Got Mud? A report on my second solo 24hr MTB race.

Friday 16:00hrs - Day before the race, Quiggs and I do a 58min practice lap on a dry, dusty, freshly cut course. I feel ok, not great, not terrible. Enthusiasm builds and I'm focused on having fun to get me through the next 24 hours.

Saturday 09:00hrs - My supremo support team of Jane and Mark Zagorski and I arrive and set up what will be HQ for the next day.

10:00hrs - Social chit chat is had. My spare bike, a Rocky Mountain Altitude 70 is prepped for racing. Lollies are gorged upon.

11:30hrs - A race briefing is mostly missed. I presume it's pretty much the same as always. I'm right. 11:48hrs - I brave the busy, wobbly, un-level, semi-trailer toilets for a final nervous bodily evacuation.

12:00hrs - Someone fast and presumably riding in a team gets the holeshot at the start and claims the prologue clams. 100 of them.

12:30hrs - Half way around my first lap and I'm almost already as muddy as it's possible to get on a bike. Enthusiasm is high. I'm sure I've settled into 'round-about 5th in Solo.

It's raining.

13:00hrs - I fear I'm burning through the new brake pads I installed at the start of the race. It's raining.

14:00hrs - Two laps in and I'm transitioning well. Ash Hayat and I are duelling for what I'm sure is 5th and 6th. I sneak a glimpse over the handlebars at my front brake callipers. A build-up of fine, silver dust confirms I've used up my brake pads...and some of their backing.

It's raining.

15:00hrs - Bike swap. Me to Dad "That bike needs new pads front and rear". Dad to me "You're sitting comfortably in 2nd." Wow. Bottle. Gel. Banana sanga smashed. I melt into the 5inches of travel of the Altitude and am overjoyed at working brakes.

It's raining. The sun is not out.

18:00hrs - It's raining. The mud is crazy. I'm not so much steering as sliding from one bend/corner to the next. It's actually pretty good fun, I'm riding it well and I've made a gap on Ash. I think on one lap I even rode the whole track without having to hike-a-bike. Sitting in 2nd has motivated me somewhat.

20:00hrs - Laps have pretty quickly ceased to be fun and are plain hard work. Slow, even cadence doesn't work in the mud. Staying off the brakes doesn't work in the mud. My front derailleur doesn't work in the mud. I walk some of the climbs.

It's raining.

21:00hrs - I stop mid lap. I walk at least 3 or 4 sections that I just cannot muster the energy and skills to ride. I stop a couple more times.

It's raining.

22:30hrs- My transition lasts too long. 1 minute. Then 2. Then 5. Then Quiggs comes through transition. He does a full kit change and encourages me to do the same but I tell him I'm done and stand there in awe of this tough endurance machine. I'm angry, jealous, depressed, sore and tired. But shit I'm glad I've decided not to do another lap in this crap.

It's still raining.

Sunday 08:00hrs - The sun has come out. It's a different day and we could be on another continent such is the contrast in weather from a few hours ago. Due to reports of the track now being 'dry and superfast', 'tacky' and, unbelievably 'fun' again I'm encouraged to do another lap.

09:15hrs - I can confirm the track is dry, superfast and would be fun but my legs, bum and most other parts are sore and I still don't want to do another lap. That's it for my Garmin 24 2011.

It's not raining.

____________________________________________________________

Even to make it just 10.5hrs into a 24 I needed a lot of help and owe many thanks.

First to my folks for being such great supporters. Together we're getting this whole deal down to a fine art. Dad is more experienced at replacing brake pads than I am and Mum's washed my bike more times than me too.

Dad couldn't have replaced any brake pads if they hadn't have first been supplied by Ross from iRide. Having shop support that I can confidently call on is invaluable. Next time I'm doing a team lap with you guys. That looked like too much fun!

Some people race solo with just one bike but I wouldn't want to, and the spare bike supplied by Simon Ross from Adventure Brands/Rocky Mountain was oodles of fun. Thanks! Everyone should test ride a Rocky Mountain Altitude. Yes, especially you Llew.

