Reflections of the team

This morning as we did our final training ride before we head off to Townsville I think we all at some point began to reflect on the past 9 months and how it was that we arrived at this point. We had some good laughs recalling the training we had done and the fund raising that had taken place so I've asked each of the guys to write a few words of reflection on our journey thus far.

To kick things off here is what Dammo has had to say.....

In March this year a good mate of mine Jason Nowlan (Nowsa) came to my work to do some electrical work and he mentioned to me about the Smiddy Challenge.   Nowsa and I met about 20 years ago when we played hockey and since giving up about 10 years ago, we took up cycling.  Nowsa mentioned to me that he had signed up for the Smiddy Challenge which is a charity ride to Townsville and asked me to come along.  My first thoughts were yes but after thinking about it for a few days, I thought there would be no way I could find the time to train.  It would be too much on my family and work commitments, so I decided to let it go.  About a week later I spoke to my wife (Hayley) about it and she said, why don't you do it.  I replied, are you serious!!!! Do you know how much training I would need to do and it would mean I need to ride for 5 or 6 hours on a Sunday or some cases all day.  She could see I really wanted to give it a go, so she encouraged me to signup.  

Well.................. 5 months down the track, I am sitting here thinking in three days I will be heading off on my bike for the next eight days to cover 1600 km in memory of Adam Smiddy and to raise funds for cancer.   Unfortunately Nowsa had to pull out as he received some great news about 1 week after signing up that his wife was pregnant and would be due a week or two after the ride.  Thanks for the invite mate and I'm sure you will be there next year..................

Fortunately there were three other mates that I new, Scrivo, KB and Brycey who also took up the challenge.  We've all motivated each other at different times over the last few months and helped each other along the way.  In addition to our training we have been busy fundraising and whilst this has been a challenge, to my surprise, between the four of us, we have raised just over $50k.  It's not easy asking for donations as there are plenty of other charities doing the same type of fundraising not to mention a lot of people are struggling financially so a BIG thank you to those who have kindly donated to the Smiddy Challenge. 

Thanks Scrivo, KB & Brycey for your companionship over the last four months...... to Hayle's for your patience and understanding......sorry to Harry and Ben for missing some of your Rugby games boys while I was training. I'm feeling anxious and excited and I am looking forward to this Saturday when Kev rings the cow bell, as a message to get ready to roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Personal fundraising targets achieved

At the start of the year the Cyc'd boys all agreed that our focus would be only setting and achieving our team fund raising goal. That goal started at $25,000 and then doubled to $50,000 which we achieved in the last few days.

While we worked as a team on and of bike we still each had the responsibility to raise money off our own back and hence we each had our own fund raising target to strive for.

Today the final member of the team achieved their personal target....me. The other three guys Gav, Dammo and Brad had in the past few weeks reached and in all instances exceeded their personal target. I know this was a very satisfying moment for them and I congratulate each of them for achieving something which I know they are very proud off.

I'm fortunate to work in the corporate sector and was able to draw upon the resources and goodwill of a number of business to support me. In particular I'd like to thank the Wesfarmers companies and corporate office for providing substantial financial support particularly our Curragh mine which is partnering with the Mater Foundation to deliver cancer education and awarenes sessions for its workers next week. This is a great way to support cancer research while supporting the well being of employees. Coles, Bunnings and Officeworks have also supported me through in-kind support which is much appreciated. I'd also like to thank Rowland for their support and generous donation.

While this support has been very much appreciated it is the individuals, friends family and collegues who have generously supported me both with donations and words of support that I would like to thank as well. The target would have been just a dream without your support.

Today I was very proud to see the total tick over to $25,000. It was a great feeling.....almost as good as the feeling I got when we reached out team goal. Now all we have to do is ride 1600km and the job will be done!!

Fund raising reaches $52,000

Unbelievable.....today we reached $52,000 thanks to some great support Gav is still bringing in.

We just can't say enough about the support we have received from everyone.

I know the guys are just bursting to get on the road and get this thing started so we can do all our supporters proud.

Dammo models new Smiddy gear

Today we all picked up some more Smiddy gear. You gotta hand it to Sharky and Rowan the gear they get for us is fantastic!!

The gear included day bags, overnight bags, t-shirts, dress shirts, sunglasses and Lazer O2 helmets which are just awesome.

Here's a pic of Dammo modelling some of the new gear.....looking good mate!!

