24Hour Cúl

That Pain Again...

2007-02-06T10:09:00.000+11:00

That pain again... It's a funny feeling; it doesn't hurt, or sting nor leave a mark. It just leaves you totally stuffed yet it's a euphoric feeling that comes from putting it all out there and totally destroying yourself in the process. Man it feels good.

Otway Odyssey
First race in a long time for me, and most likely to be the toughest event I have done this far.

Being my first race back since the Tassie 12 Hour in March last year, I was somewhat nervous at the start line. Once the horn went, the nerves were gone... The road start saw a very fast pace early on in the piece. The first climb sorted the men from the boys; I had no intention of hurting myself in the first 10km so I took it easy. The first stage being mostly road and fire road made it easy to set a decent pace. Later in the stage powering the climbs, and bombing the down hills saw me feeling pretty damn good.

First transition saw me searching around for my support crew and water- they erected the signs just after I come in. Might have been more helpful if they put them up when they set up. After a feed and a top up of water I was back on my way.

Second stage was not what I expected - I really didn't like it, it was ok for the first hour or so, but the tight single track, which was quiet technical, really beat up my arms and upper body. Half way through I was thinking cool, I'm going to do this in about 7 hours, then I ran out of food- and then water; it wasn't until after the race that I found out this section had been extended a fair whack, and having only taken enough water for a little over how long I though it would take left me in a lot of trouble (about an hour short).

Second transition - I rolled in and almost fell of the bike; complaining being cold- I don’t recall much else other then drinking four bottles of water and two bottles of Gatorade. Finally I managed to pull myself onto the bike- despite thinking to myself that I was stupid and crazy for doing so. I later found out many riders pulled out by this stage, finding the harsh conditions a little too tough. Not me though!

Third stage saw some drive train issues on the single track climbs, for some reason I managed to find my legs again with a little power to get up the climbs despite the woes, and bombing the single track and fire trail descents was awesome. Finally after about 10 hours, being severely dehydrated, and quiet possibly suffering from heat stroke I rolled into the finish with a smile on my face; and a feeling of accomplishment.

My first marathon done - they only get easier from here. Personally I think 12-hour solo efforts are much easier. Hehe! I felt surprisingly good for an early season race. Special thanks to my awesome support crew Malory, she did a fantastic job of keeping me happy on the bike. Huge thumbs up to the guys at Rapid Ascent too for an awesome event. (Photos to come).

Will be taking it a little easy this week, although and early morning spin this morning was a good indication that I will be back on the road for a tempo session tomorrow. Tassie 12 Hour is next on the hit list!

Tempo

2007-02-02T09:58:00.000+11:00

It has a pretty good week thus far; the legs were feeling a little sluggish earlier in the week due to the lack of riding over the weekend. However, by mid week I was firing pretty well again. Feeling good for the Otway Odyssey tomorrow morning.

Tempo - Well I'm in the next phase of training. The next month will be spent honing my endurance systems, with tempo riding and the addition of some faster paced MTB action mid week. If this week is any indication it should go by pretty quick.

Here is an example of what my training week looks like at the moment- not too much information though, cant give away everything now can I. I am still maintaining 2 rest days a week; this is so I can live somewhat of a normal life as opposed to the Work-Train-Sleep-Work-Train-Sleep routine many abide by.

What I am doing...
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo
Wednesday: Tempo
Thursday: Hard MTB
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Endurance MTB
Sunday: Endurance Road

Otway Odyssey Tomorrow - See you there!

Slow Week

2007-01-24T10:53:00.000+11:00

A slow week this one - it is scheduled as a recovery week but I was hoping to get at least a few decent rides in. Lately I've been doing loads of miles, but never really in larger blocks then 3 hours; unfortunately work, and life commitments mean a little compromise in terms of hours I want to ride vs hours I actually ride. Sucks really.

There is a positive though the legs are feeling quiet good out on the road, and while they are lacking the "snap" power; it is early days in terms of training yet. Next on the cards is Tempo - this year I am trying something a little different in the way of training - while it's not really a Friel style of training plan it holds a alot of attributes that are similar.

This come about after a lot of reading of forum topics, articles, talking to other athletes and quiet a few observations of my own. "Endurance racing is basically who ever can go the hardest the longest wins". While I certainly see the value of putting in loads and loads of miles or a "base" at the start of the season it isn't really using time effectively, not to mention the fact that it's boring as hell.

Instead - smaller specific blocks of training targeted towards various heart rate zones, muscle groups, gym sessions and skills is a much better use of time and effort. Not too dissimilar to Dave Morris style of plan but a little less intense and more of a focus towards endurance. I will give a better layout over the next couple of days.

Putting In The Miles

2007-01-18T12:50:00.000+11:00

It's been a busy last couple of days- finally back at work after an all too short holiday, and trying to get in some miles too. I am doing pretty good though; working the base with 75km on Tuesday, a 30km relaxed ride on Wednesday and today- planning on hitting up another 75km or so this afternoon.

Feeling really good on the bike, although I do feel there is a bit of a lack in top end there that needs to be worked on. Early days yet in terms training for the season though. Progress is looking good.

Otway Odyssey is closing in all too fast- have you got your entry in yet?

A spot of something Different

2007-01-14T14:41:00.000+11:00

This week upon my return from Tasmania saw some quiet stiff legs, and some awesome weather too. So time for something a little different, in terms of recreation, just getting away or one could even call it training.

After a fair bit of organizing, and a load of packing; we were off; the girlfriend and I went hiking for a few days. Talk about your all body work out, I don't think I have ever been so sore. We did however see some awesome sights, travel across some incredible terrain, and have a fair bit of fun too.

Myself, old Australian Army pack, and a heap of gear.

Malory, also loaded up with gear- and as always smiling

Great ocean views - off the Victorian coast

Grassy Valleys

The clouds coming in.

News: The Australian 24 Hour Championships has been moved forward to Easter as opposed to running it with the Scott 24 Hour CORC decided it would be better to run it as a stand alone event. Not only does this bring the Championships into line with the World Solo Championships, but it also means better scheduling the top riders can compete at both the Australian and World events. Awesome!

Awesome news also - this event is ran in a gap in my race schedule - So I am considering entering the event, and racing too. Anyone what to play support crew?

Apple Isle Riding

2007-01-11T14:01:00.000+11:00

Back from Tasmania, got in quiet a few miles, in quiet a few different places...

Riding About:
Hit up the local reserves on Sunday, gave a small taste of different types of single track, with minimal climbing, but quiet a few road miles. The weather was rather damp, having rained Saturday night and most of Sunday. The trails were nice though.
Ride Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.

Dial Range:
Monday saw some different terrain, heading up north to the town of Penguin, to the base of the dial Range. Over grown single track, rocky rooted climbs, and super fast downhills were the order of the day. After a short road ride saw us un the thick of it, single trail climb, rocks roots and all. Thirty minute descents, and hour long climbs make this trail quiet testing, but enjoyable.
Ride Time 3 Hours, 20 Minutes.

The single track climb of the day.

Riding partner Dave negotiating a much too steep section of the downhill.

Myself negotiating a washed our bridge.

