Weekend rides and K2 training

Mmmmm....Lean meat powder

-- Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October

SATURDAY

0545 Newmarket (crn Broadway and Khyber Pass) for Waitaks...Butterchicken, Bethells loop, Scenic Drive, Karekare return. Might hurt a bit. Just a little.

0630 LABC HQ depart. Medium-pased Eastern special: Whitford Gorge, Sandstone then Redoubt Rds, Alfriston, Brookby, West Rds to Clevedon, Monument, Tourist, Creighton Rds, right onto Ardmore Quarry Rd, to Papakura for Hunua Gorge, Sky High, Twilight and Sandstone.

0730 Mechanics Bay depart for moderately paced Poo-Ponds.

SUNDAY

Weather looks like crap.

In the event of bad weather or disputes regarding the Rules, conduct, results and all other matters relating to weekend rides, the decision of the judge(s) shall be final and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.

What say you?

-- Stereograms * Silverware * Salad-servers

I've been toying with a t-shirt concept.

The idea is to celebrate New Zealand's most iconic cycle race: The Dulux Six-day Cycle Race.

It was raced for 25 years, from 1960 -1985.

Now defunct, of course.

The words at the very bottom say: Stereograms. Silverware. Salad-servers.

The story behind this slightly cycling ironic feature is that the race was amateur and prizes had to be “engrave-able”.

(Ever tried engraving a stereogram?)

What do you think?

Race of Six Friends - Race report

(Six racing friends evoke Furious Five spirit)

-- 130km, 1,800 metres of climbing, rocks, wind, rain, punctures, road rash, abandonment, anguished references to Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five: The Message

Race organisers got what they wanted – suffering and stories.

Participants agreed.

You could see it in their mud flecked faces and, with the right kind of ear, hear it on the wind carrying insults hurled at the misted sky.

Unlike French bicycle rider Octave Lapize’s famed 1910 outburst atop the Col du Tourmalet: "Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins!' (“You are murderers! Yes, murderers!”), our suffering is mostly self-published and immortalized not for its eloquence, but for the fact that it is almost impossible to delete stuff from the clutches of the popular internet searching service.

LABC entered two teams. We did alright.

View photos here.

LABC(f) in motion.

Garmin race data.

Pictures and sound.

Corner from Hell (CFH).

Thoughtful commentary.

More moving pictures (the smoothest part of the rocky section)

Cycling fashion and memorable sound track.

The organiser score sheet read: On the finsh line score sheet we recorded 56 punctures, 1 rim collapse and 13 "offs" but that was only for the teams that actually finished. It would be interesting to know how many of these "incidents" were suffered by Exceed Coaching, Moments of Extreme Madness, Roy's Rebels, The Outlaws and Hot Cycles. I did hear that one team started with 12 spare tubes and came off Klondyke with just 3.

The last word goes to Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five.

Weekend rides and gallic chokeholds

Why you little....!

Saturday 24 and Sunday 25

SATURDAY

0730 Mechanics Bay depart for moderately-paced Poo-ponds.

SUNDAY

Two LABC teams riding in the Race of Six Friends.

In the event of bad weather or disputes regarding the Rules, conduct, results and all other matters relating to weekend rides, the decision of the judge(s) shall be final and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.

Weekend rides and little guy with big problems

Little guy, big problem

Saturday 17 and Sunday 18

SATURDAY

0630 LABC HQ depart for Thomo special: "For those that are keen for a ride tomorrow, I suggest we meet at Lunn Avenue at 6.30am. Hopefully we can get out and back before the weather cracks up later in the day. I will go even if there is a bit of rain provided it is not pouring. Keen for 120ks of hills and medium pace. Suggest we finalise the route in the morning depending on the weather."

SUNDAY

UPDATE: Sunday morning weather looks like crap. Remain in bed.

Weather looks wonky. Check back in Saturday night for Sunday morning riding plan.

In the event of bad weather or disputes regarding the Rules, conduct, results and all other matters relating to weekend rides, the decision of the judge(s) shall be final and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.

Weekend rides and RWC kickoff

-- Saturday 10 and Sunday 11

SATURDAY

0630 LABC HQ depart for Reverse Thomo Loop (RTL). Auckland to Ramarama, via Sandstone/Redoubt Rds, Ararimu Rd, Gelling Rd, return via Hunua, Sky High, Twilight and Sandstone. Approx 100km. Medium pace with short bursts of wanton exhibitionism.

SUNDAY

Weather looks a bit spooky. No riding planned (unless someone indicates otherwise. Post plans in comments box)

In the event of bad weather or disputes regarding the Rules, conduct, results and all other matters relating to weekend rides, the decision of the judge(s) shall be final and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.

Weekend rides and perineum favourites

Tom knows: "I've got a second skin."

-- Saturday 3 and Sunday 4

SATURDAY

0600 Newmarket (crn Broadway and Khyber Pass) for Waitaks...Butterchicken, Bethells loop, Scenic Drive, Karekare return.

(Ride notes: We will ride in a nurturing, collaborative, and highly supportive environment. Riders 'losing contact' will not be ridiculed for weakness but, rather, congratulated for their improvement potential.)

0730 Mechanics Bay depart for moderately paced Poo-Ponds.

SUNDAY

0615 LABC HQ depart for Huna easy spin: Hunua Gorge/John Hill/Clevedon/Twighlight. (Might be a few takers for the Maraetai leg home).

In the event of bad weather or disputes regarding the Rules, conduct, results and all other matters relating to weekend rides, the decision of the judge(s) shall be final and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.