GIANTS dominate Peroni peleton

As with any cycling group whenever there is a new bike in the peleton it gets everyone excited. Its not quite as good as getting a new bike yourself but its the next best thing. Something new to look at and ask questions about but most of the time its that comforting feeling knowing that some one else is spending money at the local bike store and its not you for a change.

Last week Jenno unveiled the new Boardman and today it was Matty G's turn to roll out the new bike. This was a 2011 GIANT TCR Advanced and a nice looking bike it was too. He got a great deal and upgraded the wheels and purchased it at our favourite bike store and sponsor of our Cyc'd for Smiddy team Cyc'd for Bikes from Norman Park where Jaaron looked after him really well.

That meant that there was four GIANTS in the group today and while they dominated the peleton sadly they didn't dominate the podium when it came to the two sprints....oh well at least they looked damn good!!

Just on Jenno it was good to see him on the road again after last week's little mishap with the tubular tyres. Today he turned up with some clinchers and had no problems at all.

It was another a good turnout with 12 riders joining in for another Jinker Track/Sandgate loop.

Dammo showed he is coming into top form when he dragged the peleton along the Jinker Track at 50kph for what seemed like ages. Rumour is he's looking to take the Spartacus tag off Brad and he may well do it as he was a time trialling machine today. Mate I'm looking forward to you dragging me most of the way to Townsville next week.

The ride was pretty uneventful although Matty G did almost run his new GIANT into Jase which could have ended in tears but thankfully all stayed upright and we made it safely home.

We picked up Rhonda as we neared the coffee shop. Rhonda our only female member and awesome ironman competitor was just out for a  casual 20k run!!

Coffee was good so good that half of us stayed around for a second.

On the way back over the Story Bridge Gav, Dammo and I caught up with a former Smiling for Smiddy cyclist Tina who as also out for a run. Its always good to catch up with Tina hey guys.

Anyway another good day on the bike the last as group before the Cyc'd boys head off for Townsville next Saturday.

Team Peroni at Conti Cafe

3000 page views and counting

Another milestone reached today as we had our 3000th page view of our blog!!

Hope you are enjoying it.

We have added some new countries to the list of where people are from who are checking it out including Russia, Latvia and Pakistan.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter by clicking on the link on the blog.

One week to go!!!

Wow this time next week we will be well and truly on our way to our first stop at Nanango some 212km from Brisbane.

Its been raining all day here in Brisbane and we're all hoping that's not a sign of things to come for the Smiddy Challenge.

You can check out our route on the map below.

Cyc'd boys clock up 25,000 kilometres

A huge milestone this week for the four of us as our total cumulative kilometres ridden since 1 January 2011 clocked over to 25,000km!!!

That is the same distance as Brisbane to Los Angeles RETURN!!!

Hopefully that means we are in good shape to ride 1600km in 8 days.

Smiddy Challenge riders reach $220,000

Over the past few months I have been providing updates on our Cyc'd team's fund raising effort but there is another part to the story as we are only 4 of 49 riders who are undertaking the challenge of riding 1600kms in 8 days.

As of today the 49 riders have raised over $220,000 which is an amazing effort. This money goes to support much needed research into finding a cure for cancer.

Combined with the other Smiddy events like the Midi-Smiddy and Half-Smiddy the Smiddy team has raised almost $500,000 this year and over $2 million since the first event back in 2006.

$50,000 target reached

Today we reached a major milestone by reaching $50,000!!!

It has been an amazing year for all the Cyc'd boys and we are all proud of our efforts both on and off the bike. I don't think any if us would have thought that we could have possibly raised $50,000 for cancer research when we started this journey some 9 months ago.

Of course the $50,000 had to come from somewhere and it came from many individuals, family, friends, collegues, businesses and companies. To all of you we say THANKS!!!

As we ride to Townsville we will be riding for everyone who has found a way to support us. You will all be on our minds as we turn the peddles from sun up to sun down for 8 consecutive days.

Don't forget to get onto Twitter over the week and follow us cycdforsmiddy

Cyc'd goes all a Twitter

Wow I finally got around to setting up a twitter account so that everyone can follow us on our ride which starts in just 10 days.

Use the "Follow me on Twitter" link on the right side of this page, then when you're at the Twitter page click the "+ Follow" button so you can read the Tweets I'll be posting on the road to Townsville.

