Tannum Tri Volunteers

The Tannum Tri has come and gone for another year, once again the Grinders have helped out with some of the behind the scene work that makes these kind of events possible.
A big thanks to Craig, Graeme, John (the Fox), Bloody Wayne, Scotty, Birdy, Mick, Daryl and Nic. Also to the other people involved that gave up their time so the competitors could have a great day well done and thanks. A great local event.

Thank God It's Friday

A good turnout for the Thursday Roll yesterday with a number of riders dusting of the steed after extended breaks.  With the pace getting a little firmer each lap I was beginning to wonder if there was free beer on at the Surf Club.  Then I realised everyone was taking the opportunity to blow out a few cobwebs whilst Cranky was absent.  It was good to see a number of smaller groups of riders in the area doing a few laps as well. 

Sitting at the back of the Thursday Roll bunch I have noticed some riding habits that I'm not comfortable with.  The first is when turning at a roundabout, and in particular the one at the bottom of Linda St.  As the approach to this roundabout is quite quick it is very important to remain predictable.  The picture below is indicative of how a roundabout should be taken when riding 2 abreast, even when turning right.  I have witnessed riders move from the green line to the yellow line on the approach to the roundabout, then snap back to the green line again at the "apex" of turn.  This is not predictable and you will cause a serious accident one day.

The 2nd issue is similar but occurs when coming down the hill on Millennium Esplanade, from the roundabout towards the Surf Club.  As the road S's downward riders are all over the road, which does not present a good image to non-cyclists.  The phrase "hold you line" should apply here were you follow the wheel in front of you, not channel your inner F1 driver and nail each of the apexes.  I often see, and experience, the left-hand rider move violently left and right (in and out of the car parking spaces on the left) and sometimes almost hit the right-hand rider, or force them towards or over the centre line of the road.  My belief is that we should follow the curvature of the road, not try and make it a straight line.  If we can polish up in these areas we will present much better to the non-cycling public.

Rides for the weekend are as per program.  Stay safe, stay vertical.

To the Berg, hope you are feeling better soon champ...

Just Ride

Grinders Everywhere!

Well what a turnout we had yesterday! 17 riders if we count Schalk who turned up at the end of the ride! Been quite a while since we’ve had a turnout like that. It was a great roll around with Craig and Paul (who has the nicest bike in town) keeping the pace perfect up front. Maybe the chance to see the local Gun in the flesh was enough to make people get back on the bike and come down, whatever the reason it was great to see.

Saturday Dam ride rolls out from the Tannum Coffee Club at 6am Saturday morning and 7am for the Sunday ride from the Surf Club.

 

Good sized bunch

 

 

The local Gun

 

Rides Galore!

Hi all,

Thursday again already and what better way to finish it off then by coming down to the roll leaving from the Surf Club at 5pm. Easy ride.

Saturday the Dam ride will be in full swing leaving the Tannum Coffee Club at 6:30; always fun. To add some variety Doctor Scott will be leaving the Turkey Beach turn off at 6am for a easy ride to Turkey Beach and back if you want a little more distance. Of course if you want something a bit harder and longer the M1 ride is a good thing leaving Craig's bakery (Sun Valley) at 4:45am.

Sunday will be the usual 7am start from the Surf Club. M1 also have a L Plate ride leaving the M1 Shop at 5:30am for a nice lap of Gladstone.

There are a few new riders in the area so if you see them say hello.

This week the Drew’s made their return to riding, so now’s a good time to put the hurt on them before they get their legs back J

 

Mark

Saturday Dam Ride

A good turnout yesterday for the Saturday Dam ride and plenty of good fun was had by all. On the way out the Magpie at the big roundabout touched up either Mitch or Phil (not sure which one) with cry's of 'speed it up' heard to try and get away from the black and white demon.
The G came along for a cruise as well and was doing it tough by his own admission but carried on regardless.
We ran into the Doc out near the Dam and he joined in for the return trip and of course he slapped on the pace keeping the mountain bike brothers happy; not so sure Mitch, Phil or the G were so happy.... Everyone was well and truly aware that if you were the last rider to the roundabout on the way home you would be morning tea for the black and white bombers so the pace was on. I ensured I wasn't going to be last and in doing so I bought enough time to look back to see who was last and the look of desperation on their face was priceless, may have been fear also lol.
Great to see Mitch and Phil turning up, gents might not feel like it but you'll be on for the whole ride soon enough, you guys have already come a long way. G if you were a little more regular it might be more enjoyable hahahahaha.
Great ride to start off the weekend.

