Le Matelot
Canberra Off-Road Cyclists
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Capital Punishment is GO
- Thread starter leftieant
- Start date
I had a ball in the 50k and managed to get through before all the carnage took place. When I went through Deeks forest, it was fine 
I'm so glad I didn't sign on for the ton. Just finished pulling my bike apart. The BB area was a mess with mud settled down there obviously dripped in from the upper portions of the bike. Brand new BB pulled it apart and regreased. Headset wasn't too bad, but some water still got in there as it will. Front derailuer will need some work.
Damn it was cold and wet.
I'm so glad I didn't sign on for the ton. Just finished pulling my bike apart. The BB area was a mess with mud settled down there obviously dripped in from the upper portions of the bike. Brand new BB pulled it apart and regreased. Headset wasn't too bad, but some water still got in there as it will. Front derailuer will need some work.Damn it was cold and wet.
-iRideBikes-
Likes Bikes
First timers
Any other first timers care to share their stories? I was escorting my mate in the 100km. It was his very first mountain bike race! He was a ring in and only found out about it last saturday. I feel a little quilty now It was a tough initiation but damn he was a trooper. To put it bluntly, the first 60km was one big f@%cked up sh%t hole. Think we pulled into the 60km stop at majura at about 1:40, 6 hours exactly after we started whereas the next 40km took us just 3 hours! Mental... Absolutely mental. I'd love to know the % of riders who didn't make the cut off because we were pretty damn close. It took us 9 hours and we passed ALOT of people.
Any other first timers care to share their stories? I was escorting my mate in the 100km. It was his very first mountain bike race! He was a ring in and only found out about it last saturday. I feel a little quilty now
It was a tough initiation but damn he was a trooper. To put it bluntly, the first 60km was one big f@%cked up sh%t hole. Think we pulled into the 60km stop at majura at about 1:40, 6 hours exactly after we started whereas the next 40km took us just 3 hours! Mental... Absolutely mental. I'd love to know the % of riders who didn't make the cut off because we were pretty damn close. It took us 9 hours and we passed ALOT of people.fullyloaded
Squid
Had been looking forward to this event for weeks, but drove to the start and decided not to ride. Figured, there was a high probability of doing more than $130 worth of damage to the bike. Really disappointed driving home, that the weather has dampened the event. With now the 2nd event in a few months hurt through bad weather, it is becoming a costly exercise. Events, although selling out, are very expensive, add accom and petrol......, starting to think about being more selective about future events.
Thinking that future enduros might have to be training rides with mates.
Thinking that future enduros might have to be training rides with mates.
Kris_on_1
Likes Dirt
I achieved my goal - I set out to DNF and made that easily at 80km.
Getting through Majura was soul destroying by the time I arrived. Amazing to think that I spent 24 hours (or thereabouts) playing there at Easter and enjoying myself.
On a positive, I'm happy with what I did do, on the gear ratio I chose, the bike handled brilliantly. And my skin feels so fresh and soft after the extended mud bath it received.
Congrats to everyone who made it through, and a HUGE thanks to all the volunteers out there on a less than average day.
Getting through Majura was soul destroying by the time I arrived. Amazing to think that I spent 24 hours (or thereabouts) playing there at Easter and enjoying myself.
On a positive, I'm happy with what I did do, on the gear ratio I chose, the bike handled brilliantly. And my skin feels so fresh and soft after the extended mud bath it received.
Congrats to everyone who made it through, and a HUGE thanks to all the volunteers out there on a less than average day.
Hmmm, glad I did not enter really, I was a click away. I think they should have called it off, might be OK for a few hundred riders but not the couple of thousand that was expected. I keep thinking back to the husky and it is good to see they knew when to call it, not that they had much choice really. I'm dredding to see what has happened to the trails.
bear the bear
Is a real bear
Clothes from today are on their 3rd rinse now.... waters still brown
The single track through Deeks was a joke. Why didn't they just run us around on the off road trail up to Stromlo. I rode this on my way home after the event and it was perfect. I think most of my damage to chain and BB was done here.
Shame about the weather becuase if it was dry I think it would have been a greta event.
Shame about the weather becuase if it was dry I think it would have been a greta event.
Jackstack
Likes Dirt
Last night made the decision that 8 weeks of treatment on a muffed up shoulder/arm/neck combo and only getting on the bike 6 times in that time was good cause to drop from the 100 down to the 50. Thank f#@k for that, cos I felt like I'd ridden 100 after that fifty, it was definitely a slog/slopfest.
