I've been keen for awhile now to do a four hour race, mainly because I thought it would a soft introduction into the world of solo racing. So with a little trepidation I signed up for the Western Sydney MTB Club (www.wsmtb.com) 4 Hour Race, presented by Stans No Tubes and Jet Black. My LBS, Blackmans Bicycles (www.blackmanbicycles.com.au), were also in attendance providing tech support.
The way I approached this race was that if I can ride for 6 hours with friends, then I should be able to ride for 4 hours. I was under no illusion that I wouldn't be racing at the pointy end of the field so I had some relatively simple goals… Ride and finish…
The day of the race provided an absolutely perfect day for racing. It would end up pretty hot by races end but at least it wasn’t cold and muddy! I arrived at Yarramundi to find rego in full swing, albeit with a few computer glitches, but it was a pain free affair. With that sorted, I picked out a nice little spot for myself, got myself organised and went for a bit of ride to reacquaint myself with the Yarramundi singletrack. I also popped by the Blackmans tent to say hello to Chris, Ben and Roger and quick chinwag then it was over for the riders briefing before rolling down to the start.
The start was an interesting one. Immediately uphill on the fire road to spread the riders out before a right hand turn into the carpark then onto the trail proper. I decided to start near the back of the pack as I didn’t feel I wanted to be run over by other riders.
The first lap was an interesting one. There was the usual bottlenecks on the Yarramundi course associated with 300 odd riders, but I probably did a silly thing the day before by switching out my Racing Ralph’s for a new set of Geax Aka’s I picked up recently. I was desperate to try them out though. In hindsight I think that it was a bad move. The loose over hardpack as well as the loose gravel and sand in some parts made steering pretty skittish, and in the corner just before the gate at the moto track I put the bike down. This made me a bit tentative from then on in, but at least I got a pretty good insight into the Aka’s adhesion limits…
Things were going pretty well until I got to the trotting track. It was here I made a wrong turn and turned right as I normally would when riding Yarramundi. Auto pilot had kicked in. Apparently the bunting had been removed and we should have gone left. I wasn’t the only one as a few others went the same way. I was thinking to myself, ‘man this is overgrown I can barely see the track!’. Another rider following me struck up a conversation and we decided we had indeed gone the wrong way. We ended back at the trotting track to have our thoughts confirmed by one of the Western Sydney committee members. Bummer…
The next lap I actually went the right way, and I started getting passed by the faster solo guys including Craig Gordon from the Rockstar Racing team. I spent most of the rest of the race being passed by faster riders and was used to it by race end. There were a few riders I knew that offered words of encouragement along the way which was great. That’s one of the great things about MTB racing, the camaraderie and easy going nature of others and willingness to help out. I did have a bit of an off in one of the rockgarden sections just after the bridge in the southern section of the course. I remember thinking that I was more concerned that, a) my bike may have a scratch or dent (no dent just scratches) and b) getting the bike out of the way of oncoming riders. Luckily, there was none.
By the third and fourth laps things were getting really warm but I was into a bit of a rhythm. I remember one rider coming past and commenting "Anyone out here bored yet?". On reflection, I may have been as the course length was only about 6.5km long but I wasn't really thinking about it when he said it. Not long after I heard another voice behind me, "Hey mate, why have you only half a fork?"... "It's a Cannnondale Lefty mate" I said in between the heavy breathing. Then he says "Hey mate, why are your wheels so big?". I was about to reply and then thought "What the?", before realising I know that voice... A quick glimpse behind confirmed my suspicions. It was Chris, manager at Blackmans Penrith, giving me a hard time. "Haven't you crashed yet?" was my reply. We both laughed at each other before hitting the next bit of singletrack where he proceeded to skip away off toward the trotting track...
I stopped for awhile after the fifth lap, pretty much toasted. I sat around on my esky, trying to recover enough to go out for another couple of laps. I had eaten as much as I could stomach (which wasn't much) before finally climbing on the bike again to give it another crack. I could only manage another lap before deciding to call it quits at about 3 hours 35 minutes. That last lap was pretty slow, and any technical sections were tentatively walked but I finished it and was happy to call it a day...
