Just go full screen and watch in awe!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Almost "The Epic"?!!
It is that time of year again when over a thousand mountain bikers descend on Spicer's Old Hidden Vale for the 9th running of the Flight Centre Epic.
This year the route had been changed from the traditional point to point race leaving Toowoomba and finishing at Hidden Vale to a loop leaving and arriving back at Hidden Vale. This was mainly due to damage to the trails from the floods back in January in the Lockyer Valley. From a logistical point of view this year's format made it much easier to ride without a support crew to get you to Toowoomba for the start. But with this new course being only 75 kilometres, down from the traditional 100km, would the Epic be well...Epic?
Sunday morning saw me lining up for the start contemplating how little training I had done this year. Chatting with friends...contemplating how I have been sick for the last two weeks. I told myself I would just take it easy, take some photos and enjoy the ride as a ride, not a race. Ok. How hard can it be? It is only 75km. Hmmm...as I see it I haven't ridden a mountain bike that far in one sitting all year. This might actually hurt!
When it was our turn to head off we shuffled through the start gate to the electronic warbling of the timing equipment and then we were off. Nice and steady, chatting with Andrew while warming up gradually made good sense. It was nice to have a few kilometres of farm road to help spread the riders out a bit and it made for good social riding too. That was until the trail pointed downhill at the beginning of the "Epic" singletrack. For the next few km it was time to grin. It was time to also observe how many riders drag their brakes on even slight downhill sections. To me, Mr Unfit, this is sacrilege! All that effort to get up the hill then they turn it into heat in their brake pads rather than forward velocity?! Anyway, I made at least twenty places down this descent that seemed to go on forever. I was passing some riders at about twice their speed! I was only to be passed on a downhill once all day long and that rider came past here, so I tacked onto his back wheel and we whooped and hollered all the way down until the trail spat us out onto the sealed road for the next climb.
Over the next few kilometres the race leaders began to power through the masses. I find it hard to conceive how these guys can ride so fast up hill! They would be sipping icy drinks long before I was finished slogging over sweaty, heartbreaking climbs!
Over the next climb and the knarley downhill and it was onto more flat sealed road in the tiny rural township of Mulgowie. I was wishing I had some support crew here to meet me so I could stop and give my legs have a little respite. Powering into this headwind I found myself to be out in it all alone. I look up the road and there is a train of riders slipstreaming. Looking to the rear I see the same. Yet, here I am, all alone. Pushing this damn headwind! Maybe I smell?
Turning off the sealed section onto the dirt again and I am steeling myself for the climb up over the range again. Gee, I am glad I saved my legs on the flat road section......Grinding away here I am being passed by a lot of riders and when I spot Jimmy going past I realise they must be the last group to start. The sub 5 hour riders.
We then turn off the dirt road into a paddock. A cow paddock. The cattle had been doing their best postholing work while the ground was wet earlier in the year! My bike has turned into a mobile jackhammer as it judders over umpteen unseen indentations! Add to this the trail going up and down small, steep hillocks and it is pure torture. I pass a rider wheeling his bike back along the trail, his front wheel a huge taco. I make a mental note to ride super smooth, be gentle on the front. There is some killer climbing in this section which is pure walking territory for me. I ride the descents with massive amounts of attention and brake! Everyone else I see is either walking or crashing. Hehehe.....this is sorting out all those psuedo mountain bikers!
From about the 38km mark the track is back onto the Hidden Vale single track and it is hard going as I tackle Yowie and Western Creek with rapidly fading legs. Hmmm..I may have gone out a bit hard early on. The next 10km proved to be very tough for me. I backed off the pace to conserve the legs and that feels like the right move but I am getting held up on this section of trail by riders that cannot get over even small obstacles. My frustration is sapping energy fast but then as I see a rider tumble bacwards into a rocky creek I remember my status today. Not a racer, a cruising paparazzo! So I stop to take some photos(creek boy was ok by the way) and munch on an energy bar. So, nicely mellowed I press on.
As I approach the point where the 50km riders split from the 75km nutjobs I ask myself some tough questions about my status, like "can I finish this", "is there enough left in the engine room"? I decide to ride on the right side of the track and not look at any of the support crews waiting for their riders as I pass through the arch. No way am I going to quit. Do not turn left!
