Today I had my first road race. Well, the first in over thirty years. It didn't go too bad. I went better than I thought I would and excepting that I made a wrong turn and did about six kilometers out of my way, all went well. Its ok I am absolutely laughing about it, its hillarious.
We raced out of town on a Course call Wallaville, after the little township that is out that way. It is a rather hilly course, and being a big bloke, I actually don't mind the climbing. Now I never said I was a champion at it, just that I don't mind them.
I was surprised to be put off with the first group, I was expecting the second group off. Although I didn't mind this as I was with a couple of my regular riding buddies.
We started off and all was going well but as we hit the climbs I started to pull away. The idea was to stay together but it was difficult to stay back on the hills. So off I went.
Mark, another friend of ours started off two minutes before us. Mark is still recovering from a quadruple bypass, and I have to say, he is an absolute inspiration, a legend. The reason for him starting just ahead of us was just to give a bit more time to settle his heart rate.
As I pulled away from the other two I thought that I would just catch Mark and settle in with him. Not long after the first turn around I caught him and he was happy to just chuggle along at his own pace. So I set my own pace and being on my own thought it was a good time to practice time trial mode. Something else I don't mind, but need desperately the practice at. Not long after this I started to pass the other groups heading for the turn around from whence I had just came.
I was doing well, and with a slight tail wind I was sitting on a good pace. The course had flattened out a bit but was still fairly undulating. They weren't steep hills, but gradual ones, and some longer than others.
I knew that the other groups would be gaining on me so I hooked into it fairly well knowing that I not only had them coming up from behind, but I would have a head wind on the way home.
Coming over a rise I could see the small township in the distance, and feeling good kept the throttle on as best I could. This is where it went pear shaped...lol. I saw a yellow "Caution - Cyclists Ahead" sign, but it was placed slightly around the corner of the side road. Slowing off a bit and thinking, "Will I, or Won't I", I took the plunge. I should have went with my gut feeling. Anyway, needless to say it was a nice little ride...lol.
After travelling to the end of the road and realising my peril, I about faced and hit it as hard as I could, thinking if could only make it back to the main road as the other groups were coming. NO, they had gone past. Not only the second and third groups, but the group I had started with. Anyway, shit happens, so I just did what I could do, hit the turn around and headed back for the finish line.
As I headed back out of the township I saw the chopping block, heading in. OK, this was going to make it interesting. Then a bit further down the road, here came the Scratchies. Alright, just have some fun now.
After a couple of rises I could see Mark again in the distance, the headwind was building and I just wanted to persist to the hills. After catching Mark I set my sights for Leonie and Bob, the other two in the group I started with.
Head down, tucked in behind the drops I could here the chopping block coming behind. They were actually a very welcome sight, as I sat in behind them and had a little respite from the wind.
We hit the final turn for home and hit the final set of climbs for the finish line. I was amazed I was able to stay with them for so long, even up the climbs. But as the climbs got longer, the distance got greater. A couple of them dropped off behind me, so that made me feel good. I kept the spin up and persisted to the finish line. There was another guy in front I was gaining on up the climbs but as we hit the top and flatter ground he was able to get going before I reached the top.
Anyway I made it, I'll be sure of my bearings next week, I'm a newby, I'm allowed to make mistakes.
All in all it was a fantastic day and I can't wait for next week to come around.
If you're my age and getting into cycling and want to take the plunge...do it. Nothing is stopping you except yourself. Racing at club level is fun and light hearted. I have come to the conclusion that I am only racing myself. I am doing it for the fun, and a world of fun it is...
Saturday 16 April 2016
Thursday 14 April 2016
I Just Hate It - Part 1
I haven't done much driving since my bike accident. With the constant dizziness from the vertigo and the awful feeling that you get as the ground rushes by due to concussion I haven't been able to. Once cleared and all good again, I was on the bike and have mainly ridden everywhere.
