Spring Cycle 2013 - 20/10/13
The Spring Cycle is tomorrow and I have been doing a lot of riding this week. Mainly to work and back on the single speed. I'm not as fit as I'd like to be and am still a bit overweight but I think I will be alright. Yesterday I rode to work on the Brompton and then at lunchtime rode around the local park with a colleague, then rode home after work. So I got quite a work out, even on the folder! This morning I was ready to go at 6 am for an early morning ride but the weather was bitterly cold at 8.5 degrees so I decided against it. My mate was supposed to turn up too but ended up ditching me for the snooze button instead. If he was here I may have still stuck to the ride, but alone, there just wasn't anything that could convince me to go out in that cold weather! I'll get out there in the late afternoon.
I am still in two minds about using the Brompton at the Spring Cycle this year, but, at the same time, I really want to get that Brown Jersey frame out there in Sydney to create more awareness about the brand. Perhaps I'll use the Brommie or my Gios mini velo for next years ride.
I still have to make a few final adjustments on the bike before the ride. I was going to use two bottles and my 2L water backpack. Now I'm thinking I may just get rid of the holder on the handlebars, keep the one on the saddle and have a small bottle of sports drink there. I'll still use the backpack but will also carry some energy gels and bars for a bit of a kick now and then. The electrolytes were an issue for me at the last ride. I did the 50 km, then rode home from the event. I was only about 2 km from my house when my left leg started to play up and was cramping all the time. So had to walk the rest of the way. This time I will be prepared though.
Every year I get my wife to drop me off to North Sydney where the event begins, and when I finished at Homebush last year I rode home too. This year I will be going it alone. Fully self supported. I'll be riding to the station which is a 15 minute ride (trains are free for spring cycle entrants and their bikes), taking the train to North Sydney Station and then riding to the event which is about 5 minutes of riding. I'll try get there around 6:30 am to allow for my body and legs to warm up a bit and ride around the park. Then at 7 am I will start the ride, hopefully finish at about 12 pm at the latest and then ride home from Homebush which is about 17 km I think.
I will also be recording some of my ride this year using a helmet cam. Hopefully the footage will convince my mates & colleagues to tag along with me next year. I have tried continually asking, emailing, showing pictures, the website etc. nothing works. So this will be my last big effort to convince people to ride more. Perhaps I'll edit it with some cool music in the background for added effect. Will put it on the website and also on youtube if I get a chance.
I am still in two minds about using the Brompton at the Spring Cycle this year, but, at the same time, I really want to get that Brown Jersey frame out there in Sydney to create more awareness about the brand. Perhaps I'll use the Brommie or my Gios mini velo for next years ride.
I still have to make a few final adjustments on the bike before the ride. I was going to use two bottles and my 2L water backpack. Now I'm thinking I may just get rid of the holder on the handlebars, keep the one on the saddle and have a small bottle of sports drink there. I'll still use the backpack but will also carry some energy gels and bars for a bit of a kick now and then. The electrolytes were an issue for me at the last ride. I did the 50 km, then rode home from the event. I was only about 2 km from my house when my left leg started to play up and was cramping all the time. So had to walk the rest of the way. This time I will be prepared though.
Every year I get my wife to drop me off to North Sydney where the event begins, and when I finished at Homebush last year I rode home too. This year I will be going it alone. Fully self supported. I'll be riding to the station which is a 15 minute ride (trains are free for spring cycle entrants and their bikes), taking the train to North Sydney Station and then riding to the event which is about 5 minutes of riding. I'll try get there around 6:30 am to allow for my body and legs to warm up a bit and ride around the park. Then at 7 am I will start the ride, hopefully finish at about 12 pm at the latest and then ride home from Homebush which is about 17 km I think.
I will also be recording some of my ride this year using a helmet cam. Hopefully the footage will convince my mates & colleagues to tag along with me next year. I have tried continually asking, emailing, showing pictures, the website etc. nothing works. So this will be my last big effort to convince people to ride more. Perhaps I'll edit it with some cool music in the background for added effect. Will put it on the website and also on youtube if I get a chance.
This year my rider number is 2081. I remember one year I managed to get number 12 ! Anyhow, the package I received in the mail had the usual promotional material, ride guides etc. This year though there is an arm band that is compulsory to wear. The letter said it was for emergency identification purposes but I think it is also to ensure riders that signed up for the 25 km ride don't do the 50 km ride. I do know for a fact that some are too stingy to pay the entry fee for the big 50 km ride and instead pay the much cheaper price for the 25 km, but still do the 50 km ride anyway. Seeing that it is all going to charity, I think that is pretty low. Hopefully this system works for the event this year to weed out all the idiots.