Lets see how many people we can get following us as we ride 1600kms in 8 days for cancer research.

Cyc'd and Peroni boys team up for Sunday ride

After what seems like months the Cyc'd boys finally got to ride with with their traditional Sunday group known as Team Peroni named after the beer of course whose jerseys they wear. The Cyc'd boys wore their Smiddy gear and it was great to see such a large turnout with about a 10 riders turning up for the tradional Jinker track /Sandgate loop.

After a mid season break the Peroni guys were back on the bike last Sunday and the Cyc'd boys were somewhat surprised to read the emails which suggested that first ride back and the Peroni boys were on fire rding 90ks at an average of 30kph.....seems the break had done the boys some good!!
While things got off to a slow start as Spartacus was busy watching the weather radar instead of riding in to Velo we finally got it all together and after fixing a flat we meet up with a couple of other riders to make it a group of 12.

Jenno tried to show us all up sporting his new weapon the Boardman Air machine which looked fast standing still. The wheels looked great as well albeit they were tubulars which as you will hear came back to haunt him a little later in the ride.

Teh Jinker track saw a paceline quickly established and the pace ramped up to over 50kph as first Jase and then Gav got us up to speed. Its a great ride and must have made quite a sight as 12 riders hurtled down the track towards the first sprint of the day. In the end it was a no contest as Jase broke clear and easily took the points.

Unfortunately the pace proved a bit too hot for Jenno's lad and he decided not to mix it up with the rest and headed for an early shower. Jenno did the rightie and went back for him while we continued on our way towards Sandgate.

Having been quite vocal during the week about how he pushed some riders up hills the previous week it was surprising to see Higgo struggling at the back of the pack surely he hadn't peaked the week before had he??

The Sandgate sprint was run and won by you guessed it.....Jase with the rest of us left to fight out the minor places on the podium.

The ride home was memorable for only one thing....the rain!! Yep we got drenched but morale remained high as everyone was just please to the group together again and riding. Sadly no one felt like coffee at the end and instead headed home for a hot shower.

It was here that we heard that Jenno had come to grief with one of his brand new tubular tyres splitting ending his riding for the day. I'm sure we will see him out again soon this time with some clinchers maybe!!

Cyc'd boys celebrate with family and friends

Last night we celebrated our involvement with Smiling for Smiddy by hosting a party for family and friends.

It was a great night made even better by having Mark "Sharky" Smoothy the founder of Smiling for Smiddy join us for the night.

Mark gave a great talk about what it means to be a part of the Smiddy team. As usual his heartfelt comments and gratitude to everyone for their involvement made everyone feel special.

With two weeks remaining before we head off it was great to be around our supporters and families.

We announced last night that we had reached our target of $50,000 which is an amazing effort by all the guys. It wouldn't have been possible without all the fantastic support from the individuals and businesses who have so generously supported us in our effort to raise money for the Mater Foundation and cancer research.

We're looking forward to the next two weeks as make final preparations for the trip north.

Sunday 14th August............. Where are my cycd team mates?????

Sunday 14^th was an official Smiddy Training ride and I decided to join 13 other Smiddy cyclists at the Marburg show grounds for a 190 km ride.  Sharky organised the ride and once again he stepped up to the challenge and made it an enjoyable day.  I was in two minds whether to attend the training day as it was my eldest son’s last game of Rugby and since I’m the Manager of the team, I felt obligated to make an appearance.   Finally I made a decision on Friday night and decided to join the Smiddy group.  My main reason for joining the ride was because of a bad experience I had on my last 200 km cycle.   I had some trouble with my cycle nicks and without going into too much detail, after sitting on the saddle for 9 hours, my left butt cheek resembled being attacked by a potato peeler.  I was out of action for about five days and if it wasn’t for Hayley’s (my wife) medical attention and nursing I would have been out for at least 10. 

I needed to be sure my nicks were worn in and to get the monkey off my back, I decided to attend the session.  We rolled out at 6.20 am, with the temp around 7 degrees and it was dark and foggy.  It wasn’t until about 9.00 am that we felt the sun on our backs.  It makes such a difference when the sun comes out as you can see and feel everyone’s motivation pickup.