About 5km down the trail I want to quit..........badly. The first twinges of cramp are nibbling at my quads and even gentle slopes reduce me to walking. In fact I am walking as first Neil, then Gav come cycling past on a hill with a gradient to match Lake Eyre! Shortly after they leave me in a heat haze I happen across The Caterpillar. I decide to take a break in the shade, eat my banana and slyly check to see if it has the key in it! If I could drive up this next insane 28% climb I would. The fun thing is that everyone that passses "The Cat" askes the same thing. "Is there a key in that thing"?
With nothing else for it I forge forward and upward. Along here I start chatting with a guy who assures me that on the next hilltop is a tent where they are handing out free ice cold Cokes and massages. I believe him for about 3.5 seconds, but they were a blissful 3.5 seconds. In reality there is no tent, only relentless ups and downs as we scamble along a fire trail that is cut into the very ridge top. I look to the left and have a magnificent view out over Hidden Vale and to the right is the Lockyer Valley. Here I am, stuck in the middle with pain. To put into perspective how much I was hurting by this stage, the final suicidal, never ending downhill off this ridge line required me to stop on the only flat section to give my arms a rest. Never!! As I do I see another guy actually blow the hose right off his rear brake caliper! It got so hot, the pressure blew the hose to smithereens!
From this point on (actually from about 5km before this point!) I decided I was in limp home mode. I wasn't sure I could finish, but I wasn't going to quit! Even if I had to walk in on my lips! So, limp I did. The pace seemed very social for about 10km or so until I came to the Epic singletrack again and I couldn't help myself, upping the speed and having a hoot. Out the other side of this trail and I was in limp home mode again as we crossed open cow pasture. I finally drank my Camelbak dry here so stopped to add some Nuuns and Staminade to my water bottle.Hmm...my last 750ml of water. I wondered if I would make it or if the Hidden Vale camels would stand over my withered body and laugh?
After yet another walking climb I happened upon a goddess standing under a shade asking "Would you like some water"? "Er, yes please" and "how much further to go"? I am told "just 4km"! You beauty!! It is funny how you will believe what you are told even though all the other indicators point to a different answer. My Garmin was saying I had another 10km to go, but 4km sounded like music to my ears. Even better, I was at the top of the "Rock Bottom" singletrack. My second wind had arrived and I set the spinnaker to catch as much of it as I could! Through this section I was powering, passing about a dozen riders including Chris and Nick who had opted to do the 50km. Up Escalator I was even passing people. At the top a very nice chap was shouting something about 50km riders turn right, 75km riders turn left. Left? That was away from the finish line?! "How far to go mate"? I yell. 6km is the response......I cannot reprint what was said after that......that goddess under the shade, the one with the honest, pretty face had lied. I was gutted. But even better, I was angry and I smashed the pedals, called track left/right to every wobbling rider I saw ahead and actually enjoyed the hell out of that last 6km! Looking at my heart rate data for the last 10km and it went up from around 150bpm to almost 180bpm as I gave it eveything I didn't know I had left! I passed quite a few riders in this last 10km which no doubt assisted in catapulting me into......drum roll please, 205th place outright!!! ;) Yes, I think I missed my chance at glory by about two hours.
Sitting back, gnawing on cool watermelon and not able to bend my legs lest the cramps grab me, I reflected on what I feel is the hardest race I have done in my four or so years of mountain biking. It may have been the lack of training or the fact that I had a cold for the preceeding two weeks ,but in reality I think this course would have ripped my legs off and beat me with them no matter how prepared I thought I was.
This year the route had been changed from the traditional point to point race leaving Toowoomba and finishing at Hidden Vale to a loop leaving and arriving back at Hidden Vale. This was mainly due to damage to the trails from the floods back in January in the Lockyer Valley. From a logistical point of view this year's format made it much easier to ride without a support crew to get you to Toowoomba for the start. But with this new course being only 75 kilometres, down from the traditional 100km, would the Epic be well...Epic?
