Let's get Down and Dirty!

Oh Yeeeah! :)

So for the last few weeks our minds have been on little else but preparation for the BikeSA Dirty Weekend, a 24 hour mountain bike race at the Fox Creek trails outside of Cudlee Creek. Many an odd look was cast our way at work when casually discussing our up and coming Dirty Weekend, much to our amusement! :D

This idea was born about a year ago when Miss V and myself headed to the Dirty Weekend to have a bit of a look and take some photos. Looking at the atmosphere and the event in general we thought that it seemed like a bit of a lark and that we should give this a bit of a shot. With such a long lead time between coming up with the crazy idea and implementing the crazy idea, it gave us some time (and motivation) to learn how to mountain bike a bit better! And there was plenty of learning to do. In the months leading up to the Dirty Weekend we were regular visitors to Fox Creek, trying to improve our skills and overall mountain biking fitness.  By the time the event arrived, we felt ready; not fast, but not dangerously under prepared either. As a bonus, we were able to rope in two other awesome people into our craziness; our ex colleague Anthony and our current colleague Meg.

Team Educated Guesswork secret training. 

Race Start and Lap 1 - 4

Team Educated Guesswork - Race day 

Race weekend arrived and everyone in our team, Team Educated Guesswork, were filled with nerves. We were joined at race start by Rob and Jill, who provided us with much needed support and a bit of informal management which was very much appreciated. We had decided to send out Anthony, our most experienced mountain biker, first from the start. From there the basic rotation was going to be Miss V, me and then Meg. I think from that point the nerves settled a bit. Camp was set up, the race was underway and the basic procedures for the race were known to us all. So it was just a case of getting out on course at the correct time, not injuring ourselves and basically enjoying things. Too easy.

Anthony on the first lap

We were all anxiously awaiting Anthony's arrival back at the transition zone to find out what the course conditions were like. When he arrived, everything sounded pretty positive. Two of the difficult parts that we'd practised in the previous weeks had been simplified which made everyone a little bit happier. Anthony tagged Miss V and she was away for her first lap. Anthony's lap time was faster than expected too, at a shade under 50 minutes, so he set the standard early on.

Miss V leaving the transition zone

With Miss V out on course I headed back to the tent to get myself organised. I was feeling strangely calm about the whole thing. I suspect because I knew the course and the conditions were pretty much perfect. I rolled down to the transition area and waited to see Miss V roll in. A few words in my ear about the state of the course and I was away!

By now the field had spread out and I was mostly by myself. As I reached the top of the first technical section I let a few riders go past to save them the hassle of trying to get past me on much narrower bits of the track. The first few corners of Drop Bear were a bit sketchy as I don't think I had quite got my eye in, but after that I felt really good. Lynskey seemed to be soaking up the trails, and I felt really smooth on the corners.  As I came up to the outcrops I had to tell myself not to get carried away and give it the respect it deserves as I know it's all too easy for me to lose it. I rode through them safely and without too much trouble, though definitely not setting any speed records. For the most part, the rest of the lap didn't give me too much trouble. The rains during the week had taken care of the dust that had been present on our reconnaissance rides in the previous weeks, and the trail maintenance crew had removed some of the more dangerous aspects of the course. By the time I was ascending the final couple of rises at the end of the lap, I think I was more than ready to hand over the reins to our next team mate Meg. The sight of the transition zone was more than welcome, where I tagged Meg and away she went, into the fading light as sunset fast approached.

CLP Lap 1 Strava Data

On coming off the track, I was greeted by Cathy and David who had come to check out the event and take a few photos. Awesome stuff. After a bit of a chat I rolled back to camp and enjoyed a fantastic sunset overlooking the city of Adelaide. As beautiful and dramatic as the view was, the clouds were closing in ominously, setting the stage for later drama.

Stunning sunset on Saturday night.

Saturday Night - Laps 5 - 8 

Meg pulled into the transition zone, looking fairly stoked with her ride as Anthony headed off for his second lap. With nightfall, the event village started taking on a bit of party atmosphere with lot of people milling about and checking out the action eating pizza and generally enjoying themselves. The predicted bad weather appeared to be holding off, which, I'll admit, had me thinking (somewhat optimistically) that it might miss us completely.

