Australian Solo MTB Champs - Easter 2010?

jeffandal

jeffandal

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One of the things that amazed me at this years event, is the level of riding done by everyone.
With over 170 entries, and more than 120 qualifiers for the worlds!!
And when you consider the people who crashed out etc, that's amazing.

Well done to everyone who made the commitment to enter.
 
ebuk

ebuk

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What was the name of the group making a video of the event? I heard Stu announce it but cannot remember their domain name.
 
DaGonz

DaGonz

Eats Squid
QZ13 said:
Would that be the 'secret six'?
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I don't know anything about any secret six, but there was 4 Mal's riders on the Elite mens/womens podiums last weekend. Either there's something in the Staff fridge over there or 29er Single speeds are the way of the future!! Well except Clare who was clearly neither on a Single Speed or a 29er...

Cheers
spoonie
 
Q

QZ13

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DaGonz said:
I don't know anything about any secret six, but there was 4 Mal's riders on the Elite mens/womens podiums last weekend. Either there's something in the Staff fridge over there or 29er Single speeds are the way of the future!! Well except Clare who was clearly neither on a Single Speed or a 29er... e
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What's this 'elite mens/womens' podium you speak of? I only saw three rock hard men and three harder women on an SS podium.

I thought all those other people were there just for Gee-bus to forgive for their sins ;)

Clare, there is a 13" Redline SS 29er that has your name written all over it
 
tomacropod

tomacropod

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DaGonz said:
I don't know anything about any secret six, but there was 4 Mal's riders on the Elite mens/womens podiums last weekend. Either there's something in the Staff fridge over there or 29er Single speeds are the way of the future!! Well except Clare who was clearly neither on a Single Speed or a 29er...

Cheers
spoonie
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4 riders from the Mal Adjusted esky took 11 podium spots in total.

Great to see local SS riders scaring the pants out of, and beating, big names like Bell, Blankenstein, McAvoy etc.

In answer to Norm's comment regarding putting these guys on geared duallies - I think that SS riders who train and ride on singlespeeds would gain very little advantage from switching to gears on many of Australia's race courses. Mountainous or flat courses (like Mawson...), maybe, but the undulating racetracks we tend to ride in eastern Australia present little advantage for those guys to go geared. If it did, maybe McDonEd would have done better at the Kona 24, on his Scandium 27spd hardtail...

Highlights of the race:

-Smaller events are much friendlier and more accountable. With only 170-something riders, it was really great to be able to keep track of riders, their categories, and cheer them on by name.
-Seeing some true racing at the pointy end of the fields. This was truly an exciting and engaging race.
-Seeing a train of four riders (Blankenstein, Bell, English and Fellows as I recall) co-operating to chase down Anti_Trainer on the first day of racing. I have never seen that sort of co-operation or tactics in a 24hr race and it was fantastic to watch.
-Having recognition and medals for the singlespeed category, without excluding the riders from the overall category as per other races. Gearies may see this as over-recognition, but this is a growing and very competitive category, to be taken seriously.
- biased - seeing Mal Adjusted as a team do so well. There are some great riders and great people in that crew, all out to smash themselves to pieces and have fun. Great to see that good attitudes and a spirit of fun can do well in competitive racing, and not just the huffers and puffers with powertaps and trust funds.

Lowlights:

-Riders ignoring the memorial first lap format and chasing positions. There were a few big names behaving really badly, and they know who they are. Perhaps the format for the memorial lap as the first lap of the race was not ideal, but the principle should have been respected as per the wishes of the organisers, and the majority of riders and spectators. The sponsors of those riders (and they were all sponsored riders) should be concerned about the image their super-competitive riders are putting out there.

- Joel
 
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S

Slowpoke

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zed42 said:
Well that turned out to be far more fun than any reasonable person could have expected.
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Agree.

As for those random thoughts deep in the night: I remembered a conversation with my year 11 biology teacher when I asked him why a marathon runner couldn't just keep going as long as she continued to eat Vegemite sandwiches, seemed to be working for me?

Highlights:
*Support crew. I only had one officially rostered at a time, but I had up to four people descend on me when I came into the pits. On one occasion a massage therapist swooped in and taped my wrists when she saw me tangling myself up in tape.
*Realising that my forks had been locked out for eight hours - because there was an answer as to why I was suffering so badly.
*Being passed by patient, quality riders over and over again - always a pleasure.
*Friends and family and strangers that cheered on the last lap (and any time for that matter).