Sunday morning saw me lining up for the start contemplating how little training I had done this year. Chatting with friends...contemplating how I have been sick for the last two weeks. I told myself I would just take it easy, take some photos and enjoy the ride as a ride, not a race. Ok. How hard can it be? It is only 75km. Hmmm...as I see it I haven't ridden a mountain bike that far in one sitting all year. This might actually hurt!
When it was our turn to head off we shuffled through the start gate to the electronic warbling of the timing equipment and then we were off. Nice and steady, chatting with Andrew while warming up gradually made good sense. It was nice to have a few kilometres of farm road to help spread the riders out a bit and it made for good social riding too. That was until the trail pointed downhill at the beginning of the "Epic" singletrack. For the next few km it was time to grin. It was time to also observe how many riders drag their brakes on even slight downhill sections. To me, Mr Unfit, this is sacrilege! All that effort to get up the hill then they turn it into heat in their brake pads rather than forward velocity?! Anyway, I made at least twenty places down this descent that seemed to go on forever. I was passing some riders at about twice their speed! I was only to be passed on a downhill once all day long and that rider came past here, so I tacked onto his back wheel and we whooped and hollered all the way down until the trail spat us out onto the sealed road for the next climb.
Over the next few kilometres the race leaders began to power through the masses. I find it hard to conceive how these guys can ride so fast up hill! They would be sipping icy drinks long before I was finished slogging over sweaty, heartbreaking climbs!
Over the next climb and the knarley downhill and it was onto more flat sealed road in the tiny rural township of Mulgowie. I was wishing I had some support crew here to meet me so I could stop and give my legs have a little respite. Powering into this headwind I found myself to be out in it all alone. I look up the road and there is a train of riders slipstreaming. Looking to the rear I see the same. Yet, here I am, all alone. Pushing this damn headwind! Maybe I smell?
Turning off the sealed section onto the dirt again and I am steeling myself for the climb up over the range again. Gee, I am glad I saved my legs on the flat road section......Grinding away here I am being passed by a lot of riders and when I spot Jimmy going past I realise they must be the last group to start. The sub 5 hour riders.
We then turn off the dirt road into a paddock. A cow paddock. The cattle had been doing their best postholing work while the ground was wet earlier in the year! My bike has turned into a mobile jackhammer as it judders over umpteen unseen indentations! Add to this the trail going up and down small, steep hillocks and it is pure torture. I pass a rider wheeling his bike back along the trail, his front wheel a huge taco. I make a mental note to ride super smooth, be gentle on the front. There is some killer climbing in this section which is pure walking territory for me. I ride the descents with massive amounts of attention and brake! Everyone else I see is either walking or crashing. Hehehe.....this is sorting out all those psuedo mountain bikers!
From about the 38km mark the track is back onto the Hidden Vale single track and it is hard going as I tackle Yowie and Western Creek with rapidly fading legs. Hmmm..I may have gone out a bit hard early on. The next 10km proved to be very tough for me. I backed off the pace to conserve the legs and that feels like the right move but I am getting held up on this section of trail by riders that cannot get over even small obstacles. My frustration is sapping energy fast but then as I see a rider tumble bacwards into a rocky creek I remember my status today. Not a racer, a cruising paparazzo! So I stop to take some photos(creek boy was ok by the way) and munch on an energy bar. So, nicely mellowed I press on.
As I approach the point where the 50km riders split from the 75km nutjobs I ask myself some tough questions about my status, like "can I finish this", "is there enough left in the engine room"? I decide to ride on the right side of the track and not look at any of the support crews waiting for their riders as I pass through the arch. No way am I going to quit. Do not turn left!
About 5km down the trail I want to quit..........badly. The first twinges of cramp are nibbling at my quads and even gentle slopes reduce me to walking. In fact I am walking as first Neil, then Gav come cycling past on a hill with a gradient to match Lake Eyre! Shortly after they leave me in a heat haze I happen across The Caterpillar. I decide to take a break in the shade, eat my banana and slyly check to see if it has the key in it! If I could drive up this next insane 28% climb I would. The fun thing is that everyone that passses "The Cat" askes the same thing. "Is there a key in that thing"?