Travallyn
Tuesday saw another beautiful day - initially planning to go to Ben Lomond NP, we scrapped that idea after feeling somewhat sluggish. So a local ride was on the cards. Travallyn, just outside of Launceston is home to some awesome single track, rather dusty and rocky, not at all like the trails at the YouYangs. I had a great time cruising about playing around on all the single track.
Ride Time: 2 Hours, 35 Minutes.

Special thanks to Dave for the place to stay, and for showing me about. I had an awesome time, as I always do in Tassie and am looking forward to heading south for the Tassie 12 Hour in early March.

Down in Tasmania!..

2007-01-07T20:15:00.000+11:00

Well I decided to head down south for a few days to get some mountainbike miles in on a few different trails for a change. I wish I could say the weather is nice, but it's damn wet down here; my friends assure me this is very unseasonable. A few problems with the bike too; however after fixing a bent derailuer hanger, and problematic rear rim / tyre the bike is finally going again.

The itinerary for the trip...
Today - We rode the local reserves (2.5hrs worth of cruising)
Tomorrow - Riding (Dial Range ?)
Tuesday - Riding (Ben Lomond NP ?)
Wednesday - Head home and then ride some more. (Road ?)

Pictures to follow.

Back With The Program!

2007-01-02T15:17:00.000+11:00

Today saw day one of the 2007 training program I have been working on. Finally I head out on the road bike this morning. Base work, one hundred or so kilometers later I was still feeling rather fresh; felt as if I could go another 2 hours- it was however getting warm out. I guess all the MTB riding I have been doing has made a bit of a difference to my fitness.

Saw some interesting things on my ride... Had to slow down for these guys, made for some interesting passing maneuvers.

Bushland bunt out in the Anikie fires of early 2006- slowly growing back to it's once dense state.

Ride Time: 3 hours 20 minutes.
Distance: 100 Kilometers.
Average Heart Rate: 154bpm (188 max)

Had some interesting thoughts well out riding too. Mmm road racing, nah! The mountain bike is up on the blocks at the moment, after receiving a little bit of love and care. Cleaned up the drivetrain replacing the cassette, and chain when it arrives- also changed out the bottom bracket and cables.

One month, One day until Otway Odyssey. Looking forward to it; I'm currently going though my head with various setups, nutrition plans etc... Going down to the Otways sometime in the next few weeks to check it out. Hoping to ride at least some of the course.

More Dirty Miles

2006-12-28T20:12:00.000+11:00

Another hit out on the mountain bike today, similar distance and ride time as yesterday however this time with the addition of quiet a few testing climbs to really test the legs. The legs are somewhat toast now, bit it was a very good workout.

Time: 2 hours, 49 min.
Distance: About 50 kilometers.
Average Heart Rate: 150bpm (188 Max).

Gravel Pits.

Twister Gully.

Sonic the Hedgehog... I near ran over this little fella!

The Open Plains.

Finally got my proposed 2007 schedule up. Loads of races there all over the place too, six marathon events, three twelve hour events- and the notable omission of twenty four hour events. This years focus is the shorter event; with an emphasis towards fun.

Dirt Miles

2006-12-27T14:20:00.000+11:00

Finally I got some decent miles down. Hit up the trails for a bit of dirty action. The legs felt really sluggish after the Christmas break, too much Christmas Pudding me thinks. It didn't take long to get back into a rhythm however. It's clear I need to work more on the bass miles however - the legs started to die a bit after 40kms. Happy with the progress though.

Time: 2 hours, 40 min.
Distance: 56 kilometers
Average Speed: 20kph (about)
Average Heart Rate: 170bpm

New years is quickly coming up. The 2007 mountain bike calendar is looking really good with loads of Endurance and Marathon events in there. The start of 2007 also means the start of a more focused and more specific training program, with set goals for the season. Bring on 2007!

The Long Road...

2006-12-20T21:43:00.000+11:00

Early days yet- but this weeks riding makes it positive that there is a long way to go in terms of race fitness, but I am slowly getting there. Done a fair whack of riding this week with a majority of it out on the MTB. Whether it be quick laps of flat track, or a long slow "Trail" ride. I still seem to be having fun. Looking at hitting out on the road bike later in the week for a few longer rides.

The long road to fitness - or is it just a long road?

News: The Dates for the 2007 KHS Working Week Series were released this week, and well round one conflicts with Otway Oddysey. Not cool looks like my hopes of racing WWS are put to rest once again for next year. Victoria's enduro season is looking pretty well layed out however. I cant wait for 2007 to kick off. Otway Oddysey, HDATO, Bighill Marathon looking to be stand out events early year.

Have you done all your Christmas shopping?.. Here is my latest project!

Dust Bowl!

2006-12-18T13:52:00.000+11:00

It's been dry as dry can be down here of late. The trails are a lovely thick dust, like talcum powder almost. On the positive side the weather has been lovely for riding which makes all the riding miles much easier.
Last week was bit of an easy week with a couple of road rides here and there, and getting out on the mountain bike twice for a spin in the dust. Haven't really worked myself yet- but the legs feel good and it's great to be doing a bit of riding again. This week will be little more focused program wise.

Preformed a few upgrades on the Titus, switched to flat bars and a nice light SLR XP saddle which dropped the weight down to 23.03lbs. Very happy with both changes after yesterdays ride.

Other news- might have a training partner soon. I'm committed to Otway Odyssey in February, and look to be doing the Tasmania 12 Hour in March ;-)

Small Block Eight

2006-12-03T21:23:00.000+11:00

One might be forgiven for thinking I am talking about an engine from a car... While I am talking about a vital piece of equipment you won't find this on a car unless it has a bike attached to it. I am talking about Kenda's newish tire the "Small Block 8".

This tyre has a liking to the Maxxis LarsenTT which I think it what attracted me to it. The Larsen did have one pitfall however they were terribly slow rolling at the best of times; would this end up the same. After checking out the tyres in person, weighing them up (470g and 480g for the pair). I couldn't help notice the tread pattern was more like a scaled down version of the Nevegal. Like most Kenda Tyres they are pretty high volume for their given size. in this case 2.0".

How does it Ride: Well I really only have one, hour ling ride on them, however I tried to vary the terrain as much as possible- generally, gravel, soft dirt and some rocky stuff as well was thrown in. I must say I was quiet surprised at just how well these tyres preformed. They roll reasonably fast - my concerns about it being too similar to the LarsenTT were put to rest. They gripped great on all the above mentioned terrain with the softer compound really coming into it's on on the rocks.

Looking forward to trying them out on my regular trails - which feature soft talc type dust. Large granite boulders, and loads of ruts. I think this tyre might be a winner for summer conditions certainly a good "all round" tyre thus far.

This is what greets me...

2006-11-27T22:36:00.000+11:00

A new horizon, a new beginning... A chance to do it all again; a refreshed passion.

The above picture is no where real special, it's no Whistler, no Alps in fact it's pretty far from anywhere that conjures up images of mountainous terrain with fast flowing single track. But what it lacks in beautiful mountain vista's it makes up for in fun single track, speedy drop-ins and steep dusty climbs that leave you hot and bothered. It's no Moab, but it's my backyard.... Well almost.

Ohhh... I'm back by the way!

Its a....

