Self Righteous Cyclist

If I had to sum up the Northern Combine Individual Time Trial Championships and Brunswick Road Club Championships at Balliang on Saturday 31st August in a sentence, this is it. We came, we saw, we were blown away and we went home. Even though, not much happened on the racing front, those of us with a nose for a story, can sniff one out or at least make one up.  So hold onto your hats and here goes. During the week, the weather bureau was telling us that these high winds are unseasonably early.  By mid week I’m googling about safe wind speeds for disc wheels and thinking that I really should prepare that tri-spoke in case it's too windy.  Driving out to Balliang with my passenger Tom McDonough and no tri-spoke, it’s 16 degrees but a howling NW wind is bringing the temperature down to near single digits. Now Tom arrived at my place with nothing more than a musette and his bike.  On the way out he's telling me about his aero bars, which has got me thinking, they must be bloody t

After a near blanket finish at the Combine’s last handicap at Broadford for the Jack Wood Memorial it was time to get back to Balliang, the spiritual home of the Northern Combine.   54 riders from 16 clubs signed on for the 3 events, the Junior Handicap, the combined Alf Walker and the Pop Stewart Handicap, honouring a couple of Brunswick Cycling club legends. Significantly, Brunswick CC riders were best represented with 20 entrants. However, signing up and turning up and two different things and one look at the weather in Melbourne on Saturday morning suggested that it would probably be worse out at Balliang.   But there’s only one way to find out, and that’s to go and see for yourself, which 40 brave men, women and children did in a display of true grit and they were not disappointed. 18min bunch Riders were greeted with wet roads and drizzle at the start.   If not for some dry wood, the open fire place in the hall, would have been the place to be, but fortunately for the riders and

Dirty Deeds CX Report, with apologies to Banjo Patterson and his poem Mulga Bill's Bicycle 'Twas a self righteous cyclist, that caught the CX craze; He found a second hand steed, hoping it would serve him many days; He dressed himself in Brunswick kit, resplendent to be seen; He then hurried off to Entry Boss, although his skills were a little green; And as he rolled in to the velodrome, with air of lordly pride, The grinning Mr Pink said, "Excuse me, can you ride?" "See here, Mr Pink," said the self righteous cyclist, "from Brunswick to the sea, From Tawonga Gap to Omeo, there's none can ride like me. I'm pretty average at everything, as everybody knows, Although I'm not the one to talk - I hate a man that blows. But CX is my special gift, my childhood delight; Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a wildcat can it fight. There's nothing clothed in lycra, or built of flesh or steel, There's nothing walks or jumps, or r

67 riders from 21 clubs signed up for the Jack Wood Memorial Handicap, with Hawthorn CC being the best represented with 16 riders.   The 6-min and the 19-min groups with 15 riders each, clearly had a numerical advantage over the other bunches, with an average of 7 riders each.   But as every experienced handicap rider will tell you, if you are not working as a unit, you are probably just getting in the way.   With weather as good as you could wish for in the middle of winter in central Victoria, the sun was out, and the wind was a light south westerly.   Starter Rae Lesniowska and chief commissaire David Cutajar, gave the pre-race briefing.   Stay together at your peril.   You are all on the same team until you aren’t and you will know when that will be, or words to that effect. As a member of the 10-minute group sitting in between two large bunches, we had our work cut out for us.   Our goal was to avoid being passed before the three big rolling hills at the end of the first lap.

Welcome to the daily commuter cup, happening on city streets wherever you find yourself riding to work.  But first a question, what do you call it when two guys go for a bike ride?  A race.  Yes, many of us are predisposed to turning what should be a social ride or commute into a race. So why not have a bit of fun on the ride to work.  Here's my collection of experiences over the past 18 months on my daily commute to Melbourne's CBD and St Kilda Rd. Riding down Wellington Street, Collingwood some mornings is like a live version of the video game Frogger (if you are too young to know, go and ask someone over 45). My morning commuter cup kicks off on the corner of Alexandra Parade and Wellington Street in Clifton Hill, with an eclectic array of participants.   The E-Bike rider.  Usually dressed in smart business attire, knowing they won't have to break a sweat climbing Col du Victoria Parade. The Scooter rider.   Typified by the millennials amongst us who find the use of a h

Welcome to autumn racing in Belgium like conditions, just an hour from Melbourne.   In stark contrast to the 2023 St Kilda Trophy event, most of the pot holes were gone, the field was more than doubled and the temperature was quartered, yes you read that right.   After the season opener at Latrobe Uni, attracted a field of 233 riders across 10 grades,  this race attracted 120 riders from 24 clubs entered across 9 grades.  Compared to the meagre 56 entrants from 17 clubs and this year's event, is it too early to say that road cycling is back? I hope not. As riders gathered in the carpark, the chatter or was it the chattering of teeth, was dominated by wardrobe choices or lack thereof, judging by the few who very visibly shivering in summer kit as they waited for the pre-race briefing.  To quote a former Aussie pro, who rode for a Belgian team, there's no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing choices. Brunswick rider Andrew Gannon, complete with neck buff drawn up over h