Bay City Roller Preview

Bay City Roller Map  - the ride runs on the east side of Port Phillip Bay, and south of the Melbourne CBD.

 Hi

 For quite a few years now, I've done the Audax Buckley's ride, a trip around Port Phillip Bay. That ride is not on offer this year, but I decided to go on another near-equivalent, the 200k Bay City Roller. You can't do 200k without training, and I've been out riding for 3 days now and have done some decent rides and had a few interesting things happen.

 

Lorne and back from Airies Inlet late last year - this ride was in drizzle and I'd developed a bump in the front wheel by the time I got there. I didn't dawdle and rode straight back after doing a U Turn at the roundabout above the lifesaving club. I spent some time over the next day or so fixing the bike and was ably assisted by my 3 year old grandson. He can use a pump and let air out of tyres.

 

Yesterday I rode 50k in a bit over 3 hours - quite slow but I spent a bit of time resting, taking the cranks off to get at a squeaky bottom bracket, and trying to put air in a slow leaking tyre. Wanted to do 40k on Kew Boulevard but ended up doing 50. Quite happy and I resolve to get a new pump and tubes the next day.

At Home - ouch

Rear frame is out for inspection

pic at roadside.

Yes, really ouch.

Early in the morning the next day, and my legs are aching a bit, but I get up and am on the road by 8am, and start off quite well - but then the back wheel starts touching the corflute fairing over bumps, and then later all the time. There's something wrong, and on the bridge over the Eastern Freeway stop and pull things apart, and there's a decent sized crack in the frame. I walk the bike back the few ks to home, and straight away head to the local bike shop and buy the pump and tubes I was after. Ride was 2 hours and 13min for just over 32km with a few stops, not too bad. The walk home was not too far - later by text Mary said she would have picked me up. But I was quite happy walking

Leaning trike module

And coffee table -

bikestand used for the switcheroo and maintenance to make -

this!

Back home and after a rest I'm ready to fix the bike, and as I did early last year, swapped the rear bike wheel module for the trike module. I was able to use my coffee table as a bike stand and did repairs and switcheroos, swapping the rear modules, swapping the combined seat and tailbox.

On Jan 3 I managed 62 k in just over 4 hours. Heading out, I ran into a rainstorm and got drenched, but the rain stopped and I kept going. Bike going well, a little slowed by rain.

Today's ride including cycling attire. I bought the shirt at an op shop with Mary, and rummaged in the draw to find the  leg covers, arm covers and Buff. Quite a relief to find the Buff, it's forecast to be 30C on the ride day, and its really hard to maintain good sun protection when it gets that hot.