Author Archives: Marv

About Marv

A avid but amateur cyclist who regularly commutes to work, rides for exercise and completes the occasional long distance event. I also write a very poor blog marvmadethis.com about the joys of work/life/cycling balance with his long suffering wife and 2 little angels under the age of 5.

Marv’s March Ride Log

Dear Rouelurs,

With the good weather and MMT’s return to better health, March 2018 was an excellent month for riding the roads around Melbourne.  MMT did 825km, which is his second highest total, only exceeded by December 2017.  That month included the Festive 500.  This means MMT is doing about 200km a week. This is not bad for 48 year old FLAB/Clydesdale (Fat Lad At the Back).  Come to think of it, I should write a blog about FLABs.  Any how, here’s March’s Log:

MMT’s March 2018 log can be found here.

The highlight of the month, was Team MMT’s visit to Sydney, where he managed early morning 3 rides around the eastern suburbs of Sydney.  MMT hired another bike from Livelo, a very nice Bianche. See photo below, taken one overcast morning at Clovelly Beach.

Hmm deja vu,  actually MMT probably write a review of that bike. My only gripe being that Livelo seem to keep providing MMT with the XS or S sized framed bikes, which look like clown bikes given my frame.

This month’s Strava Suffer score graph is still showing that Thursdays and Saturdays are the days MMT is out doing hard work. This dropped off a bit towards the end of the month as life/other commitments got in the way.

The graph is starting to take a different shape. As MMT has been doing medium length rides as a opposed to his usual 70-80 km slog on a Saturday morning. Unfortunately, MMT has also missed a few RCC rides as well.

Until next time, ride safe.

MMT

Product Review: Bontrager Velocis Helmet

Dear Roulers,

Its been awhile since MMT has put together a product review. MMT has bought literally hundreds if not thousands of dollars of new kit for his cycling addiction since his last review. Lazy, lazy, lazy…however, one of the pieces he did buy, that really stood out was his new helmet.

First spied on the heads of the Trek-Segafredo racers in the 2017 Tour de France, it obvious that the Bontrager Velocis MIPs helmet looks very different from the previous model. The new model has received something of an aerodynamic facelift – and in MMT’s opinion, it looks awesome.

     
 Back View  Side View  Front View

According to some reviews that MTT read, the new version Bontrager Velocis MIPS now:

  • looks rounder than previous ones but has kept the same teardrop shape at the rear, and
  • the cluttered venting of the previous model has been replaced with a more sophisticated and uniform pattern of vents.

Three sizeable channels help push airflow through and out the back help keep the rider cool when riding. In fact, when the helmet is on the rider’s head the space for air is visibly large.  It is impressive to see an aero helmet that doesn’t compromise heat management. In fact, MMT wonders if he’ll need to wear a woollen cap under this helmet in winter given the effectiveness of the vents.  MMT digresses..

The fit of the helmet has also been reworked, and the Velocis now comes with a two-way Boa Dial, for a greater degree of fit flexibility. It brings the same minute adjustment as it does on shoes and minimises pressure points – although these do vary depending on the shape of your head.

MMT has read reviews that the fit may be an issue for smaller heads or those that split the sizing gaps (54cm, 56cm, 58cm). Fortunately, MMT’s ‘moon’-sized head didn’t suffer from this issue.  He has found the length of the straps a bit irritating, with the ‘leftover’ chin strapping requiring  a careful pre-ride tucking in.

MMT’s biggest gripe… and honestly its pretty minor in the scheme of things…, with the helmet, is that given its price, $AUD 265, its  weight of 284g, is really heavy.  There are much cheaper and lighter helmets on the market.

That aside MMT luurrvvves his new helmet. Now that winter is coming and daylight savings has ended, he’s a bit annoyed that it really dark on his evening commute.  He’ll have to swap back to his old Specialized helmet that has a 650  lumen spotlight fitted.  MMT give this helmet 4 and half Marvs.

Until next time, ride safely.

Marv

Looking at circled dates on MMT’s Calendar…

Dear Rouleurs,

MMT is just back from the Emerald City. Team MMT took their adorable 21 month half pint daughter to visit her grandparents. She promptly charmed the socks off them. MMT guesses that she has now slipped into poll position as No.1 favourite grandchild ;-). MMT digresses. Whilst in Sydney, MMT did his usual morning ride in the eastern suburbs, cranking out laps around Centennial Park and avoiding potholes, divots, crevasses in the back streets of the inner west.

Honestly, Marrickville and Sydney City Councils, when will you spend some of your ratepayers money on roads?? Have any of your councillors ridden a bike down McEvoy St lately?? Its Australia’s own version of pave/stet/cobble.  Speaking of pave, MMT is waiting with abated breath for March 17 and the start of the Classics/Monuments. Here’s the list of key dates:

#

Date

 Event
 1. 17/3  Milano-San Remo
 2.  22/3  Richmond vs Carlton at the MCG…opps… not cycling 😉
 3.  23/3  E3 Harelbeke Why name cycling race after a highway?? Honestly you would think the Belgians would have a more imaginative name by now.
 4.  25/3  Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields
 5.  28/3  Dwars door Vlaanderen
 6.  1/4 Tour of Flanders
 7.  8/4 Paris-Roubaix
 8.  15/4  Amstel Gold – at least the Dutch have sense of humour, naming a race after a brand of beer. Looking at you E3 Race Organisers….
 9.  18/4  La Fleche Wallonne 
 10.  22/4  Leige-Bastone-Leige

One wonders how Michael Matthews at Team Sunweb will go this year. MMT can’t wait to see Messers Gibert, Van Avermaet and Valverde go round in the bergs and cobbles.

Change of topic, how good are the Yates boys riding for Mitchelton Scott. Here’s some copy stolen directly from SBS Cycling Central.

Double Trouble – Take 1 with Simon,  Paris-Nice Stage 7

Double Trouble – Take 2 with Adam, Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 5

I wonder when Team Sky will poach these guys? Mind you with the Gods of Anti-doping staring intently at Team Sky and the British Olympic Team, they may not be that keen 😉

Until next time, ride safe avoiding McEvoy St, if you can

Marv

Marv’s February Bike Log

Dear Rouelurs,

Of course, it could never last, a unbroken run of nearly 5 months without any illness related time off the bike.  Well, that run came to an end, abruptly in February with not one but two YAFFs kicking MMT’s proverbial butt.

MMT’s February 2018 log can be found here.

The first YAFF was minor cold and inconvenience.  The second YAFF was a proper flu, that meant 2 days off work and so far 5 days off the bike….booooo!!!!.  These absences can be clearly in MMT’s monthly worm and Strava hurt numbers.  Also the second YAFF meant missing a fairly entertaining, by all accounts, Greek Wedding. 

Considering that MMT had nearly 370km in the bag by the 12th Feb, only to total 652km, this was extremely disappointing. MMT is starting to feel the mental pressure of his weekly target of 145Km. This monthly total meant that he only accumulated an extra 26km on his overall ‘lead’.  MMT is now wondering whether 7500km in a year is possible, given he’s committed to 2 overseas holidays and Christmas in Sydney this year. Hmmmm…..

The Strava Suffer score graph is still showing that Thursday and Saturday are the days MMT is out doing hard work.

Probably the only thing of any note, was that MMT, managed to take his gorgeous 20 month old, half pint daughter out on his bubba carrier Cannondale. These short trips have only been a couple of km, but have been immensely enjoyable.

Until next time, ride safe.

MMT