Weekend rides and serious flight risk

A 6'4" 150kg IT geek would breeze through customs

-- Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 January

SATURDAY

0600 Newmarket depart (crn Broadway and Khyber Pass) for moderately paced Waitaks loop. Out via Butterchicken, Waitakere, and Bethells. Return via Scenic Drive. 

0700 Mechanics Bay depart for gentlemanly paced Poo Ponds. 

SUNDAY

Nothing currently organised

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 family Christmas portraits

WTF!?

- Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 December

SATURDAY

0600 (should it NOT be raining) LABC HQ depart for somewhere. Make it up as we go.

0700 inner city park MTB special departing top of Long Drive

SUNDAY

UPDATE: 0600 LABC HQ depart for Hunua loop. Back 0930-ish

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 the moral decay of once proud sports clubs

Volatile female members groomed. Outrageous!

-- Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December

SATURDAY

0700 Mechanics Bay depart for Whitford/Sandstone/Redoubt and gentlemen-paced Pooh Ponds.

SUNDAY

Who knows.

A few LABCers riding the Telstraclear Challenge.

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 digitally remastered greatest hits

"It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark under the moonlight"

-- Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 December

SATURDAY

0630 Grand depart from Bike Albany on Paul Matthews Rd, Albany, for Telstra Clear Challenge course tester. Get a taste of a course profile that looks very much like a fun filled roller coaster.

Plan is 1.5 hours out/1.5 hours back. Return to Bike Albany by 1000.

0700 Mechanics Bay depart for gentlemen-paced Pooh Ponds.

SUNDAY

To be advised (will update Saturday evening. At this stage Sunday weather looks crappy).

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.

White powder shocker; lawyer called in

-- Investigators blame mysterious chemical reaction; expensive aftershave under microscope

Catastrophic failure or workshop Charlie - which is worse?

When it comes to handlebars the lesser evil is the evil white powder.

LABC legal counsel Marty T. had some explaining to do when Wallis Cycles removed handlebar tape to reveal what mechanic Stephen Wallis described as the worst erosion he'd ever seen.

Oxidation - so much that it covered the workshop floor.

What's more, the bars were thin and brittle and, in two places, even holed.

Witnesses wondered aloud about a chemical reaction - cleaning compound, sweat, and tape glue? Aftershave, even?

Dr of Bicycle Engineering Mike P. made a quick assessment:

"Carbon will not deteriorate in that way. When aluminium corrodes (oxidises/rusts) it turns into a white powder. So it's dust to dust stuff you are looking it, not mould. Aluminium is extremely reactive. Pure aluminium on exposure to air, instantly oxidises. Normally that oxidation (Aluminium Oxide) is quite stable, so a very thin layer keeps it shiny and protects the pure Aluminium underneath from oxidising further. It does continue to oxidise, but lacquer or even polish or oil will slow it right down. The reason it has rusted in this case is that the salt in sweat is a catalyst, so it keeps the oxidation right on going. The square hole - I'm picking it is just the incidental shape of a hole-through. Near the centre? Not sure. If a hole it is so bad it's hard to imagine the bars didn't break, or that they stayed straight. And a bit of luck we still have Marty."

Carbon or aluminium bars?

One view is that carbon develops hard to detect stress fractures and one day, BOOM, no hands horror.

Sure, aluminium eventually fails, weakening and bending, but it rarely snaps.

Weekend rides and erection promises

"I'll be gone by lunchtime - that I can promise you."

-- Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 November

SATURDAY

A nice ride around Lake Taupo. Gale force moisterlies never hurt anybody.

Otherwise try 0700 Mechanics Bay depart for gentlemen-paced ride traveling via Pakuranga, Howick, Whitford Gorge and Sandstone, and then the Pooh Ponds.

SUNDAY

Who the hell knows.

Weekend rides and political tea-bagging

"Winston! Kingmaker my arse...Is that your glasses case?"

-- Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November

SATURDAY

0700 LABC Gentlemen’s division departing Mechanics Bay for Pakuranga, Howick, Whitford Gorge, Sandstone, Airport Loop. Steady pace but with a bit of a punch in the pants around the airport.

SUNDAY

To be advised.

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