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GoPro videos
Published April 23, 2012 | 
I will be posting short videos from time to time of interesting incidents on our weekend rides.
GoPro video still images.
Published April 22, 2012 | From time to time I will post individual images of our riders when they become available.
These are currently taken from the video footage so the quality isn’t all that great but would be suitable for prints around the 150 X 100 size. In the not too distant future I will endeavor to get some 11 meg still shots as long as the subject behaves themselves and doesn’t give me the bird. (Andy)
Christmas Ride 2011
Published December 26, 2011 | The annual Christmas Ride of the Lara Latte Cyclists was again a Jolly affair! However, due to the humid weather, Santa decided it was too warm to donn his full regalia. In his place this year, we had an Elvis Elf.
Highlights in the photo show below:
Mouse over the slideshow for controls (stop, pause, forward and back).
Riding the Paceline – The Video
Published May 13, 2011 | One of the peloton members alerted us to the following You Tube video, highlighting the proper (ie, not the "Wally" or "Surge" method) way to ride a paceline. Let's see if we can practice this on our rides!
Christmas Ride
Published December 26, 2010 | Twas the morn' before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nick soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
When out on the street there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
Oh deer – to my amazement, there was Santa along with his reindeers and assorted Christmas elves and fairies all on their bikes!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And smiled at the girls, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up to his bike he rose!
He sprang to his bike, to his peloton gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he rode out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
(with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore!)
Mouse over the slideshow for controls (stop, pause, forward and back).
Weekend Ride Report
Published December 13, 2010 | Well, what an eventful weekend of riding we had!
Saturday started the weekend with a double dose of the Daily Donut ride, just to get us warmed up for tackling some big hills on Sunday. Although there was an attack on the first of the two circuits, coming over the rise on Old Melbourne Road, generally there were no heroics. Shane finally broke through for his first sprint win in some time, with the tried (but recently unsuccessful) strategy of hiding at the back of the peloton until the final 50 m!
Then for light entertainment on the Saturday afternoon, we witnessed Gadget and Jürgen going head to head in the Ultimate Sporting Club website game, with Jürgen coming out 2 points clear of the field for a win and $100 prize money! So coffee for all was on the menu on Sunday's ride.
Sunday began with a presentation for Gadget – this was the inaugural "Gadget Innovative Inventiveness Award", to be awarded from time to time to the member of the peloton who devises AND demonstrates a practical, but unusual solution or fix to a problem in difficult circumstances and under pressure of time (ie before Graeme gets back from riding home to retrieve a conventional tool!). Our photo below, shows Gadget with his trophy, awarded for the chain repair we reported earlier in this blog.
The Sunday ride then followed, with the Pollocksford Preamble and Panache Peloton. The peloton was duly treated to coffee at Panache, by Jürgen with his Saturday winnings. On the run home, Gadget, Graeme and Gus opened a 50 m gap leading into Canterbury Road, aiming for a good strategic position for the final sprint. Jürgen told Robyn following his wheel "I have a plan!" With the gap opening further, it was imperative to really put the hammer down upon heading into the wind up Canterbury Road and take advantage of the tiring legs of the lead riders. Unfortunately, a slightly wide turn and poor line around that corner, saw Jürgen heading off into the ditch on the opposite side of the road. Drawn like a magnet to the light pole at the lowest point of that ditch, he was forced to hit the brakes – bike stopped no problems, but Jürgen went somersaulting over the handlebars and into the steel cable supporting the pole! Fortunately for him, there was no serious injury – a few bruises and scrapes and a painful tendon in the right shoulder (the landing point!). Bike survived well too with only small damage to handlebar tape. His first words on sitting up after the crash to Robyn who had stopped to help were: "That was NOT the plan!" Barrie was disappointed that the bike survived with little damage – "I need new pedals for my bike!"
Anyway, we rolled back to Six Ways, where our leading 3 riders were waiting, unaware of the dramas which occured behind them. After the usual barage of wise-cracks, we wrapped up another generally good ride and headed off home for the day.
Summer Ride Timetable
Published November 23, 2010 | It is great to see so many cyclists joining the Lara Latte Cyclists peloton, but with the increasing numbers it is becoming difficult to keep everyone updated by SMS, with changes to timetable of rides. Hopefully, this will alert everyone to a change that we'll implement from now until further notice, for Saturday's Rides during the summer months.
On Saturday's there will be TWO rides – 6:00am meet at Rod's Bakery for the 35km Daily Donut ride, then connect with the 7:15 meeting at Rod's Bakery for a further 45-80 km, depending how the group feels on the day. You can choose to do BOTH rides, or just one of the options, depending on your commitments with family, children's sport etc.
Hope to see you all out there on Saturday.
AND don't forget – for your online bike purchases, please use our Shopping page – that will send a small percentage of the purchase to the Lara Latte Cycle website fund!
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