2006-05-23T20:39:00.000+10:00

Girl!
Finally my bike is one step closer to finished! The wheel set is aired up, and on the bike and it looks well sweet. I can’t wait to hit the trails on the new wheels to see how it handles, but indications so far riding the bike about say one thing.... SNAPPY! The bike currently weighs in at about 23.38lbs or 10.6kgs in metric measurements for those of us who don’t conform to the USA way of thinking :-P

More Bike Stuff:
I am thinking of changing my tyre setup slightly for the coming, or should I say already here winter months. Swapping out the Kenda Karma DTC on the rear for a Kenda Nevegal Lite, a little heavier, and slower rolling but apparently it grips well in the damp conditions that are about lately...

News:
MONT Australian 24 Hour Championships entries open next week folks. I am signing up for solo. I can’t wait; still about 20 weeks to go to get upto speed for those that are keen.

Dial Ranges this weekend still not sure if I am going; like always leaving everything until the last minute. My attendance on this race will rest on a lot of other things however. I am told by CBCC that this event will be a big one; I really want to get there.

Bye for Now!

Progress...

2006-05-14T13:47:00.000+10:00

Slowly making progress. I have managed to bump my riding hours up a fair bit to about 8 hours a week. Still not enough hours, but soon I shall be ramping up in preparation for the Mont 24 Hour. Rego is just 2 weeks away I believe and the race about 5 months away. I am looking forward to heading back to Canberra and racing- 2004 was just mind blowing I'm positive this year will be no different.

Bike Stuff:
Finally, my wheel set is built I went the DT Swiss 240's Center-Lock hubs, the center lock looks pretty easy to work with and it will be much easier to take rotors off for air travel. I went with Stan’s ZRT355 rims, and DT Swiss competition spokes. It should make for a rather light wheel set at about 1540g yet be strong and durable. I cant wait to pick it up from Marshall Cycles :-)

Racing:
I had planned to race at the King and Queen of the Mountain at Ben Lomond this weekend- but decided not to as I couldn't get there without a great deal of hassle. Really disappointed; I mean look at the view (picture of Jacobs Ladder from Google)...

Also considering doing the Dial Range Adventure MTB Race at the end of the month. Hopefully I can get down to Tasmania and finally do some mountain bike riding. It certainly sounds like a really cool race, fast open fire trail and two 30 minute plus climbs. Awesome!

More to come...

Cruisin'

2006-04-27T20:56:00.000+10:00

Just cruising this week, taking it easy with a few longer rides on the MTB before ramping it up significantly for the next 5 months leading into the MONT Australian 24 Hour Championships :-) As usual, looking forward to going for a ride on the MTB again tomorrow, and over the weekend :-D

Bike Stuff:
Wheel set is well on the way to getting there, the front hub has been ordered, the rear hub should be on the way and my rims have been ordered and should be here tomorrow :-) I decided on DT Swiss240s Center-Lock hubs for the hub set and Stan’s ZRT355 rims and either DT Swiss Competition or Supercomp spokes. Will be awesome to finally have a enw lightweight wheel set for the Titus. The disc rims will give it a nice look. Should have it finished in a week or two.

Racing:
Not sure if I will be able to make it to the GMBC 6 Hour on the 7th of May, spewing too as it should be an awesome race. I know the guys at the Geelong Mountain Bike Club always put on some awesome events. Should be a ripper, here is hoping I can make it :-)

Another Cloudy Day

2006-04-22T16:21:00.000+10:00

Not sure what happened to the sunshine we had this morning, it seems as soon as I headed out the door for today’s road ride the weather turned nice and crap. Showers clearing and 18c was the forecast for today. The weather forecasters where miles off in my opinion. According to www.WeatherChannel.com.au it's a whopping 12c outside. So out in partially adverse conditions I kept it short and done a 1:30 ride. Miles off the 3hours I was hoping to do. Nearly got hit twice too... I hate riding road!

Hopefully it stays dry today and tonight, so the trails are dry tomorrow, I am looking forward to jumping on board the MTB again; as always.

Bike Stuff:
Still toying around with wheel set ideas, I got a DT-Swiss 240's hub cheap on eBay, but the Stan’s No-Tubes Olympic rims are sold out at the moment. I might go the heavier ZTR355 and the lighter spoke option. Not sure yet. I might even ditch the DT-Swiss idea too; pictures of wheels built up with XTR hubs look mighty sweet! We will see...

Random Stuff:
I am thinking about going back to school. *sigh* When I say thinking I mean already applied, and by school I mean University. Hoping to do a degree in Ocean Engineering if I get offered a place for Mid-Year 2006 or Semester One 2007. It will mean up-rooting myself, and moving to Launceston to study at AMC, but I’m sure it will be worth it in the big picture.

To Ride or Not To Ride...

2006-04-21T14:48:00.000+10:00

That is the question - This morning’s weather was looking quiet good for a change, blue skies, a very fresh breeze and the ground was still damp from the last week or so of crappy weather.

A 1 hour ride was scheduled for today- but I thought to myself what will it be?.. I opted out of a 4hr road ride I had earlier though about and hit up the gym. Short and sweet was the goal. Had myself an MS gym session before hitting up the spin bike and doing a 1:30 ride with some intervals. After that I thought I'd give the NordicTrack a whirl and spent a good 30 to 45min on that machine- quiet interesting, I have never used one before. Not unlike running but with less stress. Feel quiet good now, spent but good!

For what it's worth the weather did turn crappy again- so I am glad I didn't head outdoors for my ride today. The rain although well needed isn’t really welcome; the trails will be lovely and wet for tomorrow's dirt ride. Ack!

Easter...

2006-04-19T18:19:00.000+10:00

Not much happening lately - the Easter weekend has successfully left me out of whack- and a little overweight too. I just can't help myself at these big family gatherings with loads of nice food, and of course there is the chocolate....

Training wise- really sluggish. Along with the rest of it the weather here has been quiet bad so I have been sticking to the MTB of late. I hate riding the roads when it's windy, it's a danger I'm not a fan off. Yesterday saw a 30 minute Zone 5 MTB time trail, which I though would nearly kill me at the start, once I got going it wasn't too bad.

Today, 30min on the spinner and a short MS gym session were the workouts of the day. Still quiet sore from yesterday- the 30 minutes of spinning helped the legs a fair bit.

To many people looking like this at the gym...

Holiday Time...

2006-04-02T14:17:00.000+10:00

Just back from a short break in Tasmania, it was just what the doctor ordered... Or should I say just what I needed :-) Funny enough the weather in Tassie was much better then that in Victoria; who said Tasmanian weather was crap!

Interesting news: Australia now has a National Marathon Championship - however the event promoters of the "Highland Fling" have already claimed their event to be the National Marathon Championships. I believe the Flight Centre Epic in Queensland is the official MTBA sanctioned Marathon Championships.

In any respect September is going to be a busy month on the calendar, with both the National Marathon Championship race, N-ZO 12 Hour which I am planning to attend again this year - the Subaru FGP 12 hour mid month then leading into a busy October with the Mont Australian 24 Hour Championships.

Product Stuff:
Here is some pictures of some of Shimano's 2007 line up- I can safely say that I won't be buying into the "Big S" any time soon... Not very nice looking gear at all.
http://www.dirty-pages.net/nieuws/ni...2774b6313325ca

Finally Back Into It...

2006-03-23T21:24:00.000+11:00

Motivation hasn't exactly been my strong point for the last couple of weeks. I am suffering a fair bit without the significant other - who is still in Tasmania. Not only that but I am thinking I am just tired with the entire goings on of late.