As Anthony arrived back in transition and Miss V headed back out the predicted bad weather appeared to be closing in. Within 10 minutes of the start of her lap there were the first signs of lightning in the far distance. That said, we couldn't hear any thunder so the lightning must have been some distance away. There was a little bit of light rain every now and again, which I wasn't too fussed about as it would help to keep the dust down. To be honest, I think I was more worried about Miss V stressing about the lightning! That concern extended a bit as Miss V hadn't arrived back in transition at the expected time.  As the minutes ticked by, I was wondering whether the conditions were a little trickier elsewhere on the course.  We soon found out as Miss V emerged from the darkness. A flat tyre.  Well, I guess that would slow things down a fraction.

With that mystery solved I headed out a little apprehensively on the first of my night laps, semi expecting things to get a bit wet and wild. Surprisingly, while the course was a little damp from the earlier showers, it seemed to help the surface become a little bit grippy. I reckon I found a bit of confidence in my riding during this lap, attacking a few of the corners harder than I would normally. That said, the lap time showed that I was slower overall than my first lap. I think this was partly due to fatigue in the legs, and partly because I was taking it a bit more cautiously due to the reduced night time visibility. Ten minutes slower on this lap than my last, which was still within reasonable bounds for me.

CLP Lap 2 Strava Data

After my second lap. Me smiling.
Photo c/ V. Riches

Meg was awaiting my arrival in transition. From memory, the only information I passed on was that the course was pretty awesome right now. And with that she burned off into the distance.

From this point on the general plan had changed a bit from what we originally planned. With the bad weather closing in there was general support to calling it a night and getting some rest.  Initially I was keen to keep going throughout the night, but my mind was fairly quickly swayed. Anthony mentioned that he was be keen to do one more night lap, so I thought that I might as well follow that example. The team plan was that we'd get up early and get a few laps in before the 12 and 6 hour riders got going in the morning.

Late Saturday Night, Early Sunday Morning - Laps 9 - 11 

Meg arrived back in transition and pulled off the course ready for a well earned rest as Anthony took off for his final lap of the night. At this point things were still reasonably dry, so I headed back to the tent and got myself ready to take over after Anthony had finished his lap.  As I was waiting the rain came, and then went. Repeatedly. Sometimes it was just a light shower, others a little bit harder. I'll admit to feeling like it might be a bad idea to ride out there again, but in the back of my mind I was thinking "How bad could it be?".

The rain appeared to clear as Anthony arrived back in transition which I took as a good omen for the lap ahead. I probably shouldn't have been so optimistic! Anthony mentioned that the trail wasn't too bad, though it was a bit slippery in places. With that, I headed out on my final lap of the night. Within a minute of me setting off the rain started bucketing down. There were thoughts about now about just pulling the pin on this lap and heading back to the warm, dry tent. However, I decided that I shouldn't let this put me off and kept going. With so few people out on course, it was actually quite peaceful and enjoyable.  The first part of the lap wasn't too bad as the tree cover sheltered the trail from much of the direct rain, but the second part of the lap was where things were getting a bit interesting. Small rivers appeared to be forming in the middle of many of the trails and traction appeared to be diminishing rapidly. I came to the conclusion that my skill level wasn't sufficient for the conditions and that I was way over my head so I essentially tip-toed my way around the remainder of the course, hoping that I wouldn't damage myself or the bike in the process.  Soon the transition zone came into view and the lap was done. By far my slowest lap, but realistically it didn't really matter.  I hung around the village area for a bit to wind down, before heading off for a snooze.

CLP Lap 3 Strava Data

Aftermath of my late night lap.

Sunday morning - Laps 12 and 13

In reality, I didn't get much sleep at all. The wild weather kept me awake for most of it, though I managed to doze off here and there before being woken by the tent walls slapping into me. The team plan was that Meg would be up at 5am to continue. I planned to message Meg to suggest to her not to ride if the weather was still awful, except I forgot.  In a bit of a daze, I noticed lights outside the tent, which had me thinking "someone's pretty keen to be heading out in these conditions". Only too late did I realise that it was Meg heading off.  Some frantic messaging and racing down to the transition area, but it was too late as Meg was already out on her lap. A few more messages and we agreed that we'd wait until the weather cleared a bit before heading out.  I made sure to meet Meg after her lap so she'd know no one was coming out to take over. When she finally arrived, it looked like she'd had a pretty epic lap.

Things were still pretty muddy during Meg's lap

The team gathered and watched as other competitors continued lapping in the early morning, all the while keeping an eye on the trail to see if it had dried sufficiently to go for another lap. On the whole, I think we all weren't super keen to get out there. Meg reckoned she was done for the day and both Miss V and myself were fairly comfortable sitting out for  a while.  Anthony decided to start another lap just before 8am. On his return we grilled him for information about the trail conditions. Despite a fairly positive report, both Miss V and I stayed put, content to watch other riders as they negotiated the outcrops section and making ourselves useful by loaning out our track pump to riders as they punctured on the outcrops.

