Epix - Epic rides and Images

2011-12-25T08:09:00.001+11:00

Happy christmas to the 8 people who still check back to see whats been going on, and its been not a great deal.

But progress has been made! The Virtue is back in the game, with a birthday of fresh rubber, enduro fork seals and fresh oil, and some shiny new 2.35 Panaracer Rampages. With some Ozriders Spex slipped into the tyres, once we got them seated (holy hell, what a mission), we're ready to go.

And go we shall, to check out the new trails at Buller. Something like:

So sometime in the near future, I hope to be able to give you something a bit more to chew on. And hey, now the sun has firmly shown its head, its happy days for summer! Get out there!

2011-10-18T22:08:00.001+11:00

Whilst getting some wheels and working takes priority at the moment, I borrowed this link from long time supporter BigMak -

Check out some of his paddle/ride trips - awesome adventures!!

Mike Curiak

2011-10-09T07:02:00.001+11:00

As time goes by, a few changes are slowly leaking onto the blog. Firstly, there are a few changes in the blog roll on the side, and I'll endeavor to continue to update them as so many blogs have died, and few have been reborn.

Secondly, mentions of Felt as a title sponsor is being slowly removed. Whilst Epix still rides Felt, and will always be greatful for their assistance, we've not requested any form of sponsorship or agreement at this time. In simple terms, we own our bikes and its enough advertising to simply ride them rather than overt advertising. That may change as it gathers more steam and maybe even hit a few races, but for now its best to have no obligations.

With the truck getting ever closer to completion, more riding shall come! For now, check out the blog rolls on the right and get out on your bike!

2011-10-08T07:59:00.001+11:00

Evening rides - win

Bitumen - necessary evil.

Transporting the other bits

2011-10-04T06:41:00.000+11:00

For many years, transporting bikes has been a challenge. I can put my hand up to say that I've taken 3 off my roofracks into the shed roof, not a very good record I'll admit. Like most people, I've tried plenty of solutions. For a while I had a trailer when doing national rounds back in the day as we used to do trials, downhill, XC and needed different bikes for all of it. The bike beak style never really took off for me, after the exhaust blew a few road bike tyres, and you'd live in constant fear and trepidation of tearing your bike off on a speedhump.

This is the latest from interbike, courtesy of Cyclingnews

Roofracks seemed to be the best solution for a while, until I got into 4wd. Having something high on your roof was not idea after that point. Swaying side to side put stresses on it that where never intended. Low branches, well.... :( So I resorted to keeping it inside. Safer, protected yet it just takes up so much space, and to bring it home dirty is a pain.

And then, like any good telemarketer would say, I discovered the ISI Advanced Bike Carrier System, for lack of a catchy name...

Just looks like a tow hitch carrier, at first glance. But its so not!! Firstly the thing is designed to be taken off road. For real, not just pretending over a curb to find a park at a race site. Stress analysis testing, fully engineered and profoundly well thought out and executed. Everything that users like me would desire in a product has been added to this unit.

Spare wheels are often mounted on the back of a 4wd. This means that a standard carrier is compromised, not being able to be used the way it was designed. Have a look at how well this setup fits, as it heads towards a reasonably extreme setup for day to day use.

The PowerPivot system -

The mounting system -

And finally, because we all like to look after our bikes, its best to keep them high and dry!

Now whilst I currently don't own one, I'm happily intending to pay full whack for a lifetime of good karma and reliable bike transport. Have a look into them, and get out there!

This has been a community service announcement put together by me in the interest of comfortable bike transportation to remote destinations. Now get outside and ride your bike!

Transportation...

2011-10-02T21:39:00.001+11:00

Epix was always multifaceted. The idea centred around the adventure, and we went to great lengths to ensure we stayed true to that. As I look through the photos of our past rides, its easily evident that we got amongst it with our friends. A lot of the riding was able to take place with the aid of a 4wd to get us to certain destinations, and it was an enjoyable part of each trip. As I eluded to, I had a bit of a winter project - I kinda bent my truck a little. Or a lot, depending on how you look at it.

Broken one above

New one purchased from auctions in Darwin below, prior to being sent to the spraypainter.

A rollover or two pretty well put paid to that vehicle, so I've basically build another one from scratch. Basically every part of the car except the body and the chassis has been removed and replaced. Some wag told me there is 40,000parts in a landcruiser. I've handled 38,000 of them....! For the car people out there, I've swapped the new truck from a petrol to a diesel, from a manual to an auto and from knackered to nice. A complete car, to a bare shell and back together again. Something I've never done before, and hopefully will only ever do to help someone in small bursts again!

Plenty of work, and help from friends has almost got me to the point of being ready to get out into the bush again. And not before time too. Riders would well know that being unable to have some sort of exercise outlet means fat and grumpy people...

So with the truck nearly finished, the bike in fine fettle from GVRaceTech's spanners, and the sun occasionally poking through, its almost time to learn to ride again!

Stiction

2011-10-02T07:39:00.000+11:00

Headed out for a ride a few days back, looks like some maintenance is on the cards...

Fox 120mm RL32's are great simple forks, but like most of the equipment that gets used to propel us around, it requires some maintenance. I'm not the best at this art, I refer most things to the man who knows and he sets me straight.

So I pull the bike off the wall and go for a ride with the aforementioned man. The poor old virtue is looking demented, sitting low at the back, and struggling to get into the fork travel. Easy fix at the time is to dump some pressure, get the fork sitting in sag. Haha, bad idea for everything other than bike path, straight line.

So off to the hospital for a late night surgery session. New Enduro seals and some precision cleaning action, and what a difference!! New 7wt oil, and the things feel brilliant.

Just makes me want to go ride....!

Blowing the dust off...

2011-09-30T18:43:00.001+10:00

Winter has been and gone, and the landscape has shifted slightly.

Easy first sentance, but it doesn't sit right. Sitting in front of the screen whilst the rain pours, and the fire crackles, its easy to think that winter is still here. But daylight saving is just around the corner, and I've got the end of my latest project in sight, and I've got itchy feet...

So I decided that bikes were back on the agenda. Lucky enough, I managed to purchase my last bike, the Virtue 1 as I loved it so much, so I have something super comfortable to ride.

Epix is back, dialed down a great deal to fit in with life, but always with something happening.

Stick around for some postings, Epix is back...

2011-09-27T21:56:00.001+10:00

Could it be?

More Epix??

I wonder what summer may hold?

Felt Epix winds up...

2010-10-25T20:53:00.000+11:00

As the once massive, now dubiously political Midnight Oil once sang, "the time has come..."

Felt Epix, as Jason and myself, has had a fantastic innings, with its partnership with Felt, as well as its co-sponsors Ascend Sport, Night Lightning, OzRiders, the ever present mechanical wizardry of GVRaceTech and Sport Recovery. We've had the privilege to travel across the country to participate in events, to experience the wonders that many will only ever read about and to meet some fantastic people. Our adventures have given our wives near heart attacks, amused our worldwide readership and given us a lifetime of laughs, and to a certain extent that will never end. Its in our genes, the desire to go and seek and adventure, and for the past few years, we've been lucky enough to share the experience with others through the generosity of our corporate partners.

