Salted Battery

Decided to kill two birds with the one stone today. Rode to South Tweed after fixing the "easy wheel" on the garage gate this morning. As I was going past "Battery World" I dropped in an picked up a new 12V 23AE battery for the wireless sender and a new 3V CR2032 for the computer receiver. Not to bad after 26 months of use, but still a quarter the price of a replacement cheapo HUFFY13 bicycle computer. The real reason for the trip was to get my timetable for the next two weeks of teaching, ughhhh!

The wind was a fairly constant NE-NNE about 8-10km/h. So not really any problem as a head wind nor that much assistance as a tail wind.

Only one "yobbo ute" incident on the way home so all up a pleasant 56km ride.

Well the teaching income will come in handy. I was researching DSLR cameras last night and found that I can use my Minolta AF reflex  lenses on Sony A200-A700 cameras (plus others). Which is really Great news! Now those $1000 investments will be able to stop gathering dust! If I get a DSLR body +$750.00

Warm 'n Fuzzy

Todays loop was warm, not hot but very pleasant in open clipless sandals. A S-W wind blew quietly all the way round, also dropped into a job at Potty etc. But the density of smoke from the fires around Mullumbimby was as think as an early morning fog, I hope Hells Holes didn't get burnt out!

I jumped on the cypress and turned on the Huffy (bigW) wireless computer but I think the battery is flat after 2 years of use and it only recorded 4 kilometers for the 20 that I rode, albeit slowly.

The front derailleur still struggles to get to the little ring.... either more adjustment or worn chain?

Paddock Bash

Slow cruise on the old mtb with Mark today, starting at a mellow 9:00am. A paddock bash along cane roads, cattle tracks and old abandoned banana roads from Round Mountain Westwards to Reserve Creek then the same repeated through to Palm Vale. Returning via the road network. Of note was a couple of little creek crossings, climbing over an electric fence using the bike frames as ladders on either side and the discovery of another possible route into the Mooball forest! it took ~4hours to cover the ~22kms.

[caption id="attachment_353" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Paddock Bashing with Mark through private property"][/caption]

Cyclopress hack

Cyclopress hack to allow use of open flash chart instead of  using  jpgraph

Source

Pre Ride Report

With the weather being so pleasant at the moment mark and i are planning a short ride to the Cudgera Creek Phone transmitter tower on Sunday morning on the old MTB.... will post later... if I make it?

Quicklet

Just a quick return trip to Marks this afternoon. Wind had dropped a bit and the knee was OK if I didn't pressure it.

After a short ride last Friday to Bogangar I knelt on one knee to remove my shoes and "CLICK!" my left knee went out (again) the return ride on that occasion was one legged pedalling, lucky they were SPD's.

Anyway this arvo's ride was the first in seven days, UGH!

Should add that I managed to lay down again by un-clip re-clip un-clip stop drop smile :)

Fixed Cyclopress Stats page

I've just updated and repaired the Cyclopress Riding Stats page.... might even make some more entries, if and when! Anyway at least its there for me to see in b/w just how little riding I get to do, with these shitty knees.

Who wants to trade?

Caution! and No Rally!

Drove a round trip to Grafton today over Cudgera Creek Road, or SS8? as it's called now. The surface is beginning to break down. There are lots of corners with marble size gravel loosely strewn over the still hard concrete like compacted surface.

The surface has become such that it is noticeably difficult to steer and brake. I'm sure it would  be worse on a treadly, sometime on the weekend I might see if it is the case, if the Southerly change does come through tonight as a gale like the BOM have predicted.

One thing I do know after driving through Uki and Kyogle the upgrade to Cudgera Creek Road IS because of the rally next month. The surface of the road climbing up to Sargents Rd is absolutely terrible, to the point of knocking off the tail pipe on the Matiz. I don't begrudge the locals on Cudgera Creek getting their road finally! But I do think that it shouldn't be because some private profiteering is about to take place in their area! No Rally!

Tired Knees

Managed a day away from work today and put it to good use. After yesterdays balmy weather I thought I would wait until midday, forgetting the dreaded 'arvo  sea breeze! To get into ride mode.

Any who, decided to take the hybrid for a jaunt over Cudgera Creek road. Surprise! Surprise to come! Set out into a Sou'West head wind and thought it would keep it up right though the ride, not to be!

The surprise was the condition of Cudgera Creek Road, so smooth you could of ridden fast on a road bike over the climb. Tweed Shire has resurfaced it unlike any I have seen over the last few years, this is a special year! The Tweed will be the host of the State Government's extra special international boys toys event in the Spring. So maybe the smooth surface was not really created for the local road user but they do get to benefit from the noise and chaos that will surround these quite areas on race days!

The ride went well with the ultra smooth, like new concrete, road. Not a bit of dust o loose gravel any where, not exactly the same on the descent into Burringbah where a few of the corners proved a little hairy!

Thinking the wind was still the same as when I left, I was protected in the tree cover, I decided to take advantage of a tail wind and take the Wooyung Road home. Wrong! It had swung to the East South East and was to be a cross wind all the way home. Should of taken the Moobal Road to Potty. Next time.

The knees were to really feel the effect of maintaining the cadence over the 20kms from the Old Pacific Highway through to Hastings as well as the front derailleur not functioning since the servo at Burringbah. Fix it later!

Only 43kms but included a little hill, some undulations, a near miss from a Qld registered 4x4 through one of the roundabouts in Pottsville and a malfunctioning front derailleur.

But the sun was shining all the way and what a road surface? It even looked like some good surf conditions on Hastings North side as I passed by.