Sunday Afternoon - A final fling - Laps 13 and 14

With about 2 hours remaining in the race, I decided to get out and have another go. I was a bit hesitant, but I'm really glad I did as it was pretty enjoyable run. My second fastest lap, with none of the fear inducing conditions that I faced the night before. So it felt like I was finishing my weekend on a high note.

CLP Lap 4 Strava Data

Miss V was waiting in transition for me all kitted up. She had decided that she'd do another lap dependent on a favourable trail report from me. My report: Hell yes it was good! get out there!   And with that the final lap for Team Educated Guesswork was started.

Miss V bringing it home for the team.

Wrap up 

For a team of Dirty Weekend newbies and in some cases, mountain biking novices, I think the event was initially quite overwhelming. however we all got into the swing of things and really enjoyed ourselves. Not everything went to plan, primarily the weather, however that's really just part of the event. Our team did a total of 14 laps, last in our category, finishing a mere 3 minutes behind our nearest rival. To put our effort into perspective, the winning team in our category did a massive 34 laps, and the winner of the solo male category did an incredible 29 laps. So, we weren't fast, but we definitely enjoyed ourselves.

Will we be back?  If I was a betting man, I would put money on it ;)

Amy's Gran Fondo 2015

Leadup

Having bid farewell to what, in truth, was a bloody awful winter, we arrived at September, full of hope and anticipation for our trip to Lorne for our fourth Amy's Gran Fondo. Both Miss V and I had battled through a horror cold and flu season and survived. From memory, we were ill no less than four times within three months. This really took a toll on not just our training but our mental strength.  We did manage to squeeze in a few last minute training rides through the Adelaide Hills which helped ease our minds that we were both up to the challenge of the Gran Fondo.  Alas, in the final week before heading off Miss V started struggling with a bad back. Maybe one day we'll both arrive in Lorne 100% fit! Unfortunately, it wasn't this year though!

Friday

We drove over on the Friday as usual, feeling surprisingly relaxed about the trip. Unusually, the weather on the way over was warm, clear and pretty close to perfect! Maybe this contributed to our higher than usual spirits. Every other year we've travelled through rain and storms, so much nicer this time. The weather forecast indicated that the entire weekend would have perfect weather, which once again seemed outside the norms that we'd come to expect from this trip.

We rolled into Lorne late on Friday night, and found our accommodation. This year we were unable to get our usual accommodation, so we tried somewhere a little different. Our little courtyard was pretty much overlooking the Gran Fondo start line; Handy! The people running the place were fantastic, ringing us up as we were driving over to find out what sort of wine we like so that they could leave a couple of bottles in the room for us. Unpacked and settled in, we did our yearly pilgrimage to Chopstix to get some late night noodles and rice. We bumped into Smudge Monkee Tim while we were there, which was a pleasant surprise since we had no idea any of the other Smudge Monkees would be there. While waiting for our food and chatting to Tim we also caught up with Gran Fondo first timers Brett and Karen.

Saturday

Saturday morning in Lorne can mean only one thing! Breakfast at the Lick and Sip Cafe!  Much like our Friday night dinner at Chopstix, this has been our traditional go-to place for breakfast. Sitting and watching the build up in the town and seeing multitudes of cyclists cruising by while digging into a big breakfast seems to snap the brain into holiday mode. It's also a nice way to sit and plan the day. Naturally, a bit of spin on the bikes was in order, but also a look about the shops and the Gran Fondo village. The weather was warm and sunny, though there was a bit of breeze about the place. Fortunately this year the safety briefings could be done online, so we didn't have to organise around those.

Picture perfect in Lorne. View from our motel room.

With breakfast done and dusted, we headed back to our room and got ourselves ready to ride. There was a bit of concern as to how far Miss V would be able to ride today given her sore back, but she was determined to get out, even if if was just for a little while to make sure her bike was running smoothly.  I had been hoping during the year that we might head in the opposite direction to usual and head towards Anglesea, but with Miss V not 100% we decided that the tried and trusted route was the order of the day. As is usual for the Gran Fondo Saturday, cyclists or all sorts were out enjoying the sensational cycling that is available along the Great Ocean Road.