But sadly for all involved, the tough decision was forced upon us. From its very inception, we as Felt Epix, and formerly Felt Racing, have always strived to offer the most value for the sponsorship dollar. Both Jason and I have always been mindful of the fickle nature of sponsorship, and constantly pushed to find new and creative ways to expose the brands that helped us get to where we are. But for that very reason, we find ourselves in a place that is not permitting of these tasks.

Whatever form of cycling we have tried our hand at, Jason and I have always *tried* to make it look effortless. To my mind, that's extremely important for a 'semi-pro', a point of difference to the public cyclist. We have the best tools at hand to achieve that goal, and hence we should make it look easy. Truth be told, to go and do a ride in 'public', it often is easy, and that's simply because of the training that goes on behind the scenes. With our time being swept away in any number of directions, the time that was once used for training, is no longer. And hence, we can no longer commit ourselves to our cycling projects with anywhere near the success we could in the past.

Cycling in all its forms is something that I don't think you ever leave. In one way or another, you'll still always ride. Jason and myself will always continue to ride, to seek adventures and to enjoy every minute of it (sometimes in hindsight). We'll continue to push Felt Bicycles as an excellent brand, and our rides of choice. Naturally like anyone, we'd love to get a new bike each year, to ride it and to show everyone we see how good it is. But thats not the way we, as Felt Epix, are comfortable to operate. We know the monetary value of a bike, and appreciate the value of positive PR, but know ourselves that our exposure wouldn't balance that equation, and as such feel it would be unfair to deprive another rider of a share of the sponsorship budget.

Formally, Felt Epix would to thank Felt Bicycles and Southcott for all their assistance and support of the past 4 years. In the future, we hope to be able to approach you with another fresh new idea, but at the moment, we feel that funding might be better directed to younger or up and coming riders. The bikes have been amazing, the support has been unbeatable and we hope that Felt Epix has blazed another unique path in the fantastic world of cycling.

Thank you,

uh oh...

2010-08-22T20:45:00.001+10:00

Seem's like broken bones are a bit contagious at the moment...

Enduro Downhills, so 2011!!

2010-06-24T06:50:00.001+10:00

Would it be wrong to be excited to see something like this in Australia...?

Like, hello Klingsporn....! :)

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/retired-cross-country-pro-leuchs-returns-to-racing-at-endurance-downhills

2010-05-16T16:26:00.000+10:00

Very cool link

2010 Nemisis Marathon Challenge

2010-05-09T18:59:00.004+10:00

It has been three weeks since I took part in the Nemesis Marathon Challenge and to be honest I think that I still haven’t recovered.

The race ticked all the boxes to make the winners work hard for their jerseys. The pre-race dinner forced me to change my race plan after Rohin Adams delivered the course to 100 riders without holding back, “go hard here... you will pay for it here!”, he said.

One thing I do like is entering in a race that no one has raced before. The high quality pedigree on the start line indicated just how important this race is on the calendar and the uncertainty of the course reflected the vibe.

30 sec 15 sec 5. 4. 3. 2 .1 GO... Brrrrup

The big hitters moved to the front early driving the lead group to the base of the first climb at warp speed. Once we hit the climb I had to initiate my race plan which was to race the course and not get caught up trying to race above my current fitness level.

With my Garmin letting me know how far I still had to go, I settled into a steady pace. It was amazing to see riders ride off into the distance only to be caught on the next climb, trying to recover from their last effort. The climbs certainly made you work hard for your smile on the descents.

The race organisers had five feed zones throughout the course. Reflecting on the day I believe this is a necessity when you hold a race in remote areas. For all five feed zones on course I never saw one rider not stop.

Each new section of track sent you into a bottomless mountain and forced you to dig deep into your reserves and make a decision, ride or walk back out? I was with six other riders and we took turns riding one then walking the next one to recover. Ride then walk, ride then walk...

At times I wanted to surrender to the course and say you beat me, but a race is a race and I never want a course to get the upper hand.

I finished the day off in just over 6hrs. I had nothing left in reserve which was transparent as I stood on the finish line standing like I was sitting in a chair *cramps*. I was really happy with my result with limited training before the event.

In summary,

Was it as hard as everyone made it out to be? Harder!

Did I get my money’s worth out of the event? Without a doubt.

What would I change? My pre-race training.

Have I recovered three weeks on? The fact my bedtime has started two hours early every night might suggest not.

Would I go back next year...? Yennoyeesno, YES.

With over supplied endurance events on the calendar this race is a breath of fresh air. If you enter next year remember one thing. It is a marathon race, not XC and not 6, 12 or a 24hr team event that we all have got used to and you will be fine. Sort of...?

Jason Jackson

2010-05-02T21:04:00.003+10:00

Seems like the bloggers are slowly getting back in action, with Bellie and Matt just a few to be posting again. Not that we can talk, sporadic is the best description I can give, but hey we're trying! :)

So Jack reckons that he had fun on the rail trail?

Judging by this photo early on, things could only have improved!! :p

Last minute directions for Big George, who rocked up with us giving him grief, only to get out of his car, throw his helmet on and be ready to ride. Not amusing on its own, but when JD had been there for more than 20 mintues, and still wasn't ready, we did get a laugh out of it! The boys then proceeded to have a 10 minute discussion over which 'matchmaker' bracket would fit what... riiiight...

Moments after I took this, a F150 came roaring around the corner, and I did a little bit of scaredness in my pants...! The truck even clipped the trees on the inside of the corner as he reefed the truck back in line.

So we got the band back together and hit up some trail that none of us had ever heard about. 'New' might be the best description, but it was far from fresh cut. Beautifully run in, amazing flow and some great lines, although I'm tempted to offer it the name DuPont, from the makers of Teflon as it was damn slippery under the trees...

For reasons that most could guess, I'm not going to impart where these trails are, in fact I probably couldn't find them again if I wanted, but HOLY HELL they are good. As well as being fun, they are actually extremely photogenic so I'll be heading back some day with a camera and some sunshine, and perhaps with riders that aren't off to do massive stage races the next week, or race 6 hours the next day or basically have any interest in racing because they go too damn fast for this little adventurer :)

Seriously tho, amazing trail and cheers to the guys that both built it, and the riders who came along for the quick spin!

OzRiders.com.au back for 2010!

2010-04-30T10:06:00.002+10:00

OzRiders is back for 2010 and they're bringing a brand new website full of new and exciting things, take a few seconds to check it out!

Ozriders

Mind blown... again...

2010-04-27T09:41:00.001+10:00

2010-04-23T07:14:00.002+10:00

Looks like it pretty quiet out there in Blogger world, everyone seems to be still recovering from the Marathon champs?

Thought I'd do a quick run throught on the Virtue, being it pretty good fun in the conditions presented... We've had Virtues for probably 4-5 seasons now, and Equilink equipped bikes for longer than that, and I can say that I did indeed scratch my head when Felt announced months ago that they were scrapping the system for their lighter, shorter travel bikes.. I reckon its damn good personally, so much so that I think I left the ProPedal off on the shock for about 60km to help with keeping traction on the rocky ground at Avoca.

IMO, this Virtue is the best on that I've used for a number of reasons. Firstly, they seem to have sorted out the pivots to a reliable, smooth action without bolts coming loose. Secondly the artwork is great, and a good looking bike goes easily 10% faster. The frame is a measurable amount stiffer than previous efforts, and I'd go so far as to say it feels better engineered than the Compulsion of last year. Power, steering and response all seem to be tapered to a more accurate point, and the bike is able to be pushed harder.

