Category: Bikes

Ok you blood suckers, here’s the itinerary! It’s late, I had no sleep last night thanks to the Paris-Roubaix, I spent too many hours at work and I smell of curry. For these reasons, it’s probably a bit shabby and might have some spelling mistakes or minor fuck-ups. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out! Download it and print it out several times. Put a copy in your pocket, one in your bum bag, one down your pants, and one in your luggage. It tells you what’s going on, so it will be handy.

The itinerary refers to ‘The Map’ a few times. Because it just ticked over to midnight I’m going to wait until tomorrow to try find time to draw up a map (probably unlikely, but I’ll try) . If you need instant gratification, please just search for the places on Google Maps. ‘Salamanca Place Hobart’ should find the Salamanca Lawns for you. Find the corner of Brisbane Street and Campbell Street and you’ll have the location of The Brisbane Hotel. The top of ‘Tolosa Street Glenorchy’ will point you to the MTB park. The West Hobart Skate Bowl is a little trickier and I will try to get details instructions for that (I think it’s off Lochner Street)!

Anyway, here it is:

DOWNLOAD THE ITINERARY!

I looked at the site today and decided that one thing was lacking.. Not a tattoo in site. Being a ‘bike gang’ site you’d expect to see a bit of ink but nah, none. The Melburn boys are more than holding up their end of the deal but we’re a graphically challenged mob south of the ditch. Being none to fond of needles probably doesn’t help things much either.. Anyway, found a shot of some of my er.. ‘early work’. These are the tatts ya mother loves best.. the ones that wash off with a good scrubbin’.

Big shout-out to my Ma-in-law! Cheers for reading the site! Sorry ’bout the swearing.. I’ll smack Mischa and Hunners later!

The 28 cobbled sections of  Paris-Roubaix taped to Saunier Duval/Scott team member Luciano Pagliarini’s top tube.

Boonen wins the 106th Paris-Roubaix on a bike with 177.5 crank arms. Cancellara second, Ballan third. O’Grady fifth.

259.5 kilometres of racing. 28 sections of cobblestones, making 57 kilometres in all of cobbled hell.

The fastest Paris-Roubaix for over 20 years.

Top ten:

1. BOONEN Tom 51 QUICK STEP 5h 58′ 42″
2. CANCELLARA Fabian 5 TEAM CSC 5h 58′ 42″
3. BALLAN Alessandro 71 LAMPRE 5h 58′ 42″
4. MAASKANT Martijn 247 SLIPSTREAM CHIPOTLE 6h 02′ 21″ + 03′ 39″
5. O’GRADY Stuart 1 TEAM CSC 6h 02′ 39″ + 03′ 57″
6. HOSTE Leif 31 SILENCE – LOTTO 6h 02′ 39″ + 03′ 57″
7. DEVOLDER Stijn 54 QUICK STEP 6h 02′ 41″ + 03′ 59″
8. VAN SUMMEREN Johan 37 SILENCE – LOTTO 6h
9. HINCAPIE George 61 HIGH ROAD 6h 03′ 54″ + 05′ 12″
10. BALDATO Fabio 72 LAMPRE 6h 03′ 54″ + 05′ 12″

Read more:
Daily Peloton / Cyclingnews.com Race Tech

Friday just gone saw the first of the Winter 08 “Silo Runs” completed.* The Coach, his Apprentice, L-Dub and Jesus met up on the Lawns @ 5pm for a spin thru the Nthn Suburbs. The (ahem) ‘peleton’ threaded it’s way thru the peak hour traffic and out towards Newie Oval Velodrome where it stopped to converse with a few assembled track riders who were having a ‘end of season’ beer (or two).  Stopping to rehydrate at such an early point in the ride may have in hindsight been a poor decision.. but.. ah..? ..the Coach thought it was necessary anyway. Traded a few yarns with the crew before collecting two more riders, Bec and Rossi, and spinning off to the Alley Cat Bar in Nth Hobart.. Now this is where is it got interesting.. There is a big hill climb from Risdon Road out of Newie.. A impromptu sprint was thrown down and the lads on the track bikes took the jump early.. Bucks on his gear tri bike some reeled ‘em in but it was Rossi (Cyclone and BnC Team member) who surprised us most. Rossi was on his new Gary Fisher MTB with big dirty 2.3’ tyres and the fit little fkr reeled ‘em ALL in!! Impressive!!! The Alley Cat was reached and.. well, a picture tells a thousand words… I’ll let the piccies tell the story from here… 

      

A quick note: Post Alley Cat, the Apprentice and Rossi were racing down Elizabeth Street when they tagged each other and went down. Ugly. Left the Gary Fisher with a dented top tube and mashed brake lever. Bec, in a isolated incident on Elizabeth Street, had to stop a pay Mr Plod $80 for her alleged ‘colour blindness’.  

