News from Bendigo MTB Club.
The 2nd of the clubs night race was held on the 29th March and congratulations to all riders with Melanie Hall taking out the win, with Daniel Young 2nd and Gerben Graske-Borst taking a well earned 3rd. The next night race is on 12th April starting at 7.00pm. Results are on the results page.
Check out the Bendigo MTB club website for the full results as there were a few other SMC members in action.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Blood on the Tracks
It was a bit of a weird ride this morning.
It started off with Alexander getting dog poo on his knicks, then Rod made a mess of his arm on a prickle bush and ended with my bike hanging upside down from a shrub.
The Sharp's were recovering from illness so we took it pretty easy with a bit of a loop from Diamond Hill through Spring Gully along New Murray's to Tony's Crossing, the old racetrack in reverse and then back along the fence to Diamond Hill then down Dead Dog Gully to Spencers.
I was following Alexander on the way to Diamond Hill and I had noticed a foul smell as we rode along but I had put it down to a dead animal in the bush. However when we stopped to clear some rubbish off the track Steve noticed that Alexander had some mud on his knicks. Only this mud looked and smelt a lot like dog poo. And as the saying goes if it looks like shit and smells like shit it must be shit! A tell tale smear on Alexander's rear tyre confirmed the bad news that he had indeed ridden through a fresh dog turd. Steve instructed Alexander in the use of bush soap (dirt in case you didnt know) and at least the smell was gone.
After we all stopped laughing we headed down the Burns St track and along the fence line at the bottom of the Spring Gully Reservoir. This is a new addition to our riding and the track is a bit overgrown with some very sharp bushes. We all had a few cuts and grazes but the trophy for the most blood went to Rod. Between us we had a lot of bandaids but not much else to clean the wound. Rod declined the offer of a used hanky and the water on the edge of the dam didnt look too hygenic so after applying some direct pressure he pushed on in true Aussie spirit.
The next part of the ride was pretty uneventful.We stopped for a chat to some riders coming the other way and made our way back to the fence track heading for home. We crossed ourselves and prayed to the MTB gods for no punctures as we took on this dreaded piece of track. We rode carefully and picked our lines through the jagged rocks and made it through to the end unscathed or so we thought. Just as we headed for home Alexander advised us his rear tyre was going flat. Once again Steve did the fatherly thing and changed the tyre for his son.
From here there was only Dead Dog Gully to cover and we were home safe. There's really only two tricky bits on this part of the track. The rocky corner that's always wet and the final drop down into the gully (always stick to the right on this one and you will be fine). I was out in front feeling good and looking forward to my coffee when the rocky corner bared its teeth. I had just ridden through the puddle after the first corner and the next thing I knew I was going over the bars. I could blame a wet tyre on some slippery rocks or failure to keep my weight back but I think the real answer may lie a little further back up the track. Earlier on in the ride I had taken great delight in describing how one of the Biggest Loser contestants went over the bars during their Triathalon event the other night on telly. Perhaps this was my karma for laughing at some one elses misfortune.
Anyhow there was no harm done and I did find a new way to park your bike. I'm not sure if it will catch on down at Spencer's but you never know.
Some of the crew are off to the Duael Pairs event at Macedon next week so good luck to everyone who is riding.
It started off with Alexander getting dog poo on his knicks, then Rod made a mess of his arm on a prickle bush and ended with my bike hanging upside down from a shrub.
The Sharp's were recovering from illness so we took it pretty easy with a bit of a loop from Diamond Hill through Spring Gully along New Murray's to Tony's Crossing, the old racetrack in reverse and then back along the fence to Diamond Hill then down Dead Dog Gully to Spencers.
I was following Alexander on the way to Diamond Hill and I had noticed a foul smell as we rode along but I had put it down to a dead animal in the bush. However when we stopped to clear some rubbish off the track Steve noticed that Alexander had some mud on his knicks. Only this mud looked and smelt a lot like dog poo. And as the saying goes if it looks like shit and smells like shit it must be shit! A tell tale smear on Alexander's rear tyre confirmed the bad news that he had indeed ridden through a fresh dog turd. Steve instructed Alexander in the use of bush soap (dirt in case you didnt know) and at least the smell was gone.