The parts spec is solid and reliable, which is really where these bikes are aimed at. Quite easily could someone drop some weight on it, through a bit of carbon here and there, wheels and groupset, but it would be chasing grams... The new Carbon bars I put on for the weekend are a bit narrower than I was used to (closer to standard than Kabush ) but they did the job admirably, and are extremely light with the carbon nano-tube technology. And the Fulcrum wheels, whilst I was nervous running untested equipment for a 90km heartbreaker, they were awesome!! So stiff, light and super super fast!! I couldn't believe how quick they where, getting in a tuck on a rolling fireroad and I was GONE from whoever I rode with. Can't say enough good things about them, and hopefully I can hang onto them for a while!! 2 big thumbs up from me!! And Avid Elixers with 180mm front rotor -haven't ridden anything better, ever. Power, modulation, ease of use, and did I mention the power...!!!!

All in all, I loved the bike for the day, and love to ride it at every chance I get! Its the most fun bike I've had the pleasure of using on a regular basis, and isn't that why we ride?

New Felt Edict

2010-04-20T21:48:00.001+10:00

Brand new Felt full suspension with a sub 4lb frame weight - check it out

Avoca Nemesis Marathon

2010-04-20T06:39:00.004+10:00

Just about enough pain has subsided to give the Marathon a bit of thought, although I'm fully expecting to mee my mate DOMS in this next few days... Its was a long hard day out there, felt by both the front and the rear of the field I'm sure, and in no small part by our bodies!

We headed up to Avoca in the blogger-mobile, with Mr T, Big Mak and the Epix bus. A weary morning after a bucks turn wasn't ideal, but we all got out there and met up with Rohin, who was going at 10/10ths to bring the race to the people. We grabbed some signs and rode out on course to do a bit of work and string up a little bit of bunting, but more to get an idea of what was in store.Rocking a Felt Six hardtail, Jason was absolutly confident in the right choice being made, whilst I was absolutly loving the Virtue as I hopped, railed and jumped my way up and down everything! We both were on some new equipment for the day, and I hope to run through that a bit more in some coming posts, but this is about the race so lets head back there...

A very amusing night was had Saturday night at the local golf club, with MC Tim doing some sort of double act with the local publican for the most honest chook raffle ever (paraphrased - you city folk look rich, I'm going to take a lot of all your money and give you only a little bit back, and it'll problably be something useless anyway - GOLD!) Rohin laid out the day for us, and everyone basically bailed to go and sleep at the first opportunity as they had become acutly aware they were going to need it!

Race morning saw a 3am phone call to Rohin from the toilet truck people, stating they had dropped two wheels and it was too dark to actually find them, so there was a bit of a flap about that. The situation was bandaged, and away we went, albeit with a few toilets to a lot of people, but hell nobody is putting their hand up as a magician - its Sunday morning people!!! 600 odd riders descended on the place, and a race was about to take place...

SS - are you kidding me!?!?

The gun went, and we all followed suit up the road. 5km of 'flat' fireroad led to the 8km climb, and somewhere near the middle of that, every rider had a vision of how their day would go...

Up...I saw Jason for a while, hell I saw Elvis for a while, but in the wash up it was just survival out there so the pace was dictated by the distance. I settled in for a long day out there, and just waited to enjoy every downhill. Grover was doing a roaring trade at CP1 ("What do you want?" *yelled from the distance* - *replied very close, and quietly* "to go home...") and still seemed to have the love 5 hours later.

If I'm honest, it all became a bit of a blur for the next few hours, but I do have some stand out memories. Any of the singletrack descents were awesome, and just got better as my day went on, and whilst the Heritage trail was very fresh and not particularly rideable later in my day, the descents sure were great fun! All the fireroad climbs were taken at default pace, and most of the singletrack climbs were either walked or granny-ed, such was the toughness of this race. The departure from the Peerick Winery stands out as a tough climb, and I said a few cusswords out there, but no excuses - I knew what was out there!!

By somewhere near the halfway point, the groups of people that I saw became reasonably regular, and I think we all kinda helped each other along. One poor bloke I cajoled into continuing proceeded to try and go past me like a train on one of the climbs, but was so frazzled that the downhill's eluded him, so that amused some poor corner of my soul. I spent most of the day see-sawing with Troy who did a great job up the climbs whilst I rested my chin on my stem, and then I managed to flick the switch on the Virtue and rail any descent! AWESOME, as Randall would say

The haze kinda just blurred the edges and kept me focussed on getting home, but starting at one end of every feed station table and eating everything to the other end certainly helped get me through! A lovely feature for sure! Full leg cramps hit as I rolled though 4 km to go, and it was all over for me there. At least 10 bottles on course kept me going, and with a lovely warm day, it was definatly needed.At any rate, I knew what was coming, I didn't 'enjoy' the race, but I certainly felt it was a great run event, and used the area exceptionally well for what was available. A few years of work, racing and trail building would make an awesome race course one day, but for now it was a truely Epic day!

Some photos don't need an explanation.

2010-04-14T18:33:00.002+10:00

Wheels have arrived!

With the good graces of the team at Southcott, I've got the priveldge to slip in a set of Fulcrum Red Metal wheels into the Virtue One.

"These are still at the top of the metal alloy wheels range in the Fulcrum® Red Metal Zero series: they are specific for the use of disc brakes. They provide the ideal choice for cross-country races because of the use of the 23.5 millimetre rims machined with triple milling. The maximum lightness has been obtained as a result without weakening the sides. The result is the best compromise for indulging your passion on impervious tracks and steep descents.

Compatibility with UST tubeless systems. Aluminium spokes with an aerodynamic profile and stainless steel nipples are used for assembly. The Two-To-One™ configuration has been chosen for both wheels with 16 spokes on one side and 8 on the other. Doubling is on the disc brake side of the front wheel and on the freehub side of the rear one. The oversize hubs feature a 20 millimetre axle running on high-precision bearings.

There there is also a Red/Black version having a red rim, black spokes, and red hub.

Average weight*:
front: 720 g
rear: 880 g"

Sounds good to me! All that needs to happen is whack the discs on them, stretch a pair of Panaracer Rampages over and fill them with Spex and I'm out there riding up the hills!! :)

Last night I whipped out to the Yarra trails to have a fang around, and kinda tried to do the old 'racing daylight' thing... Lets say I was rueing the perfectly good set of Nightlightning iblaasts that I left at home.. Still, it was awesome out here, damp tacky trail and I even saw some 'Dickies' out there - for you filthmongers, I'm refering to the Dickies that are involved with this arrangement

Nemesis National Marathon Champs this weekend - Epix will be there, and I believe it may just be truely Epic!

Easters Activity's

2010-04-12T21:39:00.004+10:00

Sunrise looking out over Lake Eildon at Mt Buller.

Our Easter weekend adventure took us to the Lake Eildon at the Delitite Arm section of the lake.
If we were rating our top ten rides and single tracks on being rewarded with magical views this ride would be number one. I will post some pics from the top tomorrow.

2010-04-09T06:30:00.002+10:00

I reckon it might be Chrismas in April for us today....