We made it to just past Mount Defiance which, in truth, was further than I thought we'd go this morning. This either meant that Miss V's back was all happy, or that she'd pushed herself beyond what she ought to. I was desperately hoping that it was the former.  We stopped to take advantage of the beautiful clear skies to take some photos before we headed back to Lorne.  Since Miss V was in her PACC of Bobs kit, I thought it would be cool to get a shot of her riding on the Great Ocean Road with the beautiful blue sea and sky in the background. Easier said than done it should be noted!

Red Flash and Pinny take a break

CLP and Miss V on the Great Ocean Road

PACC of Bobs on the Great Ocean Road.

One aspect of our different accommodation this year was a fairly steep hill to get home. When I say steep, I mean the same steep hill that they hold the Amy's Wall competition on! Of course, having arrived back in Lorne I decided to ride past our accommodation and ride the entire Amy's Wall section. It took me a little over a minute to cover the 100 metre stretch, compared to ~14 seconds for the top competitors. I think with a little training I might be able to take out the competition ;)

Strava Data

After a short rest we wandered around the shops of Lorne before gravitating towards the Gran Fondo village. During our brief walk about we were fortunate enough to bump into two of the most lovely people you're ever likely to meet, Mary and Denis Safe, parents of Amy Gillett. We chatted for a while about the event and the weekend and found that it'd be Denis' first time riding in the event. Great stuff!

A new event on the schedule for this Gran Fondo weekend was a Womens NRS criterium along the main drag of Lorne. This was terrific, and got a lot of crowd support. The course simple, and yet was deceptively difficult with a small climb each lap which quickly blew the field apart. I hope this event comes back next year! Shortly after the criterium was the second running on the Amy's Wall hill climb event. Great atmosphere around this one, especially with all the cool lighting effects running along the side of the course.

Amy's Wall. Great atmosphere!

Dinner for the evening was from a new (to us) Japanese place (Umisango) which had some delicious looking dishes on offer. Miss V and I opted for a bento box each, along with some fried dumplings and a seaweed salad. Undoubtedly the perfect fuel for the big ride on Sunday.

As is our Gran Fondo Saturday night ritual, the bikes and equipment were prepared, with numbers and all the various required stickers applied,  ready for the big ride in the morning; and then off to bed.

Ready to roll in the morning.

Sunday

The big day!
Being so close to the start line, we awoke to the sound of the PA test and the announcements for the Womens Road Race that starts before the Gran Fondo.  After a fairly relaxed start we rolled down the hill to the start location. We found our start group and waited for the start.

The weather for this Gran Fondo has been perfect; with this one being the first one that Miss V and I have done minus a full compliment of arm and leg warmers.

A common theme for this trip was bumping into fellow Adelaideans in Lorne. On the start line was no exception and we had a chat to our friend and Gran Fondo first timer, Peter, as we waited.

Miss V on the start line, possibly hiding some
doubts about finishing.

Soon we were hearing the groups in front being given their starting orders. First the age group category riders, and then eventually the recreational riders, which included us. This is probably the most frustrating thing about this (and to be fair, other) community rides, waiting to get going. Unfortunately, there's probably no realistic way to get about 5000 people off the line any quicker! However, once you're out on the Great Ocean Road, locals coming out to greet you as you go past, then all that frustration vanishes and you can settle in and enjoy yourself. As mentioned previously, this has been the fourth time that we've done this event and I have to say, the scenery along here feels just as spectacular as the first time we headed along here.

View from the Great Ocean Road.

Not long into the ride Brett caught up to us from his position near the back of the start line. Nice work!   As there's a cut off time to arrive at Skenes Creek it's fairly important to keep the speed up. This obviously isn't set up as a tourist ride where you can stop and take photos along the way.  Also, the more time you make up along this fast section, the more time you have up your sleeve later in the day to meet the later cut off times.

Brett and Miss V rolling along the Great Ocean Road

Brett looking like he's enjoying his Gran Fondo experience

 Brett catching up to us worked pretty well for all three of us since we could organise ourselves into a mini paceline and keep the speed up. To top things off we had a sensational tail wind for most of the run into Skenes Creek which meant that the Great Ocean Road stretch was fairly relaxed since we weren't fighting nature to get there! Unfortunately during this stretch we came across a few crashes. Given the outstanding safety record prior to this year, it was a bit disappointing seeing so many riders on the ground this year.

