Tuesday Night Dirt Crits

Spring Racing is here!

They want to run a Crit Every first and Third Tuesday of the month

Starting with the 22nd of September

6.30pm Ivanhoe crit course (see map)

$5 entry

Current MTBA License is essential

Check here for details.

Degani Kinglake Ride 2009

Sorry no pictures were taken as it was too wet.

With Ascend being sponsors of the Degani Kinglake Ride, Ash and myself got an invite to join in as Ascends' riding ambassadors, whereby we get amongst it out on the road with the other participants, and hand out some of the sensational Recovery bars during the ride. John, Nat, Matt and Rohin also attended.

We all set out to complete the 120km leg, but for some, this was not the final outcome. The morning started off with record high overnight temperatures for this time of year. So most, including me didn’t pack the appropriate kit for the weather we were about to ride into.

Just as it was time to get to the start line the rain hit us. John arrived in the nick of time and once he sorted out his wardrobe malfunction (broken wind vest zip), stuck in the middle while being worn, we were off. To justify John's situation his wife Kate cooks great scones!

Heading out of Whittlesea the rain smashed us from all sides and this set the mood for the next 2hrs. John’s ride with the lead group ended about 15 minutes in, he suffered a PSI issue and was forced to change his tube. He also managed to get another 3 flats and had to cut his ride back to the 70km loop as he ran out of Ascend bars to swap for tubes.

Then it was Ash’s turn. 40 minutes in he also had a flat…, tube that is. He was just as unlucky as JC and suffered 4 flats in total but was happy to complete the 120km loop with 3000 of his friends.

As for the rest of us, we were very lucky and had no flats throughout the day. The “Will Walker timed climb”, up the Kinglake road to Kinglake turned out to be a solid hit out. Rohin, myself and one other rider rolled turns until we hit the roundabout at the top averaging around 24.5kms per hr.

For the next 80kms we smashed ourselves silly in the pelting rain. At one point all I could do was laugh. The rain was so heavy I couldn’t see 10 metres if front of me. We were sitting on 60km per hr and no one was backing off. The bunch may have been wet and cold but everyone loved it.

Nat made the mistake of taking a short mental brake at Castella and found himself 300m off the back and was unable to make it back into the group. He had a very long ride by himself until he was able to mingle with the 70km riders.

Matt turned himself inside out all day long and was always keen to roll a turn. He had had a fantastic day and I do think he rolled across the line as the fourth rider to finish the 120k loop.

At around the 90k mark the group had splintered down to 7 riders and we had one more climb to go. With one of the boys having itchy feet, he felt the need to attack and put 200m into us. As we reached the top I was dropped and Rohin bridged the gap.

The boys sat between 2-300m up the road for the next 10kms. I chased like a mad man with the hope of bridging the gap on the descent and flat section before the finish. As we hit the bottom of the hill, the gap had closed and itchy new I was coming back. Rohin as a true ‘mate’, didn’t look back once and kept the power on.

400m from the finish I bridged the gap and Rohin still didn’t know I was there.

100m out I rolled past Rohin and his surprised yell of, “JASE”.

We turned left and rolled across the line in 3hrs17min.

Big thanks to Ascend, Supersprint and Degani for putting on a great day for all to enjoy.

Riding that long road back...

Turns out you've gotta be quick even on the keyboard.

After emails and texts, and even some photos, I have everything ready to go, only to find that Jack's beaten me to it.

So all the good oil on the U23 race today is over at Felt Racing, so clickety click over there!

Worlds mania

With the MTB Worlds running in Canberra, and every mad mountain biker making the pilgrimage to see the best in the world fight it out, it seems only fair that we should up the post rate here at Epix. Deluded logic, but its early so bear with us...

With the Vandy's ripping it up all over the place (Neil capturing one of the largest prize purses I've heard of, and Paul taking the eraser the AIS record book and entering his own name), you know that there is some serious form getting around. Whilst there are plenty of riders deserving of your support, including the Norris, J-blood, and a bunch more awesome Aussies.

If you can't be there, you know that Freecaster has got you covered!!



6.30pm TONIGHT - Thats friday! This should be the link to watch the 4Cross. Watch Gravey get out there and *hopefully* get up on the box!

http://freecaster.tv/live/mtb/1007130/uci-mountain-bike-world-championship-dh-4x


And so thats it for this morning. Next weekend is Degani Bakery Kinglake ride, proudly supported by the awesome folk at Ascend and we'll be there, and following that the first Epix will be gettting underway. The planning and logistics are just awesome, involving a pub, shuttles, the grand final and the most amount of new outer metro singletrack that I've seen in years! Its going to be awesome! (there's that word again.. ) I'm going to work...

Out...

Can we connect the dots....?

