Machka 

Tell us about your cycling adventures or other activities this weekend! Are you cycling outside? Or inside? Are you doing other sports ... skiing, snowshoeing, swimming, weightlifting??


[HR][/HR]


Friday - I capped the week with another walk home from work. It's exactly 4 km and I've been walking it all week ... plus walks at lunch, plus a walk on the beach after work on Friday, plus a couple additional walks. All up, I walked 30 km this week.


Saturday - Rowan had to work today. But ... I desperately need to build up my distance and strength so I decided to go for a ride.

Yesterday was a hot day here, and today was 20C by 10 am ... however, it didn't get too much warmer throughout the day. The temperature topped at 25.5C. But that's a lovely temperature for a ride. The wind was also quite light (20-25 km/h) until 5:30 pm when it picked up to about double that.

My route remained relatively close to home and consisted of some back and forth, mostly along the foreshore and beaches. I didn't feel like venturing too far away. Most of the route was somewhat flat, but this is Tasmania and you just can't escape the hills. So there were a few challenges along the way.

And close to the end of the ride, I stopped at the outdoor fitness equipment to do a little bit of an upper body workout.

All up ... 66.5 km.

That's the longest ride I've done since September 8.

However, at this point, I'm still too slow for a randonnee ... my average speed was 14 km/h. Obviously I need to work on speed.

Machka 

Photos from today ... click photos for more ...

Chief Brody

Saturday - 40 miles in the slop. Windy, wet, and windy. Did I mention the wind? It was windy.

Machka 

Sunday - 20.5 km + workout at the outdoor fitness equipment.

A little explore through local neighbourhoods trying to find a good cycling route. I'm used to country and wide open spaces ... city cycling isn't quite my cup of tea. So I guess what I'm looking for is a route out of town, without having to scale too many mountains.

StephenH

I was off work Friday, and was supposed to ride, but it was cold and rainy. So I went and drove a route for a new perm I'd had in mind.

Today, I did a 2ook, the Red Bandana. We had a couple visiting from out of state (from the frozen northlands), and they ride a little slower than some of our groups do, so I and a couple of other riders hung with 'em for the ride. It was a beautiful day, and we finished just after dark.

raisinberry777

Which direction do you want to go/where are you starting from?

Machka 

I'm starting from the Eastern Shore ... and I'd like to go anywhere flat. I'm beginning to think that might be impossible.

raisinberry777

New Norfolk would be a fair trip, if you head out towards Richmond along Richmond Rd, go onto Grasstree Hill Rd and then turn onto Back Tea Tree Rd and go all the way along that you'll end up in Brighton, then if you head towards the Bridgewater bridge and go over it, you'll end up on the Lyell Highway and get a nice ride along the river to New Norfolk.

Alternatively, you could head over the bridge and ride along the bike track until you reach the end in Claremont, then turn left and head onto Claremont's Main Rd, keep going along that through Austin's Ferry and Granton until you go under the highway, then you turn around and head onto (very, very briefly) the hard shoulder of the Midlands Highway for about 200m until you get down to the roundabout at the Bridgewater bridge and then head straight ahead onto the Lyell Highway, as above.

To give you an idea of distance it's an 80km round trip from my place in South Hobart using the bike track route.

I have to encourage you to embrace these hills though - there are many, many wonderful places to cycle in Tasmania and by wanting to avoid hills you miss out on most of these routes.

Machka 

I have considered your alternative route and would like to try it when Rowan can ride again (he's busy working these days). We're quite close to the Tasman Bridge.

An alternative to that is more or less along the Clarence foreshore, along Derwent Ave., onto East Derwent Highway briefly to cross the Bowen Bridge and onto the cycleway then out to Main Road and the Lyell Highway.


Another route I've been wondering about is from Kangaroo Bay, up Bligh St, then onto Cambridge Rd toward Midway Point, Sorell, or up to Richmond. But I'm not sure how flat/hilly that might be.

And have you ever ridden Pass Road? I've thought about a loop which would start with the above route, then turn down Pass Road to South Arm Highway, then make my way down to Howrah Rd and along the foreshore again. But again, I don't know how hilly Pass Road is ... or how busy it might be.



