Last rides of the year

I didn't go for a ride on Friday as I needed the car at work and wanted the rest day.
Saturday morning I headed out before anyone else was awake and before the wind got up too much and did "the block" 33 km from Inverloch to Cape Paterson and Wonthaggi then back to Inverloch. Eagles Nest is on the way and looks good from the road some days. I averaged 29 kph for the ride of 33km even with the headwind on the last 13 km back to Inverloch. The map is at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=383434. I went anti clockwise this time to enjoy a different ride. Saw a few other riders including a couple I know. Breakfast on my return home and drip coffee. Life is good. Plenty of photos of Eagles nest are online alreay Search Google for more, http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&q=Eagles+Nest+Inverloch&btnG=Search+Images.

Great day shared

A good day today. The day started with the 9 km ride to work, no rain and overcast. Later in the day I ogt a call from Robert, he and the other 6 people on the "Be Spontaneous" group from the VicHPV came from Meeniyan to Leongatha as part of their 3 day tour of South Gippsland. It was great to have lunch with them and ride with such a happy group. I was only on an extended lunch break but it was intersting the response around town. A couple of the group found other friends from Melbourne as well. Recumbents are recognisable everywhere and people don't forget that you ride one.

The last photo shows John and Ruth riding their combination of store bought and home made recumbents. John's bike story is at the vichpv site at: http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/vichpv/web/members/johnr/johnr.html

I rode a 20 km return trip via the airport for the trip home. This includes 3 km of dirt road but other than that is reasonably flat and nice with very little traffic. I need to get into the habit of photos. Got a few but need to get them off the camera.
About 38km in total.

Back to work

The threat of rain was in the air but other than a few very small drops nothing eventuated. I rode a total of over 48km for the day. 9 to work, 26 home and the rest around town to check out what was happening with the tourist crowd.
I love the way the GT3 corners. I was doing about 40km down toward one corner when a couple of young kids (early teens) were sitting onthe road but decided to move to block off my line around the corner. I was able to brake slightly change course and still get round the corner at 30 kpm. Good fun in all and left them stunned.

Boxing Day Rides

I went for an early ride about town before breakfast and did about 18km, the wind was mild and in my face all the way out to Eagles Nest.
I went for another ride in the afternoon to the same course . The wind was still a pain and the traffic had picked up a bit. All the tourists are in town for the holidays. This will require a rethink of where I ride for safety . The tourists generally don't look where they are going or pull out without warning. Happy Holidays

Christmas Day

Christmas Day and I unwrapped a new set of VP X38 pedals (http://www.vpcomponents.com/pedals.asp?pcat=&pcat2=2&nowPage=4&pagesize=5#) and a set of Scott Boulder shoes to match (http://www.scottusa.com/category.php?UID=677) . I have set them up and gone for a short test ride. I will need to get used to the clip unclip method but on the bent trike that is less of a problem than a wedgie.

No one much around as the day is poor with a fair wind and rain on and off all day. Good weather for the farmers and the water supply. We went to Melbourne for Christmas stuff yesterday and while it rained on and off there was no run off anywhere as all the rain soaked straight into the paddocks. The next few days are expected to be similar.

The weather breaks

No ride on Friday as work BBQs and other things would make it difficult.
Meet a bloke cycleing from Sydney to Melbourne when i was just outside Korumburra. He was riding Velotechnic recumbent which was what made me look twice. We don't see many recumbent tourers around here. Had a talk for a while and parted ways as he had to make melbourne for Christmas day. Hope he was dry inside when the rain came.

Saturday I have done the block. Inverloch, Wonthaggi (shopping), Cape PAterson and back to Inverloch along the coast road. All up i rode 35 km. A headwind for the first 2 legs and a great ride back to Invy. See the map at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=383434. A good ride if you are down this way and the holiday crowds are not on the coast rode.