2014 Gran Fondo Wrap

A very cool morning greeted the riders in this year’s Great Divide Gran Fondo but it wasn't unexpected with everyone dressed appropriately. Just after we had a quick brief and a customary photo, Schalk turned up after having returned home to get his water bottles he had forgotten about! After the take 2 photo it was time to roll out into the dark, the bitterly cold dark lol. 

The cold did help keep the pace nice and steady though and progress was constant, did I mention it was cold?. This year the bunch rode on each time somebody had to take a break and this made up for the late start by the time we got to Bilo, well almost. Everybody made the first climb on the range without too much trouble, no warm clothing coming off was a good indication of how cold it still was. The group broke up a little from here in as it normally does and everyone made it to Bilo in smaller groups for breakfast and most importantly coffee. This was where we said goodbye to Jamie and Vicky as they headed to Rocky in the car. Jamie rode to Bilo on a temperamental Sergio and Vicky played paparazzi all the way J  Thanks guys I’ve booked you a spot for next year, both of you all the way!!! 

We had a lengthy stop and everyone was in good spirits as we rolled out waiting to see if what looked to be a tailwind was actually a tailwind.

Well it wasn't as good as last years’ but we still sat on around 30 for quite some time before slowing ever so slightly as the day warmed up. The Fox, Marty (who was stuck in the big chainring all day with Di2 issues), the Dodgy Doc (Scotty) and Noel all took turns pulling on the front for this stretch and most of the ride actually. 40 odd k's after Bilo we met up with the support team for a quick stop and cold coke before making our way to the Dululu Pub, what I think is the most telling 30 k's of the ride. This stretch isn't hilly in fact it's quite flat, but the heat really starts to get to you along this 'unexciting' stretch of road. There were a few red faces appearing here. Everyone was more than happy to get to the Pub.

Lunch isn't gels and bars on this ride, its hamburgers and chips, steak sandwiches and seafood baskets! Beer was a popular choice also J

Time to complete the next leg of the ride - the 30 odd k's to Mt Morgan. This stretch starts out flat but we started our affair with a half decent headwind at this point so it was steady going. At about the 10k mark it starts to get a little lumpy and the legs really feel it as they’re asked to actually do some more demanding work after so much flat work. The group split into 2 here but it was better people get into their own rhythm at this point of the day on the hills. As we neared Mt Morgan we were stopped as a fire was up ahead and we had to wait for an escort. As we passed through the inferno we were lucky to escape with our lives as flames licked up at us trying to pull us into the fiery abyss...ok well maybe that was stretching it a little but if the wind had of changed directions it wouldn't have been too far from the truth.

We made our way into Mt Morgan and up the nasty climb into the town only to be greeted by old mate Magpie again; at least we knew to expect him this year. As we made the peak of the last climb in town Orla was digging deep and I said “You’ve made it Orla!”. Orla summed it up well and simply said ‘Fu#$’ Too funny.

A quick drink and picture and off we went with the climb out of Mt Morgan waiting to inflict pain and despair. 

While this climb isn't Mt Archer it is still a good drag and with 200 k’s in your legs it demands some respect. It did almost break some of the riders but after a little rest on top of the range and with the aid of sugar everyone was off once again. It’s fair to say Daryl, Schalk and Orla were really feeling it and to see them push on was special.

The descent off the Mt Morgan range was to be one of the highlights of the ride. Pretty sure you’ll see a link of the Fox coming down the range from his Fly6 shortly. Only recently reopened it’s as good as any road anywhere in the world (except Central Queensland), honestly. Wide and flowing with hot mix the whole way, this really is worth a trip just to ride it.