Preparation - 19/10/13
Saddle Change - Brooks B17 - Black
I changed the saddle more for comfort. I am against wearing lycra and padded shorts etc. Took awhile to get the adjustment right as it is quite differently designed to a regular saddle. Also the rails are designed differently.
Bell - Large!
Mounted the bell onto the top tube as I wanted more room on the handlebars for the light, camera mount and computer. Think I'll leave it there.
Ortlieb Mud Racer LED 1L Saddle Bag
I have had this saddle bag for about 6 months now. Never really mounted it. Bought it second hand off ebay. I didn't really want to carry a large back pack this year so decided to use it. It swallowed up all my tools, tube, spare allen wrench for the cranks and had more then enough room to store my digital camera and mount for handlebars. It also features an LED light. Completely waterproof.
Park Tool Mini Pump - Presta/Shrader Compatible
This pump comes with it's own frame mount which is handy. It's a good little pump that I carry with me at all times. Small enough to fit into a pocket too but not too small to be useless at pumping up a tyre. It's rated at 120 psi but I reckon 70 psi is more realistic. It will get me to where I need to go in the event of a flat.
Cateye Water Bottle Cage With My 1L Bottle
The bike doesn't have frame bosses to mount a cage on. I originally had the handlebar mounted cage as well as the saddle mounted one. I have decided they were not going to suit this ride. This is because the ride number had to be on the front and the saddle bag needed to be on the back. So I cut up some old tube, used some cable ties and mounted the bottle cage on the frame. This will hold 1L of Poweraide which I will mix up and drink up on the first couple of km's of the ride.
Energy Food and Drink
I cramped up towards the end of the last couple of big rides that I did. Didn't have enough electrolytes & salt in my body to keep going. Was just drinking water etc. So this time I headed over to the local supermarket and picked up some Powerade, 4 pack of energy gels and two energy bars. I will be using two gels, both bars and one sachet of Powerade.
Hydration Backpack and 2L Water Bladder
Every year I take my hydration bladder but in a large backpack. This year I used the hydration backpack because I didn't want to carry a heavy load on my back. My saddle pack was large enough to hold everything else I needed. This thing holds 2L of water and I will also have my 1L bottle with me with Powerade. The are stops where you can re-fill so fluids weren't an issue. I may even ditch the hydration bladder next year but it hardly weighs anything when on my back. Gets lighter and lighter as your drink. Plus it had enough room for my credit card, licence, BNSW Membership card, Medicare card, house keys, energy bars, gels and my earphones and spare batteries for my camera.
The Cockpit - Digital Camera & BBB Computer
This year I have decided to take some happy snaps as well as a video. I was originally going to use a cheap HD 720 sports camera mounted to my helmet but at the very last minute I realized I didn't have the memory card required. So I used the handlebar mount from the camera and attached my trusty old Canon A550 point and shoot camera to it instead. It has movie mode too so we'll see how it goes. Was a bit wobbly at first but I tied the other end of it down using it's strap for stability and a bit of added security in case things went pear shaped. My cycle computer will record the distance, max speeds etc so I will update the site with the stats when I am back.
20/10/13 - Ride Day
Getting There...
0400 - 0630
Set the alarm for 4am, got up and had a coffee, a large strawberry jam sandwich, a banana and a drink of water. Checked over the bike one last time, got my gear on and headed off to Seven Hills train station. When I got there there were already quite a few cyclists waiting. All up there were about 15 of us waiting for the 5:27am train. It arrived at North Sydney station at 6:30am which is early as we were only starting at 7am but I wanted to be there abit early. The earlier I start, the earlier I can finish. Got on the train and met a couple of other cyclists that were doing it for the first time. I got a few questions thrown at me so I answered as best I can, I am a veteran after all (not!). I also took the opportunity to have a snooze as it was an hour ride and I had only gotten about 5 hours sleep.
Set the alarm for 4am, got up and had a coffee, a large strawberry jam sandwich, a banana and a drink of water. Checked over the bike one last time, got my gear on and headed off to Seven Hills train station. When I got there there were already quite a few cyclists waiting. All up there were about 15 of us waiting for the 5:27am train. It arrived at North Sydney station at 6:30am which is early as we were only starting at 7am but I wanted to be there abit early. The earlier I start, the earlier I can finish. Got on the train and met a couple of other cyclists that were doing it for the first time. I got a few questions thrown at me so I answered as best I can, I am a veteran after all (not!). I also took the opportunity to have a snooze as it was an hour ride and I had only gotten about 5 hours sleep.