In the end I was 59th out of 73 solo riders. The winner did 13 laps to my measly 6 but I thought it wasn't bad for a first up effort. It's also difficult to compare yourself to a former 24 Hour Solo World Champ as well... I did take some learnings from it all, which I hope to apply at the next race. My mind is already thinking about it...
Osprey Hydraulics Raptor 10 - My Take...
I had been looking around for a new hydration pack for some time. I wanted something to replace my ancient Camelbak MULE. It really wasn't cutting it anymore. Don't get me wrong it's been a good and faithful servant to me but it just wasn't able to haul enough stuff for really long epics and marathon races. The fact that the bladder would leak (on the most inopportune occasions) was also painful. Yeah I know, I could just buy a new bladder, but when replacements cost half or more of the price of a completely new hydration pack, it made no sense.
I certainly had some ideas about what I wanted in a pack. I wanted a minimum 3 litre water capacity and something that was comfortable that I could use on epic rides and marathon races. I wanted smart use of storage space for food and spares and something I could essentially throw everything I needed for a ride, ranging from a short 1 hour ride, my commute to work (when I didn't need to carry clothes and food) right up to marathon races where I could be in the saddle for up to 9 hours (yeah I really am that slow...).
So I started the hunt. I checked out my local bike store as well as outdoors stores but couldn't find anything suitable. There seemed to be too many compromises. I read a favourable review of the Osprey Manta on MTBR. I hadn't heard of Osprey packs before so decided to hit the WWW and have a look to see if they might have something I was after. The Raptor looked promising so I found a store here in Australia that sells them and luckily enough there was a store that stocked them near where I work.
So I went and checked it out, opened every zip, and poured all over the bag. I went home, checked out the site again, measured my back to see what size I needed and then laid down the cash on the M/L version of the Raptor 10. Best decision I made.
Right away this pack felt comfortable. The fit was perfect. I was worried the waist belt would ride up my stomach like my Deuter Superbike L but those fears were unfounded. It didn't take long to get the fit sorted out and I was in business.
The following day I joined some mates for a 6 hour epic and the pack performed flawlessly. I did have the waist belt a bit loose to begin with, which caused a bit of movement on the downhills, but a little tightening and the issue disappeared. I was able to pack a stack of food, spares, arm warmers, phone, wallet, money and other bits and bobs and it swallowed the lot no problem. There is a ton of storage and compartments for things like your pump, key holder etc. There's also a non-scratch compartment for your sunnies which is nice touch. I found during my ride that as the load got lighter and thinned the bag I was able to use the compression straps to tighten everything back up and stop movement in the pack.
The reservoir is an ingenious design to stop barrelling, and the spine and large opening made refilling with your beverage of choice a breeze. Also, getting to, and reinstalling the reservoir was an absolute cinch and took all of two seconds. It has it's own section and is designed to fit like a glove to stop the water sloshing around. Undo two clips, unzip the zipper and you're done. I imagine this will come in handy and save some time during marathon races when topping up water supplies.
I have to say I was a very happy little vegemite after the initial test. I felt the pack performed flawlessly. However, I noticed a few potential weaknesses, minor quibbles really. The mouthpiece makes the water feel a bit rubbery. I expect that this will disappear over time as it is still fairly new. We have to wait a bit and see. The waist belt clip also looks a little flimsy and could easily be broken in the hands of a ham-fisted rider, but again time will tell how this holds up. Also, I'm not too keen on the lack of zippers on the waist belt pockets and I could expect items stowed there to go missing, especially on bumpy descents. I don't normally use them so no big deal there but if you use them to stow some energy gels just be aware.
Overall I think this pack is very well thought out and has lots of excellent ways and ideas to stow all your gear for your next epic ride. I think the reservoir is also well thought out and is designed to work as a system with the pack. It might seem a little pricey compared to similar competition but I think this pack stands head and shoulders above them.
