A short video for all the sponsors who have helped me in preparation for the 16th World Unicycle Championships in Brixen, Italy 2012. Riding is at Glenrock Reserve in Newcastle, Australia.
Big thanks to Mark and Kevin Wharton from unicycle.com.au, The QX series brand, and the Boys at the Drift Bike shop in Newcastle.
Calling the event a ‘cruise’ was a cruel understatement to the endeavours asked of riders who raced in this years Rocky Trail race at the National Mountain biking venue at Mt Stromlo, Canberra. The 33km loop of pure, unadulterated single track snaked its way to the furthest reaches of the Stromlo reserve, making use of multiple challenging assents to the summit of the mountain. Riders were given the option of 33, 66, 100 and 160km race lengths, and while I was feeling fit and ready to tackle a big day in the saddle, a quick peek at the elevation gain for the loop had me reassess by 100km ambitions down to the 66km option. Even considering the tempering of my bravado, the prospect of 66km of technical, steep, loose, tight and demanding trails had me approach the race with a little trepidation.
This race would be unlike any of the XC marathon races I have completed before. In races like the 113km Highland Fling or 100km Husky Enduro- sections of single track were separate networks of trails connected by over arching sections of 4wd or fire trail where easy time and Kms could be made. For this race, there would be no easy distance or elevation gain. All the distance was on the fun stuff, making for a much harder but rewarding day overall.
The day was clear, still and warm early- anticipating a long and hot day on the exposed Stromlo mountainside. Mt Stromlo was burnt out by a massive bush fire in 2003, the limited shrub cover that has returned does not provide much shelter from the high summer sun. I prepared my camelback for the race with extra water and staminade, knowing that a failure to hydrate properly could be a crucial mistake. The riders were let off in waves, and by 9.15am the 66km group (largest and most popular distance for the event this year) were off and racing. In the first few 100m I found my position in the pack and hit the lower sections of the loop in a mixture of high and low gear. The single track was rolling with a few tight corners, flowing up and down sections- the close racing quarters and initial pace making me be 100% focussed on the trail. A UPD here would no only be bruising for my ego but also for the 4 riders sitting right on my tail at 15km/hr. After skirting the fence line on a combination of nice warm-up green rated (easy) trails, the course pointed riders upwards for the first big sustained climb of the loop.
I like climbing. Not only because it is an area where the mechanical advantage of a bike over a unicycle is shortened, meaning I am more likely to keep up or pass other riders, it also provides a whole new set of challenges for fitness and riding technique. Both of those skill sets would be put to the test on the technical climbs of this race. There were tight switchbacks, rock slab roll overs, exposed roots, rock gardens that were pedal strike territory if your line was a few centimetres off. The air was warm and still and in no time I had a considerable sweat on. I picked off some overly keen novice mtbers in the first few big ups and made my way through some really tough rocky sections that had other riders dismounting and walking their bikes. The mid morning sun was beating down on competitors and the white, sandy soil and light sandstone slabs reflected a lot of the glare back. After a good few kms of tough elevation gains the trail flattened at the peak of the mountain where an observatory sat in silent spectatorship. From the peak there was some more moderate single track that wound its way down and then back up to another of the peaks on the mountainside. From here the trail headed west down the back side of the mountain on a series of increasingly steep, narrow and technical trails.
Its pretty rare to race in a XC marathon event and come across trails of this technicality- let alone have them as the sole basis for a race. The technical bits in the other races I have competed in are infrequent gems that require kms of fire trail and 4wd access roads to uncover. Never have I done a race where you come across 4kms of balls out downhill trails without interruption. This was outrageous fun, and while my legs were fresh and my trail sense sharp, I cut through these sections with very few dismounts and without having to clear the trail for faster riders. Once riders emerged from these trails pumped full of adrenaline with aching fingers from braking it was time to regain some of the height that was lost- and gain it fast. Your heart rate had hardly subsided from the exertion and excitement of the downhill before it was asked to kick it up a notch for an extended effort on energy sapping technical climbing. After a climb that substituted overall difficulty for longevity the course utilised the gained height more sparingly as the course followed more gentle and flowing trails into the far North Eastern reaches of the reserve.
On the lower slopes of Stromlo the heat was building up, radiating off the chalky white gravel. There was not much air movement and it was a never ending struggle to keep downing enough liquid to keep sweat on my skin. Every now and then as you crested a smaller ridge a brief gust of wind would catch your sticky perspiration and offer a little relief. As you rounded to the East side of the mountain, overlooking the car park and event centre in the distance you could have fooled yourself into thinking the hardest part of the lap was over. But it was not to be so predictable. Instead, the course pointed riders back up the mountain on trails like Blackberry climb and Heartbreaker until it intersected the famous Skyline trail. What this trail lacks in tough riding, it makes up for in panoramic views towards the Canberra city centre and the various mountains that encircle it. From here it was literally all downhill and the track utilised berms and switchbacks to pass the meters gained. Before you knew it you were speeding along the flats towards the criterion track where the timing station was positioned. I finished my first 33km lap with a time of 2hrs 32min 22secs. I stopped briefly to refill my 2l water bladder, eat a banana, a museli bar, ditch my used Gel packets and try to reapply some sunscreen to dirty, sweaty and very salty skin.
After a few minutes I was back out on the trail. The first sections were much faster and relaxing without a whole pack of riders on my tail and only every now and then did an elite 100km or 100mile rider call track on me. I was already noticing the increased heat in the early stages of the 2nd lap and attempted to stave of and early exit by being extra cautious with my water and food consumption. Its hard to say for sure but my second climb up to the observatory seemed to be much faster than that on my first lap. The backlash of this was that with no one to slow me down, by the time I got to the top I was overheating and the initial twangs of quad cramps could be felt when ever I got up off the saddle to push through a technical section.
