Australia - New Zealand - The Aussie thread. . . part cinq.

They sure do....but Lindt is from Switzerland.

Bugger, must be down to what is described in NZ as "Blenheimer's disease" (Blenheimer = medium white wine in a box, the biggest selling wine in NZ in 1979.)

The Swiss are clever with choccie and folding knives and multi-tools. They aren't quite as good with cyclists, and their recent record with pro teams is not so good.

Bugger, must be down to what is described in NZ as "Blenheimer's disease" (Blenheimer = medium white wine in a box, the biggest selling wine in NZ in 1979.)

The Swiss are clever with choccie and folding knives and multi-tools. They aren't quite as good with cyclists, and their recent record with pro teams is not so good.


Good:

Chocolate
Money
Picturesque countryside
Skiiing
Bike racers
Tennis players (well....one male player)
pocket knives
enormous trumpets
timepieces


Bad:

Taxes
Nazi gold
Farmer's subsidies
immigration policies
football teams

Good:

Chocolate
Money
Picturesque countryside
Skiiing
Bike racers
Tennis players (well....one male player)
pocket knives
enormous trumpets
timepieces


Bad:

Taxes
Nazi gold
Farmer's subsidies
immigration policies
football teams

Martina Hingis wasn't bad at tennis either (when she served overarm that is.)

Martina Hingis wasn't bad at tennis either (when she served overarm that is.)

not bad on the eye, either. Marrying Radek Stepanek, I hear.

I see the old bugger is still at it...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/dec06/SCAT06/launceston/DSC_8445.jpg

Someone shut him up. He thinks hes Pavarotti. At least he doesn't have his guitar.

crikey! Is that Danny Clark?
Someone finally convinced him to remove the moustacha

Someone shut him up. He thinks hes Pavarotti. At least he doesn't have his guitar.

or singing in sweat-soaked skinsuit and Sidis after winning a derny race....

Yeah, well pull my finger.

Just watched 'Top Gun'. Gayest movie ever.

Yeah, well pull my finger.

Just watched 'Top Gun'. Gayest movie ever.

I assume this isn't the first time you've seen it and therefore you knew how gay it was before you watched it. My theory is that you either like gay movies or are too lazy to change the channel or both.

LOL.

Australian TV is a wasteland, you should know that. I'd actually forgotten quite how gay Top Gun was until I saw it again tonight. My missus actually snorted laughing at the volleyball scene. And yes, I am a lazy bastard.:D

Foxtel is a wasteland with more channels IMO. Normally there is at least one show worth watching (SBS or ABC) but there was bugger all tonight.

Poms have been terrible. I was looking at the Age website earlier. Geoff Lawson reckons Cricket Aust will be pissed off as the Poms poor showing and matches ending early may cost them $4M. Dunno where he pulled that number from, either his arse or someone at CA or channel 9. In any case, I'm not too fussed as I'm not a huge cricket fan. Just don't like being beaten by the Poms.

Are you going to check out any of the Bay Series races next week or the Aussie Road titles at Bunninyong (near Ballarat)?

I'm heading up to bunningyong, taking the BBQ and sitting up on the hill. Good day out IMO.

Just watched 'Top Gun'. Gayest movie ever.ANy excuse I get to post this :p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwcDChzaJ2E&mode=related&search=

Walker won the race but could only claim the U23 title. Russell Van Hout came third in the race but as first Elite rider is currently Elite Aust champ. Another Cycling Australia cockup.

It's been held in SA for a couple of years but is back at Bunninyong, where it was held previously. Before that it was at Portarlington. Both Victorian circuits are good hard courses IMO, though Bunningyong is a bit of a ballbiter. Very tough climb each lap.

Its normally 200km or thereabouts. You'd at least have to hold an Elite licence to enter, possibly even an international licence. I'm not sure there is a qualification standard. The Cycling Australia Website would say. Once upon a time there were seperate Pro and amatuer championships. Any pro could ride the pro event but you had to be selected by your state federation to ride the amatuers.

