"If synchronized swimming is a sport then so is being a brickie's labourer. Only with less make-up."
- DRS (aus.bicycle)

Doncaster Rd is heaps cooler than Maroondah Hwy.. bigger hills for faster speeds but the uphills don't seem any worse!
I 'sat on' the best and worst types of "drafting" vehicles. The first was a tray-truck with a tray that was almost made for chopping the heads off close-following cyclists! (and I was CLOSE following!). The other was a common LandCruiser. The Toyota was just the right height to see through the front windscreen while making use of its ample size for wind pushing duties. I hooked up with that at just the right speed and sat on for ages! Weeeeeeeee!!
Also met a d.u.d.e with red/blue flasher on his backpack.. Cop stylee for $10 from Carribean Gardens :)

Meet my two best friends..
Cynicism and Negativity

Make sure and use them for evil not good, ya hear?!

Now I sit back and wait for the Cervelo Team Soloist to arrive. I'll probably spec some stronger wheels (Ultegra hubs, bigass DT spokes, Velocity Fusion rims) for it (I'm such a powerful sprinter I tear the spokes out of the hubs.. yeah right.. ).

Ah Ha! An even better solution to the home-made drop bolts I haven't yet got around to making. These ones will allow me to fit the newer dual-pivot Shimano brakes..

Installing Drop Bolts on Dual-Pivot Bicycle Brake Calipers

$45USD!!! Ouch!!! Maybe the home-made ones will suffice for now...

http://www.ozhpv.org.au/speedrecord.htm
"Road, no hills, no corners... just flat out pedaling. I like."

Details: 2004 Cervelo Team Soloist

2-frickin-am and I have litres of snot to spare for anyone with a bucket. The tissues aren't holding up well to the onslaught so I've moved on to firing snot rockets into the sink! Poor hatchback (who was keeping me warm by sleeping on the bed) think it's brekkie time and gets up to see what all the noise is. "Just early morning hippy draining" I tell him.

Found a section of Doncaster Rd today where they are redoing the tram lines. No access to cars.. but bikes slip through :)
It was at the tail end of 3.5hrs on the roadie (Burwood Hwy, City, Doncaster Rd, Home). I've decided to add Doncaster Rd. to my list of "commute routes" just to get some extra kays in. Did it today as part of my program and to see what it looks like in daylight :)
I rode past all the construction (barriers are for carse not bikes :P) and noticed they are laying down some serious amounts of concrete in some deep holes - not something I want to hit at night!

Pretty sore today after 5-6hrs on the bike yesterday, including 1hr spent racing a hot C grade crit at Dalmore Drive. DFL thankyou very much, after doing a turn chasing a break and then being caned by the following bunch! Shit! Carl won it from the break - nice one!
Also used Saturday to find that I can't corner for shit! It was basically a hard day's riding that left me physically drained and mentally depressed. Not good.. must fix that during the upcoming season. Maybe I should start bike drag racing? Then I wouldn't have to worry about hills or corners!! :)

and I'm watching the Athens Olympics men's road time trial in-between fitting new tyres and brake pads to the Pug.
A recent spate of flats means fitting more durable training tyres is a wise idea - at least while I'm in base training just clocking up kays. They have to be more durable than Pro Race. They have to be cheaper than Pro Race. They have to be red. I settled on Schwalbe Stelvio front and rear.

Schwalbe Stelvio Specs:
Article num. 11646613 Name STELVIO
Application Racing - Competition Execution Folding Tire
ETRTO 23-622 Performance RaceGuard
Size(inch) 700 x 23C Compound Dual
Tread HS 350 Color R/B-SK
EPI 67 Pressure_psi 85-145
Max_load Weight(gram) 235
$63.95 AUD RRP

Oh, the brake pads are $8/pair Prodanti ones.. in red of course!

Axiom SprintAir (~$40AUD)

I think it has "Axiom" on the barrel and "Air Supply" on the head.

Sales blurb:
- High efficiency aluminum barrel
- Ribbed aluminum handle with twist lock
- 160psi maximum
- Instant attach Presta head
- Patch kit and schrader adapter inside handle
- Lifetime guarantee
- 110g

My blah blah:
I've used this for two roadside puncture repairs since buying it and it's my favourite frame pump to date. Prior to this I've used a Blackburn and another one that I don't know the details of right now (good reviewer eh? :P). The Blackburn is still going but the other one is dead. The Axiom is lighter and skinnier than the Blackburn and doesn't require twisting a lockring once on the valve - just push it on and start pumping. Too easy. It feels reasonably solid for a light frame pump unlike the last one I had. It looks better too. There's no pressure gauge on this one, but I figure pump it up as hard as possible and get yourself to a track pump asap.

Okay.. my fault for leaving a holed tyre on the bike with no repair attempted but still..
(If only I'd patched the tyre.. If only I'd patched the tyre.. If only I'd patched the tyre.. )

I think I'm going to take the Michelin's off and fit some training tyres with a bit more meat on them. They have to be red. I think I spotted some red Vittoria Rubino's in my LBS the other day, they'll do. Cheaper than Pro Race too.