Finally! Today I took a step (pedal) in the right direction. I took the Titus out for a spin - 2:15, assorted terrain and mild effort; it was fun and just what I needed to clear my head. Nice day for it too.

Back on the roadie tomorrow for some Strength End work. Loving them climbs - I'm not a fan of climbing on the roadie; but once you get out on the MTB that work seems to make a world of difference.

Racing Sunday? Not sure yet, State XC round is in town, so I am thinking of heading out there for bit of a fang around with all the whippets. Not liking my chances of doing well as XC just isn’t my thing.

Random Stuff
I can't find any Diadora stockists, at least not amongst my usual bike shop haunts. I do quiet like the Specialized Pro Carbon shoes, and I am currently using specialized shoes which fit like a glove.

New wheels are in the final planning stages. I am going heavier hubs then I originally planned but they will still save a ton of weight. All I can say is BzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZzzzzzt!
Chris King fans will know what I am on about!

Tassie 12hour...

2006-03-09T17:18:00.000+11:00

Well, I am back from my travels once again. This time I was off to the "Apple Isle", for a little "R and R", finally seeing how the girlfriend is settling in, and not to mention the Tassie 12hour.

The weekend saw me meet a lot of new faces- all of which I am thankful for the hospitality and hope to catch up with soon. Special thanks to Dave and Ben for the transport to and from the race- and the comedy during my stay in Tasmania, and thanks to the always loveable Crystal for letting me race, and being my support crew. :-)

Practice Day:
Heading out to the Four Springs venue for practice had me not quiet sure what to expect. It was getting dark when we head out for our lap... By the end of my lap I had myself thinking "man what have I done", not only was I feeling quiet sluggish, but I hated the course too. Not a good start.

Race day:
Saturday morning saw me suffering from a few pre-race jitters, I have done countless enduro's and still I get nervous at the idea of racing- or is it the thoughts of running starts that makes me nervous.

My race panned out quiet well, not being in ideal fitness- to be totally honest I didn't think I would go so well; after a rather sluggish start, my pace picked up by no means lightning fast but a good pace to start my 12hour caper.

The course of the day saw temperatures rise, and the track beat up a little. With everything from fast flowing single track, hot open fire roads and rough rooted climbs saw the course keep me entertained right through to the very last lap.

The afternoon played host to a few minor mishaps- after a slow leak in my rear tyre decided to hamper my efforts after lunch, just a kilometer from the end of the lap and the pit area, it tried to roll itself off the rim on a rocky decent Running back to the pit area the tyre was soon reinflated and I was back on my way.

Later in the evening got rather cold, I was still out powering the climbs, and making up huge time on other riders on the fast flowing sections. I was freezing my tits off but I couldn't believe how well I felt. Coming into the pit area on my second last lap at about 8pm saw a change of gear and the addition of lights, as the sky would soon darken.

Night time saw some relief for me- night has always been a time of nightmares for me in previous events, yet this time I held my composure- and got just about every line spot-on. Powering up the smaller climbs saw a few nervous riders jump out of my way- despite telling them I've got all the time in the world

My last lap I arrived near the finish area to hear "45 seconds to go"- seriously debating with myself whether I should pin it and do another lap or wait for the finish proved to be quiet a mental battle. I decided against leaving my friends and ever so helpful support crew (Crystal) sitting there for another 50 minutes as I knocked out my 14th lap- I'm positive they would have tackled me to the ground anyways.

Overall, very happy with myself for pushing 13laps- or about 132kms... A little disappointed however as the extra lap would have seen me in 4th place as opposed to 5th. I had a great time, and was amazed at how well run this smallish event was run clubs like WSMTB could take a page from LMBC's book in my opinion.

Titus on Race Day:
As usual the Titus Racer-X handled the course very well, I did have a little setup issue for the first few laps though setting the front end air pressure a little to high saw me bouncing off everything. After lunch was a different story, lower pressure and fork now soaked up everything. Once again I'm very pleased with the package.

I hope to get new lighter wheels for the Titus as soon as funds prevail... Might be a while though; with all this travel.

Here is a few photo's of the event... Thanks to Dave for the Pictures.

Coming into the finish area:

Speeding into the single track:

And Again:

The Pit Area- Tea Time:

Random Night Photo...

Training:
Back into it yesterday with an Anaerobic Interval session and some gym work... Just about to head out for a ride now also...

Pace.

2006-02-25T21:24:00.000+11:00

Went for a bit of a ride today- yesterdays run did me a lot of good in my opinion; 1 hours worth of running left me pretty sweaty, but I am considering doing alot more after today.

A pace ride was on schedule, so as usual I set about my ways after a warm up my legs fet surprisingly good. I think my fitness is coming back too. Good ride.

Random stuff:
I need new shoes. I am thinking of giving Diadora a go this time- they look to have some good offerings particularly in their high-end MTB range... Now what color? Black, Carbon, Blue or Gold; I like blue myself!

OR Black...

Not Much Today...

2006-02-24T18:42:00.000+11:00

Yesterday was a nice day; I spent 2.5hrs on the road bike doing some more base work. Not feeling 100% on the bike, but my base fitness is coming to the fore again. This time next week I should be almost ready for the Tassie 12 Hour and really looking forward to the event I must say.

Friday - It's fairly warm so I don’t think I will head out for my hour ride today. I will run for a while instead. I am beginning to enjoy running a lot more of late. Effective, but not as time consuming as riding.

This weekend: Women’s UCI Road Racing World Cup is in town, I will head down for a look on Sunday. Other then that, more miles on the bike and maybe head out on the Mountain Bike too.

So No News Is Good News Right?

2006-02-21T21:35:00.000+11:00

As the title says- "no news is good news right"?.. Well sometimes I guess it can be and then other times I guess not.

Not much happening lately, I have been having a good rest from the bike as I have been feeling a little "off". HDATO was good but the result was not so good and the second round of the Vic Enduro series was missed due to "family commitments"; or closer to the truth the reason I have cancled a lot of my proposed races. My "significan other" moved interstate so I will be travelling backwards and forward to and from Tasmania until I can get myself there permantly.

The News:
Well not riding much lately, I am however back into the full swing of things now. I also. Tasmania is next in the form of the Tassie 12hr which is in Four Spirngs, and hosted by the Launceston Mountain Bike Club, the club is expecting 200+ riders at the event so it should be a good thing. I am also looknig forward to sampling some Tassie riding ;-)

Thats it for now... More tomorrow!

Bad Day at the Office

2006-02-05T20:33:00.000+11:00

My 2006 started with a bang at the FTF Hard Day at the Office event. The atmosphere was great, just being there you could feel the energy, it had cooled down significantly over the last few days and the rains had come- which made it quiet humid, but kept the dust down.

With a 41 Soloists and loads of others in the teams category’s it was a huge event which saw us all running for our bikes at the start of the race... I made the mistake of taking it easy on the run, although by the time I had made it up the first climb on the prologue lap I had made quiet a bit of ground.
Spot the guy withthe yellow helmet and white jersey!

After the prologue it took a little bit to get into the rhythm of things, I noticed I was climbing well. The course hadn't changed all that much from when I last raced here- it was still a climbers course.