I need a new horn as the Honka hoota http://www.honkahoota.com/pages/menu.htm failed as the sun has perished the flexible plastic. The thing is less than 3 months old. Not impressed with these horns and looking at the air zound.

Short smokey day

Rode 9km to work and the same back. The smoke is thick again from the fires and my eyes noticed it a few times. The hot afternoon and the need to talk with a friend shortened the time available to ride.

Christmas Fun

Rode to work tody, all 27 km. Traffic was light and the wind straight in my face. Enjoyable but not the best ride ever. Rode all the way so that Heather would pick me up after drinks after work. Chrictmas celebrations and Kris Kringle gifts for all. I got a metal insulated coffee cup. This is certainly something I will use at work. Thanks to the Kris Kringle for that gift.
Drove home with Heather (she drove as I had a few red wines). A good day all round.

Christmas Fun

Rode to work tody, all 27 km. Traffic was light and the wind straight in my face. Enjoyable but not the best ride ever. Rode all the way so that Heather would pick me up after drinks after work. Chrictmas celebrations and Kris Kringle gifts for all. I got a metal insulated coffee cup. This is certainly something I will use at work. Thanks to the Kris Kringle for that gift.
Drove home with Heather (she drove as I had a few red wines). A good day all round.

To Work and back

Rode the short ride to work 9km and 20km back. Went home past the airport. It is a nice flat road with little traffic. There is 3 km of gravel but a nice ride.I like the way the GT3 backend slides about in the gravel.

Kongwak Market Sunday Morning

Rode out to Kongwak Market to have a look around and a coffee. Lots of smoke around from the Central Gippsland Fires. Heather came along (actually the reason we went to the market) and it was cool to start but the day warmed up. After the 15 km out there and the coffee and a yoyo biscuit. On leaving we decided to go a longer way home and went towards Wonthaggi and down Lynnes Road. In all we did just over 42 km. That is a fair distance for Heather. Normally we would break it up with lunch but decided to have lunch when we got home.
After the evening meal I went n the 20 km sprint around town and out to Eagles Nest. I enjoyed both rides, the first for time riding with Heather and the second for the exercise. A total of 140 km for the weekend. The bikely of my 20km ride is at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=592432.

Inverloch to Grantville

Off for a ride to Grantville from Inverloch. It is about 40 km each way. I want to walk the boundary of the Shiloh Campsite. See http://www.shilohranch.com.au/welcome.htm . The Uniting Church have just bought this site from Hillcrest Christian School. We are relocating the Inverloch Uniting Church Camp to the Grantville location. See http://members.dcsi.net.au/withers/ for the Inverloch Camp.
LEFT: The Road ahead and the hill to climb. I actually went over the saddle to the left rather than up the hill. The haze is smoke from the Gippsland Fire. Today it has cleared a bit from during the week.

A nice day with little wind but that will pick up as the day moves on. Expecting 22 degrees after a start of about 10. Only a couple of hills in the way so I better get ready.

LEFT: A view of Lance Creek Reservoir (in the distance). Here is not the place to stop for relief as I have to drink this stuff. The place is brown compared to normal.

Total of 79 km covered in about 4 hours riding. Went for a walk about the property I went to visit. The ride had nice views from some of the coastal areas from the ridgelines. Bit of a head wind on the way back but a good ride. The ride is on Bikely at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=587136

LEFT: The road back from Grantville and the hillclimb in the distance. I managed 60 km down the hill and passed Porche car club going the other way. The hill climb was about 3km long but I was able to stay in doulbe figures all the way.

I probably had less then 40 cars pass me on my side and about 60 come the other way. A milk tanker let me know he was coming on one of the skinny bits of the road so I could get out of the way.

Mark

Who am I

I am Mark, a middle aged recumbent trike rider in South Gippsland Australia.
This is God's own country for riding. The roads are not the best but the hills are short and the veiws great. The weather in reasonable with cool mornings and warm days during summer. Winter can be wet but then there is the exercise bike and the tele for those times.