Ok, here is a post about Melbourne’s Beach Road. This would arguably be the most cycled road in the world. Thousands of cyclists take to this road every day to enjoy the great riding, and Port Phillip Bay views. It has everything to cater for all cyclists, from flat sections, rolling hills, through to bigger climbs, the further out you get. On top of that, the huge numbers using this road mean there will nearly always be a small (or huge) bunch to ride/train with!

I could give great examples of all sorts of things to do with training along the beach, but i guess the best thing to do is just show a bunch of photos of some of the great views we get every day while training on Beach Road!

So as soon as you get on your way South, you pass South Road, and the view to the right of the water looks a bit like this:

Not too far along that stretch of road you can look across and see the Sandringham yacht club. I actually scooted across the road and took this photo froma bit off the road, but you can still see it from the road. There are so many great things to look at, and sometimes they can be taken for granted. Usually, when i get back to Melbourne, i cruise along Beach Road to Mordialloc, and then stroll back home stopping at all the nice places to just have a look and appreciate all of them. We are so lucky to live on such a nice bay here in Melbourne!

There are a heap of other great things to see along the road, but for most, the turning point on the out-and-back ride is (the dreaded) Oliver’s Hill, or Hope’s Rise. There is a great view from Oliver’s Hill, and you can see the Melbourne skyline in the distance, and the Dandenong Mountain range too. This is what the view toward the city looks like on the way down Oliver’s:

Probably the most famous of all the Beach Road bunch rides is the famous (or infamous) ‘Hell Ride’ (which also goes by ‘Black Rock Ride’). This ride can bring numbers of up toward 200 in the Summer months. While the ride had a bad reputation for some time, it seems to me, since returning from the States, that is a really responsible ride to be a part of. There are a lot of very competent riders taking part in this training ride, and it is a great way to get some form in the legs, getting in a good 100km before 9am, and while in the group averaging around 45+ km/h!
The ride starts and finishes in Black Rock, by the clock tower (see two photos down). There is always a big sprint to the green sign, and everyone tries to have a crack. People are known to even do a salute if they win! Below, some willing participants have staged a sprint finish for me. If i could get the camera out while the sprint is in action, there would be about 20 people going all out for the line!

Here is the clock tower. This is one of the most noticeable landmarks of Beach Road. There are a number of rides starting and finishing here. Probably the main reason for it standing out so much is that the clock stands in the centre of a roundabout!

Here is another of the significant landmarks of Beach Road; the mirrors building. I reckon every rider has taken a number of extended glances at themselves in these mirrors at some stage or another, if not every time they pass! It is actually a good spot to check out the style, and possibly new positioning on the bike if adjustments have been made (seriously)!

After passing the mirrors, there is the first really good view of the Melbourne skyline. It makes for a pretty cool sight when you look down and see the bathing boxes on the beach, then look up a bit and see Melbourne’s great buildings!

The best thing about Beach Road is that is caters for all cyclists, from the beginner (pictured below), to the seasoned pro. All cyclists head to Beach Road, and everyone on the road is friends with each other, and more than happy to ride together.

We have a great time training in Melbourne, and there is no shortage of fun either. Here Jonny models his newly found head-wear!

One of the other great things the Bay offers is a great back-drop for various photo shoots, whether it be postcard pictures, or poses for the Tommy Nankervis Missing Saddle blog page! Here we have new Jelly Belly signing, Nic Sanderson:

New Toyota United signing, Jonny Clarke:

… and, i guess its sort of out there now, and as good a time as any to officially announce… New Toshiba-Aerospace Engineering signing, me, Tommy, Huck!:

I have excitedly joined a number of my friends on another of Georgia’s (actually Athens based too) professional teams. I am really excited about 2008, and am looking forward to a fun, successful, and hopefully results filled year! I am already training hard and looking forward to better opportunities with Toshiba-Aerospace, and am just itching to start the 2008 racing season!

Speaking of racing, i made an appearance down at Glenvale yesterday, for an hour of pain! It was my first race in ages, and it definitely hurt! I somehow finished, despite contemplating pulling out for the last 59 minutes of the hour long race! I must say, Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club holds the best, highest standard local races you will find anywhere in Australia, if not the world! Clearly i am basing it as being the best in the world from my experience of local racing in the US and Australia, and from what others tell me their experiences have been in Europe, but if anyone thinks they can find as good quality club racing anywhere else, i am very interested to hear where, honestly. Carnegie seems to continually bring the most numbers, and highest standard, from October through April, every Sunday morning. Check out the website if you are in town and want to know where the race is. Don’t forget the Tuesday night crits too, on the Sandown car racing circuit, just as good as Glenvale, if not better!

