Author: Ben

Benny did it again.. Producing the goods for the B’n’C coffers @ Hobarts ‘Bikes and Spikes’ Carnival for the second year running.

Standard pre race prep was undertaken, a +3hr dance off Saturday night @ Jibbo, Tommy, Disco and Dookies combined 30th party washed down with a carton of larger and a few flutes of champy for style and I was race ready (that is with a dry mouth, throbbing head and cramped legs). Didn’t do so well in the wheelrace heats, the sprint derby or even the Kieran but it was the C Grade Scratchie that Track Coach Hunners and I had targetted and produced the desired results in..

I was feeling tired after my 4 earlier races and Coach Hunnibell decided I needed an energy drink before my next race to er, ‘pep’ me up a tad. My Mama wasn’t too impressed when Hunners handed me a cold beer, she suggested that I better put it away as my race was coming up next.. so I did. I dont think she quite meant for me to ‘put it away’ in the manner it was put away..

The scratchie started badly with my left shoe unclipping from the pedal, so whilst I faffed around clipping in again the peleton rode away leaving me to close a 30m gap. Argh. Cach Hunners and the Praties/Dirt Devils crew gave me all the ah, ‘encouragement’ needed to bring the gap and they suggested that I employ the signature ‘Storer’ manouever to try a win a few of the sprint laps..

I took the boys advice and sprinted away from the peleton, holding a 50m gap from the lead riders for the next 5 laps.. Each sprint lap was worth the princely sum of $10! As I crossed the line to take out the 1st and 2nd sprint laps I claimed the ride with a Robbie-esque finger waggle, hoot and hand slap with the Coach who was hanging over the rail cheering like the yob he is eh. Awesome. It was definately the ride of my carnival series. Big shout out to Hunners for all the advice and beers. A shout out must also go to the Hong Kong rider who stole my show in the sprint derby by jumping off the line at the gun. That guy is a champion.

I’ll be back again next year to defend my title. Haha.

• 11 Rider entries
• All in, 700c, 26inches, gears, singlespeed, brakes, brake-less, male, female, fat, thin, ranga, kiwi, fixed and freewheel racing together
• Grass track dual slalom course
• Two and a half cartons of beer
• Skin removed
• Race categories included: ‘Bike swap’ (Which was a problem for our resident pirate as he was only able to use the front brake on others bikes), ‘Good vs Evil’ (black vs white bikes), ‘Virgin Brakeless Fixed’ (This was a particularly amusing category, especially the Mashmonsters tree ploughing action on Pringles prized Kenny Self.. very funny), and finally, ‘Beer in Hand’ (again, a difficult race for the pirate child)
• The 2008 ‘Silo Run’ Grand High Bike Champion must have ben taken out by one of these guys but fkd if I can remember who..

What the fuck? Isn’t summer supposed to be hot?? Is it January or July??? This has been the coldest Christmas Carnival Series I can remember, it has been SERIOUSLY cold!

The B’n’C carnival results haven’t been that hot thus far either. Kicked off the string of dud results at the Simplot Carnival with a run of 5ths, rolled on to the Roseberry Carnival where I placed 1 outside the podium in every race (argh!) including a points race where I contested all 4 sprint laps and came 2nd in ALL of them >:(  ..next was Latrobe, similiar dice there too I’m afraid, all 5th’s and 6th’s.. The two day carnival at Devonport followed.. much the same there again, except for my heat of the 2000m handicap where I rode off 220m and managed to finish 4th beating scratchmen Steve Rossendell, Kam Po Wong, Nathan Clark and Matt Goss! Pretty stoked about that one. Burnie was the most recent carnival, no amazing rides from Bennyboy there either I’m afraid, although I did almost pull off a win using my signature move from last year.

The carnivals have been pretty exiciting with the Malaysian, American, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australian Track Teams all racing. A number of pro teams also turned up alongside the West Australian, South Australian, Victorian and Tasmanian Institute of Sport Teams. Some fast riders in amongst that mob!

Couple of speccy crashes too.. including a corker at Devonport where Jeremy Hills attempted to squeeze through an imaginary gap and took down another rider. Hillsy copped a pedal in the spokes of his Zipp 404 and some skin loss for his troubles.. (check out the broken spokes in the photo below..)

Hobart Carnival will be on this sunday, so if you feel like a little track action, back ya backside trackside!

Yep, we’re doin it.. reviving the former Friday night tradition on a Saturday arvo. Ok bike punks, grab ya rolling gear and meet us for a ride (and beer) on Saturday 27 December @ 4:00pm on Salamanca Lawns opposite Knopwoods.