Any time I gained in this climb I quickly lost as I recuperated at the top of the mountain- my head cooling in a steam of fresh water from tap beside the Observatory. In the 10km or so of my 2nd lap, I had already nearly drunk as much as in my entire first lap. After topping up my water bladder, managing to cool my body temp down and letting my heart rate drop somewhat, it was back into the saddle for the next lot of climbs and big descent. The water dripping down from my hair was an absolute life saver- the extra speed I was carrying as I lost elevation helping it evaporate and keep me nice and cool. The rest of the race was a real tough slog. The heat, glare and demanding course taking its toll on me in the latter stages. I struggled to keep up the level of climbing I had set in my earlier lap and ended up walking some of the tougher pinch and technical climbs in the latter stages of the race. As I faded physically and mentally my riding suffered and I was UPDing in increasingly frustrating circumstances. I tried to focus and keep it all together and on the whole I was successful – despite my pace falling off sharply in the 2nd half of the lap. I eventually crawled through the timing gate with a lap time of 2hrs 57min 57sec.
My overall time for the 66km course was 5hrs, 30min and 19 seconds. Per Kilometre, I think that this race was the toughest one I have attempted. Even races like the Karapoti pale in comparison to the demands of a course made entirely of single track. The race was great fun- I had a lot of support from the organisers and the other riders out there on the trail. The whole vibe was really positive and the race was a great excuse to re-visit some of my old favourite trails out at Stromlo. Again, I encourage any unicyclists reading this to look up any MTB events in their area and get involved. Its a great way to push your limits, and excuse to spend hours on the unicycle in preparation for the event itself!
Who likes climbing?
After a confidence building ride at the Wild Horizons 50km ‘3 Ring Circus’ in Australia’s Southern Highlands, I made my way the following weekend to Callala Beach (on the edge of the Jervis Bay Marine Park) for my first attempt at the ‘Husky Enduro’ 100km MTB race. The Husky was initially scheduled for much earlier in the year but was postponed due to a week of consistently poor weather conditions. The race is 100km or single track, fire roads and 4wd tracks….well, usually it is. A torrential down pour the evening before the race not only encircled my van in ½ a foot of water (letting it sink up to its axles by the time I stirred for breakfast), but it turned the first (and last) 15km section of single track into a swamp of churned mud, bogs and running creeks- and that was before they unleashed a couple hundred gung-ho mountain bikers on it. Rob O’Brien, after a successful jaunt at the 3 ring circus, would also be backing up to ride at the Husky- albeit in the 50km option.
I knew that the conditions would be vastly different to what I was used to. I had expected the surface to be much softer because of the sandy region in which the race was held- but I didn’t expect the fine, sandy granules to congeal into a mud that resembled a dark whipped cream from a can. I also didn’t predict the lush undergrowth that would ensnare riders who ventured too far from centre line of mud, pot holes and erosion channels. I was initially annoyed that I would be starting the race in shoes that were already soaked through with mud and water courtesy of my camper van’s makeshift moat. But considering what was to come, I soon came to realize that wet shoes were the least of my problems. The 100km loop lead out from the Callala beach bowls club and would return to the finish line along a sodden and churned 15km or single track. Riding any of this section even once would be tough. But knowing I would have to do it in reverse at the end of the day was not doing great things for my riding mojo.
I’m the sort of guy that gets annoyed if things are too sloppy to use high gear in these types of races. By the end of the first 15km I was happy to find any piece of trail that afforded enough space, and traction to ride at all. This mud was something different. For those of you that did the Karapoti with me last year- imagine the worst of the mud there- then put it in a blender with shaving cream and spray it everywhere. I don’t have a great amount of experience riding in super wet conditions- but after a while I found a bit of technique to it and was tractoring, in an almost aimless fashion all over what was left of the trail. I wasn’t deliberately wafting here and there, It was more of just a pedal and then see where the unicycle took you kind of affair. Any sudden shift of weight or being too picky in your line just resulted in a dismount to ankle deep muck. But even dismounting was a challenge here. Normally you can get yourself balanced with your first or 2nd step after dismounting. I had a few laughable crashes where, upon dismounting, I slipped 3 or 4 times on various slippery surfaces until I came to rest- usually on my butt, into the muddiest pool of least resistance.
The trail lead inland, and luckily, to regions of a more granular and gritty soil where the stormy conditions of the previous night had been less fierce- or the draining much better- or both. Suddenly I could put my hub to use and get a few slightly easier Kms under my belt and get in a rhythm for the days riding. There were feed and water stations positioned every 25kms along the trail and as I came into the first one it dawned on me just how gargantuan this expedition would be. It was not going to be my longest race- that honour goes to the 113km Highland Fling I completed last year- but it would probably be the most draining, physically and mentally. However, you’d be amazed what a handful of lollies, a piece of pineapple and a chat with some good hearted volunteers will do for your legs and spirits.
The Husky had a reputation as one of the easier 100km races to do because of its flatter profile than other enduro races. I started to question this accepted knowledge as the single track wrapped itself in ever tightening spirals, forcing harder, more sustained and technical climbs than any other enduro race I had yet completed. Sure, there were no massive hill climbs to rack up the big elevation gain stats, but there was hour after hour worth of snaking single track that traced over every contour of the forest floor. It was amazing fun, but incredibly tough. I had to change my usual relaxed and ambient playlist to something a bit punchier to keep the adrenaline flowing and the legs pumping. I got in a really good zone in this section, my legs had come good and I was only occasionally lifted from that meditative state by the need to suck down some water, eat a muesli bar, or down an energy gel. It was a very solitary affair. The field was, by this point, all spread out and I only occasionally came across someone whose strength was fading, or was suffering mechanical issues. As I passed the 50km feed station riders started to pull out of the race- using these strategically placed intersections to return to the event centre on sealed, flat asphalt roads. I was still feeling strong and keen so decided to push on and reassess my situation at the 75km mark.