0630 - 0645
Once I got to North Sydney station there were volunteers and city rail staff that checked the bikes as we walked through the station. They were looking for the rider numbers attached to the handlebars. If you enter the spring cycle you get free train access for you and your bike on that day. On every other day of the year the only other bike that can get on the train for free is a folding bike but you still have to buy a ticket for yourself. If you bring a normal sized bike you have to buy a ticket for yourself and a child ticket for your bike. Because of our ride entry it was free. I followed the crowd to St Leonards Park to the starting line.
Once I got to North Sydney station there were volunteers and city rail staff that checked the bikes as we walked through the station. They were looking for the rider numbers attached to the handlebars. If you enter the spring cycle you get free train access for you and your bike on that day. On every other day of the year the only other bike that can get on the train for free is a folding bike but you still have to buy a ticket for yourself. If you bring a normal sized bike you have to buy a ticket for yourself and a child ticket for your bike. Because of our ride entry it was free. I followed the crowd to St Leonards Park to the starting line.
0650 - StartGot to the start line and was at the back a fair way. This is because the 6:30am riders were about to start. If anything they were starting abit late. These are the guys that are either doing the 100km ride or trying to go all out and be the first one to finish the spring cycle etc. To be honest I have never really been into racing much. I watch the Tour de France and I ride for pleasure and exercise. I'll leave the hard work to the professionals. Seeing that the camera was mounted to my handlebars I used the opportunity to take a shot. Unfortunately due to the height of the camera I only managed to get a shot of some guys in some nasty looking lycra. Geez I hate lycra, particularly if your body shape doesn't suit it!
Riding Over The Sydney Harbour Bridge
Did a quick video of the ride over the bridge. This is about 15 minutes into the ride and is a great feeling going over this marvel of engineering. It is quite bumpy as I was planning to use a HD camera but at the last minute had no memory card so used a regular point and shoot camera instead. See the youtube video below.
Rest Stops
There were a few rest stops along the way to have a stretch and refill water bottles etc. Some bike manufacturers like Specialized and Trek used the opportunity to set up stalls at these stops with bike mechanics for assistance. I stopped at two of these for about 5 minutes each and used the opportunity to fill up my bottle, eat an energy bar and some gel. Had a drink and a quick stretch of my back as well. I also used the opportunity to make adjustments to my bike with the tools I brought along. Then I was off again.
Issues Along The Way - Camera Mount and Handlebars
About halfway through the ride the camera mount for the handlebars snapped. Luckily because I had tied down the camera strap for stability when it snapped the camera didn't fall, it also helped that I just happened to look at the camera when it was just about to fall off. The ride was quite bumpy in some parts and the mount wasn't designed for a camera that heavy. So for the rest of the ride I just took photos.
Also my handlebars were loose as the stem wasn't tight enough. I discovered this when I was climbing and leaning on the brake hoods and I slipped forward as the bars were spinning forwards. Was hard to brake so I used the opportunity at the next rest stop to fix this issue by tightening the four bolts on the stem. While waiting to find a decent spot to stop and tighten the brakes, I just rode brake-less for a couple of km. Didn't touch the brakes at all. Was fun actually, as I could only hold the tops of the bars near the center as it didn't matter if that part rolled or not. Kept my eyes wide open though, passed a few people, took a lot of corners pretty fast, but if you concentrate and prepare in advance it worked quite well.
Also my handlebars were loose as the stem wasn't tight enough. I discovered this when I was climbing and leaning on the brake hoods and I slipped forward as the bars were spinning forwards. Was hard to brake so I used the opportunity at the next rest stop to fix this issue by tightening the four bolts on the stem. While waiting to find a decent spot to stop and tighten the brakes, I just rode brake-less for a couple of km. Didn't touch the brakes at all. Was fun actually, as I could only hold the tops of the bars near the center as it didn't matter if that part rolled or not. Kept my eyes wide open though, passed a few people, took a lot of corners pretty fast, but if you concentrate and prepare in advance it worked quite well.
BMW Classic Car Show
In the last 10km's I rode past this car show with old BMW's on display, so I stopped and took a couple of quick photos. There were alot of 633's and 635's there.
