TT Time

The grand total of tt intervals done this calendar year is..............1! I am not going to let that stop me lining up for club champs tomorrow arvo though. If anything, it will be a good benchmark for the Auckland champs which are on the same course in 6 weeks....it will be minutes, not seconds coming off the time by then.

Anyway, the tt rig got all spruced up last night, disc went in and got all tuned up and road tested, at 9.30pm, and its all ready to fly. For me this is something quite significant as usually I'm messing round with parts the night before getting all worked up and shitty.

I have a nice new skinsuit for tomorrow as well, cheers Gordy, but as its mainly white, it may get saved for another day if the forecast rain arrives....that and I have no white booties yet and would hate to clash.

So fingers crossed, stepping back on the tt bike for a waterfront tt usually makes you hobble around for the rest of the day as you use a whole new bunch of muscles. I am not looking forward to the feeling after 40kms. One thing is for sure, tomorrow wont be a day for spinning....there is going to be a lot of grovelling and pushing the big gears....c'mon legs be good!

A good turn gone punished

I was out training last night doing some hill efforts, emphasis on hill efforts at night time (motivation is high) and came across a rider that had punctured and was sitting on the grass and had both wheels off the bike. I decided to stop and make sure all was well, he had punctured and had left his tyre levers at home and had called his wife to come and pick him up.

I haven't used tyre levers in ages, so I offered him some help and advice on how he could get by without them. He said the tyres were impossible to get off without levers, so I made sure he was starting at the valve and working his way around with both hands so he could pry it off with his thumbs....he wasn't interested.

I also mentioned that if you get real stuck then you can use your quick release....he wasn't interested. All he did the whole time was sit on the grass and say how that they were impossible to get off without levers "they're not like mountain bike tyres". I had done the good thing and offered help, he obviously didn't care so I left him to it, I needed extra recovery time anyway so it wasn't a major to stop and was heading for home anyway.

So I get going again, and no more than 200meters down the road and psssst! not happy but didn't really want to stop and practice what I had just been preaching, so I rimmed it home. Talk about a good turn going un rewarded

its been a bit busy round these parts

so here is how my last 5-6 weeks has gone...

1 weekend in Australia
1 weekend in Whakatane for a 21st
1 weekend in Taupo for a wedding
1 weekend welcoming home our new puppy
1 weekend in Rotorua for a family holiday
1 weekend sitting on the couch looking at the rain

so its been fairly low key cycling wise with the bike taken on none of the above trips which was nice for anyone else invloved but not great for the form but lack of bike trips means I obviously wasn't too fussed. It is early winter after all.

Work has also been crazy busy as well which has meant the motivation for early morning rides has slipped somewhat over that time....but at least the recession won't take my job for the moment.

I am probably underselling how much riding I have been doing, just not a great deal of quality but that will come.