After riding for about 50 km’s with all the twist and turns, I couldn’t believe how Sharky knew his way around the country roads.  There were no cars in sight and the roads seemed to criss cross and turn through the valleys and mountains and it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere.  I was feeling a bit lost, not just because I didn’t know the area but because my three Cycd team mates, Spartacus, KB & Brycey were not participating in today’s ride.  Spartacus had the man flu, KB was nursing a sore knee and Brycey was doing the right thing and playing Dad/Husband for the weekend.  

The call from Sharky came at 80 km, for the Cycd Team to take the lead but after calling out to me to organise the troops, Sharky realized, I was the Cycd Team for the day.   First I was hesitant to take up the offer but since I do most of the work compared to the other three anyway, I figured it will just be like any other day.  I quickly went to the front and took the Peloton forward making sure all pot holes; road kill, bumps, gravel & glass were identified.  After 10 km’s, Sharky called for me to pick up the pace from 31 km to 35 km’s per hour.  With a 40 knot headwind now smashing me at the front, I replied to Sharky, no worries mate……… the other cyclists were feeling for me and mentioned how the cycd team had let me down and should be out here helping, rather than sipping soy milk, half strength lattes, back at home.   I continued on for another 20 km’s keeping the pace around 35 to 38 km per hour.  It wasn’t until after the 10 km, 15% gradient mountain range, that Sharky suggested I click out of the big chain ring to keep my legs fresh for the next 50 km’s.  I hope the Cycd boys realise the pain I went through and step up for the next session.

The day was fantastic and once again well organised with good food and company.  With the small group of 14, it was a good opportunity to get to know the other riders.  Highlight of the day was lunch at the Plainlands Hotel, where we had fresh sandwiches, fruit, hot food and cold drinks.  After lunch we headed towards Marburg, with only about 60 km’s remaining and I got the feeling everyone was keen to get home as the pace picked up.  ETA was 3.00 pm and we weren’t too far from this, arriving at the Showground’s at 3.20pm.  The day started with fog and ended in rain so we experienced most weather patterns in one day.  We all had a great day and thankfully I had no issues with my butt.  I’m now mentally and physically ready for the Townsville challenge.  Looking forward to a few quieter weeks and sleeping in, so I’m well rested for the big event.

Dammo reaches $10,000

Today Dammo reached a major milestone in his fund raising when he reached $10,000!!

Awesome effort mate. I know you had set yourself a target of $8,000 when we first started and to think you have now not only reached your target but exceeded it by $2,000 is fantastic.

                     Well done Dammo!!

Team closing in on $50,000 target

Well with just over two weeks to go the team is closing in on its $50,000 target with $46,000 now raised.

Its been a huge effort by all the guys and the support we have received has been incredible.

We're going to do everything we can to reach our target in the coming two weeks.

A reality check for one of our riders

Over the past few weeks I have been suffering from a sore knee which I can trace back to the Warwick training weekend. I've tried to get it right through a combination of rest (not easy when you are training to ride 1600kms in 8 days), physio and massage so I'm hoping that it will come good in the next two weeks.

But this post isn't about my knee as I'm sure the other Cyc'd boys and others are tired of hearing about it. This post is about the reality check I got yesterday from my lovely wife Cathy who has also been hearing all about my sore knee over the past few weeks.

Last night as I was applying still more voltaren gel to my knee Cath gave me the reality check I badly needed. As I sat there feeling a bit sorry for myself and bemoaning how unhappy I was that all my training was being affected by my injury (I still got out for a 40km ride yesterday morning) Cath told me how she had just been to see a friend of hers who has terminal cancer. He's 55 but looks much older he can't walk as his knees are shot and he's in care with older men who are suffering similiar fates. How he wishes his knees were good enough to allow him to even walk let alone ride a bike.

Wow!! Here was I whinging about my sore knee when others are in far far worse positions than me. Time for me to take a reality check.

Sure picking up an injury this close to the event is disappointing but in the big scheme of things its nothing to what people suffering cancer are going through. It reminded me why I'm involved in the Smiling for Smiddy Challenge. Sure its great to take on a personal challenge of this magnitude but its most importantly about helping to fund cancer research so people don't suffer like Cathy's friend or like so many other people in this world.

My knee will get better and I have no doubt that I will ride to Townsville in a few weeks time. Sadly there are many many people suffering from cancer who won't get better buts its important to know that we can all make a difference in our own way.

Thanks for the reality check Cath.....just what I needed!!

No stopping the Cyc'd boys - $45,000 raised

Quick fund raising update we have reached......$45,000!!!!