Skenes Creek Climb

We arrived at Skenes Creek in pretty reasonable time. Not a PB, but a pretty reasonable average speed and with ample time to spare.  From here Miss V and I (and Brett this time!) did what we have always done and take it at our own pace and meet at the top. Of interest would be to see how Brett's first time up Skenes Creek Road would go. It's not a super steep climb, so I had no doubt that he'd make it up there; but it's fairly long so it's easy to put yourself in a world of hurt early on and never really recover. Even more so if you're not familiar with the climb. Miss V on the other hand; I know she's fully capable of smashing herself up this climb, though I was a little worried that she might over do it and struggle for the rest of the ride given that her preparation for the event hasn't been ideal. I didn't feel super quick on the climb myself, but much to my surprise I managed a PB, knocking nearly a minute off my best.

Having got to the top I waited to see some familiar faces crest the KOM point. A weary looking Brett was the first to appear, while not too long after that Miss V crested the hill. She looked like she'd kept a little in the tank and not gone all out which was good to see. We headed downhill to the post-KOM rest stop at Mount Sabine to stock up on water and have a bit of a breather. Sadly, there were no bagpipe players this year, but there was water and food which was frustratingly absent last year by the time we got there.

Miss V at the KOM point

Mount Sabine to Forrest

After the rest stop we rolled out and headed towards the next stop at Forrest.  This bit is predominantly downhill, though there's a few small climbs to negotiate. Having told Brett that it's "all downhill to Forrest" I was reminded of the inaccuracy of that statement a few times when the road started heading upwards. Fair enough too I guess. I'm sure Brett learned his lesson and won't listen to me any more :D

It's all downhill from here Brett, trust me! 

Forrest to Deans Marsh

The section through Barwon Downs after Forrest is pretty and undulating, but can be a bit of a drag is there's a bit of wind about. Unfortunately we did have a bit of a breeze, though not quite as bad as in previous years. By this time Miss V seemed to be reaching the end of her energy reserves and was starting to struggle a little. Brett had shot up a ahead a bit though was still within reach.

Our overall pace had slowed a fair bit compared to earlier in the day and our time gains were slowly being whittled away. I'll admit to being a little concerned that we might be pulled from the course at the final rest stop, so I jumped in front in the hope that I could shield Miss V from the wind a bit and tow her to the final rest stop. Fortunately Miss V has ample experience in following a wheel from all her cyclosportif and racing experience and so she jumped in behind me and hung on for dear life. We made it to the last rest stop before the final time cutoff which was a massive relief. Huge effort from Miss V!

Deans Marsh to Benwerrin

The final climb of the day is really two climbs with a short downhill in between them. Fortunately I knew to leave a little in reserve for the final effort as it usually catches people unawares. So many people seem to push themselves so hard at the beginning and find themselves walking the last 500 metres.  As is usual Miss V and I went at our own respective paces. I think I went reasonably quickly out of the blocks, but then wound it back a little to make sure I got to the end in reasonable shape. I didn't feel like I had a PB in me at that time after pushing into the wind earlier, so there seemed little point trying to get one!

I got to the finish to find a Wiggle tent handing out muffins and assorted cakes, so I grabbed an apple crumble. Very delicious. I was hoping to take photos of Brett and Miss V as they finished, but sadly Brett arrived too quickly and I still had a handful of apple crumble rather than camera as he crossed the line. I think the last climb really took it out of him as he seemed to be slumped over his handlebars for some time. Alternatively Brett really likes looking closely at his stem. Not too long after, the familiar figure of the awesome Miss V came into view powering up the final climb.

POW! Job done! Miss V being awesome!

CLP and Miss V at the finish. Good times!

After a bit of a breather we headed back down the hill into Lorne to meet up with Karen at the Gran Fondo village and to refuel with the provided pasta meal.  A full 10km descent is always just the perfect way to end the ride and wind down. We sat around on the grassed area of the event village and recounted the days activities, and watched as other riders made their way to the village; each and every one with a smile after a fantastic day out on the bike.

Strava data

Post Ride

Sadly the spa in our hotel room wasn't working, but we did finish the evening with a delicious pizza from Pizza Pizza, gelati and a bottle of wine. This too is pretty much our go-to meal post Gran Fondo, and it's pretty much hard to beat when the legs are feeling pretty smashed!

So that pretty much wrapped up the fourth edition of CLP and Miss V's Gran Fondo adventure. Apparently if we sign up for our fifth event we get VIP entry. Do we think we'll be back?  damn straight!  Hopefully we'll run into even more Adelaide friends next time!

Thanks for reading! :)

Outback Odyssey 2015 - Getting Home and Wrap Up

Rise and Shine!

For our final morning we were provided with a cooked breakfast to get us through the long day of travelling.  I think Miss V and I were a little slow off the mark in getting our stuff together, but I don't think we were the only ones.

