So yeah, arrived in Cape Town on Wednesday night after close to 40 hours in airports or on planes. Thanks to a faulty plane and some long delays it was an epic trip and when my bike arrived, one side of the box had been ripped off, so my bike was completely exposed – not what I wanted to see. Thankfully I didn’t lose much from the bike box (few tools) and my bike didn’t have a scratch on it, amazing!
The perfect way to start the day...
So we got in a good sleep that night and woke up to some ‘Jungle Muesli’ to kick off an awesome day. Did a ride in the morning on some local trails and along the beach and then went up Table Mountain in the afternoon in a cable car. It was crazy and the views of the city and coastline from the top are amazing, especially in the afternoon sun. That was followed by a BBQ put on by the Cape Epic. So yeah, all up it was damn fun.
The Cable Car
Today we went for another easy spin on the beach and then checked out the race village on the V and A Waterfront in Cape Town and now we’ve got a few hours of downtime before pre-race dinner this arvo.
The race starts on Sunday, bring it on!
Ocean, sweet ocean
Can't get enough really
I barely had a chance to wipe the dust off my face (and wash the blood from my legs) after the National Champs before we were in a van heading north from Adelaide to check out the Mawson Trail which is to be used in the upcoming Kona Mawson MTB Marathon.
Michael Bridge from Bike SA was our host for the trip and I was joined by Mick Ross from AMB and Kona rider Andy Bell. Our first stop on this trail tasting expedition was the rapidly-developing mountain bike meca of Melrose. We were lucky enough to have Rich from the local bike shop Over the Edge Sports with us for this part of the journey and, once we’d arrived in Melrose and thrown down a cuppa, we were in our bike kit and hitting up the local trail network.
After a few hours of fun on trails like ‘Kiss the Sky’ and ‘Dodging Bullets’, I felt like I’d ridden enough of the trails to say that they’re damn awesome fun! Having ridden only about 15km of the 60km + of trail out there though, I’m pretty sure there are plenty more smiles to be had. And better still, these spectacular trails are all a very easy spin from the local pub (and bike shop).
We filled up on the biggest steak ever that night (this is Australia after all) and then got another quick spin in on the trails the next day before our journey north continued to the remote Rawnsley Park Station (it’s so remote we had to drive to the nearby caravan park and stand on a specific rock — with me contorting my body in a specific manner — to get mobile reception, and even then I only got one bar’s worth…)
Here we again saddled up to check out some of the Mawson Trail which will be ridden in the event. The Flinders Ranges are spectacular and the Mawson Trail is about the best way to see them. Our ‘ride’ that afternoon was more a case of pedalling for five minutes, stopping for ten; the scenery was just to damn stunning to ride on past.
That night saw us eating under the stars at the local restaurant before a scenic flight the next day to see the Flinders from a different viewpoint, then a long trip back to Adeliade Airport.
What an amazing few days! If you have some time to travel in June, check out the Kona Mawson MTB Marathon, it’ll be unforgettable. If long distances aren’t your thing, at least check out the Melrose Fat Tyre Festival, on the same weekend with far less arduous pedalling required.
Thanks to Michael from Bike SA for the trip and to Rich at Over the Edge Sports for the local knowledge, hospitality and good laughs. Thanks also to my sponsors for another great few days of pedalling.
What an adventure! Two days, 50km of mountain biking each day, racing in pairs, big mountains, tasty beers…what more could you want?
The Blue Dragon is in its second year and this year attracted over 250 competitors from all over Tassie and the mainland. The racing was great: Niki and I teamed up together and were having a ball on the first day until she punctured and had to walk the last 10km…but the swim in the river post-stage was a great way to freshen up. The free lunch, watermelon and lollies were also a welcome treat. The town of Derby (host to the start/finish on the day) put on a great show too with some bustling cafes and a few pubs – the perfect way to unwind after a big day.
Day two was based in the very small town of Weldborough, about 30km up the road. The pub grounds served as the start/finish and the pub was the only place you could buy anything in the town. It was a great setting though. Unfortunately, Niki was sick the second day so I rode by myself with the front guys so I could watch the race unfold. It was exciting stuff and the trails were superb. We started with a long climb, hit a descent, hit another long climb, then were treated to about 15km of flowing descent. Some of it was super-technical too. It was awesome stuff.
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face after that 2nd stage, it was pure fun mountain biking.
So, if you’ve got some free time in January next year, check out the Blue Dragon, I’ll be there with a big smile on!
Thanks to all my great sponsors for another great weekend and thanks to Andrew Harris for the pics.
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