Hanging out in Portland

A couple of weeks ago I made the 5 dash out of Melbourne and up the highway to spend the weekend hanging out and riding in and around the coastal town of Portland with my good mate Todd.

Rapha Gentlemen's Race - Melbourne 2012

Over the weekend the Wolf Goat Pack had the privilege of taking part in the Rapha Gentlemen's Race - Melbourne 2012.

Goat Pack Regional President Todd was invited by his good friends at Rapha Australia to captain-up and submit a team to take part in the race. Against better judgement, Todd assembled a crack (crap?) team made up of the best (only) riders the Goat Pack had to offer.

2012 Audax Alpine Classic - The Ultimate Sufferfest

You may recall from a couple of recent posts that in a moment of poor judgement last year I signed up for the 2012 Audax Alpine Classic.

Most keen cyclists know of this ride, but for the initiated, the Alpine Classic is a 200 kilometre one day ride which takes in the Victorian Alpine climbs of Tawonga Gap, Falls Creek, Tawonga Gap (backside) and Mt Buffalo. In addition to covering just under 200 kilometres, riders tackle around 3,900 metres of climbing over the course of the day. All of this while tackling the searing heat of the Australian Summer.

Rapha Festive 500

In an all too familiar occurrence of cycling related peer pressure and against better judgement; in the week leading up to Christmas I got sucked into taking part in the Rapha Festive 500 challenge.

I'm sure that you are well aware of the Rapha Festive 500 challenge, but in case you have been living under a rock; Rapha sets a challenge to pedal off the indulgences of the festive season by riding 500 kilometres between the 23rd and 31st of December.

McShiney and I ranking up the kilometres

For your efforts you receive the adulation of your peers (or maybe the relief of not being ridiculed by them), the satisfaction of knowing you completed something you set out to do and most importunely the badge from Rapha (above) in recognition of your accomplishment.

2012 Audax Alpine Classic - Like a moth to a flame.

Last Saturday morning the Wolf Pack was sitting around post ride chewing the fat when Dr Taka broached the subject of us tackling the 2012 Audax Alpine Classic.

For those that don't know, the Alpine Classic is a 200 kilometre one day ride which takes in the Victorian Alpine climbs of Tawonga Gap, Mt Beauty, Falls Creek and Mt Buffalo. Oh yeah; and it is held at the end of January at the height of summer... fair to say it's a bit of a ride.

Queens Birthday Kinglake and Yarra Glen Sufferfest

Let me start off by saying that as I sit here on the couch writing this I am shattered. Today's ride really hit me hard. I am sure tomorrow I will look back on this ride with much fondness and will talk it up at the next coffee catch up... but right now I am a broken shell of my former self.

We started talking about this ride a couple of week's ago. The Wolfpack thought it would be a good idea to celebrate the combined Ethan's / Queen's Birthday long weekend by heading out for a longer trundle through the hills to Yarra Glen.

Saturday Morning: 1in20 and The Wall

An afternoon on the sauce is probably not the best preparation for a morning in the hills.

Night Riding

So winter has now officially begun. I celebrated with a very cold ride around my secret night time training loop. It started getting a bit chilly when the thermometer headed south of 5 degrees.