Highly recommended...
http://www.ospreypacks.com/
I certainly had some ideas about what I wanted in a pack. I wanted a minimum 3 litre water capacity and something that was comfortable that I could use on epic rides and marathon races. I wanted smart use of storage space for food and spares and something I could essentially throw everything I needed for a ride, ranging from a short 1 hour ride, my commute to work (when I didn't need to carry clothes and food) right up to marathon races where I could be in the saddle for up to 9 hours (yeah I really am that slow...).
So I started the hunt. I checked out my local bike store as well as outdoors stores but couldn't find anything suitable. There seemed to be too many compromises. I read a favourable review of the Osprey Manta on MTBR. I hadn't heard of Osprey packs before so decided to hit the WWW and have a look to see if they might have something I was after. The Raptor looked promising so I found a store here in Australia that sells them and luckily enough there was a store that stocked them near where I work.
So I went and checked it out, opened every zip, and poured all over the bag. I went home, checked out the site again, measured my back to see what size I needed and then laid down the cash on the M/L version of the Raptor 10. Best decision I made.
 |
| The Raptor 10, ready for its first outing |
The following day I joined some mates for a 6 hour epic and the pack performed flawlessly. I did have the waist belt a bit loose to begin with, which caused a bit of movement on the downhills, but a little tightening and the issue disappeared. I was able to pack a stack of food, spares, arm warmers, phone, wallet, money and other bits and bobs and it swallowed the lot no problem. There is a ton of storage and compartments for things like your pump, key holder etc. There's also a non-scratch compartment for your sunnies which is nice touch. I found during my ride that as the load got lighter and thinned the bag I was able to use the compression straps to tighten everything back up and stop movement in the pack.
The reservoir is an ingenious design to stop barrelling, and the spine and large opening made refilling with your beverage of choice a breeze. Also, getting to, and reinstalling the reservoir was an absolute cinch and took all of two seconds. It has it's own section and is designed to fit like a glove to stop the water sloshing around. Undo two clips, unzip the zipper and you're done. I imagine this will come in handy and save some time during marathon races when topping up water supplies.
I have to say I was a very happy little vegemite after the initial test. I felt the pack performed flawlessly. However, I noticed a few potential weaknesses, minor quibbles really. The mouthpiece makes the water feel a bit rubbery. I expect that this will disappear over time as it is still fairly new. We have to wait a bit and see. The waist belt clip also looks a little flimsy and could easily be broken in the hands of a ham-fisted rider, but again time will tell how this holds up. Also, I'm not too keen on the lack of zippers on the waist belt pockets and I could expect items stowed there to go missing, especially on bumpy descents. I don't normally use them so no big deal there but if you use them to stow some energy gels just be aware.
Overall I think this pack is very well thought out and has lots of excellent ways and ideas to stow all your gear for your next epic ride. I think the reservoir is also well thought out and is designed to work as a system with the pack. It might seem a little pricey compared to similar competition but I think this pack stands head and shoulders above them.
If you're looking for a pack for those epic rides or even to use during 100K/100Mi races, this pack should be the top of your list.
http://www.ospreypacks.com/
Masterchef Lesson... Hardly...
I have to say that I'm hardly the masterchef - I leave that to my sister - but every now and then I strike on something that I really really like, so I thought I would share... :-)
It all started after the Highland Fling this past November. We were given a little ticket that would entitle you to a post race meal in our goodie bag... Hang onto it and use after you finish said the organisers. So after almost collapsing over the line after 9 hours of riding, I stumbled over to the tent, handed in my ticket and was given this meal... I headed back to the car and started to devour it as best as a totally spent endurance mountain bike racer (I use that term loosely :-P). To surprise, it was really nice!
Stopping to have a bit of a look - I was in a 'can't talk, eating...' mode - it looked like something I might be able to re-create... Roast pumpkin, pasta, semi-dried tomatoes, feta, pine nuts and lettuce... Mmmm... I think I could make that...
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I happened by Harris Markets in the local plaza... Now these guys have a vast array of fruit, veg and other fancy deli type stuff... Soon enough though, I was in there picking up the ingredients to make said salad...