As we hit the flat it was into grind mode to get people feeling the hurt to the end. Marty, Scotty and Noel waited for us to catch up and we regrouped for the final push.

Of course the wind sensed the weak and blew like crazy into our faces the whole 15 k’s to the highway, it was truly horrible. As we turned onto the Bruce we didn’t have the tailwind I had been promising but it wasn’t a headwind either. As we neared the finish we of course got stopped by lights! It is Rockhampton the city of stop lights!

Everyone finished together at the Information Centre with a great sense of relief and achievement. 240 k’s is a long way in anyone’s books. Most of these people hadn’t really done the miles to do it easy and they suffered a little for sure, but it’s the sort of ride that most capable riders can do if they put their mind to it.

 To the people that rode this year Marty, Schalk, Daryl, Orla, Noel, Scotty, The Fox and Jamie thanks, you’re a great bunch of people. I had a great time and I’m sure you did too; I’ll see you all next year I’m sure J

Of course I have to thank the incredible support team, Jody, Nicole with her own small team and Suzette, without you guys it wouldn’t be the same. The stops along the way when the going gets tough are something to look forward to. The way you make us all feel special every time we stop or go by is very much appreciated. Thanks.

There were a few riders who didn’t ride for their own reasons, I feel for you guys as not coming would have been a tough call, next year for sure though. 

State Champ x 2

Well done to Cat Newell for winning the Queensland State Elite Women's and the Masters 2 Women's titles. To take out the Elite is something special let alone the double.
Champion!

Almost Gran Fondo Time

Well this time in 48 hours it will be all over for another year. There will swearing, shivering, wind, I'm sure a few 'how much further to Dululu?' and a few 'just around the corner' lol, laughs, thoughts of I can't go any further (but you will), more swearing, no comfortable spots left on your saddle, some mild pain, definitely a sore arse towards the end, at some point the belief you will make it, then the best feeling as you roll into Rocky and you see the finish; quite rightly too you've just ridden 240km!

Ok it looks like it'll be a cold start, rug up as the first support vehicle will meet us on top of the range to take some clothing if it warms up, hahahahaha warms up heading towards Bilo!
I'll have the fridge with me to put you stuff in and anything else just throw in the back.
We leave at 4am sharp so be there early enough for a few words of encouragement beforehand.
Biggest tip for the day is don't wait till you're suffering to say something, speak up early. Butt cream will be handy too lol.

See you bright and early Saturday.

Mark

Thursday Roll

Great to see our new faces back again and the ladies riding as well, you guys certainly bolstered our numbers this evening! Great roll today with steady pace only picking up a little towards the end, but not by too much. What makes it amazing was the fact that 'Bloody Wayne' was on the front for most of it with the Fox! until he popped lol. Brad you're getting there mate, keep turning up and it'll come back, no need to tell you the boy didn't even break into a sweat :-)
There were a few nervous faces there tonight when the talk turned to the Fondo. It's fair to say not to many have done much leading up to the ride this year but not much we can do about it now, it's going to be a cracker with some great stories to tell by the end of the day.

There was something different about tonight, can't put my finger on it but it was like something was missing........ :-)

Tick Tock

Less than 2 weeks until the 2014 Great Divide Gran Fondo swings into what will be a very long day on the bike. For some it will be a journey into the unknown while others will know what to expect and can't wait for it to begin. The weather conditions really make the day, if it's windy and hot it makes for a more than memorable experience, even with good conditions it's a bloody long way.
Unfortunately we've had the withdrawal of Kaye from the ride and her beaming smile and sense of humor will be missed. On a positive note Orla from Gladstone looks like she'll be kitting up for her first crack at the Fondo; Orla I promise that you'll have a great day out full of emotions (mostly good lol).
To all other riders attending it's time you sorted out how you are getting to the Calliope IGA for the 4am start time. Be there ready at 3:50am for a quick brief before we roll out.
Dinner will be at the Frenchville Sports Club at 7pm which should give everyone enough time to freshen up. If we have good winds and finish earlier I'm sure we can start dinner early.
Any questions it's time to ask now! :-) If you have specific drinks, spares etc you need taken contact me sooner rather than the day before please.

