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.
I was hoping for a decent result at the XC Nationals this year having put in some solid training over Christmas/New Year. Warming up before the start of the race I felt pretty average but tried to amp myself up and tell myself it was a good sign, “I’ll come good during the race” I said to myself.
With a bit more of a warm up I was on the start line, the gun went and I immediately knew it was going to be a long day. I just couldn’t fire. My legs felt terrible but I tried to suck it up and convince myself that I’d be able to ‘ride into’ the race.
The laps ticked by and I worked hard to get into a good rhythm. I was struggling but kept trying to convince myself that I might be able to get into the race. I used people ahead of me as motivation and tried to catch them as quickly as I could. It was working for me on the descents but my legs were like jelly on the climb; there was no doubt about it, I wasn’t going fast. It was hard to feel strong when my legs certainly weren’t playing the game.
Then, on the final lap, I had a big crash and that was basically it for me. I’d been working hard to stay positive during the race but now I felt like I was at rock bottom. I pedalled around the last sections of the course, crashed a few more times, and rolled over the line having had a forgettable day in Adelaide.
It was difficult to be positive immediately after the race, with blood and dust all over me and feeling very disappointed with myself, but after a few hours I was over it, ready to move on getting excited about riding a lot better in future races.
Thanks, as always to my sponsors, particularly Giant bikes for their awesome support.
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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