Got in a Commute, at last

This morning saw a nice still and mild start to an uneventful ride, 27.4km and the expected NE sea breeze was a ENE so more a cross wind for the afternoon return which clocked 25.5kms?

 

The cheap ALDI Tronica Wireless Cycling Computer for $20.00 seems to register 99km/hr at times when you are stationary or wheeling the bike... ahhhh the price of crap

Over Analyse

Just a quick commute today to Pottsville for an on-site job. Rounded the trip out by riding around the Kanes/Wabba Road loop through to Cabba before home again. Managing a 27.0 km/hr average. Never dropping below middle ring and 4th gear, Why? I'm still trying to build up to the power/cadence required for successful little hill climbing on the Shogun. This requires me to unlearn all the easy riding gear habits of my lower geared Hybrid's. Hopefully it won't be much longer. Sometimes it takes a little bit of the enjoyment out of riding when you analyse everything during a ride....  

Distance: 31.5 km on the Cypress.

Looping Daydream

Rode the loop on the cypress, this arvo. The only thing that came from it was the ability to daydream, hopefully I was concentrating when required! The main focus of the thoughts was not obvious just random thoughts... Such as when I recently rode over the Cudgera Creek Interchange there was a highway patrol vehicle sitting there doing the freeway radar bit... anyway as I approached I noticed the tinted side window being wound up... Why? was it just a coincidence?or, was it a privacy issue based on policy? or, a subconscious technique by the patrol(wo)man to avoid any personal interaction?

Or something along the lines of must clean the bike  etc or when will I drop the ride in for it's first service?

Other thoughts drifted to riding technique, like cornering and trying to ride in higher gears to prepare for the drop bar rides etc

So really a blah blah ride... but a pleasant wind down to the day's endeavors

Tanked

Last 2 days I have been trying to get the plumbing done on the old 1000 gallon water tank. But as an amature the swearing has been the most successful part of the impression! What a bitch to get the bung out until i realised I needed to get at the nut on the inside of the tank! and that also meant having another arm about 15 feet long with a strong hand on the end!

So the solution was? Maneuver the tank, after emptying it, to a location I could ti it on it's side rotate it until the large Inlet hole was close enough to the ground wiggle inside after propping a pair of Stiltons to the outside nut/bolt securely so that they wouldn't fall off! 

After squeezing myself inside ( with the sides chocked to stop me becoming part of a mixing machine) I stood over the outlet nut and gave a gentle push on the second pair of Stiltsons I had with me, torch secured into my mouth. No worries the nut rotated smooth as though it was brand new, better even! 

Next task is to try to quickly find a 1¼ inch inlet bung supplier! Hopefully before it rains again!

Also been mucking around with a couple of scripts at night ie the Ride Stats Plugin and the Google Feed Reader Linking Widgit.... both were ok after a bit of tweaking of code to work better in Wordpress 2.6.x

A Day Catching Up...

Didn't ride today, unusually! I did manage to get a few tasks completed in the yard and shed which have been on the "todo list" for a while so it was to be a leisure paced day with a few items crossed off the list and a couple of others added, as usual... maintain the status quo

I have a couple of plumbing connections to pick up this week so will see about riding to South Tweed and make a visit to bunnings on the Shogun tomorrow if work commitments allow.

Wabba-Solo

Rode off today without too many plans. I turned onto the road as a shower was passing over at about 12:30pm with the intention to ride a loop on the Cypress. As I rode down Kanes Rd the rain stopped but the clouds stayed around. As it wasn't raining and was quite cool still I thought a little climb of Cudgera Creek Road would be appropriate.... When I managed to put together a climb above 9 km/hr. It seemed a possibility to ride Wabba Rd through the Mooball Forest. I was a little unsure as it is a little isolated to ride solo, but what the heck! Just do it. After reading ChrisL's ride recent report, I thought conditions would be excellent it turned out that that is what it was like. Very short grass, dry gravel patches etc and few if any large rocks strewn on the track. The only obstacle was a fallen tree across the track, and that was easily negotiated.

[caption id="attachment_287" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Wabba-Solo elevation"][/caption]

The most common creature beside birds were Goanna's scurrying away as I rode past. I didn't see another vehicle from the time I left the freeway interchange at Pottsville until I got to the Pistol Range at Murwillumbah when a 1930's car went past towards Wardrop Valley. About 2 hours of complete solitude, bliss.
The ride was undertaken without sufficent water or any food... not something I want to repeat!

Occasionally toward the end of the ride the bike started to act up on a few of the changes down to the small ring as I was climbing Reserve Creek Road, but it was suffer-able.

The distance: 50 kilometers
Average Speed: 14 km/hr
Duration: 3 hours 30 mins

Still Shovelling.....

Well I have finally managed to sieve two of the 8x10 cubic metre truckloads of the Terranora Red. Completed building the first stage of the vegie garden and planted it out... started with seedlings this time mainly as it is a little late to plant seeds for most crops... But have not managed any rides of any length this week... the energy and need has not been there. My arms, especially, as well as the rest of the body aches and groans. The hot weather has also been difficult wearing long trousers and long sleeve shirts in the full sun to ward off any more photosensitivity. I have found usng my bike gear (actually long sleeve ice-hockey shirt) to be the best alllowing the perspiration to evaporate rather than drench me!

Picked up an ALDI Tronica Wireless Cycling Computer for $20.00 for the Shogun. I will see how this very cheap computer holds up and post again later about it!

I will ride a couple of short 10km commutes tomorrow on the Cypress and  maybe a lop to finish off the day. I will post again after the outcome is clear and therefore more concise.