23 March 2015

2015 Coast to Coast...

One of my favourite participation rides is the Coast to Coast - a 120km ride from Glenelg to Victor Harbour which is put on by BikeSA.

Unfortunately they discontinued the ride after 2011, but they have brought it back in 2015 after much protest from the riders!

Although not a race, there are those that do take it seriously, me being one of them!
The route is absolutely stunning leaving Glenelg, climbing up the Old Freeway past Eagle on the Hill, through Crafers, Stirling, Meadows, then down to Victor Harbour.

Apart from the steep climb up Eagle on the Hill at the beginning, then the climb at the end up Hutchinson Hill Rd, the route is mainly flat or downhill.

 
The Course Map

The weather we had was perfect with it being 32c and a slight tail wind most of the way to help.

I managed to tack onto the back of the Steve Cunningham (of the procyclingtours fame & also who I am going away with later in the year) grupetto for most of the way, and although I got dropped going up the very last climb, another guy and myself worked together to get back to the group again.

Him and I had a sprint at the end of the ride as the rest of the group were just gently rolling in and I managed to pip him at the line.  However there was another person who must have broken away earlier.

As it turned out, according to Strava I was 2nd over the line out of the 1500 that started, and in a time of 3h24m55s.


 
Me at the Finish Line in Victor Harbour


To Make a Donation Towards My 2016 Beat Cancer Tour click here:
https://secure.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=880491&langPref=en-CA#&panel1-3
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19 March 2015

Why do Cyclists Shave Their Legs???

Have you ever seen a bunch of cyclists and wondered why they shave their legs - especially the males? 

Some guys even get them waxed - like me!!  Firstly, the reasons I wax over shave are:
1) If I shaved in the shower I would use up a swimming pool worth of water as my legs are so long
2) Following on from the above reason is time.  It would take me ages to shave my long legs!
2) Shaving can cause cuts - no thanks!
4) Waxing lasts longer
5) No prickles after just a few days with waxing



My Legs Before

Well they are the reasons that I get my legs waxed as opposed to shave, but why do it in the first place?  Acording to 'about sports' the 5 reasons are:


1. For More Aerodynamics

To make oneself faster is probably the most frequently assumed benefit of leg shaving. Less leg hair, less drag -- that's the thinking. The problem is that the aerodynamic advantage gained in this area would be so incredibly slight as to be virtually undetectable. This is especially laughable when you think about a guy like USA cyclist Dave Zabriskie shaving his legs to go faster, and then keepingthat huge moustache!!
But, regardless of what actual testing in a wind tunnel would show, like so many things in life, a cyclist who BELIEVES that having smooth legs is helping is likely to see (or perceive) a positive effect as a result.




2. Easing Healing of Road Rash
                  
One of the reasons for shaving is that it makes the healing of "road rash" -- that painful patch of skin that has been ripped off your body after a nasty fall -- that much easier. Cleaning the wound is simpler with no leg hair in it, and you lessen the chance of infection in addition to minimizing the painful problem of leg hair getting trapped in the scab as the would dries out.
                   




My Legs Half Way Through
 
 
 


3. Makes Massage More Pleasant 

One of the best things about being a pro cyclist is the massage sessions that follow a day's riding. Having clean shaven legs makes it easier and more pleasant for the trainer to perform massage. Plus, there's no pulling on the leg hair when they really start working the muscles hard.






 4. More Attractive Appearance                                                       
To many people, shaved legs simply look better than hairy ones. Tanned, muscular and lean legs are enhanced by smooth skin. After all, that's the same reason weightlifters shave their body hair -- to look better when they're strutting around stage. And anybody who has followed pro cycling knows there is no shortage of preening in the peloton.



5. Tradition
                  
Maybe one of the strongest appeals to shaving one's legs as a cyclist is the tradition involved. For years cyclists have simply shaved their legs, and to shave your legs as well marks you as one of that group, regardless of how fast you actually go on a bike. Half of being a cyclist, some might say, is looking the part.
                   

 
 
My Legs - All Done!!
 
One last comment: People ask me if waxing hurts - the simple answer is No, it doesn't hurt -
IT KILLS!! 
 
 

To Make a Donation Towards My 2016 Beat Cancer Tour click here:

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16 March 2015

The Bike...

The bike I will be riding I have had for about 3 years now now and I really enjoy riding it.

It is a Merida Scultura 909.

• The frame and forks are all carbon
• The gearing on it is all Dura Ace
• The brakes are Dura Ace
• The wheels are Dura Ace
• The front chain ring is a 53/39
• The rear cluster is an 11-25
• It weighs approx 7.6kg's
• I also use a Polar CS200 Computer (Heart Rate Monitor/Speedo etc)

Merida Scultura 909
 
 
My rides vary according to how much time I have and how the legs are feeling.  My favourite rides include climbing up Norton Summit Rd, The Old Freeway past Eagle on the Hill, and when I am fit, up Greenhill Rd.  All of these roads lead to Adelaide's highest point being Mt. Lofty (727m above sea level according to Wikipedia).
 
Climbing Norton Summit Rd
 
 
At the summit of Mt. Lofty

 
 

To Make a Donation Towards My 2016 Beat Cancer Tour click here:

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14 March 2015

In The Beginning...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 
I have always loved cycling.  As a young kid in school I would take myself off to the library during recess and lunch times and read books on the Tour de France.  I have followed the Tour every year since I was 13, and I had dreams of one day being a pro rider and participating in the Tour myself.   Well, reality set in and my ambition didn't match my cycling ability, so I became a weekend warrior instead!  The closest I have got to being a pro rider is having my photo taken  with 'The Voice of Cycling - Phil Liggett'!


John Cullen with 'The Voice of Cycling' Phil Liggett


However, during the 2015 Tour Down Under we were in the Tour Village and there was a stand set up for the 2015 Beat Cancer Tour (BCT).  When I enquired what it was about, I was hooked immediately and knew I wanted to be on the 2016 BCT Team!

The Beat Cancer Tour is an official part of the Santos Tour Down Under. It is a fantastic opportunity to raise much needed funds for cancer research through Cancer Council’s Beat Cancer Project.
Cancer Council's Beat Cancer Project has one vision – to bring us closer than ever to a future without cancer... and we have every reason to believe it is possible.
Thanks to the contribution of cancer research, over the last 20 years in Australia we have seen:  
• Cancer deaths fall by approximately 14%
• Survival rates for many common cancers increase by as much as 30%
• An estimated 61,000 Australian lives saved by improvements in cancer prevention, screening and treatment.

The Beat Cancer Tour is not a ‘race’ – we ride as a united peloton to raise awareness in the fight to beat cancer.
Beat Cancer Tour is unlike any other charity ride. This is a pro experience so our peleton will only be stopping briefly for ‘comfort breaks’ and at the FeedZones. I'll need to be able to ride approx. 150 kms a day, and I'll need a very high level of fitness and ability equal to or greater than a C Grade Club rider.

We will be riding every stage of the Tour Down Under, just like the pro's, so this will be approx 900kms for the week.

Throughout the next 10 months I will take you on my journey preparing for this event, the training rides I do, the organised rides I participate in, and most importantly, the fundraising that I do.

As the main focus of this ride is to raise funds, I have set the goal of raising $25,000.



To Make a Donation Towards My 2016 Beat Cancer Tour click here:


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