Scott T: The Blog
The photo-post (Oct 2012)
Posted Sat, Oct 06, 2012 at 6:55pm by ScottTagged: cycling, everyday, sailing
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Turns out it's been a while since the last post (again). So I decided to have a little bit of fun - here's a snapshot of some of the random goings-on from the last few months.
There's actually less photos than I expected but the weeks seem to have flown past and I can't recall having nothing to do. The weather during July and August turned on the winter weather, with plenty of rain to go around (particularly halfway through a ride... end result: dirty bike). In July I clocked my longest ride to-date (151km) as preparation for the 4th Grand Slam ride in August. Although GS4 ended up being shorter (only 145km), it was ~12 degrees, westerly winds, and showers continually passing through the area. That said, I'm happy I finished a challenging ride, even if it wasn't too enjoyable during part of it.
Recently the weather has started to improve dramatically and it's been nice not having to rug up when heading outside (some days even pass 25C, so been great to get outside, eg day on the river, sailing opening regatta on the lake at home). Still some cool days thrown in so we're not quite into summer yet. And if you're curious of the significance to the 'garden' photo, that was my birthday present from my sister+parents :)
Autumn wrap-up
Posted Sun, Jun 10, 2012 at 8:42pm by ScottTagged: cycling, everyday
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Figure it's just about time for a new blog post, but I've been trying to work out what's happened over the last 2 and a half months without much success - about the only thing I can think of is it getting darn cold. One of the highlights was clocking up 800km during April for the 'Ride Hard to Breath Easy' Strava challenge. My previous best month was March (at 560km), so setting (and achieving) the 800km goal was a great feeling. On the positive side I got to see some great scenery too, with several rides up to the Adelaide Hills.
The third Grand Slam also occurred in May down at Yankalilla, however that weekend was a mixed result. With the cooler weather, I attempted to get some additional winter cycling gear on the drive down south only to find everything in my size was sold out. The next day it looked to be a wet ride with a light rain misting over us while getting the bikes ready.
Fortunately that cleared up before the start, and other than some spray off the road while things dried up, it was a pretty nice morning. Was feeling pretty good as well (to the point of setting a rather nice time up a climb a few km out from Yankalilla. After a quick feed at the first rest-stop, things went downhill however with an injury forcing me to abandon the ride without even attempting the second loop. The Thursday following Yankalilla I managed 5km on the bike however two weeks on I'm now starting to ride some distance (40km on Thursday, 48km yesterday). Still a little reluctant to tackle any larger climbs however - quite happy on the flats for a bit longer.
Mad March
Posted Wed, Apr 04, 2012 at 10:06pm by ScottTagged: cycling, everyday, sailing
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What a hectic month... March 10/11 kicked things off with Paper Tiger state titles held back in the Riverland, which I travelled back for. To throw more things into the job-list for the long-weekend, I took a few extra days leave in order for my road bike to go back for its free check-up as well as a scheduled car service. Squeezed in two rides (one each on Friday and Saturday morning) at 44km each, but then spent the rest of Saturday, all of Sunday, and Monday morning down the yacht club (on a club boat Sat+Mon, up on the balcony hoping for some wind on the Sun).
After the presentation over lunch on Monday, was time to drive home again (although seemed like someone didn't want me to leave).
The following two weekends were also fairly full, despite nothing overly post-worthy (yet). Mostly cleaning, planning, cooking and cycling (more details on the 'plan' phase might come later, depending how things unfold).
Lastly, April 1 - usually associated with April Fools, but this year also home to BikeSA's Grand Slam #2. Based out of Mount Torrens this time around, the original course was intended to be just shy of 100km circuit through the hills. Unfortunately, roadworks on one of the roads meant a detour had to be put in place which dropped the distance down to 'only' 93km but it was still a fun day.
It was a fairly crisp start to the day however I've been slowly stockpiling warmer cycling gear, so was pretty comfortable once we got underway at 8am. It also warmed up pretty nicely during our brief rest stop between the two loops (for those interested, here's the final Strava track). Was pleasantly surprised by my performance up one or two of the climbs in the area as well. Next up - 120km around Yankalilla at the end of May :)
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Fun stuff: A pretty large lightning storm went through the Riverland last Monday and my sister managed to capture a few cool photos, including these two.
