OUR AWESOME CALENDAR GIRLS >>> Gawler Wheelers Group Ride Report: Saturday 11th August 2012
1. Gawler Wheelers-ROUTE43-Gawler-Two Wells-Virginia-Gawler-FLAT
http://www.bikemap.net/route/1413760
2. Gawler Wheelers-ROUTE46-Gawler-Kersbrook-Cudlee Creek-Lobethal-Lenswood-Cudlee Creek-Kersbrook-Gawler-HILLS
http://www.bikemap.net/route/1753075
No. of Riders : 45
TO JOIN GAWLER WHEELERS Group click >>http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/group/GawlerWheelers
*** TODAY's PHOTO GALLERY BELOW ***
Ride Summary
The Gawler Wheelers morning started with Juz, fresh back from Qld, proudly showing us the book that her mum made to celebrate Juz’s first year of cycling (see later). She’s a Calendar Girl now!
A big group of 45 riders arrived for today’s GW rides, including newbies John and Richie. Great to meet you both guys, and trust that you enjoyed your first GW experience. We were also joined by Megan and Ryan who are RPM instructors at the Starplex Fitness Centre. Paul, who is also a Starplex instructor, also popped in to say hi as he dropped his lad Callum off to ride with us. Nice to see the Starplex fitness folk coming to ride with us to stay fit!
One of our youngest riders, Carmen, turned 16 during the week, so at our ride brief we all wished him a big Happy Birthday. When he first started to ride with us Carmen was usually at the back of the bunch, however he has made so much progress that now he always at the front! Carmen, congratulations on turning 16 …we love having you ride with us.
We held two concurrent rides today. 23 riders elected to ride the 60 km flat route to Two Wells and Virginia. It was a perfectly calm dry morning on this route and we rode to those conditions. The Two Wells leg was fantastic as most of the riders stayed in bunches and shared the work at the front. The lead was taken by many riders and it was great to see Lee, Ken and Lorraine up there at times. We arrived in TW in no time with average speeds of well over 30kph.
Following a regroup we headed off to Virginia, a shorter but just as exciting leg. Then it was a quick zip down Penfield Rd and onto the last 20km leg on the Stuart O’Grady Bikeway. The traffic-free SOB is always a blast to ride on. Peter, Craig and others decided that pace was the go and a break-away bunch quickly formed. The remaining riders took it a little easier, taking time to chat and ride. We arrived back at Jaspers just after 10.00. All enjoyed this fabulous ride with average speeds for the riide ranging from 27-30 kph.
The other 22 riders simultaneously rode a brand new 90km GW hills route to Kersbrook, Cuddlee Creek and Lobethal. There were a couple of incidents on this ride, Firstly Juz fell victim to a mechanical problem at Kersbrook and had to cut her ride short. Thanks to Michael for accompanying Juz on the ride home. Mark H also had a major cracked handle-bar issue and had to call for team car. Colin some-how fell off his bike in the driveway of the Opp Shop at Kersbrook! We will let him explain how that happened!!
The group did get to Lobethal ok where they all took over the local bike bakery! The descent down Fox Creek Road was both challenging and hairy. All riders commented on the Millsbrook Reservoir leg and what a great run that was. Just after 12.30 the hills group started arriving back home. There was unprecedented interest in this new hills route during the week. Those who rode it were not disappointed. “A terrific hills ride” is how most described it. Stay tuned for more in-depth comments from the riders.
NEXT WEEK: We will be holding one big sensational group ride through the Barossa Valley and up to the Warren Reservoir. Details will be posted on AC Events soon. YOU are invited to join us!
There was so much happening today that we have to leave you with 4 songs to listen to as you read the comments that will be posted by those who rode with us today.
Neil Sedaka >> PLEASE ENJOY:
- “Oh Carol”…….for Juz’s mum who did a marvellous job with the book!
- “Happy Birthday Sweet 16”…..for Carmen!
- “I Go Ape”…..which we all did on today’s GW rides!
- “Calendar Girl”..for all the lovely ladies who rode with us today!
