Day 6 - Dinner at Dave's

Course Recon Part 2

On other lap. 3 minutes slower than yesterday.
Oh Man! 24 hours later and it's harder. how am I going to go when I string two laps together?

Dinner at Dave's place tonight. Lots of riders who are in home stay. They have this lovely house on the hill overlooking the valley and Weaverville.

Day 5 - To the gates of hell.

Course Recon.

I'm here been planning this for 2 years. The goal this time is the same as last. To finish in the top 100.

Of for my first look at the course. Based on what I've been been told. I'm shitting myself. "The ride from hell". "The ride to the Green Gate".
I set off on the climb with Peter from Newcastle and Pedro from Portugal. Both world champions in their age group on some event. The flat part at the start is 4.5%.......

Bally Road Climb.
https://www.strava.com/activities/403642738/segments/9677107616
4 km, 370m, 9% average grade.

Half way up now. Still with the guys but now it kicks even more.
There they go disappearing around the next corner. Oh boy this is tough.
Turn another corner and it still goes up. Wait they they are there's the Green Gate.
OK not the ride from hell. It's just the ride to the front gate.

The Bradburys

I'm now with my fantastic family. Don and Norine.
My room overlooks the creek and I don't need my water music to sleep now.

Day 4 - San Francisco Bridge

Lombard Street.

Up early today, packed everything into the car and headed back to the city for a bicycle tour.
First stop Lombard Street.

I got a few strange looks while walking up the steps to the top carrying the bike. 


I then got to roll down. I wouldn't call it riding. it's steeper and more technical the most down hill trails.......
No there were to many cars.

Off on the tour. Next up the Golden Gate Bridge.


Now down to Blazing Saddles. The biggest bike hire company in SF. They were very surprised when I showed up on my own bike. Ha! never see a Carbon Mountain bike before.
With our tour guide Franco we st off on a leisurely towards the bridge and over.

Weaverville here I come. 

Day 3 - Escape from Alcatraz

This morning I rode up this big hill call Montara Mountain in the fog to see views of SF. Bitch of a climb really.
When I got to the top it was nice and sunny but all I could see was the clouds with two steal towers poking through.  They are on a hill in the city somewhere. If you blow up the pic enough you can see them in there.

Great decent. I even got a top 10 on Strava.

http://www.strava.com/activities/402159380/segments/9640831377

For the afternoon I went into the city to do the Alcatraz thing.  

I spent a couple of hours walking the city.  Lots of people.  Many homeless.
I have not seen the bay, the bridge or anything other that concrete, and gee it's hilly.

I made it to Pier 31 for the tour and something to look at at last.

It's always very foggy and everything is hazy.

Day 2 - Half Moon Bay

Went off for a little ride with Steve today. Coffee at his local the up into the hills. Wherever you look it's hills.

Over 800 meters of climbing on road and fire trail.  A great view out over the Pacific Ocean then a wicked single trail back down to the bottom.

Today I have seen, Humpback Whales, Dolphins,  Deer a Raccoon (dead), a picture of a Mountain Lion and I heard a rattlesnake.  NO Bears.

Oh! and I heard all about Poison Oak.

#WEMBO Part 2 Sunny California

Well here we go. 3 months of intensive training and the day has arrived.
Bikes boxed and being loaded on the plane as I watch from the terminal.
I will be in the US in about 16 hrs.

Been doing a personal 6 hr enduro every Sunday for the last 2 months. The fitness has come back but have I done enough training in the hills?

Let the training begin

Ok, I've been a bit quiet since Christmas on account of me having a damaged tendon in my right foot.
The Abductor Digity Minimi or the little toe. It's still sore but after a 2 injections I'm starting to get some improvement.
I'm allowed to start riding now but with a few restrictions.   No hill, no pills, high cadence and keep the knees together.
Only 4 months to go until WEMBO.  It's all paid for and accomodation is arranged. Now might be a good time to start training.

A Trail of 50 Bridges

The commute home.
Abbotsford to Glen Waverley.  
21.6 kms
3 Rivers/Creeks 
3 set of traffic lights
25 dogs 
and 
50 Bridges. Here are a few.  
I wont bore you withe the other 33. 
If I stopped at all of them it would have taken an hour longer to get home and it was nearly dark as it was.

.3 km - Yarra River - Burnley St Bridge

1.8 km - Yarra River -  Victoria St

1.8 km - Yarra River - Bridge Rd

2.4 km - Yarra River - Lilydale Belgrave Line

3.1 km - Yarra River - Swan St

4.3 k m - Yarra River - St Kevin College

4.7 km - Gardiners Creek - South Eastern Underhang

5.3 km - Gardiners Creek - Glenferry Rd

5.5 km - Gardiners Creek - The new bridge - Glenferry Rd

9.3 km - Gardiners Creek - One of those shitty small bridges that zig zag the creek all the way home.

9.6 km - Gardiners Creek - High Street Rd

11.9 km - Gardiners Creek - East Malvern Golf Course

12.1 km - South Eastern Freeway - East Malvern Station

14.4 km - Scotchman Creek - Warrigal Rd 

18 km - Scotchman Creek - The Rape Tunnels

18.7 km - Scotchman Creek - Stevos Rd

21.1 km - Scotchman Creek -  Blackburn Rd

90 million people. 45 million motor bikes and NO traffic lights?

Hue - Vietnam
Went for 2 rides with our tour guide. He likes riding and lent me his nice Scott MTB.
https://app.strava.com/activities/234490046
https://app.strava.com/activities/234490090






Ho Ann - Vietnam
Family ride boat trip out to an Island to check out some old people doing old stuff.
https://app.strava.com/activities/234780421

I had the best curry ever for lunch.

Brought a new bike today.

Meekong Creations

http://www.mekong-creations.org/products/bamboo/bamboo-bikes.html

2014 in Review

2014 in Review

Activities :             214

Distance :             9,138.95 km

Time :                    402:40:37 h:m:s

Elevation Gain :   88,740 m

Calories :              275,234 C

Injuries :                1 - Broken Clavicle

New Bikes :         1 - Meekong Creations

Races :                 Alpine Classic 140km
                               Bay Ride 2014
                               Challenge Shepparton    1/2 Ironman ( Ride only )
                               Forrest MTB Festival       (First Place Male Master Group B)

Heat Map