A little Sunday ride in the rain - what could go wrong??

A little Sunday ride in the rain....what could possibly go wrong!!

The weather forecasters had predicted it and they didn't disappoint as the Cyc'd riders began hauling themselves out of bed at around 4.15am they were met with with a light drizzle of rain except the southsiders where it never rains at least according to Gav!!

A few text messages from the guys on the northside suggested that maybe they were wavering on riding but to everyone's credit we all turned up at the start point at the appointed time of 5.30am in the dark in the rain.

Things started out OK and the mood could even be called chipper as idle banter was heard among the group although it was difficult to hear anything other than Jase reliving his final lead out lap of Craig in yesterdays stunning victory at Murarrie. We wondered if Renshaw talked as much about his lead outs of Cavendish as Jase was doing for his effort yesterday.

The light rain actually was proving a nice distraction as we climbed Settlement Rd. It must have been because looking at Strava most of the guys set a best time for the climb...well done everyone.

With the first of the three main climbs out of the way and everyone feeling comfortable now that their feet were completely soaked we set off for Samford along the beautiful Ferny Grove road. A wide road with smooth tarmac like surface oh yeah I almost forgot and a set of train tracks which cross the road at an angle.

With Brock and the experienced Jase at the front we felt in good hands as we commenced to cross the tracks but in a flash Jase's conversation was abruptly interrupted as he lost his front wheel bringing him down which set of a chain reaction in the group. First Kent who was immediately behind Jase drove his front wheel straight into Jase's right shoulder and arm bringing him down also. Kent's bike ended up sliding across into the second lane.

The next to go down was Mark who ended up with spilling some claret on the road from a nasty cut to his chin with a bit of bark off from his arm as well.

Macca couldn't avoid the carnage in front and went down as well and Craig well he just went down in sympathy we think not wanting to be left out of the action (or the blog).

Craig's fall was actually a half hearted attempt as he managed to unclip and tip toe through the carnage and stayed on his feet.

As we regrouped the damage was assessed as follow:

• Mark - cut chin skin off right wrist and right arm
• Macca - damage to right booty (the one covering his shoe)
• Kent - a bit of bark off left leg, broken band on Brietling watch and broken Garmin mount
• Jase - not really sure but he has a nice Gatorskin tattoo on his right arm courtesy of Kent
• Craig - damaged pride for not taking a proper fall by remaining on his feet!!

Well once we were back up and running it was time for the mechanicals to begin first Andrew lost the ability to change gears which was interesting as he was one of the riders NOT to have come down so home he headed. Next was a flat by Boardman on eaton's crossing road. It was at this time with the rain still falling that a decision was made to cut our losses for the day and head for the coffee shop.

We safely navigated some heavy oil on the road home and everyone stayed upright until we got to Conti.

Mark attended to some blood dripping from his chin into his coffee and we all had a good laugh about what turned out to be quite an eventful 50kms.

Kudos goes to Mark for hanging in there with his injury and to everyone for remaining so positive while riding for 2 hours in the rain.

Mark trying not to drip blood into his coffee!!

A well deserved coffee at Conti

Cyc'd Cycling takes first B Grade win

Some may say its been a little while coming others would say don't expect too much from the fledgling club but what ever your thoughts today was a big day for our new club.

For some time we have been trying to get our B Grade riders together on the track on the same day but alas we have been thwarted in our efforts and today was no different with Rowan and Greg out at Roma, Gav out with a broken seat post and the big diesel engine Shane not being able to make it. That left just Craig and Jase to front up for B Grade. Kent would again contest C Grade but more on that later.

Craig has had a number of podium finishes in the last few months without being able to crack the win and while he was confident of a good showing he realised that without a few more riders in support it would be a big ask.

Before we get into the race its worth noting that in the past few weeks Craig has done an enormous amount of riding and climbing. Fresh off his massive 273km ride in one day he headed to the Snowy Mountains for a Smiddy training camp where he did some of the biggest climbs this country has to offer. He confided in me to feeling it in the legs before the start of the race but he also new he was in great shape.