With nothing else for it I forge forward and upward. Along here I start chatting with a guy who assures me that on the next hilltop is a tent where they are handing out free ice cold Cokes and massages. I believe him for about 3.5 seconds, but they were a blissful 3.5 seconds. In reality there is no tent, only relentless ups and downs as we scamble along a fire trail that is cut into the very ridge top. I look to the left and have a magnificent view out over Hidden Vale and to the right is the Lockyer Valley. Here I am, stuck in the middle with pain. To put into perspective how much I was hurting by this stage, the final suicidal, never ending downhill off this ridge line required me to stop on the only flat section to give my arms a rest. Never!! As I do I see another guy actually blow the hose right off his rear brake caliper! It got so hot, the pressure blew the hose to smithereens!
From this point on (actually from about 5km before this point!) I decided I was in limp home mode. I wasn't sure I could finish, but I wasn't going to quit! Even if I had to walk in on my lips! So, limp I did. The pace seemed very social for about 10km or so until I came to the Epic singletrack again and I couldn't help myself, upping the speed and having a hoot. Out the other side of this trail and I was in limp home mode again as we crossed open cow pasture. I finally drank my Camelbak dry here so stopped to add some Nuuns and Staminade to my water bottle.Hmm...my last 750ml of water. I wondered if I would make it or if the Hidden Vale camels would stand over my withered body and laugh?
After yet another walking climb I happened upon a goddess standing under a shade asking "Would you like some water"? "Er, yes please" and "how much further to go"? I am told "just 4km"! You beauty!! It is funny how you will believe what you are told even though all the other indicators point to a different answer. My Garmin was saying I had another 10km to go, but 4km sounded like music to my ears. Even better, I was at the top of the "Rock Bottom" singletrack. My second wind had arrived and I set the spinnaker to catch as much of it as I could! Through this section I was powering, passing about a dozen riders including Chris and Nick who had opted to do the 50km. Up Escalator I was even passing people. At the top a very nice chap was shouting something about 50km riders turn right, 75km riders turn left. Left? That was away from the finish line?! "How far to go mate"? I yell. 6km is the response......I cannot reprint what was said after that......that goddess under the shade, the one with the honest, pretty face had lied. I was gutted. But even better, I was angry and I smashed the pedals, called track left/right to every wobbling rider I saw ahead and actually enjoyed the hell out of that last 6km! Looking at my heart rate data for the last 10km and it went up from around 150bpm to almost 180bpm as I gave it eveything I didn't know I had left! I passed quite a few riders in this last 10km which no doubt assisted in catapulting me into......drum roll please, 205th place outright!!! ;) Yes, I think I missed my chance at glory by about two hours.
Sitting back, gnawing on cool watermelon and not able to bend my legs lest the cramps grab me, I reflected on what I feel is the hardest race I have done in my four or so years of mountain biking. It may have been the lack of training or the fact that I had a cold for the preceeding two weeks ,but in reality I think this course would have ripped my legs off and beat me with them no matter how prepared I thought I was.
See you next year. :-)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
I'm Back Baby!!!
Well, where has this year gone? Every time I look another month has flown by. This past month has felt like a total loss as far as my cycling pusuits go with much flying, numerous finishing touches being put on the house renovations and lots of "Dad, can you do this?/get me that?/he did this!" to be dealt with. It becomes a bit overwhelming at times and without my "chill time" I am sure I don't cope as well as I know I can.
July wasn't a total loss riding wise, but it was a total loss training wise. Bugger all training/chilling rides but I did manage to enter the Avanti 6 Hour race at Canungra as a solo. Thanks to Dean0 for making me commit to something this year! Despite my visions of total pain and failure I approached this race with an attitude of "I just want to ride and have fun". I actually finished the 6 hours (well 5h:50m) and had a ball on the track! I did the first two laps non stop, then stopped at our trackside shelter each lap for a new bottle and calorie top-up. This strategy worked well for me and my legs were good for the entire race. My arms, however, let me down with my triceps cramping badly on the last lap while hitting the rocky descents. Some core strength work is obviously required on my middle aged squidgy centre bit! If I had done one more lap I would have been in....er 9th place still. Eight was far enough in front even if I did another lap, so I don't feel so bad about bailing out at 5 hours 50 minutes. Still, I will take the top ten placing with no training! Woo Hoo!!
