Never thought I'd do that!

There's nothing much that disrupts the course of an ordinary life like a trip to Antarctica. A quick glance at this blog reveals I haven't made an update since October, in part because of preparations for this summer's trip south.

Antarctica is a terrific and fearsome place, but that's a story for another blog. One of the highlights of a couple of months in the frozen white hell was spotting a bike on the disused runway at the French station Dumont D'Urville.



Apparently, the base has a few for getting around on the gravel tracks between the icy bits. Despite the fact it was minus eight and blowing about thirty knots and wearing bulky full cold-weather gear which makes cycling ungainly at best, I managed to knock out a couple of kilometres and promptly ticked 'ride a bike in Antarctica' off my bucket list.

393km so far this year.

Underbikers.

I'm having a play with different ways of presenting stories. Here's a little collection of images I've put together of some of my favourite gravel riding photos from the last few years. Most of them have had an outing on this blog, but it's never a bad time for a 'best of' album.

Bracken Ridge.

Home through the rain.

Thanks to a lingering cough, which I suspected wasn't going to be helped by a day riding in the rain in near-zero temperatures, I decided to sit this one out. Given I didn't have much else to do I decided to follow the guys along in the car and get some photos.

The first climb out of Glen Huon.

The circuit is a classic loop from Huonville, out towards Judbury then up the steep climb of Bermuda Road. It's a particularly steep pinch to begin with, although it levels out for some temporary relief before heading up again on even rougher roads. Once up the top there's a fire trail down towards the bridge across the Huon River near the Ta Ann veneer mill.

Nearing the top.

I shadowed the group of five who had set out for the ride despite the dire weather forecast, leapfrogging them with my iphone camera for a bit and then with a fancy SLR one of the riders had brought with him - which made my task more fun and his a little lighter.

I had to drive a longer loop around possibly the best bit of the ride, which is the descent of Bracken Ridge. By all accounts it was a bit of a stretch for road bikes in the wet today.

Once over the Huon River Bridge, the return journey is a pretty nice ride most days, with the possible exception of the climb up the back side of Denison Hill. The forecast snow held off and while the temperature was low and it rained intermittently nobody seemed to be complaining too much. Out loud anyhow.

It's not hard to be reminded why we like riding these roads so much and why gravel bikes are enjoying such popularity at the moment. I saw about three cars in 60+ kilometres. We basically had the road to ourselves.

Once Denison Hill is crossed, the finish is in sight. True it's 20km back to Hounville but the worst of the climbs are over, which is a welcome development for tired legs.

After a few more photos shelters by the tailgate of the car, I left the guys in peace to complete the ride. Despite the weather and the mud it looks like everyone had a fun time.

2827km so far this year.

Short term review: Vittoria Open Pave CG tyres.

Well loved Shimano R500 wheels and Vittoria Open Pave CG's. Pretty much indestructible.

Anyone who has done much riding will tell you that wheels - and in particular tyres - are the most important single component if you're seeking to get the best performance out of your bike. But like with most things in life, there's a trade off with tyres: light fast tyres tend not to be tough or long-lasting and are more prone to punctures, heavier tyres are more durable but tend not to roll as nicely. I've tried quite a few different tyres and have found some which had great potential they never quite lived up to. For example I was a big fan of the Grand Bois tyres initially for their lovely supple ride, but found their high price, lack of puncture protection and short lifespan too much of a hurdle to overcome.

Enter the Vittoria Open Pave CG. The kind folk at Abbotsford Cycles sent me of the 25mm wide model of these these tyres to test. They are the clincher version of a distinctive green-banded tubular tyre popular with the pros on rides like the Paris-Roubaix. They're a nice, light folding tyre - sub 300g - and they look the part right out of the box. They were easy to fit and the light file tread reminded me of the Vittoria racing tubulars I used to use in days of old. The sidewall and tread appear to be smartly a single piece of rubber, eliminating a weak spot I found a fatal flaw on the Challenge Griffos. 

By Tasmanian standards, this is a very very nice gravel road.

