way behind with posts atm. lots LOTS LLOOOOOTTTTSSS going on. but the first thing is the girl’s now on the road with the upgrades. it was very seemless really with all things aligning properly… almost. the headset and cranks were installed at bikeminded. headset had a little issue with the crown race not able to be removed from the carbon steerer so we just left it on. it has caused a small gap at the base of the headset between there and the forks. no biggy but aesthetically its not perfect.

everything else works a treat. for the first time ever i installed everything, brakes, gears. as a virgin i was more than happy with the results and she is now running like a brand new bike. i would love to weight her now to see how much lighter she – i would estimate in the 800g if not more less than before.

first ride out i just tested everything and she flew. running the old durano’s change the handling and the whole bike mood. such lovely tires to roll on. second run out i took her for a KOM challenge – explorers road at glenbrook and the results were pretty impressive. i smashed out a fourth place and considering the company i am with at the pointy end of the ladder

in all its a totally new bike and bloody unreal.

i really do seem to be experiencing it atm. as a kid we had moto’s but a good friends brother passed away in an accident an i never really felt comfortable with the idea… but it is really starting to grow on me. i guess comfort and confidence can be attributed to the amount of road riding i have done over the past couple of years.

a 250 > 450 café race may seem cliché but i still love the size of the bikes and the low slung, almost slammed look/feel of them.

it would be the perfect way to get to work every OTHER day. or even just as a station runner. i’d love to build it all up myself as well but that would require a garage which RIGHT NOW we don’t have

stromlo worked. for once the results have proven to me what i am capable of, where i am really situated in the bigger picture and it also taught me a lot about what i need to do to complete REAL enduro racing… Read on…

i arrived reasonably well, set up camp and ended up in bed early enough to have a good nights sleep. when i woke i felt really rested and was in a good place ready to race. still totally solo, i moved out my table, placed my esky and prepped for the race as others around me erected their gazebo’s and made home for the day. my position was perfect on the straight out of transition and around the exact spot that you would start to brake before turning onto the tarmac to leave transition. perfect to slow down, replace bottles, smash a GU and head back out again.

i rego’d then started to run into people i knew, yarsen, poddy, bigdog, glenn from BMU and other familiar faces. ryan arrived and ended up setting up camp with me prepping with his girl for an assault on the 4hr solo. i had a chat to a few people just before the race began. poddy introduced me to andrew – a mate of his who was the same age as me. apparently gordo had been helping him out with some training. he ended up finishing 2nd place only 8 minutes in front of me [i'm going to say because of less fatigue, he was riding a dualie]

i planned on not placing myself too far up the front at the start line – causing me to be held up at the first climb bottleneck and then not over doing the first lap. it actually worked not too badly but i could have made up some more time if i was up just slightly further. nutrition wise i was going to stick to the exact plan i had devised from reading the hammer website – 240-280cal per hour. less solids more liquids. on the day i think this was another element that took me to a whole new level. it was bang on and even after i crossed the line i still felt as though i could continue on. in total it was 3 muesli bars, alternate GU electrolite bottles then a optimizer combined with every lap a GU gel. for once i didn’t over eat or drink and just powered through the day. i did have a few stomach pains but that was only once i had solids, which hammer had advised against. in all, racing for 7hrs with perfect nutrition was so rewarding.

to the race – the first lap i took my time and really felt as though i was in the zone. i rode extremely smoothly and was in such a good place physically and mentally. lap two was exactly the same even though i did drop the bike on break-out and did some pretty heavy damage to my hand i was still riding the right lines and really loving every pedal stroke, berm and climb.

all laps i felt as though i was in total control of what and where i was riding although i did feel isolated not ever knowing at any time my current placings in the 7hr male master solo category. i would love to have had some support just letting me know i was almost in reach of andrew. i had some issues with cramping which i just did as dave had always mentioned, mix up your cadence and bring it up higher. that worked a treat but this wasn’t the only cramping i had. i also had very heavy cramping in my arms and wrists whist riding down pork barrel and the backside technical sections. it seemed to settle down towards the later laps but i was conscious of it and compensated by stretched my hands etc out as much as possible any opportunities i had.

all laps i was riding the A-line except for the jump coming into the final ride to the line. i have ridden that jump before but always feel its more a risk of mechanical failure than worth the timing made up attacking it.

my lap splits were reasonably consistant with the best analysis being i wasn’t really slowing down. my 8th lap out of 9 was still delivering respectable times at that pointy end of the race. there was only a small part of lap 8 that i felt i may not do the 9th but i also knew the whole time that was NEVER going to happen. as mentioned, i felt really strong crossing the finish line and knew i could have kept riding al-be-it with a sore back.

yep, sore back, thats the one big issue i had physically. i need a dualie. theres just nothing else to say about it. definitely 29er HT would be good but for 7hrs+ racing a dualie to me seems totally essential. a 29er dualie… now where talking.

the other physical issue was the crash on lap 2. i must have landed on a rock with my hand which created a wide gash in my lower palm. wednesday this week i had it checked out and the doctor motioned to the fact it probably should have been stitched due to the width of the gash. it was clean and healing but will take some time as it must mend from bottom up, not across like most cuts. i also had to have a tetanis shot at the doctors, reminding me how much i FUCKEN hate needles.

mechanically carbo was amazing, no issues, no flats, but i did snap the left rail arm on the seat about 3/4 of the way through the 3rd last lap. i tried my best to not sit as much but i started to experience the beginnings to cramping in my legs when i constantly found myself stand-pedalling. to top it of in almost the same place on the final lap the other rail broke leaving me with not much confidence at all in sitting down. i still did but very tentatively each time expecting a shaft rod up my arse on any of the harsher technical sections.

crossing the line i was comfortable i had done well but unsure of my true track position. andrew had not long finished so i knew i was at best in second place. we both checked the timing computer to find the great news i had a podium! 3rd place with 9 laps in 7:22min. i didn’t even know he was there unti we were called up to the podium but rooney, once again, had taken first place with a really impressive race.

there’s no doubt now that i am an endurance racer with some – if only a little amount of potential. my results were above what i had expected finishing 3rd in male master solo – 9th overall from ALL 7hr solo riders. another one of those who gives a shit statistic as a solo i would have still one the pairs masters race.

two words. fuck & yeah

3rd Place Male Masters Solo – RockyTrail Entertainment MTB Cruise 2012 7hr Round 1 Stromlo 2012

with a crap lead-in tomorrow i race the so called A race of the year. pretty fail like as a lead in but thats to be expected…
7 hrs solo at stromlo is always going to be punishing but more than anything it is a mind field for tire mechanicals. after last weeks bundeena ride – more about that later – i made my way to blackmans yesterday to have the rear wheel trued. they thought it wasn’t really that bad but more needed a new tire.
i ended up leaving with a DD Racing Ralph. it wasn’t cheap but the side wall feels super strong and at only 540g it’s a great compromise.

at this point i have no idea what will transpire tomorrow. finishing is the focus – top 10 would be awesome.

i have never really liked red on bikes but hey, looks like i’ll be ok with it shortly. the girls’ about to get the biggest ever make over. she will not be the same bike. the list of components is extensive and exciting.