As you can see from the water in the background, it was a typical perfect winter's day here in south east Queensland. We decided to head straight up the hill via the "Tunnel Vision" trail. Now apparently there is a bit of climbing here at Mt Joyce and the choice is between the main fire road or the kinder, more scenic single track. Well, I can do fire road any day, so the single track it was!
I proved not to be "in the Groove" on "Bovine Groove" though. No skin lost or unplanned bush trips but I did feel decidedly uncoordinated after bugger all riding lately. We curtailed the downhill at "Caught Short" and climbed up Tunnel Vision again. This time at the top we headed across a fun link to "Black Rock", a single black diamond trail on the southern ridge of the park. Straight off, it was looking like an interesting trail, with Graeme getting some air in the first few metres of trail. So much in fact, I missed his mellon!
July wasn't a total loss riding wise, but it was a total loss training wise. Bugger all training/chilling rides but I did manage to enter the Avanti 6 Hour race at Canungra as a solo. Thanks to Dean0 for making me commit to something this year! Despite my visions of total pain and failure I approached this race with an attitude of "I just want to ride and have fun". I actually finished the 6 hours (well 5h:50m) and had a ball on the track! I did the first two laps non stop, then stopped at our trackside shelter each lap for a new bottle and calorie top-up. This strategy worked well for me and my legs were good for the entire race. My arms, however, let me down with my triceps cramping badly on the last lap while hitting the rocky descents. Some core strength work is obviously required on my middle aged squidgy centre bit! If I had done one more lap I would have been in....er 9th place still. Eight was far enough in front even if I did another lap, so I don't feel so bad about bailing out at 5 hours 50 minutes. Still, I will take the top ten placing with no training! Woo Hoo!!
Railing!
But mainly chillin' and enjoying! (thanks to Micheal Phipps for the photos)
All up, a top day out with some good company, lots of laughs (like Dean0's test ride of his single speed where he snapped the chain after 5 metres! So much for the back up bike!!)
Fast forward to.....
Today being wednesday would have seen us heading out to Daisy Hill at 6am for the regular morning ride on any normal day. Not today however! With me being on holidays, Graeme being self employed and Jody.....er well Jody doing something dodgy we hatched a cunning plan to head out to Mt Joyce MTB park instead.
Both Graeme and Jody have been twice before but this didn't stop some pre ride planning in the car park.
We worked our way up to the top of the hill with a few stops to take in the view(and to let my post illness legs recover).
A short stop at the top to look at the trail maps and we lowered our seats and headed down "Bovine Groove".
So, take two.....
Apparently when he picked up his new Giant Reign he asked the bike shop guy "What can I do on it?" to which the reply was "Anything!" So Graeme does. ;) Nice.
Black Rock proved to be a fun, techy trail that I look forward to hitting up more over the years. It was then on to the "Secret Valley Loop" and a bit of a lunch break in an open park area near the lake. Was this too much time off the bike for Jody? You be the judge....
Can you blame him though? We were quickly back on the bikes and climbing back up the hill for some more downhill goodness though.
I think we hit "Sergeant's" black diamond downhill for this last run, but I missed the sign as my eyes were glued to the drops! Rocky,sandy,loose off camber corners....and lots of 'em!! Crikey, please sir, may I have some more?!? I rolled out the bottom onto the park near the lake sweating profusely from the downhill! There was only one big "OMG, I am cactus" moment though and I had basically survived my first Mt Joyce visit. We trundled out via the Shoreline Track towards the car, dusty, but satisfied with our efforts.
Mt Joyce shows huge potential as a MTB destination here in south east Queensland. Some more trails, some rain to wash away all the dust and loose topsoil, or some grippy tyres is all that is needed to make this area into a regular ride destination.
Oh, and some climbing legs. Yes, pack your climbing legs if you want to "Escape".
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Outside my office window
The last week in photos.
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Sydney saturday sunset.
Mt Lindsay and Mt Barney.
Marine transport.
Whitsunday sunrise. Worth the 4am wakeup!(No touch up to this photo, just the raw image)
Wind-262deg/179kts. Enough breeze to blow your hat off!
Getting ready to go again.
Ever wonder what happens to the smoke from your fire?
Growing on a South Australian hillside east of Adelaide.
Loaded and doors closed, chillin'.
