News of nztony

[macspud]

I was thinking that we'd not heard from nztony for a while and thought I'd have a look see at his photos over on instagram (https://instagram.com/nztony62/), only to find out that he had a big off about three months ago. His injuries included two neck fractures and a broken collar bone  (https://www.instagram.com/p/-PuSqUPpzs/?taken-by=nztony62). It seems he's on the mend now and back on his bike again this last four weeks (https://www.instagram.com/p/BAVcsKuvp2j/?taken-by=nztony62), going by his strava profile (https://www.strava.com/athletes/8114407) he's already racked up 1,110.9km so far this year , he's some tough cookie. 
My hat's off to you Tony, I hope your neck & shoulder are healing well. 
P.S.
Love the photos.

[Danneaux]

Thanks so much for the update, Mac'.  Poor Tony!

All good wishes his way for a continued, successful recovery. So enouraging to hear he's back on the bike.

All good wishes, Tony!

Dan.

[nztony]

Macspud,
Wow, I didn't know anyone was that interested in little old me down here in New Zealand.
I am very genuinely flattered that you obviously follow me (or just check in now and then) on my Instagram and Strava etc.

Let me see if I can remember how to post a photo here, as it describes the accident much more clearly that I can in words.


QUOTE
Scene of my Nov 2015 accident.
Back for the first time where I fractured my collarbone and neck in two places in November 2015 and spent five nights in hospital and five weeks off work.
I put my arm up to brush the black branches of the flax bush aside and fell onto the post my bike is leaning on. I still don't know how that caused me to
crash as they were quite flexible when I tried them this morning.

I started back walking around my neighbourhood 18 days after my accident then branched off into the local bushwalks/hills. About seven weeks (I think?) after
the accident I started back riding again and, from memory it was 9 rides and two weeks back into it I did my first 100km ride which was quite pleasing. I wasn't in any
hurry to get back riding, I knew I'd start back when and if I was ready.
UNQUOTE

Recovery:

We are having a hot summer here in New Zealand and I'm bck doing 80 - 90km hilly, hot rides pretty well really. As a side note I am trying to hold myself back, as I think 80 -90kms is fine, last year I wasn't satisfied with myself if I wasn't racking up 100kms rides. I have lowered my goal for this year down to 10 000km, as in 2015, before my accident I had done 12,196.3 km in 10.5 months.
I did my couple of 160km and one 200km ride last year on the Nomad which was very pleasing, and believe it or not the 200km ride (reasonably hilly) was fairly easy, it was just patience and time in the saddle. (First 200km ride since my riding days of the 1980s that is.)

While I am here, I've now done a little over 22 000km on the Nomad (my Strava says a little less, but I didn't have Strava when I first got the bike.)
There was no damage at all to the bike in my accident, as I took the full brunt of the fall on my colloarbone and came to an instant stop on those posts you see above.
Being possibly the Thorn Nomads heaviest rider at 130kg and with 22 000kms I can say the bike is well strong enough for my weight and touring load, although 95% of my riding is "day rides" where the bike has performed flawlessly without any breakdowns or breakages. When I came to forum just over two years ago my question was would the Nomad be up to the job with my 130kg bulk and there was a lot of backwards and forwards discussing it, even Thorn themselves didn't seem 100% convinced, but I can answer the question myself now, yes the Nomad is strong enough for someone of my size. Not even a single broken spoke - although the wheels were built by a very amazing company here in New Zealand ( www.wheelworks.co.nz ) For me, although I'll admit
I'm not a natural bicycle mechanic, the only negative I have with my Nomad is that the EBB seems to seize up and is hard to turn quite often, but that is the only complaint I'd have.

In my 22 000kms I'm on about my fourth chain and fourth set of tyres - although the third set were only 1000km old when I took them off (Marathon Mondial 2.15) and risked something lighter (Marathon Supreme 2.0) and so far they are doing great. For me the Surpremes are my "light" or "fast" tyres. In fact as the 2.0s are going so well, I am toying with some superfast 1.6s!