As my strength started to wane my mind started to drift. My thoughts gravitated to recent events in my personal life creating alternative realities and revising past scenarios; the constant dissection of my current circumstance often taking me to dark and sad places. It was an amazingly cathartic experience, working through personal issues through the lens of physical fatigue and exhaustion. The answer to the whole complex issue, and also that of my endeavour in the days race, materialised as a choice between to options. You can back yourself, or doubt yourself. I had to choose.
As I climbed up to the last feed station that had all but been torn down by volunteers and relieved of its most delicious and useful items by ravenous bikers, I knew what had to be done. A quick refill of my water bladder, and a reorganisation of my food supplies to more accessible locations and I was off to conquer some personal demons and another 25kms of trail. There were still a few surprises up the sleeve of the course. Keeping me on my toes were some sneaky north shore log crossings and a few chest high creek crossings- the cold water providing a welcome anaesthetic like sensation for my aching legs as they dried at 20km/hr in high gear.
The last kms in a race like this can be torturous. For the duration of the race there were distance markers along the trail side every 5km. In my experience, the more attention you pay to distance markers like these, the more of a slave you are to them- and they can come to ruin your day in the dying moments. I prefer to resolve myself to a slightly inflated time frame. At the beginning of the day, I say to myself- ‘you are going to be riding ALL day’. Nothing you can do will make that go any faster, so just get on with it. I find this helps me really enjoy the experience for the whole day’s riding; instead of framing it as something that has to be endured. In the last stages of a race (10km or so), I let myself get excited about the finish- I compare distances to those of my usual loops and training rides and start to aim for a finish time. Its amazing what your legs can accomplish when they can sense the end of a big ride like this. For me, I like to push hard in the last stages of a race- there is nothing worse than feeling like you could have given more. Inconveniently, this period of heightened enthusiasm coincided with the least rideable terrain. I was now in the midst of the mud chute that we had left some 8 and a bit hours earlier. It had dried out in some sections but the worst of it was all still there so I resolved to jogging when riding was not an option.
After 8hrs, 51 minutes and 21 seconds my day came to an end. I crossed the finish line to a small but enthusiastic crowd of folks either packing up the event centre or waiting anxiously for signs of loved ones still out there on the trails. I came in 225th out of 229 riders who completed the course. I’m not sure how many pulled out of the race- but there were definitely quite a few of them.
It was while I was stretching out my back on a small but dry patch of grass that I remembered the predicament of my van, which could be seen in its sunken state across the field. It was a sorry sight indeed and one that I wasn’t sure I was in a position to deal with. Luckily for me, one of the lovely ladies at the timing desk took charge of the situation- forcing me to eat a hand full of left over gelatin snakes while she took my keys and rustled up a 4wd with a snatch strap that heaved it out.
This was one of the toughest races I have ever completed. It would have been much easier and faster in a dry year, but tough isn’t always bad. It sure was one hell of an experience, I learned a lot about riding in mud and wet conditions and also about myself. The trails there are awesome- with tough single track all throughout the days riding. For anyone in the region, it would be well worth a bit of an explore. Again, I can only speak praise about the Mountain bike community, their events and the general attitude of riders out there on the trails.
I was too slow to be around while photographers were out on the course so no pics for this write up unfortunately. However, Rob and I do feature briefly at the end of this video wrap up from the race that aired on SBS’s cycling show.
http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/videoplay/836/cycling-central-latest/505917/husky-100-matrathon
In many ways this year’s ‘3 Ring Circus’ would be a litmus test of sorts. It would be the first race that I would be repeating since taking up the challenge of racing in Enduro MTB events on my unicycle. It would also be the first event since the disintegration of my relationship of 3 years- placing me in a completely different emotional and physical context in the lead up to, and during the event.
Preparing for this race was a challenge- but not for the usual reasons. I was in generally good health despite the best efforts of a miserable Canberra Winter, and I had a remarkable amount of free time on my hands with most weekends all to myself. Unusually, the hardest part for me was generating the motivation to get out on the trails and smash out some big rides to get the legs and lungs sharpened up for a 3 and a bit hour jaunt in the Southern Highlands. As the race drew nearer, I had yet another event that was playing on the mind. The Husky Enduro 100km event in Jervis Bay had been rescheduled due to poor weather and would be held the weekend directly after the 3 Ring Circus. For a while I had considered dropping down to the 50km option in the Husky- but after a few weeks of warmer weather, a more enthused riding ethic (helped by changing from my well used local trails to the slightly more exotic Mt. Stromlo MTB park trails), I was starting to get excited about tackling the flowing Wingello single track for a second time around.
For this race I would be joined by fellow unicyclist Rob O’Brien of the Blue Mountains. Rob had been getting into some more sustained off-road riding since getting his Geared 26” and It was great to chat to him in the lead up to the event to talk about the course and generally get mentally prepared for the task at hand. Last year I completed the 50km course in 3hrs 24 minutes and felt that the time was pretty good. I remember struggling in the sustained final climbs on the last ring of the course but I had been working on my climbing endurance throughout the year and believed I had also gained a lot of experience in the other endurance events I had entered in since last years race. It would be really interesting to see how my time would compare to last years effort.
My riding set up would be identical to what I rode in last years race- Geared 24” Muni with 125mm cranks, custom handlebar, and magura rim brake. The only differences in equipment would be a new lightweight and well ventilated MTB helmet that replaced my old skate helmet, and a pair of sports glasses for eye protection and visibility in the overcast conditions.
Wingello state forrest provided cool but clear conditions yet again for this years race. Competitors awoke to cheezy circus music, woofed down some pre race food, did last minute mechanical checks and generally milled about- stretching out legs while straddling expensive bikes. Last year I started the race in the last group of riders, only to then waste quite a bit of time overtaking a lot of them in the first 7km loop of the race. This year I was a bit smarter and picked a good spot in the pack to start the race and instantly fell into a rhythm on the hard pack fire roads. I came through the transition point 4 minutes ahead and started on the 2nd circuit.