I was racing C Grade hoping to back up the last start win with another solid effort so I was on the track at the same time as Craig and Jase so unfortunately didn't get to see much of the their race except when they went past us and the boys yelled out some words of encouragement.

When I finally finished my race I rolled up to Jase who was smiling from ear to ear the boys had done it they had picked up the win. Of course I needed to know all the details which Jase was only too happy to provide.

After what had been a pretty uneventful race with just a few half hearted attempts at breakaways which were covered in every instance by Craig with Jase saving his legs in the middle of the pack. A group of two did manage to sneak away but were never considered a real threat so Craig was content on remaining near the front with Jase working out the tactics from the bunch.

After 40mins of racing there were three laps remaining but still the Cyc'd boys kept their powder dry deciding to position themselves well forward to cover any fast breaks.

As they crossed the line with one lap to go they climbed a small pinch and as they reached the top Jase unleashed calling Craig with him. In the blink of an eye Jase had rounded the lead six riders by going briefly onto the grass with Craig on his wheel. Craig confessed that Jase's effort was so explosive that he experienced some wheel spin trying to go with him. Jase's effort had caught everyone by surprise with still over a km of racing to go. A small gap opened and the Cyc'd boys were driving for home. Jase had informed Craig that he would give it everything to get him to the sprint and that's exactly what he did leaving it all on the track for while the bunch caught them the pace was so high that no one could pass them.

In scenes reminiscent of Renshaw and Cavendish Jase pulled over ever so slightly and yelled for Craig to let rip and let rip he did leading the sprint all the way to the finish for a fantastic victory for him and the club. Craig being the honourable man he is gave all the kudos to Jase for his extraordinary effort of leading for almost a km on the last lap and putting him in a great position. While he certainly deserves the kudos Craig still had to finish it off.....a great team effort by the boys and we are still wondering what will happen when we get all six B Grade riders together on the same day!!!

As is the tradition Craig shouted coffees and toast at Spoon on the way home with his winnings. A great morning at the track for all.

Craig and Jase with their winnings!!

Footnote:

C Grade didn't pan out as hoped with a three man breakaway getting clear with two laps to go and holding it to the finish so no podium for Kent today 

Why is Smiling for Smiddy so important?

I just read this post on Sharky's blog and had to share it with you. Sharky aka Mark Smoothy is the founder and driving force behind Smiling for Smiddy an organisation which has raised over $2 million since 2006 for cancer research and a dead set legend!

Cyc'd Cycling has a number of members who have participated in Smiddy events over the past few years, this year we have 8 riders doing their bit to raise money for cancer research but why do we do it? Well read the following and at the end of it you will know why we all do it.....to make sure that in the future young boys like Nic don't loose their Fathers to melanoma when they are just 14 years old.

AN INTERVIEW WITH NIC READ - OUR YOUNGEST EVER SMIDDY RIDER

18 Months ago I was fortunate enough to get to know two exceptional human beings. They were a Father and Son team and they loved cycling. Michael was 45 years of age, while Nic was just 14 at the time. In December of 2010 Michael lost his very short 3 month battle against the Melanoma. This is Michael and Nic's story.


Last year Nic you sadly lost your father to a very aggressive Melanoma cancer. As you know I lost my mate Adam Smiddy to this same cancer back in 2006 and Smiling for Smiddy Challenge events were formed. Can you tell me a little about your father, what date he passed away, how old was he, what he did for a career and when he was first diagnosed?
My Father passed away on the 13 December 2010 at the age of 45. He was first diagnosed with an aggressive melanoma in October of the same year, shortly after his birthday.


My father Michael Read was born in Suva, Fiji, and enjoyed his early years of childhood as well as attended primary school there. When Dad's family moved to Australia, he started high school at St Peters Lutheran College in Brisbane, where my twin sister and I currently attend. Dad had a happy, rewarding and successful life at St Peters. He achieved well academically and at sport including cross country and rugby. 


At the same time he became a very competent sailor, with success in both river sailing and on the bay. In 1979, he proudly represented Queensland in national sailing championships in Tasmania. Sailing was important to him for the rest of his life.