Rumour has it that there is some very cool stuff waiting for me at work today, all designed to make the Nemesis Marathon in a few weeks, just that little bit more EPIC :)

There is even rumour that a full carbon race bike might be under our chamois - interesting! Stand by for a full and complete review of that one, as well as some other little trick bits. We know there are plenty of Virtue owners out there so maybe some of these bits are going to pique your interest ;)

And the latest from Ascend also awaits us, so best I 'd get the hell out of here and get to work to find out what its all about.

Over the weekend, there should even be some interesting behind the scenes posts about the world behind Felt Bicycles in Australia. Stand by....

Entrys Close Today

2010-04-07T22:03:00.001+10:00

Have you taken a deep breath and entered??????

Don't be scared... be terrified. The word on the street is that this is going to raise the bar for all MTB races in Australia.

Remember, its a marathon not some willy nilly club run in a park ;)

Go on, get out there and take the challenge!

Wikipedia's View

Marathon - Marathon (XCM) is perhaps the toughest form of mountain biking because riders often have to cover more than 80 km in one race on mountaineous terrain. The distances usually vary from 60 km to 100 km. Races often exceed 100 km, but are then termed Ultra-Marathons. Recently UCI has inaugurated the Marathon World Cup. Basically it equals point-to-point (PP) discipline and that means that riders have a mass start from point "A" and they finish at point "B".

See you there.

The next US cycling superstar may be coming your way...

2010-04-06T20:10:00.000+10:00

Sheriff Joe Arpaio makes Maricopa County inmates pedal to watch TV

A US county sheriff has started a program he calls "Pedal Vision", in which inmates pedal stationary bikes to generate electricity for television sets.

The bikes are customised to turn on connected TV sets once inmates at Phoenix's Tent City Jail pedal enough to generate 12-volts of electricity. An hour of pedalling equals an hour of television.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said inmates only will be able to watch television if they choose to pedal.

He said he started the program with female inmates because they seemed more receptive.

Sheriff Arpaio said the only exercise female inmates have been getting is speed-walking around the tent yard.

Photo dump in reverse order...

2010-04-06T06:47:00.005+10:00

Don't fall down...

2010-04-03T18:54:00.002+11:00

That whole topsy turvy things was playing again this morning... Hell ride this morning and the bunch was a reasonable size but not mental. Mental however was the pace... Holy hell someone (*cough*) had some HP's this morning and seemed more often than not to be on the front. The pace was pretty high, and there wasn't much scope to be moving up so everyone was pretty much line astern in the dark.

No worries by me, not too much sillyness with more attention paid to the taste of the stem. Somewhere adjacent to Seaford, it all went wrong... Once again, the median strips that come out for no real apparent reason bit back and someone either got squeezed or just didn't see it. A big lockup of brakes was the first I knew of anything and then bunch just exploded all over the road at somewhere close to 50km/h. With bikes, people and carnage sliding all over the road, we all headed for the beach and away from the carnage. Somewhere people leant on each other enough to stay upright as we all veered away as fast as possible, and people filtered back together as they rolled down the road. As the front 10 or so didn't see it, people were suddenly faced with a choice - chase, or stick around...

Most chased, but about 5 of us went back to see if everyone was alright. And they weren't... I kept looking over my shoulder at a guy lying in the middle of the road, not moving. I was waiting for him to move, as that would have meant everyone was moving, but he was still...

I rolled back up and someone had already gotten to him. The guy in the middle of the road was making a gutteral fluttering sound, and whilst his face was facing away from me, it sounded like he'd been cheese grated. Someone summonded Ambo's, a motorist stopped to help, and the second person to stop/pass turned out to be a doctor. I busied myself with stopping the traffic of Nepean Highway from making more of a mess, and everyone got on with their shit. We positioned cars and people to make some sort of 'safe' environment, and had a look about.

Total Rush's Tony (second from right) had apparently managed to plow through a traffic arrow with his body and then end up 4-5m under the back of a parked car. I saw him literally crawling out from under it! The gentleman having a bit of a laydown obviously wasn't having a great day, and the next time I turned around, those working on him had started rapid chest compressions (!), and he was mid siezure, so his shit was going from bad to worse...!

By the time the Ambo's arrived, (sans cops, but it is near Franganistan so thats fair...) the guy had regained some sort of consciousness, and thankfully didn't wig out at lying in the middle of Nepean highway whilst being 16shades of f#$ked up. Ambo's strapped him up, and bussed him the hell out of there, and from there it all wound down to a quiet roar...

Tony's bike was a write off, holes in the carbon fibre etc. And I don't even know what happened to the other guys' bike. But thats not really that important now is it... That guy is very lucky to have the care that was available to him, and luck is about all you could call it, because he probably feels right now like he should have stayed in bed...

So I rolled back up the road towards home, and thankfully the bunch turned up so I was able to get a very quick lift home and get on with my day, thankful that I was still attached to my skin and mental faculties...!

Stay safe kiddies...!

Pre-running the Nemesis Marathon champs

2010-04-02T19:22:00.005+11:00

I love it when a good ride gets a little bit epic :)

This morning in the well-darks, the Hoff and I headed to Avoca to meet up with the BigHillEvents guys to pre-run the Nemesis Marathon Champs to be held up there in just a couple of weeks. 90km on the mountain bike is a big day in anyones, but to add to that 3500vertical, well thats a whole lot more than we've got in our legs at this point in time!

So a fairly large crew were present and we all rolled out in the cool dry morning. And straight up a 8km fireroad climb. Now whilst it was a friendly pre-ride, legs attached to the bodies of the Merida Flight Centre team, and riders like Murray Spink, Phil Orr et al, meant that what was considered a casual pace at the front, was nothing short of deathly at the rear, and quite soon (and sadly) the Hoff was ejected rearwards.

We drummed up a plan of attack and the Hoff bailed when he could to get the wheels, and meet us at the halfway point of the course. I continued on with the bunch and we rocked on along some great trails. The first half, I can catagorically say, is excellent! Great decents, reasonable climbs but nothing like the opener, and some sweet singletrack.

Amusingly, the second half is where it gets fun... And uphill! The first 42k covered about 1100m of up, but the second half covers the remaining 2000+m in roughly the same distance. Apparently the bunch went a little bit sullen and quiet later in the day, something about being 'pretty hard' - hell, they don't give you a national jersey for nothing....!! I think Rohin may be prescribing to the 'suck it up, Princess' school of thought! Good on 'im!!!

So, in summary. Its long, and bloody hard. So I hear...

How about some pictures? (to come, blogger is playing funny buggers)

2010-03-30T08:44:00.002+11:00

Its been a bit topsy turvy lately, with things hitting us from leftfield here there and eveywhere. Firstly was the immensly sad passing of Willo, something which I know plays on my mind often, then computer failure rendered me silent. Galloping off to Torquay in the very early dawn to represent Ascend at the Otway Classic which turned out to be a great day, and now getting things sorted to pre-run the Nemesis Marathon Champs at Avoca on the weekend.

Photos are a bit lacking at the moment whilst we get this computer issue sorted out, but they're coming!

Its become more and more noticable the lack of daylight at the moment, so I've dragged my Nightlightning lightset out for the winter - how about a quick review

I'll have a full wrap of the Nemesis Marathon champs course for you over the weekend! Happy trails out there!!

