Back at Gap Creek

It is hard not to remember the old days when I ride at Gap Creek. Next year will be 25years since we started racing mountain bikes in Brisbane with a loosely organised dash around a loop at Gap Creek Reserve in Brisbane's western suburbs. There were no permits or clubs or well made trails. I can't even remember how long the race was though it traversed a loop leaving the current carpark and finishing down the end of the current Rocket Frog trail back into the open field. It may have been two laps but I'm not sure. The downhills were steep and followed old motorbike tracks. There were fitter riders present but they were a bit intimidated by riding on dirt. Mike Roberts arranged that first race and was more skilful than me so I have always suspected he let me win because he had organised it. Soon we had a club then a national association then commissaires and rules and fights and a new association and blah blah blah. Don't let mountainbikers say they are friendlier and more easy going than roadies. Peoples is peoples!
Anyway, I got my old Mongoose going again the other day and hit the trails at Gap Creek now I am back in Brisbane and what a joy it was. The early slogs to gain access and make a few trails have been superceded by the fantastic efforts of people and council who have managed to create loads of sweet sustainable trails in this lovely bushland. I am normally a retro old hardtail stalwart but singing down the tracks on the full suspension was just so much fun. It was almost as good as those first rides where we sometimes knew no bicycle had been before.
I have many bikes and this old 'goose is a mixture of parts. The original Rockshox rear unit I replaced with a Fox thingy. It stands the bike up straighter and I like it. It was the most expensive thing on the bike. The old plastic thumbies and cheap rear derraileur I got of a Repco piece of landfill but they still work perfectly well.

Maybe not better than Sex

We are having a "classic ten mile" for the first race of the road season at our club this year. The handicapper liked the idea of a short time trial and an old "non-democratic" measurment seemed like a connection to historical races in this area. Consequently I thought I would race the event on a historical machine.
The machine I am working on is a Healing I picked up recently at a second hand sale. It is an old well known Australian brand famously ridden by Russell Mockridge. In order to be a little competitive I thought I would build up some wheels with 60 year old Chater Lea hubs that were left to me by a dear friend. I fixed them to some Fiamme Red label 'single'(tubular) rims that I've had hanging around for 30 years. Geez, I must be getting old! In part I used these rims because they match as a 32/40spoke combo. It must be 30 years since this was a common arrangement with wheels. When I can afford them I would like to get a pair of Ghissello wooden rims to be really period cool!
The wheels turned out much nicer than I had thought and look a treat while all is still polished and the plain steel spokes have not darkened. With tyres they weigh 2.5kg (without sprocket) and spin as well as Campagnolo Record. I was very surprised at this. The hubs had been in an old box for about 20 years gathering dust. They have a grease nipple so you can easily lube them.
I have just finished glueing on the tyres. For people who do not know, tubular one piece tyres were the racing standard for most of the 20th Century. They have special rims and the tyres are held on by their inflation as well as the glue. It can be a sticky and awkward process getting them on but the mind wanders in the tedious process and I was thinking about sex. I thought perhaps the two practices were related. After all when you just resign yourself to the idea that it is going to be a sticky job it is not so bad. It even becomes part of the fun sometimes. But then again, maybe it is not that great. Sex does take your mind off the job!
Anyway, next will be riding them. I sit with those who feel that even a cheap tubular gives a superior ride. The construction of the tyres is quite different ,without crossed threads, and this may account for it. Young riders are also amazed at how quickly you can change a flat tyre out on the road. I am not surprised that they don't take up the old habits though as it is a sticky process and maybe not better than sex or even just riding your bike.