In Year 12 at St Peters, which was in 1982, Dad was a prefect and a member of the 1st XV Rugby team. He was very proud of these roles.


During his schooling years at St Peters Lutheran College, he developed a very keen interest in computer technology. This led him to studying Science at the University of Queensland. During his university years he worked part-time in the St Peters Computer Department. Dad graduated from UQ in 1985, with a Bachelor of Computer Science, in the days where IT was a part of an exciting new industry. He began his career with Anderson Consulting, in the area of management consulting, where he met his wife Gai Wilson. Michael and Gai married in Sydney, in 1992. 
Nic I first met your Father when we ran the Kiddy Smiddy event in 2010 and you were there, along with your Father. He was clearly in a lot of pain but was there to see you compete in the ride that day. Your Father told me his story and I was impressed with how brave he was. It was just a couple of months after that meeting in 2010 that he passed away. Can you share with me your thoughts of that day?

That day is a very memorable moment, as it was my first introduction to Smiling for Smiddy, which is now an important part of my life. I was able to make it that day as I was invited along by my great friend Ollie Clissold, who has been a participant in the Smiddy rides since the early years. It is interesting you say you noticed his bravery, because I saw that first hand every day, and I hope I’ve inherited some of it.
Nic, so the catalyst for you joining the Midi Smiddy was the passing of your Father. Can you share with us your sporting background and how long you have been cycling?
As my father was a keen sportsman himself, I was introduced to sport at a very young age. I began playing club soccer at the age of 5, which I continue to play currently. At the age of 12 I also took up cricket, which is now my primary sport. I was also introduced to cross country and athletics at a young age. In 2008, I placed 21st in the QLD cross country state championships.
Following being taught how to ride my first bicycle, dad and I used to go on rides every Sunday. These rides started off short, but as I got older they built up to being about 70km long. Dad and I loved spending this time together. I received my first road bike at the age of 14, following being selected in the Metropolitan West triathlon team to compete in the State championships. 

Can you tell me a few of your most favourite memories of growing up with your Father?
Apart from going on rides every Sunday with him, which I mentioned earlier, I still recall the first time dad took me out on the bay in his sailing boat. Dad was a state champion sailor, and I always felt relaxed because I knew he was in control. Although I never took up the sport, I enjoy casual sailing, and was lucky enough to go with dad in 2009 to the Great Barrier Reef, where we spent a week on his boat!

Another thing about dad was he formed strong friendships with the parents of kids in my sporting teams because he would be at every training session as well as games - no matter what the sport.

Please tell me your plans for the future, what you would like to achieve from a career perspective, and also any sporting goals?
In the future, I would like to attend the University of Queensland and study a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science. I would also like to continue playing cricket at a high level in the district-grade competition.

Your fundraising is looking good, having raised over $1500 already. Can you share with my readers some of the ideas you implemented to raise this money and any other plans you have for further fund raising?
I have been lucky enough to receive very generous donations from family members as well as family friends; however I was also able to raise $825 in a single day where I hosted a barbeque at St Peters Lutheran College, where all students could purchase food and drink. Their kind and generous support was very overwhelming!

What is your fitness like at the moment Nic. Do you have any lingering doubts as to your ability to complete this tough ride of 560km in just 3 days?
That is a great question! I am still concerned about what I have signed myself up for, but I love a challenge, and have been working hard to make sure I will survive these 3 days. My training has composed of obviously clocking the miles up in the saddle (which I am a bit behind actually!), but also I have been working hard off the bike, as I am also needing to maintain peak performance throughout the soccer season. (There has been a lot of long-distance running involved!)

Any last words that you would like to add Nic?
I can’t wait to share the journey with yourself as well as the other riders Sharky!
Thanks Nic for your time and for sharing with us what is obviously a very sensitive subject. I hold you in awe and I know all the other riders will be inspired by your passion and dedication to do your bit in helping to fund cancer research.

Cheers.