Cheers,

Zigga

Garmin 24 Preview

The Garmin 24 or one of its many previous name holds a special place in the race calendar for many Victorians due to its history as well as been the only 24 we have down here. This year promises to be good as ever with it being round 3 of the Ross Wilkinson vs Ben Vlass showdown as well as a move back to Reidsdale and hopefully away from bad weather.

IRide is fielding a 6 person mixed team so we thought would we provide a preview/form guide.

Ross Wilkinson

Experience plays a big part in these events and the big dog is an experienced 24 hour campaigner. Knowing what gear and food to pack will pay dividends during the 24 hours. With Ross having started packing the van a week out from the event he looks set to not leave a thing at home.  Ross is even going as far as to bring a female companion to take care of rub downs, cooking, cleaning and generally keeping the well oiled athlete running.

Fitness wise Ross is coming in under a cloud of suspension, Legs may be the one thing he does leave at home. Having pulled the pin at the Mt Major enduro early and a few flat tyres in race’s since then combined with a lot of solo rides meant he hasn’t shown his cards to anyone. This looks to be all part of his plan to keep things on the low down from Ben Vlass but he isn’t the only person Ross is out to lap quicker than.

Luke Garside

Being fresh back from a 6 month high altitude training camp in Canada where they have relaxed views regarding performance enhancing drugs we can only expect Luke to be in tip top form. Combine that with an intimate knowledge of the track having spent the last month and a half building it and you’ve got yourself a bit of a weapon.  If its slippery out there expect Luke to be sliding around the course taking any man, woman or child with him.

Luke biggest issue for the weekend will be avoiding getting distracted by the many ladies spectating at the event.  The last thing we want is Luke to miss his start time because he is practicing the fine art of seduction. A word of warning ladies the last woman who looked deep into Luke’s eye got instantly pregnant

Lew Thomas

It has been the case for most of the season that most bike time Lew has had between races is when he is rebuilding his hub the morning of the race. Despite his approach of spitting in the face of 50 plus years of exercise physiology Lew has had a very solid season.

Recently Lew has taken time away from his main passion of video games amd is getting out on the bike quite a bit; mid week crits, and big weekends on the mountain and road bike.  Such a drastic change could be disastrous , chances are Lew is going to turn with a body this is bordering on chronic fatigue and only put himself in a deeper hole over the weekend.

Simon Ross

Simon is the dark horse of the team. No one is quite sure what to expect. After handing a few team members their ass on a plater during a road ride in the Dandenongs he has been in hiding.

Details are a little sketchy but the rumour is that he has spent the last 6 weeks having a few of Luke’s special milkshakes and destroying climbs in the big ring. Keep an eye out for a bloke on a rocky mountain pushing a huge gear with ease.

Aleisha Bald

Being the only female member on an otherwise all male team is no easy task, which is why we have someone who brings their A game.  As shocking as Will found it Aleisha is not there to cook and clean but to lay down fast laps. Having completed more races then the average male racers this season and found her way onto a few podiums Aleisha is looking good to lay down some fast laps the whole 24 hours.

Aleisha is a school teacher so no doubt she will be used to the immature humour and will be able to keep Will in line.

Will Geor

As always with Will his biggest issue will be organization or lack of it.  No doubt he will be the last team member to arrive having bought a shitload of gear and food yet somehow forgot to bring essential items.  Attempts have been made by Ross to have Will’s Mum attend all races with him to make sure he is organized and looked after but at 24 she feel’s it time he learnt to do a few things for himself.

Will is also not the most outdoorsy person so spending a weekend camping may cause serious issues for a guy who cant understand how anyone can get a good nights sleep while camping without drinking till they pass out.  He is also sharing a tent with Lew after he was advised he couldn’t put a mattress in the pack of his Ute, park it trackside and sleep there.

Will would ideally like to only have to race the last hour of the race where he can lay down every but of power onto the track. As there is no chance of that happening Will is going to have to be very careful not to fall into old habits of blowing himself up at the beginning of the event.

Due to Will ever patchy form we were not sure whether he will be on or off this weekend. Having just won D grade in the Ballarat’s weekly road criterium should see will come in mentally strong. One thing we can expect is him to sit around eating most of the weekend and talking a lot of shit.