BnC headed off on the much-anticipated Hobart Ouse Hobart ride on Monday morning. Nine riders it total, mounted on tourers, cyclocrossers, roadies, singlespeeds and track bikes. We rode up some stupid hills and I think the three of us who were stuck on fixed gear bikes quite soon realised we were a little foolish. Regardless, the ride was awesome and we rode through some awesome scenery and passed a heap of nifty little backwaters. A headwind plagued the first day, and there was a bit of pain darkening the beautiful sunshine and tail wind on the second day, but the ride passed smoothly without any mechanicals or offs, which is a sure sign that the cycling powers were keeping an eye on us. Ben walked a few of the hills, but kept claiming he ran into nude lesbian pillow fights and was forced to slow down to watch. Gus slowly opened his eyes to the joy that is a cycling chamois. And Damo rode the whole way in the big ring, as a way of showing solidarity with those of us on fixed gear bikes…smart arse.
I’ve come down with the flu as a direct result of being a useless unfit bastard who’s unused to riding any distance greater than three kilometres, so I’m not going to write any more than that. I’ll leave it up to Liam and his camera to tell the rest of the tale, and hope that some of the other guys can either post some more or throw up some photos (yet to get my film developed).
Roll on.
Glad to see that beer was still a part of it!
No matter how much I think about it, I still have no idea how the hell you managed it fixed.
Sweet vid ! Wish I could have made it!
I think riding fixed down the fast winding dirt road into Elderslie was a pretty impressive effort.
Can’t wait for the next one 🙂
RAD! How many km all up?
Good to see some sensible hydration techniques demonstrated by Father Ben and MP too.
About 200km in total I think, maybe a couple more once we all made our way home. T’was good fun.
Was a cracking ride. I’m in awe of the blokes who rode it fixed. Well done. Don’t reckon there will be as many fixed riders next time.
for me it was watching Lingy zoom off down the hill towards Elderslie that tore it. I wanted a freewheelin’ bike.. Think the fixed will stay in town where the extra control fixed offers excels above the brake grabbin’ freewheelers..
I made a slideshow: http://vimeo.com/6663853
Ross, nice one!
I’d ride fixed again but there is really not much point apart from showing what a hard ass you are. Touring: time to flip the flop.
“watching Lingy zoom off down the hill”
How can you look at yourself in the mirror 😉
I’ve just realized this ride will go down as the death of the fixie. All three riders went away and immediately started building geared bikes.
At least I’m not a complete turn coat like Benny.
fixed and messenger bag all the way (who was that hard man?) Those switchbacks look insanely steep !! Picture usually dn;t show how bad they end up being.
Gus: Hey, hey wait a minute. I said I was jealous of Lingy zooming away DOWN the hill, not of Liams gears as he climbed up the hill. It’s a freewheel and options I’m after.
The new Surly Cross Check has semi horizontal dropouts and a hanger so it offers plenty of options (and better brakes than my current pretend ones).
I’ve a fixed rear wheel I can drop in.. I’ve just purchased a Surly 18t BMX cog and a Surly singlespeed spacer kit so I can throw that on the new wheel Pringle is building or if I want to do a fully loaded tour in NZud (or Tassie), I can throw on a cassette and rear derailleur and I’m away.
I am still a HUGE advocate of ‘one gear’.. but I’m the first to concede that 69inches, fixed and some heavy mo’fo panniers was a little hard to push up some of those hills heading out of the Derwent Valley. The next ‘loaded’ trip like the ‘Ouse’n’down’ mission will probably be on a geared bike..
But! If Timmy, MP and I sort out this night ride between Launceston and Hobart, I’ll be doing that on one gear! Any takers for the challenge?
Brendo: The hardman was Gus. Leather dress shoes and jeans. No knicks. Ow.
Gus the OG hardman, nice work, I’m applying chamois cream right now in sympathy…. oooh, love that cool feeling !!
Flip flop is good stuff, just put one on my CrossCheck, 17 fixed, 18 free (with a 17 option also)
they are all softies brendo, ignore their bragging. Yours truly had been pushing from 4pm the previous day, got to the pub with 26 wake hours behind him, kept living till 10pm making it 32 wake hours to his name and guess what! I have reason to believe that I was the only one still chugging beers while the rest lolled their heads. I figure if you are’nt hard enough to put in at the pub till midnight after a ride then ya might as well drop the fixed gear thing till ya can handle it. Shame
Video and photo evidence doesn’t support your claim Liam.. Rumour has it that Katie picked you up in the car just outside Ouse at 8am?
Nah, the Seaview Ave crew did well. Liam did the full redeye, Gus did the full red crotch. Hard men.
I’ve never claimed to be hard, just stupid.