Bannockburn Gutbuster 2015 - a buster for the guts

Nu forstar jag innerborden av namnet Bannockburn Gutbuster (vet inte hur det kan oversattas till Svenska, nat som far magen att vanda sig ut-och-in tror jag, det ar de tva bergen som ska cyklas over som namnet refererar till, inte omgivningarna for de ar supervackra). Det ar en riktig gutbuster bestaende av 75 vilda kilometrar fran Garston till Bannockburn, over tva berg (med hogsta punkt pa 1300 m), via supervackra Nevis valley, totalt runt 2000 m stigning over Hector mountains och genom delar av Remarkables nationalpark.

Det har aret stod hagel, motvind, snobyar och solsken pa menyn. De 25 floderna som maste korsas var ganska fulla av gardagens tunga regn, och vattnet var iskallt. Nevis valley ar helt fantastiskt, och det foranderliga vadret gor det bara annu mer spannande.

En av svarigheterna med ett langt, kravande lopp som detta ar att veta hur man ska fordela energin. Om man gar ut for hart i borjan finns risken att man inte har krafter kvar i slutet. I gutbuster ar det bra att ha energi kvar eftersom man ska over ett berg i slutet av banan, over Duffers Saddle. Det ar ett skapligt stort berg, speciellt om benen ar trotta.

Jag kande mig inget vidare de forsta 30 kilometrarna. Jag hade ett stort pollenallergiutbrott (ingen sarskrivning har inte!) veckan innan och var ratt sa trott och inte speciellt sugen att trampa 75 km pa en cykel i elandig terrang. Men jag hade ju sett fram emot det har loppet i ett ar (jag backade ur forra aret da jag kande att jag inte var tillrackligt tranad), sa att strunta i det var inget alternativ for mig. Jag hade ocksa krashen for tre veckor sen i minnet, och kande inte for att pusha mig sjalv for mycket.

Efter den forsta stora backen var jag trottare an jag brukar, blev omkord av en dros med folk, och blev ikappcyklad av min polare som ocksa gjorde loppet. Han sa till mig att ta en energigel och halla uppe vatskenivan, och det gav mig en energikick. Jag drog ivag igen och den sista uppforsbacken till Duffers Saddle kandes riktigt bra. Den sista branta nedforsbacken var snabb, och det var kraftiga kastvindar vilket gjorde att manga fick sakta ner dar.

Jag slutade trea i min klass, under fem timmar. Aven om jag rejsar bara for mitt eget hoga nojes skull (manga ifragasatter nog nojet i det hela) sa ska jag inte sticka under stol med att jag var stokad att fa pris igen. Jag ar supernojd att ha gjort loppet, och an en gang ar jag sa tacksam over att ha halsa och kondition att kunna gora det. Jag laste i en nyhetstidning har att "For de som inte cyklar sa ar tavlingen som barnhistorien "Vi gar pa bjornjakt och vi ar inte radda"". Den beskrivningen fick mig att skratta!

Tack sa mycket Bren Dyer Photography i Cromwell for fantastiska bilder (kolla in fler foton pa hans facebook sida)!

Now I know the meaning of the name Bannockburn Gutbuster. It is a gutbuster of 75 wild kilometers from Garston to Bannockburn, over two mountains (highest point 1300 m), via beautiful Nevis valley, a total of around 2000 m climb, into the Hector mountains and through parts of Remarkables national park. 

This year had hail, headwind, snowflurries and sunshine on the menu. The 25 river crossings were a bit full from the previous days rainfall, and the water was icing cold. The Nevis valley is a fantastic place though, and the changeable weather makes it even more amazing. 

One of the difficulties with a long, demanding race like this is to know how to distribute the energy. Going too hard in the beginning might mean that you don't have much energy in the end. In Gutbuster it is good to have energy in the end, since there is another mountain to climb in the end of the course, over Duffers Saddle. It is a rather big mountain, especially big when the legs are tired. 

I didn't feel very good the first 30 km. I had a big pollen allergy the week before and was pretty tired from it, and not sure if I was very excited about 75 km in rough terrain on a bike. But I had looked forward to this event since last year (when i backed off because I didn't think I was strong enough for it), so there was no options for me. I also had the crash from three weeks before still in fresh memory, and was afraid of pushing myself too hard. 

After the first hill I felt more tired than usual, got passed by too many people and after 35 km a friend of mine who also did the race caught up, told me to eat a gel and keep the water levels up. He really gave me a boost and some positive energy. I took off again, and actually the last hill up to Duffers Saddle felt totally okay. The last steep descent was fast and the sideways wind was gusty, and I think most people had to slow down a bit. 