I have been running the Open Pave's for a couple of weeks now in all conditions and I have to say I'm most impressed. On the tarmac, they are smooth and fast and responsive like a good light high pressure road tyre. They roll along with a pleasant hum, their grip is impressive - inspiring confidence in the wet. But they also handle dirt road astoundingly well. I've given these tyres an absolute pounding on the sub-standard roads around home. Even my venerable Gatorskins develop cuts and small holes over time and repeated gravel runs, but there's not yet a mark on the Open Pave's. 

In general, only a madman rolls down bumpy dirt roads with 100psi in their tyres as it's generally a recipe for shaking the fillings out of your teeth. The Open Paves have a suppleness to them that - while it certainly doesn't made the ride plush - certainly smooths out the bumps and reduces the road buzz far better than anything else of the same width. 

I note the Open Paves' are available in a 27mm tyre as well, which would probably be more to my liking for the sorts of conditions I ride in regularly where the road changes from tarmac to gravel and back every ten kilometres or so on some of the quieter routes I prefer. I'm going to use them in the 360km Oppy ride coming up in a couple of weeks in preference to the red Rubino Pros I usually ride on long road events. 

A few of the online reviews I've read have suggested the Open Paves are a good commuter or winter tyre, but I think this is selling them well short. This is a tyre perfect for spirited road riding in all conditions. They're an ideal tyre for Audax cycling, combining the elusive mix of fast-rolling, toughness, suppleness and strength. I'll keep riding these to see how well they last but at this early stage I like them so much that when they wear out, I'm definitely buying another set.

Yes, I have tested lots of different tyres!

Audax Wuthering Heights 150km

Stunning riding through tall forests on the way back from Bronte Lake.

Each year a talented and handsome ride organiser, who I shall call Chris, runs a ride that centres on a fishing lodge at Bronte Lake in the central highlands of Tasmania. There's the option to ride 150km up and back or 200km each way with a night of convivial company and tall stories in between. Sadly last year I missed this ride and was determined not to do so again.

Unfortunately the weather bureau intervened. The forecast Saturday was for heavy rain, including thunderstorms. Not I'm not saying I was looking for an excuse but the idea of getting up at 5am to ride 150km uphill in the rain didn't appeal as much as perhaps it should have - not matter how keen I am to get some miles in. 

Leaving Bronte Lake on the short stretch of gravel.

As it turned out, the forecast was disappointingly wrong. Hugh and I caught a lift up to the lakes with Chris, passing the trio of diehards as they ground up the final steep climb. Purely out of courtesy, we didn't crack a beer before their arrival but instead rode out to meet them and escort them in after their hard day's toil. There followed a night of superb food, a few drinks and apparently some snoring in the bunkroom.

By agreement, the 200km lads set off an hour ahead of us for their out and back loop with the intention of catching up up later in the day. Nathan and I turned our wheels eastward and enjoyed warm and warm conditions as we swooped through the gorges and valleys on the way to Ouse, where we ate our fill of roadhouse tucker.

Long downhills and open country in the Derwent Valley.

Underway again, Chris passed us on his way home and informed us that Hugh was breathing down our necks. He caught us at the end of the long and very pleasurable descent into New Norfolk and the three of us made a happy paceline to the finish at the Cenotaph. As I'd left my car at Chris' house, we had 10km to go, which made for the perfect imperial century for the day, as Hugh demonstrated his superior fitness and all-round athleticism by outpacing easily me on the final hills. All the same, I was happy with what was for me a solid day in the saddle. 

A superb ride, thanks to Chris for putting it on. I'm been to travel both ways under my own power next year. Some video highlights below.

879km so far this year.

Audax Bruny Lighthouse Dash 120km

Bruny Island is quickly shaping up as one of my favourite cycling destinations in Southern Tasmania. There really is a lot to like about the place. It's an island of great scenic beauty, there is relatively little traffic and even the hills aren't too steep or long by Tasmanian standards. It is almost a perfect destination for an Audax ride. I am probably going to rave about this weekend's ride at some length so I beg forgiveness in advance. I hope the photographs make up for the wordiness.

