Links

Audax Australia
This is the umbrella organisation running long distance cycling events in Australia Their website includes a calendar of events.

Bikejournal
A place where cyclist can keep track of their mileage and any number of other statistics, as well as an attached forum.

Bikeforums
A set of discussion forums covering almost every conceivable cycling related topic.

Cycling Adventurer
The Cycling Adventurer has tossed in the structured life of an urbanite to explore the world by bicycle. A well-written site detailing how he came to cycling, and what he learned along the way.

Crazy Guy on a Bike

Bicycle touring journals from all over the world, including a couple of my own.

Johns Cycles

This is my LBS on the Gold Coast. While they cater more to the racing market, their service, advice and workmanship is the best on the coast.

St Kilda Cycles

Importers of all manner of things hard to find in Australia, including the legendary Schmidt hub dynamo & E6 lights.

Blogs

Bicycle-eye
Wonderings and wanderings out and about in Portland, Oregon, US

The Journey
The journey begins in Perth, Western Australia.

Lance Notstrong
The "other" Lance!

Ms Mittens
The Wired Cat on-line

Iron Gambit
.

Aussie Writer and Cycletourist
A blog chronicling the writing and cycling of a seaside baby boomer.

Up in Alaska
Jill's subarctic journal about ice, bears and distant dreams of the midnight sun.

The Kin Chronicles
Taking mediocrity to a new level of ordinary.

Allez
Riding and running with a vengeance.

London Cycling Diary
Pedalling across the capital since August 2005.

CouchPilot-2-BikePilot (Zin's cycling blog)
Living an adventurous life with Type-2-Diabetes.

The adventures of Crazy Biker Chick
... Including cycling, adventuring, cooking, knitting and ranting.

Redneck Espanol
The two wheeled Spanish redneck.

Treadly and me
"Work is something I do between riding my bicycle".

Crowlie
Womanist philosophy and theology. Cycling, climbing, art, single-motherhood and fire-twirling.

Adrian Fitch's random rambling.
A bit about cycling, a bit about genealogy, a bit about radio but mostly a lot about nothing at all.

Geo's big adventure
The life and times of Geo.

It's about the bike
Musings on the cycling life.

Spinopsys
Various cycling tidbits.

Industry Outsider
A blog about bikes and stuff.

Tweed Coast Treadly
An old man's bicycle riding diary.

A cyclist's life in Tenerife
(Canary Islands).

Bike to work to live to bike
It's never too late to get back on the bike

Stupid Hurts
Just the random scribblings of a guy with a bicycle

I'm not drunk enough for this
Really, I'm not.

BikeHacks
What can I say? Just read it.

Mozam's cycling adventures
A random collection of the things I like to do most, and mostly that is to ride my bikes, bicycles that is... My musings from competitive riding, long distance endurance to puttering around the neighborhood..

More cycling blogs

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Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Almost, but not quite, unnoticed

In the light of other things that have happened, I completely forgot to mention that I picked up a new set of wheels last Friday. It's funny how it came about in some ways. The double-century attempt, apart from the crash, also taught me just how inefficient a MTB really is for riding these sorts of distances. Indeed, already it's hard to believe that I've ridden 13 imperial centuries this year on one. Even before the crash I'd been planning to upgrade to something a little more efficient.

The trouble is, of course, that I still have to deal with Queensland "roads" -- meaning that unless I want to be somewhat limited, a full-on road bike is somewhat out of the question (don't see too many of them down Urliup way). It was then that John at my LBS suggested that a Hybrid. These aren't that common here in Australia, but used more widely in Europe if I understand correctly. I have to admit, it was a pretty good sales job, but not being an impulse buyer, I consulted with Martin, my regular riding partner, who concurred that it would be a good idea.

Then it was a matter of saving some money for the purchase, which I had managed up until blowing it all in an expensive crash. I decided to get the bike anyway, and after a couple of test rides, it seems to be worth every cent. The efficiency here is so much better, that I didn't even realise I had the saddle height totally wrong on the "test" ride last Saturday. An early 97km jaunt into the mountains of the Hinterland.







Suffice to say, the saddle height issue has been largely corrected (albeit not quite perfect just yet), and now the ride is smoother than ever. I'm looking forward to testing this baby out on a century (or two) this weekend. I have to say that so far I've been surprised by the sheer magnitude of the difference in efficiency, but it does explain why I struggle so much in the heat of summers here. Right now though, I'm still wondering how I managed 291km in 38 degree (Celsius) heat on one blistering February day on that old MTB.

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