BACK ON THE BIKE

Today 24th Feb was the first time in 2010 I took the road bike out, the weather was fine and the roads for the most part were clear. I am off medication for the Embolisms the past several weeks so the system needed exposure to the real world once again. From photos some of you have seen, you will know I generally use the “San Marco Carbon Saddle”. Today I used the “Rever Saddle ” which is a high tech San Marco saddle that is on my “Carbon” bike as my “derriere” has had no exposure during the past six months to the harsh realities of cycle life.




This bike like all that I own, is built up with a variety of parts acquired over several years from a number of sources. The Shimano 9 Dura-ace STI levers operate a 10 speed Ultegra drive chain and cassette which has not been used since August 2009 when the weather was considerably warmer. Today the temperature was about 4c so I was wearing longs and jackets. Surprisingly everything was working smoothly although I was careful about the reach when changing chainrings. With the intention of taking it easy I was on the road only 15 mins when Harold Toschnig was coming towards me , so a quick turnabout and rode tempo with him until we found a team mate of his coming towards us, so reversal of direction once again for about 10 kms where when we got to the bottom of a steepish climb they went up and I took the easy option and went off in an easier direction to the shops and a visit to the firm that provided the panels to frame “Skippy’s Legacy”.

After an hour and half of “ trouble free riding” I was heading south from Fugen towards Uderns on the RHS of the road, coming towards me in the middle of the narrow road was a White Sprinter Van. The driver was holding the mobile phone to the left ear and attempting to hold papers in the right hand as well as the steering wheel. Suddenly he jerked the steering wheel to the left across my path without thought or signal as he decided he was turning left into a side road, I went left also to avoid hitting him and thus into the path of his following colleague who also was driving a Sprinter but was travelling slower and signalling, he came to a halt. The following traffic came to a stop also, I made the hand gesture indicating hand telephone in use and pointed out his colleague , he just shrugged. Both vans were advertising platforms for their employers company. Here I am linking KWS to their website so that they get the public raspberry they deserve, click here if you chose! Yet to find the website address !

Throughout the past months I have been trawling for “Cycle Safety Websites” and list a few for you to if you choose checkout:

www.sharetheroad.com
www.roadscc.com
www.ipayroadtax.com
www.fightbaddriving.co.uk
www.rideofsilence.org

There are other sites that I am not recalling at present but I will add here at a later date. I am adding my comments to quite a few cycling sites because “Google and others” pick up and this of course translates to visits by others who I hope recommend me on to their “following”.


Fatty is a site I enjoy reading for the comments and yesterday announced a fundraising for a Cancer Victim who is a nephew, point is you need to go to the site pretty soon as it closes in days and the three bikes offered are worthwhile “Prizes” for a $US5.00 investment.
Many will be contributing with no intention of taking the bike but others will enjoy riding a “Team Radio Shack Trek Race Cycle” if their number comes up.

GO TO www.fatcyclist.com and enjoy the read, I first came on this site last year after a comment on twitter, @fat cyclist is the link there!





Some of the comments to this blog’s entries are quite entertaining and if you click on the name you link through to their site and find some really interesting subjects and as time permits I enjoy their variety and content. Another site that I go to regularly is www.georgethecyclist.com , George is at present cycling in Central Africa and the stories from there are really educational and give a picture of life I would not care to visit.

MONEY

Being retired I have time on my hands to do as I please and this leads me to help in ways and areas that the employed person is unable. Each day there are a variety of things that I am able to turn my time to best use. Everybody likes to feel that at the end of each day they have had good results. This is the main reason for the Blog, to achieve the mission, set in place a mechanism that others will assist or use to allow “Disabled/Physically Challenged Athletes” to participate at the Major Cycle Tours.

As you will have seen I can jump on the bike with a small pack of accessories and cycle the routes of the tours taking each day at a time alone and unassisted. Had I a missing limb I would have a variety of extra needs and would need more than my bike and pack to achieve even the shortest journey. During the 2001 Vuelta I was in the Pyrennees Start Village one day when I came across a one legged cyclist who planned to ride the route that day. We rode together about 100km over some tough terrain and as fit as I was at the time I did not have to slow very much for him to stay in my draft on the climbs.