Finish Line - Olympic Park
Got to the finish line at Olympic Park in Homebush at 9:45am. I was surprised about the time. So all up the ride took me 2 hours and 45 minutes with rest stops. It was the fastest time I had ever done for the Spring Cycle and on a single speed bike! The reason it was fast I think was because hills didn't slow me down oddly enough. Because I had no gears, I just had to power up the hills and I managed to maintain my speed. My mind was telling me that I had no choice but to pedal due to the lack of gearing and I did well, also because I am used to it more now. All other bikes were changing gears and spinning up the hills and slowing me down. So I would just go around them and whoosh past them. Then again on the flats they would zip past me using the bigger gear. Also I did not stop at the rest stops for long and on some of the main roads where there was still normal traffic, I managed to get a lot of green lights. There were not a lot of accidents this year and also not a lot of flat tyres either. I also took off fast from lights, stops and roundabouts because I didn't have to click in my shoes as I was using flat pedals and not cleats etc and also didn't have to change gears to suit different terrain. Single speed is definately the way to go for the Spring Cycle.
At Olympic Park Afterwards
After crossing the finish line we had to dismount and walk the bikes into the grass area. There was bike valet parking available for those who wanted to look around the stalls. There was lots of food, drink, bike shops with stands, shady areas to have a seat and relax, live music, and also the bike and lifestyle show was on for all participants of the spring cycle. I would have gone to check it out but was a bit tired and wanted to get on home. My legs were still ready to go so I thought I might as well keep it up and pedal home. Took a few shots below.
Gear Report
The Brooks saddle was an excellent choice as I remained comfortable and am not saddle sore at all, even on the next day.
The Ortlieb saddle bag was perfect for what I needed. It's like the equivalent of having a boot/trunk at the back of the bike. Seems ridiculous to call it that but some something lightweight that can strap to your saddle, you cyclists will know what I am talking about. It did come loose in the first few bumps of the ride but that was because I hadn't installed it properly. After it was fixed though it was faultless.
The bottle cage worked well and was mounted in a perfect position for reach and the hydration pack worked gereat once again. The water in the bottle and also what was trapped in the suction straw was cool to drink due to the wind. Althought when the cool water disappeared and the water from the bladder started coming through it was abit warm as it was against my back. Then again aparently warm water quenches your thirst more, so I guess I got a good balance of both!
The handlebar mount for the camera snapped but the Canon Powershot A550 performed well for an old camera. I was quite happy with the results and got some good shots and video. Fits well in the saddle bag too with all mu tools, tube patch kit etc when it is not being used.
The Continental Gatorskin tyres are bullet proof as usual and I had no issues with them at all.
The Tektro brakes, Tektro brake levers and Shimano SLR cabling worked well and stopped me safely throughout the ride. I still have to play with the adjustment on the rear rim as the pads are not lining up well, but overall the braking system still held up well.
The Ortlieb saddle bag was perfect for what I needed. It's like the equivalent of having a boot/trunk at the back of the bike. Seems ridiculous to call it that but some something lightweight that can strap to your saddle, you cyclists will know what I am talking about. It did come loose in the first few bumps of the ride but that was because I hadn't installed it properly. After it was fixed though it was faultless.
The bottle cage worked well and was mounted in a perfect position for reach and the hydration pack worked gereat once again. The water in the bottle and also what was trapped in the suction straw was cool to drink due to the wind. Althought when the cool water disappeared and the water from the bladder started coming through it was abit warm as it was against my back. Then again aparently warm water quenches your thirst more, so I guess I got a good balance of both!
The handlebar mount for the camera snapped but the Canon Powershot A550 performed well for an old camera. I was quite happy with the results and got some good shots and video. Fits well in the saddle bag too with all mu tools, tube patch kit etc when it is not being used.
The Continental Gatorskin tyres are bullet proof as usual and I had no issues with them at all.
The Tektro brakes, Tektro brake levers and Shimano SLR cabling worked well and stopped me safely throughout the ride. I still have to play with the adjustment on the rear rim as the pads are not lining up well, but overall the braking system still held up well.
Overall Times For The Ride
I had reset the cycle computer before leaving home. Max speed = 51 kp/h, Average Speed = 18 kp/h, Distance = 85 km total.
Photos from the Event
A sports photography company took some photos. All I had to do was type in my rider number in the search and my pictures came up. Pays to have your number stuck on the front bars. Some people dressed up their bikes in bright colours so that they could easily spot their photos when doing the search after the event. I've got two photos here. One of me after crossing the harbour bridge and the other at the finish line.
50km Classic Ride Complete....
Well, another year another spring cycle comes to an end. Looking forward to next year already and hopefully a few mates will join in. I've got a couple of people from work that have promised me they would do it next year for sure. We'll see eh...