I have been taking photos of cyclists I've meet since I've been out on the Nomad for the last two years and I've stumbled across some interesting people: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nztony/albums/72157639382077615

Almost forget to say, I'm on my fourth saddle, but finally I've found a keeper. I know you guys have eagle eyes, so I know you'll be able to work out what I have!
And, I am a little embarrassed that Strava shows that I have only ridden 1190kms for the year, but I take that as a good sign that I am not satisfied with that and I'll
have to keep on riding.

Many thanks Macspud and Dan,

Tony
https://www.instagram.com/nztony62/
https://www.strava.com/athletes/8114407

[Danneaux]

Almost forget to say, I'm on my fourth saddle, but finally I've found a keeper. I know you guys have eagle eyes, so I know you'll be able to work out what I have!

I *think* I spy -- with my little eye -- a Brooks Cambium. 

So glad to hear things are better for you now, Tony, and probably cathartic to revisit the scene of such a horribly unusual incident. It probably could not have been made to happen if you'd tried, but that is how accidents seem to work. Such horrendous injuries and a long road back, but so encouraging you're riding again and doing better.

You're surely in good thoughts as you continue.

All the best,

Dan.

[nztony]

Thanks for the kind words Dan and yes, my quiz was far too easy, as I knew it would be. It is indeed the Brooks Cambium C17.

[JimK]

That does look like a treacherous stretch of path there - all kinds of branches sticking out on one side, then those solid wooden walls every few feet on the other. So happy to hear you are back walking and riding!

[jags]

Welcome back Tony glad your all better now, i broke my collorbone few  years ago now,  fell on black ice on the sherpa  not nice  in pain for weeks.

anto.

[mickeg]

I crashed my Thorn Sherpa in May 2012, could not find a scratch on it, used it for two tours since then.  I wish I was as sturdy as the bike, my shoulder needed two surgeries because of that crash.

[Andre Jute]

Welcome back, Tony. Impressed at the speed of your recovery.

[David Simpson]

And a "welcome back!" from me too.

Keep posting stories and photos of your summer rides. For those of us in winter now, we need something to keep us going until the nicer weather.

- Dave

[nztony]

JimK, jags, mickeg, Andre, david,

Thank you all for your kinds words, I really didn't think anyone missed me! This is my second broken collarbone - I broke it the first first time back in 1988 and six months later I rode to 7th place at the Seoul Olympics on the velodrome, so perhaps something equally interesting might happen six months after this second break, although I can't think what it might be!

Again, very many thanks for your words and kindness,

Tony
NZ

P.S. It is a very hot summer here in my neck of the woods at the moment, this pic probably shows it:



If you have the time, this very short video should raise a chuckle: (same beach as above in winter)
https://www.instagram.com/p/7Twslkvp5_/?taken-by=nztony62

[in4]

Fantastic photo of a great bike in a wondeful location. Lifts the spirits on a miserable UK morning. Your short video reminded me of that sketch from Fools and Horses; when Del goes to lean against the bar only to find it missing and falls straight through 90 deg to the floor! Classic!
PS These Cambiums seem to be gathering quite a following.

[StillOld]

Whoooah.....I wondered what had happened to you. I am not au fait with all this computer nonsense so wouldn't know how to track you down.

I am doing my best to test the Nomad over here. When you first contacted me last year I took great heart in the fact you were heavier than me and that the cycle was holding up. I am now a post Christmas 100kg so still got some leeway. I thought I saw the sun the other day but it was just the start of a migraine. Ah well....Hope all is well and NZ is behaving itself.

Keep healthy.

[Andre Jute]

You can see there's some wind on that beach by the foam flying on the rollers.

That bar bag is a really good touch on a yellow bike. It says from a hundred yards away, "Here's a cyclist with taste and judgement. Better steer clear around him, because he's probably got a good lawyer too!"

[mickeg]

That top tube bag, is that the Revelate Designs one?

Since I have a yellow Nomad, it would be self serving if I said that is a nice looking bike, ... but ... it is.