Weekend Fun Days

9:16 pm Unknown 0 Comments

Now that my scheduled races are completed for the year, it's time to enjoy the fun things in life on the bike.
This week I've changed the climbing cassette off my wheels and back to flat land gearing. That might have been a little premature as I went out for a a ride with the Bicycle Networks group who are running training rides for the Three Peaks Challenge.

Riders getting organised

On Saturday they ran a training ride out to Kinglake and back from Kew. I was looking forward to riding out there with some ladies I had met out training and racing for the Tour of Bright.

It was the most superb day out on Saturday. The morning was cool and we had about 30 riders in total  roll out. It was great to be out riding the hills with the group, the crisp air was great and the day was going to warm up to a clear day with light breezes.

The other team of riders changing tyres in the background

All was going well until I hit a pothole in the bunch that gave me an instant pinch flat along with another two riders. We had a mini competition to fix the flat the fastest - I won! I'd like to thank the CO2 gas canister for the instant pump action that fills so well!

Our little group of riders then had to catch the bunch, but it was too late, they were already up the climb and having coffee.

The Kinglake climb was beautiful steady as the day warmed up, I needed to pull my arm warmers off before the top! Thanks to Alison McCormack who rode part of the way with me. It was lovely to roll into the bakery to enjoy a tasty morsel - but no time for coffee. I got a call from Shane just before I went to roll back home with the group.

A couple of alpacas in the background

We met up after the descent and left the group to have a coffee at Smiths Gully. I saw Deb Richards and we had a great chat while the coffee was brewing. Shane and I descended down Clintons Road and went to check out Sugar Loaf Reservoir. All of the long hot dry rides I've done out there I've always wondered what the reservoir looked like. It was amazing! There is a nice little climb to burn the legs up to the gate and then it's like an oasis. This would be a great place to picnic.

An oasis after the long hot roads



There was a feature race at St Kilda Criterium on Sunday and I met up with Fi Neuwirth. The wind was blowing quite strong northerly so it was nice and warm, but the usual warmup before the crits along beach road was cut off by the Sussan Women's Half Marathon. I watched part of the run and it was so great to see the runners (majority were women) belting it out into the head wind and scooting along with a tail wind.

Fi and I went to do some hot-laps of Albert Park and then rolled over to the crits. We had just missed the B-Grade women finish their race and there were still a few little kids around on their balance bikes from the feature children's race when we arrived.



It was awesome to see so many familiar faces and a few ladies stayed behind from B and C-Grade to watch the A-grade ladies.  There was a delicious BBQ of chicken, free physio massages and of course the flowing coffee of Soul Kitchen.

Hot day at the crits - lucky it was overcast (physio in the back)

I had a great time catching up off the bike while watching the ladies battle it out. They were doing all the hard work and I was getting my legs massaged by 2 ladies at the free physio tent! Sometimes recovery is goooood. Stay tuned to the SKCC Crits this weekend in Port Melbourne where the SUPERCRIT will be in full swing. Come on down and see all the action - it is going to be HUGE!

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