Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

I got up before sunrise this morning for a ride.
Fantastic light show, and the thunder was so loud I could feel it.
Strange, I was the only one out

I had a bit of a dilemma this morning choosing the right break in the electrical sky performance to take a shower, even. I live in a multi-storey block and we have had the occasional close shave before here, that sound like a cannon blast right as the light flashes. You don't want to be in the shower, or riding the crest of a hill either, when lightning strikes. You probably won't get to hear the thunderclap in the shower.

Luckily I was not expected at my morning destination until 10am (GMT+8), and God knows that I was afraid to go out on my bicycle this morning and getting thunderstruck, for whatever that means. I even wore two pairs of long track-suit pants and wrapped plastic shopping bags around my feet in preparation. I guess it was plain to see for the omniscient ones in the world, so God stopped the rain and thunder and lightning at 09:30 (GMT+8) and I got the courage to embark on my ride quite overdressed indeed. Arrived 95% dry, but that was pure luck, from an atheist pov.

It is not rare over the decades for this much rain in April in Perth, but rain like this morning only seems to happen this early in the wet season every once in a while. I think it was God providing the opportunity at last to test out the waterproofing on the electrics on my bike, or maybe just good luck. Too bad I never got rained on after all that.

Beautiful weather out there today. Rode up into the hills and did a lap around Victoria Dam on the gravel bike.

Came back into the city and went along the river for a bit. Heaps of families on their pushys.

owly wrote:Beautiful weather out there today. Rode up into the hills and did a lap around Victoria Dam on the gravel bike.

Came back into the city and went along the river for a bit. Heaps of families on their pushys.

Magic day today. I was busy in the morning, but son did heritage trail loop on the xc bike and said heaps of riders out. Just did River/Kings park on Roadie and yes still heaps of familys out Burwood to South Perth. Probably average 10kph through S/Perth but its great seeing families out and about.

Will have to arrange a ride one day. If your keen or know anyone who's interested May 5th is XC super cross under lights at Claremont showgrounds. Organisers need minimum 120 riders to cover costs which they should get but the more the riders the better.
Need to pre enter and get a 3 race licence as a minimum, so all up cost will be around $100 ($50 entry $50 3 race licence). Normal XC races are $10-$20 entry
https://entryboss.cc/races/1148
https://www.wamba.org.au/index.php/cycl ... 5-05-00-00
Good bunch of guys and girls, U13 kids race which is hottly contested . Racing is not for sheep stations and chance of crashes and injury really is very minimal. Generally mass start of 10-20 riders depending on grade, and after 100-200m its single file and just rIde your race.

My boss said the other day there was going to be rain this weekend. Hmmn. Not today.

Rode up to Victoria Dam again to do another loop. Went down some different tracks this time. One crazy long steep rock-crawling climb. Hit a couple of nice slight downhill stretches on the east side.

2.1 knobbys on today. Really needed them on the downhill softer gravel sections.

Yeah, Nashie, if you're up for a gravel ride sometime would be good. I don't ride fast, just enjoy the scenery/exploring around. I do tend to be out 7+ hours though.

owly wrote:My boss said the other day there was going to be rain this weekend. Hmmn. Not today.

Rode up to Victoria Dam again to do another loop. Went down some different tracks this time. One crazy long steep rock-crawling climb. Hit a couple of nice slight downhill stretches on the east side.

2.1 knobbys on today. Really needed them on the downhill softer gravel sections.

Yeah, Nashie, if you're up for a gravel ride sometime would be good. I don't ride fast, just enjoy the scenery/exploring around. I do tend to be out 7+ hours though.

Mate I would be sleeping on the couch if I disappeared for 7 hrs . Bit of racing on for the next couple of months so out on the gas most rides at the moment, but will drop you a PM later on for a more casual ride. Have you ever done the loop around Mundaring weir ?. Did this many years ago, and there are some good tracks out the back.

NASHIE wrote:

owly wrote:My boss said the other day there was going to be rain this weekend. Hmmn. Not today.

Rode up to Victoria Dam again to do another loop. Went down some different tracks this time. One crazy long steep rock-crawling climb. Hit a couple of nice slight downhill stretches on the east side.

2.1 knobbys on today. Really needed them on the downhill softer gravel sections.

Yeah, Nashie, if you're up for a gravel ride sometime would be good. I don't ride fast, just enjoy the scenery/exploring around. I do tend to be out 7+ hours though.

Mate I would be sleeping on the couch if I disappeared for 7 hrs . Bit of racing on for the next couple of months so out on the gas most rides at the moment, but will drop you a PM later on for a more casual ride. Have you ever done the loop around Mundaring weir ?. Did this many years ago, and there are some good tracks out the back.

Closest I've come to that is heading up west and out of the Weir along the main road, then seeing a wide gravel road off to the left shaded by pine trees; thinking 'where does that go?'. Was pretty rutted at the time.

Sometimes I just go along the northern end of the rail trail then head down into the weir along the main road, then head along the track west following Helena Valley, popping out in the lower suburbs, then head back home.

Sat. went exploring over from the northern side of the rail trail as there's quite a large area of bush/hills/tracks. Followed the EagleWalk for quite a bit. Quite a bit of climbing (nice views) and some rocky places to take it slow on. Way over on the north end there's quite a few nice smooth stretches of track which follow some creek valleys. Good riding/weather this time of year.

