Cycling Adelaide

[MrMeaner]

I'm going to be back in Adelaide for a couple of days in mid-October for a conference and would like to get a couple of rides in. I'm not driving and it's not worth the hassle of trying to fly my bike over. Has anyone had any experience of the road bike hire places (or know someone who has)? They aren't cheap but are they worth it?

I know finbarr and (I think) Arsene Wenger are riders. How about anyone else on the board?

 

[Arsene Wenger]

I'm going to be back in Adelaide for a couple of days in mid-October for a conference and would like to get a couple of rides in. I'm not driving and it's not worth the hassle of trying to fly my bike over. Has anyone had any experience of the road bike hire places (or know someone who has)? They aren't cheap but are they worth it?

I know finbarr and (I think) Arsene Wenger are riders. How about anyone else on the board?

100% percent mate.

My friend runs a business. VeloPorte. Awesome bikes too. get in touch and mention my name Danny. He will look after you. His name is Keith.

http://www.velo-porte.com/

 

[MrMeaner]

100% percent mate.

My friend runs a business. VeloPorte. Awesome bikes too. get in touch and mention my name Danny. He will look after you. His name is Keith.

http://www.velo-porte.com/

Great! Thanks! That's one of the ones I was looking at.

I just hope some of those roads in the hills are fixed by the time I get over there.

 

[Arsene Wenger]

Great! Thanks! That's one of the ones I was looking at.

I just hope some of those roads in the hills are fixed by the time I get over there.

should be right mate. Montacute will be screwed for a while. I was up near Belair and Blackwood today which is semi hills and was still pretty wet up there. With more rain next week, I think the Hills will be a bit sodden for a while yet....

 

[MrMeaner]

should be right mate. Montacute will be screwed for a while. I was up near Belair and Blackwood today which is semi hills and was still pretty wet up there. With more rain next week, I think the Hills will be a bit sodden for a while yet....

Yeah. It's the same in Melbourne. I haven't been out since last Sunday. Apart from today, it has bucketed everyday. I don't mind riding in drizzle. This was ridiculous.

 

[Arsene Wenger]

Yeah. It's the same in Melbourne. I haven't been out since last Sunday. Apart from today, it has bucketed everyday. I don't mind riding in drizzle. This was ridiculous.

this winter has sucked balls. i dont know how much you ride etc, but let me know when you are here and we can maybe head out....

 

[MrMeaner]

this winter has sucked balls. i dont know how much you ride etc, but let me know when you are here and we can maybe head out....

Cool. Thanks. I try to ride a couple of times a week. Nothing huge, only about 50-70km. I am trying to build up to longer rides but finding the time for them is the main problem. I am not all that quick, particularly up hills.

 

[finbarr]

Cool. Thanks. I try to ride a couple of times a week. Nothing huge, only about 50-70km. I am trying to build up to longer rides but finding the time for them is the main problem. I am not all that quick, particularly up hills.

I worked pretty hard through the winter to get back up to speed after the bad crash I suffered in Feb and 9 weeks off the bike. All those winter rides are paying off in spades now. A friend always tells me "every winter ride you can get in is like money in the bank". Really feeling the benefits now. Smashing old PR's on pretty much every climb in the hills lately.

 

[MrMeaner]

I worked pretty hard through the winter to get back up to speed after the bad crash I suffered in Feb and 9 weeks off the bike. All those winter rides are paying off in spades now. A friend always tells me "every winter ride you can get in is like money in the bank". Really feeling the benefits now. Smashing old PR's on pretty much every climb in the hills lately.

That's great to hear and gives me hope. I have been off my bike for a few months now (various reasons, thankfully none a crash). I hope to get back on in the next week or so. I'll basically be starting from scratch.

I'm glad to hear you've recovered from your accident. A mate of mine face planted going downhill on Mt Lofty last summer. Thankfully, he's good now too.

 

[LukeSA]

Please don't be one of those cyclist campaigners that has one of those obnoxiously bright flashing led lights, * they are annoying.

 

[finbarr]

That's great to hear and gives me hope. I have been off my bike for a few months now (various reasons, thankfully none a crash). I hope to get back on in the next week or so. I'll basically be starting from scratch.

I'm glad to hear you've recovered from your accident. A mate of mine face planted going downhill on Mt Lofty last summer. Thankfully, he's good now too.

Thanks. Put in a shitload of work over the winter. never felt better. Still wearing some slight physical scars from the crash, a missing front tooth being one of them, but in good shape. Spent the winter riding with some heavy hitters which really pulled me into shape.

Rode down past the crash site yesterday after the Paracombe stage. Felt a little spooky but nothing dramatic.

 

[finbarr]

Please don't be one of those cyclist campaigners that has one of those obnoxiously bright flashing led lights, **** they are annoying.

I have an obnoxiously bright flashing rear light. The fact you notice it enough to be pissed off by it means it's doing what it's meant to do.

 

[LukeSA]

I have an obnoxiously bright flashing rear light. The fact you notice it enough to be pissed off by it means it's doing what it's meant to do.

I just hate those front headlights, ok i get it why they are bright but why do they set it to flash mode? why do they even have a flash mode? we can ******* see it.

 

[finbarr]

I just hate those front headlights, ok i get it why they are bright but why do they set it to flash mode? why do they even have a flash mode? we can ******* see it.