Unfortunately, the pack had not spaced out effectively enough when we made it to the first section of single track. It was pretty funny to see people on top of the line XC bikes worth 2-5k baulking at the first little technical section. It was a little bit technical, sure- with rock piles, a few steep descents and tight switchbacks but nothing that anyone who was half confident on a bike should have worried about. I lost 10 minutes waiting to get through the log jam but things thinned out after there. The Wingello single track is an absolute hoot. Lots of fast, smooth undulating trail that shoots through banksia forrest and lush temperate rain forest. I was riding lots of this in high gear with my legs feeling strong and my trail sense accurate enough to downshift before the sudden pinch climbs and root/log crossings.
Before I knew it we hit ‘the wall’ a really steep climb that flattens out after about 100 meters to a fairly rideable gradient. I was feeling much better at this point than I was last year and apart from jogging the steepest section I climbed hard and pushed on to the next section of single track. This is more technical with more squirrelly climbs and trail obstacles to negotiate and generally I was spinning hard in low gear for most of this. I was really enjoying the challenge and my legs had me picking off mountain bikers one by one in the particularly challenging sections.
I started the 3rd circuit about on par with my time from the previous year (about 15 min ahead considering the hold up at the first section of single track). The last lap does not contain any single track, but does have a lot of big sustained climbs. It is mainly consists of dirt roads, 4wd tracks and fire service roads that vary form well groomed, to vastly eroded steep swathes of dirt and rock. Last year my legs started to spaz out with cramps in some of these sections and I had to take it easy to get through the climbs. This year was a different story. I think knowing what to expect and how to save or expend energy accordingly in this section helped immensely. The climbs are big, and long, with lots of false tops. I remember them being quite disheartening in last years race but I could pace myself and actually crested the last climb with a bit left in the tank for the final 5km sprint on gentle dirt roads to the finish line. I knew I was ahead of my time form last year and wanted to get as much out of this race as possible so I was really giving it everything in the last sections and only started to feel the deterioration of my legs in the last km or so.
I crossed the line with an overall time of 3hr 25min 04 sec. My only stop in the whole race was the hold up at the first single track section- and according to my cycle computer, my complete ride time was 3hrs 12min 12 sec. I managed to take about 10/11 mins off my time the previous year which was a nice surprise. I came in 412th out of 627 riders who completed the course. There were also the 80 or so riders who pulled out after the first 2 loops. Rob put in a massive effort and came in with a time of 4hrs 21min 21 (after getting held up for 20 min at the start of the single track). He told me he blew up a bit in the last lap with the big hills and short cranks (125mm on 26” gmuni) but did a great job finishing a tough, but massively fun and rewarding race. I’m sure he’ll chime in here with some comments and some data from his GPS he used to track the ride.
A massive thanks to the organisers for being unicycle friendly! Huw Kingston has been a great supporter of unicycling- allowing us to race, not only in the 3 ring Circus but the Highland Fling as well! Also to all the volunteers and the bike riders who were great company, and sport, out there on the trails. If you ever get a chance to take part in one of these races I highly recommend you do. They are a lot of fun, very addictive and a great goal to train towards.
I left Wingello full of confidence and enthusiasm for the Husky 100km enduro the following weekend- but i’ll talk about that in another write up.
For years I have read accounts of victory and misery provided by unicyclers who have attempted the famous Karapoti Classic Mountain bike race in New Zealand. It is a 50km course of unrelenting climbs, river crossings, man and machine eating bogs, technical downhills and on occasion- weather so dismal you wonder why people would willingly subject themselves to such strange and intense punishment.
In the last year I have been increasingly enjoying the challenge provided by various marathon mountain bike events here in Australia and decided it was time to give the Karapoti a go. The course record for the event is a blistering time set by world renowned NZ distance/endurance rider, Ken Looi, back in 2005. The 4hr 11 minute benchmark was something that had occupied my mind during my training rides and preparation for the race. Such is the often solitary life of an endurance unicyclist that I wanted to go and race, not only for the racing experience itself, but to see how I compared to another rider- at the top of their form- on one of the hardest courses around.
The race is renowned as an equipment destroyer, and mechanical failure would definitely put any hope of getting close to the record mark out of the question. As of such, in the lead up to the race my pedals got re-greased, I replaced my lovely and light tubeless set up with a more robust but heavier down hill inner tube, and my 2 speed geared Schlumpf hub was put on a dialysis of new and expensive oil. I also followed my eating and nutrition habits formed from previous races throughout the year. The day before pasta bonanaza with jugs of water, GU satchels in the camelback , and dual bladders for water/electrolyte sports drink, all returned for the running of the Karapoti.
In a field of 1100 riders there would be 7 unicyclists participating. Current record holder Ken Looi (NZ), James Amon (US), Shaun Bennett (AU), John Bradley (AU), Peter Goodman (NZ), and Rox Price (NZ) and myself. Rox would be the first female ever attempting the classic on a unicycle, a massive feat considering her very short experience with mountain unicycling (about 6 months!).
Upon arriving at the wet and misty start point for the race I met my companions, many of them for the first time and discussed race tactics, the course, and equipment. There would be 4 geared unicycles racing and 3 ungeared, all with slight variations depending on the riders preference. I was on my Geared 24 with 125mm cranks and custom handle, Ken on a ungeared Ti 29er, also on the course were 2 geared 26s and a geared 29 (all on 150s), another un-geared 29 and an un-geared 26.
As we lined up on the edge of the fast flowing and deceptively deep Akatarawa river among the single speed and retro category riders I started to get nervous. Had I trained enough? Was I going to cope on the shorter cranks? what was my race plan? Thankfully the start gun went off before I could over analyse too much and we were away. Despite forecasts of a dry and fast race this year, persistent rain in the days before the race had raised river levels, turned the clay descents into slick, traction optional roller-coasters and made the puddles and bogs trail wide and unpredictably deep. Afterwards, race organiser Michael Jacques would confirm the conditions so challenging that in his opinion the 26th running of the Karapoti was the “toughest ever seen in the 26 year history of the race”. As we climbed up the short section of asphalt that delivered riders to the beginning of the battle ground I was tailed by Ken, legs buzzing away like the wings of a hummingbird, and James with his slower loping cadence generated from a 29er in high gear. I decided then to start fast and see who would follow, so up the gorge road I ground away in high gear, skirting the trail wide muddy brown pools of water and sludge.