Sydney saturday sunset.Touchdown.......................................
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Midweek MTBing
So, with work encroaching heavily on life again lately and the Tour Divide coverage holding my spare attention, I finally was able to break free. I had an opportunity to take a roll around the Koala bush lands with Dean0 this week. It had been too long since the last dirt ride (12 days due to work) and despite a late finish at work, the plan was set. We would push off from Cornubia and head across to West Mt Cotton rd and the Eastern Escarpment. Then a lap of the Karingal track to see how it looked after the Sushine Series round there on sunday. From Karingal it was to be via the standard EE loop to Daisy Hill for whatever we felt like, then back across to Cornubia to finish off with a roll down Wallum Froglet to home.
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So, on to this.
After a bit of a chat and a good look at the view, it was..........
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Done with this....
After a bit of a chat and a good look at the view, it was..........
Going,
Going,
Gone!
The Eastern Escarpment is as rideable as it has ever been. Would you believe it is fun? Er, how about rewarding? Er, then how about hurty?
A brief stop to appreciate the easterly view.
Then a slight diversion to take in the "new" westerly view.
From here you can see clear across to Daisy Hill and the Shailer family property.
We then put the hurt on ourselves a bit. In a good way, of course, with a lap of Karingal. The track is in perfect condition. Maybe I should have ridden in C grade as well as helping out after all last weekend?
The desire to take photos dwindled at about the same rate as the pain increased, so the only "stills" are now in my head. Until I can find the USB plug for that interface, I shall leave it to your imagination to guess how it panned out. Suffice to say there was no blood award but there was hurt for my legs.
Yet another great morning in the saddle with great company. It is what mountain biking is about.
Now to recover in time for the 6 hour this sunday.
Go "The Nigel"!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thoughts from the Tour Divide
How hard must this race be?
From the blog of a rider currently testing herself...........
Conquering the desire to quit requires some mind games. Knowing that I am not even half way through this journey is daunting; thinking about what is ahead is too much for my brain to handle. So, I break it down into smaller pieces. Day by day is too large sometimes. Mostly, I look ahead town to town, meal to meal. When that is too much, I just look ahead to what my eye can see. And, when that is too much, I look three inches in front of my tire and watch the ground blur and listen to myself pant.
Too much work and not enough riding is making me a bit testy, but watching the Tour Divide is certainly helping put things in perspective. Work definitely looks the easier option, if not nearly as picturesque..
I have some leave coming up next month and I am hoping to put some miles under my wheels and also join in on normal family life for a week or two. Who is up for a ride?
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From the blog of a rider currently testing herself...........
Conquering the desire to quit requires some mind games. Knowing that I am not even half way through this journey is daunting; thinking about what is ahead is too much for my brain to handle. So, I break it down into smaller pieces. Day by day is too large sometimes. Mostly, I look ahead town to town, meal to meal. When that is too much, I just look ahead to what my eye can see. And, when that is too much, I look three inches in front of my tire and watch the ground blur and listen to myself pant.
Too much work and not enough riding is making me a bit testy, but watching the Tour Divide is certainly helping put things in perspective. Work definitely looks the easier option, if not nearly as picturesque..
I have some leave coming up next month and I am hoping to put some miles under my wheels and also join in on normal family life for a week or two. Who is up for a ride?
Friday, June 10, 2011
Tour Divide Race starts tomorrow
Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, USA. One stage. 4418 kilometres. Unsupported.
This race (for some) or ride for other mere mortals begins with the "Grand Depart" from Banff tomorrow. The route follows the continental divide along the Rockies and involves over 61 000m (200 000ft) of climbing in it's 4418km distance!
I find the thought of doing this ride mindblowing. From the start, through Alberta and Montana, watching out for bears to the 12 000ft mountain pass crossings in Colorado I find it hard to get my head around how and why anyone would do this race, yet at the same time am excited at the thought of maybe doing it myself one day. I don't think I have any idea how tough it would actually be and I might just be in love with the romance of a ride through this amazing landscape. The idea of dumping the outside world for three or four weeks and just riding my bike in a foreign country isn't that silly......is it?