James Williamson

2010-03-25T21:33:00.004+11:00

Willo,

You will be missed by not only your close family and friends but also by the entire mountain bike community.

Thanks for the good times and memories!

Jason and Ash.

2010-03-20T11:17:00.005+11:00

Headed out for a hoon on the Virtue this morning, without even giving the road bike a second glance. God I'm loving this thing!

I figure that there is a 'dawn patrol' in the surfing world, but that's really the only time we get to ride, so does that make us the dawn patrol too... Anyway, I bet its easier to put wax on a surfboard than it is to spray chain lube on whilst trying to wave enough to keep the sensor light on, and fend the dog off, whilst trying not to wake the wife as we live in a shed mid renovation. Regardless, its good to get out on the bike!! :)

Chasing the Hoff along the trails, we headed out towards Lysterfield, if only just to heckle Snozza, but also to go rail some great fun singletrack. About halfway out we were no longer wishing for carrot eyes, and it dawned just lover-ly! Some lucky people were even out enjoying it on the lake, floating around in kayaks which looked very nice indeed

The virtue was doing its thing with ease, I'd happily never go back to a hardtail. Everything it does, the bike bike just does it better. Even climbing, the usual bugbear of full sus, is fine requiring simply a change in technique and away we go! I'm absolutly loving it, and with yarra trails on thursday and lysterfield today, I think I just need a visit to the You Yang's and I'm an urban warrior :)

I'll put some pics up asap, just having to reinstall all the phone software. Jase just text to say he did all the hills around his place, about a million vertical, and I couldn't care how fit he's getting because I'm having too much fun on this bike!

Are you addicted?

2010-03-17T22:02:00.001+11:00

Every rider must read this

Nemisis Marathon Challenge

2010-03-17T21:20:00.004+11:00

It is just over four week to go. I think I may have to do alittle more of the above before race day.

You...?

2010-03-13T11:08:00.002+11:00

Lookie at the kids out on the beach! The nice weather surely does draw 'em out! About a gazillion people out there, and sure enough, carbon met pavement...

Jase and Matt rolled down from the hills after a hazy, late evening organization for a stint of Beach road magic... Rolling out of bed a little tardy and clocking an impressive 8 minute transition, the boys were on the bikes and heading for the beach. Amidst a few bleary phone calls back and forth, we met up and tempo'd down to the beach, as chasing on was *not* an option!

About 9 million of our closest friends showed up as well, and was a 50km/h trundle down and around without too much worry, and I did a great job keeping an eye on the whole bunch from the rear, doing the yo-yo on the back with Cam Carlyle. And we both decided that the extra effort was worth at least one extra training session, so we banked it for a day when we can't be bothered riding :)

Big hardman Neil was rolling around, handing out wheels wherever he felt the urge, including asking Jason 'where he'd like to be for the sprint'. There's a reliable wheel, and sure enough delivery was prompt. Sadly, JJ was one smashed unit from staying out of trouble and nothing came of the hard work. Amusingly tho, Vic's finest seemed a little bit peeved towards the end of the ride and may have done something to disrupt people riding hard towards a roundabout (if you know what I mean) yet the sum total of their actions was a mess of broken bikes and people sitting on the road... And amazingly there must have been something important happening elsewhere as the uniformed people made themselves very scarce all of a sudden. There might have been some pretty upset skinny white guys ;)

Anyway, I got dropped off on the way home whilst the boys still had another hour of hills, so I'm sure they'll remember the k's in the bank when they are emptying the contents of their fridges into their necks...

Enjoy the day :)

Virtue versus Nemesis?

2010-03-12T07:20:00.006+11:00

Blogging returns, hey maybe its not dead after all?? Felt Racing, back in the saddle

Last night I hopped on my hardtail to whip down and check out the new stuff thats going on at Westgate Park at the Full Gas Dirt Crits, and there is going to be some pretty sweet stuff going on down there let me say! Wall rides, berms, pump track and the list goes on, and for XC bikes no less. Parks Vic are coming to the party in a big way, now the mountain bikers just have to build it all.

Anyway, I digress. I always thought my hardtail was stiff as hell, and for some parts I was right. However, I some areas I was wrong. One of the key improvements is a stiffer front end on the Virtue one, and seeing as how I ride an XL, it is always going to be noticeable to me. From the moment I jumped on the gas in my street, I could feel how much softer the front end was in terms of flex. Yes, they are the old rubbish SID's on there, but even so, the lateral flex can definitely be felt! The Virtue however doesn't suffer from that to anywhere near the same amount! Happy days!

Naturally the revised rear linkages, sealed bearings, one piece carbon swing arm, grease ported needle bearings and the rest of the features add to a pretty neat and tidy bike, and with some judicious pruning by way of carbon accessories, its possible to get the weight right down on the bike too.

To be honest, I'm excited about riding the bike all day, and what better place to do it than at the National Marathon Champs at Avoca!? Cool things about this event? How about catering at feed stations, riding previously unridden walking trails, everything from 15km to 90km distance classes, and finishing on singletrack are all things that I'm looking forward to!

Rodeo hardmen?

2010-03-10T11:08:00.002+11:00

To explain the title, Bronco riders are nutters... Forget the bullriders - they might get trampled on a bad run, but the Bronc riders get an a$$ kicking every time they step up! And thats the storm that hit Melbourne, coming our way!

But,

Buller was calling...

Its been a while between drinks, and it was high time to get out there once again. And what a weekend to not be in melbourne! One of the most severe storms of all time, with a fair bit of damage about the place. To say the sparky amongst us had his phone running hot would have been an understatement, but nothing too serious to stop us adventuring thankfully.

So, new bikes last week as you loyal readers would know and there was some last minute fettling to happen prior to our ride, setting up shock pressures and generally giving the bikes a final once over to see we hadn't missed anything, and we were on our way to a fun day of exploring the new trails on offer at Mt Buller.

Figuring that we'd be needing some climbing legs when we line up for the Nemesis Marathon champs in what feels like a few short weeks, we hit the road for the climb up to the mountain. Tapping away in the sunshine was a nice way to get back into things, and soon enough we were grinding our way through the final steel sections of the road, and meeting up with our riding buddies to go see what the fuss was about!

Everyone we've talked to has be raving about these new trails at MtBuller - to quote:

"Mt Buller's varied terrain and magnificent views combine to make it the ideal location for cross-country mountain biking. With an altitude that ranges from 400 metres to 1804 metres, and a variety of trails that stretch between Mt Buller and the neighbouring Mt Stirling, the High Country has plenty of trails to keep you entertained.

Check out the recently-constructed trails designed by internationally renowned mountain bike course designer Glen Jacobs and his team from World Trail. These include improvements in the Corn Hill area, new intermediate trails at One Tree Hill, as well as a link from the Village Circuit beginner trails to the downhill area at Spurs. They are designed to be low maintenance, sustainable and blend seamlessly with the alpine environment.

Using pedal power you can access the Resort's iconic landmarks and take in some of the most stunning sights of the alpine region including fields of wildflowers, forests of Snow Gums and Mountain Ash and the impressive view from the summit. Over 100 kilometres of quality trails stretch between Mt Buller, the neighbouring Mt Stirling and down into the Delatite and Howqua Valleys."