The main field of weekend warrior riders (non-elite) were let off 10 minutes behind us and mid way though the gentle climb they started to crowd the trail, often forcing me to take a line straight through the unpredictable bodies of water- some were deep, others shallow, some with sludgy bottoms, others were rocky. It was hard to get in a rhythm in this section because of the conditions, and I knew that my time would suffer for it. I knew Ken and James would not be far behind so as I reached the ‘warm up’ climb (2km of very steep and gravely 4wd trail) I put on the pace only to discover that my regular climbing speed on 125s is a bit faster than your traditional mountain biker in granny gear. Because it was relatively early in the race, and the trail had lots of traffic I would often creep up on bike riders in situations where there was no real overtaking opportunity. I would have to slow down, and then with the momentum lost from my cadence the climbing became impossible so I would have to dismount and walk. In the initial phases of the race I walked more of the climbs than I wanted to but tried to make it up by bombing the downhills and false tops in high gear.
After breaching the summit of the warm up climb there was a 2km steep and rocky downhill to Cederholm Creek where the flowing river becomes the trail before popping out the other side and starting up the looming mountain for the second big climb of the race-“Deadwood”. Mid way up the ride/hike of Deadwood I heard the unmistakable voice of Ken Looi behind me. He was hopping up the trail like a pixie on speed and he took the lead from about the half way point of the climb. I made a point of keeping him in sight, knowing that at the top the extremely technical rock garden awaited- and so did my chance in catching up with and hopefully putting some time on him. As it turned out his speed faded slightly towards the top and a re-caught him and entered the rock garden with a small advantage.
The rock garden is 4km of increasingly technical trail awash with large rocks, waist high drops, erosion channels, drainage channels, and walking mountain bikers. Its the sort of trail I could spend hours on, picking different lines, and possibly clearing on a good, dry day with fresh legs and no walkers to populate it. As it was I only probably rode a bit over half of the really technical bits- other sections were just too wet, or busy to safely negotiate. I managed to put a little bit of time on Ken during this section of the race but he was still lurking as the trail headed up in the most demoralising climb of the race- ‘The Devil’s staircase’.
The Devil’s staircase is too steep to ride, sometimes its almost too steep to walk. Its 3kms of calf splitting, shoe swallowing mud, rocks and bogs. It is here that carrying a unicycle over your shoulder instead of a bike is a small advantage (although a nice XC bike weighs less than my Muni these days). It peaks at 613 meters, awaking competitors from their fatigue induced trance of foot in front of foot and then presenting them with a 10km long descent of service road that is frighteningly quick and, in the conditions, devoid of traction.
This ‘Big Ring Boulevard’ was full of fast sweeping descents, off camber corners and wide slabs of greasy clay. By now the field had spaced out to a more comfortable density of riders, and the soon to be passing bikers could be heard 500m up the hill from the squealing of their disc brakes. I had a few scary moments as my wheel slipped and wafted over the terrain regardless of what my steering was telling it to do but in all it was fun, fast and only only occasionally terrifying. I pushed really hard in this section to gain a little time because I knew that waiting just up the road was the final climb of Dopers Hill, a heart breaking monolith that could make or break a good Karapoti race.
If it were to be located at the beginning of the race, I believe the climbs that make up this final section would be completely ridable- but after the 35km or so of punishing terrain preceding it I was off and waddling on the steeper inclines. My legs started to twang and tighten with the beginning of cramps as I tried to keep a competitive pace up. I still managed to ride about 3/5ths of the hill but towards the end it was more a matter of pride keeping me on the unicycle instead of an effort to gain time. Finally, like a mirage appearing from the haze of false tops, the fabled jelly bean and water station materialised from around one of a seeming thousand of corners. I knew this was the top and my spirits lifted as the trail descended in steep switchbacks that had me going faster and faster until it plunged into a wide and fast flowing river. From here the trail retraced the gorge back down along its brown, pond ridden path until it rejoined the ethereally smooth asphalt that swept down to the Akatarawa river and the finish line. My legs were like jelly by the time I attempted to recross the river, slippery and shifting stones on the bottom having me take an early bath before I could get my footing and finally extract myself. A quick remount and final grassy uphill to the final timing point and the race was done.
As I crossed I could hear the race commentator reading out my details over the loud speaker. 4 hrs, 21min 27secs. I was 10 min short of the record but still exhilarated at completing the race in such challenging conditions. After a sit down and a stretch and lots of cups of water Ken crossed the line in 4hr 39min 40sec. After a bit of a recap of the race our thoughts turned to the 5 unicyclists remaining out there on the course, where conditions were deteriorating and the failing light would not aid their endeavour. Soon after we had got changed out of our fetid race gear James crossed the line in 6hr 30 min 52 sec. Next in was John Bradley with 6hr 55min 17sec, and the last to complete the race was the only female to ever have attempted, let alone complete the undertaking, Rox Price in 7hrs 1min 49sec. Unfortunately Shaun was pulled form the race at the top of the last climb (they let him do all the climbing but not the DH! Outrageous!) and Pete was pulled earlier on at the top of the Devils staircase (after the hardest sections of the race).
It was a great experience and a very fun race to compete in- I would highly recommend it to anyone who considers themselves as a competent XC muni rider. If the conditions were not so horrendous I think I might have given Ken’s record a better run for its money, but the way it is now, I have a great excuse to return to NZ in a few years to take on the Karapoti once again!