Lap 2 and lap 3 were quiet uneventful, lap 2 was pretty quick, by no means fast, but a good pace considering the very little riding I had done in the weeks before the event due to a chest cold. The humidity wasn't bothering me, and I was eating and hydrating quiet well. I was just getting warmed up and feeling really good.

Lap 4 was the beginning of the end, after a little spill on lap 3 lost me a few minutes and almost a contact lens too, it would be lap 4 that would be the end of my race- about 5hrs and 30minutes early. At the bottom of one of the technical climbs in the course I heard a nice crack and the lack of tension on the cranks was a dead give away. My Chain had snapped. After several minutes of trying to get the quick link undone- I pushed out a rivet... I was soon on my way, albeit 3 link shorter.

Later in lap 4, another snap at the bottom of one of the climbs. My trailside bodgy repair had failed again, this time completely separating the link. After yet another bodgy repair I was off again- the already short chain was now even shorter.

Back through transition my support crew was left wondering where I had got to- I hoped off the bike to inspect the previously problematic chain only to find that the link had started to separate again:-S With no spare and unable to open the quick link to join the chain back up I decided it wasn’t worth the 8km run just to complete some more laps. My Day was done.

After hanging around for a while to soak it in, I hit the showers and we headed for home in the now driving rain, with the obligatory stops at McDonald’s of course ;-)

**Pictures off www.ftf.com.au 's HDATO website

Lessons learned: Learnt a fair bit this race- training has been working although the intensity wasn't quiet on par; I have since reworked my training plan and will be back into it this week. My climbing has improved ten-fold. I noticed as the distance got longer, I felt much better, but I couldn't maintain a high intensity well chasing. Climbing however was a lot quicker.

Hydration, I much prefer bottles- and I think this will be the strategy I will use for the next races this year. It’s less hassle then a camel back, and I seem to feel fresher without a huge pack on my back. Eating every lap helped a lot; I think this may have been my downfall in previous races.

Mechanicals - they happen! A spare chain and or even spare bike would be handy next time.

Rhythm and Blues...

2006-02-05T20:09:00.000+11:00

Rhythm... Lack of!
Total lack of rhythm over the last few weeks- I haven't ridden for quiet a few weeks and I can feel myself spiraling downhill really fast... The roadie hasn't been touched in ages and I am contemplating something else. For some reason the road bike just doesn’t do it for me any more... *feels another bike purchase coming on*

Blues... Sad, sad blues...
Blues; well besides feeling quiet down, the start of the season didn't quiet go as planned.
Step one! My big event I had talked about previously was actually the 2006 Trans Rockies challenge in Canada this would have been the highlight of ones riding lifetime in my opinion, but I found out just before I put my entry in I have to move to Tasmania sometime in the next few months, unfortunately I cant afford to do both- although Tasmania might be the change of scenery I need.
Step two! HDATO was a great event; it looked like a great event from the outside. However my race didn’t go too well. Read the next post for a race report. Not being able to attend round two of the Lucky Sevens series isn't helping the morel either.

Bikes: More on the bikes- it seems my forks will be sold this week (a few keen buyers), so the Titus will finally receive its new Fox F80RL's I have been hanging out for.
Also in regards to the roadie- and Tasmania, I am considering building a lightish hard tail as my next project. As much as I love the Titus, I miss having a hard tail. The only problem is the words Titanium or Steel keep coming up - neither option is cheap. This bike will be used for training, and or taking to Tasmania while I fly in and out of there quiet a bit for the next few months.

AM Rides...

2006-01-25T23:03:00.000+11:00

Another hot one forecast for tomorrow- so I will be up early, as I was today to get my ride in before it heats up, and the wind picks up. Two hours, with endurance intervals is the plan and then I will taper down a little on Friday for the race on Saturday.

Bike: Almost ready to go- Not really! I have a huge list of things I have to get and have to do before Saturday morning. I plan on doing a full fork service tomorrow or Friday and installing my new "Enduro Fork Seals" if they arrive in time. Then clean the bike and she'll be ready to go :-)

HDATO: 37 Solo starters for the race on Saturday and FTF filled the 150 teams’ limit it set. So the race is set to be a cracker! Looking forward to the race too- it should be great. I'm not felling all that fast though we'll see how I go on the day. I expect to do ok if all goes well... Just how ok I don’t know yet.

Fires: Fair few fires in the Geelong / Anikie region, it doesn't effect me directly, aside from the fact that some of the areas that were burnt-out are where I do a lot of my training rides. Looks like it will be bad again tomorrow with the wind and temperatures picking up again.

That’s all for now- I'm off to bed for an early start to my Thursday... Happy Australia Day to all :-)

Damn it's hot...

2006-01-22T17:52:00.000+11:00

No Riding Today... It's 6pm and still over 41 degrees. It's ment to be cooling down later tonite though, so I will ehad out early tomorrow.

Heres something for interst!

The blue bits are a mixture of smoke and clouds I believe... Summer always brings about fires, and the hot weather we are having lately is perfect for them unfortunatly. Looking at the smoke outside and the the CFA site it looks like one of my usual road riding areas is having fire troubles.

One Week...

2006-01-22T14:40:00.000+11:00

Only one week until the start of my 2006 season. HDATO is next weekend and I am looking really forward to the race. Not in prime condition- I haven’t been doing much training over the last 2 weeks as I got struck down with a nasty chest cold (Don't know why, it has been so hot!). So although I have been riding I haven’t been doing much intensity work.

Over the last few days, I have done a few MTB rides, and almost got the bike ready- I am still debating on if I should service the forks, before or after the race? Put new tires on although the Kenda Karma on the rear doesn’t seem to want to hold any air. New tire on the front also a Kenda "Blue Groove" which looks like it will grip well.

The Race: There looks to be 31 soloists (28men & 3women) so far which is a pretty good field size. The race should be great; I do hope the weather stays nice though. Today is a whopping 41 degrees outside; nice weather will make an already great event, even greater.

New Years- Cheers!

2006-01-09T17:55:00.000+11:00

It's finally 2006 and the Endurance racing season is only a few weeks away now. I am looking quiet forward to hitting it out, at race pace again. The first week of the 2006 calendar year has been a pretty good one for me- feeling focused I did a lot of long miles last week which has shown my progress is going quiet good...

4hrs- New Years Day I head out for about 4hours on the road bike, this was the longest ride on the road thus far having been working on shorter more focused endurance sessions. The ride was good although high winds and heavy rain for the last hour and a half made the ride quiet unpleasant.

Six in the Saddle: Not to be confused with the race of the same name- on Friday I head out on the road bike again. This would be a true test of base period progress. I went out thinking I was going to do a shorter 3hr ride- before I knew it I was about three hours from home. The ride was at a fair pace- by no means fast. But 153kms and about 6hrs later I was home. This ride proved that riding in shorter seasons can improve endurance- before starting this whole training seriously a 4hr ride would have been out of the question.

2006: The season isn't far off and I have set my goals and proposed races for 2006, I plan to do all of the Victorian Lucky Seven's endurance season- finally we have a season of endurance racing in Victoria... Good Stuff. I also plan to do bigger events such as the Sydney 24hr and the MONT Australian 24hr Championships as highlights for the season as well as various 12hrs. I am looking really forward to getting back to racing.

Another Hot One!