All audacious riders aboard the Bruny Island ferry. Photo by John Bown.

I put the Bruny Lighthouse Dash on the Audax calendar some time ago and while other things have occupied the front of my mind for the last few months I was always conscious that this event was coming up and going to be a lot of fun and had been looking forward to it very much. It turned out to be even better than my expectations, which is saying something.

Sunday turned out pretty much as forecast – warm and still and clear, the type of of summer’s day that really highlights how great it is to live in this part of the world. Unfortunately this time of year is also pretty busy in Tasmania because it is an extended run of generally pretty good weather and because there's a lot on, so there was a few people who with regrets couldn't make it. In the end there were seven starters – which is not bad for a new event – and we gathered at Kettering to catch the 7:45am ferry. A little less organised that I usually like to be, I managed to distribute brevet cards and give some final instructions as we crossed the picture-perfect waters of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. A few minutes after 8am, the ferry had docked and we were off.

And that was the last I saw of everyone for hours. At any rate the solitude was most pleasant.

Now Bruny is a lovely destination and all the rest but it does come with one significant drawback –there's a solid climb about the start and finish of every ride you care to try. Knowing that the other riders were all pretty strong, I had a plan of how I wanted to get through the day so I let them draw away on that first long drag up from the ferry and was content just to spin away in low gear. No sense in exerting myself too much too early I reasoned. Quickly the others disappeared from view and I was left in my own thoughts and quiet contemplation of the perfect conditions.

For various reasons it's been a while since I've done all that much riding of any great distance and I wanted to make sure and I kept a steady pace so that I wasn't as wrung out at the end of the ride as I have been on previous expeditions to the island. So I stuck to my plan and took it easy, taking in the sites as the road wound south towards the neck, switching from tarmac to gravel and back, and rose again on the gentle hills which signalled the approach to Alonnah. On a Sunday morning there is not a lot of traffic on Bruny Island and what traffic there is tends to come in short bursts as the ferry brings daytrippers across from Kettering every hour or so and they fan out to their destinations. 

The obligatory handlebar level photograph. Nice shot of my duelling scar too

I had not planned to stop and eat but the shop at Alonnah was open and I wasn't in a rush so I took a short break and refilled my water bottles and and wolfed down and egg and bacon roll. I was conscious of the fact that there were no facilities for the next 50km.

Underway again I rolled over the hills south of the tiny town, riding for the first time on roads I have not ridden before. The gravel road briefly became rough then improved as it passed from council control into the National Park. I noted a couple of short steep descents that were going to give me some fun on the return voyage and waved to the first small bunch of returning riders as they headed north. To my surprise they were only a few kilometres ahead of me but of course had already enjoyed a break.

A couple of riders were still at the lighthouse when I got there, having a break from taking photos of the stunning scenery amid the car-borne tourists. The beautiful golden sand and the inviting blue waters of the beach nearby beckoned and on any other day I would've been tempted to wander down and spend a few hours enjoying some time on the deserted shoreline not far away. But today I was on a mission. An unhurried mission but a mission nonetheless.

Hugh enjoys the scenic vistas from one of the lookouts. Photo courtesy of Hugh Harvey.

Before I left home I had set myself a rough timetable of when I would pass through the each of the checkpoints and although I was running about half an hour behind I wasn't particularly worried as there was ample wiggle room and I wasn't feeling very tired. After a rest and a snack and a few photographs I set off again, soon passed by my fellow riders and promising to meet them at the hotel Bruny 25km onward for lunch.

The return journey was made even more pleasant by the occasional presence of a gentle tailwind, which cooled things down a little and provided the slightest of assistance from time to time. I stopped for lunch at the hotel, choosing a very basic pizza as a more palatable alternative to a whopping bowl of chips. My companions set off in a bid to catch an earlier ferry and I bade them farewell. Just as I was about to leave not long afterwards I noticed I had a flat front tire. Fortunately I've taken the carrying I couple of CO2 cartridges in my toolkit so the tube was changed and reinflated and I was on my way pretty quickly. No idea what caused that though.

