VIC Otway Odyssey 27th April 2014
- Thread starter pistonbroke
- Start date
tumble_downs
Likes Dirt
First time caller, long time listener (to the Otway thread at least). What can I expect at the 100km feed stops?
Benizmo
Likes Dirt
Usually just water and some shotz tablets. Not even sure if there is usually fruit.
I would plan on being self sufficient
Yep, last year there were some small barrels of water and electrolyte pills at one or two feedstops. At the race central transition point (I think it was about at the 60km point) there was a good supply of water and the same Shotz electrolyte tablets. Quite disappointing considering the $133 entry fee, although it's not hard to carry 100kms worth of gels with you so I guess it's ok. At the end of the race though, we were provided with heaps of freshly cut fruit and a large number of individual festival-food stalls selling all sorts of nice food.
The wombat 100 is sort of the opposite situation: great feed-stations but extremely limited food options at the end- well I should say no options... Pretty sure there was only one place selling food and it was like an old-fashioned school tuck-shop, but expensive. $10 for a cold hamburger with hardly anything in it, sausages in bread and few other things.
The wombat 100 is sort of the opposite situation: great feed-stations but extremely limited food options at the end- well I should say no options... Pretty sure there was only one place selling food and it was like an old-fashioned school tuck-shop, but expensive. $10 for a cold hamburger with hardly anything in it, sausages in bread and few other things.
riderideride
Likes Dirt
Or.....depending on when you finished, no food at all.
For a 100km race you should be eating constantly anyway, not just at the feed stations. I ate nothing provided at wombat anyway, I'd rather just carry my own race food. Exception to this: DGF: Nutella sandwiches and espresso coffee!!!
jathanas
Likes Bikes and Dirt
mtb101
Likes Bikes and Dirt
+1 the stations are more hydration, you come into the oval 2 times, - so base a bag there with bars, gels, jam sandwich, banana whatever for each loop.
(don't forget chain lube, but don't eat it).
so ballpark you'd want for a 5,6, 7 hr rider 6 litres water/hydration drink, 6 bars + gels. get yourself an endura gel bottle that will do all day.
I normally have a coke ready for last loop.
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cleeshoy
Eats Squid
arrived in Forrest yesterday - woke to the sound of rain. Not pouring, just drizzling, so I doubt it's going to ruin any trails. Wind has picked up, so it's a tad chilly out there right now. My morning ride might have to wait an hour or so. Guess I'll be cleaning the bike again this afternoon 
quiggs
Likes Dirt
So did you drive all the way back to Melb for the shop to clean your bike?? Because I know you don't clean your own bikes Courtarrived in Forrest yesterday - woke to the sound of rain. Not pouring, just drizzling, so I doubt it's going to ruin any trails. Wind has picked up, so it's a tad chilly out there right now. My morning ride might have to wait an hour or so. Guess I'll be cleaning the bike again this afternoon
pistonbroke
Eats Squid
Ah ha ha! It's funny because it's true.So did you drive all the way back to Melb for the shop to clean your bike?? Because I know you don't clean your own bikes Court
I'm sure Strava will provide an answer any minute... :behindsofa:So did you drive all the way back to Melb for the shop to clean your bike?? Because I know you don't clean your own bikes Court
cleeshoy
Eats Squid
The guesthouse (where I was staying at) actually has a washbay for bikes now - very cool!So did you drive all the way back to Melb for the shop to clean your bike?? Because I know you don't clean your own bikes Court
I did lube my chain - does that count?
cleeshoy
Eats Squid
Conditions good, just VERY cold at the start line.
Tried to warm up before the start but obviously did not do a good job - start gun fired and a bunch of 30-40 of us drilled it along the fireroad. As soon as the climbing started I was waving goodbye to them. Legs felt heavy and had nothing in them today - best description I can come up with was it felt like stationary objects were passing me on that first climb. Compared my time to last year I was a minute slower up the Kaanglang climb - never a good sign!
Felt OK in the singletrack (who doesn't), and had a decent run up and down Yo Yo (I think the shorter, pinchier climbs suit me more then long sustained efforts?) past guys who had blown up by this stage. Was hating life riding Casper Black in reverse though - was actually experiencing cramp up the last climb which meant no power.
Garmin said 2:55, 41/575 finishers (25th last year) and 12th in category (12th last year too?!). Was hoping for better, but the legs just weren't up to the task on the day.
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Pastavore
Eats Squid
It's a horrible feeling when your legs don't do what you expect of them. So the Shorty winner was about 10min slower than last year, was it muddy and slow?
Surprised there's not more action in this thread considering how many people rode yesterday. It was a truly chilly start to the morning with the footy field a nice white and that's with me turning up later in the morning ready for the 50 - the 100 guys would have been frosty! No dust this year which is good and the sandy parts had bedded down really well - the only catch was that the tree roots (and there were shitloads of them) were slippery as runny snot. Great to see so many people in cheery moods willing to chat on the trails - I did see a bunch of good souls stopped to help a downed rider under a space blanket - I hope that person is OK? That new piece of singletrack they added to gain some length (Casper Black?) was hard work, just straight up then straight down some tight, root infested trails. The way these trails wound back on themselves was impressive though - you could see other riders cursing and swearing away
Ended up being a great day with lovely weather and a nice atmosphere at the footy ground at the end. It's interesting to compare the Wombat 100 and this Otway 100 - they're both well organised and the Wombat has much better feed stations but the finish area at the Otway has much more going on... good events either way. And I'm rapt, did it in 4 hours 12 versus ~ 5 hours 20 last year.
Ended up being a great day with lovely weather and a nice atmosphere at the footy ground at the end. It's interesting to compare the Wombat 100 and this Otway 100 - they're both well organised and the Wombat has much better feed stations but the finish area at the Otway has much more going on... good events either way. And I'm rapt, did it in 4 hours 12 versus ~ 5 hours 20 last year.
Much more slippery with wet tree roots though I'm not sure how much that would have slowed them down - it was the extra piece of single they put in adding I think just over a kay that would have added some time.
cleeshoy
Eats Squid
Course was extended this year to include Casper Black in reverse. Was an additional 4km of rather windy and slower singletrack.