We'd like to thank one of our fellow Sunday riding group Matty G for his great support and again to acknowledge the Army guys and girls who participated in the Tour de Enoggera yesteday.

With three weeks to go we are on track to reach our target of $50,000 for cancer research.

Tour de Enoggera a huge success!!!!

Well the Tour de Enoggera the cycle event put on by 7 Bde from Enogerra and organised by 2CER was a massive success on all fronts.

The day started with 90 Army riders arriving at 7am to register and to receive the safety brief. This was handled with the usual military precision and attention to detail. I think I even saw Rowan give a knowing nod of approval as he heard the medical plan, the comms plan, the PR plan, the casevac plan, the coffee plan etc etc. These guys had thought of everything.

On the Smiddy side it was great to have Rowan, Julian, Brendon, Gav and Dammo along for the ride. Sadly Spartacus Scriven couldn't join us today something about working.....actually as we would find out later he was working on getting 15 cartons of Canadian Club donated to Smiling for Smiddy for the trip to Townsville. Now that's what I call working!!!

As we gathered we looked around to gauge the standard of the riders but once we saw the the two soldiers in pink tutus on a tandem we knew that we were in for a cracker of a ride with these guys and girls from the Army.

                        Apparently this guy borrowed the skirt from Scriven!!

The RSM gave everyone a soldiers 5 on riding etiquette and we were ready to go in our groups of 10.

                                      Steven "Cadel" Ditullio RSM 2 CER

The ride from Enoggera to Samford was a real joy. With a mixture of mountain bikes, road bikes and of course the tandems we must have made a quite a sight......100 keen cyclists heading to Samford. The group rode well and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to spread the Smiddy story among these guys and girls.

The climb up the range was a bit of a shock for some but everyone stuck at it and made it to the top before descending into Samford for a well earned coffee at Java coffee. The 45 min stop allowed time for the Smiddy riders to mingle with the riders and chat and it was great to hear their stories.

After the obligatory team photo we headed back over the Samford Range and into Enoggera barracks for a BBQ.

There were lots of stories told but one I liked in particular was from one of the 2CER soldiers who told me that after listening to the talk by the Mater Foundation on Tuesday he pulled his old bike out of the shed only to find two flat tyres. He got along to the bike shop yesterday and got it all sorted and rode today. He said the talk got him really thinking about prostate cancer and the research so he just had to do the ride.....a great story.

The CO of the unit, John Carey, presented us with donations totalling $1,250 on top of the $332 his guys donated on Tuesday taking the total to almost $1,600 which included a donation of $300 from the soldiers of 8/9RAR. We have also late today received a donation of $136 from the soldiers of 6RAR which was great news and made the total for the inaugural Tour de Enoggera almost $1,750!!!

What can I say about the guys and girls from 7 Bde you are awesome. We had such a great time riding with you today and your spirit and mateship gave the Smiddy riders a real lift....thanks.

Fund raising total hits $43,000

Well its been an amazing few days on the fund raising side of things. Dammo has obviously had a strategy to keep some very generous people up his sleeve for the last few weeks before we head off to Townsville because in the last couple of days he has raised an amazing $2,500!!!

In doing so he has passed his own personal fund raising target of $8,000 by $500 and pushed our team total over $43,000.

The big question with only 23 days to go is can we hit the $50,000 target???

Well we're all working on it as hard as we can and with the help of the 7 Brigade soldiers tomorrow we're hoping we will be that little bit closer this time tomorrow night. Remember every bit counts and its never too late to join the fight against cancer and donate to assist cancer research.

Just visit our fund raising page at http://www.smiddyfundraising.com.au/cycd_for_bikes

Thanks for your support.

Awesome donation from Brake Parts Australia

Wow!!! Some great news today for the Cyc'd team with a fantastic $1,500 donation from Brake Parts Australia. It a tremendously generous donation from the company and the team, Smiling for Smiddy and the Mater Foundation really appreciate your contribution to cancer research.

Here's a little on this great company:

Brake Parts Australia is a privately owned wholesaler specialising in Automotive passenger and commercial vehicle brake systems, components and solutions. Working directly with global manufacturers we provide professional, reliable and competitive products and services to truck and trailer manufacturers and parts resellers throughout Australia and neighbouring pacific countries.