By this time – partly thanks to lunch taking longer to arrive than I had hoped – I was starting to nudge against the time limit of eight hours for the 120 km ride. This is a pretty common problem for people who take breaks which are too long and too frequent but this was a day when I was more focused on enjoying every moment on the bike rather than spending too much time worrying about deadlines. I get enough of that on weekdays. But even when tired the average Audax rider can calculate average speed and distance and time with the uncanny accuracy and have a pretty good idea of when they are going to finish give or take five minutes, so I was reasonably confident that barring unforeseen mechanical difficulties I should make the final 35km before the 4pm cutoff.

I could sit on the beach and soak in that view for hours.

My plan of taking the things slow and steady was paying dividends as I found myself travelling smoothly up the final hills as I counted down the last few kilometres to the ferry. The last kilometre or two is a fast downhill run with a fantastic view of the channel. The satisfaction of having finished the ride was given a little boost as I zoomed past the dozens of cars lined up and bought a cool drink at the shop as I waited a few minutes for my turn to board. Despite being only a quarter of an hour within the time limit and being emphatically the Lantern Rouge I will rate this as one of the best days riding I've had in years and can't wait to spend more time exploring Bruny Island on my bike. 

Heading home on the ferry. Photo courtesy of John Bown.

For those riders who wanted to come along but were unable to because of other commitments I'm not going to take a lot of persuasion to run this ride again in some form in a month or two or three. And having had a second look at my maps and plans I reckon there is a cracking 150km ride that would allow complete traverse of the island’s many attractions in a single day which I think could end up becoming a real classic. Here’s looking forward to many more visits to beautiful Bruny.

270km so far this year.

Florentine mission.

The Florentine Valley is remote, but a particularly scenic destination for cycling

There's a loop that's been tempting me for a while up in the heart of the Florentine Valley, a bit over an hour north-west of Hobart. It's a shade over 100km on forestry roads and describes a more or less complete circle around the Mt Field National Park. As is usual in Tasmania, there's a fair bit of climbing, but the ride as a whole is certainly an achievable challenge. I scouted sections of this ride a few months back in the car, but to be sure the roads were passable and was impressed.

So we set off last Sunday for a lash.  Given the remoteness of some of the road and the expected lack of traffic we chucked a satellite phone and an EPIRB in my hydration park, just to be on the safe side.

Tyenna River Bridge.

 

Having carefully planned the route using the excellent RideWithGPS website and given the weather forecast due regard, I'd decided that the best way to tackle the loop was to get most of the climbing done early. To this end we started from the little town of Westerway and climbed steadily on the tarmac through National Park and Maydena, where we had a quick stop.

The gravel started at the 23km mark as we turned off the Gordon River Road. The climbing was steady, not overly so, but certainly long and taxing. The white road surface had me thinking of the famous 'strada bianca' of classic rides of Italy's L'Eroica.

I have a theory that gravel roads are much easier to ride after rain than after prolonged dry spells because the loose material on the surface tends to be compact a little into the road. Instead, we found ourselves cursing out tyres choices and pressures on the loose dry gravel, which saw us frequently sliding sideways unexpectedly on the gentle camber of some of the uphill corners.

Gravel roads can be a challenge after long dry spells.

The views along the way are well worth the effort. The range made up of Florentine Peak, Tyenna Peak and the Knobs dominate the skyline from the road, and the odd clearing where forestry work had felled a coupe allows for some spectacular photo opportunities.

We made reasonable progress in the warm, still conditions, topping the range after about two hours of solid effort. It was here I heard the first rumblings of exhaustion though, a combination of not enough miles in the legs and a lingering debilitation from having had the flu. I told Ben I wasn't sure whether I was going to get all the way around and we agreed to give it a few more kilometres and see if the feeling passed. 

The Niner RLT continues to impress as a comfortable, capable all-day all-surface bike. 

Sadly it didn't. At the 45km mark, with the worst of the day's climbing behind us, I was spent. We decided to turn back as the ride back to the car was a simpler proposition than the 60-odd kilometres ahead. In hindsight it turned out to be the right decision, despite my disappointment at not completing the loop. A bit more training would help, although I already knew 100km+ in a day might be pushing it my luck after a couple of weeks off the bike. It's better to have tried and failed etc.