2005-12-29T17:16:00.000+11:00

The weather lately has bee seasonably hot so I have been trying to get out and do my miles early. Failed to do that this morning though after sleeping. God I feel guilty! God I love being on holiday too... This is the life, wake up and go for a ride when ever you want, awesome stuff.

I will get in some miles tonite as it's colled down alot.

HDATO: It appears as if I am one of the small solo feild, my card has been charged the amount of the entry fee so looks like I am in. I am really looking forward to this event; I am certainly feeling alot better on the bike(s) and it should be a great race, I know the coruse will come top the party.

Beat the Heat!

2005-12-27T12:59:00.000+11:00

Christmas is over, thank good! As much as I love Christmas it is a major pain in the butt at the same time; I did enjoy it though so that’s always a good thing.

With the Christmas holidays I didn't have time to get out much between gift giving, eating and traveling between places- I think I put on a good 5kg's with all the stuff I ate at Lunch and Dinner.

Ride time: So back in the saddle this morning for a nice ride- it turned out to be not what I expected. On the way out my legs were suffering a burning pain and the Heart Rate kept jumping- I had a bit of an easy week in my schedule last week so I didn't do as much riding and it was showing on this mornings ride.

The planned 4hrs was cut short with a nice flat tyre- I noticed there was a nice hole in the tyre too, where it had seemingly delaminated. NOT COOL! After Jury rigging up a tyre liner out of the old tube, and finally getting the tyre inflated I was off again, carefully home. 2hrs ride time, significantly shorter than I wanted- but at least the ride home was good- the legs were feeling much better.

MTB: I am currently looking at doing a big event in 2006 -not telling what it is, but I will wait until it's confirmed before letting out too many details... Here is a teaser though- it's a stage race!

Christmas Shopping!

2005-12-23T13:55:00.000+11:00

Very hot today- 37c is the forecast, which is pretty usual for this time of year. I don’t mind the heat so much, but 37c is a bit hot by anyone’s standards. I hit out on the roadie today, doing some training that is a bit more specific; Endurance Intervals. I love doing more specific training on the road bike, it brightens up the ride a little as opposed to just cruising doing base miles. Only 1:30 on the bike today, but it was a good workout, with Endurance Intervals and some spin ups.

Totally Random: I need to be doing my Christmas shopping today. I'm not looking forward to it though, as I cant stand shopping at the best of times, unless it's for bike bits... I already have the most expensive gift though, so the wallet should be pretty safe.

Bike Stuff: Here is something a bit different. a Jeff Jones, a mate Dave pointed out... http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=152903 As usual the Turner Forum on mtbr.com provides some entertainment.

So / So...

2005-12-22T22:41:00.000+11:00

Bit of an off week again this week, I have been struck with a bit of a bug all week, which has been nice enough to leave me with not much left in the tank for training and such. I got back out on the bike today for a few hours though, which was just one of them great evening rides, clear sky, sun setting etc...

HDATO Entries Open: Kind of discovered this by accident when I browed onto the FTF website, and thought to myself "shit entries are open". I sent my entry, express today, so hopefully I will know sometime in the next few days if I got in. There are only 25 SOLO spots as I mentioned in an early post and I dare say they will be well sought after.

Christmas is Coming: I'm on holidays now.... FINALLY! I'm quiet glad tomorrow when the alarm clock goes off I only have to head out on the bike, as opposed to work. It's great to finally get some time off. I will be lapping it up, riding, and doing all the things I don’t otherwise get time for :-)

Merry Christmas to All!

Another week down...

2005-12-18T22:03:00.000+11:00

Yet another week down- loads of time spent out on the road bike, and I really think it is making a big improvement thus far; I just feel so much better on the bike, both road and MTB. The week saw some big road rides- still clipping just below on my schedule in terms of weekly ride time. With holidays coming up that should change.

The Mountain bike finally got a good hit out again this weekend. This was only the 4th or 5th time I have ridden the bike in terrain that one can call real mountain bike riding. I head out to the You Yangs on Saturday for a good 3hrs. WOW it has changed a lot. Big props to the Crew at Geelong Mountain Bike Club for all their work on the trails- the place is just awesome now.

As always the Titus handled everything well, eating through the bumps and just carving the trails. Feeling really good on the Mountain bike, but I really need to get out more often. I will be sure to take the camera next time.

HDATO 2006: the race date has been announced, and the number of riders decided- and I have to say I am very disappointed that FTF has set a limit of 25 SOLO spots. I am really hoping they will change their minds on this- as it is a very popular race and I'd hate to see people miss out- let alone myself.

Good news however- there is now a Marathon / Endurance Series similar to that of NSW's "Working Week Series". 7 Races and has been dubbed the Lucky Seven Series. A lot of the states clubs are hosting some races- and it should be awesome stuff once the racing gets under way.

Holiday Season: Well Christmas is near- and while I do kind of despise this time of year and all it's commercialism and shopping it truly is one of my favorite times of the year. What ever you are all doing I hope you have the best Christmas and a Happy New Year. I know what I will be doing over the holidays- and it involves a lot of bike :-) Enjoy it!

Today...

2005-12-10T17:47:00.000+11:00

It started out rather crap- the wind was blowing and it looked to be clouding over. I was feeling well refreshed after a good nights sleep and a bit of a sleep in- Thank God it's the weekend. I opted out of racing this weekend due to travel arrangement difficulties shame too as the day fined up and it turned out to be a nice day.

With the sun out, and a nice cool breeze I decided today would be a great day to get in some riding. SO off I went on my road bike unsure where I was going or how long I was going to be...

Well it was just one of them days where you feel great and every thing is working as planned it was great. Before I knew it I was out there for 2hrs, I considerer another 60km loop but I was running low on water and the nearest shop in that direction was about 45km away ekkk... So I head back out in a figure 8 pattern adding another hour to my ride to make it 3hours. Not a long ride by any means, but I pushed myself pretty hard adding a couple of LT Zone 3 Endurance Intervals and a pretty strong headwind for the last hour and a bit.

Not much interesting out- besides the view of the flat lands; who needs mountain vistas? QANTAS was doing landing practice at the airport so that provided a little visual entertainment along with the various animals that are by the roadside. A Great ride really I love the feeling you get after a good ride- still disappointed not to be racing at Lysterfield though.

Big week...

2005-12-09T20:10:00.000+11:00

Finally, A week that has gone some what to plan. So far this week I have managed quiet a few good base miles on the road dispite the somewhat dodgy weather- it's summer time, where the hell is the sun?..

Roadie: I changed the setup on the roadie to mimick that of the MTB, it feels weird at first, but at the same time it just feels right- the new seat is helping my ass on the longer. The Fiz'ik Arione is tops, go try one if you are looking for that perfect saddle.
Titus: The MTB is getting a change in the next few weeks also- I have ordered some new rims and I am changing from UST to Eclipse, the lighter rims with the Eclipse rim strips are much lighter than the current UST setup I am running so I am set to save over 150g on wheels alone. I am also changing the Stem and Chainrings leading upto HDATO 8hr which will put the bike at about 23.3lbs not bad.

Base is Boring...
This is what has been going through my mind lately, I am finding it very hard to keep myself on the saddle and keep the heart rate down on the long rides... I much prefer to be going fast! Granted the base miles are needed to progress onto bigger and better things training wise. Basiclly I am living off music, the Mars Volta and The Living End have kept me going this week - looking forward to next week, mixxing in some Endurance intervals with the base miles to brighten things up.