Sunday was planning to check out Paruna Sanctuary but when I got there found out you had to make a booking to walk the trails (was planning on riding them; looking around). Oh well. The back roads were very quiet apart from the odd motorcycle run. Lots of undulating hills. Nice scenery.
Ended up doing a loop, ending up at Waroona. Rode the rail-trail back west. The crazy steep hill up Weir Road never gets any easier.

Weekends go too quick!

Sounds like some great rides owly. Had double header rounds 4/5 of CX racing at Garvey Park Sat/Sun and yes weather was just perfect. Recent rain meant the course had a bit of everything, and was great to see 25-30 ladies riding the female divisions.

Perfect weather last weekend and again yesterday, spoilt to have a day off and hit the hills ... with many others doing the same

I've been off the bike for 3 weeks due to a minor hand op and stitches still healing, I'm hoping to have a test ride this afternoon and if all good, go for my group ride tomorrow morning. When it's 3 degrees...

Good luck Mububban ...

2.3 this morning according to my weather station. Fleecy long-johns, wool base layer and thick fleece jersey, + wool balaclava and I needed all of it for the full 30km

Went out Sat and headed into Wandoo Nature Reserve. Been in there a few times (exiting east on Burgess Road) but I've been wanting to checkout the track following the valley behind Red Hill quarry.

Way better time of year than summer to do this kind of riding, as the streams are running and things can get steep in some places. Quite a few roos about. Came across an unused large fire extinguisher down one rough track.

Out the back of the old quarry is nice. Quite a few long gravel runs heading west. An old homestead or two must have been in there at sometime.

Crossed Tooday Rd and rode the western boundary tracks of John Forrest. Probably more suited to mtb towards the top, but the curvy run down toward the bottom is pretty cool.

Edit: Sun felt like doing a flat route somewhere. Hadn't ridden to Whiteman Park before. Thought there had to be some gravel roads/tracks around there. Ended up doing a good size loop around the perimeter on some fairly smooth limestone roads. Came back with a nice nor-easterly. A bit cool but the sun out was nice.

The weather is getting back to what it should be. Glorious day today. But even though I did not venture out until nearly 9am, I did regret leaving my gloves home for about an hour. Still, I'm not complaining, it's still better than the soaking's I have experienced several times last week.

Not a bad weekend for the middle of winter

Just got back from another ride around Whiteman Park. Pretty cool day with a bit of light rain earlier on. Rode some more stretches of limestone road west. Roo central.

Heading back past Guildford there was a cyclocross race setup going on beside the old bridge. Maybe that was Nashie's crew?

owly wrote:Just got back from another ride around Whiteman Park. Pretty cool day with a bit of light rain earlier on. Rode some more stretches of limestone road west. Roo central.

Heading back past Guildford there was a cyclocross race setup going on beside the old bridge. Maybe that was Nashie's crew?

Yes, awesome days racing. State champs are being held at the Belvoir Amphitheatre in 2 weeks.....52 stair climb should be a good show, so if you feel like heckling a few tried riders head on down or sign up and race WA cyclocross facebook will have all the details.

I love Whiteman Park, great man to leave it to the state.

Got up Saturday morning, roads were wet but not raining so i got to the bike store at 6am, we get into our groups...and it immediately starts raining and everyone pikes and we all go home
So I did a whole 22km round trip and got wet socks and a wet butt for my efforts.
And I found out my new Ultegra disc rotors give quite the shriek when wet.

I was riding against some heavy wind and squall for about an hour of my afternoon ride north and south of the Swan River yesterday.

But the doozy was a squall that I fortunately saw coming and had time to get the pancho on. So then I mounted and headed into it. I had to stop after fifty metres and take shelter behind a nice fat palm trunk.

"A lousy fifty metres!" you say. Yeah,but making progress at the rate I was managing that was a LONG fifty metres. You won't manage THAT (lack of) speed on a bike being buffetted by wind.

Fortunately this particular squall was brief.

It looks a lot easier out there atm.

Yeah it looked tough out there. Even on leave, the howling wind heightened the fear factor while watching the 2017 remake of Stephen King's IT, alone after everyone was asleep, i double checked the door locks I didn't make any progress re-working the tape on a ghetto tubeless rear after a puncture last week.

Several sections of South Perth cycle path under water this morning.

Pretty nice weather this weekend. Winds from the north, so Sunday went up the back of Whiteman Park again and north exploring around more of Gnangara plantation. Cut across to Burns Beach and rode the coast back with a nice breeze behind.

I froze my fingers and toes on Saturday morning's ride. My new shoes are beautifully vented for summer but this was the first cold morning and man, they sure do let that air flow through!!!
And I discovered even ski gloves couldn't keep my fingers warm so the search continues for better gloves...

Mububban wrote:I froze my fingers and toes on Saturday morning's ride. My new shoes are beautifully vented for summer but this was the first cold morning and man, they sure do let that air flow through!!!
And I discovered even ski gloves couldn't keep my fingers warm so the search continues for better gloves...

Full-silk glove liners do make quite a difference in my experience.

owly wrote: Full-silk glove liners do make quite a difference in my experience.

Anything specific you can recommend?