Here's what you need (serves 2-4 depending on appetite, accompaniments etc.):
Here's what you do:
The beauty of this salad is that you can substitute various ingredients to suit your taste. If you're not keen on pumpkin, try some sweet potato. Don't like feta? Try another type of cheese (although the feta does taste REALLY good in this). You can also change the type of oil and nuts to suit particular tastes. It's up to you! Be creative!
So there you go. Give it a try. I'm sure you'll like it... Well, I hope so anyway...
It all started after the Highland Fling this past November. We were given a little ticket that would entitle you to a post race meal in our goodie bag... Hang onto it and use after you finish said the organisers. So after almost collapsing over the line after 9 hours of riding, I stumbled over to the tent, handed in my ticket and was given this meal... I headed back to the car and started to devour it as best as a totally spent endurance mountain bike racer (I use that term loosely :-P). To surprise, it was really nice!
Stopping to have a bit of a look - I was in a 'can't talk, eating...' mode - it looked like something I might be able to re-create... Roast pumpkin, pasta, semi-dried tomatoes, feta, pine nuts and lettuce... Mmmm... I think I could make that...
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I happened by Harris Markets in the local plaza... Now these guys have a vast array of fruit, veg and other fancy deli type stuff... Soon enough though, I was in there picking up the ingredients to make said salad...
Here's what you need (serves 2-4 depending on appetite, accompaniments etc.):
- 3-4 Handfuls of Mixed Lettuce leaves
- Small tub of Semi Dried Tomatoes
- 100-200g Small block of Feta cheese (Australian of course!)
- 3 teaspoons Pine nuts (or small nuts of your choice)
- 1/2 Pumpkin (I like butternut)
- 200g Spiral pasta
- Macadamia Nut Oil (optional)
- Large salad bowl
Here's what you do:
- Cut up the pumpkin into small to mid-size pieces and roast at 180deg. celsius for 30 minutes.
- Leave the pumpkin to cool.
- Cook up the spiral pasta using your preferred method.
- Drain the pasta and let cool (you can hurry the process by rinsing it with some cool water).
- Wash and drain the lettuce.
- Throw the lettuce into the large salad bowl.
- Throw in the tub of semi dried tomatoes, including the oil.
- Cut up the feta into small pieces, then throw into the salad bowl.
- Throw in the nuts.
- Throw in the pasta.
- Throw in the roast pumpkin.
- Drizzle with macadamia nut oil.
- Toss the salad.
- Serve!
The beauty of this salad is that you can substitute various ingredients to suit your taste. If you're not keen on pumpkin, try some sweet potato. Don't like feta? Try another type of cheese (although the feta does taste REALLY good in this). You can also change the type of oil and nuts to suit particular tastes. It's up to you! Be creative!
So there you go. Give it a try. I'm sure you'll like it... Well, I hope so anyway...
Reasons Why I Love Mountain Biking...
This is an oldie but a goodie and reading it I still feel the same...
- The satisfaction of nailing that gnarly piece of single track for the first time.
- The peace and quite of riding through a pine forest with the faint rustle of trees as they sway in the breeze.
- The cacophony of cicadas in the Australian bush during a mid-summer ride.
- The camaraderie with fellow mountain bikers, whom you’ve known for years or you’ve met 5 minutes previous.
- The adventure of getting lost, then finding the way.
- Scaring yourself on a wicked descent…
- …Then looking back up that same descent and thinking ‘Holy crap! I made it!’
- The excitement of riding a new trail.
- The eeriness of riding at night with only a light and the nocturnal animals for company.
- The thrill of the race.
- The hot shower or bath after a wet and muddy ride.
- The feeling of being in ‘the zone’ and at the same time at peace with the world.
- Reaching the top of that lung busting climb and not dabbing.
- Being absolutely exhausted yet happy after another 6 hour epic.
- Beating your mates to the top of the next climb…
- …And beating them to the bottom of the next descent.
- Sharing the fun and excitement with your children.
- Building your own bike.
- The bling.
- The post ride coffee...
- ...Or post ride beer.
- Being blessed that I have the opportunity to participate in this awesome pastime.
The list goes on…
Highland Fling 2010 - A Punters Story
This here's my race report from the Highland Fling MTB marathon that I competed in in November 2010. I thought I would include it as one of my first posts. This report was originally posted up on www.cyclenet.com.au, a cool site run by my buddy Craig. It's a little wordy but read on anyway and enjoy...