Flash mode it for urban areas to make yourself as visible as possible for drivers. In the hills I just put mine on the brightest solid setting I have because I want to see what's on the road in front of me.

Personally I have this on the front...



...and this on the back.

 

[MrMeaner]

Thanks. Put in a shitload of work over the winter. never felt better. Still wearing some slight physical scars from the crash, a missing front tooth being one of them, but in good shape. Spent the winter riding with some heavy hitters which really pulled me into shape.

Rode down past the crash site yesterday after the Paracombe stage. Felt a little spooky but nothing dramatic.

I had my first ride back for a while yesterday. Only 40km but I really felt it. I have let myself slip back to the starting point.

I need to find a crew like that but I am apprehensive of holding them back. I have never gotten to a point where I feel like I'm good enough to keep up with them.

 

[finbarr]

I had my first ride back for a while yesterday. Only 40km but I really felt it. I have let myself slip back to the starting point.

I need to find a crew like that but I am apprehensive of holding them back. I have never gotten to a point where I feel like I'm good enough to keep up with them.

The only way to improve is by riding with people who are better than you are, to keep redefining what pain is to you. You're not going to kill yourself by making yourself suffer on a ride. Just got to grit your teeth and push through it I reckon.
While 90% of my rides are on my own when I first got a road bike one of my goals was to get good enough so I could ride with pretty much anyone.

 

[MrMeaner]

The only way to improve is by riding with people who are better than you are, to keep redefining what pain is to you. You're not going to kill yourself by making yourself suffer on a ride. Just got to grit your teeth and push through it I reckon.
While 90% of my rides are on my own when I first got a road bike one of my goals was to get good enough so I could ride with pretty much anyone.

It's not the pain that is the issue but finding the time between work and family to put the time in to get to that level. Each time I progress, something around one of those areas intervenes and it is back to step one.

 

[bomberclifford]

Any of you guys ride trails or are you just on the road?

I took my trail bike to KI for our holiday and did a few short rides here and there. Longest was about 30km to Pennington Bay.

Usually ride at Craigburn Farm for a Sunday work out but also like heading up to Fox Creek for a bit of downhill action.

 

[MrMeaner]

Any of you guys ride trails or are you just on the road?

I took my trail bike to KI for our holiday and did a few short rides here and there. Longest was about 30km to Pennington Bay.

Usually ride at Craigburn Farm for a Sunday work out but also like heading up to Fox Creek for a bit of downhill action.

I'm only on the road. If I could convince my partner of it, I would get myself a mountain bike. There is some very good mountain bike paths near my place. But I have two usable bikes (the road bike and a hybrid bought to transport my son around when he was a baby) and other expenses, so I just can't do it.

Damn being a grown up and having to be responsible and s**t.

 

[bomberclifford]

I'm only on the road. If I could convince my partner of it, I would get myself a mountain bike. There is some very good mountain bike paths near my place. But I have two usable bikes (the road bike and a hybrid bought to transport my son around when he was a baby) and other expenses, so I just can't do it.

Damn being a grown up and having to be responsible and s**t.

I was lucky enough to score a $5k mountain bike in a contra deal with a client. It's a bloody good bike and will last me forever... well until I get enough cash to upgrade. Man that equipment fetish has a strong pull!

Eagle Park is a good after work ride. Got some amazingly tough terrain mixed with some easier runs and the added bonus of being 10mins from the city.

I've also got a commute bike for city riding that is so good to ride. Tried riding it down to Henley one morning and the straight handle bars got tiresome after several kms.

 

[finbarr]

Any of you guys ride trails or are you just on the road?

I took my trail bike to KI for our holiday and did a few short rides here and there. Longest was about 30km to Pennington Bay.

Usually ride at Craigburn Farm for a Sunday work out but also like heading up to Fox Creek for a bit of downhill action.

Just road here. I like riding roads and would rather pump the money I have into the bike I have being the best bike it can be rather than have two ok bikes of different disciplines. For example, I put a deposit down last week on a set of $3200 ENVE 3.4 carbon clincher wheels. Putting a shitload of stuff up for sale in ebay as we speak.

 

[finbarr]

My climbing machine.

 

[Arsene Wenger]

My climbing machine.

looks sharp mate. Quarq PM too. you must be serious

do you race at all?

 

[finbarr]

looks sharp mate. Quarq PM too. you must be serious

do you race at all?

I don't race, although I am being encouraged to. About 95% of my rides would be solo and I find the power meter is a great pacing tool and helps me get the most out of rides. It's pretty good for managing fatigue levels too, which is pretty important following a fatigue related bad crash I had just over a year ago.

Those ENVE wheels are currently being upgraded to the 2017 rims under warranty after some slight delamination on the brake track. Hopefully they'll be back on the bike by the end of this week.

 

[Arsene Wenger]

I don't race, although I am being encouraged to. About 95% of my rides would be solo and I find the power meter is a great pacing tool and helps me get the most out of rides. It's pretty good for managing fatigue levels too, which is pretty important following a fatigue related bad crash I had just over a year ago.

Those ENVE wheels are currently being upgraded to the 2017 rims under warranty after some slight delamination on the brake track. Hopefully they'll be back on the bike by the end of this week.

Love your work mate.

i also have Quarq and Enve wheels too but i ride a focus. I think you should certainly have a crack at racing. It really improves your overall ability (bike handling) + top end fitness, with attacks and surging and all sorts of tactics.... its great fun (but also very hard)