So, another thing i really want to touch on, is in response to a comment from Stuart ages ago. Stuart was interested in what training i do during the season. During the season, it is hard to do the same volume as the pre-season training done here in Australia, because we race most weeks, and it is more about being prepared for each race, than slamming K’s in like now. In the pre-season, say December, a week may be something like this: Monday; recovery ride, Tuesday; long day, or, ride morning and race Sandown, Wednesday; long day, Thursday; long day in hills, Friday; recovery, Saturday; Hell Ride then Dandenongs, Sunday; Glenvale, then home around the beach with the bunch.
Compare this to a week in the States, mid-season, and it would be a bit more like this: Monday; day off for flying or driving home from a race, Tuesday; recovery day, Wednesday; longish maybe three to four hours, Thursday; easy day, Friday; travel to race, and/or a few openers to prepare for race day, Saturday; race, Sunday; race. The racing varies a lot, and at times there will be mid-week racing, so there isn’t a great deal of time or opportunity to do hard training, it is more about being prepared for the races.
I hope that gives an idea of what you were interested to know, without giving away any secrets!

Next weekend is the National Criterium Championship in Queensland, with the winner earning the right to the jersey for season 2008. Hopefully i can have some good luck and go well up there!

I will get out a post from my trip up there after next weekend.

Laters…
Also, please leave more comments people, i think i need more just to let me know people are reading my posts! Bus, its been a while since you left one… and the Old Boy!

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I arrived back in Australia right in the middle of the Spring Racing Carnival series (the horse racing, for those in the US), so there is a great vibe going on in Melbourne. The great weather is starting, people are out partying and enjoying themselves, and, going to the races! I was lucky enough to be able to join my friends to go to the Melbourne Cup, the biggest race of the year - big enough to warrant a public holiday!

We kitted up in suits, and actually scrubbed up quite alright! We had a spot in the Nursery section this year, and were lucky enough to have a camper van in there (courtesy of the VIS). The girls did a heap of food preparation, and we were fully decked out for the day, which makes things more enjoyable for sure!

Here is the setup we had for the day:

Inside the camper van there was a newspaper that featured some of our crew, so Narelle posed here for me to make a good blog photo!

It is heaps of fun dressing up in formal wear, something cyclists don’t do on a regular basis, so i thought i should show what some of the outfits looked like. Here is the very recently crowned Sun Tour Champion, Matty, with Meg, and Narelle and Jez.

We had a great day, and it was great to hang out with everyone again, as we haven’t really had the chance to all get together since we have arrived back in Melbourne. The weather was great too, which always helps! I think since i have been home, all but one day has just been absolutely perfect. It is great riding weather too, so now that training has commenced for 2008, it is great to enjoy the perfect weather while riding along the beach each day! My next post will be about Beach Road, as Leigh requested!

Here is a typically well dressed couple (well, not a couple, but two friends), with James modelling his nice suit, and Rahna showing off her cool outfit too. It is funny how it has become such a racing tradition for the chicks to accessorise with hats and fascinators on their heads, but it makes for a good look.

Here is a bunch of good looking lads all suited up; Jez, Leo, Sharpie, and me:

The area we were in is actually a carpark, and there is no view of the track. It is a bit of a trade-off; see the races, and pay top dollar for food and drinks, or bring your food and drinks, be a part of the party atmosphere, and watch the races on the big screen:

For me, i like seeing the horses, but the screen is just as good anyway. It really is a great day for Melbourne, and now that the Spring Racing Carnival is over, we are already looking forward to next year!

Some people go to a lot of effort to dress up in wacky costumes, and here are a couple of lively-dressed lads:

I thought people might be interested to see what sort of crazy outfits people wear, and these could even be said to be subtle compared to some others!

So as far as the betting went, i broke even, to the dollar - thanks again to my beautiful girlfriend Keally! Last year by picking a number, without knowing any horse names, she won me some good money, and this year, again without knowing a single horse’s name, helped me win back all the other money i lost!

When she called, i asked her to pick a number, and she said 24, so i put all my left-over money for a place on 24, and it lead all the way, to finish third! Wicked! Matty reckons in all his experience with betting on the horses, the only sure thing is beginners luck, and for the second time in two Melbourne Cups, that has worked for me, so i agree with the theory!

Next week i plan on a post for the riding in Melbourne, our great city here in Victoria. I will hopefully have a few good photos, and also, finally, write in response to Stu who asked about training rides! I am sorry it has taken so long, i can get a bit lazy at times, but it is on the way!

Well dudes, have a good one, and i hope to see you out on the road!

Laters…