TODAY’S PHOTO GALLERY + MORE FOLLOWS:
Lee > “who in the h*ll is that!”↓
Chris and Keith discussing ride tactics?↓
Colin and Alistair saying “our wives are away this weekend and we are going to party big-time!” (Lisa & Karen….that is what they said!!! How did your Sydney run go?)↓
Michael getting his bike ready for the hills ride↓
Newbie John looking forward to his GW ride↓
Paul saying to Callum “Son you have to get some serious kms in today!”↓
Back: Warren & Chris. Front: Callum, Paul, Ryan and calendar girl Megan↓
Paul and Ken having a ball on the SOB↓
Hills Group on Potts Rd: Mark, John and Keith↓
Can you guess which GW calendar girl these legs belong to?↓
Pete at Two Wells...”my back is still not 100%”↓
Bella came out to greet us at Two Wells↓
Hills Group on Kersbrook Road↓
Newbie, Richie riding into Two Wells↓
Father & Son (Ken & William) fooling around at TW↓
Birthday boy >> Carmen on the 90km Hills ride.↓
Roger and Paul at the well in Two Wells↓
Lorraine checking her Strava stats↓
Terry leading a bunch into Virginia↓
Hills Group: Ryan, Callum and Megan. FYI Ryan ran the City to Bay in 45 minutes!↓
Lee doing it easy-peasy into Virginia↓
Paul and Shayne. Petrol prices have not changed at Virginia!↓
Hills Group near Kersbrook↓
Craig whistling “Calendar Girl” at Virginia↓
Paul leading a bunch on Penfield Road↓
Barry giving me a wave at the SOB regroup↓
Calendar Girl Elaine “my longest ride ever…TICK”↓
Caroline, and Juz with the book that Juz’s mum made for her↓
This is what Juz’s mum, (Carol) wrote on the inside cover. (Hi Carol!)↓
A glimpse of some of the inside pages↓
Nick and Peter were the first back from the hills ride↓
John can you please explain how that grease got all over your hands!!↓
Last, but not least, let us remember the Calendar Girl who has been in the news all week.
Well done Anna Meares on taking out the GOLD in London. We leave you with “Anna” .....and some rare footage of the early days of the Beatles. ENJOY!↓
Gawler Wheelers is all about comradeship, fun, fitness and chasing our dreams. Join the GW group on AC. Come on our rides. Contact details below. Until next week >> Cheers for now...Frank.
http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/group/GawlerWheelers
Next Gawler Wheelers Event Details (check the following links) :
➨ Gawler Wheelers Upcoming Group Ride Events
- ➨ Gawler Wheelers Group Ride Calendar
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Frank (GW) on -
John, beautiful account of of your day...thank you for sharing it. You are a wonderful story teller.....you should write a book!.
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Permalink Reply by Steven Ellison on -
Well done John, that was interesting. Those rides have looked interesting to me for some time ;-) Maybe I will see you on one in the near future ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Troy Swan on -
Your welcome John. looked back and you where no longer in sight waited on the side of the road but nothing. turned around to see every thing was ok, By that stage you had fixed the problem and covered head to toe in chain lube :) Was a great ride cheers to you all.
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Permalink Reply by Frank (GW) on
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GEEEZ MARK!! Very glad that you didn't come off Mark....what speed would you have been doing? Wonder what caused it....how old is the bike?? PS....buy a X-Lotto ticket this week!
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Permalink Reply by Mark H on -
The Garmin shows around 35km/h, on a slight downhill section a few hundred metres past the last regroup at the bottom of Fox Hill Rd.
I believe its somewhere between a '88-'92 cromoly frame, I've only owned it for around a year. The only abuse it has seen by me is a abrupt stop by a car door back in January. I did check it back then but didn't find any issues. It's done around 6000 km since then.
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Permalink Reply by Pete Roberts on -
Hi Mark,
Looks like you had a 'lucky' break there...
It's a bit hard to see the actual damage. Is it the bar that's broke or the stem ? & are they Ali bars ?
( just being nosey )
Pete
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Permalink Reply by Mark H on
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It was a lightweight alloy bar that failed. The black painted section is the stem that it still good, but the tear in the bars extends within the captive part of the stem.
Incidentally the whole right of the bar dropped off after about a km from the vibration as I walked.
$25 for some new bars and things are now back to normal.
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Permalink Reply by Pete Roberts on
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Very lucky,
Could have been a whole lot worse !
Did you buy a lotto ticket :)
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Permalink Reply by Mick Adams on
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@ Mark, I have added handlebars to my list of things that the TEC can keep in their back pockets. Anything else that would come in handy please let me know. I was thinking of the kitchen sink so John could wash his hands, but he water may get a bit heavy.
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Permalink Reply by Mark H on
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Thanks Mick.
I've had a bad run lately, perhaps some gear cables - spare tire or two, my front light ejected itself out into traffic today so better pack one of those. Oh and my left shoe is getting a bit worn from all the stops at traffic lights.
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Learn to track stand, at the least it will save me carrying shoes?
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