VIC Otway Odyssey 27th April 2014

mtb101

mtb101

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Art Vanderlay said:
That sucks mate. I did the same thing last year. Ripped rear mech off with 15km to go. Wasn't a nice way to finish with a 15km fun run.
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I remember that I passed you last year, can't remember the bike, white i think. just after south trails. my turn this year.
 
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riderideride

riderideride

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Well that was a tough day out! My second year doing the 100km but I also did the wombat 100 two weeks ago and was definitely feeling it!! I really struggled through the mud in the first loop and took a stack on a slippery log on the moto track. Saddle twisted. Thanks to the guy who stopped to help me fix it :) after that it was a constant struggle to clip in with mud filled cleats till the oval. How good was yaugher though! While my time for the first loop was massively blown out compared to last year I flew through the superloop. So much fun :) the same can't be said for kangalang ;) heavy legs and a never ending climb don't agree with each other. Yet again a great day out with super organisation. Loved it :) didn't function too well at work today ;)
 
paggnr

paggnr

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I did 100 for the second year running.

Man it was cold on the start line and it took a good 20min to get the feeling into the fingers. Hayden's climb and Corporate Ladder up to KOM was a whole lot better than the deep sandy mess from last year and I managed a 9min improvement. The single track after was a great recovery until I got to the bottom and turned left onto the fire road.

That was when the day went pear shape. I looked down at my bars to see how my HR and time was tracking and what did I see - no Garmin 810!!!!!!!!!

Well didn't just piss me off. I rode the rest of the loop swearing under my breath thinking this has just become a very expensive race and how the hell am I going to pace myself for another 70km.

I punished myself through the second lap and headed up Kaangland Rd getting to the top about 6min quicker than last year. All this non paced riding finally bit hard at the 80km mark and I rolled through to the finish with little left in the tank.

As I rolled over the line my day was rescued when my Garmin was handed to me. It was amazing that someone even found it in the thick growth and as I've come to expect from the amazing MTB community over the years someone handed it in. So thank you!

A side note from the day - it is interesting how much we have become reliant on GPS/HR/power technology to help us track our body. Lesson is to understand your perceived exertion and the signal from your body and not rely on numbers on a screen.
 
Art Vanderlay

Art Vanderlay

Hourly daily
mtb101 said:
I remember that I passed you last year, can't remember the bike, white i think. just after south trails. my turn this year.
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Yeah it sucks, but that's the joy of mountain biking:thumb:
Missed the race this year, but will most likely be in Forrest this weekend for the 6 hour.....How were the yaugher trails?
 
M

Matt C

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Unfortunately I missed out on the race this year due to work so I headed to Forrest today and rode all the trails. They are in great condition. Really surprised at how well they hold up after so many riders have gone over them. Sounds like it was cold out there yesterday.
 
softek

softek

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mtb101 said:
100k.

yes cold start but I had nothing but a short sleeve jersey and bib pants, this is the OO man, its the htfu time of year, I knew it was only minutes before I'd be buzzing along with the group to keep me warm.

I started in front third, pace was good, then they upped it slightly out of forrest, look down at garmin no heart rate ... got it working later, anyway backed off a bit and tried to spin as much as possible and draft the group/s. hit the sandy road, its compacted, great that slowed me down last year, next the climbs to KOM - looking a bit wet, now sloppy mud riders walking - wtf I rode all this last year, in the end no traction and walkers across track so had to run some bits. top of KOM, feeling good, on my target time (5hr.55 pace). hit the descents, tuck, drink, eat, recovering beautifully from the climb catch up to softek - rolled and TTrailed as much of road as I could - softek climbing past me on the 1x10 having a chat.

Into Motos section, nooooooooo ... more walkers, come on man it aren't steep how did so many of these gumbies get in front of me. oh well can't do much about it, just got to go with it, so rolled through moto tracks - couldn't get the speed I'd like then again its energy saved so not all bad.

through forrest oval, quick camelbak change no down time, and out into loop, softek climbs past me on first climb - he looks comfortable. I'm eating and drinking getting my mind ready for loop. We're into it, some riders hammer past must be 50kers so we get onto them and its a train through the ST. Into grass trees, softek and I are owning the trails, bang bang berm to berm, catching riders so we sit as pace was good. Into marriner's run sections, about 5 riders in front, I'm watching them closely as a timid rider is going to put you off the trail pretty easily as I"m right on their line. all good, so sit on them, pick them off after marriners - keep seeing softek on switchbacks so know he's there. pass the 50k mark, under 3 hrs (2;56) that's good and where I want to be, legs smacking out the single track - the mountain bike demon is burning inside me, more single track, more, more.