The ride will be 95% pavenment (5% grass skids on the lawns) and ANY type of bike will do the trick, so no excuses now.. Bring a lock cause there will be beer afterwards and you don’t want’cha bike to go AWOL do ya..! We”l be keeping it easy for the fat-kids(Hunnibell) with some hills thrown in to punsh Pringle for buying a dual springer with GEARS.. (shock, horror!)

More details on Facebook if ya keen: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=53766941664 Come have a yarn, a roll round and get loose!

Benny

Fk yeah!

Talented Bottles and Chains youngster, Benny McCamerabitch, took out the Bronze Tripod for outstanding News Cinematography in the 2008 Australian Cinematographer Societies Victorian /  Tasmania awards on Friday night.  

Benny and his Camera-sidekick, Mitchmash, shot the pants off Cameramen from the other Tassie stations and a whole heap of Melburn competition by capturing some freakin’ amazing footage of the Myer building burning down earlier this year. Fk yeah!

Link to the ASC website for those interested in reading further:

http://www.cinematographer.org.au/awards/state/victas/08winners 

Link to the Mercury newspaper Myer Fire Gallery for fire pics:

http://tools.themercury.com.au/photo-gallery/index.php?group_id=101

Dave of the red italian carbon/mid-life crisis (formerly ‘Surly Dave’) asked if I would post the following for him. Now, I think it is a legit ride, but it may just be Dave organising another opportunity to show off his new red, racy bitch, er, I mean bike. Turn up. It’ll be a fkn radical ride. Hunners, you better get on it. I’ve been training and there are only four more weeks until Carnival action kicks off… don’t wanna be blown away by the apprentice now do ya?

Dave this one is for you:

“The inaugural Channel Challenge 110km ride is on this coming Sunday 23 November. The ride traverses some of southern Tasmania’s most scenic waterfront roads with four major climbs as it passes from Huonville through Cygnet over to Kettering and back around the Channel. A moderate/hard ride with 1500m of ascending. There is also a 50km option for riders seeking a shorter day in the saddle.The ride starts from the Huon Jet Boat Base at 8am – turn left just before the Huon River bridge if you’re coming from the north. Plenty of parking, toilets and a 24-hour service station nearby. Be there by 7.30am to register. Entry is $10, $5 for Audax Australia members. The ride is unsupported and has a time limit of seven hours. Riders will need to to be self sufficient and of reasonable fitness.”

Maps:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Channel-Challenge-50km
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Channel-Challenge-100km

Online entry:

http://www.formspring.com/forms/?348145-6uP8mayWH8

Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=97109255373

Sometimes great minds just think alike eh?

Bottles and Chainette Janelle Smith rode some pretty mean track @ the UCI World Masters Track Championships and won two GOLD MEDALS YO!! Top shit Janelle, all those boozy nights paid off I see? …unforntunately this bodes badly for an number of the boys @ B’n’C as their chances of beating Janelle on the loop this season are even lower than last… Best bit is Mischa can legitimately throw some rainbow hoops on Janelles B’n’C jersey, when he gets around to doing them that is (hint, hint..)

Stolen from http://www.tas.cycling.org.au/default.asp?Page=18857

“Hobart Cyclist Janelle Smith has proved that competitive cycling is not just for the boys. Recently returned from the UCI Masters World Track Cycling Championships in Sydney, Smith, 36, showed that training in a tough Tasmanian winter is great preparation for world class age group performance, winning the 35-39 years world championship for women in the 500m time trial and the match sprint. Janelle’s winning time in the time trial was 38.453 sec, an amazing average speed of 46.81 kph. Continue reading “Bottles and Chainette earns rainbow hoops yo!”

Alice Springs Masters Games Track Carnival was held this past friday night. A strong field of competitors from around the country had turned up to battle it out on the town’s 333meter, 37 degree banked velodrome. One old fella rode all the way from his home in Western Australia to be there (at the expense of his martial status!). B’n’C was limited to sideline action due to not meeting the age requirements.. 🙁 ..but, the very next day was the Alice Springs Cycling Club’s ‘King of the Mountains’ event in which we had an opportunity to vent the pent up white line fever that has been building up in Yulara for the past 3 months…

A field of forty riders entered and I felt pretty sure of my chances.. The weapon of choice was carbon, it had gears, I’d only drunk 6 beers the night before and with a comfortable temperature of 38 degrees, what could go wrong? Water. Forgot to take water. Suffered pretty bad because of this oversight and rolled in 14th. 🙁 Continue reading “Pics’n’Shit from Alice”

My Maths Teacher once stated to my parents that I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed. I think I may have gone someway towards proving his point today.

Northern Territory. Great Western Desert. 40 degrees celcius. No shade in sight. Midday, the hottest part of the day. So what do I do? I go for a ride. Continue reading “‘Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the Midday Sun’”