After we all stopped laughing we headed down the Burns St track and along the fence line at the bottom of the Spring Gully Reservoir. This is a new addition to our riding and the track is a bit overgrown with some very sharp bushes. We all had a few cuts and grazes but the trophy for the most blood went to Rod. Between us we had a lot of bandaids but not much else to clean the wound. Rod declined the offer of a used hanky and the water on the edge of the dam didnt look too hygenic so after applying some direct pressure he pushed on in true Aussie spirit.
 |
| Rod's bloody arm. |
From here there was only Dead Dog Gully to cover and we were home safe. There's really only two tricky bits on this part of the track. The rocky corner that's always wet and the final drop down into the gully (always stick to the right on this one and you will be fine). I was out in front feeling good and looking forward to my coffee when the rocky corner bared its teeth. I had just ridden through the puddle after the first corner and the next thing I knew I was going over the bars. I could blame a wet tyre on some slippery rocks or failure to keep my weight back but I think the real answer may lie a little further back up the track. Earlier on in the ride I had taken great delight in describing how one of the Biggest Loser contestants went over the bars during their Triathalon event the other night on telly. Perhaps this was my karma for laughing at some one elses misfortune.
Anyhow there was no harm done and I did find a new way to park your bike. I'm not sure if it will catch on down at Spencer's but you never know.
 |
| Who needs a bike stand when theres a shrub nearby |
Saturday, March 26, 2011
World Naked Bike Ride 2011
I happened to be in Melbourne on the day of the ride. I was sitting in a cafe in Brunswick Street when about 150 naked bike riders went past. It was quite a sight to see.
The mission statement of the Naked Bike Ride is:
We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians plus all the negative effects of oil, cars, war, consumerism and non-renewable energy.
Check out this link for a lot of info, pictures and videos.
http://www.asbareasyoudare.com/
I think we might need to make this a team ride next year to do our bit to help promote bike safety!
The mission statement of the Naked Bike Ride is:
We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians plus all the negative effects of oil, cars, war, consumerism and non-renewable energy.
Check out this link for a lot of info, pictures and videos.
http://www.asbareasyoudare.com/
I think we might need to make this a team ride next year to do our bit to help promote bike safety!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Clock2Clock gets a big tick
The Sunday of the long weekend in Victoria saw the inaugural Clock2Clock MTB event run in Woodend. There were 2 events to pick from, a 70km test that had riders climbing Mt Macedon twice and a friendlier 30km event that skipped the big climb. The Crew was well represented with Brett taking on the 70km and 5 riders in the 30km event being Mel, Roz, Tony, Phil and Dave.
First of all let me say that for a first time event the organisation was pretty good and any issues that arose were only of a minor nature. Yes there were a few wrong turns and missed corners but when you are belting down a fire road watching the trail ahead for obstacles its pretty easy to miss a signpost.
Anyhow the good news is that thanks to Mel and Roz the SMC was represented on the podium (well next year they might have a podium for the girls to stand on). Mel backed up her great effort at the Otway with a strong second in the Open Ladies and Roz ignored her lack of serious training to come home third. Roz also did some of her best work after the race with a very nifty trade of her 3rd place drinkbottle prize for the winners Camelbak.
The boys didnt get on the podium but the 30km group had a very enjoyable ride. The course was a good mix of up and down fire road mixed together with some nice singletrack and a fast fire road/backstreets of Woodend sprint to the finish.
It was a pretty hectic start to the race with the guy in the pace car getting caught up in all the excitment and turning his 20kmh controlled start into a 30-35 kmh Keiran event for the first 4kms. But once he was out of the way everyone could try and find their own rhythm as we rode through a paddock at the back of the Macedon Winery. After leaving there it was a good stretch of hilly fire road a bit like a mini version of the Otway course from 2010. There were some testy climbs but nothing too long and some quick decents with top speeds in excess of 50kmh. From there we headed into the first section of single track. This first part was probably the most technical with a couple of interesting spots that could catch you out if you werent concentrating.
At this stage all the SMC riders were close together and caught up in a group of about 10 or 12 riders that keep swapping positions. It was on a long gradual fire road climb after the first single track that Dave and Phil made their move and took the lead of this group. They held the lead to the end of the second lot of singletrack which was the point where a little bit of inexperience cost them a few placings. With the benefit of hindsight and knowing now what the final section of track was like we really needed to put the hammer down as soon as we exited the single track. But we took it pretty easy for the first km or so and our battlepack reformed with a group of 6 acting like a TDF breakaway with some serious speed, drafting and plenty of position swapping taking place over the next few kms.
