Fires close to home

Monday 23rd Feb - fire started near Birdsland Reserve

View along the bike path

Upwey Train Station


Upper Ferntree Gully Train Station



View from Dandenong Creek

The Otway Odyssey

Waiting for the start of the big race with Luke Fetch.

I rode into a deep four wheel drive bog hole at the 40km mark.
Finish the race 9th.

Rode back on the road to Skenes Creek, more up hill than I thought. Had a quick swim with Alec.

Spent the next 2 days recovering from food posioning from Fish and Chips.

First hit out on the race bike

Rode the race bike for the first time at the You Yangs 6 hour on Sunday. I had a few teething issues after the first 2 laps so I stopped and fixed these. I went out for a few more laps but stopped at 3pm. I had next weekend in the back of my mind (The Otways).


It was a relaxed race feel with everyones minds on the fires that have devastated the state over the past week. It was estimated that the day raised close to $35,000.


Thanks to Tim and Shelley McColl for letting us use their tent. Out little fellas are getting on well.

I have spent some time getting the race bike ready for the upcoming season. Some weight reduction was needed with a starting weight of 12.17kg. I've upgrades the running gear, seat and post, handle bars and head stem, wheels, pedals and drive train (basically the lot). I hope to get the bike down to around 10.5kg.

Took the little fella out for another ride. This photo was taken close to the Upper Ferntree Gully Train Station. The fires have been close to our place. This small fire burnt down to Burwood Hwy.

Resistance Training

I took the little fellow for his first ride in his bike trailer the other day. Hard work for me but not for him he fell asleep after looking a little worried.

The family spent the long weekend down at Forrest. I went out each day training for the Otway Odyssey with a mate from Canberra. The trails were great, pity about the snake I saw on Saturday and the 5 I saw on Sunday.

Thanks to Norm and Jess Douglas for the ride on Sunday.

Xmas - New Years Holidays

Just got back from a weeks holiday at the Rover Scout Chalet on the Bogong High Plains out from Falls Creek (team Franzke training camp) (my 2 cousins Matt and Ian missed this year, they were skiing powder in the Swiss Alps - dirty dogs).

I rang Luke Fetch (Team TORQ) when we arrived in Mount Beauty so I could organise some rides but no answer. I started riding up the Falls Creek Rd alone and around the first corner ran into the TORQ Team, AJ, Paul Van and others. The company was great.

I spent most days riding down to Mount Beauty for some single track with company. The area was full of athletes (triathletes, runners, roadie, rowers and us MTBikers).

I also got some good riders in up on the High Plains with my mate Row from Canberra.

I finished the week with an epic ride from the Rover Chalet down to Mount Beauty some single track with Row, Paulie, Jack, Tori and others before heading over Tawonga Gap alone through Bright and ending in Myrtleford where I meet Kim.

My new bike felt great on the single track in Mount Beauty and in pro pedal was very efficient on the gravel and bitumen.

Christmas has come early

My new bikes have arrived and I spent the weekend putting them together. I built the 08 Hei Hei up as a training bike and changed the FSA wheels to tubeless Mavic SL's and put on carbon bars and a Thompson stem. Not a bad training bike at 11.3 kg. Haven't pimped up the 09 Hei Hei yet that will be a post Christmas job. Not feeling the best this weekend Kim, Alec and I have had a cold so it was good to spend the weekend in the garage playing with my new toys thanks to KONA. I also got some AYUP lights thanks to Bellie's connections.

Sunday night I was feeling a bit better and eager to test the bike and lights so I did a quick ride around the neighbourhood (schools, stairs, drops etc). I came back raving to Kim about how good everything felt.

Woke up early Monday morning at 4am (this is around when Alec usually wakes for a feed) but it was quiet I was still excited from last nights ride and knew that it was going to be a hot day so I was out the door by 4.15am to ride some single track on my way to work to give the bike and lights a good test.

Test results - Awesome Fun