BR99, GP4000s, stuff and things

So, where was everybody? Lame excuses such as "Oh, I raced
yesterday", "Oh, I'm in Ballarat with an internet connection", "oooh,
it's mother's day today", "I got too drunk lastnight at the beer
festival" will be considered just that -- rather poor and lame.

I left a few seconds after 7:30, I stopped at the usual first stop to
try to find out what the feck was making a racket on the bike. Never
did find an answer to that, but at least, perhaps, just for the time
being, I have got the shifting almost resembling working correctly,
maybe. Essendon caught up to me at said stop -- he got to the start a
few minutes late. He was trying to catch up to another rider that
looked like Ritcho, but was taking odd routes, and far too slowly for
ritcho.

Ess found the answer to the GP4000 question. Yes, it turns out, they
don't work in the wet either. And at the same roundabout I had
trouble on first time I went through it in the wet on the roady. But
the wet road offered less friction and his grazing wasn't too bad.
Beforehand, going down the steep section of Harris Gully Road, I
didn't push it at all -- I left it in the middle ring, a few gears
down from the top. I didn't sit in Ess's wake too much either, given
that he was spraying water everywhere. Yet, given the complete lack
of any wind (!), it was destined to be a fast day -- pity we couldn't
put the hammer down. As it was, I could feel wheel slippage down the
bottom while doing 78.6km/h, and as such, decided to take it super
easy around the roundabout in question. It looked like Ess was taking
it quite cautiously too, but I can still remember the moment fate was
sealed -- the nastiest section of the roundabout where the camber is
going to complete towards out back of ****o bazoo. He took it easy up
Kangaroo ground, and yet we still passed a very very slow roadie.
Hope he saw the makeshift bandage Ess was holding in one hand as he
passed. Heh heh, I am so not uncompetitive

Ess decided to take the easy way home (via that bigass hill we usually
go right at to avoid -- silly bugger). I went on. Just as I was
about to turn off towards Clintons road, the drizzle came in rather
heavily (where was that on the radar!?), so I decided to take the
super short route -- and got thouroughly drenched anyway.

Stopped at the cafe de Burgandy that we stopped at last time I
fell^Wrode. Confirmed -- their service is crap. After far too long,
I asked where my coffee was, was told they forgot it, and then waited
far too long for it to eventually arrive after them being reminded.
Watched the drizzle coming down, and watched two 4WDers show me the
real purpose of a 4WD in the city -- to conquer the curb when their
driving skills don't quite meet the necessary standards of parking.
Why didn't I think of that? The cakes may look good, but geez, the
service! Got quite cold waiting. Setting off up Col de Burgundy,
despite the heavy drizzle, warmed me up nicely

Lots of cyclists on the road today. All looking pretty grim. I
passed one roady girl, who had mud over her face. Tasty.

I also had GP4000s on, and I gave them a good test around one very
easy corner. Took it nice and slow, and the wheels still slipped out
from underneath me, but due to quick skillful action, they grabbed
again. I then whooped it up as I went up the hill. I am teh
über-grip legend!


Very nice to have fresh socks at work, I do hope I remember to
replenish the supply tomorrow.


Got back in time to watch both races on the tellie -- I wish, next to
the display with the peleton time gap, there was a percentage gradient
corresponding to the particular camera we happen to be looking
through. I watched nervously as the peleton went through those nasty
corners in the wet. And also got the idea that we should hold races
on the brick forecourt of the university -- hmmm, slippery action.


Don't forget -- BR100 next week! Bring your party hats!

And Jono, is the Bike Life 1:20 group still sizable, or indeed
happening at all, this time of year? I figured those roads were going
to be too wet today to tackle them again...

--
TimC
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