On Wednesday night the club had a road training session, by whereas we do one hundred laps around the velodrome. Well I soon found out how fit I wasn't, especially coming into the road racing season. Just let's say I have a long way to go.
Anyway waking up Thursday morning early I decided to drive to work as the legs were rather, as I say, hungover. After getting home from work I had to run some errands and continued to drive.
I came to a realisation, an epiphany was had. I absolutely hate driving. That's it, there's no way to candy coat it, sitting in traffic, looking for a parking spot, dealing with other people in shopping centers, it was all just too much.
I had become accustomed in a very short time to riding, not just to work, but every where I went. The ease in which to get around, able to dismount your steed, roll it to the shop front and lean it there before going in. When going from shop to shop, just wheeling the bike down the footpath. Being able to filter through traffic, the complete congestion free hassle a bike brings to life, it was wonderful.
I used to love driving, and I suppose that is what got me into truck driving in the first place, along with the need for employment. Going from place to place, seeing new areas never traveled, it was all very romantic. But after thirty five years, the love has died, not just for driving trucks, but for driving in general. I absolutely hate it, and would not be bothered one iota if I never had to hop behind the wheel again. Actually I would not be upset one bit if I never had to hop in car again. I know that's not possible, but a lovely thought just the same.
So why the change, why this complete abhorrent attitude towards driving all of a sudden? Well it's not all of a sudden. It started raising its ugly head long ago, even before I started cycling again.
Yes my deep passion for cycling has contributed, but the major factor is the motor car and the mentality that often accompanies it. I have seen too much and had too many close calls for my liking. Not from cyclists, not from other truck drivers, not even from bus and taxi drivers, but from the common everyday motorist.
Yes, there are a good many, courteous and respectful motorist out there and I certainly have no intentions of generalising. But unfortunately there seems to be an all too much entitlement mentality out there. Not only does this attitude exist, but sadly it is an increasing cancer on our roads. This coupled with an opinion based ideological belief of road rules is a dangerous mix. In that is where the problem lies, attitude.
No I haven't always been innocent when it comes to cyclists. I too, like many thought that they should pay their way, get registered or get off the streets. How dare they hold up traffic. You know the babble...
Only within the last fortnight has Queensland passed the Distance Rules as Legislated Law after a successful two year trial. I, as a truck driver was opposed in the beginning. Now keep in mind this is prior to me cycling. How could they pass a law that would force me into oncoming traffic? What if I'm on a country road and its narrow and I come across a cyclist, can't stop and have traffic coming the other way. What do I do then?
You see, many years prior to this I had an attitude behind the wheel. I know that would be hard for many to believe...lol. But I was quite an aggressive driver. Road rage was my middle name sadly. It to the point where where my wife refused to hop in the car with me. I changed, I had to. Not just for me, but for my family, and all the other road users out there. But it was my right, my right, my right...to the point where I forgot about my responsibility.
So change I did, and mellow I become. Yes I still got annoyed, but once I realise that I had power over my attitude behind the wheel, other peoples' faults on the road didn't appear to be that, well still bad, but I could get passed it without a massive spike in blood pressure and the loss of focus that comes from being agro behind the wheel. I could change my attitude, no, I couldn't change others' that is true, but my attitude and composure behind the wheel was entirely up to me.
I changed through educating my self, leaving behind my distorted and self centered view of traffic laws. You see, with an entitlement attitude the rules are for other people, their responsibilities and obligations, what they are doing wrong. When we change that attitude we change the way we perceive the laws, and start to look at our place in this.
Well anyway, after a couple of weeks of grumbling and complaining about Lycra clad poofs in my way I decided to educate myself all over again. Firstly on registration, I decided to find out how our roads were funded. You see we have this distorted view that our rego pays for the roads, and that seems to give us more "rights" then anyone else. But roads aren't funded by registration, or road improvement fees for that matter. They are funded by Federal and State Taxes and Local Rates. Registration of a motor vehicle only funds the bureaucracy that governs them, and even then there is a tax payer funded short fall.
