RR: 1/2 Bunch Ride 3... solo

6am - Wake (just) and decide getting the bike ready and
riding to Doncaster in under an hour ain't gonna happen,
even with my Superman-like abilities coughcough.

9am - Wake (for real this time)

9.50am - Leave, after printing Dutchy's directions.

10am - Return home, after forgetting Dutchy's directions.

10.20am - Waved down by PYT (pretty young thing).
Supply her with directions to Ringwood and continue on
my merry way knowing my good deed for the day is done.

Turn onto Mitcham Rd, spotting Old Warrandyte Road
(map reference and possible bunch meeting place?) on
the way.

Ride along Doncaster Road reaching High St.. hmm..
where was Manningham Road?
Ride all the way back along Doncaster Rd. (with obligatory
high speed 'Bland Rover' pass thrown in) and manage to
miss Manningham Road again.. maybe I'm looking for the
wrong street?

"Shortly after turn east into Tindals Road" didn't quite work
out for me. I'm sure this road isn't signposted on Springvale
Road so I went straight passed it. At the end of Springy
Road, after that evil short/sharp hill, I did a U-turn and
turned left up the continuation of Old Warrandyte Road.
"Tindals Road." was on a letterbox up here so I guess I'm
blind or the road is marked strangely?

The scenery was great out here even though I spent more
time looking at the bitumen, gasping for air, than
appreciating it!

The roads are nicer than up in the 'nongs with lots of sealed
shoulder to give 'bail room' when that P-Plater wants to
'take you from behind'.

I got as far as "Take next major left which is STILL called
Eltham-YarraGlen Road" when I lost the ride's scent. I'd
been huffing and puffing for 3hrs and was dreading the
thought of the hilly return, so I decided to turn around and
head back over the river before I ran out of juice.
It turns out that the return was HEAPS faster than the
climb out so I was on the Ringwood-Warrandyte Road in
no time - fun!

Dutch: Are you sure the road isn't "Wattle Glen Road" rather
than Eltham-YarraGlen Road? After the round-a-bout, there
was a left turn to Hurstbridge but I'm sure it didn't have the
same name (Wattle Glen Road?)..
I continued passed it for a while and gave up at the "Alma
Road" bus stop before I saw anything that resembled a
"major left".

With the second sunny Sunday in a row - it was a really
good ride - my winter tan is coming on nicely! The rolling
hills here are much more fun than a pure climb like I'd do
in the 'nongs and challenging in a different way due to the
power on/power off style riding.
I know it was still reasonably hard because I was out of
the saddle a fair bit and for a heavy guy like me, that rarely
happens! This could also be a lack of fitness or a
singlespeed hangup?
I'll have to try extra hard to make it to the next bunch ride
so I can do the rest of it...

Ride Stats:
4hr 5min
No more due to *&%*&^ing dodgy Polar speed sensor
--
www.thehippy.net/gallery
www.thehippy.net/nucleus

Sorry man

will pore over the Melways tonight. Last set of directions were gleaned
from 'whereis.com.au' which was fairly vague


FD. also suffering stoopid Polar woes



--

"flyingdutch" wrote in message
.. .
Sorry man

Nah, no sweat, I'm surprised I made it as far as I did! It was a top
ride!

will pore over the Melways tonight. Last set of directions were
gleaned
from 'whereis.com.au' which was fairly vague

Yeah, I was gonna have a look tonight to see where I was exactly...

FD. also suffering stoopid Polar woes

Wassup with yours? I think my battery died protesting its lack
of use over the last 3 months or so...
Now I have to dig around for the instructions on how to service
it.. www.pursuit-performance.com.au I think.

hippy

Hippy wrote:
FD. also suffering stoopid Polar woes
Wassup with yours? I think my battery died protesting its lack of use
over the last 3 months or so... Now I have to dig around for the
instructions on how to service
it.. www.pursuit-performance.com.au I think.
hippy



sadly i think my woes are more 'operator error'

deleted all the files on it before BR3 but i still cant get it to give
me HR-reading

wet the sensor, pressed all the buttons (altho i dont know it well
enough to know if i was in the 'right' mode, etc



--

"flyingdutch" wrote in message
news
Hippy wrote:
FD. also suffering stoopid Polar woes
Wassup with yours? I think my battery died protesting its lack of
use
over the last 3 months or so...

deleted all the files on it before BR3 but i still cant get it to give
me HR-reading

wet the sensor, pressed all the buttons (altho i dont know it well
enough to know if i was in the 'right' mode, etc

If you wet the sensor, strap it to your chest, then hold
the watch nearby and press the big red 'start' button, your
HR should appear, along with starting the timer, etc.