Ive still got my head up my ass/in the sand regarding local cycling events. Im interested in the nationals...who won it last year? Walker? over what distance? is it always held on the same course?
How do you get an entry into it? do you have get ranked somehow like in local crits or something.I know exactly how you feel about not wanting ot race until you can smash everyone, but surely you're not thinking of winning the Aus title in one of your first races! :) Having said that, that's almost the sort of thing LeMond and Merckx used to do.

I spent the summer of '85/'86 hiding in the bushes (virtually) with my stopwatch at the Carnegie Velodrome, obviously timing all the racing and training, then busted my balls during the winter of '86 until I knew I'd be reasonable. When I rocked up to the first few scratch races and criteriums, I quickly realised it didn't necessarily matter if I was the strongest guy in B-grade.

I do need to start stalking some of these good riders and see how they ride etc. I might sneak up and suss it out :) I want to do the warny race next year as my first proper race. im not hugely interested in crits. still cant decide on a club they are all out of my way. Is it hard to start a new club?yeah, us 3 will start a club. Three in a bunch is about the size I like :)


I guess I'm saying (above) that tactics during flats races, and particularly criteriums, are a huge eye-opener, and it's usually the smartest guy, with a fair sprint, lots of friends, and lots of guts who wins. All sorts of crap goes on in criteriums, with guys ganging up on other guys, blocking their attacks, etc. If you rock up as strong as a on ox, with with shoes and a rainbow jersey, I guarantee you'll be in for the full treatment.

Maybe you'd prefer the winter road season. I reckon I would: less sprinting out of corners, etc.
The nationals are held at the end of the raod season, anyway.

I strongly recommend you race before you get your arse handed to you in something like the warny. You will need to learn some race craft. Racing at 55km/h in crosswinds with some of Australias top riders out the back of Werribee is not the place to be learning. They'll have no qualms about running you into the dirt if you even look like getting in the way. Even learning in training bunches isn't enough, things happen much quicker in races.

Don't take this the wrong way - I know you have competed as an 'Elite' athlete before and I truly respect it (not to many on this forum have competed at an equivalent level)- but you need to be a bit humble and crawl before you can run. Its not all about brawn. Cycling is a very subtle, skillful and tactical sport, is extremely tough and competitive at the higher levels and can be dangerous if you can't handle your bike with the big boys. Go and watch one of the Bay series races or the Aust champs in the flesh - you'll see what I mean.

That there story of you in the bushes just had me on the the floor pissing myself laughing. Classic!!!man, I still remember the lap times. :)




:
I will probably stay away from the 'club' type scene though. Id rather find a couple of super serious amateur racers and see if I can tag along as a training partner etc. Dabble in a few races next year, see how the body feels. Go from there. I'm nothing special thats fairly obvious!!! I wont be smashing any aus titles anytime soon lolI think you have to be a member of a club, etc, etc, but that doesn't meant to have to do club races every week.

One notable "beginner" on the local scene in recent years was this guy, Julian Dutton.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/apr06/apr01bawbaw/bawbaw09tn.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php%3Fid%3Droad/AUS/2006/apr06/apr01bawbaw&h=100&w=125&sz=13&hl=en&start=5&tbnid=TRe8CbAAVJQWiM:&tbnh=72&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2B%2522julian%2Bdutton%2522%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26sa%3DG

He was a rower who was only riding for a year, came to the group rides and smashed most of us, immediately did well in the local races, then came 7th in the Aus TT this year (then he quit, but that's another story that I haven't found out yet) -- admittedly in the absence of the overseas guys, but still..........and the course didn't suit him

Ride the 10 crits. For new riders if they learn ONE new thing every race they are doing very well. Its easier to conceptualise things you have been told when you see it or put it into practice during races What I'm saying is the more you race the more you learn.

You see it with footy. Gun players instinctively know what to do. Most others will be told by the coach what to do but have to learn from mistakes made on field before they grasp the concept.

Yes

I advise you not to ride any races between now and the Warny, to train in the middle lane on the Monash freeway, to call out Jobie Daijka as a drunken nutcase if you ever see him and to front up at your first race wearing a rainbow jersey.

Hopefully you will now do the opposite of everything I've said.

1. I will ride a handful probably. Say 5?


(Shaking head from side to side)

Competition improves the breed. Farkin race as much as you can.