We are a brake specialist, having traded in the industry since 1977 where we have grown to possess a vast collection of information, catalogues and invaluable experience, along with some of Australia’s most experienced and knowledgeable team members with more than 140 years of combined experience. We offer some of the most well know and trusted brands such as Girling, PBR, Exedy, Bosch, Reliance, Zircon and OE Spares.

Cyc'd boys to get a hand from the Army

Well the boys have been working hard on the fund raising and have now reached over $41,000 but with just over three weeks to go its time to pull in the big guns if we are to get anywhere near our target of $50,000.

And when we say big guns we mean the ARMY!! That's right the Army are getting right behind us which is great news and this Thursday the troops at the Enoggera Army barracks in Brisbane are holding the inaugural Tour de Enoggera which will see the Army guys and girls ride with some of the Smiddy riders from their base out Samford and back. 2CER have arranged the whole ride so we are hoping for a good turnout with each rider donating $10 to Smiling for Smiddy.

As part of the event we visited the base today and visited 7 CSR, 2 CER and 8/9 RAR where the guys from the Mater Foundation spoke to around 500 of the soldiers about prostate cancer. It was a great day and allowed us to promote the Tour de Enoggera. It also raised some additional money as the soldiers dug deep and made donations at the end of the presentations.

We're looking forward to a great ride on Thursday and are extremely pleased to have the Army get behind us like they are.

Stay tuned for a ride report on the Tour de Enoggera later in the week.

Sunday Training Session

Hi Folks... Spartacus here again. Yes thats right, there has been further evidence to suggest that the real reason why Kent "Jens" Beasley is not riding is due to the knee. Hence again why yours truely is writing the blog for today. Rest up the knee mate as we need you fit and well to drag Gav and Dammo up to Townsville. Of course Spartacus will be there helping you.

The good thing about some Sunday morning sessions is that we start a little later which welcomes some extra sleep for some. Start time today was 5:30am whereby Gav, Dammo, Jase and myself were anticipating if anyone else was going to meet us for this mornings session through Dayboro, Mt Mee and back through Samford range then back to Coffee.

There was some thought whether our plans should change as most of us were feeling the effects of yesterdays session. The call went out by Gav "Stuey" Bryce to continue with what was planned so we headed off. "Think of it as a recovery ride" he said.

Dammo and I looked at each other after that comment and rather than make some smart remark back we decided to take the front in the initial stage to save the legs of the climbers (Gav & Jase) and continued up front for the first 20k's or so past Strathpine. When it was time to change at the helm the call went out to Gav and Jase to take the front until Dayboro. Now for some of you that may not have riden this section of road before, I have heard reports that they call one section the 7 sisters due to some of the rolling hills. Well I swear that today the sisters brought their husbands as well as it just felt like one of those days when the hills just come out and all seem like a 15% climb.

Anyway, when Dammo and I made the call to the boys we glanced briefly at each other with that sarcastic smirk stating "Yeah, As if". But they did... The lads held the front for the next 25k's to Dayboro which was a stella effort. Thanks again lads.

Well here we were on the approach of Mt Mee and considering that in just under 4 weeks we will be climbing this stage once again. As we continued to climb Gav made the comment that he might have been talking S$%t stating this was a recovery ride as we just kept grinding away.

After we have climbed for about 6.5k's up the mountain we were all still in reasonably close formation which was great however you can't climb a mountain without contesting who is King. So with about 500metres to go Spartacus decided to engage the big chain ring and ask the question by exploding away from the group in chase of the KOM title. The answer was obvious with 150 metres to go as I glanced back to see the faces of broken men as they couldn't find the energy to lift their game to a new level. And so, Spartacus took another KOM title for the week.

The stretch down the mountain was welcomed by all as this is the reward for any cyclist that has just spent the last 7k's climbing 360 vertical metres. Once we were down at the bottom, Gav was pretty quick to remind Dammo and myself it was w=once again our turn to take the helm which we did. Now by this stage we had climbed some 870 metres which included Mt Mee (360m) and considering we finished the ride with 1370m in total, you can put two and two together to realise we still had some work to do.

The Dayboro to Samford stretch is never easy and was sporting its usual headwind however not too fierce thank god. Regardless, by the time we reached Samford a few of us were hurting and the task of climbing the Samford Range was the only thing between us and COFFEE!!!