Which model Polar is it? The only reason mine doesn't pick up
my HR is if the sensor is too dry or not contacting my chest
properly. You might also be 'pressing the button wrong'..
seriously - sometimes the buttons stick a little and don't make
contact. Test it today..

hippy

Hippy [/i]
Turn onto Mitcham Rd, spotting Old Warrandyte Road (map
reference and possible bunch meeting place?) on the way.
[/quote]
next Sunday meet you there perhaps?

Originally posted by Hippy

"Shortly after turn east into Tindals Road" didn't quite
work out for me. I'm sure this road isn't signposted on
Springvale Road so I went straight passed it. At the end of
Springy Road, after that evil short/sharp hill, I did a U-
turn and turned left up the continuation of Old Warrandyte
Road. "Tindals Road." was on a letterbox up here so I guess
I'm blind or the road is marked strangely?

As you turn into Springvale Old W Rd almost immediately after

Originally posted by Hippy

The scenery was great out here even though I spent more
time looking at the bitumen, gasping for air, than
appreciating it!
The roads are nicer than up in the 'nongs with lots of
sealed shoulder to give 'bail room' when that P-Plater wants
to 'take you from behind'.

Yeah. was a real eye-opener to me too. Keep thinking how ice it is so close to town. reminds me of Lobethal-to-Stirling-stretch in Adelaide Hills

Originally posted by Hippy

I got as far as "Take next major left which is STILL called
Eltham-YarraGlen Road" when I lost the ride's scent. I'd
been huffing and puffing for 3hrs and was dreading the
thought of the hilly return, so I decided to turn around and
head back over the river before I ran out of juice. It turns
out that the return was HEAPS faster than the climb out so I
was on the Ringwood-Warrandyte Road in no time - fun!

Dutch: Are you sure the road isn't "Wattle Glen Road" rather
than Eltham-YarraGlen Road? After the round-a-bout, there
was a left turn to Hurstbridge but I'm sure it didn't have
the same name (Wattle Glen Road?).. I continued passed it
for a while and gave up at the "Alma Road" bus stop before I
saw anything that resembled a "major left".
.

Ah, yes. caught me out! K Grd-Wattle GLEN Rd it is.
Sorry 'bout that. A wuverley descent you missed too!

[quote][i]Originally posted by Hippy wrote:
I know it was still reasonably hard because I was out of the saddle
a fair bit and for a heavy guy like me, that rarely happens! This
could also be a lack of fitness or a singlespeed hangup? I'll have
to try extra hard to make it to the next bunch ride so I can do the
rest of it... .



Im really gettin 'into' out-of-the-saddle. After reading/seeing all this
'riding-in-the-saddle' uses less energy guff, I have been finding (only
applies to shortish hills tho) standing/stomping in a gear 2 higher than
I can sit in, works better. That and being 'gravitationally-challenged'
means momentum is good thing for me!



--

"flyingdutch" wrote in message
.. .
Hippy
Turn onto Mitcham Rd, spotting Old Warrandyte Road (map
reference and possible bunch meeting place?) on the way.
[/quote]
next Sunday meet you there perhaps?[/i]

Yeah.. depends on the punishment I inflict on Sat (even though
last Sat was a quiet parental meeting)

Road. "Tindals Road." was on a letterbox up here so I guess
I'm blind or the road is marked strangely?
[/b][/quote]
As you turn into Springvale Old W Rd almost immediately after

Yeah, I'd change the instructions to reflect that though.. in case
any one else was silly enough to do this by their unsociable selves.

Ah, yes. caught me out! K Grd-Wattle GLEN Rd it is.
Sorry 'bout that. A wuverley descent you missed too!

That's okay.. leaves more for next time!

Im really gettin 'into' out-of-the-saddle. After reading/seeing all
this
'riding-in-the-saddle' uses less energy guff, I have been finding
(only
applies to shortish hills tho) standing/stomping in a gear 2 higher
than
I can sit in, works better. That and being
'gravitationally-challenged'
means momentum is good thing for me!

You.. "gravitationally challenged"? Please! How much do you weigh?

I think the heavier you are the less likely you will ride out of the
saddle.
Most whippet mtb racers sit for the entire race. Getting out of the
saddle is obviously useful for sprints or "jamming" over a short, sharp
hills but extended climbs I'd be seated with occasional out of saddle
efforts to use different muscles. I try hard to avoid those hills :-)

hippy