After three false starts with participation in marathon events this year I was really hoping the Highland Fling would be the one where Mother Nature smiled on the event and it was one where there wouldn’t be a DNF recorded against my name.
So with the hire car loaded up I headed off to Bundanoon in the Southern Highlands looking forward to flinging my cherry for the first time, so to speak. When I arrived at Bundanoon I was greeted with warm humid conditions and some threatening looking clouds as well as hundreds of keen mountain bikers ready to do the same thing, ride…
Organisation was slick and in short time I was ushered into the local hall by one of the volunteer ‘bakers’ to pick up my number and t-shirt. From there it was a short drive to event central – Ferndale Oval, the start and finish as well as my accommodation for the night. After setting up camp and preparing my bike I had a wander around to see what was happening before heading back to the campsite to relax.
I hit the sack early and was glad I did because as soon as I jumped into my sleeping bag Mother Nature brought the rain down. I fell asleep to soft patter of rain on my tent roof hoping I wouldn’t wake up to the same thing in the morning.
Sunday morning dawned and I was awoken around 5.30am by movement around the campground. At 6am the MC decided it was time to wake everyone up with his dulcet tones and some theme music. My fears of a wet start were unfounded as the skies had cleared. I started getting organised when I realised I didn’t bring milk. Luckily I found a substitute, an Up n’ Go, so used that on my cereal. It wasn’t long before I was suiting up and rolling to the start. Cruising around I caught up with friends and we all posed for a photo before heading to the start for the briefing from the event director. With that done, the gun was fired and everyone was off!
I quickly drifted to the back of the pack especially with the fact that shifting problems started early – note to self, do NOT change cables just before race day – it would be something that would haunt me all day. So after getting used to the lack of a 30-tooth rear sprocket I started to really enjoy the trails. The first stage – the Ground Effects stage – consisted mainly of fire road and grassland as well as the aptly named Early Bath. The event director was right when he said it was a thigh deep water crossing. It was brisk in, but the warm temperatures meant that the shoes dried out quickly after.
The fire roads gave way to grasslands and it wasn’t long after that the elite riders train passed by on one of the uphills shortly before the first transition. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about them now. I felt rather good as I rolled into the transition area at Wingello. I grabbed some food from my Camelbak and re-filled it before heading out for the second stage – the Tertini Wines stage – but not before realising my Camelbak was leaking. I had to stop to adjust it a few times to stop the leaking but after sorting that out I was away down some nicely graded fire road before hitting the first of the single track, some of it newly created for this event. It was sweet too, a little technical in parts but nice and flowing. I had a massive smile on my face. In fact the entire single track throughout the race was great, I just wished I were more fresh to enjoy it! I snaked along the single track that was interspersed with connecting fire road.
The temperature was getting warmer and with some of the more open fire roads the sun felt quite intense. During this time I started dicing with another rider who would pass me on the uphills but I had his measure on the flats and downhills. My bike seemed to roll effortlessly, I love riding a 29er… We would chat as we rode together or passed each other. When we finally reached the drink station about halfway into the stage our dusty grins said it all – Wingello single track rocks! I had all but drained my Camelbak so eagerly filled it up before grabbing another bite to eat. I filled my bottle as well with some electrolyte drink I don’t normally consume. I think it would come back to haunt me later.
From the drink station it was downhill until I saw a sign saying 50 metres to The Wall. Being a first time Flinger and overhearing stories from other riders it was apparently something to be feared. They were right! At the bottom of the hill, I turned left and saw straight away how it got its name. But I decided to give it a crack and rode a short way up the hill before joining the dozen or so other riders walking up it. As it flattened out it was back on the bike to grind it out to the top.