Mark

Rocky Racing

Great weekend of Road racing in Rocky over the weekend with an invitational event with riders from Mackay and Bundaberg Clubs attending. All grades had great numbers but most significantly A Grade numbers were the best for some time and it was a real A Grade pace, evident by Mick Newell and Paul Andrews big grins on Saturday lol. Mick England came away with the win in the end with a late move hanging on for the win.
Sunday was a Handicap and the pace was on for the scatchies from the get go. The back markers caught the pack on Lap 7 of 10 and slowly reduced the bunch of well over 20 riders from there. In the sprint Matty Jenkin stretched the legs and came away with a well earned win. The Gladstone region certainly has some great talent.

Turkey Beach Ride

Saturday's ride (23rd) will be a Turkey Beach special leaving the car park at the Turkey Beach turnoff from the highway at 7am. Distance will depend on who turns up but expect around 100. I know Pain and Suffering (Steve and Marty) have signed up ;-)

2014 Gran Fondo

3 weeks out! 

Not long at all now before the big day rolls around. So far I have the following riders in for the ride:

Jamie, Vicky, Scotty, Graeme, Daryl, Kaye, Marty, Steve (yes you are both coming), Noel, Schalk, The Fox and yours truly.

If you're thinking about coming please let me know.

Thursday Roll

Great to see so many new riders floating around the other evening even if they didn't all join in for the roll. To the guys that did thanks and hope you come back again.

Bling Bling

A nice new machine turned up on Thursday, very nice Schalk, very nice.

Early August Update

Hi all, 

With Wednesday a day off for a lot of people the Grinders headed out to the Dam for an easy spin. Great to see Tennille come along for a spin as well, I'm pretty sure it was a very beneficial ride with her big chainring issue fixed :-) The usual shenanigans took place on the return trip with the Dodgy Doc starting the rot and the Fox only too happy to take over. Great ride. 

Garry must have had a bad day at work yesterday as the pace on the Roll last night was solid from the start of the ride. A theory is Garry needs to keep a higher rolling speed so he can keep the big chainring turning over.... Once Garry was off the front it appeared all would return to normal, not so with 'ol Silver and young Brendan cracking the whip until they copped a spray from behind reminding them it was the Thursday Roll. Brad did well to dig deep and get back on and finish off with the bunch, well done Brad you showed some real determination. The speeding demons received some calibration from the shortest person in the bunch at the end of the ride, quite funny to watch lol.

 

Dam ride tomorrow leaving at 6:30am from the Tannum Coffee Club.

Sunday Ride 7am from Surf Club. 

Don't forget next weekend's ride to Many Peaks Pub for a 12 noon lunch. Get there any way you like but some of us are leaving Futter Creek in the Boyne Valley at 10am. For those camping at Futter creek, we'll be kicking back starting with nibblies and drinks around the fire once back from the lunch ride.   

Also the Gran Fondo is only 4 weeks away now!  

 

Mark

Tekin Cycles

A friend of TSCG has opened his own bike shop in Melbourne and he has offered his services.  Brad Lawlor is the owner, manager, mechanic, bike builder, floor sweeper, stamp licker, etc at Tekin Cycles (check out our Facebook photos - he's the follicly well-endowed gent).

Brad has kindly offered a 20% discount on all suspension work and parts, 15% off BMC, PIVOT, BH bikes, and same day turnaround & shipping for TSCG.  Feel free to contact Brad (details on his site: http://www.tekincycles.com/) and get a quote.  From first-hand experience I can highly recommend that you see what he can do for you.
 
Tekin Cycles offers premium technical bicycle solutions for every road, mountain, CX, or commuter cyclist. We do everything from bike builds, repairs and suspension to wheel builds, technical advice, and training.

T.F.

Cyclocross Action

Mike (formerly of Tannum Sands, now of Brisbane) competing in his first Cyclocross event on the weekend.  According to Mike it was a "hoot", even though his steed was a little thin on the ground.  Well done Mike.  Only a month to Father's Day (hint, hint), so if you are reading this Jacqui, please become familiar with the N+1 rule.