About the hills ... I've never been a climber, I've never needed to be a climber, and I find climbing extremely painful. Even on small hills it feels like someone is driving a knife into my chest and left shoulder. My jaw aches and stiffens up. My left arm goes numb. I become nauseated and start to bring up. And I can't breathe. I've been for an angiogram, and it's not my heart ... so I'll be going for further testing soon. I'd embrace hills if I didn't hurt so much trying to climb them.

We raised my handlebars a bit a couple weeks ago, and that seems to have helped the breathing a little bit, but all the pain is still there.

raisinberry777

Along the Clarence foreshore could work too, can't say I've done too much riding along the shore out there but it'll get you there all the same.

Can't say I've ridden along Pass Rd, but a common TT route out that way seems to be along Clarence St out to South Arm Highway, then through Acton, along 7 Mile Beach and then back through Cambridge. There's one minor hill in that coming back through Cambridge but it's very easy, perhaps about 1km at 5%ish, if that. About 50km all up.

The other route you're considering towards Richmond you'd be looking at two hills, one being the one I mentioned above but from the other side, and the other one being Brinktop to come into Richmond which is fairly easy from that side.

What gearing are you running? You'll get your Tassie climbing legs yet, don't worry. Mt Wellington is one of the best things to do on a bike in Hobart.

Machka 

They run TTs along Clarence St and out South Arm Highway?? What about the traffic?? And stop lights etc.?

I think Rowan and I rode part of the South Arm Highway and Acton to 7 Mile Beach and back via Cambridge soon after we got here, and I had a really tough time with that route ... too many steep hills. It was soon after that when I started going to the Dr to see about all the chest pain.

I'm in my granny up most hills and my granny is 22x34. I've got no hope of getting up Mt Wellington ... I can barely get up the tiny hill to our place without feeling like I'm having a heart attack ... and I often opt to walk that.

raisinberry777

Sorry, to be more specific, that's where some guys do their TT training (as it's probably the flattest route near the city suitable for it). Actual TTs themselves are usually run out near Richmond, out to Colebrook and back, basically. I'd worry about seeing the Dr first though, 22x34 should be enough to fairly easily get you up anything.

Machka 

Ah, I see. And we're talking about doing some riding around Richmond ... out to Colebrook, etc.

Yes ... 22x34 should get me up anything. It's on my touring bicycle, with the intent of getting me up anything with loaded panniers. And even though I've never done much climbing, I used to be able to climb better than I can now. (i.e. I've ridden four 1200K randonnees, all with hills, and I did the 7 Peaks Alpine Ascent Challenge in Victoria back in 2011)

spectastic

i did a 30 miler

Heathpack 

Friday I rode maybe 10 trainer miles during a fitting.

Sat was beautiful- 73 degrees, no wind. I rode 43 miles, 1800 ft climbing, about 1mph faster than my typical time (this was post-fitting). Then maybe later another 4-5 miles test riding a Trek Domane.

Today Sun, I have a group ride planned, which is about 25 mi. Then a friend & I plan to continue longer for a total of 40-50 mi. Today will be windier, though, and a little cooler, in the mid-60s.

H

Jakedatc

Sat: 12mi to the bike shop for an easy spin. dodged the rain

sun: 51mi with Brody and another friend in some serious wind. like 36-25 on flat ground into it.. worst wind i've ridden in.

Heathpack 

Managed to ride 75 mi today (a personal best distance) between starting earlier than the group, doing the group ride, then riding longer with friend, then riding still longer by myself. 155 miles total this week, not including the fitting & test ride.

H

Chief Brody

Sunday - First metric of the year. 64 miles, mostly with Jake save for the ride to/from the start. Longest ride since the end of October. Two days fighting the wind and I don't think I'd want to try for a third.

alexaschwanden

Saturday: 34 miles on the 29er mtb
Sunday: 11.5 miles on the 29er mtb

bikecrate

This is the first weekend in awhile that I was able to get in some longer rides on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was a humid and overcast 40 mile ride followed by 40 miles on a cool and sunny Sunday. Ouch...my legs hurt.

2manybikes

Windy is right. I'm 145 + old steel heavy bike, I almost got blown over once.