The trip back to Melrose

Some of the first issues that we noticed in this tour only started to appear at this point when it was mentioned that there were more bikes heading back to Melrose than had been allocated for. I'm not really sure how or why, but given that these things were being verified at Hawker, it's all a little confusing. As a result of this, our bikes and bags were loaded in a second luggage trailer attached to an Adelaide bound bus, rather than with the other gear heading to Melrose. We just needed to hope that our bikes and luggage appeared at Melrose with us!

The trip back to Melrose was a bit of a drama in itself. Initially a message came through that a driver thought they saw something fly off the back of the large bike transport truck. A little bit of time was spent trying to verify that there were no bikes laying in the middle of the highway. Then a little further up the road the Adelaide bound bus broke down with a broken alternator belt.

After some fantastic organisation and re-jigging of buses and trailers, we were headed back to Melrose. Unfortunately others were left at the side of the road while they rigged something up to get the bus moving again.

It was in Melrose that the first breakage of the trip happened. The bus driver was fairly heavy handed trying to get the bike out of the trailer and caught my pump on some luggage. I also have noticed that due to the bike not being protected that well in the trailer, the sticker on the top tube is partially scrubbed off. So, the better part of $100 worth of damage just on the trip back to Melrose. Not overly thrilled by that to be honest. Admittedly it's minor stuff, but all the same, it takes a bit of the shine off the week.

Wrap up

Even though we were only part of the event for five days, it felt like a bike of a roller coaster ride. The first day really wasn't much fun, but each subsequent day became progressively better, with the trails becoming more fun to ride and the scenery more impressive. I'm happy to report that my knees withstood the ride without too much trouble too. My new bike handled the terrain like a dream, though in some places I really wish I had my dual suspension bike underneath me!

Something that was really nice was bumping into a group of three guys (Fred, Andrew and Ian) that we met on Kangaroo Island two years ago. The three of them being on the trip, along with their constant hilarious banter, was the icing on the cake for the trip. Another plus was continually leap frogging another couple, Conrad and Judy pretty much every day. We'd pass them when they stopped to take photos, and vice versa. Turns out that they had also been on the Kangaroo Island Annual Tour, which was why they looked so familiar!

Would I do it again? Maybe. It might depend on what the goal is. If the goal is to ride Mawson Trail from start to finish, then I can't think of a better option. If the goal is simply to ride in the Flinders Ranges, then there are a few other options that we could seriously consider. One of the downsides to doing a tour like this is that you're always running to someone else's schedule, which can be a little draining after a while. 

This year Miss V and I had pencilled in to do the full Mawson Trail, but that was dependent on having completed the Mini Mawson 2 without difficulty last time. Obviously that didn't go to plan, hence the choice to take on another Mini Mawson. So we might have to have a think about whether in two years time we wish to ride the entire Mawson trail. It's something that I think I'd like to tick off the to-do list, but I'm not sure what time frame I should set for myself to complete it.

If we were to take on the full length Outback Odyssey, I think it's likely that we'd take on the deluxe camping option, coupled with hotel rooms on the rest days. I think this would eliminate some of the stress involved in getting us out on the road at a reasonable time, and making sure that we find a place for our tent each evening! I reckon the tent pack down and set up each day is worth about one and a half hours each and every day. Time that could be better spent exploring places on route or in any of the small towns we visit each day.

All in all, a really well run event by Bike SA and the local communities along the way, and one that I would recommend to others. If anyone is thinking of doing just one of the Mini Mawson rides, I'd definitely go for the third section since the scenery is just stunning and riding is a lot of fun.

I'm happy to answer any questions about our experience on this trip, should anyone be contemplating it in two years time.

Thanks for reading!

Outback Odyssey 2015 - Day 5

Mini Mawson 3 - Wilpena Pound to Blinman - 67km

Our final day, taking us from Wilpena Pound to Blinman for a well earned refreshment.

Smudge Monkees! Representin'!

Both Miss V and I jumped into our Smudge Monkees kit for this day. As a group that does so much to support other people, it seemed "right" for us to represent Smudge Monkees on this day, and hopefully drum up a bit of interest along the way. There were a few questions about the group, particularly about the "Black Dog Racing" graphic on my sleeve, and I overheard a few more comments between other riders talking about it. Job done :)

There was almost a feeling of relief as people were heading out of the camp this morning, with people knowing that this was their final day and that nothing, barring catastrophic failure, was going to stop them reaching their final destination. We had been told that the final day was going to be a lot of fun riding, and it very much delivered on that promise. Pulling out of Wilpena Pound we joined some trails which would wind their way through some lovely woodland areas. We had been warned that there might be a few points where rain run off had created channels across the road, so we were on the constant look out for those.