That slop before getting to Stromlo was the bit that destroyed me, was almost thankful when I found my back wheel spinning on the spot so I had an excuse to get off and walk the last bit.
Was glad my mate talked me into finishing off the job when we got to Stromlo 'cos that run down the mountain made the trip worth while, except for the disintegrated brake pads.
As for calling off the race, personally would of been ok if they had of called it off this morning, would of settled the will, we wont conversation we were having from 5am till we started.
Positive for the day is that after not having ridden mtb since mid March Jack's Back.
That slop before getting to Stromlo was the bit that destroyed me, was almost thankful when I found my back wheel spinning on the spot so I had an excuse to get off and walk the last bit.
Was glad my mate talked me into finishing off the job when we got to Stromlo 'cos that run down the mountain made the trip worth while, except for the disintegrated brake pads.
As for calling off the race, personally would of been ok if they had of called it off this morning, would of settled the will, we wont conversation we were having from 5am till we started.
Positive for the day is that after not having ridden mtb since mid March Jack's Back.
Ezreal2001
Likes Bikes
Uhh minor point - CORC don't own the trails, the ACT government owns the land (and probalby picked up a great big wodge of cash for todays efforts). That said CORC does maintain some of them, although the ones at Stromlo are currently maintained by Making Trails on behalf of the ACT goverment.
Would be nice to think that AROC might sponsor some trail remediation - just as the Mont organisers have done in the past.
I might be wrong here but the ACT government were the main sponsor weren't they.
I know AROC received tourism money for the event
tomacropod
Likes Dirt
The trails in Kowen aren't used much for mtb any more - the conditions seen there today are largely due to the trail bikes which use the forest most of the time. Even if today was dry, the track would have been a bit of a mess from the start.
The Deeks forest area is, as far as I know, being cleared section by section and the trails through there will be changed or demolished anyway.
Majura pines is tough - I ride there all the time and am pretty confident it will come up OK when it dries out.
Stromlo tracks... They're really well built and well designed. They drain well and are built on a good base. There was no significant damage to those tracks that I noticed today and as mentioned previously - they're maintained by a private contractor anyway, Stromlo Forest Park is essentially a private enterprise with government backing, as I understand it.
The other tracks such as those through the private property up to mt Ainslie saddle, the defence land through Majura range etc didn't seem to suffer too badly. Especially as the 50km riders didn't go through those sections.
Next year, it'd be great to use some of the fantastic unsealed roads running through Majura range, rather than a mown strip along the fenceline... but I guess that access all depends on how much litter was left in that area by the riders. Perhaps we should start another thread of anti-littering rants for those with the mistaken belief that their entry fee covers a litter collection service.
- Joel
The Deeks forest area is, as far as I know, being cleared section by section and the trails through there will be changed or demolished anyway.
Majura pines is tough - I ride there all the time and am pretty confident it will come up OK when it dries out.
Stromlo tracks... They're really well built and well designed. They drain well and are built on a good base. There was no significant damage to those tracks that I noticed today and as mentioned previously - they're maintained by a private contractor anyway, Stromlo Forest Park is essentially a private enterprise with government backing, as I understand it.
The other tracks such as those through the private property up to mt Ainslie saddle, the defence land through Majura range etc didn't seem to suffer too badly. Especially as the 50km riders didn't go through those sections.
Next year, it'd be great to use some of the fantastic unsealed roads running through Majura range, rather than a mown strip along the fenceline... but I guess that access all depends on how much litter was left in that area by the riders. Perhaps we should start another thread of anti-littering rants for those with the mistaken belief that their entry fee covers a litter collection service.
- Joel
Pizzaz
Likes Dirt
Hurties...
Sense of humour failure as I slipped off for the '000th time in Majura. The walk through the swamp at 85km was no fun but good to see Stromlo held up really well in the rain.
Thank god I was riding SS - bill looks like new cables and disc rotors (65km of metal on metal is _not_ good). Was stopping every 20km or so to readjust the brakes - no auto adjusting on cable discs
Sense of humour failure as I slipped off for the '000th time in Majura. The walk through the swamp at 85km was no fun but good to see Stromlo held up really well in the rain.
Thank god I was riding SS - bill looks like new cables and disc rotors (65km of metal on metal is _not_ good). Was stopping every 20km or so to readjust the brakes - no auto adjusting on cable discs
dragonfly
Likes Bikes
Maybe next year they could think about holding the event a bit earlier (or later) in the year. Everyone know that winter in Canberra starts at the end of April. That way maybe not some many people will get hypothermia.
I can't believe they used that single track at Deek's. That trail never gets any maintenance so no wonder it turned into a swamp. Oh well, it'll be gone real soon when they start building houses on it.
