Sandmans Cycling Blog

[mikesbytes]

Perhaps you should advise in this thread

How much commuting is too much commuting?

[sogood]

I remember Sandman (and Stretch) putting me in the hurt box on General Homes Drive and that's before Sandman toughened up

I won't forget that one either. Memorable.

[sandman]

Sogood/Mike

That was a great ride.....You guys are definitely "good people".....

Pete

[ruscook]

38-41 for 16km???

I agree with Spiza you ain't human Sandman

[sandman]

Bah, sometimes too human A few days ago (after stuff all sleep) the ride to work was a total bitch, wind and all. Yesterday riding home was darn nice, Billy and Doug got onto the back of Heyburn's Volvo and got a draft for about 8km, lazy shits Since I was so stupid last week I decided to take my "5 hail marys for penance in the form of battling the headwind instead. Was a great ride into teh wind, solid cadence mashing away, met the ladies at the end of Hatt road. They asked if I was ok, think I said "catch me if u can suckers", well 8km later the two still didnt get any closer, infact Billy dropped Doug trying to catch me, such a nice bunch of boys

So ride home was TOPS....

Anyway, not sure if this is going to get me into trouble but I finally put a deposit on my new "Christmas Ride". its fixed or freewheel, its BRIGHT (not like the rider), an "Urban Comuter" for Alice. As we live pretty close to town, taking the car doesnt make sense yet sometimes walking, you want to do the trip a little quicker so here we haev it. Carol is still on the hunt for hers....

[Spiza]

Not you too!!!
Maurice bike, Thunderbird wheels, bright orange and brown... just make sure you don't get bashed in town sweetie

[sandman]

Well Spizza, its sad I know but thats what happens when you live in Alice, you loose all sense of perspective and reality. If the "Brothers" nick the bike at least it will be easy to spot I just wanted something totally simple.....thats all fixie riders seem to be able to deal with hahaha !

As for the riding, with the lack of sleep and energy, was a little tough today. Managed to do the 8km out to the Airport turnoff at 40, got pulled along by another guy at 37 for the next 5km, had another go at 40 for 4km and the legs just hurt too much....man I am so soft but I couldnt push through the hurt, is what happens when you try living on 3 hours sleep for a few days.....

Anyway, softness aside, should be a good ride home, a few heading out this arvo.... Social MTB ride at 6:00pm, might tag along to see what its all about. MTB is still wrong IMHO (no petrol engine) but I'll hopefully get to ride with some strong riders that can smack me about a bit

Sandman

[mikesbytes]

What were you doing in Newtown tonight, parked next to me?


Can tell its brand new, cos it hasn't had the "pimp my fixie" treatment like mine

[sandman]

Mike, how awesome is that We were hanging together and I didnt even realise it Decided that I wanted to "cruise' more than "get down on the drops" type riding. Now I've just got to grow a "goatie", put on my "Nepalise" baggy red pants can call everyone "brus" (thats the term the kids use instead of bro).

I'll have to get some transformation shots, street clothes, flat bar, comuter and race attire

Sandman

[mikesbytes]

Check out my FB post, Adrian E dropped a link to a fixie video

[sandman]

Mike, the videos were totally cool Hadnt seen the US one but the Aussie one is a good-un

So how did the Alice Pain train go today you may all ask....

Present were Doug "I'm going to tear your legs off" Standish, Kieran "Killer" McKinley, Simon "I'm going to crush you" Reardon and Sandman (Ox). Left "the roundy" (Tom Brown) at 5:55am waiting for Billy "blah blah blah euro blah" Hughes however he was a no show. Suspect he was home cuddling his teddy. Sat on 37 for the 8km's out to the turnoff, Doug gets on the front and starts winding the wick back up and BANG, over the old railway lines we go and his waterbottle flys out. We all pull up and watch him rescue it from narowly missing a bus and a few cars... ! Killer gets on the front and the wick gets lit. We're sitting in and start to see his "wonky knee" getting more wonky so a quick stab at the pedals and I'm giving him a rest. We're onto Hatt road and Doug reckons it's his turn so along we go, up and down "Pee Hill" and I have another dig. We're back up to 40km/hr and riding nice n tight, higher cadence than usual to try and work some other muscles and the legs are hurting a little. Decide to back off a bit and Killer rolls through and we're back at 37. I pull out into the wind for a bit to cool down and see how the wind is going and if i can have another few stabs on the front.

Well being a Specialized, the bike INSTANTLY responds and I'm on the front again and we creep back up to 40. I'm feeling "hurt" but had a harder stab and we're doing 43 and the bitches are hanging on, the boys are loving it... ahh I'm spent and peel off. Killer has another go, I get brave and dig in again and we roll up to the gate, awesome ride. Up the hill we go, most of the "ladies" are spinning, this is a hill for 53-13 I say and I just coast past them going up the hill, it feels nice. We roll down the hill and all smile, we had a great ride in. Simon did awesome for hanging on, he's a big boy and I reckon a great future, Kieran gasped for breath and said "I'm absolutely stuffed" and Doug said the ride was great.

Did 35 mins this morning from roundy to gate, best time was 32 mins so we did good.