Futter Creek Camping and Lunch at Many Peaks Pub

On the weekend of the 16th & 17th of August a few of us plan to camp at Futter Creek in the Boyne Valley, if anyone else keen you are most welcome. On Saturday we'll be riding (leaving Futter Creek at 10am) to the Many Peaks Pub for lunch at 12, if any other groups want to make a ride of it feel free to join in. It's about 70k's from Calliope to Many Peaks and roughly 50ish from Futter Creek. Touch wood there is usually a tailwind on the way home but not always......as we discovered last year.

Gran Fondo 2014

Been a little quiet on the news front but we are still GO for the first Saturday in September. Still don't really have a good idea on numbers so if you are thinking of coming along I do need to know so I can forewarn the places we plan to stop. Thanks to those that have got back to me.
Things to consider, it will be bloody cold when we start at 4am (so be there well before that) and colder as we head towards the Range. The support vehicles will be sneaking up on us by the time we head up the Range so we can peel off the layers and give them to these guys. No need to carry a truckload of fluids as you can top up from the support vehicles along the way. Bring spares, at least 2 tubes and a spare tyre isn't a bad idea if you can store it. Once again the support vehicles will have spares but they won't always be with us.
Breakfast in Biloela is always great!
Pray the wind Gods are kind and don't give us a headwind from Biloela as we head north (although it does make the trip more Epic lol)
Dululu is just around the next corner.....
The beer is cold and the food is sensational at the Dululu Pub.
It will get harder from Dululu with around 160k's in your legs and the temperature peaking, throw in some little climbs and it will start getting hard for some, but not impossible.
Mt Morgan is a sight for sore eyes but the climb out of it will make the decent much more enjoyable :-)
The ride to the Highway seems to take forever.
The feeling crossing the floodplain entering Rocky sees the pain start to wash away and a smirk starting to replace the grimace.
The feeling reaching the end at the Information Center at the Tropic of Capricorn....... 'Priceless'.
The feeling of the lush grass between your toes when you take your shoes off is pretty special too ;-)

What do you need to do now? Tell me if you're coming!

It's that time of the year!!!!

Not much needs to be said other than prepare yourself! The big roundabout on the way to Gladstone has a particularly cranky critter. I love the first attack of the season, it's like 'what's that noise' and then it dawns on you.....

Boyne Valley Ride

In lieu of the Saturday Dam ride there is a ride departing from the Tannum Coffee Club at 6:30am which will head to the Boyne Valley via Calliope.  For those that want to ride from Calliope the group should be at the Calliope IGA car park about 7:20am.  From there they will head out towards Nagoorin and turn at about the 35km mark.  This will be a 70km ride for those wishing to leave from Calliope. 

Turkey Beach Ride

With a predicted cold morning tomorrow I can't see very many takers for the ride to Turkey Beach (I haven't heard of too many in any case). If you do go I wouldn't expect much company! It gets pretty cold on that road. I would go of course but I have other plans.....like ride when it's warm :-)

Icebergs and The Berg

If you got out for an early morning ride over the weekend, kudos to you.  Saturday was the coldest day ever recorded in the region.  Sunday wasn't far off it either.  The cold, together with the wind chill factor, made for some very unpleasant conditions.  Earlier in the week, while riding in Beecher, the Garmin recorded a minimum of -1.7. 

The Thursday Roll had a good turn out this week with about 10 riders enjoying a firm pace.  Not too firm for one young rider, but a little too firm for his dad who had to take an early shortcut back to the Surf Club.  At least he was honest about it and didn't claim a mechanical.

Someone else must have taken a early turn too, and ended up in Gladstone!!!  The disappointment is etched all over the faces below:

Last Saturday

Last Saturday's ride was a nice change of scenery for most with a very relaxed average of 29. The addition of Haddock saw Robin tackle the beast for the very first time, I think the memories will stay with her for some time lol. By the way Robin you only got to nearly halfway up it....yes there's more
:-)
Dylan was back for a few days and came along for a spin which was nice; would be better if he was a bit bigger and provided a wind break for those following ;-) Apart from the heavy fog, the weather while nippy provided perfect riding conditions. Great to see Daryl back on the bike after a stint of construction and Schalk is looking good for the Fondo. Graeme and Scotty did it easy.
Next change of scenery ride is Turkey Beach road Saturday week on the 19th.