Sharky

If you feel you would like to support the great work of Smiling for Smiddy go to their website at www.smiddy.org.au and join the fight against cancer.

Easter Ride Report

Well Brisbane certainly turned it on this Easter with absolutely perfect weather for riding and while many Cyc'd members took the chance to get away with friends and family it was great to see some good riding was done as well.

Over the four days Cyc'd members were out riding around Brisbane, on the Sunshine Coast, down the Gold Coast and even as far away as the Snowy Mountains!!

Its great to see some new riders joining in and the Friday fast and flat trip down to Manly saw Simon a mate of David's join us for a great ride with an avaerage speed of over 32kph. A great morning spoilt by the distinct lack of coffee shops which were open. Brad commented that the best coffee was at his place any way and Jase confirmed later that this was in fact the case and "Barista Brad" the cyclist formerly known as "Spartacus Scriven" lived up to his claims of making the best coffee on the northside but here you be the judge....

But does it taste any good??

Saturday's ride saw us venture out on an old favourite ride for the group the Jinker Track / Sangate loop. It was great to have yet another new rider Matthew Kane join us for the ride.

Another beautiful day for a ride and both spirits and pace was high. As we approached the Jinker Track conversation soon switched to Strava and thoughts of unseating Gav in absence as KOM for the Jinker sprint. The pace took a little while to wind up but soon David took control and burst from the peleton ala Cancellara or Boonen style as nobody was crazy enough to follow him. David soon gapped the field and no dobt had thoughts of soloing to vicyory but little did he know that the chase packw as fianlly getting its act together and soon it caught and passed him. The final result was a new KOM, Shane, who dethroned Gav by 4 secs.....well done mate!! The Sandgate Sprint was also hotly contested with Greg just holding off Jase and Shane for a fine victory. A great ride and fast too with the average being around 32kph for the 65km ride.

Sunday was a rest day with everyone loading up on chocolate for Monday's Twin Peaks ride.

Brisbane had certainly outdone itself weather wise as yet another glorious day met the riders. Today we would do a new ride known as the Twin Peaks. First its out to Mt Gravatt to warm the legs up on the 2.2km 6% climb before heading over to a trip up the back way of Mt Cootha.

It was good to have Rob backing up for another ride after his Saturday effort and Mark who hasn't been able to join us for a few weeks.

Mt Gravatt saw Jase and David blow the field apart as they attacked the climb. David posted a time of 6min 47 secs with jase just in front of him (Jase if its not on Strava then it never happened!!). Good efforts were alos recorded by Rob, Shane and Mark.

We regrouped at the top of the climb and pondered the next second of the peaks which could be seen in the distance.

Peak one Mt Gravatt done!

Mt Cootha is one of those rides that no matter how many times you ride it just doesn't get any any easier. Some times you go faster but it hurts just as much. Little did we know that among the group we had three first timers taking on the mountain for the first time in Mark, Shane and Rob.

Jase and David took off at a quickish pace which was expected but what we didn't expect was to see the big diesel engine Shane leading the way surely he didn't think he could beat the climbers could he.....only time would tell.

About three quarters of the way up as I rounded a bend to one of the steeper sections of the climb there up ahead was the the big diesel engine on the side of the road. He didn't seem to be changing a tyre nor was he looking anxiously at the chain so what was wrong?? As I approached I could see steam rising from the big fella and it soon became apparent that the big diesel engine had over cooked itself but before I could reach him the temperature guage had dropped sufficiently and he was back on the bike and heading off. Well done diesel a huge effort mate. Well done also to Rob and Mark on their first trip up the mountain. David came close to cracking the magical 10min barrier with a time of 10.02 with Jase alledgedly breaking the barrier but as for Mt Gravatt if its not on Strava Jase then it never happened!!!

All in all three great rides with a good number of Cyc'd riders joining in. Great to have some new faces in the group. Hope to see you again soon.

Craig takes Cyc'd Cycling to new heights

Fresh from his 273km ride last Sunday Craig headed off to the Snowy Mountains with Sharky and 6 other Smiddy riders for some high altitude training on Thursday.