Stunning scenery to start the day

Fun trails out of Wilpena Pound

When we approached one of these channels (for the most part) we were going at a decent enough speed that we could just unload the front wheel and the bike floated across the gap in the road. As with the previous days, we had a number of creek crossings to negotiate, though today they seemed to be much more frequent and quite incised into the landscape. Our only near miss incident came when a creek crossing was coupled with a deep channel; Having successfully cleared it I stopped to try to warn Miss V about it, but I was too late, and watched as she was bounced uncomfortably airborne after hitting the channel. She landed on her wheels, so no harm done!

Miss V winding her way through the trees

Razorback Lookout

One part that took us a little by surprise was the approach to Razorback Lookout. Having finished our lovely sweeping descent, we turned a corner to see an imposing wall in front of us. The impact was comparable to the view when approaching Checker Hill just outside Kersbrook. Lots of people were walking along here, but I think I was too stubborn and got myself up to the half way point with fewer difficulties than expected. Lynskey is awesome like that :)  A few photos from this vantage point, then back onto the bike to reach the top.

From this point is where the classic outback Outback Odyssey promotional shot is taken, looking back onto the winding road below. This was one of those special moments of the tour for me. Cresting a high peak, looking back at the Flinders Ranges in the background, with the winding road I've just ridden in the foreground. A short distance later we arrived at our morning tea stop, our final one for the trip.

Razorback Lookout!

We had been warned that the turn off a short distance after morning tea was easy to miss, so we had our eyes peeled to make sure that we found the turn off marker.  It turns out that it was also a convenient location for a photo that I had wanted to take involving my Smudge Monkees cap.

Smudge Monkees on the Mawson Trail

This trail was markedly different from the ones we rode in the morning, with the vegetation noticeably sparser as the trail went on, except in the direct vicinity of the various creeks that we had to cross.  Most of the trail after morning tea was heading in the upwards direction, mostly easy gradients, but there was the occasional steep climb that had the quads burning.

Pulling into the lunch stop, we knew that there was only 18 km left to go, all of it on a sealed road. It felt a little odd thinking that the same time tomorrow we'd be heading home and not on a bike.

We had to pass our accommodation for the night (Alpana Station) on the way to the Blinman hotel, so as we were travelling towards our destination there was a constant stream of riders travelling back the other way, most of whom would give a thumbs up and a word of congratulation as we passed. After a few rises in the road we finally arrived at Blinman, and then a short while later we joined our riding mates at the Blinman Hotel.

Lynskey and Maretta arrive at Blinman

Three generations of Mawson trail markers

Happy and relieved Miss V.

Knowing that so many had done the full 900+ km distance, I felt that my own achievement was fairly dwarfed by theirs. All the same, I knew my reasons for only tackling the shorter distance, and I felt good about achieving what I had set out to do.

After a cold beer sitting outside the Blinman North Hotel, Miss V and I saddled up to roll back to Alpana Station. Job Done! :)

Dinner was prepared by the Blinman progress society and was an outstanding way to finish the tour. We were treated to a delicious vegetable soup, followed by big serving of roast beef with vegetables. Once again, local community groups have impressed, going above and beyond with their hospitality.

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Final night on the tour for the Taj

Outback Odyssey 2015 - Day 4

Mini Mawson 3 - Rawnsley Park to Wilpena Pound - 27km

The shortest day in our adventure, but one that was a lot of fun. A short day meant that there was much less pressure to keep moving, meaning that we could stop and appreciate the scenery, and of course take more photos! This shorter section was new for this year to enable people to enjoy explore Wilpena Pound should they have the energy. Personally I think it was a big win. Others that have done previous editions of the Odyssey seemed to share that view.

Overnight the temperatures had dropped and I found myself shivering in my sleeping bag, despite multiple layers of clothing. Fortunately being a short day we could ease into the task of getting out of bed.

While we were preparing to head out for the day, we ran into ride marshall Chris, who was admiring our bikes. He declared Miss V and I the Bike Porn King and Queen! I'm not really convinced that this is an official royal title, nor that Chris has the authority to bestow royal titles on people, but it made us laugh.

The first part of the day was over single track like trails through Rawnsley Park. These were a lot of fun, with an interesting mix of surfaces and terrain. Like yesterday, there were multiple creek crossings which were super fun. There was also an interesting mix of scenery,  After a brief stint on the sealed road we were back on the trails for the last 15 or so kilometers. These were similar to some of the trails yesterday, traversing fairly open fields.