Sounds good in theory...! And in practice its even better!!! :)

We rolled around, found some favourites, realized how well designed the trails are to shed water so well and to neutralise the amount of climbing in such an enjoyable way, we couldn't get enough! A few hours more of riding some amazing singletrack, and we were starting to second guess ourselves with our top ten, if in fact we had gotten #1 wrong....?!

So what to do in a situation like this? Go and check if the #1 still should hold its status. Loading up the families, we headed over to the Klingsporn Trailhead and took a deep breath!

And let it out in really short puffs as we absolutely smashed our way down the best singletrack that we've ridden, period! There is nothing close to this in terms of a mountain bike singletrack. Tough, demanding, long, tricky at speed but achieveable when you turn down the dial, and so much damn fun!!!!! Rocks, roots, chutes, trees, views, wildlife, remoteness, hell it has it all for us!

Klingsporn retains the #1 title. For now...

Whilst this is a brief rundown on the day, hopefully we'll have a bit more of a write up on our Virtue 1's, the Panaracer Rampage tyres with Spex, and a bunch of other new products that we have to experiment with for the season. So be sure to check back as we prowl through the 240odd photos that we collected, and bring you some more as we can.

Cheers,

2010-03-09T21:13:00.002+11:00

More to come tommorrow, be patient my pets ;)

Misty Twist

2010-03-08T14:01:00.001+11:00

Over the weekend we may have found what we have been searching for.

LAS Helmet.

2010-03-04T22:53:00.002+11:00

My new lid from Southcott. The LAS helmet has the important job of keeping the important parts of my body safe.

First ride down and all is well...

Felt Virtue One 2010

2010-03-03T21:12:00.006+11:00

Click on the picture to enlarge the photo.

2010-03-03T06:17:00.002+11:00

Sorry about the lack of pics, but I'm back at dialup speed for a few more days, so words will have to suffice.

And I'm pretty sure that this new Virtue is the best looking bike I've owned. And there is even a pearlescent fleck in the paint! Saweeeet! So quick run down - Fox shox are all pumped up and ready to be broken in. I'm curious to feel the difference in the new RP23 shock, with some valving tweaks, should be good! Forks feel stiff and bottomless!! The pressures from the factory were even pretty close, which is reasurring. Its not nice to have to stand there and pump away for hours, in the back of your mind praying something isn't wrong.

XT group went together well, brakes adjusted up easily, 180mm front rotor means BIG power, liking it!! Shift indicators - OFF. Swap around shifter and brakes for big hands, and on go the OzRidersGrips (white, why the hell not!) Hoses are to long as usual, but GVRaceTech will be able to handle it easy as you like! Wheels are straight and true, and weren't too hard to roll the Tubeless Panaracer Rampages over, and I didn't even spill too much Spex around the place. The cable routing is a bit how-ya-going, but a little bit of care, some well placed clear stickers and we'll be pretty for years.

The bar and stem combo is a little different to what I'm used to, but in the interests of testing, I'll give them a go for a while. The stem is longer, and flatter than usual, and the seat will be a fair departure from my usual ass-busting Flite's, but if you don't try things...!!

So now I'm just waiting for an opportunity to get it out on the trails...! C'mon weekend, c'mon!!!

And there is still another box of goodies to go through, so wander on by to see what else we'll be playing with.

2010-03-02T07:16:00.000+11:00

We're back in the game!

Some pretty big boxes arrived overflowing with goodies yesterday to the building site that I call home at the moment. There'll be more to come over the next few days as we get these babies going, as they're getting a run on the weekend at one of our favourite ever trails!!

So thanks for stopping by and hopefully we can reward your loyalty soon! In the mean time, the rest of Melbournes bloggers have been back at it, so have a quick look through our links if you haven't recently and catch yourself up!

Cheers,

The good old days.

2010-02-27T19:46:00.000+11:00

New bikes.

2010-02-25T20:09:00.001+11:00

What will we be riding this year???? Check here for all the spec's.

Putting training into action!

2010-02-21T19:04:00.002+11:00

Fellow blogger, Felt owner, neighbour and friend is a strong believer in the statement, “you don’t train to train, you train to race”.

Living by this motto he put it to the test this weekend at the in2adventure dirt fest at Daylesford.

Matt won the 50km race on Saturday, came third in the triathlon today and took home $300 to make his results feel even better.

Check out here for the full story.

Felt 2010 Compulsion Sale

2010-02-17T22:15:00.006+11:00

Both bikes have been sold.

Please don’t be scared by the price of the Compulsions at $1000. The bikes have been discounted to move fast out of the sale yard. Both Ash and I saddled up these beast’s only a handful of times due to a very busy 2009. The Compulsion is definitely a bike suited to a rider looking for the free ride feel without paying for it in the legs and pocket.

Send us an email if you have any questions on, feltepix@gmail.com

2010-02-14T08:42:00.002+11:00

Things aren't all dead here (although if someone doesn't step up and pick up these Compulsions for just $1000, they may well be...), we're both still riding, but working to get some sort of a base back together.

Amusingly I was heading for some extra's on Hell ride, and watching as the bunch turned at Mt Eliza. Bellie and Big Ivan Kalleur (sp?) continued in the bunch whilst I went straight, and as I watched them all dive for the orange turn light, Big Ive tips it in for the perfect carve and decks himself quick as a flash. The full hand down, rotating slide on the bitumen across/through the intersection! OW!!

I found out later that it was only some bark and a cut hand, and they straightened his bars and chased back onto the bunch. Fun times!

With all this 'wonderful talk' of removing parked cars from Beach road, I can't help but be mildly cynical. I've said for years that my solution would be 'clearway' from 6-12am sat/sun, from elsternwick to mordy, AND REMOVE THOSE STUPID MEDIAN STRIPS! What they are instigating currently is a crap, token measure that will do nothing more than annoy the residents and the motorists will still have the same issues at every median strip, and resent cyclists and the council... So close, yet it falls over at the last hurdle again...

Oh well...

Whilst I was nibbling on my Ascend bar (which gets me through pretty much every ride currently), it reminded me that Epix will be heading down to support the Ascend guys as they sponsor the Great Ocean Road Classic, and as such, YOU should come down and check it all out!

I wanna play too...

2010-02-03T07:49:00.002+11:00

How awesome would this be...?!

Indoor Skydiving

Business proposition someone??

Nath liked it

2010-02-02T20:43:00.002+11:00

I must be losing my trigger finger, but I saw something out on the roads today that I wish I was able to capture on film (figuratively speaking..)

On a day forecast to be 34 degrees, people were quite lightly dressed. Not this 'person' (gender not determinable) -

Jeans
Jumper
Cap
Runners...

Set off by the following jewels,

Neoprene knee guards over jeans...
Balaclava..............!
And to top off the whole ensemble, SKI GOGGLES...!!!!

Just another commuter on StKilda road...

And hey, don't forget, $1000 each for the Compulsions. Part 'em, run them as is, do what you like but just help us help you!

Plenty of cool stuff to look at around the web at the moment - Melburn to adelaide or close enough, solo, mental

Singletrackin somewhere 'up there'

And everything from Wildside.

Where will Feltepix be on the 18th of April 2010???

2010-02-01T21:04:00.001+11:00

Nightlightning raises the bar for all cyclists once again!

2010-01-29T21:36:00.005+11:00

I have just received news today that Nightlightning have created a new L.E.D that is going to produce 30% more power than the existing L.E.D’s that we are running at present.