The View...

Yet Another Off Week!

2005-12-04T16:51:00.000+11:00

This week has been another off week, cewrtainly no lack of motivation- just lack of time to get out on the bike and do some decent rides. I have still been riding a few shorter rides though, so I'm not entirely slacking off. In light of this I have desided to increase my base 1 period by 1 week. In the next 2 weeks I will be focusing more on Long Slow distance miles and still working on the base fitness. After that will be endurance intervals which should break up the boredom a little.

The Kona 24 Hour has been run and won. I skipped out this time around- the first time I haven't attended this race; but the weather looked pretty well shit for the weekend anyways so I am hoping I didn't miss much. Still it would have been nice to be out there... I love the whole endurance racing atmosphere thing :-P

Racing: I am looking at doing National XC Round 3 next weekend, as my weekly MTB ride. It will prove interesting as the course Lysterfield is very fast apparently. Not to mention being the course for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Bikes: Not much on the bikes front; I am currently pissing around with a few things on the Titus, tuning this and that. I "down graded" upgraded to a SRAM PG990 11/32 cassette from the Shimano Ultegra cassette that was previously on the bike. The 11/32 cassette will take a bit of riding to get used to, but it will provide extra gearing for the climbs a fair trade off for 90g in my opinion...

I am still messing around with shock settings. I prefer the bike abit stiffer in both the front and rear; it doesnt use all the travel that way, but it doesn't suck all the small bumps eather. It seems to provide more kick when set up abit stiffer.

Still looking at changing out some componants too. Forks are coming up for a change. Looking at the Manitou R7, RockShox Reba Team and Fox F100RLT at the moment I am thinking of sticking with Fox as it will provide a nice even front and rear feel. New Wheelset is yet to be ordered- but I have desided on the build which will be nice and light.

The roadie got itself a new seat. Which I havent tryed yet- but it certainly feels alot more comfortable... should be great for them long miles.

Early Bird!

2005-11-27T14:57:00.000+11:00

It's been a long week, and not one really full of riding for a change. As much as I tryed getting out alot, there was just too many social engagements to be going to, with my birthday, alot of work stuff and a few other things going on...

High light of the week was an early morning ride- I might start this more often if I can, the weather in the mornings lately has been fine, unlike the afternoons which are windy, and overcast... Heres a few shots, taken at about 5:30am on my birthday.

Next week and the next coming weeks for that matter will be abit bigger, and abit more organized. I am looking forward to scheduling more morning rides, and even getting out on the MTB abit more having missed out this weekend.... A bonus however, the training seems to be working- I have noticed recovery times after longer rides has shortened abit, and I am just geenrally feeling much better on the bike; now if only I could find the perfect saddle for the roadie.
-Cul

Base - And Not The Bass I Like!

2005-11-23T21:54:00.000+11:00

Base: Yet another week since the Gravity 12hr has passed by, and I am feeling good about racing again and just been back on the bike in general... I haven't yet considered whether or not I'm doing the Kona 24hr Global Series round yet it's all up in the air at the moment.

Currently I'm thinking of fore-going the 24 hour race which is less than 2 weeks away and continuing with my training program I am doing at the moment which is more geared towards next year. It's pretty intensive stuff at; I am working on my base miles right now- which means loads of boring time on the road doing long slow distance miles keeping the heart rate down, endurance intervals and later on more strength endurance intervals... All that before working on strength and power.

MTB: Are all these miles meaning something on the MTB- well I'd say so but it's very early to tell. Fortunately the MTB provides some great relief to all the road miles; I just love riding the MTB, whether it doodling in shopping center carparks, or having a good 3 to 4hr hit out at one of my favorite trail locations.

The bike is working awesome- in need of a bit of a clean from the weekends ride... But the more I ride the Titus the more I fall in love with it- it just flys.

I'll have to take the camera on my next road trip; and snap a few photo's of my stopping ground ;-)

-Cul

Gravity 12hr Race Report

2005-11-14T10:17:00.000+11:00

As mentioned in my last post the Gravity 12hr has been run and won... Here is a "race reprot" and a few race photo's for you all.

I have always loved travelling; traveling to the Gravity 12hr, was no different from any other race really- the weather was looking nice, if anything abit warm. Apon entering the camp site, it brought back a ton of memories, laods of good ones. After setting up camp, and getting something to eat I went for abit of a wander. The area was quiet dry, yet very muddy in spots and tyhats how the race course would be on race day.

Race Day 9:00am: The race got off to a running start, loads of riders had turned up for the race, and with good reason it's one of the best. After a short run I found myself at my bike, on board and soon heading accross the feilds towards the singletrack.

My first lap was a bit nervious, not knowing what to expect, of both the course and the new bike, lead to few supprises though I soon settled into a rythem, and chatted to another soloist I had raced with previous. The course, had been changed a fair bit since I had last raced there- loads of single track now, which made the challenging course alot of fun although not to technical.

Lunch 12 Noon: By Noon I had settle into a race pace- I was clocking 1hr laps, which although not fast it was a steady pace- it was around this time I'm pretty sure I had made a dire error. Lap 3 and my water supplies were running low, and I was starting to feel abit peckish... No worries I though as I headed into the pits, for a feed, some hydration and abit of rest.

After Lunch: I rode yet another 1hr lap, thinking my day was going pretty well- I might have lulled myself into a false sence of confidence. It was tough, and by now very hot although the single track offered some releaf from the sweltering heat- and tough climbs which I was now walking. On my fith lap I was feeling it, my legs were even harder to keep peddling, and I was chewing through my water supply; dehydration had set in, and it wasnt too pleasent.

Evening: My Laps had now blown out to to 1.5hr's, and I was making alot of mistakes, stupid concentration errors that I shouldn't have made. Resting after every lap either helpped or was a hug hinderence. After 7 laps I deceided I had had enough, my body just couldn't keep it up- I pulled off course and desided to finish withthe 7laps I had... Alot less than the 10 laps I had hoped for.

Over View: Once I had cooled down, and collected my thoughts- 7 laps wasnt too bad alot less than I wanted, but thinknig about it it's not a bad effort; considering this was only my second Solo effort, and I ahd only really been back on the bike after 8months off for a few months... Not having a bike two weeks prior to the race didnt help either.

My training is more focused now- working slowly towards racing much more successfully next year. I may run at the Kona 24hr, as I love the course and love riding. But my goals lie towards being on the money for next year, starting at HDATO 8hr in Feb.

A Hard Day's Work...

2005-11-07T17:51:00.000+11:00

The Gravity 12hr has been run and won- Like years before this one was yet another great event. The course was so enjoyable- every climb was worth it once you head down the single track... Miles and Miles of flowing, super fast single track which kept a big smile on my face at least.

My race didn't go as planned however- after starting strong I totally bonked on the 5th lap, making laps 5, 6 and 7 a real struggle. I got back after the 7th lap with just nothing left in the tank, I honestly didnt think I could make it another 100m down the track with out passing out from heat exaustion. A real shame too- becasue I think I had time for another 2 laps which would have placed me much better...

The new bike preformed great, the rear suspension worked great on the bumps- and I used up about 70mm of both front and rear travel. The bike flew down hill, I dont think I have been so fast flying downhill since riding the former DH bike around. It climb pretty well also and handled the tighter stuff really well also. The bike preformance is a real credit to Titus- no wonder they are so popular in the United States and Canada.