I can't believe they used that single track at Deek's. That trail never gets any maintenance so no wonder it turned into a swamp. Oh well, it'll be gone real soon when they start building houses on it.
morgiesmall
Squid
Call off the event on the day?
The Husky Enduro was cancelled 2 or 3 days out after the area received a week's rain beforehand.
The forecast for this weekend (on Friday) was rain periods from Saturday morning, and there hadn't been any rain for 3 days. The trails were absolutely fine until Friday night's saturation.
If they'd have called off the race it would have been a gamble, and if we'd have woken up on Saturday to still dry tracks, AROC would have looked pretty stupid pulling the pin, having cancelled all the vollies, traffic management people, sponsors, food outlets, toilets, setting up the route markers etc etc. Plus everyone who had already turned up from other places & paid for accommodation (it ain't just $130) would have been well pissed off. SO in my opinion they made the only call they could given that on Friday the tracks were pretty well dry.
And speaking of tracks, tomacropod is exactly right:
Majura will recover, with AROC's help or without (hopefully with, but they also built a fair amount of track to let us ride the event)
The Husky Enduro was cancelled 2 or 3 days out after the area received a week's rain beforehand.
The forecast for this weekend (on Friday) was rain periods from Saturday morning, and there hadn't been any rain for 3 days. The trails were absolutely fine until Friday night's saturation.
If they'd have called off the race it would have been a gamble, and if we'd have woken up on Saturday to still dry tracks, AROC would have looked pretty stupid pulling the pin, having cancelled all the vollies, traffic management people, sponsors, food outlets, toilets, setting up the route markers etc etc. Plus everyone who had already turned up from other places & paid for accommodation (it ain't just $130) would have been well pissed off. SO in my opinion they made the only call they could given that on Friday the tracks were pretty well dry.
And speaking of tracks, tomacropod is exactly right:
As someone who did the 100 in 7 hours, and I ain't a gun rider, I found it really tough, but folks, it's a 100km MTB event; if anyone thinks that's easy they're dreamin'. Sure the weather sucked but that isn't AROC's fault. What are they going to do-advertise & organise a race at 5 days' notice because it's going to be sunny at the weekend?
Majura will recover, with AROC's help or without (hopefully with, but they also built a fair amount of track to let us ride the event)
I am with Morgiesmall. I think AROC made the only call they could. Can you imagine the vitriol if they had called it off at 5am. Top work AROC and all their volunteers.
A tough day out indeed. My brakes were so chocked with mud I just lost momentum in all the gullies in Maj and watched as I stalled and fell back into each one. I finished, but did not reach rock bottom like at the Otway in Feb.
Have not been game to look at the bike yet.
Very sensible all those people that decided not to ride, for the trails and for your wallet.
A friend rode her first 100 and came away entirely satisfied. Good for her.
A tough day out indeed. My brakes were so chocked with mud I just lost momentum in all the gullies in Maj and watched as I stalled and fell back into each one. I finished, but did not reach rock bottom like at the Otway in Feb.
Have not been game to look at the bike yet.
Very sensible all those people that decided not to ride, for the trails and for your wallet.
A friend rode her first 100 and came away entirely satisfied. Good for her.
FR Drew
Not a custom title.
At the 11th hour, no event will offer a refund. Deciding to take part or not is really a competitor decision. No different to the Gravity 12 hour at Rosewhite (04 or 05?) when it was a mud fest. Those who opted to compete did so with the knowledge that they'd make a mess of their bikes.
Kowen is no great loss, the motos have already ensured that no track there is sustainable as they destroy any that they find.
Stromlo is TVE's problem. They employ someone to maintain the place. If they permit people to use the site when the weather is sub standard, then I guess their repair bills will go up a bit.
Majura is a pity. While it holds up well to a fairly high level of use, heavy traffic in the wet does take its toll. There were a lot of sections that were used yesterday that were pretty shredded. (I walked about 70% of the Majura track yesterday at around 2:30 to see how it was). Time will tell how it recovers.
Kowen is no great loss, the motos have already ensured that no track there is sustainable as they destroy any that they find.
Stromlo is TVE's problem. They employ someone to maintain the place. If they permit people to use the site when the weather is sub standard, then I guess their repair bills will go up a bit.
Majura is a pity. While it holds up well to a fairly high level of use, heavy traffic in the wet does take its toll. There were a lot of sections that were used yesterday that were pretty shredded. (I walked about 70% of the Majura track yesterday at around 2:30 to see how it was). Time will tell how it recovers.