Anyway, the above happenings are not necessarily BnC endorsed or encouraged but we will be making the ‘Silo Runs’ a regular Friday night happening. Keep ya eyes on the site for more details. 

*{The history behind these rides harks back to earliest days of Bottles and Chains.. The original Silo Run was a nameless group ride on a Friday arvo. The organised meeting point was 5pm @ Salamanca Lawns opposite Knopwood’s Retreat (a popular Hobart establishment that draws a huge crowd for knock-off drinks at the end of each working week).. Our plan was to meet and ride out to the Bonnet and back but as the saying goes, “even the best laid plans don’t always go according to plan” …legend has it that the group of assembled cyclists only ever rode as far as the Silo’s (which is at the far end of Salamanca Lawns) and back. Perhaps it was the lure of Knoppies that proved to strong? One theory is that the ride was only ever a ‘front’ for husbands looking for an excuse to go out drinking on a Friday night.. but, regardless of what actually happened, the mythology of the Silo Run was born on that night and the whole ethos of Bottles and Chains is firmly entrenched in these early beginnings.}

Since reading Dave Cooper’s article, ‘The guy that rode over the Himilaya’s on a singlespeed ..and lived’ in issue two of ‘One Mag’ the idea of cycle touring on my fixie has been itching about in the back of my brain. Meeting Canadian Dave and hearing of his fixed touring exploits over the Otways and across the Central Plateau only further fuelled the fire… and now the question that constantly bugs me is: “could you cycle tour on a fixie across New Zealands South Island?”

I emailed Dave McCaig for his opinion on the subject and he suggested ‘no’.. Nigel Rushton, the author of ‘Pedallers Paradise – NZ’s South Island’ reckon’s maybe, pending the pedaller’s sanity (or lack there-of).. Seeking further opinion, I searched old Sheldon Brown’s site for guidance. Here’s what I found:

“Singlespeed touring is not as goofy an idea as it might sound at first blush – if you’re not in a hurry and value simplicity and reliability, a singlespeed is eminiently tourable. Yes, you might have to get off and walk up a few hills, but that’s hardly a tragedy, in fact sometimes it can be a nice change of pace! If you are in a hurry, why are you on a bicycle?” – Sheldon Brown.

     

A bit of an oldie but a goodie never the less.. BnC’s own Mexican shandy drinker (Mr Rossendell in his Taswegian skinsuit, sporting number 28) pilots his white BT into the fence in this classic comedy sequence.. Please feel free to wince.. Ouch. (So Steve, 28c knobbies on the BT..? I think it’s high time for some Rossi cyclocross action.. What better time than the SS Nats?)

As a newly inducted international member of BnC I can spread the BnC
religion to places other than Tas. When I arrived in Hobart for my
internship at CSIRO I was presented with this great opportunity of
travelling on a big orange ship. Not only would this be an awsome
personal experience, I also felt responsible for spreading the BnC
virus as far south as humanly possible. No BnC-member had travelled
as far south as I was about to. American Dave did a good job
travelling to the south island of New Zealand, but my journey would
take me all the way to the continental shelf of Antarctica.

After 6 days at sea, today was the day. We had passed the 60S mark,
officially entering the Antarctic circle. But we where going further
still. The Aurora Australis was bashing through the ice, delivering
us to a place surrounded by ice as far as the eye can see. The wind
was blowing at 40 knots and with the wind chill factor at maximum
strenght I was going outside for a picture at -35C. I pulled out the
BnC flag, nearly losing it in the insane wind. I had to use my teeth
to hold it, which wasn’t the best idea, because it was hurting very
bad. But it’s results that count, and what a result it is! The BnC
flag at 65S, very close to the Antarctic continent.

Keeping to the BnC religion, pictures of me drinking and riding a
bike will follow…

Timbo