I ended up on third place in my category, just under five hours. Even though I do this only for my own entertainment and fun (some people might question both the entertainment and fun part of it), I must admit that I'm stoked to get a prize again. I'm so stoked to have done it, and once again I'm so grateful to have the health and fitness to be able to do it. I read in a Cromwell news that "To non-riders, the event sounds more like the children's story "We're going on a bear hunt and we're not scared"". That description cracked me up!!!

Thank you very much Bren Dyer Photography in Cromwell for the great photos (check out more photos from him on his facebook page)! 

The startline. Photographer Bren Dyer Photography.

The last descent. Photographer: Bren Dyer Photography

Cromwell in the background. Photographer: Bren Dyer Photography.

A part of Alps to Ocean trail- Lake Pukaki, Mt Cook

Sist jag korde upp till Christchurch fran Roxburgh for att jobba med gruppen dar jag gor minPhD, sa tog jag tillfallet att stanna vid vackra glaciarsjon Lake Pukaki, nara Mt Cook, for min forsta lilla men harliga (och lite skakiga) cykeltur sen krashlandningen jag gjorde for tva veckor sen (jag skrev om det aventyret i min senast post Coastal Classic in Taieri mouth- a very eventful event). Jag cyklade nagra kilometer pa Alps 2 Ocean trail som stracker sig hela 312 km fran Mt Cook till kuststaden Oamaru (mer info om den trailen har). Den delen jag cyklade ar valdigt lattcyklad och valdigt vacker med en harlig utsikt av Mt Cook. Den har dagen var solig och en perfekt dag att ta sig tillbaka upp pa cykeln, och vilja cykla meeeer!!!

During my last drive up to Christchurch from Roxburgh to work on my PhD, I took the awesome opportunity to stop at beautiful glacier Lake Pukaki by Mt Cook for the first little but very nice (and a bit shaky) ride since the crash I did two weeks ago (I wrote about that adventure in my latest post Coastal Classic in Taieri mouth- a very eventful event). I biked a few kilometers of the Alps 2 Ocean trail, which stretches 312 km from Mt Cook to the coastal town of Oamaru (more info about the trail here). The part I biked is an easy, flowing trail, and very scenic with a nice view of Mt Cook. This day was sunny and a perfect day to get back up on the bike, and wanting more!!! 

Lake Pukaki with Mt Cook in the background.

One of the peaks of Mt Cook.

A part of A2O trail.

Coastal Classic in Taeiri mouth - a very eventful event

Forra helgen var det forsta mtb racet for sasongen, och forsta racet med min nya cykel. Racet var i Taieri mouth, soder om Dunedin. De har en 51 km, en 39 km och en 15 km bana och aven lopning och gang. Jag gjorde 39 km forra aret (du kan lasa om det har), och kom tvaa. Det var en superrolig bana, och jag tyckte att den var relativt latt och snabb, aven om det ar en hel del uppfor. Jag bestamde mig for lange sen att gora 39 km i ar igen, och forsoka fa en bra tid.

Jag var ganska langt fram i starten i ar, och de forsta backarna som gar pa lite asfalt och sen grusvag kandes latta. Skogsvagarna var daremot leriga och hala, efter en hel del regn, och precis som forra aret sa trodde jag att uppforsbackarna aldrig skulle ta slut. De hade andrat banstrackningen lite i ar, lite mer uppfor och mindre leraker.

Nedforsbackarna ar ratt sa branta skogsvagar. Min svaga sida ar snabba nedforsbackar, men det kandes bra, allt under kontroll och det var superroligt. Jag kande mig saker nedfor, och var ganska nojd nar jag kom ner till den mer platta delen av banan. Det ar en rolig och snabb del av banan, och jag cyklade nog lite for fort, och kande mig lite for saker. Sa saker att jag inte koncentrerade mig tillrackligt mycket pa lammet som siktade pa mitt framhjul. Nasta minne jag har ar att jag skrapade kinden i gruset. Det var ett "AH NEEEEEJ" ogonblick. Jag kommer inte att dra nagra detaljer, men flog over styret, fick en ordentlig kanga i ansiktet, blodde fran kinden, fran knana och var ordentligt yr i bollen och omskakad. Efter det att jag samlat mig lite och den varsta yr-i-mossan var borta sa vande jag och borjade ga tillbaka mot den checkpoint jag passerat nagra hundra meter tidigare, men jag motte nagra andra tavlande och de var sa snalla och stannade. Sa smaningom kom jag upp pa cykeln igen och kunde fortsatta.