He had qualified for Sydney Paralympics 2000 but the funds for the trip were not available so watched the event on TV. ONCE the wellknown Spanish charity generally funds the Spanish Blind Athletes but he failed to meet their criteria and his parents and friends were financially unable to raise the monies needed for the trip. Many people are in this situation until they return with a medal from an event. When this happens there is a change of attitude as all want to jump on the bandwagon and found “Fan Clubs” and Sponsors previously reluctant jump forward with assistance for future events. There is now a success story , a track record to justify their involvement. Qualifying for the event is not success enough because there is very little publicity value but being able to display medals is tangible proof of the achievement.

My hope for this year’s Tour de France is that people who are planning to go anyway will give up a little of their free time to help those Disabled Athletes that join in this project. Working with others to help your fellow human beings can be a rewarding experience. I know I was thrilled with this Spaniard getting to the 2000m point on the “Passe de Cassa” where we stopped before the descent into Andorra. I had to persuade him to stop there as he was planning to ride down towards the finish with me. I had to point out that when we got into Andorra getting up to the arrival that day included another strong climb and he did not have the clothing to keep warm whilst waiting until the Vuelta riders had passed. Standing beside the road after a strong climb you become cold and cramp up very quickly. When I saw him at the Time Trial the next days he told me that he got home from our parting but he suffered a cold from awaiting the racers.

For many years I have wished to take a Handbike to the Tours for the publicity value but to do this requires assistance. Breakdowns are possible regardless of preparation and whilst I can fix most problems “Murphy’s Law” will always intrude. Packing a normal bike into a “hitched ride” is easy enough to do, can’t manage with a 2 door VW, a mini or a sports car but most mid sized cars will cope. But imagine the difficulty with a 3 wheeled bike, many kind people will stop to offer their phone or ask if you need help as the possible genuine helpers drive past thinking you are being offered help rather than platitudes.

Once you get the backup there is the possibility that the media will notice the difference and start to report that fact and make the public aware of the story. Too many times over the years I have seen well meaning reports but a lack of substance. Writing about a 64yo Aussie is not the story but there are too many of the media that use this angle.

I AM THERE PUTTING IN THE EFFORT TO GAIN PUBLICITY FOR “DISABLED SPORT”, I could dress up as a “chicken” or as “antler man” or even as “el Diablo ( I have the beard)” and get attention, even get my real name in the media, but the whole purpose is “Disabled Sport”.

Certainly I get benefits from what I do , people will listen to some of my ideas but there are many who say to themselves “same old story”! Without a team of “Disabled /Physically Challenged Athletes and the volunteers to assist I will be back this season repeating the previous 12 years of Solo Effort!

AT present I see One follower on my Blog but then George has a Blog also and does me the courtesy of looking to help me improve my offerings to encourage visitors.

At present I am not getting a registering following but the triple digits of visitors are of people who have taken a look but I would ask that you after looking in help by passing on news of my Blog site to others even if only as a curiosity! Word of mouth or tweeting your followers or whatever means will hopefully reach others who could benefit or put to use some of my ideas.

This past weekend I asked the powers connected to the “Kitzbuhel Ski Event “ to offer my services to others to raise money for Haiti. What I offered was “Find a ski school who will give Euros1000 to the Relief Fund and I will work for them for a week (travelling, bed and feed expenses to be covered away from home) bringing them additional publicity as well as clients . Not really surprised that this has not provoked a rush but I thought the idea may bring out others with the same idea. They sold the Race Bibs worn by the Racers at Auction for some amazing amounts which were added to the Haiti Relief Fund!

THE TDU has finished but there will be others and I think that the next editions will be expanded to both weekends as well as fitting in as the finale to a series of events where more foreign racers will participate ! The Sponsors will do well to realise that by creating an interesting series it will help them and bring more overseas visitors. Some of the photos reminded me of stages on the Tour de France and the crowds were larger that those on some climbs than at the Giro d’Italia and Tour de Suisse

TO ALL THE RACERS WELL DONE, GREAT EFFORT AND COME AGAIN