Lowlights:
*Evil thoughts in the first few hours - What am I doing here? My knees hurt. My wrists are b@ggered. I shouldn't have ridden the Mont last weekend. I want to chase down the person in front of me but I know I shouldnt
*The embarrassment that I had not noticed the lock out earlier.
*Funnily enough, the beginning of the last lap when I knew I would not be going out again.
 
B

btothec

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Slowpoke said:
*Realising that my forks had been locked out for eight hours - because there was an answer as to why I was suffering so badly.
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I'm pretty sure I had a chat with you at some time during the night. Well I know I had a conversation with somebody that had ridden for a fair while with their fork locked out.
 
Pizzaz

Pizzaz

Likes Dirt
Slowpoke said:
Agree.


*Realising that my forks had been locked out for eight hours - because there was an answer as to why I was suffering so badly.

*The embarrassment that I had not noticed the lock out earlier.
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Had the same issue... was wondering why I was being thrown around so much... took me 4 laps to work it out... Not that the massive 80mm of suspension travel made much impact on things...
 
M

Megs:)

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I agree it was far more reasonable than could have been expected. Thought it would be harder and was almost disappointed to find I was completely fine afterwards. In fact the track was so much fun i enjoyed every lap. A great race. Friendly, small, personal, and relaxed (at least from my perspective). Think I know Stu's whole music library now - I like it!

I realised why i liked the format so much - at a team 24 hour race you have to go as hard as you can or risk letting your teammates down. And you have to ride exactly when you are scheduled to ride. And in a 100km race, you kind of have to make the distance so few choices there too. But in a solo 24 you can just ride. Slow when you want, faster when you want, stop and have a sleep if you want, suffer some more if you want. Makes it much more like a big social ride (although those at the pointy end probably had a different experience). Loved it and will definitely do it again.

A huge thanks to all the organisers. What a massive job to organise such a great event just for a bunch of crazy people to ride around in circles for a day and a night. Much appreciated! Thanks also to Russ and a few other guys for taking such great photos. Thanks mum and dad for feeding me and my gorgeous girls for cheering me on. Loved all the cheering through the forest, often from complete strangers - made a huge difference, thanks! And well done to all the fast people who rode consistent laps all night - you've inspired me.
 
B

Boreit

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Pizzaz said:
Had the same issue... was wondering why I was being thrown around so much... took me 4 laps to work it out... Not that the massive 80mm of suspension travel made much impact on things...
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i wont use mine now during these sort of rides for fear of leaving it on, only to realise some time later when the wrists are shagged :(
 
Australia

Australia

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Ah, the old leave the lock out on trick - I did that to myself at a 3 Hour Race in Coffs Harbour... course was super fast (like the Mont) but featured heaps of Majura kind into the creek and out the other side dips (albeit much steeper) I couldn't figure out for the life of my why I was continually nearlly getting bucked out of the saddle
 
Jackstack

Jackstack

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Megs:) said:
I agree it was far more reasonable than could have been expected. Thought it would be harder and was almost disappointed to find I was completely fine afterwards.
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Yep, that was how i felt after the Scott last year so figured i mustn't of pushed hard enough, but ya get that when you delve into the unknown.
So next time I will try a bit harder so I can suffer more......:rolleyes:
 
S

Slowpoke

Likes Dirt
Megs:) said:
I agree it was far more reasonable than could have been expected. Thought it would be harder and was almost disappointed to find I was completely fine afterwards.
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Jackstack said:
Yep, that was how i felt after the Scott last year so figured i mustn't of pushed hard enough, but ya get that when you delve into the unknown.
So next time I will try a bit harder so I can suffer more......:rolleyes:
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Yes, it was hard to know how hard to go. It was an absolute battle to resist staying with the girls in my category at the beginning, but I think it was the right thing to do.

I blame the children for the lockout. I rarely use it. If it was them this is not the first time they have twiddled something. Sometimes it is an impossible gear position or something wedged in the spokes. They used to pull my pump apart and I would find bits around the garden. One day I had a race flat and bits were missing so I had to flag someone down.

I suspect their father is behind it. It is not fair to use the children in that way.
 
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