Icebergs and The Berg

If you got out for an early morning ride over the weekend, kudos to you.  Saturday was the coldest day ever recorded in the region.  Sunday wasn't far off it either.  The cold, together with the wind chill factor, made for some very unpleasant conditions.  Earlier in the week, while riding in Beecher, the Garmin recorded a minimum of -1.7. 

The Thursday Roll had a good turn out this week with about 10 riders enjoying a firm pace.  Not too firm for one young rider, but a little too firm for his dad who had to take an early shortcut back to the Surf Club.  At least he was honest about it and didn't claim a mechanical.

Someone else must have taken a early turn too, and ended up in Gladstone!!!  The disappointment is etched all over the faces below:

Last Saturday

Last Saturday's ride was a nice change of scenery for most with a very relaxed average of 29. The addition of Haddock saw Robin tackle the beast for the very first time, I think the memories will stay with her for some time lol. By the way Robin you only got to nearly halfway up it....yes there's more
:-)
Dylan was back for a few days and came along for a spin which was nice; would be better if he was a bit bigger and provided a wind break for those following ;-) Apart from the heavy fog, the weather while nippy provided perfect riding conditions. Great to see Daryl back on the bike after a stint of construction and Schalk is looking good for the Fondo. Graeme and Scotty did it easy.
Next change of scenery ride is Turkey Beach road Saturday week on the 19th.

Proposed Saturday Route

Hi all, sorry been very busy of late but here is a proposed route for tomorrows ride. In short it goes over everybody's favorite climb 'Haddock' :-) and then along Kirkwood before heading to Jim Whyte Way to keep away from traffic. Don't try to set any records over Haddock just grind away and get to the top. From there it goes out to Calliope before heading to Yarwun along Calliope River road to Yarwun. Turnaround at Yarwun and head back for a brew.The ride is mostly flat country apart from the obvious bump at the start for a total of around 87k's or so. Starting at 7am sharp from the Maccas at the Calliope Crossroads.
Remember this is only a proposed route, the people that turn up may choose to do an alternate ride.
Wet weather routine is up to you but if it's wet I wouldn't expect any company.

Dates for longer rides

To add some variety I'm putting out some dates for rides that might come in handy for getting some miles in your legs.
These rides will run every 2 weeks and will both start at 7am from their respective starting points. This start time will allow anyone wanting to ride there plenty of time without having to drag themselves out of bed too early; plus it will be bloody cold! Pace will be what it will be but I don't expect Warp 7, more something around 30 average.

The rides are the 5th of July from the Maccas at the Calliope Crossroads. This way the loop can go either way with a variety of options, including Haddock ;-) Distance will vary but anywhere from 60 to 100. As these rides near final details on loops will surface, this is more for you diary.
19th July Turkey Beach. The starting point is the carpark right just off the highway before the railway crossing. There's a 70k loop in there and the road is pretty quiet which is a bonus.
2nd August Maccas at the Calliope Crossroads.
16th August Turkey Beach.
30th Maccas at the Calliope Crossroads.

A Rare Insight

A look inside the closing stages of a race as teams jockey for position to get their sprinters to the line. Just take a look at how fast the people on the side of the road blur by as these guys fly past.
http://pulptastic.com/video-will-change-way-look-competitive-cycling-forever/

Gran Fondo Update

The big day in September is rolling ever closer and will be here before you know it. Below is the basic map and elevation of the ride. Please don't panic about the steep 'up' you see as it's actually over quite a distance and really isn't all that bad, honest. As you can see once we are up and over the range there isn't a lot of climbing left to do bar some coming into Mt Morgan and just the other side of it. Happy to say we will be going down the 'normal' road from Mt Morgan and not the Razorback we used last year. The ride will finish in Rockhampton once again at the Tropic of Capricorn information centre just as you come into town on the left. Distance will be all but 240k's.

Couple of things to note. If you aren't feeling super confident about the hills gear your bike appropriately, I would advise a 11-28 or similar on the back if you're in this basket. This ride is only for road bikes and no TT bikes are allowed. As I've mentioned before generally we ride in a bunch with the stronger riders pushing the wind on the front. There's a fair chance there will be a second group that will travel a little quicker but this is still something I'm kicking around; very dependent on numbers.
Lastly if you are thinking about coming along please contact me to let me know if you haven't already, even if you're not 100% yet. This isn't locking you in but just an expression of interest.

Mark

TdF Fantasy Cycling League

Just when you thought July could not get any more exciting, here is a challenge to keep your brain active during those boring daylight hours between stages.  Why be at work with matchsticks holding your eyelids up when you could be contemplating your fantasy...fantasy cycling team that is!  Join the TSCG Tour de France Fantasy League and compete with the best minds in..in..in..anyway it shouldn't be hard to beat Berg.  Just go to TSCG Fantasy and join up - the details are below:

Competition Name:  Tannum Sands Coffee Grinders
Competition Password:  Grinders2014
TdF starts on Saturday 5th July so get your teams in before the start.  The competition table can be found here: TSCG Fantasy League.  Everyone is welcome, you don't have to ride to participate.