Registration comprises of several components -
1. Registration = $289.85
2. Traffic Improvement Fee = $ 50.55
3. CTP (Compulsory Third Party Insurance) = $336.60
Bringing it to a total of $677.00
Now, considering that cars use the roads and damage its surface there is a TIF. That well, kind of, led to believe it goes to the roads, sort of. It takes 9,000 bicycles to do the same damage to the roads as one small car. This TIF still only goes to fund a Bureaucracy, not repair roads.
There is also CTP, the major component of registration. The reason of it being so high is that it is more likely a motor vehicle will have, and be the cause of, a serious accident resulting injury or death.
The Registration component is to the body or bureaucracy that governs motor vehicles, oddly named a Department of Motor Transport.
I worked the above figures out by using my car, a four cylinder passenger vehicle for private use, and the cheapest CTP listed.
Queensland Transport have released numerous statements of late, that our roads are not governed by a user pays system. A cyclist using the road is no different from someone coming from Interstate using them.
Registration of vehicles and licencing of drivers in Queensland primarily came about because of the increase of accidents. Newer traffic laws were introduced to combat this as well. So accidents and the automobile go back a long way. Before the motor vehicle started taking over our streets, horses and cyclist mingled together quite harmoniously. So as a motorist you are simply registered to govern the use of your "motor vehicle". A vehicle that is potentially, and is on many occasions, lethal.
Registration does not fund the roads and as can be seen above a short fall of QLD Trans operational costs of $0.3 bill was funded by tax payers. So in actual fact motorists do no pay to use the roads at all through registration. This is a misinformation and many use it to defend their distorted ideological "opinion".
A survey was done into what was the most annoying thing on the roads for a motorist...cyclists didn't get a mention. A more recent one was done and cyclists came in at Number 5, the problem, lane filtering in traffic...The most annoying thing to motorists on our roads are well, other motorists.
When asked specifically about cyclist they come up with a multitude of reasons, completely oblivious to any fact, rhyme or reason...It was heard of, or seen once, so they all do it. I'll address this later.
The agro and hatred toward cyclists is subsiding in Bundaberg where I live. I believe it is improving dramatically thank goodness. But other places are not as privileged as us, and especially on-line, social media and main stream media.
There is a deep seated resentment towards cyclists and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Yes I had my issues with road rage, but towards other motorists, and yes, I wasn't always pro-cyclist, but I was never aggressive to them.
Once I realised that cyclists were every bit as entitled to use the road, and use it safely as I was, I calmed down and looked once again at my part in all this. Driving a semi isn't always easy, and especially on narrow country roads. This was my main angst so I started here. As a driver it is my responsibility to drive to the conditions. Not only to the current visible ones, but also the unexpected. This could mean a variety of things, fallen tree, livestock, kangaroos, breakdowns, a local child out riding their horse, and yes even one of those cyclists.
We've gained a mentality in this country whereas anyone doing under the speed limit is doing the wrong thing. They're not, speed limits are maximums, not minimums. Quite frankly, I came to the understanding long ago that it is far better to sit behind someone going slow and taking care than following a ratbag.
This was my first approach, slowing down on narrower roads, if there was a cyclist there I had more time to think, and act accordingly. It changed with me, and me alone. Now remember this was months before I became one of those Lycra clad poofs.
Should we need a Distance Rule to keep vulnerable road users safe, no we shouldn't. But it is our action that directly affect the implementation of laws. Don't like being in a Nanny State, be responsible for your actions and we won't have to.
A change in driver attitude should never have to be through laws, but we, and we alone have made it so. Our technologically filled over rampant lives have made us oblivious to others around us. We are so connected in many ways, but yet so isolated from reality...so demanding of our rights, yet so negligent of our responsibilities.
There is much more I want to say about all this, but this will do for today...I look forward to continuing on this little rant in the near future.