This could see the lights putting out around 1100 lumen's, (VERY BRIGHT). They have also located a new battery charger that will bring the overall purchase cost down without loosing any quality in product.

Stay tuned for more details…

Compulsion price locked in!

2010-01-27T11:32:00.002+11:00

We've been out haggling in the back room for you, trying to get the best price possible for your next ride. Happily, we are able to say that for the princely sum of just $1000, you could be riding your very own Felt Compulsion 3, available in 2 sizes of either small or extra large.

You know how to find us, and searching back trough this blog will give you plenty of opportunities to have a look at these beasts!!

Compulsion 3's for Sale!

2010-01-21T07:40:00.005+11:00

As another year has quickly passed us by, its time to move on our trusty bikes and hit the road for some new machinery. The good people at Felt have offered us bikes again for the year, to fill with adventure and pretty pictures, and so we are forced to part with our current Compulsions.

These bikes sit in a position of all day, all mountain bikes, and with the addition of new trails all around the state, they would make any rider a happy camper. Whilst they won't climb like a 22lb hardtail, the Equilink does a masterful job of converting every watt coming from your legs, into efficient forward motion. An inherrant lack of bob and chain torque related suspension action, keeps you happy on the climbs and then the smile on the backside of the hill threatens to split you face in two!

These bikes simply love the singletrack, and the wide opens stuff as well. With the front thru-axle on the Pikes (which is being featured in many XC forks more and more) the steering is stiff and positive to a tee. The travel on the back is controlled by the Fox shock and leaves you able to enjoy every moment on the bike.

The SLX groupset, whilst it lacks the lustre of the higher placed groupsets like XT and XTR, serves its master admirably, and we were never looking for better performance from the equipment. The brakes are a standout, massive controlled power at your fingertips!

All up, this awesomely fun and reliable package will suit any rider from someone starting out in the sport, to a racer looking for a weekend play bike. The pricing is an absolute bargain for a bike barely one year old, ridden only on our Epix rides (no training rides to wear things out) and lovingly maintained by the genius that is GVRaceTech.

So help us help you - email feltepix@gmail.com for more information and we'll see you out there!


	Spec's are below.

Frame Construction	TIG-welded
Frame Tubing Material	7005 double butted aluminum, w/hydroformed TT
Fork Brand & Model	RockShox Pike 409 Dual Air, 140mm travel
Fork Material	Single
Rear Shock	Fox Float R XV, 150mm travel

Components
Component Group	Shimano SLX
Brakeset	Shimano SLX disc w/180mm rotor front/Shimano SLX disc w/160mm rotor rear brakes, Shimano SLX Hydraulic levers
Shift Levers	Shimano SLX RapidFire
Front Derailleur	Shimano SLX
Rear Derailleur	Shimano SLX Shadow
Crankset	Shimano SLX, 22/32/44 teeth
Pedals	Not applicable
Bottom Bracket	Shimano SLX Hollowtech II
BB Shell Width	Unspecified
Rear Cogs	9-speed, 11 - 32 teeth
Chain	Shimano HG73
Seatpost	FELT Alloy Micro Adjust, 30.9mm diameter
Saddle	Felt XAM
Handlebar	Felt XAM OS 6061 ALU riser
Handlebar Extensions	Not included
Handlebar Stem	Felt AM 3D forged alloy
Headset	1 1/8" integrated

Wheels
Hubs	Front: Shimano SLX 20mm thru-axle centerlock disc, Rear: Shimano SLX centerlock disc
Rims	WTB SpeedDisc All Mountain, 32-hole
Tires	26 x 2.30" Felt Devox XAM
Spoke Brand	Stainless, 14ga. (2.0mm)
Spoke Nipples	Brass

Andrew 'no way' Dickey?

2010-01-20T07:17:00.002+11:00

Big Mak showed me the light with this one - Andy Dicky getting all trialsy on its ass! There's some awesome riding here from a local bloke who's been doing huge things for a long time. Most of us just climb trees to fun, he rides his bike up them, around them and then jumps out of them... Did I mention, ON HIS BIKE! Trials guys have come a long way since Hans 'no way' Rey!

something old, somthing new, somthing borrowed...

2010-01-14T06:22:00.002+11:00

Off with the old...

And hello to the new!! :)

Whilst we were at it, I thought we could soup up the umm, freeride forks? :) Hotrodding things - its what we do! (why is this thing underlining??)

And whilst there is all that hype about XX, you gotta see some of this stuff...! A cassette milled from a solid block of billet, something like 9 hours on the CNC, PER CASSETTE!!! And its a 'disposable' item... Wow...

2010 could be a big year for Felt

2010-01-12T19:17:00.002+11:00

Read all about it here. And then go here to increase the amount of saliva in your mouth.

Running for office in Struggletown...

2010-01-11T07:00:00.002+11:00

So we've all got dreams right. And goals. Some of them take a while to get around to, some of them take a crapload of work, and some just plain seem on the outer reaches of reality. And then there is the psychos that intend competing in the Hawaiian Ironman - this guy has such goals..!

So with Nath back in town for a few weeks, I've had him round a few times and its always ended well. For example, (back story, he lives in london at the mo, works in the Financial sector) he doesn't get much opportunity to get his hands dirty, so when he asked if he could dig a hole in the back yard, I said 'sure'! Of course, being cold, and boys, we ended up having a fire in it :)

So next visit, over a few beers, I suggested he join us for a roll next morning, leaving a bit early. Whilst it was midnight already, and we needed to meet at 6.15am, he said 'sure' and that was that... (Psycho...) Sure enough, next morning, second ride in a very long time, there he appeared!

With Jason making the mission over to the beachside of the world from the mountain land in which he lives, our little trio headed to the supposedly easy flat beach...

Glorious mornin!!

Nath aboard his Mongoose IBOC with baby tri bars took us back to a bad place in history... He spent the day drooling over the 762 Cervelo's that cruise Beach Road.

And so we rolled down to the beach until we popped out a BlackRock, without even thinking about Hell Ride, until someone said, 'are we going to make it?' Sure enough, we rolled past the clocktower 15min early so we just kept going. Hooking onto a cruisy bunch, we rolled down past Mordy, and then Jase got impatient... Typical mountain biker 'reckon we can bridge to that other bunch'...? 'Awh hell yeah' and off we went. Heart rates going stupid, chewing the stem and the memories coming back.

HellRide caught us at Frankston with this guy, and we hit Olivers before turning back and doing it all again... And it seemed twice as hard. Nath nearly made it all the way back to Mordy, but it was a road too far, and the train ran out of steam almost within sight, but not before I saw 198 on his hrm, so it wasn't that he wasn't trying!!

Block headbreeze felt like a cyclone all the way home, but we got there, whilst I chomped down on the Ascend bars, knowing that as a current home renovator, my day wasn't going to end there.

It was a cracker of a day out there, and a good bit of smashing cleanses the soul...

See you out there...

And the Hawaiian Ironman, not on your nellie..... Nuts....!!

Stretching our legs.