Amy Gillett was basically the same wasnt she...massive engine from rowing and mapped it over to fit cycling... don't get me started on chick sports! How big is the talent pool! :p Some people talk about Laine Beachley being our best ever sportsperson, but fairdinkum, how big the talent pool in women's surfing??!!





How SKINNY are some of those guys...........im 6'2'' and the rest whats a good weight? or is a case of just suck and see what works best...i have to work with what ive got i mean ill never be a fully blown mountain goat even though i love climbing :(It's hard to say. According to this, Indurain was 79kg (6ft2"), and he used to duke it out with Rominger in the hills, who was 65kg! I know Induarin was a freak (so was Rominger), but at least it gives us hope :p

http://www.bikecult.com/bikecultbook/sports_recordsHour.html


Here's a little bit on power to weight

http://www.cyclingforums.com/showthread.php?t=294722&perpage=15&pagenumber=2

yeah, why don't you just go straight to the national kierin final; that'd be the easiest race to start in :)

reckon i'd get killed if I went up the Dandebongs today?

Too many tourists?

It's a bit warm for Beach Rd

by the way, the training section on Cycling Forums is better than here

I just love winding grant up about entering races I have no right entering :D :D :D

You idiot.:p

You have every right to enter them, just enter them prepared.

Nev's right about that training forum, though my personal opinion is that alot of people over intellectualize training programs. Especially when they are only racing as amateurs. When they start talking Vo2Max lactate threshold max anaerobic fart ability my eyes start glazing over and I start eyeing off the drinks cabinet. Bike riders could ride at 50kmh before heart rate monitors were invented.

don't get me started on chick sports! How big is the talent pool! :p Some people talk about Laine Beachley being our best ever sportsperson, but fairdinkum, how big the talent pool in women's surfing??!!



I agree up to a point, but the talent pool in womens cycling is 10x better than it was 15 years ago. I can remember at Northcote only 2 or 3 sheilas went any good. Most of the others had arses that fat they needed wide load signs. It was embarrassing for the sport. I wouldn't even watch it. Now they are all good and I actually enjoy watching the women race.

Laine Beachley - they are kidding themselves. Dawn Fraser pwns her easy.

dont get me started on my theories about what people want to see....sure its good to watch the best of the best go head to head and win by 0.0001 sec but sometimes people like to see 'blood sport' which is the best of the best taking on 'amateurs' and 'smashing' them.....



Keiren is a blood sport.

where is big ed...wasnt he a big track star? his missus must have him under the thumb again...I think he was a bit of a Cipo: a road sprinter. He jokes that topping his palmares is 6 Hell Ride wins in a row :)

Nev's right about that training forum, though my personal opinion is that alot of people over intellectualize training programs. .yeah, exactly.

Don't get me started about over-specifying training. As you suggest, I reckon it's just too much when they do their intervals to the PRECISE SECOND (!), with an exact rest break, an EXACT number of watts and/or at an EXACT heart rate...........well, I'm not totally convinced it's necessary. There are so many examples of guys doing no specific training at all, just racing their guts out, then doing the TT of their lives. How about McGee coming straight off the Tour and taking silver in the Olympic 4000m in 2004? Or LeMond busting through the '89 Tour, then doing one of his best ever time-trials! And to top it off, with all the "new" training techniques, etc, etc, Merckx's hour record has only been beaten by a few hundred metres. I know Merckx did his at altitude, but still. At sea level, Ferdinand Bracke did 48.1km in 1967; only 1.7km less than Sosenka last year, and Sosenka was on a carbon bike with 16 spokes, 190mm cranks, and is 6ft7"!! :)

Anyway........I could on and on....

The guys that obsess about all that technical training stuff tend not to be best riders I see at club level. The best best guys I see are lean and light, race a lot, rest properly, and seem to have a bit of natural talent.

I did 118km around the mountains yesterday, and it was fkn grouse! It's only the 2nd time I've been up there in about 5 years, and I really miss it. I'm a bit chicken of the traffic these days -- once there it's ok, but getting there from East Bentleigh on week days is a bit tricky.

Around the Dandenongs?

Around the Dandenongs?yeah, loved it.