Once again we tackled the climb as a group and by the time we were half way to the top, I noticed ta Gav and Jase looked like they were about to start a tea party so I ramped up the pace again and screamed past them once more. However my fate was not worthy of another title as Jase took out the title for Samford on this occasion.

The final stag of the ride was getting long in the tooth as it was warming up and we just wanted to get back for that much deserved Coffee. Dammo found some extra legs and took the last leg like a man possesed and dragged Jase along with him.

Overall a great day with fantastic weather, good laughs and good company ending with fine coffee and a phone call to our cyc'd buddy Kent to sumarise some of the antics.

A total of 100k's at an average speed of 28k and climbing 1370 vertical metres.

Good efforts Lads.

Where for art thou Kent

Today was supposed to be just like any ordinary Saturday morning training session but that might have been asking too much. Yes it was one of those mornings that when you drag yourself out of bed at 4am you hear the inevitable SMS message come through. Uh oh, who will it be this week???

Yes thats right the reason why Spartacus has been given the task of writing todays blog is because our friendly blogger "Kent Beasley" was out. Now to his defence he has been nursing a niggling knee injury and stated on the text it needed some rest however the sceptic in me seems to recall Friday night drinks were on the agenda after a busy week which makes we wonder if there was one too many sherbets had for Kent?
Mr Beasley, Mr Beasley, Do you have a Dicky Knee???


We have heard reports of Kent wanting to stay in his pyjamas this morning. The image below was sent to us from a very good source as they stated Kent was very excited about his new pyjamas.

We will continue to grill him some more to come back to you with the real truth behind Kents absence.

Anyway, onto more important things such as our training session this morning. Apart from the three remaining Cyc'd boys (Gav, Dammo and yours truely) plus their Super Domestique Jase "Andy" Nowlan, we also had the pleasure of Tim, Peter and of course the new gun Lucie join our peleton this morning as we headed off south towards Redland bay for the infamous Carbrook loop.

Of course the first 20 to 30 minutes of the session was taken up with everyone discussing all the excuses why Kent wasn't joining us today. Statements such as Wuss and Soft were common terms of endearment at the time however I did hear someone in the peleton talking about bringing their tiara for Kent to wear if he wanted to be too precious. Nice one Lucie...

After that initial 30 minutes the team had to navigate one of those unplanned stops as Gav's rear tire decided to go flat. The super domestique was there in a flash replenishing water bottles and assisting Gav with the puncture as the true star he is and we were back on our way.

It was at this point we realised the weather man was wrong again as the initial forecast of a min temp of 12 degrees was challenged by the fact that we were rolling through loganholme as it hit 8 degrees and stayed there for the next hour of our journey. In order to stay warm the team ramped up a paceline through the carbrook stretch that challenged a few of the team to hang on as we maintained an average of 35k's an hour for the next 15k's while tackling some hilly sections of the loop. Great work from the Schleck brothers (Gav & Jase) on this section.

After this section there was the stark reality that we were 45 odd klms from the start of our journey and it was time to navigate our way back. Apart from the usual banter within the peleton this was a reasonably steady pace without too much confrontation until we experienced some slight road rage. While riding two abreast as usual through a section of road with a reasonably large shoulder a driver in a small red hatchback came from nowhere and while approaching the group from the rear proceeded to beep their horn however rather than just passing us on the RH side decided to drive between the peleton and the Gutter on the left of us. The team were left in shock of the stupidity of this driver and thankful that we were all OK.

A good training session with a total of 90k's at an average speed of 30.5k's with 900 metres of vertical ascent. Thanks Tim, Peter, Lucie, Jase, Gav & Dammo.

Now there is a serious side to today as it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge that today is the anniversary of Adam Smiddy's passing. Our thoughts go out to Adams parents Maria and David and brother Paul and good mate and cycling partner Mark Smoothy. It is Mark who started the Smiling for Smiddy cause which has raised more than $2 million for cancer research today and the reason why we are embarking on the 6th Smiddy challenge to Townsville this year.

Mark you are a bloody legend!!!

Until next time... Spartacus

Lucie shows the boys how its done

For today's ride Brad once again arranged for Lucie to join us.....he even decided to turn up this time which was a pleasant surprise.

The Carindale loop is one of those rides which isn't particularly long but has some nice rolling hills before it reaches the one major climb for the day, Mt Gravatt.

