Giant team made a break down the front straight. This split the bunch pretty quickly and due to some hesitation on my part I missed a small chasing group down into the cross wind. Up and over the lump the race was blowing apart with girls scattered everywhere. Three in the break, then a group of about 12. I battled my hardest to stay with the group of 12 but by this time my lack of racing was beginning to show and I was way over threshold. I managed to cling myself to a small chasing group of three but following a probably over enthusiastic turn on the front I hit the wall and consequently got dropped by this group. I then chased for another half a lap or so before realising I had done my best for the day and due to some ongoing back issues I decided to retire at this point.
Despite not doing anything spectacular I had a really good day and thoroughly enjoyed the process, got to ride on a closed circuit and afterwards we went to the Rusty Water pub for a beer.
31 March 2012 • Dandenong Criterium
31 January 2012 • What's your bliss?
We moved to Melbourne nearly eighteen months ago with several intentions. To live somewhere new, to make more money, to make new friends. I knew no one here when I arrived, and found myself asking nagging doubtful questions, will I make friends? Will I like it here?
I arrived without my bike. Cycling had been my previous identity, my persona all through school and to a lesser extent through university (where beer, wine, and pubs were more my thing), and something I had done for over half my life. I still meet girls from school who say ?oh, I remember you, ?the cycling girl??.
Melbourne was time for a new identity. I planned to have a new athletic career in anything but cycling.
It turns out I really wasn?t being honest with myself.
I used to think that cycling and its community followed me around, but if I?m honest I have to admit that I follow cycling around. Melbourne was chosen, even if subconsciously, for this reason. It is a cycling Mecca, and it was not long before I started following the sport around again.
When I ask myself why I insist on embracing cycling in the way I do, I have to ask what it gives me and what I give it.
Cycling is my bliss. It has crept under my skin over the years and is not what I do anymore but who I am. My bliss is riding my bike with no thoughts except to suck in some air and turn the pedals over and over. It is in this state of partial anaesthesia where none of the normal torments of daily life are possible. No flashing red light on the Blackberry, no phone calls, no stressing about work or family, just turning the pedals and following the road in front of you.
As for making friends? What other sport allows you to exercise while talking rubbish, while going places (self propelled) to deservedly drink coffee and eat donuts? I am lucky to have met some new friends, and a couple in particular who have helped me realise that there is no other identity for me. This is it, me and my bike, forever and ever, and I?m pretty happy about that.
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