As I continued on I started to feel the fatigue set in and found myself getting progressively slower. The psychological turn around point for me was the section called The Outer Limits. I felt once I passed this section I would be homeward bound. After what felt like ages, I saw the signage to The Outer Limits, which was a relief, but now I was feeling I had the hurt locker open and had one foot in it. The hills started to feel longer and steeper and consequently harder so I found myself starting to walk a little more. I didn’t feel too bad as a number of other riders were doing the same. I started noticing too how much I was starting to ache. My neck, shoulders, back and arms not to mention my legs were hurting but I kept at it, I was determined to finish this one.
Coming out of the Wingello State Forest and onto some relatively flat dirt road felt great and as some rain began to lightly fall I was able to make some serious speed back to the Wingello Transition Area. The transition resembled a battlefield with bikes and the bodies of tired riders lying everywhere. I jumped off my bike, nearly cramping in the process, and replaced the electrolyte drink I was picked up at the last drink station with some of the drink I normally use. I also took the chance to refill the Camelbak for the last time, got my chain lubed up before having a stretch and heading out onto the third and final stage – the GU Stage. This was the homeward stretch.
Leaving transition, the sealed road gave way to dirt and I followed this flat section out to a private property, some more grassland trail and down to another creek crossing. From there I followed some snaking single track that looked suspiciously fresh – shame I was feeling the exact opposite! – and as I reached the top it was there that I really hit the wall. Before I had one foot in the hurt locker, now I had jumped in it like it was a swimming pool.
From here on in to the finish even the smallest hill was a struggle and I spent most of them walking. The downhills were great as I could just roll. It was now going to be a battle just to finish. I continued on and eventually hit the Bike Wash section, yet another creek crossing, before heading up another hill to a T intersection. The marshal directed me right and I saw riders on the other side of the fence. I was thinking great, I’ll head up the road a bit then do a U turn and get on the other side of the fence. I did, to some extent. It was the long way round, via the Boundary Rider and Roller coaster sections. It was a little disheartening but there was no point in giving up now. During the Roller coaster section, I had one of two unicyclists in the Fling ride past, my jaw dropping at the speed and skill the guy possessed.
My head was in a deep dark place now and I continued to ride on autopilot, riding the best I could, walking the hills, rolling the downhills and pedalling slowly along the flats. I kept trying to eat and drink but every bite I took or sip that I drank made me want to vomit. Eventually two other riders caught up with me and we rode and walked together, passing the 10km to go sign. They gapped me when we reached the fence line and passed the T intersection we previously rode past and I didn’t see them again. The marshal who directed me right at the T intersection then yelled out some encouraging words to me and letting me know that it wasn’t far to the finish.
I continued along the fire road, passing the 5km to go sign, and by this time I was alternating between walking and riding, on the flats. I was now starting to be passed by the 100 Mile Flingers before hitting the Your Call section. Here I had a choice, go left and follow a shorter, steeper route, or go right and follow a longer, more level route. I figured I’d be walking anyway, so decided on the shorter route thinking it might be a little quicker. Whilst walking this section the only female competitor in the 100 Mile Fling passed me. She also offered me encouragement letting me know it was nearly all downhill now to the finish. Awesome I thought and headed down once again before being directed left into a private property by two of the most animated marshals I saw all day.
It was the homeward section now, so close to the finish I could almost taste it. I decided I was not going to walk anymore and pedalled on with the knowledge that I would finish. Being absolutely shattered after riding 110km I nearly came off on a very minor little section under the road bridge before heading up a small rise for the very last time and onto the finish straight.
I don’t remember much as I crossed the finish line. I was a little dazed at actually finishing the race, completely drained both physically and mentally. I was stopped by a volunteer just before the finish chute who collected my timing chip, before barely being able to climb off the bike and be greeted by a friend who finished a good two hours before me.
I had done it. I finished. I was ecstatic but looking at me at the time you wouldn’t have thought it. I slowly climbed out of the hurt locker that had me imprisoned for the last few hours and walked away satisfied at what I had just achieved. Now all I had to do was pack the car and drive for two hours home…
On reflection, the course was great, the single track awesome, the organization very professional, and the free pasta salad for finishers very tasty… If you’d had asked me at the finish line if I’d do it again I’d have probably swore at you and said no. But sitting here now typing this story I think you’ll probably find me at the start line again next year. As a friend said before the race, ‘Bring the pain…’
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