At least the recent bout of punctures means I got to test Gemma's "leave your bike up the right way when fixing flats" method. It is easy but I still forget to shift into the smallest cog first (The wheel goes in with the chain in the middle of the cassette but it's easier if the chain is on the smallest cog).

I've also used my new frame pump a couple of times now and it works a treat!

Thanks to Carl for the lend of a tyre and his spare HRM so I can send my S710 back to get its battery replaced.

"God, I wish more men would fscking shave their legs, pits and pubes. I would so be in heaven! SHAVED LEGS ON MEN IS SEXY IF YOU HAVE NICE MUSCLES."
www.tekwh0re.net

"Shit, where'd I leave my razor?!" :P

Cannondale's Disc Cyclocross Bike

www.fixedgeargallery.com

Bloody hell.. that ride was kinda cool but kinda sucked too. I mean, it was shit weather and it was tough just pushing the pedals, but I was still grinning like an idiot down in St. Kilda when the wind was so strong I couldn't steer in a straight line! Respect to Neil who after stacking on wet tram tracks and needing an hour in front of my heater just to thaw out was insane enough to go out again for another dose!

My brakes disappeared on the way home thanks to all the road grit combined with water. It all set into this mess:




This is 'some' of the road grit that I squeezed out of my clothes.. yes.. my clothes! We are talking road bike here, not mtb and this is only the grit that didn't get washed down the drain! Messy stuff:

greenhummerproject.org

"This is the perfect SUV.
Our SUV is healthy, friendly, non-polluting, simple, inexpensive, fun, and socially responsible.

There are no black tinted windows to hide us from view. No air conditioning to further isolate us from the outside. No gas tank to fill and fill and fill. No greenhouse gasses pouring from the exhaust pipe. No frustration, no yelling, no honking, no road rage. No clocks to set, no alarm to annoy, no menus to scroll through. No video game system, DVD player, or GPS system. No "we own the road", "get out of our way", "don't slow us down" mentality."

This roadside "fountain" greeted me on the way home tonight:

Browse the web with this.. it's some funny shit!
www.asksnoop.com

2004 Taylormade Richmond Duathlon Results

Remove the disqualified competitor and the guy who swapped shoes quicker in transition and I've got the fastest bike time in the Dash :)

After thinking about this for ages and, of course, not doing anything about it for ages, I thought I'd give structured coaching a go. I know Carl from racing and he's a good bloke who seems pretty cluey about things race-related. So, as of today, hippy now has a coach and a training program!
ABOC Cycle Coaching

Hatchy tells me to piss off while he looks at 'kitty' porn..

Skipping the AlpeDueEast/BR7 group ride I planned to race the short 'dash' duathlon (2k Run/8k Ride/1k Run) and then hussle to make it to the C grade crit at Glenvale Cres. Cold, early morning (4degC) start, register, very short warm up, extra 2k added to the ride and then off for the first run leg. 20 or so people racing and 10 were in front of me after the 2k (hippy loves running!). Slow transition to bike (I was stuffed!) and then off to make up some places. I'm not sure how many places I made up because by the second lap I think I was lapping the slower entrants and I lost count. On the second run I was really fighting for air.. I just couldn't maintain the pace and I was passed by 4 or 5 guys. Drank some of Taylormade's sport drink and then had to get out quick to try and make Glenvale. At 9am (C-grade start time) I was only at Elgar Rd. and had no chance of starting the race so I turned around (probably incurring a few speeding fines) and went back to see how the others went.
Headed to a cafe for a hot chocolate (in my case) or pancakes with banana, bacon, maple syrup and ICECREAM in some freak's case!! (You know who you are.. ). Had to leave to pick up a set of road wheels I was buying from a dude advertising on the 'net. On arriving at the meeting place I realise I don't have my wallet.. anywhere! FSCK!
I explain to the dude what's happened and he's understanding while I race off back to the cafe to find my wallet.. no luck.. SHIT! Off to Steve's to return the cat basket I borrowed to transport Hatchback home the other day (I was in the area - may as well). Check at the cop shop near the cafe before heading along the path I travelled when I lost it.. nothing.
On the way home I pick up a post-race tub of Tiramisu ice-cream from Diary Bell and then set about calling various banks to cancel my cards (after Tee insisted). Just as I'm about to pick up the phone, it rings, and a guy says "I've got your wallet". Awesome!! Terry from Streetwise Software had picked it up in the street outside my office (it must have fallen out of my pocket as I suspected) and must have looked me up. All is saved! Call wheel guy and arrange another attempt at 'cash for wheels'.
So, the day didn't quite go to plan, but it could have been worse. Oh, I heard that one of the riders in the Dash (a footballer.. no surprise then.. ) took the wrong turn and then in his haste to rejoin the race, knocked a spectator over! This, in a frickin' 30min race! No medal, no money, no Olympic gold and his own stupidity causes the injury of an innocent woman. Anyway, he was DQ'd, so I want to find out where I finished..