Having ridden from Canberra to Cooma on day one they spent their first day in the mountains yesterday which involved a 40km climb which took them some 2.5 hours up to Charlottes Pass before they put the bikes away and headed off foot for the summit of Mt Kosciouszko a hike of some 10kms.

Here's a photo of Craig at the top of the mountain still wearing his Powerade team jersey.....well done mate!!

Massive week for Cyc'd Cycling

The Cyc'd lads have sure been putting in the hard yards on the bike over the past week.

Stats for the last 7 days were:

Rides - 58
Total distance - 3,512km
Hours ridden - 123
Elevation gained - 38,019m

A great week of riding with more to come in the coming weeks.

Craig Mitchell rides 273km in one day!!

Well saying Craig had a big day on the bike yesterday is an understatement. While most of us were very pleased with our efforts in completing the Ipswich 100 mile event (169km) Craig took the opportunity to have a huge day on the bike.

Starting out in Brisbane at 3.55am he rode with his good mate Boydie to the start of the Ipswich 100 and when he finished that some 6 hours later he rode back to Brisbane making it a total of 273km for the day.

Realising the enormity of their day Craig and Boydie stopped off at the RE Hotel and drank a couple of jugs of beer in I can only assume their lycra to celebrate a combined distance of 510km before racing the last 10kms home....boys that GOLD!!

Awesome effort mate in setting a new club record for the most kilometres ridden in a single day.

For the record here are his stats for the day:

 Distance            273km

Time	09:27:57
Elapsed Time	12:44:07
Max Speed	86.7km/h
Avg Speed	28.8km/h

 Calories burnt   6,859

Ipswich 100 - An EPIC ride!!!

Today is one of those long long days. Up at 4am to get ready for the drive to Ipswich for the 100 mile and now trying to put into words what the day was like. It would be easy to say it was epic and just leave it at that but that would fail to do justice to a seriously big day on the bike.

Firstly some stats for the day:

Distance - 169km (see note 1)
Time spent riding - 5 hrs 25 mins (see note 2)
Avg speed - 31.2kph
Climbing - 1,590m
Max temp - 33 degrees
Calories burnt - in excess of 3,500

Notes:

1.  We all rode 169km except for Craig and Boydie (Virgin Australia ring in) who rode from Brisbane to Ipswich, completed the Ipswich 100 and then rode back to Brisbane. In all Craig completed 273km in the day!!!! Legendary stuff and a new Cyc'd Cycling distance record for most km in a single day.

2.  Rowan finished with the lead group and while we don't have his exact time we believe his time was well under 5 hours and he did it with just one 2 min stop for water! Likewise Greg had a fantastic rise and finished in just over 5 hours with only one stop as well.

The day dawned with cloudless skies and no wind with the Ipswich temperature hovering around a very comfortable 15 degrees so the scene was set for a great day on the bike. Unlike last year we were all ready (well most of us anyway) for the 6am start and rolled out with a large group of riders for the start of what would be a pretty tough day in the saddle.

Cyc'd Cycling (riding under the Powerade banner) were well represented with the following riders taking part: Gav, Brad, Jase, Brock, Craig, Michael, Macca, Greg, Rowan, Jenno, Andy, Stu and Dan.

Here are some of the boys at the starting line thinking about the day ahead.

The ride got off to a good start and we were soon cruising along at an average speed of 34kph as we headed to Rosewood. This year there was no stopping for hot cross buns as Bruzzer wasn't with us this year (you were missed big fella).

The pace continued to be solid as we neared the 35km mark until the whole peleton was stopped in its tracks. The first instinct was that a major crash had occured at the front but it soon became evident that it wasn't a crash but a herd of cattle were being driven down the road by a farmer who seemed in no particular hurry to get them off the road.The stop proved a bit of blessing in disguise as it allowed the late starters to close up and join the group so all the Cyc'd boys were together now and after the cattle finally got off the road we were on our way.

