Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

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twizzle
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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby twizzle » Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:04 pm

I did Ainslie four times last Monday. Just to see if I could do it. Rumour has it that Tony can do it four times.
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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby trailgumby » Fri Jan 01, 2010 3:41 pm

Fletcher wrote:I know I was being a little pedant. Yes, I know he was all those things at some stage. BTW, Hillbrick are local aren't they?
Depends on what you mean by local. :lol:

Made in western Sydney I believe, so yes.

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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby s-s-a » Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:59 am

I did not get hooted at or have yobbos in utes give me gratuitous advice when riding on the road
Don't worry, this happens in Canberra too.

On NYE my daughter and I were at a coffee shop having ridden there from home and saw some roadies arrive and lock their bikes up with a heavy duty cable. I wondered if there had been some thefts from outside cafes I hadn't heard about on the grape vine, but then we got chatting and discovered the other guys were from Sydney and Melbourne.

Since some new bike path works done last year before the mtb worlds, I can access the car-free path system just beyond the edge of my suburb. Which is not a big issue for me, but is when I am towing Miss 5yo.

Oh and on the way home the other day we were passed on the bike path by Mick Rogers and a mate. :P

Steph

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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby jasimon » Sat Jan 02, 2010 10:25 am

s-s-a wrote:
I did not get hooted at or have yobbos in utes give me gratuitous advice when riding on the road
Don't worry, this happens in Canberra too.

On NYE my daughter and I were at a coffee shop having ridden there from home and saw some roadies arrive and lock their bikes up with a heavy duty cable. I wondered if there had been some thefts from outside cafes I hadn't heard about on the grape vine, but then we got chatting and discovered the other guys were from Sydney and Melbourne.
...
Steph
I don't lock my bike up at the cafe after a ride. But I also don't leave it out of my eyeline. I haven't seen anyone around the North Shore cafes locking their bikes up either. So maybe they were from the rougher areas of Sydney and Melbourne.

You've got Mick Rogers, but we've got Tony Abbott! (Although I believe we have to share him with you for at least some of the year.) :wink:

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Alex Simmons/RST
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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Sat Jan 02, 2010 12:11 pm

twizzle wrote:I did Ainslie four times last Monday. Just to see if I could do it. Rumour has it that Tony can do it four times.
If you did them, where would you do 20-min threshold training efforts in Canberra? Like a 2x20.

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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby twizzle » Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:26 pm

Alex Simmons/RST wrote:
twizzle wrote:I did Ainslie four times last Monday. Just to see if I could do it. Rumour has it that Tony can do it four times.
If you did them, where would you do 20-min threshold training efforts in Canberra? Like a 2x20.
A trainer.

Seriously, I can't think of anywhere you could go flat out for say... 12km without encountering a steep downhill or a side road where you have to give way to traffic.

If stop-start corners doesn't matter, the closed of section of Dairy Flat road used for crits is 1km from one end to the other and it's pretty flat. Or maybe the Stromlo crit circuit.

Apart from that... maybe Tharwa -> Fitz Hill (Naas Road -> Boboyan Road) but as it has some climbs I'm not sure if you could squeeze 2x20 into it or if you would need to ride back to Tharwa to start again. And maybe Corin Road if you can pick the right starting spot past the hilly section at the bottom of the road so that you hit ~ 20 mins as you crest the top, then ride down to the start point and do it again.

Or - get a triple crank set and fit panniers with about 20kg of lead in them and do Ainslie or Black Mountain. Without crashing on the descent.
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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:52 pm

Fairburn Ave and Majura Rd? Maybe across/under Federal Hwy thru to Gunghalin?
Or is Majura rd not suitable?

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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby psike » Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:10 pm

twizzle wrote:I did Ainslie four times last Monday. Just to see if I could do it. Rumour has it that Tony can do it four times.
Masochist. Suppose you did it with loaded panniers too? :P I've stated some hill repeats at Black Mountain (x4) in the mornings but I loath Ainslie and haven't been able to bring myself to hit it hard there yet. Time to suck it up I spose...