Coffee this arvo, no better way to finnish off the week ! Century ride tomorrow starting at 5:30am, I've put on 3kg in the last 3 months due to lack of "proper riding", time to get back into it

Sandman

[sandman]

The lone rider makes it home, everyone bailed to the car/bus....40c air temp, bloody 50c radiated heat off the road, 15km'hr headwind with gusts of 28km/hr.... I'm totally stuffed, that wasnt a hell of a lot of fun

Sandman

[mikesbytes]

Talk about bringing home the bacon

[Spiza]

Talk about bringing home the bacon

[ruscook]

Can't top those last 2 posts Sandman. Glad you felt the pain worth effort

[sandman]

Hahah, you boys

Did 95km this morning, left the house at 5:45am.... One of the guys from work and I did 2 loops out to Simpson Gap and Ilparpa road, was all good until 8:00am and the wind really kicked up. Herb suffered his ass off but he finished Have decided I need some longer rides but time is a challenge as I **HATE** getting out of bed that early on weekends !

Sandman

[KillerHeadWind]

The only way we could ever keep up with you is if we drag you out of bed really really early

[sandman]

Well I'k jealous Killer of all the hills you guys have. The only slightest consolation I have, if you could call it that is the bloody headwind....simulates hill climbing reasonably well I think when you stick the rear into the 13 and grind. The ride on Saturday wasn't too bad at all, must admit after 95km the legs felt a little drained as on the odd stroke I felt that notorious "twinge" that was the start of a cramp, the cardio was fine so a really top ride. Herb pushes more "air" so it was a little tougher for him.

The weekend was very cruisey, a few parties, a few wines and good to sleep in !

Sitting in the Qantas Lounge in Alice ready to go to Melbourne for the week, Management stuff I hear Back in Alice on Thursday and hopefully setting the pace on the Pain Train on Friday , no doubt the boys will try and smack me after so many days off the bike......buggerz

Sandman

[sandman]

Well not much to report these days, had a head bender last week on Wednesday, much unhappiness into the headwind and heat. It took me a few days to get over that one but back onto the bike this week. As the roads are a little rough i didnt seem to notice the "griding" coming from the drivetrain until Monday and then it was rip it apart to see what was going on....

Appears the 14T on the 11-28 had bitten the dust, the 15T also had a fair bit of wear, either side was fine, chain was fine and front ring was fine....so the rear ring wore out before the chain ! Darn !

As for my chainreaction order, its just stuck, its over 4 weeks, well 5 weeks to be exact and we're still waiting for the Swiss Top brake pads that were special order. Unfortunately Chain Reaction are so busy i cant seem to get anything but a busy tone and they dont answer e-mails.....might have to just buy one on e-bay as a repalcement to get me through

Cheers..Sandman

[sandman]

Awesome ride in on my own again, 36 minutes to front gate..

Ride home, Devil's Velodrome, 41c ambient and I have no idea how hot it was coming off the road, it was fschked. Headwind was stinking hot, high humidity due to cyclone down south, mashing as best as I could, wasn't a fast trip, it was just HTFU and survive...I caught the only other rider out who got a 10 minute head start, he didn't even have the energy to sit in. It was truly feral

Sandman

[mikesbytes]

How was the 14t ?

[sandman]

Well yesterday Mike it was nothing smaller than the 16T, bloody brutal....

[sandman]

43c on Hatt road today, fast pace and we hit the furnace, I have no idea how hot that headwind was but it was DAMN hot...

9/10 on the HTFU meter....

0.5 deducted for not throwing up
0.5 deducted for not passing out

Sandman

[sandman]

Now for something completely different.......

Up at 5:10am, out the door at 5:30am, met Duggy2 (Duggy1 is Lifecycles Duggy) at Smith St and we rode up to the Tanami turnoff. The ride up from home is probably 25km and is the closest thing that resembles hills. Very surprised at the group size, about 14 waiting at the "start line" which is darn good for Alice !

Of course the ride back into town was pretty quick, ended up sitting in to see how the boys played it, got boxed in a few times though I did manage to get out and bridge the gap to the front group. Legs a little sore today after yesterdays furnace but it was ok. Hopefully next week the legs will be fresher and I'll give them a poke

One of the guys I raced with at Tennant creek leaves home at 4:30am and does the ride twice... I might jsut give it a go but it seems AWFULLY wrong to get up at that time and I'll have to go find the AYUPs again

Happy new year from the Sandman in Alice

[ruscook]

Now for something completely different.......

Up at 5:10am, out the door at 5:30am, met Duggy2 (Duggy1 is Lifecycles Duggy) at Smith St and we rode up to the Tanami turnoff. The ride up from home is probably 25km and is the closest thing that resembles hills. Very surprised at the group size, about 14 waiting at the "start line" which is darn good for Alice !

Of course the ride back into town was pretty quick, ended up sitting in to see how the boys played it, got boxed in a few times though I did manage to get out and bridge the gap to the front group. Legs a little sore today after yesterdays furnace but it was ok. Hopefully next week the legs will be fresher and I'll give them a poke

One of the guys I raced with at Tennant creek leaves home at 4:30am and does the ride twice... I might jsut give it a go but it seems AWFULLY wrong to get up at that time and I'll have to go find the AYUPs again

Happy new year from the Sandman in Alice

Back at you Sandman. Looking forward to meeting up in the Snowies in Feb (and a few ales in the evening).
430am start?? May as well not go to bed

Did you manage to beat the heat starting at 530am?

I understand the sore legs myself today....