This year there are seventy riders attempting the race north to south and fifteen giving the south to north direction a try. This may be to give the snow on the Rockies more time to melt as it has been a bumper winter in the northern states. They are saying that the record will be safe, but who knows? What is known is that you have to ride about 240km per day, every day to get near the record. Remember, that is unsupported. You navigate, find your own food, accomodation, bike repairs....you get the idea, as well as ride. There are no rest days. You just keep riding.
Ride The Divide Movie Trailer from Ride The Divide on Vimeo.
Here is the Caveate from the Tour Divide website-
Do you really want to race the GDMBR?
Self-supported Divide racing is based on an open, standing challenge (circa 1999) to cycle the Great Divide MTB Route as fast as humanly possible. Tackle it truly solo or as part of a common start, but do it all yourself; all the pedaling, navigation, resupply and camping; all the suffering. Indeed, with zero on-the-ground administration, Divide racing is not much more than a construct of the online community that follows it. To these voyeurs, it's virtual racing at its finest. To the challengers, it is ultimately just a really long, lonely and beautiful solo bike ride.
As all-American as racing is, ACA never imagined such a niche for their off-pavement touring route when they created it in 1997. But just as the interstate highway system is to RAAM, so too is the GDMBR to Divide racing. John Stamstad inaugurated the challenge when he blazed the the first self-supported Individual Time Trial (ITT) in 1999. In 2003 Mike Curiak was first to accept John's double-dare. Mike's ITT would end early, but he returned the next summer to organize a multi-up format called the Great Divide Race. Six other ambitious riders lined up for the masochism. When the dust settled, Curiak and runner-up Pete Basinger knocked 2 days off Stamstad's benchmark. Since then 'grand departs' (group starts) have been the fashion, but it's important to emphasize--like Stamstad in `99 and Curiak in `03--a challenger may race the route at any time during snow-free months in the Rockies. As long as an ITT performance is self-supported and strictly follows the route (see Rules), it is eligible for the annual General Classification.
Self-supported grand tour racing (ie. >2 weeks) along the GDMBR is like none other. Simply on scale, it's the hardest form of bike racing, period. To be competitive for the overall, one must ride ≥150 miles/day. There are no rest days. And if volume alone isn't taxing enough, one must also navigate, acquire resupply, clean/wrench the bike, find shelter each night, bathe when possible, and keep one's wits about it all. No entourages follow athletes. It cannot be compared to today's 100-milers, 24hour racing, or even 3-5 day stage race events.
Many wonder if they're capable of such a true solo blitz. At some point there's an inevitable leap of faith into grand tour racing. One thing is for certain: 2-3 weeks of back-to-back 16-18 hour days in the saddle are certain to bring about changes in body, mind and equipment of even the world's most seasoned ultra-endurance althlete. Are you the type to roll easily with this painful transformation? How well do you suffer for days on end? Are you prone to depression? Can you be happy sleeping in the dirt as it rains all night? Does post-holing through thigh-deep snowdrifts over a 10,000-ft pass sound like fun? A robust Rockies winter + late spring can leave behind just such mid-June diversion on the GDMBR.
It's easy to be attracted to the romance and camaraderie of a 'shared' cross-country MTB adventure. The rugged Divide backcountry is not the place to learn solo 'racing' is not your speed or style. Are you a seasoned multi-day bikepacker? Have you ridden back-to-back off-road centuries? Are you an expert level mountain biker? Are you a veteran of Primal Quest-scale multi-day adventure races? Are you a proficient bike mechanic; skilled navigator; competent at self-rescue? If you cannot confidently answer yes to most of the above, it would be wise to consider simply touring the route or taking more time to prepare for a true blitz.
All of the racers carry a spot tracker and as can be seen, they are starting to converge on Banff and Antellope Wells for the start. If you want a taste of what Divide racing is all about grab a copy of "Ride the Divide". It covers the 2007 (I think) race and highlights the beauty of the landscape that the race travels through.
It will be very interesting to watch over the course of the next three weeks the progress that they make and read of their hardships. I might just go and watch the DVD again.......and dream......
This race (for some) or ride for other mere mortals begins with the "Grand Depart" from Banff tomorrow. The route follows the continental divide along the Rockies and involves over 61 000m (200 000ft) of climbing in it's 4418km distance!