The pace continued to be steady in the mid 30s and with a few undulating hills thrown in the big group started to break up and smaller groups began to form. A few of us found ourselves in a group that had some other riders in it who were only too happy to allow the Cyc'd boys to do all the work and while tempers remained largely in tact one Cyc'd member made his feelings known to a few of the riders and when that that didn't result in any decisive attempt by these riders to actually do some work on the front the Cyc'd boys did the only other thing available to them....up the pace and dish out some pain and drop these guys.

Our first stop came at 77km and we took the opportunity to regroup and enjoy the great hospitality put on for us by the organisers of the ride.

It was around this time that we all became aware of a strange sound coming from Jenno's bike. For those of you who don't know Jenno he rides a very fast areo dynamic bike called a Boardman. He loves it and has even adopted an alias whereby he only answers to Boardman! Well the Boardman has seen its fair share of trouble since it was purchased on the internet last year. Now Boardman recently sent an email around to our group offering some advice on how one should look after their bottom bracket (BB) after he had some trouble with his ie. read rust in the bearings. So you can imagine our surprise when through the peleton came this almighty creaking sound...yes it was the Boardman with the BB sounding like it was in its death throws with each turn of the crank illiciting yet another sceech of pain from the BB and to think there was only 100kms to go!!

The one major climb of the day up Mt Alford was soon upon us but all the lads took it in their stride knowing that once at the top they would have one of the fastest descents of their lives. Coming down Mt Alford is one of the most hell raising experiences you can have on the bike not because its twisting and turning in fact its pretty much dead straight but because of the speeds you can reach. My garmin dutifully told me that I reached a top speed of 87kph and all I could think about was the fact that here I was riding a bike who's frame weighed 1kg with me weighing in at over 90kgs with a small esky strapped to my head......mmmmmm what were we thinking!!

Once the Mt Alford descent is done the ride settles down into a fast flat run into Boonah and a few of us found ourselves in a big group made up of riders from the Cartel riders and the Graceville Gruppetto led by none other than "Stinky" Dave who did a massive turn on the front with one of his Gruppetto mates. With speed hovering around the 40kph the 18 km run into Boonah was knocked over quickly and we regrouped at the Boonah stop. Great effort by the boys who were in the second group to come in shortly after the big group.

While spirits were high as we scoffed watermelon and hot cross buns there was also an anxious feeling among the group particularly by those who had done the ride before because waiting for us just out of Boonah is the infamous "Dirty Dozen" a serious of hills, 12 apprently but I'm sure its more like 15, which are soul destroying to the tired rider.

Again a few groups formed and it was great to see a number of riders putting their Cyc'd mates ahead of themselves as they assisted other Cyc'd members through tghis most difficult of sections. At the risk of singling a few people out it was great to see Craig support Brad and for Andy to stick with Jenno as he changed flat after flat. Brocky, Jase and Michael were doing a stella job riding tempo at the front and a big thanks to Gav as he rode with me at the rear of the front group.

There was no denying that this was a tough ride and to see the likes of Macca, Dan and Stu who haven't been on the bike much hang in there was simply awesome they deserve the kudos for their efforts.

With the dirty dozen behind us things eased up a little and we even managed to establish a paceline running back into Ipswich which was a great way to finish the ride.

The Ipswich 100 may not have any iconic climbs but it is one of the more challenging rides on the calendar and its a big credit to all the riders for finishing it. To Rowan and Greg amazing effort doing it with only a few minutes off the bike for the entire 170kms. To those who have not been able to put in the kms in training great stuff for hanging in there and to everyone else well done on a great ride.

It was certainly a relief to cross the finish line as seen in this clip of Brad and Craig.

The day finished with in the Powerade hospitality Marquee with drinks courtesy of our sponsor Powerade (thanks Brad!) and some tales from the ride. Great to have a few families join us at the end of the day as we celebrated finishing another Ipswich 100.

Some final stats for the day:

Most number of flats - Jenno 3

Crashes - 1 Craig while trying to stop to fix a flat

Number of times Jenno was told to fix his bottom bracket - 653 and that was just by the Cyc'd boys!!

Here is a the group of tired but happy Cyc'd riders.