Proposed Saturday Route

Hi all, sorry been very busy of late but here is a proposed route for tomorrows ride. In short it goes over everybody's favorite climb 'Haddock' :-) and then along Kirkwood before heading to Jim Whyte Way to keep away from traffic. Don't try to set any records over Haddock just grind away and get to the top. From there it goes out to Calliope before heading to Yarwun along Calliope River road to Yarwun. Turnaround at Yarwun and head back for a brew.The ride is mostly flat country apart from the obvious bump at the start for a total of around 87k's or so. Starting at 7am sharp from the Maccas at the Calliope Crossroads.
Remember this is only a proposed route, the people that turn up may choose to do an alternate ride.
Wet weather routine is up to you but if it's wet I wouldn't expect any company.

Dates for longer rides

To add some variety I'm putting out some dates for rides that might come in handy for getting some miles in your legs.
These rides will run every 2 weeks and will both start at 7am from their respective starting points. This start time will allow anyone wanting to ride there plenty of time without having to drag themselves out of bed too early; plus it will be bloody cold! Pace will be what it will be but I don't expect Warp 7, more something around 30 average.

The rides are the 5th of July from the Maccas at the Calliope Crossroads. This way the loop can go either way with a variety of options, including Haddock ;-) Distance will vary but anywhere from 60 to 100. As these rides near final details on loops will surface, this is more for you diary.
19th July Turkey Beach. The starting point is the carpark right just off the highway before the railway crossing. There's a 70k loop in there and the road is pretty quiet which is a bonus.
2nd August Maccas at the Calliope Crossroads.
16th August Turkey Beach.
30th Maccas at the Calliope Crossroads.

A Rare Insight

A look inside the closing stages of a race as teams jockey for position to get their sprinters to the line. Just take a look at how fast the people on the side of the road blur by as these guys fly past.
http://pulptastic.com/video-will-change-way-look-competitive-cycling-forever/

Gran Fondo Update

The big day in September is rolling ever closer and will be here before you know it. Below is the basic map and elevation of the ride. Please don't panic about the steep 'up' you see as it's actually over quite a distance and really isn't all that bad, honest. As you can see once we are up and over the range there isn't a lot of climbing left to do bar some coming into Mt Morgan and just the other side of it. Happy to say we will be going down the 'normal' road from Mt Morgan and not the Razorback we used last year. The ride will finish in Rockhampton once again at the Tropic of Capricorn information centre just as you come into town on the left. Distance will be all but 240k's.

Couple of things to note. If you aren't feeling super confident about the hills gear your bike appropriately, I would advise a 11-28 or similar on the back if you're in this basket. This ride is only for road bikes and no TT bikes are allowed. As I've mentioned before generally we ride in a bunch with the stronger riders pushing the wind on the front. There's a fair chance there will be a second group that will travel a little quicker but this is still something I'm kicking around; very dependent on numbers.
Lastly if you are thinking about coming along please contact me to let me know if you haven't already, even if you're not 100% yet. This isn't locking you in but just an expression of interest.

Mark

TdF Fantasy Cycling League

Just when you thought July could not get any more exciting, here is a challenge to keep your brain active during those boring daylight hours between stages.  Why be at work with matchsticks holding your eyelids up when you could be contemplating your fantasy...fantasy cycling team that is!  Join the TSCG Tour de France Fantasy League and compete with the best minds in..in..in..anyway it shouldn't be hard to beat Berg.  Just go to TSCG Fantasy and join up - the details are below:

Competition Name:  Tannum Sands Coffee Grinders
Competition Password:  Grinders2014
TdF starts on Saturday 5th July so get your teams in before the start.  The competition table can be found here: TSCG Fantasy League.  Everyone is welcome, you don't have to ride to participate.

