Easy rider

GTrek Data Logger

2008-07-22T13:44:00.002+10:00

Gtrek monitors your movement and allows you to create a highly detailed graphical record of where you have been.

Perfect for the bike enthusiast both amateur and professional, the product uses GPS satellite technology and records the users' exact position at specific intervals, to build up a picture of movement.

This can include how far, how fast and how high the user has travelled. Better still, the product comes with software to allow you to see where you've been using Google Earth's topographical mapping.

The only problem is that this little gadget doesn't tell you where to go, only where you've been.

GTrek bike

The 50 best bicycles list

2008-07-16T14:54:00.002+10:00

The Independant Newspaper has published a list of the 50 best bicycles. The top Mountain Bike came in at number three behind the roadies. It is a GT Avalanche 1D. There are a total of 17 'traditional' MTBs, a BMX and trike on the list.

To see the whole list, click here.

Get out and ride

2008-07-09T11:28:00.004+10:00

With the on-set of winter (and a minor operation to my left thigh), I haven't been out on my MTB for ages. But, the days are already getting longer and as soon as my leg has healed, I plan to get out there again... weather permitting of course. I do love a bit of mud! So, my question is: "What get's you out on your bike?"

Do you ride because you must? You ride because you must win, you must satisfy your sponsors, you must train, you must earn a living? Or do you ride because you love it? You love the escapism from the 9 - 5 humdrum, you love the adrenaline rush of careening down a mountain or trail, you love the wind in your hair or you love the mud on your face?

I'm definitely one of the latter - I love the mud and the adrenaline rush. I love having jelly-legs after a days riding. I love the memories of a good ride. This is probably the reason I've only ever taken part in one race.

Whichever type you are, just get out and ride!

Ride yourself happy

2008-06-15T14:29:00.000+10:00

We probably all know that we feel better, are generally more positive and have greater self-esteem when we exercise. How many times have you felt stressed, the world weighing on your shoulders, only for this pressure to subside as you ride home, spin on the indoor trainer, or return from a quick hour around your favourite loop. Many times I would suggest, and that’s why we keep exercising: it makes us feel (and look) better than our sedentary peers.

Read the rest of the BikeRadar article here.

How to air drop-offs

2008-06-03T13:27:00.001+10:00

While you may not choose to launch from drop-offs all the time, learning how to do so is a very good idea because there will be occasions when you’re faced with one, and won’t have time to slow down. You’ll also be able to leave your mates for dead…

Read more here at BikeRadar

How to gap trail obstacles

2008-05-27T13:24:00.000+10:00

The fact remains that the best way to ride roots and rock gardens is often by jumping the sections clean, or by skimming across the top like a motocross rider. Riding roots and rocks can be intimidating, especially when they’re wet or off-camber, but the more you shy away from them, the more likely you are to slide out. So, as with any move, you must be the boss of the bike and attack the trail, but correct technique is essential if you don’t want a big dentist’s bill.

Read the rest of the article here at BikeRadar

How to pre-jump

2008-05-23T15:59:00.002+10:00

There’s probably a jump on your local trail that you know you can clear, but the run-up is spoiling the fun. It’s just a steep bank but you need a bit of speed to clear the jump, and riding off the slope at speed will probably send you to the bottom of it, resulting in a crash. The skill of pre-jumping allows you to maintain your speed without losing control, and will allow you to clear the jump you’ve been eyeing up.

Read more onBikeRadar.com

Getting a caffeine kick

2008-05-13T12:28:00.000+10:00

Caffeine is the obvious choice for the cyclist looking for that extra few percent. Millions drink coffee and tea to give them a morning ‘jolt’ so why not use it pre-ride to get some extra metres on your mates or blast to a PB?

Sounds logical so far but some of the ‘waking up effect’ that people report (or rely on) is psychosomatic – many teas contain negligible caffeine yet people claim they need two to get out the front door. The jolt is probably the warmth of the drink rather than the caffeine. However, put the focus on exercise testing and caffeine gets the thumbs up here’s why…

Master better jumping

2008-05-05T12:22:00.000+10:00

Jumping isn’t just for adrenaline junkies – it’s a fundamental skill that every mountain biker can and should learn. BikeRadar.com aims to get you safely off the ground…

Click here!

Full speed on a full suss

2008-04-30T10:39:00.001+10:00

First-time full suss users often notice the obvious advantage over hardtail designs – greater comfort over rough terrain. But that sofa-like plush in the rough also means you can go faster before the pounding of the handlebars forces you to grab anchors. If speed is your thing, we’ve got the tips to help you keep the rubber side down and skipping along as fast as possible. Read on to find out how…

BikeRadar.com

Red Bull Rampage is back!