Jag slutade som snabbaste bruden pa banan, vilket jag ar superglad over. Det kan verka helt galet att fortsatta cykla de 18 kilometrarna efter en san krash, men jag ar glad att jag gjorde det, for sjalvfortroendet, speciellt da jag lyckade vinna rejset. Jag sprackte hjalmen, vilket paminner mig om hur viktigt det ar att ha en bra hjalm, och hur attans snabbt saker kan handa. Jag har blamarken och skrapsar och har nagra fler arr i samlingen, men ar glad for de ar tecken pa att jag lever livet! St Johns  personal (ambulansen har i Nya Zeeland) gjorde ett bra jobb med att plocka grus och smasten fran mina knan och kind. Ajajaj. Det lite roliga i det hela ar at Rafa fick hjalp av samma sjuksjoterska da han fick en fiskekrok i handen under tiden jag rejsade Coastal Classic forra aret.

Tack John Fridd for de harliga fotona!

Last weekend was the first race for the season, and on my new bike. The race was in Taieri mouth, just south of Dunedin. They have a 51 km, a 39 km and a 15 km course and also running and walking races. I did the 39 km last year (you can read about it in my old blog here), and came second. It was a superfun course, I found it pretty easy and fast, even though there are quite a lot of hills. I decided long ago to do the 39 km again, and try to make a good time. 

It was a bit muddier this year, after quite a lot of rain. The hills were pretty slippery, not at all as solid and dry as they were last year. They also changed the course a bit, this years course had more uphills but less paddocks. I was pretty early in the start, the first uphills along the gravel roads felt easy. The forestry roads were muddy and slippery, and just as last year, I thought that the uphills would never end. 

 The descents are pretty steep forestry roads. My weakness are fast downhills, but I felt good, under control and it was fun as. I felt confident going down, and was pretty satisfied when I got to the flattish part of the course. It is a fun and pretty fast part of the course, and I was going too fast, and was a bit too confident. So confident so that I didn't pay enough attention to the lamb that was aiming for my front wheel.  The next thing I remember is that I was rubbing my face on the gravel. There was a "OH NOOOOOO" moment. I'm not going into details, but I got a good smack on the face, was bleeding from my cheek and both knees, and was pretty dizzy and shaken around. After I gathered myself a bit and most of the dizziness was gone I started to walk back towards the checkpoint I passed a few hundred meters earlier, but soon I met a bunch of very nice competitors that stopped and helped me. Eventually I got on the bike again and kept on riding.

I ended up being the fastest woman on the course, which I'm stoked about. It might seem crazy to get up and bike the last 18 km after a crash like that, but I'm glad I did it, for my confidence, especially since I won the race. I cracked my helmet, which reminds me how damn important it is to wear a good helmet, and how damn fast things can happen. I'm bruised and scratched and have added some scars to my collection. Just another sign of an active life. St Johns staff did a good job picking gravel from my knees and cheek. Aouch. It's a little bit funny that Rafa got help from the same St Johns nurse when he got a fishing hook in his hand while I was riding last years Coastal Classic.

Thank you John Fridd for the nice photos!

The start. Photographer: John Fridd, Dunedin.

Close to the end. Photographer: John Fridd, Dunedin.

Picking gravel from the knees. Photographer: Rafael Moser.

The challenge of knowing if a cassette is worn out or not

I den har posten vill jag dela med mig av erfarenheter av att vara nyborjare i cykel mek, och hur svart det ibland kan vara att salla det som ar ratt fran fel och det som ar bra fran mindre bra.

Jag namnde i en tidigare post (Girls basic tech night at Rock & Road Cycles) att jag forsoker lara mig sa mycket jag bara kan om mekaniken pa min cykel. Jag lar mig vilka delar jag behover, marken och modeller, jag lar mig att kanna igen signaler om att nagot behover bytas ut, och tids nog hoppas jag att kunna byta det mesta sjalv. Jag har turen att ha bra cykelpolare som inte bara ar bra cykelpolare utan ocksa generosa, hjalpsamma och talmodiga med alla mina fragor.

Eftersom jag fortfarande har mycket kvar att lara, sa maste jag ibland ta min cykel till en mekaniker da och da. Det hande till exempel forra helgen da jag hade planerat en lang tur i Port Hills men fick vanda da jag horde ljud da jag cyklade uppforsbackar pa lagsta vaxeln. Jag hade ny kedja (som jag bytt med hjalp av en polare), och vaxlarna var nyjusterade. Jag tankte att det kanske var vaxlarna som behovde finjusteras, eller kasetten som ocksa behovde bytas ut. Jag forsokte hitta varifran ljudet kom, men lyckades inte, sa jag stannade till vid en cykelbutik pa vagen hem.