last part of loop with about 8 ks to the oval bang, rear derailleur catches a big stick that I didn't see. happen so fast no time to stop pedaling so RD is toast. so a few options, run back to oval, convert to single speed and ride back. I convert to SS, get the chainline right but chain is super tight so have to pedal very easily. I've cooled down now the demon has gone, and shows over, that's mtbing .... mechanicals happen. roll back into Oval, could snag a demo bike or mates from 50k, nope he aren't in yet and lost too much time so that's it for 2014 Odyssey. In previous 4 have never had an issue not even a mechanical, so outside of my control this one. I'll be back - awesome event, nothing like riding with so many mountain bikes.
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well said mtb101, we were on a roll no doubt, have to admit, riding with someone you know certainly changes the dynamics of racing, meaning we were always focus and trying that little more, it was great fun, next year we give it another crack
 
Stevob

Stevob

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Good stories boys and girls! Shame it was on a Sunday as I probably would have done it if it was on a Saturday, then the Forrest 6hr the next week.
 
Ackland

Ackland

chats d'élevage
tumble_downs said:
Super muddy KOM climb by the time I got there - had to walk much of jt with the rest of the tail. The newish singletrack after it (Casper Black?) was also terrible, but everything improved after the first transition at 38km. Exhausting. Great mood at the footy ground afterwards.
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What? MOTO MADNESS was old school rad! Twisty, tight, blind corners, mud flying! That's mountain biking!

Big Tim said:
50k

Loved it as usual. The track change has added 300 m of vertical according to strava. Definitely slower than last year those sandy up and downs at the end are brutal. Someone who rides the area says it's meant to be ridden the other way and I don't doubt it. They've separated the 100 and 50 riders thank god. This year I didn't get held up much at all so that was a plus. Not sure about it in April. Yes it's cooler and we won't die from bushfire but if it's wet it's gonna be a long long day.

Well done. I'll be back. Wish there was beer at the finish. I think I deserved one or two frothies.
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Obviously you didn't venture into the Footy Club bar....

Stevob said:
Good stories boys and girls! Shame it was on a Sunday as I probably would have done it if it was on a Saturday, then the Forrest 6hr the next week.
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Would have been good to have some more Single Speed riders.....
Managed 5:14:30 on the SS... well down on the sub 5 I wanted but I was a bit over excited with my gearing... 34-18 was great for the first 38km but never got a good spin on after that...
Was a fair pain to keep accelerating out of corners in the twisty sandy superloop trails
Great course for a rigid SS though...
 
Stevob

Stevob

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Ackland said:
Would have been good to have some more Single Speed riders.....
Managed 5:14:30 on the SS... well down on the sub 5 I wanted but I was a bit over excited with my gearing... 34-18 was great for the first 38km but never got a good spin on after that...
Was a fair pain to keep accelerating out of corners in the twisty sandy superloop trails
Great course for a rigid SS though...
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That sounds like a really fast time Ackland! I say that not having done the OO since the last Apollo Bay start, but still, 100km in under 5:15 is fast in anyone's book! Well done.
 
Ackland

Ackland

chats d'élevage
Stevob said:
That sounds like a really fast time Ackland! I say that not having done the OO since the last Apollo Bay start, but still, 100km in under 5:15 is fast in anyone's book! Well done.
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I was eyeing off a top 20 but came into this event pretty under done. Makes the last 20km of trail less enjoyable which sucks.

Luckily.. the beer afterwards always tastes good!

 
JD26

JD26

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Thanks for the offer on the singlespeed, but I'm not strong enough for one gear!

I need 11 :)

Some of my best friends are singlespeeders though...
 
cleeshoy

cleeshoy

Eats Squid
JD26 said:
That was a pretty awesome event - and the trails were pretty amazing.

First time I have ever done this one...though it has been on the list of races to do for quite some time.

My view of events here if you are interested.

http://pin-it-you-muppet.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/giant-odyssey-forrest-victoria-2014.html
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Great read JD :)
Ended up riding some of the 50km with your partner (Kylie? White S-Works Stumpjumper?). Even up the steep pinches up Casper Black, she was out of the saddle smashing it.
 
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