Mark
The same crew that put together the 3 Ring Circus MTB race that I took part in earlier this year (http://unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85455) also organise one of Australia’s premiere MTB endurance events, the Highland Fling in Australia’s Southern Highlands. After completing the Three Ring Circus I Asked Huw Kingston, the race director, about the possibility of taking part in the 113km Highland fling despite registrations already closing. He was enthusiastic and even offered to refund my entry fee if I came in in under 8 hours! In the time between the Three Ring Circus I also had taken part in The Rocky Entertainment 4hr race at Wisemans ferry, and was starting to get an idea as to what needed to happen to make a race of this length a possibility. At the 4hr enduro I was joined by fellow unicyclist Jamey Mossengren, and found out he would also be joining in the fun at the Highland fling!
PREPARATION:
First and foremost I had to get more training in. In the lead up to the 4hr race I had not touched my muni in the 2 weeks leading up to it- and my legs paid for it dearly. Despite work consuming more and more of my time I made it my goal to get out on the trails at least twice a week- and pushed myself really hard. If I only had 2 hrs to spare I would set to work on some of the gruelling hill climb loops I have at my disposal on Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie. If I had more time on my hands I would try to clock up 30kms+ on the fire trails and single track at the Majura pines.
On top of the extra training I had to come up with solutions to the issue of the cramping I experienced at the 4hr race. I decided to buy an extra water bladder so I could have one for plain water, and then make up one of really potent Staminade (an electrolyte sports drink). I also went all out and bought a bunch of GU energy gels. Despite initially disliking the Gu gels- mainly because I got a funky flavour – I found two types that I didn’t mind, and I am now sold on how effective they are at keeping you energised and cramp free. I also changed to a tubeless setup on my Muni which reduced rotational weight and helped decrease the load on my legs in all types of riding.
Apart from keeping my salts up, a change in riding technique perhaps played the most important role in keeping my legs ticking over. Instead of getting up and out of the saddle and grinding away in 1:1 for climbs, I tried to stay in the saddle as much as possible. I found that cramps struck most often when my legs were fully extended in the 4hr. I also wimped out on some of the big sustained climbs in the race and walked/stretched. In my mind, the minute or two I would have gained by riding instead of walking would have all been lost down the trail when I would have to dismount to stretch out cramped muscles.
The week of stormy and wet weather leading up to the race posed another critical challenge for the race. In my experience riding in high gear becomes dangerous when the ground is wet/sloppy. The smallest loss of traction or sideways slippage can send you flying, so a few times a day I was checking the weather forecast with apprehension. 90% chance of rain, warm, and humid was the prediction. This was going to be tough.
THE RACE:
The Highland fling takes place in the State forests and private farmland property around the Townships of Bundanoon and Wingello. The course is split into 3 different stages with a transition/ feed/water station in between each stage. In total there would be 2350m of elevation gain/ loss. 26% of the racing would be on single track, 58% on rough 4wd tracks/service roads 14% on dirt roads and 2% on sealed roads.
At the event centre 2000 riders gathered to start the race early on Sunday morning after a night of sporadic but heavy rain. The morning looked clear, but the pattern of humid days followed by afternoon storms would surely continue.
The pack was briefed and then set loose on the first 27km stage or the race. Mass starts are always a bit of an anti climax and a little annoying. It takes a good 3 or so minutes after the clock starts before you get to start riding and finding your spot in the pack takes a few k’s after that. The first stage had the riders making their way onto private farm property via sealed and dirt roads, and then cutting across rolling hills on lightly used car trails/no trail at all (except for the path cut by a mower to demarcate the course). Riders passed me on the easy downhill that I then had to try and pass on the uphill, the limited trail space making the first 10km a bit frustrating. Things got interesting at our first water crossing as the line of riders waiting to cross got ambushed by the first wave of Elite riders (who were set off ½ and hour after us) who came flying down the trail and almost straight into the water.
A mixture of dirt road and narrower dual track carried the group to the first transition point at the Wingello Oval. I had a quick stretch, ate a banana and sucked down some water before hitting the next 53km stage which would wind its way around the Wingello state forest on rough 4wd tracks and awesome flowing single track. The Highland fling uses much of the same trails as those that were used in the 3 Ring Circus so I had a good idea as to what would be ahead. The first 30km of the stage had riders dropping off service roads into flowing single track with sharp switchbacks and the occasional log/ root jump. After re-joining the fire trail you would climb to regain your elevation before doing it all over again on a different section of trail. Even though the day was heating up, the shade from the forest and the rocky escarpment that the trail would often trace made the riding enjoyable. My legs were feeling good and I was more than happy hitting some of the more swoopy sections of single track in high gear. After the feed station that was located mid way through this stage, the riding confined itself mainly to 4wd tracks and contained the biggest, and most debilitating climbs of the race. The latter part of this stage had me walking sections of the big climbs but with lots of electrolyte drink and a GU satchel every 45mins or so the cramps were held at bay and my legs started to get a little weaker, but were still functioning.
After a lot of sustained climbing the trail made its way out of the forest and headed back across farmland towards Wingello for the transition for the last stage. While we were in the cover of the forest the clouds had converged and as we shot out across fast and flat dirt roads the skies opened with intermittent showers of light cool rain that made you realise just how much salt had encrusted onto your skin in the previous 5 or so hours of riding.
A quick stop at the transition point go eat a banana and a bread roll and fetch out my remaining Gu satchels from my bag and then back out onto the trail. This time we headed out along fire roads through pine plantations with a few moderate climbs here and there for a relatively quick 10km or so. The trails eventually led us into private property once again but this time the trail took the form of nice single track that meandered its way through bushland that hugged the boundary of the property. There were some fun little descents and technical pinch climbs that were a real challenge after 100ks of riding already. My legs were still ok but my mind was fatiguing. I wasn’t reading the trails as well as I normally do and on a few occasions a pedal strike or a miss read on terrain had me hit the ground. In one tight section a protruding stick grabbed my pedal and threw me off, me legs being too tired to run out of it so I merely flopped on the trail on my right shoulder. Not long after that a section of single track that I was riding in high gear had me repeat the feat after I missed seeing a section of particularly soft sand.