Killen i butiken var sjysst nog att gora en snabbkoll pa min cykel, och han var snabb att papeka att jag bytt kedja och inte hela kittet: kedja, kasett OCH kedjeringar. Jag har hort, och last, att detta ar olika fran fall till fall: om man cyklat for lange pa den gamla kedjan sa kan det handa att kasetten har blivit nedsliten pa grund av den daliga kedjan, men ofta sa kan man byta kedja en eller tva ganger innan kasetten behover bytas ut. Kedjeringarna haller oftast langre an kasetten. Andra som tittat pa min cykel tyckte att kasetten sag bra ut och inte behovde bytas. Killen i cykelbutiken sa att man kan aldrig se om kasetten ar dalig eller inte, man byter ALLTID kasett nar man byter kedja. Han talade ocksa om for mig att jag redan slitit ut den nya kedjan, efter EN tur! Jag anvander Shimano XT, och det ar inga daliga grejjor. Det ar valdigt dyrt att byta hela kittet, och jag var tveksam nar jag gick darifran.

Jag gick till en annan cykelbutik och de sa att min cykel ar i riktigt bra skick. Kassetten ar bra, och de kunde inte hitta nagra som helst fel pa cykeln. De sa att byta kassett kommer inte att gora nagon som helst skillnad. Tyvarr hade de inte tid att ge den en grundlig omgang forran tva veckor senare...

Sa jag gick till en tredje cykelbutik. De tog sig an min cykel och konstaterade snabbt att det var bottom bracket och kullager som orsakade oljudet. Kassett och kedjering kommer att behova bytas ut nagon gang efter sommaren, troligen. Hittills ar jag valdigt nojd med deras jobb och service. Jag far intrycket att de ar arliga och valdigt kunniga. Jag kommer gladeligen att lamna min cykel dar igen.

Mitt rad till er som ar nyborjare i cykel mekanik ar att lasa och fraga sa mycket du bara kan, och tro inte alltid pa vad folk i cykelbutiker sager, aven om de verkar erfarna (om du inte har massor av pengar och inte har nat emot att spendera dem). Det kan bli onodigt dyrt, och du kanske anda inte har problemet fixat. Det ar vart att ta sig tid att kolla runt lite. Den har gangen sparade jag nagra hundra dollar pa att kolla runt lite extra.


With this post, I want to share some of my experiences when it comes to being a beginner in bike mechanics, and how difficult it might be to understand what is right and wrong and who to listen to.

As I mentioned in an earlier post (Girls basic tech night at Rock & Road Cycles), I'm learning as much as I can about the mechanics of my bike. I'm learning what components I need for my bike, brand and models, I'm learning how to recognize the signs of worn out components and eventually I hope to learn how to change most of them myself. I'm very lucky to have some good biking people around me, that not only are good biking people but also very generous, helpful and patient with all my questions.

Since I still have a long way to go, it is necessary for me to take the bike to a bike mechanics now and then. This happened last weekend when I planned a long ride in the Port Hills but had to turn around because my bike made noises when I rode on the lowest gear, only uphill and with pressure on the pedals. I just had the new chain put on it (with the help of a good and very helpful bike friend), and the gears adjusted. I thought it might be the gears that still needed a little fine tuning, or the cassette that also needed replacement. I tried to localize the noise but couldn't, so I took it to a bike shop close to where i live, on the way home. 

The guy in the shop was nice enough to have a quick look at my bike, and he was quick to point out that I had changed the chain and not the whole kit: chain, cassette AND chainrings. I have heard, and read, that this is case dependent: if the old chain has been used for too long, then the cassette needs replacement as well, otherwise you can change chain once or twice without changing cassette. The chainrings usually outlive the cassette. I had other people telling me that the cassette looks good. The guy in the bike shop told me that you can't tell if the cassette is good or not, you simply just change it when you change chain, ALWAYS. He also let me know that I already worn out the chain, after ONE ride. Note that this is Shimano XT, so no bad components. To change the whole kit is very expensive, and I felt doubtful when I walked out from that shop. 

I went to another shop, and asked for advice. They said that the bike is in very good condition, and the cassette is fine. Changing cassette wouldn't make a difference whatsoever. They couldn't find the problem though, and didn't have time for anyone to give it a proper look until two weeks later..,

So I went to a third shop. They took on my bike, and were quick to find out that it was the bottom bracket and a few bearings that caused the noises. They also pointed out that the cassette and chainrings will be fine for the rest of the season. So far I'm very happy with their work and service. They seem genuine and very professional, it really seems that they know what they are doing and I will happily leave my bike there again. 

My advice to those who are beginners in bike mechanics, read and ask as much as you can, and don't always believe what people in bike shops say, even though they seem experienced (unless you have unlimited money and don't mind spending them). It might end up unnecessarily expensive, and you still might not have your problem fixed. It's worth spending some time to have a good look around. This time a good look around saved me a few hundred dollars.