Trailhead begins behind the Banff Springs Hotel.
I find the thought of doing this ride mindblowing. From the start, through Alberta and Montana, watching out for bears to the 12 000ft mountain pass crossings in Colorado I find it hard to get my head around how and why anyone would do this race, yet at the same time am excited at the thought of maybe doing it myself one day. I don't think I have any idea how tough it would actually be and I might just be in love with the romance of a ride through this amazing landscape. The idea of dumping the outside world for three or four weeks and just riding my bike in a foreign country isn't that silly......is it?
This year there are seventy riders attempting the race north to south and fifteen giving the south to north direction a try. This may be to give the snow on the Rockies more time to melt as it has been a bumper winter in the northern states. They are saying that the record will be safe, but who knows? What is known is that you have to ride about 240km per day, every day to get near the record. Remember, that is unsupported. You navigate, find your own food, accomodation, bike repairs....you get the idea, as well as ride. There are no rest days. You just keep riding.
Ride The Divide Movie Trailer from Ride The Divide on Vimeo.
Here is the Caveate from the Tour Divide website-
Do you really want to race the GDMBR?
Self-supported Divide racing is based on an open, standing challenge (circa 1999) to cycle the Great Divide MTB Route as fast as humanly possible. Tackle it truly solo or as part of a common start, but do it all yourself; all the pedaling, navigation, resupply and camping; all the suffering. Indeed, with zero on-the-ground administration, Divide racing is not much more than a construct of the online community that follows it. To these voyeurs, it's virtual racing at its finest. To the challengers, it is ultimately just a really long, lonely and beautiful solo bike ride.
As all-American as racing is, ACA never imagined such a niche for their off-pavement touring route when they created it in 1997. But just as the interstate highway system is to RAAM, so too is the GDMBR to Divide racing. John Stamstad inaugurated the challenge when he blazed the the first self-supported Individual Time Trial (ITT) in 1999. In 2003 Mike Curiak was first to accept John's double-dare. Mike's ITT would end early, but he returned the next summer to organize a multi-up format called the Great Divide Race. Six other ambitious riders lined up for the masochism. When the dust settled, Curiak and runner-up Pete Basinger knocked 2 days off Stamstad's benchmark. Since then 'grand departs' (group starts) have been the fashion, but it's important to emphasize--like Stamstad in `99 and Curiak in `03--a challenger may race the route at any time during snow-free months in the Rockies. As long as an ITT performance is self-supported and strictly follows the route (see Rules), it is eligible for the annual General Classification.
Divide racing fundamentals look much like traditional touring: rider + gear vs. GDMBR + nature. It's the method that differentiates the racing: self-support + 'blitzkrieg'. Blitzkrieg is German for lightning war. It's how Divide racing is meant to be executed; move fast, send no postcards, 'take no prisoners' and 'hurt so good' (suffer well). To wit: Divide racing isn't your parent's 1976 Bikecentennial tour. Yes, the common denominator is to finish the route, but the inspiration is how quickly without cracking; to teeter on the edge physically and tackle headlong the emotional rollercoaster sure to coincide. Divide racing is not to be confused, even with fast-touring of today's ultralight set. It is exceedingly difficult simply by the sheer volume of daily miles, which are a primary reason it flaunts a heart-breaking 60% attrition rate.
Self-supported grand tour racing (ie. >2 weeks) along the GDMBR is like none other. Simply on scale, it's the hardest form of bike racing, period. To be competitive for the overall, one must ride ≥150 miles/day. There are no rest days. And if volume alone isn't taxing enough, one must also navigate, acquire resupply, clean/wrench the bike, find shelter each night, bathe when possible, and keep one's wits about it all. No entourages follow athletes. It cannot be compared to today's 100-milers, 24hour racing, or even 3-5 day stage race events.
All of the racers carry a spot tracker and as can be seen, they are starting to converge on Banff and Antellope Wells for the start. If you want a taste of what Divide racing is all about grab a copy of "Ride the Divide". It covers the 2007 (I think) race and highlights the beauty of the landscape that the race travels through.
It will be very interesting to watch over the course of the next three weeks the progress that they make and read of their hardships. I might just go and watch the DVD again.......and dream......
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