After a quick down hill turn under the railway line Phil and I were at the front of the group again but alas the sprint home was a km too long for me and my conditon gave out as the road took a very slight uphill gradient. Phil kept the power on but was passed by a couple of riders and after narrowly avoiding an old man on a walker decided to resist any urges to make a kamikaze dive at the line. There ended up being 7 riders within 42 seconds of each other in our midfield position. Tony came home strong and didnt lose any more time apart from the small amount he lost on the climb. Several times he could see our group ahead but just couldnt bridge the gap. However there was a consolation prize for him as he made a new friend as a result of a conversation he struck up on the way around.
There was no detailed race report filed by Brett from the 70km event but we all hope he managed to finish before the thunderstorm hit.
Brett's off to the Terra this week and we wish him all the best for a safe and enjoyable race. You can track his progress on the following link. http://www.terraaustralismtbepic.com/
ps. we have some technical problems with the upload of the photos and will try and get them up shortly. In the meantime you can amuse yourself with the video link at the top of the page.
First of all let me say that for a first time event the organisation was pretty good and any issues that arose were only of a minor nature. Yes there were a few wrong turns and missed corners but when you are belting down a fire road watching the trail ahead for obstacles its pretty easy to miss a signpost.
Anyhow the good news is that thanks to Mel and Roz the SMC was represented on the podium (well next year they might have a podium for the girls to stand on). Mel backed up her great effort at the Otway with a strong second in the Open Ladies and Roz ignored her lack of serious training to come home third. Roz also did some of her best work after the race with a very nifty trade of her 3rd place drinkbottle prize for the winners Camelbak.
The boys didnt get on the podium but the 30km group had a very enjoyable ride. The course was a good mix of up and down fire road mixed together with some nice singletrack and a fast fire road/backstreets of Woodend sprint to the finish.
It was a pretty hectic start to the race with the guy in the pace car getting caught up in all the excitment and turning his 20kmh controlled start into a 30-35 kmh Keiran event for the first 4kms. But once he was out of the way everyone could try and find their own rhythm as we rode through a paddock at the back of the Macedon Winery. After leaving there it was a good stretch of hilly fire road a bit like a mini version of the Otway course from 2010. There were some testy climbs but nothing too long and some quick decents with top speeds in excess of 50kmh. From there we headed into the first section of single track. This first part was probably the most technical with a couple of interesting spots that could catch you out if you werent concentrating.
At this stage all the SMC riders were close together and caught up in a group of about 10 or 12 riders that keep swapping positions. It was on a long gradual fire road climb after the first single track that Dave and Phil made their move and took the lead of this group. They held the lead to the end of the second lot of singletrack which was the point where a little bit of inexperience cost them a few placings. With the benefit of hindsight and knowing now what the final section of track was like we really needed to put the hammer down as soon as we exited the single track. But we took it pretty easy for the first km or so and our battlepack reformed with a group of 6 acting like a TDF breakaway with some serious speed, drafting and plenty of position swapping taking place over the next few kms.
After a quick down hill turn under the railway line Phil and I were at the front of the group again but alas the sprint home was a km too long for me and my conditon gave out as the road took a very slight uphill gradient. Phil kept the power on but was passed by a couple of riders and after narrowly avoiding an old man on a walker decided to resist any urges to make a kamikaze dive at the line. There ended up being 7 riders within 42 seconds of each other in our midfield position. Tony came home strong and didnt lose any more time apart from the small amount he lost on the climb. Several times he could see our group ahead but just couldnt bridge the gap. However there was a consolation prize for him as he made a new friend as a result of a conversation he struck up on the way around.
There was no detailed race report filed by Brett from the 70km event but we all hope he managed to finish before the thunderstorm hit.
Brett's off to the Terra this week and we wish him all the best for a safe and enjoyable race. You can track his progress on the following link. http://www.terraaustralismtbepic.com/
ps. we have some technical problems with the upload of the photos and will try and get them up shortly. In the meantime you can amuse yourself with the video link at the top of the page.
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