Lynskey and Maretta taking a break	Miss V tackling a creek crossing
Miss V on the trails	Impressive scenery

Rolling into Wilpena Pound we found camping spots in short supply. We initially found a place, but the ground was so hard that we couldn't hammer our pegs in! Having relocated the tent, all was good!

Lynskey and Maretta arrive at Wilpena Pound

A smorgasboard lunch was provided by the Wilpena Pound resort which was much appreciated. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and doing a bit of bike maintenance. Both Miss V and I are thinking that a trip up here for a long weekend might be on the cards as a single afternoon here couldn't possibly do it justice.

Dinner was a pretty impressive affair with pumpkin soup, chicken, pasta, beef stroganoff,  potato wedges, and vegetables for the main course, and lemon meringue for dessert. This meal certainly made up for last night's meal.

During the night we had the appropriately named Port Augusta band "On ya bike" playing for us, pumping out some awesome classic tunes. They definitely got my attention when they performed a brilliant cover of the ZZ Top classic "Tush". Full marks.

Final day of riding tomorrow, so everyone in the camp is full of optimism and looking forward to a trouble free day.

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Outback Odyssey 2015 - Day 3

Mini Mawson 3 - Hawker to Rawnsley Park Station - 95km

Good Morning World!

Today was the second longest day in succession, and one that might break the legs. Any ride following yesterday would need to be pretty special to match the scenery we saw. Amazingly, it more than delivered. The day started in the most amazing way. Looking towards the ranges to the west, the early morning sunlight bathed everything in a dramatic red hue. Completely blown away.

What a sensational start to the morning!

Heading out of Hawker we had a super smooth run, clipping along at some pretty comfortable speeds. The trails here were nice and forgiving, allowing us to check out the scenery around us. We had a lot of creek crossings, which were fun as we would approach them at a respectable speed and could just blast over them and up the other side.

Somewhat unexpectedly we came across a lavish marble memorial to Douglas Bruce, dating to 1873. Given the size of the tomb, and the effort that would have been required to transport it to such a remote location, I have been surprised that I've been able to find precious little about who Douglas Bruce was!

Tomb of Douglas Bruce

Serious Cycling Begins

We also started getting a few fairly steep climbs and descents. One descent in particular we were warned that it might be best to walk. They could have sign posted it a bit better because I had already ridden half way down by the time I stopped to take some photos. Admittedly the second part of the descent seemed a lot more treacherous than the first part I rode down. Possibly knowing what lay ahead I'd give the descent a bit of a crack, though potentially putting your trip at risk just to say you can ride down a single rocky descent doesn't make a lot of sense.

Tricky rocky descent

Throughout the day the surrounding ranges grew larger in our vision, contrasting against the dark clouds acting as a dramatic backdrop. I think everyone we bumped into along the way felt awestruck by the surroundings. Light would peek through the clouds at various times, highlighting different parts of the ranges, obviously requiring a photo stop!

Impressive scenery like this was around us all day.

Miss V - enjoying the surroundings

Lynskey and Maretta resting..

After lunch was an entirely different matter. About 27km of corrugated roads into a cold head wind. Not fun. I don't think anyone enjoyed this. It was pretty difficult to appreciate the scenery with your eyeballs bouncing around in their sockets. A pity really. It was with some relief we turned off this road onto a nice sealed road. The road was a little on the hilly side of things, but at least it was smooth.

We rolled into Rawnsley Park fairly exhausted and feeling a little beaten up, only to find that there were limited spaces available that would accommodate our tent. Eventually I noticed that one of the campsite's permanent tents towards the top of the hill was missing, and that our tent would find neatly in the gap created by it's absence. We were pretty high up on the hill, but we were still well sheltered from any wind gusts.

Lynskey and Maretta arrive at Rawnsley Park

Always look back from where you've been!

As Rawnsley Park is set up as a tourist resort, I was looking forward to a pretty special meal. Unfortunately I can't say that I was that impressed with what was served up. Dinner consisted of a potato and leek soup that lacked any real flavour, a lasagne for the main course that appeared to only have one paltry layer, and an apple crumble that, to the chef's credit was pretty awesome. Fairly disappointed all things considered. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Miss V's awesome cooking when I'm at home, but I would have expected a chef to be able to serve up a lot better than we received.

Tomorrow is a much shorter day for us, though there is a relatively large amount of climbing. Hopefully we're able to get in early enough to have a bit of a rest and maybe a bit of a look around Wilpena Pound.

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