The ride back was a confirmation that this ride might be best tackled in spring or late autumn. The loose gravel had us sliding all over the place and in parts we were travelling more slowly downhill that we had on the upward journey, picking our lines with great care lest we come unstuck. A short break at Maydena and we were back on our way, 90km for the day still being a decent enough effort. And the Florentine still beckons for an outing on another day.

4164km so far this year.

Audax Airwalk Extraordinaire 2014

 

It's a funny thing how new roads become familiar over time, how journeys once thought too difficult become mere preludes to explorations afresh. There was a time when the 30km ride to the Tahune Airwalk from Southwood was an exciting proposition for a Sunday, now it's a routine weekend circuit. It's human nature to want to explore and extend our horizons.

 

The Airwalk Extraordinare is an Audax ride I've run for three years now. Usually it's a combination of gravel and tarmac, making a handy loop which starts and finishes at Ranelagh and includes a section of highway. This year I changed the course to be more or less and an out and back affair, from Huonville deep into the Picton River Valley and back via the Airwalk, pretty much all on gravel roads. It's an ambitions 110km+ journey with some challenging hills and road conditions that can be unpredictable. There are no road signs along the way, we trace the route from memory, from explorations of days gone by. It's a route largely free of cars, although fallen trees and potholes pose intermittent and unpredictable hazards.

 



Climbing out of the Weld Valley.

This isn't a ride for everyone. This year there was only three takers, Ben and Hugh and I, so we set off at 9am, making good time over the Denison Range, the first challenge for the day. The weather was warm and still and I had my jersey pockets bulging with energy gels, just in case. One of my favourite climbs rolled quickly by, the gentle rise out past the Russell River, then the long downhill then flat section to the Weld. Another climb and another long descent and we were past the Airwalk and into the loop out to the Picton.

  

Picton River Bridge.

There's a shelter near the old condemned bridge on the Picton River and it's a good spot for a break, but only a short one for us as lunch beckoned. Surprisingly we zoomed back along the road on the south of the river with no trouble at all - these road have been known to eat tyres. We zoomed along, absorbed in the concentration of picking our lines carefully at speed to avoid the worst of the rocks. We were back at the Airwalk at 1pm on the dot for a bite to eat.

 

No cars behind these locked gates.

After a half-hour break we were off again. The rolling section down to the Huon River Bridge at Southwood pretty reliably takes 45 minutes. With a little of the air out of the tyres the bike rolled like a dream, smoothing out the bumps. The day was warming, although there was also the threat of rain, which we somehow seemed to skirt. I was beginning to tire a little by now, and Ben and Hugh kindly waited at the top of the climbs for me to catch up. Southwood and the top of the climb there soon passed by before it was once more onto the dreaded back of Denison Hill, which saw me on foot for a short section.  I call that 21st gear.

 

 

Rolling back over Denison Hill.

The final 20km back to Huonville was into the teeth of a very unnecessary headwind, so Ben and Hugh eased away as I resigned myself to spin onwards. Finishing within the audax road 100km deadline of 6h40 proved a touch ambitious, although we were only around 40m outside that, which was still well inside the 10 hours allowed for a dirt expedition. Amazingly and happily, we had not a single mechanical problem or puncture all day. Every adventure is the prelude to another, and so too was this, another most memorable day on the bike.

 

4998km so far this year.

Weekend on Bruny

It's been a while since I posted, in part due to winter and illness and in part due to being overseas for a bit. Fortunately the perfect antidote to a few weeks in the smog and haze of China is a weekend on Bruny Island. The weather was great and the company terrific.

The four of us set off on Saturday morning on the 9.30am ferry ($5 return for bikes, a bargain). After grinding up the first hill we enjoyed the long descent to The Neck, where there's a gravel section and lovely water views, before regaining the tarmac for the run into Adventure Bay where lunch was procured.