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twizzle
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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby twizzle » Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:58 pm

Alex Simmons/RST wrote:Fairburn Ave and Majura Rd? Maybe across/under Federal Hwy thru to Gunghalin?
Or is Majura rd not suitable?
Majura is a major trucking route, too dangerous in my opinion. Not to mention the descent from Majura down towards Gungahlin - I used to hit 72kph on the hybrid. And the road is rough as guts on the Gungahlin end. The Gungahlin Drive Extension is also rough as, and the cyclists have to give way to cars at the off/on ramps. Tuggeranong Parkway has sections where you are forced into the traffic when crossing bridges and up the hill near Woden, Monaro Highway from Morshead to Hume has multiple lights and give ways. Hindmarsh has a big climb up Red Hill... but no cycle lane, and then you have the descent towards Fyshwick with multiple traffic lights. William Hovell is too hilly to get 2 x 20.

Namina road *might* get you 20 mins each way, it's rural and low traffic and very popular with cyclists for endurance rides, there are a couple of small dips along the way but otherwise the terrain is fairly flat.

And... it's way out of town... but the Monaro highway from the bottom of Canberra out to Williamsdale would be quite a ride. Wide roads and there's quite a climb out from the Tuggernong valley (shoulder there is a bit narrow and it's a bit dangerous IMHO, but nothing like Majura), but not having ridden it I don't know what the surface is like. psike has a couple of times... thoughts, psike?
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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby twizzle » Sat Jan 02, 2010 10:02 pm

psike wrote:
twizzle wrote:I did Ainslie four times last Monday. Just to see if I could do it. Rumour has it that Tony can do it four times.
Masochist. Suppose you did it with loaded panniers too? :P I've stated some hill repeats at Black Mountain (x4) in the mornings but I loath Ainslie and haven't been able to bring myself to hit it hard there yet. Time to suck it up I spose...
No mate - the hybrid is the rain bike these days. I did BM three times today - I'll take Ainslie over BM, it's easier to hold a cadence.
I ride, therefore I am. But don't ride into harm's way.
...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...

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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby m@ » Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:04 pm

twizzle wrote:
Alex Simmons/RST wrote:Fairburn Ave and Majura Rd? Maybe across/under Federal Hwy thru to Gunghalin?
Or is Majura rd not suitable?
Majura is a major trucking route, too dangerous in my opinion.
+1 - the only time I rode on Majura Rd I was forced off the road and onto the unsealed shoulder by a speeding truck - and even then he nearly clipped my shoulder. Went over a fresh roadkill too, splattered the bottom of the downtube and my legs in bits of meat :S

Federal Highway would probably be my pick - went for a few early-morning rides out there shortly before I moved to Tassie and saw plenty of roadies in groups and pairs. Debris on the shoulder would be the main issue, but back then at least there didn't seem to be much motorised traffic on the highway before 6:30/7 am.
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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby psike » Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:48 pm

I can't think of a "flat" 20 minute ride... I'd go with Federal H'way or maybe Gundaroo way?

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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby Bantam Roosta » Tue Jan 05, 2010 12:39 pm

jasimon wrote:Probably makes everyone in Canberra soft :wink:
We go hunting for hills. :twisted:
Alex Simmons/RST wrote:Fairburn Ave and Majura Rd? Maybe across/under Federal Hwy thru to Gunghalin?
If you want to die. I occassionally see cyclists along there and just shake my head. It is really not a safe place to ride, or drive even. Apparently it is the next major work in the pipeline after another serious car accident along there a few months ago. If that goes ahead, then the finished product might be suitable.
psike wrote:I can't think of a "flat" 20 minute ride... I'd go with Federal H'way or maybe Gundaroo way?
Gundaroo could potentially work. Fairly flat, though the road is rough.
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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby psike » Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:00 pm

Bantam Roosta wrote:
psike wrote:I can't think of a "flat" 20 minute ride... I'd go with Federal H'way or maybe Gundaroo way?
Gundaroo could potentially work. Fairly flat, though the road is rough.
whatdya want, an engine on the bike? You want flat and smooth? Sheesh. HTFU :P

How's the racing going? :D

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Re: Cycling in Sydney vs cycling in Canberra

Postby Bantam Roosta » Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:09 pm

psike wrote:How's the racing going? :D
Been off for a month. First race back tomorrow night. You can read all about it then, hopefully everyone else has been as lazy as I have, otherwise I'm in trouble.
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