On Wednesday night the club had a road training session, by whereas we do one hundred laps around the velodrome. Well I soon found out how fit I wasn't, especially coming into the road racing season. Just let's say I have a long way to go.
Anyway waking up Thursday morning early I decided to drive to work as the legs were rather, as I say, hungover. After getting home from work I had to run some errands and continued to drive.
I came to a realisation, an epiphany was had. I absolutely hate driving. That's it, there's no way to candy coat it, sitting in traffic, looking for a parking spot, dealing with other people in shopping centers, it was all just too much.
I had become accustomed in a very short time to riding, not just to work, but every where I went. The ease in which to get around, able to dismount your steed, roll it to the shop front and lean it there before going in. When going from shop to shop, just wheeling the bike down the footpath. Being able to filter through traffic, the complete congestion free hassle a bike brings to life, it was wonderful.
I used to love driving, and I suppose that is what got me into truck driving in the first place, along with the need for employment. Going from place to place, seeing new areas never traveled, it was all very romantic. But after thirty five years, the love has died, not just for driving trucks, but for driving in general. I absolutely hate it, and would not be bothered one iota if I never had to hop behind the wheel again. Actually I would not be upset one bit if I never had to hop in car again. I know that's not possible, but a lovely thought just the same.
So why the change, why this complete abhorrent attitude towards driving all of a sudden? Well it's not all of a sudden. It started raising its ugly head long ago, even before I started cycling again.
Yes my deep passion for cycling has contributed, but the major factor is the motor car and the mentality that often accompanies it. I have seen too much and had too many close calls for my liking. Not from cyclists, not from other truck drivers, not even from bus and taxi drivers, but from the common everyday motorist.
Yes, there are a good many, courteous and respectful motorist out there and I certainly have no intentions of generalising. But unfortunately there seems to be an all too much entitlement mentality out there. Not only does this attitude exist, but sadly it is an increasing cancer on our roads. This coupled with an opinion based ideological belief of road rules is a dangerous mix. In that is where the problem lies, attitude.
No I haven't always been innocent when it comes to cyclists. I too, like many thought that they should pay their way, get registered or get off the streets. How dare they hold up traffic. You know the babble...
Only within the last fortnight has Queensland passed the Distance Rules as Legislated Law after a successful two year trial. I, as a truck driver was opposed in the beginning. Now keep in mind this is prior to me cycling. How could they pass a law that would force me into oncoming traffic? What if I'm on a country road and its narrow and I come across a cyclist, can't stop and have traffic coming the other way. What do I do then?
You see, many years prior to this I had an attitude behind the wheel. I know that would be hard for many to believe...lol. But I was quite an aggressive driver. Road rage was my middle name sadly. It to the point where where my wife refused to hop in the car with me. I changed, I had to. Not just for me, but for my family, and all the other road users out there. But it was my right, my right, my right...to the point where I forgot about my responsibility.
So change I did, and mellow I become. Yes I still got annoyed, but once I realise that I had power over my attitude behind the wheel, other peoples' faults on the road didn't appear to be that, well still bad, but I could get passed it without a massive spike in blood pressure and the loss of focus that comes from being agro behind the wheel. I could change my attitude, no, I couldn't change others' that is true, but my attitude and composure behind the wheel was entirely up to me.
I changed through educating my self, leaving behind my distorted and self centered view of traffic laws. You see, with an entitlement attitude the rules are for other people, their responsibilities and obligations, what they are doing wrong. When we change that attitude we change the way we perceive the laws, and start to look at our place in this.
Well anyway, after a couple of weeks of grumbling and complaining about Lycra clad poofs in my way I decided to educate myself all over again. Firstly on registration, I decided to find out how our roads were funded. You see we have this distorted view that our rego pays for the roads, and that seems to give us more "rights" then anyone else. But roads aren't funded by registration, or road improvement fees for that matter. They are funded by Federal and State Taxes and Local Rates. Registration of a motor vehicle only funds the bureaucracy that governs them, and even then there is a tax payer funded short fall.