The Turkey Run

For those wanting an alternative to the Saturday Dam Ride, there will be a Turkey Beach ride this Saturday (21st June).  The ride will leave the Turkey Beach Rd and Bruce Highway intersection car park at 6:30am.  The ride is approximately 47kms if you leave from the car park.  If you ride from Tannum and meet the group at the car park then you can rack up a 100km ride.  Course Map.

In other exciting news, it seems that night works will begin next week to "shave" the lumps in the John Oxley bridge.

MS Ride Fundraising Sausage Sizzle

The MS Brissie to the Bay ride is on the 22nd June and several TSCG riders are making their way down to support this great cause.  Fundraising efforts are continuing and you can sponsor the team at the sponsorship page [click here - TSCG]. 

To assist with fundraising, Garry is putting on a sausage sizzle at the rotunda, northern side of the surf club, this Sunday 15th June, following the Sunday Stroll ride.  This should be approximately 8:30am.  Bring the family & friends down for a hearty breakfast and show your support for the team.

Great Ambitions?

Well well well, look who I saw checking out the opposition at the Giro......

Gran Fondo update

Thought it timely to throw some more details out there with new riders already feeling out the ride for this year. At this stage I’m working on the assumption we have the 1 large group like the last couple of years but we’ll see if there may be 2 groups in time. The plan is to leave Calliope IGA at 4am (yes that's early) so we get to Biloela for a good breakfast by 8 with a couple of stops along the way. On the range the stronger riders will wait at the top of the longer climbs so everyone can do their own pace when climbing.  

Once at Biloela we have our first long break and enjoy breakfast and of course some well deserved coffee. Where we had breakfast last year the service was pretty slick so we shouldn’t need to order early.   

From there it's off to Jambin for a quick check on everyone before proceeding to Dululu for lunch. The support vehicles will meet us along the way on this section for some cool drinks dependent on weather conditions. Once we get to Dululu it’s the second long break with great pub meals and very cold refreshing drinks ;-) 

From there we head to Mt Morgan for a quick cool drink before heading down the range to Rocky. We should be there around 4pm all going to plan.

If you're not sure about the ride I can tell you while yes it's a long way, it's not a hard pace so you don't so much smash yourself, more so you will get tired (obviously) and your butt will get sore. So long as you keep up the food and drinks up the others will keep you going ;-) 

With some luck the day won’t be too hot and the wind will be kind.

2014 Great Divide Gran Fondo

 

The 2014 Great Divide Gran Fondo isn’t all that far away so it’s time to start getting into shape.

Starting very early from Calliope on Saturday the 6th of September, we travel a total of about 240klm to Rockhampton with many stops along the way. The trip heads out to Biloela for breakfast before eventually ending up in Rockhampton.
The pace isn't crazy and will average around 26klm for the entire ride; of course if we have a tailwind it picks up and a headwind it slows down. At first the slower pace is very easy but by the end of the day for some it will feel like 40!

This will be the 3^rd running of the ride and I’m sure all those that have done the Fondo previously would agree it’s a great day out; a bitter sweet experience for some lol.
For those thinking there is no way I can do that distance, if you train enough you will surprise yourself. The training for the ride doesn’t require 200k training rides every weekend but you will have to do some regular rides over 100k to make sure you’re a little seasoned; especially your butt!. You don't have to pull turns on the front and you won’t be asked to, you can sit in and stay out of the wind the whole ride if you want. If the speed is getting to you we will also slow a little to get you to the next stop. Generally we ride as a bunch to look after the weaker riders but if numbers allow the group will split and regroup at each stop, it’s more a call on the day scenario. While it may sound a great idea to have 2 groups from the get go we do have to consider the support vehicles as well. As the ride gets closer and numbers clearer a call will be made.
Speaking of support vehicles we do have them and they will carry your drinks and food for you but if you have a significant other it's good if they can come along for the trip, they will have a great time. The recovery/support teams from the last couple of years have had plenty of fun along the way.
We generally stay the night in Rocky with a group dinner at Sizzlers. If you're interested get in contact with me.

Mark

mark.ruthenberg63@gmail.com