Summer Fun, Part 2
Posted Sun, Mar 04, 2012 at 6:46pm by ScottTagged: cycling, everyday
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Time for part two of my summer summary.
Weather this month has been mixed - some cool days, some damp days (including more than 20mm for Feb 29!), back to summer weather again for the second half of the month, and plenty of wind around. Has kept me off the bike a little but I've tried to counteract that with longer rides. Total km for February only reached 424 however distance per ride was a bit higher. On the other hand, today I clocked up my second 100km ride - kinda makes up for the lower km count last month :) I also managed 158km before first puncture (repaired and put back on the bike later that day) - much better than my record on my hybrid (puncture at 5km).
If I had to choose one thing, the highlight of the month would have to be the first of the BikeSA Grand Slam series.
The first of these was some 80km starting from Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. Given I'm used to riding around on flat road, I wasn't sure how I'd go in the hills however turned out I needn't have worried. according to the official report, there were some 572 riders on the road, and it was absolutely incredible to see at the start while everyone was together. The number of bikes also made the first 10km fairly interesting with people changing speed a lot with the terrain - I found I was passing quite a few people on the climbs while others would pass me on the descents. There were a few tougher climbs throughout the circuit (Strava track) however the day was really enjoyable and I'm looking forward to the next one in April. 200km in October still seems a little daunting however still a few months until October to build up to it :P
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Random mundane tidbit for the month:
After three months, my 'hobby' room floor is actually clean again :)
Seriously! I have proof!
Summer Fun, Part 1
Posted Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 8:29pm by ScottTagged: cycling, everyday, sailing
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(Warning - post content cycling heavy, with a splash of sailing and other stuff thrown in :P )
Hard to believe two months have flown past already! Must be something to do with keeping busy...
January had the 'typical' summer weather: warm sunny days which were great to be outside in - something I was more than willing to do. Mid-month I headed home for another weekend at my parents, while also turning the weekend into a cycling getaway. A ride each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday included three laps of the lake, as well as a stint around the back-blocks. After all the riding around here, the change of scenery was great. Combined with three more rides over the following four days, I covered almost 190km in the single week. Not to say the weather wasn't trying to keep me off the bike.
Then up came the Milang-Goolwa yacht race. Somehow I got talked into acting taxi, which involved dropping my sister off at Milang in the morning and picking her up from Goolwa a few hours later. Not to miss another chance for riding in new scenery I also squeezed my bike in the back of the car - if it was windy I wouldn't need to wait long, while if it was calmer I could ride to fill in time.... Or at least that was the theory.
We got down to Milang around 8am - the grass on the foreshore was covered with boats, along with a lot more moored on-water. Wasn't much in the way of breeze and even then the sun was rather fierce. Despite this, the race still started and those of us on beach-crew duties watched the boats slowly drift off before departing for Goolwa.
Not to miss the opportunity, I grabbed the bike out and rode along the Goolwa-Victor Harbor bike trail. Turns out it's a rather pleasant ride, although I turned around just after Port Elliot as I wasn't sure where the boats were up to. The trail is a mix of on-road and shared-path however the onroad parts were adequately signposted to ensure not to get (too) lost for those unfamiliar with the area.
Despite the weather's attempts, I managed some 50km (Strava track for those interested) before putting the bike away to find food and something refreshing to drink. I even survived a sailing event with only sunburn to my ankles, so while some might call me crazy, I rather enjoyed it :)
Australia Day also continued the warm weather and while many went to the beach or river, I went on an early-morning group ride, and despite splitting up near the end (heading in different directions) I pushed through to my first 100km milestone. Final total for the month: 500km in ~22 hours. Big news of the month however was the bike upgrade - I now own a carbon road bike and it is a huuuuuge step up from my hybrid. Lighter, faster, and (surprisingly) comfier on the longer rides.
No, I haven't fallen over with the clipless pedals yet. Yes, I also now own (and occasionally wear) lycra.
