Double’s trouble..

Sometimes I’m easily distracted.. “Where DOES that dirt road go?” Curiosity laid to bed plans to complete the ‘Channel Century’ today. Midway ’round, I turned my roadie uphill to follow some previously unknown (to me) gravel double track into Snug Tiers Reserve.  A bit of scratching about and I found a track that linked into the Kaoota to Margate Tramway and back home. The trails were a bit of an ask for my 28c shod road bike and I spent most of the ride wishing I had a little more rubber beneath me.. ..so when I got back to the Ranch I whipped my 29er out and headed out for round two. Turns out, double is trouble.  Halfway down my second passage of the Nierinna Creek Track I spilt my rear tire and was sprayed head to toe with tubeless slime. No worries, I’ll whack a tube in a nurse her home. Whipped the tire off only to find that inside she was like a pin cushion from our time in the desert (which is THE thorn capital of the world). Twenty minutes of picking pricks out and I’m back on my way, winding through some very nice singletrack, across a paddock or two and home in time for a beer (or two) with the Old Man. Not bad for a sunday outing.

Shit’s Art, Son!

So I’m here at that museum of old and new art, which makes me some kind of special and priviledged person (because I live in Hobart). I think those years of failing subjects at art school must have paid off (though my HECS debt hasn’t), because a lot of it seems to make sense on some level. But really, the important and relevant thing on this website is the fact that there’s an artwork here featuribg a bike, there are heaps of hipsters, and I saw some guy with a Fyxomatosis mussette, which is common elsewhere but rare here. Exciting times…enjoy the update, suckers. Here’s a photo…

Oak

Oi, you sods all know Ryan and his merciless car revenge story. Apparently when he’s not trying to bust Dave out of jail for crimes against marsupial-kind, he’s building sweet frames. Who’da thunk it!? You should go look at his stuff at his website, cause it’s got some nice pictures and if you’re in London then maybe you can cross his palm with silver and he’ll make you something pretty.

Tales From The Crypt

People of the world, greetings from the vast expanses of the universe…or something like that.

Those amongst you with greater powers of observation may have noticed that this bumfuck of a site has been fairly quiet of late.  Apart from a few posts with content, it’s mostly been talk of things that were coming up or rumoured to be happening, and then very little follow up. This is due in (most) part to the fact that I am an incredibly lazy person who speaks often of doing things like updates, or making phone calls, or organising bike rides, and yet end up doing very little of any of that. Those of you who are regular readers (small in number and the subject of much pity, no doubt) would realise that this is a repeated theme around here. So let’s make an attempt to remedy that, shall we?

Firstly, go tell all the people you hate that the BnC website might start getting some more content a little more frequently. Also, let them know that I have been approached with offers of cold, hard cash in exchange for advertising ugg boots on this “fashion blog”. I shit you not. I want you all to know that I could have quite easily been sitting here in a brand new pair of delicious sheep feet whilst unashamedly linking to some random muppet’s skin boots. But no! The faint odour of integrity that sometimes wafts up from the BnC bed sheets is thickening to a musty stench once again, and damned if we’re gonna clean it out any time soon.

So anyway… late last year we once again held the annual BnC Grass Track Slalom event in Hobart. Boxing day saw a fine selection of old men and young children loitering around a tree in a park, supping on beverages and tittering nervously. After some friendly banter things eventually got under way. As per usual, the afternoon consisted of large numbers of people on bicycles kooking it on various levels and inevitably ending up on the ground in a pile of hurt and metal. Fun for all.

I honestly can’t say I remember who won, if anyone. I’m fairly sure that Kiwi retained the previous year’s Croc Cup simply by default, and probably because no one else wanted some aged plastic kid’s shoe strapped to their bike. As with most of these events, things got rather interesting after everyone packed up and headed to the pub. Memories are fairly hazy, and those of you so inclined can no doubt track down various photos involving inebriated BnC members out and about later that evening, usually making complete fools of themselves. I myself ended up awaking on a strange couch in a house filled with people I didn’t know, at 7:30am the next morning. Safe to say I made a swift exit.

For those who missed it, here are some photos. For those who made it, maybe this will bring back some memories. For those who we may have crossed paths with…sorry.

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The Taste and MONA Valet Bike Parking

Summer is coming and it is chock full of festivals and events, big and small. Two of the most notable are the long established Taste of Tasmania and the opening of the new and intriguing Museum of New and Old at Moorilla.
If you are considering attending either or both events then it is very worthwhile cycling there as Bicycle Tasmania is providing free valet bike parking.

For a even better and very social day out please consider helping out for a few hours as a valet bike parking attendant, as well as participating in these two great events.

The Taste valet bike parking runs from December 28th to 3rd
Jan, 11am – 11pm daily, (except New Year’s Eve, which finishes at 4 pm).
If you can help out with The Taste valet bike parking please contact Patsy Jones Email – patsycj@ozemail.com.au Phone – 0409 950 327

The MONA Opening Weekend valet bike parking will be in operation Friday January 21 4.00pm – 12.00pm, Saturday 22nd 9.30am – 12.00pm, Sunday 9.30am – 11.30pm.
If you can help with the valet bike parking this weekend please contact Tim Stredwick Email – tstredwick@velosmith.com.au Phone 0458 214 776

Boxing Day Grass Track Dual Slalom!

For the past two years we have held a ‘Grass Track Dual Slalom/4X-ish’ event in the Pirate Ship Park (Battery Point) on Boxing Day. Each time it has been a fun event, we’ve drunk beer, listened to tunes, swapped bikes and thrown ourselves down the Park’s steep grassy slope in a ‘loose’ race format. …and it’s happening again this year! Sweet!!

Wanna come? Bring a bike, any functioning bike will do (Jordie ruled it on a Ladies Town Bike last year), something to drink, something to nibble on and your race face. Time? Meet on the grass on the hillside above the ‘Pirate Ship’ at 12:30pm, 26 December. We’ll try and roust up a stezza and some tunes. Afterwards we may or may not go and eat at the Vietnamese Kitchen and have a flatland/trials comp (K1w1? Hunners?). Mishmash and Huon are going to come for a run. See you there!