Where to now?
Well I wish I knew- after my poor preformace at the Gravity I am rethinknig my plans for doing the Kona 24hr. I do however get the road bike back this week, and will be out doing loads of miles. Admitedly I am kind of missing the roadie, theres just something about being on the open road that I miss.

Photo's of the Titus and Gravity still to come!

Race Time...

2005-11-03T18:05:00.000+11:00

Well the Titus is just about finished- its race able and hopefully she'll be raced fairly successfully on the weekend at the 2005 Gravity 12hr near Mt Beauty in Victoria. I am really looking forward to this race- and while I don’t feel on form as such due to the lack of miles on the roadie which is still been fixed; I will be having a good crack at finishing in a decent position.

The weather looks to be hot, over 30c it's been a bit warm at home lately, so it is nothing new to me- At the Sydney N-ZO 12hr I think it was just the climate change from 13c to 32c that really threw me. Stay tuned for race pictures...

Titus: The Racer-X will be my endruo steed for the next while. First rides on the bike have lead to some setup issues regarding suspension balance - I think I have figured it out though. I plan to run the pressures quiet high so the ride doesn’t get mushy, but the suspension opens up on the bigger hits. It's a setup that seems to work.

The bike is currently weighing in at 10.73kg's (23.69lbs); this will drop significantly once I get my new wheel set though. The goal weight still stands at 23lbs and now seems easily achievable without too much change to the component list.

Stay tuned for pictures and specs.

Update...

2005-10-23T20:37:00.000+10:00

Titus Time: After three long hours, my Titus frame was finally cleared to me through customs, and we were on the way home... Finally my bike for 2006 is here!

Unwrapping it and putting it together was simply amazing, the attention to detail on these frames is totally awesome. After finally getting it together, I started the slow process of building her up- which would take a few days. Yesterday I finally took the new bike for a ride- and wow. It's not finished yet, and some what of a setup compromise, but it feels great. Dualie riders have it easy.... I won’t say much more because she isn’t finished yet. There is still a fair bit of work to be done, to get the bike to the proposed 23lbs.

On The Road: I have been of a few bigger rides, trying to keep the legs moving. My road program was going well until I hit s sudden stop the other day. Unfortunately that sudden stop was a car running into me; the bike sustained quiet abit of fixable damage, fortunately the rider was ok. This has really opened my eyes up to my surroundings- in this case there wasn’t much I could do about it though.

Racing: The Gravity 12hr is only 2 weeks away so I am busy getting ready for that, keeping up the fitness; and of course working hard on getting the bike ready. I am really looking forward to this event, it will be the first on the Titus and really the first time I have trained for something like this. I learnt a lot from the Sydney 12hr which I hope to put into practice for this race. Not wanting to be super fast- middle or even front pack would be nice though. Most of all, it will be great fun. Hopefully the weather is nice.

Where O' Where?

2005-10-13T20:54:00.000+10:00

Well, not much news today: I have been out on the road again today after skipping Moday's ride due to a very long day at work... I pulled up suprisingly well after Saturdays freezing cold ride to Anglesea and return. Todays trip was planned to be 80km's but I only managed 50km as it darkness was coming in way to quick. I might get out on the bike again tomorrow for 50km also, but I dont know yet.

This weekend I am planning on lengthning my ride to 125kms, probably head down the coast again, as that was quiet a tough ride last weekend. tough but challenging; hopefully the weather is much better this week.

Titus News: Well I was hoping it would be here this week, but that doesnt look like happening- it was last scanned in the USA on the 8th of October, it was sent on the 3rd of October, and it still hasnt arrived... I must say I am quiet disapointed it hast arrived yet. I will be dealing with customs abit when it does finally arrive- and thus far I am very happy with the way my questions have been answered. Thanx Australian Customs Service...

I am still itching to get the frame, but this delay has put my plans to race at the Gravity 12hr in early Novemeber in doubt. Hope to have more news in the next few days.

Until then I will keep up my training, really looknig forward to a good hit out on the roadie on the weekend- I am really begining to miss the MTB though.

Bike Banter...

2005-10-08T18:21:00.000+10:00

Well I am currently saying good bye to my trusty Cove Handjob as I pull her apart ready for shipping to her new owner... My Cove has featured on www.light-bikes.com and even had it's own- now defunct website www.project-Xcul.com , it has also been my labour of love for many, many hours, days - for well over a year now. The bike ahs been with me at the FGP 12hr, Mont 24hr, Kona 24hr and the Sydney N-ZO 12hr in terms of racing... It wasnt until recently however that I struck a perfect balance on the bike; runnig forks at 80mm made the bike snappy yet very stable. SHe has been a great ride, and will be sorely missed.

Farewell Cove, you will be sadly missed...

Titus Time! OF course the Cove is being replaced with another equally as great bike. I am very soon to recieve a Titis Racer X, I am very excited about this frame coming, and it will mark the first XC dualie I have ever owned, thats pretty amazing in this day and age. The Final bike build ofr the titus should weigh about 23lbs even or about 10.45kg in metric measurement. This will be my rig for the Kona 24hr's solo effort, and for my races in the coming year. I am very excited.... The frame should arrive this week sometime :-)

On The Road Again...

2005-10-08T18:05:00.000+10:00

Well it's been abit of an "off" training week for me this week, I hadn't really done much due to time constraints with work, and other family activities. But today I got out on the road bike and clocked some good miles...

Anglesea along the coast was todays destination- to be honest I hadn't been to Anglesea for quiet a few years and could vaguely remember what the roads were like... After starting off slow, into a servre head wind I though there was no way I was going to make it, the lungs just wren't doing what they should. About 20km into the ride, after a big climb up Anglesea Rd and heading out towards Freshwater Creek I finally found some rythem.

The ride itself was quiet windy, and patchy rain which made it quiet an unpleasent experience- although decending into Anglesea the sun come out and I had abit of fun. After a quick lap of town I was back up the road on my way towards home again. I actually found climbing up out of Anglesea to be quiet fun which is abit of a rarity for me. The wind and weather turned even nastier on the way home with servre winds and a few down poors on the way but I still had a smile on my face when I walked in the door.

100kms total for todays ride, 27km during the week, and 80km on Sunday take this weeks training total to 207 kms; which isnt bad, but I want to be doing more and more often training wise.... The Gravity 12hr coming up, and I may be racing solo there so I want to be on the money before then.

24 Hours In The Dirt...

2005-10-03T16:26:00.000+10:00

Welcome people, riders, friends and passers by...

Today makes the start of my Blogspot- which I created for a really big event I will be attending in a few months. The Kona 24 hour; a 24hour mountain bike race run by www.FullGasPromotions.com.au which I will be racing SOLO at. This will the 8th endurance race I have attended and will mark the first time I have gone 24hr's on the bike alone. It also kicks off my assault on the endurance racing calendar of 2006... Big things planned for 2006; let’s kick it off with a bang!

Over the next few months I will be updating this blog, with progress of my training- race results, a quest for the possibility of sponsorship and even just random thoughts... It will also play host to my new race bike build and other random thoughts. I hope you enjoy it!

Regards
Cúl-Báire
-Aaron