2008-04-22T13:37:00.001+10:00

Looks like the Red Bull Rampage is coming in '08! Nothing official yet, but Rachel and Gee Atherton have been riding out in Utah and rumours are spreading. October looks like the likely date. Read more here.

Riding blank...

2008-04-17T16:17:00.002+10:00

OK, so I haven't been out on my bike in almost 3 weeks now. Slack! The major problem is that I need to 'fix' my bike after my race - the front derailer isn't working 100% and neither is the rear derailleur for that matter!

Secondly, we've switched from summer time to winter time (the clocks have gone back an hour) so by the time I get home from work it's pitch dark outside! And I have no light.

On the bright side, I have started running to try to stay in shape. Doing about 3km two to three times per week.

I'm going to try to sort out the bike tonight or tomorrow night so that I can get a ride in on the weekend maybe.

Rescue your ride

2008-04-12T22:09:00.000+10:00

Expert tips and some neat fixes from BikeRadar.com including how to fix a puncture without a new tube/patch, how to fix a torn tyre, how to fix a badly bent wheel without any tools, how to fix a bent or twisted tooth chainring, how to fix a jumping/stiff chain, how to fix a soft shock/fork, how to fix a lost bolt, how to fix a snapped frame and much more.

> How to fix a puncture without a new tube/patch
> How to fix a torn tyre
> How to fix a badly bent wheel without any tools
> How to fix a damaged beyond repair derailleur
> How to fix a bent or twisted tooth chainring
> How to fix a jumping/stiff chain
> How to fix a loose crankarm
> How to fix a soft shock/fork
> How to fix a lost bolt
> How to fix a snapped frame

Answer all these questions here!

Cape Epic final results

2008-04-09T16:00:00.000+10:00

The Epic has been run and the winners are in.

First place went to Team Canondale Vredestein (Roel Paulissen - Belgium, Jakob Fuglsang - Denmark) in 36 hours 1 min 44 seconds followed closely by Team Bulls (Karl Platt - Germany, Stefan Sahm - Germany) in 36h10m48s. Third place and first African team was Team MTN Energade 1 (Kevin Evans - South Africa, David George - South Africa) in 36h18m33s.

Some great photos can be seen on BikeMagic.com

Gut Full Marathon Helmet Cam video

2008-04-02T12:05:00.002+11:00

Finally finished the video.

Gut Full Marathon Helmet Cam from delboy on Vimeo.

Race Day!

2008-03-30T21:06:00.006+11:00

Today was race day at Wandong. The Gut Full Marathon started in glorious sunshine after a week of rain in the Melbourne area. After picking up my number, setting up my bike and then registering to ride, we set off at 9.30am.

My first 10km went really well, but after 12km my right calf started to cramp. Unfortunately, it was just before the biggest climb of the day which meant that I had to walk it. This slowed me down considerably. The cramp went away during the descent, but at the 28km mark, I got another cramp, this time in the left calf. It slowed me down a little, but it wasn't as bad because it was mainly downhill from here. Results will be published tomorrow, but I managed to do the 36km in 2 hours 35 minutes. I had planned to do it in 2 hours 30 minutes.

UPDATE: According to the official race results, I finished in 2 hours 45 minutes placing me in 21st place over the 36km route. (According to my GPS, I rode it in 2:35)

To follow the race on a map-player, click here.

Cape Epic

2008-03-28T08:39:00.004+11:00

Today marks the start of the 5th Absa Cape Epic. There are over 1200 riders from 41 countries entered for this edition. The 966km route travels from Knysna (not far from where I grew up) on the South Coast of South Africa and heads west towards Cape Town.

Some of the world's greatest riders will be competing, including Bart Brentjens, Roel Paulissen and Christoph Sauser (reigning World and European Mountain Bike Marathon Champion)

This year, time bonus stages have been added to make the race a little more exciting.

Read more about the Cape Epic on the official website: Cape-Epic.com

Source: BikeMagic.com

Lysterfield Loop

2008-03-23T16:50:00.005+11:00

Did another training ride today at Lysterfield Lake. I took it easy, not pushing too hard (except on the fun, downhill sections!)

It was quite warm as I was riding at 11am instead of my usual early morning ride.

On the Blair Witch Trail

Kangaroo watch

View of the Lake

Dandenong Creek ride

2008-03-22T12:07:00.005+11:00

An fairly easy ride before stuffing my face at Easter lunch!