Registration comprises of several components -
1. Registration = $289.85
2. Traffic Improvement Fee = $ 50.55
3. CTP (Compulsory Third Party Insurance) = $336.60
Bringing it to a total of $677.00
Now, considering that cars use the roads and damage its surface there is a TIF. That well, kind of, led to believe it goes to the roads, sort of. It takes 9,000 bicycles to do the same damage to the roads as one small car. This TIF still only goes to fund a Bureaucracy, not repair roads.
There is also CTP, the major component of registration. The reason of it being so high is that it is more likely a motor vehicle will have, and be the cause of, a serious accident resulting injury or death.
The Registration component is to the body or bureaucracy that governs motor vehicles, oddly named a Department of Motor Transport.
I worked the above figures out by using my car, a four cylinder passenger vehicle for private use, and the cheapest CTP listed.
Queensland Transport have released numerous statements of late, that our roads are not governed by a user pays system. A cyclist using the road is no different from someone coming from Interstate using them.
Registration of vehicles and licencing of drivers in Queensland primarily came about because of the increase of accidents. Newer traffic laws were introduced to combat this as well. So accidents and the automobile go back a long way. Before the motor vehicle started taking over our streets, horses and cyclist mingled together quite harmoniously. So as a motorist you are simply registered to govern the use of your "motor vehicle". A vehicle that is potentially, and is on many occasions, lethal.
Registration does not fund the roads and as can be seen above a short fall of QLD Trans operational costs of $0.3 bill was funded by tax payers. So in actual fact motorists do no pay to use the roads at all through registration. This is a misinformation and many use it to defend their distorted ideological "opinion".
A survey was done into what was the most annoying thing on the roads for a motorist...cyclists didn't get a mention. A more recent one was done and cyclists came in at Number 5, the problem, lane filtering in traffic...The most annoying thing to motorists on our roads are well, other motorists.
When asked specifically about cyclist they come up with a multitude of reasons, completely oblivious to any fact, rhyme or reason...It was heard of, or seen once, so they all do it. I'll address this later.
The agro and hatred toward cyclists is subsiding in Bundaberg where I live. I believe it is improving dramatically thank goodness. But other places are not as privileged as us, and especially on-line, social media and main stream media.
There is a deep seated resentment towards cyclists and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Yes I had my issues with road rage, but towards other motorists, and yes, I wasn't always pro-cyclist, but I was never aggressive to them.
Once I realised that cyclists were every bit as entitled to use the road, and use it safely as I was, I calmed down and looked once again at my part in all this. Driving a semi isn't always easy, and especially on narrow country roads. This was my main angst so I started here. As a driver it is my responsibility to drive to the conditions. Not only to the current visible ones, but also the unexpected. This could mean a variety of things, fallen tree, livestock, kangaroos, breakdowns, a local child out riding their horse, and yes even one of those cyclists.
We've gained a mentality in this country whereas anyone doing under the speed limit is doing the wrong thing. They're not, speed limits are maximums, not minimums. Quite frankly, I came to the understanding long ago that it is far better to sit behind someone going slow and taking care than following a ratbag.
This was my first approach, slowing down on narrower roads, if there was a cyclist there I had more time to think, and act accordingly. It changed with me, and me alone. Now remember this was months before I became one of those Lycra clad poofs.
Should we need a Distance Rule to keep vulnerable road users safe, no we shouldn't. But it is our action that directly affect the implementation of laws. Don't like being in a Nanny State, be responsible for your actions and we won't have to.
A change in driver attitude should never have to be through laws, but we, and we alone have made it so. Our technologically filled over rampant lives have made us oblivious to others around us. We are so connected in many ways, but yet so isolated from reality...so demanding of our rights, yet so negligent of our responsibilities.
There is much more I want to say about all this, but this will do for today...I look forward to continuing on this little rant in the near future.
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