This weeks weather caused chaos. With the beginning of last Saturday thinking I wouldn’t be riding at all for the week. Then the Wednesday crash. Friday no ride due to bullshit amounts of rain. Saturday turned out to be one of the nicest days riding we have had for a while.

My plan was to pedal out for 3 hours with hills. Last weeks ride clockwise with the four climbs was the route and along the way I gave the ride a name. Quad run. Old Bathurst, Lappo then in and out of the NP at Glenbrook. Slowly Old Bathurst is getting easier but it still is a very unforgiving climb. This time with HR Monitor on I could see the 22% section was maxing me out for 6 minutes at over 160bpm. Nice and painful.

I pretty much worked out on the descent back to Lappo via Mitchels Pass that the NP would be closed and yep, I was right it was – the weir was flooded so no go for the extra 2 climbs. Shame. I just continued home.

Sunday was the big one. First Roadie Race ever [i.e. not a short crit] + the new wheels would be out on course. I’m smart enough now to know that if your going to race, don’t take new equipment and expect it to be ok on race day. With this, and not meeting training hours this week there was one thing to do. Ride to the race, race, then ride back home. Just to make sure 9 hours were met and the wheels would be bedded in.

Riding off from home the minute I started pedaling,the girl was a different beast. The new wheels meant climbing and holding speed was taking so much less and effort and it felt exhilarating. When you crest a climb these wheels spin up so fast you feel like your moping! I cannot wait to do an Alpé de Heights rep. I am confident i will smash the 10:20 PB

I made it to the regatta center and racing began at 8.00am. I still wasn’t entirely sure of the distance the race would be. It turned out to be a 12 lap race and that being twice the distance of the crits it was a shock. I felt good but was in pain from the previous days ride but still I took lead a few times and was happy with the girl by now as the gears had 80% settled/bedded in. They are still a bit noisy.

The final lap was one of the slowest I have raced, no one was prepared to jump so when we crossed the bridge I ended up stepping up my pace a bit and found myself in about 4th wheel. Once we straightened up I hit the gas and from there it was pretty obvious no one had anything left in the tank to catch me. I took the 3 guys and crossed the line about 2 bike lengths in front comfortably. Happy days.

Then there was the ride home. By this stage I was in very spent. Legs were aching as was my arse just from sitting for so long over the last two days. I managed to make it home but had to make an emergency stop at Glenbrook bakery to smash a donut, spinach and cheese roll and cream bun… mmmmmm…. In total it was a tad under 4:30:00 ride so it meant I smashed the 9hr target time for the week by almost a full hour. And the RS80′s are so bloody nice to ride. Super happy with the purchase.

I was placed in C Grade by the club so I will see how the next race goes. I may move up – maybe not… we’ll see.

This weeks been a bit of a shocker. I rode the grind on Wednesday and it was a ride to remember to say the least. Nothing out of the ordinary it was cold but not raining so I planned on a 4 x 7min 4Z sessions once on the M4. I passed the on ramp at Mulgoa road and began interval one. I was looking down at the garmin when i suddenly heard as metal scraping sound. I looked down further towards the cranks and from memory I hit the anchors slightly at the same time. I remember the sound having me think I had stripped the tire off the rim. Before I knew it I was sliding across the ground with the bike in front doing pretty much the same.

I came to a hault in the middle of the shoulder which was fine and the bike had slid its way across to the first lane of the M4 with half the front wheel poking its nose out into the lane. I jumped straight up, grabbed the bike and started assessing what had happened. I turned back and saw a piece of metal – aluminum – strip and it became obvious that some how it had lodged itself between the tire [brand new Re-Fuse on the rear] and the road. I was ok. I felt fine and had only torn the shitty netti pants. Thankfully I hadn’t put on my brand new bibs, which i had planed on doing so.

I realised a car had also pulled over to make sure I was ok. It was an older women and I approached her and let her know I was actually ok. She said “you had sparks flying out the back of you” – kwaaaahhhhh!.

I guess you can say it was a good crash. I was able to continue riding to work, the bike was still able to be ridden. I continued on and completed the next 3 intervals. Damage is a smaller tear on the bar tape, big scraping to the right pedal and some scraping to the rear D as well. Nothing mechanical more superficial markings. The pants are rat shit and the day after my lower back was sore so to my hand and arm. Nothing that bad.

I was meant to ride on Friday but the rain has been just insane with massive flooding and constant down pores. It is totally throwing my schedule out of whack but that’s to be expected. I’ll man up and hit out for 3 hours tomorrow morning then at last I will be able to throw the RS80′s on for Sundays road race. Pretty excited about the first race on the new wheels.

Scott Scale 2010 – now 899grams
Have to go back an check the weight of carbo as a frame. i think it was just over 1kg.
these frames are looking more and more like a BMC’s style skeleton Frames.
I do want to try the SDS as well. With it now on both the CR1′s and the Scales

Today was a good day. I had a mobile failure yesterday but when I eventually was back on line [blackberry + 3 = shitful experience] there was a message from blackmans and the girl was actually ready on sunday to pick up. whoooot. Training is back on. K picked her up today and tonight I fitted a new Re-Fuse on the rear. Fingers X’d for no more punctures or mechanicals.

I just needed to have one of these installed at the same time!