The new Maxxis CrossMark tyres performed really well on the hard surface, but I battled a little with the loose gravel (of which there was quite a bit) due to the high tyre pressure.

Despite strong headwinds on the way out and all the crowds of people at Jells Park, I still managed my fastest time on this loop.

How to get your seat height right

2008-03-20T15:06:00.003+11:00

Setting the correct seat height would seem to be such a fundamental part of cycling that you would have thought the boffins had agreed long ago on the best method. But you’d be wrong.

One thing all the experts agree on however is that if you get the height wrong, the effects can be catastrophic. A brand new study suggests that setting the height too low can decrease time to exhaustion by as much as 12 per cent.

Consequently cyclists with limited time on their hands might actually get more out of a shorter session by lowering their seats to a sub-optimal level so as to make it harder.

It’s an interesting theory, but even knowing how to get it wrong presupposes that you know how to get it right, and many don’t. Read on to find out exactly how to do it.

Lysterfield Loop

2008-03-16T20:37:00.006+11:00

I set out early for a training ride at Lysterfield today. Just as well - not only was it 26C when I got there at 8am, but there was a triathlon race on too.

I rode the outer loop skipping the rock garden to save some time in the heat.

Had some trouble uploading to Sanoodi.com, so used GPSies.com instead.

{Edit} Sanoodi.com seems to be working again, hence the edit.

The "Gut Full Marathon"

2008-03-15T21:07:00.007+11:00

I finally made the decision to enter a race/ride. I have entered the "Gut Full Marathon" up in Wandong.

I have entered the 37km ride. It's only my first 'serious' ride in Australia, so I want to see how I go first. I plan on entering the 50km BMC Classic in April if this one goes well.

This race is on March 30. For more info, check out Big Hill Events. To download a pdf of the course, click here.

Below is a profile of the ride:

Leg shaving advice (tongue in cheek)

2008-03-07T11:40:00.000+11:00

As a cycling aficionado, you no are no doubt anxious to demonstrate your commitment to the sport, even when you are not on the bike.

"But how," I hear you ask, "can I show my absolute dedication to the cycling lifestyle, hopefully to the extent that my family, friends, and coworkers will begin to cast sidelong glances at me and eventually take me aside and tell me they're worried about the direction my life seems to be heading?"

The simplest and most obvious way to make it clear to all and sundry that you love biking beyond all rational reason is to wear a helmet, 24 hours a day. Nothing says, "I am always ready for a ride' like wearing a helmet to a business meeting, to church, or to an exclusive restaurant.

Inexplicably, however, this is frowned upon in polite society.

The next-best way to visibly demonstrate your alignment with the cycling lifestyle, then, is to wear full pro kit everywhere you go. This has its own pitfalls, alas. Namely, pro team sponsors have such a rapid turnover rate nowadays that the US$380 outfit you bought today is promoting a team that may well be defunct or disgraced next week. Which brings up a question: would anybody like to buy my 2005 Phonak, 2006 T-Mobile, or 2007 Astana jerseys? Cheap. Hardly ever worn.

Deprived of these options, then, how can you show your undying love for cycling?

By shaving your legs, of course.

By shaving your legs, you are stating, unequivocally, that you are willing to spend an extra five minutes every other day with a razor, just so you can look like other cyclists. It's like getting a tattoo that way, except you don't have to re-get the tattoo three times per week.

Read more at BikeRadar.

Mooroolbark to Blackburn

2008-03-03T12:15:00.003+11:00

A road ride from home to Blackburn. Quite a warm day with loads of traffic on the roads. Other than that, felt quite comfortable.

Next weekend is a long weekend, so I hope to get some more riding done!

2008 Melbourne Summer Cycle

2008-02-25T15:00:00.004+11:00

I've been off riding for a while after coming down with a bug and spending time in bed off work.

Anyway, yesterday I took part in the Melbourne Summer Cycle, a charity ride around the city. All went well and I completed the (almost) 40km in less than 2 hours. Not bad considering that the first 1.5km took me about 10 minutes due to the congestion. Too many bikes, not enough road!

The best part, and also the hardest, was going over the Westgate Bridge. It was closed off especially for us as cyclists aren't normally allowed across. But the wind was howling and it was tough going!

I have taken a few photos which won't upload to Flickr for some reason, but you can see them on the Nokia Sportstracker site. I also made a helmet cam movie, but I haven't had a chance to edit it yet.