In the last 13km of the race I only used high gear on fire roads and left all the single track to the slower but safer 1:1. My legs could still push the gear ok but I wasn’t co-ordinating well enough with my trail sense to make it a safe or enjoyable.
After 8hrs 41min 17min I crossed the line after having completed 113kms. I placed 541st out of 587 riders that completed the course with there being 102 riders who did not finish.
I didn’t see Jamey the whole race, although he apparently arrived at one of the transition points just as I left. He put in a massive effort and came in with a great time of 9hrs 54min 14s! All of that on an ungeared 29er with 125s!
All in all the entire race experience was a fantastic one. Everyone out on the trails was courteous and encouraging, the volunteers were friendly and helpful. Even the elite riders, despite racing for big money and places, had the time to say a few positive words to struggling riders and the volunteers that made the day such a great success. This was a great race and I am keen to do it all again next year. Maybe then a sub 8hr race would be possible- the 100miler sounds tempting but I doubt I could make the cut-off!
On the drive through the winding, canopy enclosed roads en route to Wisemans ferry I started to get a bit nervous. Firstly, I had not touched my muni in the last 3 weeks, I didn’t have much organised in terms of food/hydration for the race, and as the road sank deeper into the Hawkesbury valley, the steep escarpments and looming mountains that surrounded me taunted me with their size. I arrived at the Del Rio holiday resort, the location of the race, as the sun went down. I had enough time to go for a quick ride around the car park to check my tyre pressure and my shifting buttons before it got dark, but after that it was time to pig out on some left over pasta and get some sleep.
In the morning I woke up early to see a black Jeep with a 10ft giraffe strapped to the roof enter the car park. I hadn’t seen Jamey since Unicon, and it was great to have another rider to talk to and chew the fat as we prepared for the race. I was riding my trusty 24” Gmuni on 125s and Jamey had his 29er on 125s. We got a little bit of pre race attention from other riders- and to be honest I can understand why. Jamey has such long legs that when riding his 29er he towers over bikers (and proportions wise his uni looks like a 24”!), and my set up with a serious muni handle had people scratching their heads. Neither of us knew the course and we were a bit apprehensive about what setup would make for the most enjoyable ride out on the trails. We both had the option of 150s because we were both running the KH moment dual hole cranks- but subconsciously I think we were both hoping the course would not force us to swap out.
After a quick rider briefing the race was underway and the pack slowly made its way along the edge of the resort to a sealed road that ran along the Hawkesbury. After a few rolling hills the road doglegged and the pack hit a dirt road that was a pretty sustained climb (150m total elevation gain) including a section of about 300m that was steep enough to have me up and out of the saddle grinding away in 1:1. About 90% of the climbing was done on this initial fire road and it gave lots of opportunities for passing slower riders. Once at the top we veered off down the side of the mountain on a rough, rutted and heavily eroded 4wd track. At the bottom of that descent the trail turned to single track and made its way through a sandy based and squirrelly fern garden. The trail then started to follow a shady and moist gully where the majority of the technical riding was to be had. The Gully section included some tight and technical riding with rock gardens and creek crossings stringing together to make a 400m or so run of very tough riding. I was actually surprised by the level of technicality on an enduro course. I think I only cleared that whole section on my first two laps- after that fatigue and the need to let faster riders pass made it very difficult to negotiate. After the technical section the trail continued in the shade in the surrounding mountains and the enclosed canopy until it hit a small sealed road that climbed to some more technical descents. In the closing stages of the course the trail meandered down to the waters edge and cruised along a fast and corrugated dirt road to the transition/food/ water point. The whole course was about 9.6km long in length.
My first two laps were pretty quick, coming through the transition with 34:43 and 34:32 respectively. As the day wore on my times started to get slower as my legs struggled to negotiate the tough technical sections. On the 4th lap my legs locked out with massive cramps in my quads- it took a good minute to convince them to bend at the knee and let the muscles recover. My lap times started to slip as I paid more attention to food and hydration at the transition point. I also had to nurse my legs up the climbs to avoid more long delays through cramping. My lap times for the rest of the race looked like this
3) 37:01 4) 42.08 5) 41.22 6) 42:02 7) 42:28
After 4:34:16 I arrived at the finish line after completing my 7th lap (totalling 67.2km). Jamey came in not long after completing his 7th lap in 4:52:54. We were 90 and 91st out of 110 riders overall. We were rewarded for our efforts with cases of beer and some other goodies from the event sponsors on the winners podium (we got our own category!).
Overall it was a great event and I was so glad to be able to take part in it. The guys from rocky trail entertainment were very enthusiastic about having us take part and making us feel welcome. With a bit more training I think it would be possible to climb the results ladder even further in these types of events. Massive props to Jamey for tacking the whole thing on a 29er on the 125s (and with full 661 4×4 pads too!)- the race was a massive undertaking and he smashed it.
Get out and ride.
Mark
The Three Ring Circus is a 50km mountain biking event held in the Wingello State forest, bordering on the edge of the Morton National park in the Australian Southern Highlands. I heard about the event through a fellow unicyclist (Gabor Holmik) that came along to the Australian Mountain Unicycling weekend that I organized for the Easter Long weekend earlier this year. With the ligaments in my right ankle healed (from a nasty bail at the very Muni weekend I put together!) and the support of the event organizers I was eager to partake in what would be my first organized endurance race against bikes. I didn’t have any idea as to how the event would unfold. I had been down with the flu 2 weeks before the race and had not been able to get as many training rides in as I would have liked. I also didn’t know anything about the type of trails that would make up the 50km, and if I would be able to keep pace making the time cut off for the last lap. The race consisted of 3 separate routes (rings) that intersected a central transition/food/water area.