The talk leading up to the ride was would Spartacus Scriven hold onto his polka dot jersey won in somewhat controversial circumstances last Sunday or would Gav or Dammo take it from him.

As we commenced the climb Lucie slid past me like I was going backwards and asked "how long is the climb?". I managed to get out "a good 2ks Lucie" which only resulted in her putting the hammer down even more!!

Gav and Dammo headed off in pursuit and as Spartacus faded his strategy become clear, if he couldn't take KOM then bring someone who would prevent the other guys taking it. A good plan as Lucie was without peer this morning and while the boys chased hard the 100m gap at the top suggested that the boys are not quite in Lucie's climbing league.

Great to catch up for a coffee afterwards and hearing some more funny texting stories among the group.

Fund raising reaches $40,000!!!

Wow who would have thought that when we started this adventure that with a month still to go we would have reached $40,000 in our fund raising. I really need to acknowledge the efforts of the other guys Brad, Gav and Dammo who have thrown themselves into their fund raising efforts and the results are now showing with the four Cyc'd members holding done places 1, 3, 5 and 8 in the top fund raisers of the 50 riders.

When the four of us first sat down to set a target we felt ambitious so set the target at $25,000 which we knew would be a tough ask. But what we didn't know at that time was just how generous our friends, families and collegues would be when it came to donating in support of cancer research. On top of that we have received tremendous support from the corporate and business sector and we are extremely grateful for that support. This support has been made through direct cash donations, hosting fund raising efforts, raffle prizes or product support.

It probably time to mention them again so here goes:

• Wesfarmers
• Wesfarmers Curragh
• Rowland
• Tattersall's Club Brisbane
• Cyc'd for Bikes
• Ultra Apartments
• Coles
• Bunnings
• Officeworks
• Coca Cola
• McGuires Hotels
• Coffee Club
• Skins
• eRudy.com.au
• Stellarossa Queen Street

A few weeks ago we set a new target of $50,000 and with a few more things planned we are going to do everything we can to make it.

Thanks again for following our blog and supporting us in the fight against cancer.

Team time trial = Team Pain

Given how much riding we're doing its not surprising we were all looking for something a little different to mix up our training and Dammo bless him came rescue with a an idea for a good Wednesday ride....a team time trial!!

As soon as I read the text from Dammo I could think of only one thing.....PAIN.

We met up at our usual time of 4.45am and casually rode to the start line where upon Dammo took us on a loop of the course before we got serious.

"How many loops Dammo?" I enquired.

"Six should do it mate." he responded.

"Six!!" This is going to hurt.

We got in formation and for first four laps all was in order but come lap five I was struggling while the other three continued to ride hard.

The boys continued to power around lap six and I was left to deal with a slow flat and limped into the finish line of lap six only to find that the boys had decided to do seven!!

When they finally arrived they all looked like they had given the last lap their all with Gav and Dammo coming in together followed shortly after by Brad. Well done guys a good 25k time trial.

Later in the day Brad checked his Garmin data and advised that for most of it the average speed was 36kph which was pretty good given some nasty bends and a couple of short climbs in the middle of the course.

The ride was something different for the guys but I get the feeling that we will be revisiting the time trial in the weeks to come!!

Brad "Spartacus" Scriven makes fund raising podium

Well last week it was Dammo who had a stella fund raising week and this week it is the turn of Brad or Spartacus as we call him.

In the space of one week he has gone from about $4,800 to over $6,400 an awesome effort mate well done. Brad is now 3rd on the fund raising list and I know he's got a few things up his sleeve yet so things are looking good.

The Cyc'd boys have given as much to their fund raising as they have on the bike and its showing with the funds raised now over $38,000!!

Raffle winners announced!!

The Cyc'd for Smiddy raffle was drawn on Sunday at Cyc'd for Bikes with the winners being:

1st prize - $2,000 worth of GIANT bikes donated by Cyc'd for Bikes - L. Hirvela

2nd prize - 3 nights accomodation at the Gold Coast donated by Ultra Apartments -     P. Morrison

3rd prize - $100 gift voucher donated by Officeworks - A. Murray

4th prize - $50 gift voucher donated by Bunnings - J. Nowlan

5th prize - $50 gift voucher donated by Bunnings - N. Bryce

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who supported our raffle to raise money for the Mater Foundation and cancer research.

Our thanks to our prize sponsors:

                           Cyc'd for Bikes owner Jaaron draws the 1st Prize ticket