Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club

A quick update from Evandale, home of the Penny Farthings. After a wet and windy night, this morning dawned bright and clear. The racing was on!
Our team rode exeptionally well today. We rode a hard race for a tight win in the relay. James blitzed the biathlon, winning by a huge margin but crashed heavily while leading his heat in the Championship and was taken to hospital. Lindsay seized second places in the obstacle race and the B-grade miss'n'out. Tim took third in the novice race. Stretch got third in the consolation race after a hard day of racing.
Al showed the entire town that he's got a lot of speed in his 70 year-old legs by winning the over-70s National Championship!
Huw had fantastic day; second in the sprint after a slow start, and wins in the novice race, relay and the big one . Huw is now the Penny Farthing National Champion!
We're off to dinner soon, then to bed to rest up for the 30 km road race tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the live report from Tassie! Sounded like that everyone have something to celebrate. And a big congrat to Huw for bringing the title home to DHBC. Finally, best wishes to James and hope he is recovering well there.

You only mention that James was taken to hospital!! Is everything alright? hope nothing too serious?

Well done Huw! That's some good riding.

Congratulations Huw for a very special and coveted title. You make us proud.
Have you done the ABC interview and when will it be broadcast??

Is James ok?? Hope so; but keep the news flowing|

Congratulations guys.

Let us know how James is faring.

Congradulations to everyone and its great to see that so many of you were successful in your races.

James – congrats on winning he biathlon and hope your doing well after your crash.

Huw – amazing stuff. Can't wait to see the photos. I think your going to need a new nickname.

Some media reports:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008 ... 170770.htm

News just in.........

In the 30 kms Penny Farthing Road Race, Huw Morgan takes out another title!!! Well done Huw - you make us proud.

Just as amazing news is that second place went to James Fowler - yes the same James who was hospitalised from his fall yesterday with a suspected broken arm. Its obvious now that it is not broken, but apparently still bleeding after his place.

And an amazing fourth place to our Tim!

Eveyone else has rolled over the line so congrats to everyone who participated this year as well - Lindsay, Ron, Lewis, Al and all the others.

Great shots of how a champion was trained up in three weeks by the Master himself

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page ... 69484&v=2i

Well done Huw! I hope James is alright.

I think the races must have got national coverage on the ABC News. I was in Canberra for a party and as we watching the news which ended with a film of the races and finished with Huw holding the cup while the credits rolled.

Great for Huw and for DHBC.

fyi:
http://www.news.com.au/mercury/gallery/ ... 46,00.html

Congratulations to all the DHBC racers especially the National Champions Huw and Al.
Tim, we'll make a roadie out of you yet, finishing the the century ride and 4th in the 30 km road race - it's got to be a good sign.
I must give the Penny's a go myself sometime - after all, they are a fixed wheel cycle.

Here's my photos from this year's Tassie Penny tour. Congratulation to Huw for his great win of the 2008 National Penny Farthing Championship.



Penny Farthings Slide Show - http://www.flickr.com/photos/60245112@N ... 0387/show/

& for those who want to see those photos of James's crash... here they are.

These photos are of pure legendary status.

Well done DHBC. That's great work from all of you. Best haul of medals ever! You'll need to book another seat on the plane for the trophies.

man i was expecting this to be titled hue the new australian champion?!?!
its the first dullich hill rider in years!!

and we won the team event!! seriously the team we beat were fast! we beat them by less than a metre!!

i have 8 or so hours of footage to cut down so no video for 6 months maybe

Here's my photos from this year's Tassie Penny tour. Congratulation to Huw for his great win of the 2008 National Penny Farthing Championship.



Penny Farthings Slide Show - http://www.flickr.com/photos/60245112@N ... 0387/show/

& for those who want to see those photos of James's crash... here they are.

Gees that is seriously dangerous. I've been in some good pile ups over the last few years on the track. If you were to pile up on penny farthings travelling at 40+ kms/hr you would be in serious difficulty, particularly if you went straight over the hangers onto another penny from that height!

Looks like one risk to many...Worst bit is it's only a heat. Why so many risks in a heat? Or did the handle bars snap?

Wasn't that one of the reasons why the penny gave way to safety bicycles? I read death and other serious injuries was a major risk factor for penny riders.

Well done everyone. Huw, there are few people in this world who are penny farthing champion, that's one to tell your grandchildren.

James, sorry to see you get hurt again.

Lindsay (with permission of James F of course), the first crash photo would go well in the "Risks of Cycling" section of our website

Looking at the two crash photos of James is interesting to observe those in the background.

First there is the professional photographer fiddling with his camera dreaming of one day becoming famous, while the 2008 Nikon Walkley Press Photographer of the Year award comes and goes in an instant!

Then there is Dad who instinctively tries to shield his little girl from any danger in the instant of a second.

Meanwhile, one can only image what is going through Jame's mind??

Basically, i was going a bit too fast for the corner, and apparently the back wheel skidded out, probably from me leaning too far into the corner and taking weight from it, possibly assisted by the wind as i turned onto the straight. Handlebar snapped during the crash as you might be able to see.

My first thought of course was "Quick!!! Get back on the bike!!!" and then i realised there was a bit of pain. I'm not sure if i've learnt to take it a bit easier in heats, but i'll have to wait until next year to find out, besides i only had a lead of about 30m after 1/2 a lap.

Luckily the injuries weren't serious enough to keep me out of the road race, and the pain in my knee was put out of my mind while racing, though it was tough catching Huw after he got away on the big bike in the tailwind section, but as it turned out, his sprint was just a bit too strong for me.

Of course the ride back to Evandale from Clarendon was a bit painful, and i've been half riding with one leg since then, but hopefully it'll come good soon. As for the races, there's always next year!!

I would strongly recommend taking it a bit easier on the corners next year though. You nearly crashed a few times last year & if that happens while cutting on the inside of the pub corner there is a high chance you will take a couple of poeple with you and one is likely to go into the crowd... People don't tend to be too friendly if you knowingly cause accidents, particularly how you have already proven how easy it is to loose grip on a penny. & remember we all have to go to work on Monday, it's only racing!!!

my pics are on my myspace, i dont think you need to be a member of my space to see them

www.myspace.com/timyone

have to be a member to see the pics. I'll get mine up somewhere soon, just have to see what there is first.

James, glad to know that there's nothing too serious out of that fall!

Tim, What's the photo of the tandem about?

Tim, why don't you make this picture you avatar

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.c ... D=27835172

man just realised you need a myspace account to check my pics!
ripped
i cant be bothered uploading them any where else though :S ive allready done it all twice for face book and myspace.

Can you post a myspace link

it seems that the links need people to log into my space still
the one you just posted made me log in

Sorry I meant to say facebook.

Where was the second place you have uploaded to?

facebook and myspace
on sec ill try that