The setup I used for the race was my custom KH/Schlumpf 24”. A components run down of my ride goes like this- Kh/Schlumpf muni hub, KH frame, 125/150mm moment cranks (using125mm hole), Thomson seat post with rail adapter and custom Muni Handle, KH freeride saddle, Magura HS33 rim brake, Duro Wildlife 3.0 tyre and Addict Knock out Pedals (thanks to my sponsor Unicycle.com.au). For the race I was using my Protec skate helmet, 661 comp cloves, 5:10 Sam Hill DH shoes, generic cycling nics and a 2.0L High Sierra hydration pack.
I drove to the event starting point with my wonderful girlfriend (yay for a support crew!) the evening before the race and camped out in my new campervan. The night was clear and very cold but as the riders emerged from their tents, cars, caravans we were all greeted with a brisk but sunny morning with blue skies. My unicycle started to get a bit of attention from the other bikers as the rider orientation took place and everyone was briefed on the race rules and reminded of trail etiquette. Generally people were curious, wondering what team would let a unicycle do one of the laps for them- then shocked to find out I was doing the whole three laps as a solo rider. One rider that was in a team made up of doctors sniggered to his friends about my ‘aero bars’ on the front of my Muni- my Muni Bar is an old lollypop bearing 20” frame clamped to the KH rail adapter and wrapped in handlebar tape.
The race consisted of three laps. The first was a 6km loop around some fire trails and 4wd trails that was used to space out the 600 or so riders on the course before the first section of single track was reached. As the starting gun went off I positioned myself at the back of the pack so that I didn’t slow anyone down on the first loop- a decision that I probably should not have been so eager to make considering the amount of riders I had to pass before I found a group that was riding at my pace. The first loop was relatively easy high gear spinning, with some tricky sandy sections and the occasional rocky water erosion section. The hardest part of the first lap was the close riding quarters- without the clear view of the terrain ahead often I was in the middle of a tricky section before I knew it but overall it was a good warm up for what was to come. As the field spaced out over a few moderate climbs it was a fast descent back into the transition area and then on to the second lap (25km).
The 4km of fire trail before our first encounter with single track featured the first real climbs and descents of the race and provided me with a great chance to overtake lots of bikers that were quick on the flats but had no climbing legs. It was on the first of these sustained climbs that I overtook the skeptical doctor that had commented at my handlebars- he kept pretty quiet. After a few more ups and downs it was onto our first section of single track- lovely flowing trails that snaked along the edge of the ridgeline with the occasional rooty section and steep switchback. With the exception of a few particularly steep switchbacks most of this was done in high gear and I caught up to the back of a small group of bikers and stuck to their tail for this section of the race. The morning was warming up and the sunshine through the canopy of banksias threw a dappled light on the green and lush undergrowth. The trail was slightly damp from the overnight dew but not sloppy, the grip and float I was getting from my duro 3.0 tyre was totally worth pushing the extra rubber around. As we shot out onto another 4wd trail some of the bikers stopped to take off clothing, others to take on snacks- they were a little surprised to see me hanging onto their riding group. I was feeling good and a little smug as I continued onto the next section of single track without having to stop.
Some more up and down and exchanging of race position on semi rough 4wd trails then the fabled ‘the wall’- A pretty serious climb that no one was riding by the time I reached it. I climbed the first 3/4ers of it before the trail was clogged with walkers, in some respects I was happy about having to dismount. I probably could have climbed it but would have unnecessarily taxed my legs pretty early in the race. At the very top of the climb the track dipped into more single track and I consolidated the gains I made on the climbs by getting onto it as quickly as possible and not taking the rest break many others were. The single track in the latter part of this lap was more technical and unpredictable and most of this was done in low gear but with a higher cadence. By this time I had started to recognize the group of people I was riding with. I would pass them on the climbs, they would pass me on the descents in the connecting 4wd track then I could catch them on the next climb. After a number of undulations a bit of banter broke out with my pacesetters out on the trail; Deep groans as I passed them on the hills, praise as they passed me on the down hills. At this point they realized it was not a gimmick, and started to treat me as just another rider out there riding and pushing himself.
One area I was really pushing myself was in the down hills. The descents were interspersed with waterbars (mounds of earth to force water run-off off the road) and the few bloody and still riders that were being treated by race officials at the side of the road was a stark reminder of what could go wrong on these trails. Light and quick feathering of the brake matched with high gear and a quick cadence made for an adrenaline pumping experience- on a few occasions I got a little airborne over the crest of these waterbars and on a few occasions I nearly pushed my balance envelope too far- only just keeping things in check with a brakeless cold sweat (and a bit of luck).
In the finals stages of the second lap I took advantage of the flatter trail riding and got some energy gels, and a banana into me, the ‘no hands’ advantage of unicycling being noted by other riders as they struggled to do the same.
As I passed through the transition area for the last time I came to realize I was never in doubt of making the cutoff, and after a brief pause to squirt some fresh water into my Gel tainted mouth it was onto the last 19km loop. Unfortunately there was to be no more single track in the race but the dirt roads used gave plenty of climbs descents and the occasional water crossing. My legs were feeling great until the last 3 or so kilometers of climbing- the standing on pedals grinding in 1:1 gave way to some twangy cramps in my quads and I was forced to dismount and stretch them out. I had been a little careless earlier on in the race about hydration and replacing my salts and I think these muscle cramps were a reminder to always plan ahead on a big ride- even if , at the time, you are feeling great. Once the climbs finished so did the cramps and then it was a quick 5km dash across farmland and dirt roads to the finish line. I crossed the line with a time of 3hrs 24mins and placed 424th out of 627 riders.
After a quick stretch and realignment of my lower spine it was presentation time where I received some chain lube (wth?) and some vouchers for the accomplishment of completing the race.
I had a great time riding against bikes, a Gmuni is too much fun to ride slow with other unicyclists these days. Since the Three Ring race I have entered the 2011 Karapoti classic and the 100km Highland Fling (coming up in August this year). A big thanks to Kevin and Mark Wharton at Unicycle.com.au for their support of this event and their sponsorship. I look forward to representing you and unicycling in Australia at more events like this in the future.
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