Hello,

Round 7 of the state enduro series will be at Officer Scout Camp (6hr) on the 15th of November. Enter via http://www.entryzone.bighillevents.com.au/.

On the 27th of September, our final winter series XC race will take place @ Officer Scout Camp. Details are on the website: www.ftf.com.au

And finally, in association with the final XC winter series round @ Officer, after the race surrounding the scout hall there will be a 'car boot' sale. The tradition is as follows.

Many years ago, the well healed and pseudo pros started a tradition of Car Boot type sales at mountain bike races. Gold coin donations for unwanted used tires, simply crazy prices on gear that was cluttering up sheds and bedrooms alike was available for cash-cash on the day, or deals would go on for weeks following. In the end, the up and comers in the sport would be able to afford top notch equipment (albeit second hand) that wouldn't be otherwise possible, and the upper level riders could both clean out their excess equipment and know that they were in effect putting something back into the sport.

Perhaps the time is right once again , with the spiraling economic whohaa trundling along, the car boot sale concept is coming back once again. So get to the shed/bedroom/wherever it may be and have a good clean up. Then load all the stuff you've collected into your little car/bob trailer and get on out to officer and support the club/fellow racers/your own hip pocket, and don't tell the tax man. Prices are however low you can take 'em, but the principal is DIRT cheap!

A bizarre promotional trailer for a mountain bike film...

Jason and I managed to make it out for 'burbs tonight, and I can tell you from my end it was Epic in its own right. Quite a ride to come back onto the bike with, and it tore me a new one, but getting back on the pony is always tough and takes a few weeks to get over the hump. Nothing more to do than get after it!

Whilst I grovelled home, I had to laugh at some clown. Either he could tell I was a ruined unit, or he was just a comedian, but riding a large supermotard bike like this


rode up beside me on a large main road, and proceeded to pass me on one wheel, with his legs off the bike pedaling... What a smartarse, and I know that he would have been laughing in his helmet as much as I was laughing under mine.

I just thought I'd share that lil gem, as it made me laugh when I thought I was all out of giggles!

Its all starting to happen. With a manic winter with plenty going on, things are slowly starting to organize themselves at Felt Epix. The Epix are starting to form thick and fast, and hence we are both scrambling to get back out on the bikes after a winter layup (but not rest!). The Degani Kinglake ride comes around in a few short weeks, taking in some of the great terrain out that way.

Following that, the BigMak Epix will be taking flight around a similar area but utilising a little known series of trails to connect two well known places. Obviously I'm not giving too much away here, but you know that we'll let more slip the closer we get!

The Big George Invitaional is also slated for later in the year, taking in 4 racetracks in one day, linking them all together into one huge loop, so that's looking Epic as well.

And all is this is before we attempt Ballarat to Bendigo, and also venture into the High Country for plenty of lunacy in the Alpine National Park

So whilst it might be quiet here at the moment, stick around! Pretty colours and tall tales shall abound shortly!

In the meantime, we leave you with this amazing video - slighly bizarre, certainly borrowed from Fyx and amazing none the less! I'm heading back to the fridge for more Recovery to help my poor busted body come good!

When one needs to recover…

School night torture.

You know your getting serious when you have got your bike strapped to the trainer on a school night. But with the Degani ride coming up I need all the help I can get.

The BIG news that has sparked off all this structured training, is news that Nat Dunn has found him self a sponsor. Look out for the skinny boy in a fresh team Ascend kit! The lad is packing some horse power under the bonnet. You may have seen Nat in some of our Epix rides in the past. He has earned the respect from some of the best MTB riders in the country as a hard arse that always leaves one gear to spare, as Nat says, “you never know whats around the next corner”.

As for the next Epix ride? The site has been chosen and the route has a few tweaks needed before we hit the trails. The finish will be welcomed by all and with the promise that all will be well hydrated.

In search.

The blog posts may have slowed of late, but in the real world life is moving at sub-sonic speed. The MTB rides have taken a slight curve and have been ridden on the black top for some ‘time in the saddle’. Hard arse Nat is back in flying form and Mr T is gearing up for some up and coming adventure races which has inspired me to head out with the boys early Saturday mornings. As we are all fathers we need to head out early to get the k’s in before the little people are calling. 6am we head out in search of some fitness and solitude to put the working week behind us and to set us up for a weekend with the family and domestic duties.


With the weather heating up the Epix rides are being planned. This summer we will be heading out once again in search of the perfect single track. You never know we may be heading out in your local stomping ground.

Performance!!!!

I am still suspicious that this is Pauly V?????

Kabush finally takes a world cup win!

What a legend!!

Nice guy, genuine battler doing it the hard way, and keeping it real!

Congrat's to him!