It's about 30km to the base, so the whole 118km wasn't around the Dandebongs :)

I bet all you pissheads are still tucked up in bed :p wake up already its 2007 :D
Nope. Don't drink :p
I'm gonna sit out front and wait 'till Oz comes up to the 'nongs again :D

I bet all you pissheads are still tucked up in bed :p wake up already its 2007 :D
Nope, sitting here drinking a bowl of caffe latte.:)

Well my non-existent new-year resolutions plainly don't include not drinking. The bottom half of my freezer is mostly alcohol. Vanilla vodka (which we used to make berries in jelly for Christmas) and a pail of pina colada slushy.

No hangovers this morning though - it was a quiet one last night.

Happy New Year gang!:beer:

Odin - I'm up in the 'nongs reasonably often. I'd wave when I go past your place if I knew where it was, but since I don't I'll pick a random house to wave at instead.:D

Odin - I'm up in the 'nongs reasonably often. I'd wave when I go past your place if I knew where it was, but since I don't I'll pick a random house to wave at instead.:D
Why don't you just stream a banner out the back that says "Hello Odin/Flipper" and see what happens? :D

Odin - I'm up in the 'nongs reasonably often. I'd wave when I go past your place if I knew where it was, but since I don't I'll pick a random house to wave at instead.:D
Careful Wil - there's places up here where that could be considered a contract of betrothal.
If they're confused by footwear, run like hell :)

[Edit] I'm at the Belgrave bit of the 'nongs, lots of nice rides out this way - give us a shout if you're up this way and want a tour guide :)

Is there still 'Pie in the Sky' in Olinda?

Yep

Nope. Don't drink :p
I'm gonna sit out front and wait 'till Oz comes up to the 'nongs again :DMy legs are still sore, but I can't wait to do it again. About 10/15 years ago I used to go up there twice a week in the warmer months, but after a relatively minor smash with a car, I was really gun shy about riding on all them busy raods that get me there, like Canterbury, Burwood Hwy and Ferntree Gully Rd. I've only been up there 3 times in the last 5 years.

I was there on Sat at about 5 o'clock, and I only saw 3 other dudes!

By the way, I'm not much of a drinker either; I'm a 3 stubby screamer, and I only drink on other people's time, such as gigs, or if I'm stuck at a boring party:p

where and what the hell is "The Wall"? :p

My 42/21 was fine on most roads up there, but it was a bit tough on that last section up to the Sky High

where and what the hell is "The Wall"? :p

Olinda-Monbulk Rd... 6-ish km from Monbulk (Cnr Monbulk Rd & Olinda-Monbulk Rd) to Olinda (Shops).
It's not as bad as people make out - gets to 10% in places but levels out a bit in places too so you get a break. If your gearing was OK up Observatory Rd, you'll be OK for the wall.
It's part of our Sundee morning recovery ride.

Between the holidays, we managed to watch that holy trifecta - the Footy Show 3 DVD set. Good stuff.

Oh, happy new year, ya w@nkers. :beer:

Olinda-Monbulk Rd... 6-ish km from Monbulk (Cnr Monbulk Rd & Olinda-Monbulk Rd) to Olinda (Shops).
It's not as bad as people make out - gets to 10% in places but levels out a bit in places too so you get a break. If your gearing was OK up Observatory Rd, you'll be OK for the wall.
It's part of our Sundee morning recovery ride.


Was with Dave Macca (very briefly) on a Wednesday Ride and he hit it in 53x19.

Impressive.

Between the holidays, we managed to watch that holy trifecta - the Footy Show 3 DVD set. Good stuff.

Oh, happy new year, ya w@nkers. :beer:


Which footy show?

Which footy show?

There's more than one? Fatty, Sterlo, Chief, and that fat-ass slacker's brother Matty.

There's more than one? Fatty, Sterlo, Chief, and that fat-ass slacker's brother Matty.


Yeah, in the Southern States they have an Aussie Rules one with Sam Newman and that smug git who runs Channel 9. I never watched either of them but at least I recognise the guys in the League one (Fatty Vautin is quite a funny guy though).

I'd never heard of Sam Newman until his girlfriend ran over him a few years ago.