Any thoughts of a lazy day were soon dispelled as we began climbing the hills out of Adventure Bay. There were two routes on offer. With my distinct lack of fitness - and some dumpling-related weight gain - I opted for a shorter run over the shoulder of Mt Mangana, while the fitter mob took a longer option. 

After enjoying a thrilling gravel descent and a few diverting undulations, I found myself at the Bruny Island pub at Alonnah with enough time to down a couple of beers before the others arrived with breathless tales of daring descent and death defying antics. 

After a large meal, and a few more beers, we rode the 7km back to our accommodation in the dark. Never was rest more keenly sought, though we managed to watch a football game on the TV before turning in for the night.

The following morning we were blessed by even more perfect weather than the day before - warm and clear and still. A quick 7km return ride to breakfast at the Alonnah shop for bacon and egg rolls and we were soon back on the road, grinding out the 40-odd kilometres back to the ferry. Even the last few hills were a pleasure to ride and we were back in time for a well-earned burger at Cygnet as a late-lunch.

A lovely weekend and one I hope to repeat before too long. The short video below captures some of the flavour of our trip.

3555km so far this year.

More gravel. 60km in the Snowy Range.

Another fine outing thanks to some careful planning using Google Earth and RidewithGPS.com. Route here for anyone interested: http://www.strava.com/activities/142433448

On Denison Ridge, heading west.

Back down in the valley.

Heading up the range.

Big Tree, Link Road,

Nearing the finish.

Tassie Gravel.

I've been messing around with some story telling tools (aren't we blessed to live in such an age?). Over at Creativist I've put together a short multimedia-rich page on gravel riding in Tasmania. I hope you like it. 

2238km so far this year.

Just another Sunday ride.

It wasn't that remarkable a ride really, just another Sunday run, part of the excuse being my new bike.  I wasn't even going to blog until photos turned out nice. 

The weather was ok though a bit blowy. It was cool and looking a bit like rain. It was a bit hard to figure out what to wear and nobody really knew how far we were going though the answer is always 'as far as we get'. That sounds way more dramatic than it generally turns out to be. 

We hadn't really agreed on where we were going almost until we set out, but since when was the destination important? A wise woman once said a bad day on the bike is better than a good day in the office. She was right, although this was nothing like a bad day on the bike. Denison Hill and Link Road notwithstanding.

What really made it was the roads. We know these tracks pretty well but unlike your newfangled tar, gravel or dirt or unsealed or whatever you like to call them roads vary wildly with the seasons and with the sporadic maintenance they get in these parts. In summer they can be dry and dusty and potholed and after winter rains the surface can be wheelsucking-sticky like riding across the top of a mud cake. But now and again these roads ride smoother and faster than the finest board track you could care to name. And no board track is lined with the tall trees of southern Tasmania nor do you get to suck into your lungs during your exertions the cleanest air in the world.

I was going to have a good day no matter what happened for I was on a new bike. Link Road is my nemesis - actually everyone's nemesis for it's steepness on both sides. Here's how steep: I walked most of the way up but still managed to be second fastest rider (out of three) who ever passed by this road according to Strava. In all fairness two of our bunch made it all the way up in the saddle fast enough to wonder where we'd got to but aren't slaves to the our GPS overlords. Strong leg bragging rights - and my admiration - to them. 

Nasty, or perhaps necessary hills behind us loomed the fun part. At this point on the map you're closer to the towns of savage toothless wastrels on the other side of the Snowy Range by a large margin than anywhere in the Huon Valley that could make even a tenuous claim to civilisation. But lo, the gently downsloping road has been moistened by autumn rain and rolled smooth by the wheels of what little traffic passes through these parts and was wanton and slick and fast. And as an added bonus we picked up a gentle tailwind for the 30km run in to lunch.

It was a fine run into Huonville. On my count we saw about three cars all day. Big gears were turned over at high cadences and tall tales of rides past were told. After a very pleasant downwind run those who remained turned back into the wind for the upwind grind back to where we started. Another fine Sunday spent, messing about on bikes. Wherever Sunday found you I hope your ride was as good at ours.

2180km so far this year.