2010-01-08T19:52:00.004+11:00

2009 v's 2010

A friend of mine, Mr GC found that he wanted to spend more time on top of his six week old 2010 Felt F1 road bike. Would you believe this is his first road bike. We set out to top his longest ride of around 75km in 2:45min. GC also has his own 2009 Felt Virtue 1 at home but found that his consistent road/mtb rides on the mtb around Wandong left him wanting to head out further from home and let his hair down after a big day on the tools.

We set off in the direction of Whittlesea and Kinglake. The climb up from Humevale has had a dramatic change since the fires.

Me trying to do the right thing.

Me being nice!!!

The only problem with riding such a fine bike is you have no excuses not to perform at your best.

When we returned to our cars we had racked up 89.56km. I was happy to call it a day but GC wouldn’t stop until he reached his new record of 90km in 3:15min.

Today, I had a new line on my arm to remind me to do something before I go riding?????

Trail maintenance.

2010-01-08T07:14:00.002+11:00

Thought I'd go down and play Steve Irwin, see what the fuss was about...

I guess someone beat me to it, but I still did my bit for track maintenance.. Bit of a sweep made all the difference!

And I found a new coffee stop :) Problem is that its at the start of a ride... So one carries their cup until the liquid is consumed, then carries their cup like some sort of badge, or just to test the multi use of their bottle cage...

Fitted like a finger up a, ahh, nevermind...

The great divide...

2010-01-04T06:52:00.002+11:00

Turns out those ingenious little fellahs up in central victoria have been at it again - new trail! :)

Chatting over the weekend with someone from 'upstate', apparently there has been a bit of a winfall in central victoria for local mountain bikers, and also for the blow in tourist type. On the back of a submission to the Federal Government from a few united groups, a hefty half a million dollars have been allocated to upgrading and developing the Great Dividing Trail. Some might scoff at my interest in whats occasionally referred to as a glorified country bike path, but I've got a feeling the trail management crew might just be looking out for us little mountain bike kids... ;)

So stay tuned, and keep your eyes out for a push in the region. 500K might only buy a drop dunny and a carpark up there, but I'm tipping there will be a few blokes on rakehoes making something memorable.

This is what the ABC reported:

Central Victorian tourism operators believe they will benefit from upgrades to a major hiking and cycling track between Bendigo and Ballarat.

The Great Dividing Trail will get $500,000 of Federal Government upgrades.

The funds will build some detours for mountain bikers and improve signage and bridges.

Goldfields Tourism chairman Rod Thompson says the trail will have more appeal to Melbourne tourists when it is upgraded.

"It'll attract a lot more people to use the track being so close to Melbourne," he said.

"You can access it [at] Bendigo, Castlemaine and Ballarat by train, or driving, it's only an hour-and-a-half and the B&Bs, accommodation providers and attractions along the track will benefit greatly from the extra usage."

And hey, happy new year!

Panaracer Rampage UST

2009-12-29T06:12:00.002+11:00

Continuing the theme of maintenance, some new treads got thrown at a mountain bike. Panaracer Rampage UST came off the shelf and headed for the mavics, with some Spex thrown in for reliability.

At 750g a tyre for UST, they aren't going to win the weight weenie award, but for a predictable, reliable and generally tough tire to go the distance, weight certainly isn't the deciding factor. The tread pattern seems similar to some popular brands on the market, yet with its 'Made in Japan' stickering, we seem to be on a good thing.

Mounting the tire was a bit of an ordeal however. To get one mounted and seated, took every trick I know, and then some more MacGyvering to get it seated. Compressors, soapy water, ratchet straps, it was just being a pain. The other one went on easy as you like, so perhaps I just got unlucky, but it wasn't without its dramas.

Mounted and seated, Spex inside and we're off for a ride. First impressions were reasonably noisy on the bitumen, as they don't have an intact centre ridge, but once onto dirt, they were great! Tacky hardpack dirt had these things hooking up like Tiger at Hooters, and they were predictable in the muddy sections before and after puddles (best I could find...) Nice and quick, plenty of lateral grip and reasonably predictable for new tyres. Next time I'll run them a little lower than 38psi, and I think they'll be even better.

So, thumbs up for Rampages from me...!

Have a good new year, and thanks for your readership this year. Whilst we've fallen off the regular post wagon of later, we're working to bring it back! So make sure YOU stop by so we have a reason to do so! Now get out there!

Panaracer Closer tires.

2009-12-22T09:48:00.004+11:00

As the sun starts to peak its head out, perhaps I might too...

But I thought I should do a quick bit of maintenance. Some new brake pads was quite a treat on the F1C, pulling it up in a flash which is nice! Slipping new pads straight back into the holder without any adjustment is something they write about in manuals, it never really happens. Until now :)

And I needed some new tyres, so a quick phone call to GVRaceTech at Panaracer and I've got my little mits on a pair of Panaracer 'Closer' tyres... Closer?? I don't get it either, but they are made in Japan and that's a thumbs up from me! Maybe its from all the cool stuff back in the day, but Japan always seemed to make good gear...

This is what the website says about them:

"Excellent value priced right. Closer offers a ZSG Natural Compound for long lasting wear and a comfortable ride. Closer is the best balance between a high end racing tire and a training tire offering superb durability, comfort, and confidence."

So I whipped of the old tyres, dusted a bit of talc about the place and reefed the kevlar beads over the Ksyriums. Not too much effort saw me pumping them up and popping them back on the bike. First impression was that they have quite a pronounced 'point' in the top centre of the tread, and you notice it when you ride them. There is less surface area on the ground as you ride, and they feel very fast. I'll be able to tell if they are predicatable as time goes by, but so far they seem good!

So, 2010, I wonder whats on the cards for Felt Epix?

2009-12-18T19:59:00.000+11:00

Maybe this could be the future for Lake Mountain???

7 Peaks, The Alpine Ascent Challenge.

2009-12-14T18:11:00.006+11:00

Mr T handed me a passport some weeks ago with the intention of inspiring me to find time to get on the bike. At first the passport was pushed aside and paperwork in the office took hold once again.

With a typical mid week office session finishing up around 11:30ish pm I needed some reading material in bed to take my mind off the day that was just about to pass. Not the kind you are thinking!!!

The passport found its way into my hand and I read the text. In the morning a text message was created and sent, let’s get some dates together and take on the challenge of the 7 peaks, The Alpine Ascent Challenge. I am inspired once again to get out of bed on a Sunday at 5:30am.

Our first ascent was to be Lake Mountain Alpine Resort with a twist. The Passport asks us to ride from Marysville to Lake Mountain total 22kms, 902m rise. We decided this is much too short for an adventure, so we rode from home instead. Total 150km, 2800m rise, that’s better…

Check out Mr T blog for his pics as mine were from my crackberry phone.

We plan to ride all seven if our calendar permits. Check the site for all info and get out there!

You never know my 2010 blog update could be from France.

2009-11-11T06:41:00.002+11:00

There's a clean out a-coming for Ash. Complete bikes, parts and all sorts of stuff are going to be up for sale, for some craaazy prices!

Keep an eye out, you might find something you need for that project you just want to finish for summer!

Ascend News

2009-10-26T21:10:00.000+11:00

Degani Kinglake Ride 2009

On the cold and rainy morning of September 13th, a record 3000 riders braved difficult conditions to take part in the second annual Degani Kinglake Ride. This year’s event saw riders and organisers come together to raise much needed funds for the local communities and CFA affected by the devastating February bushfires.

With an improved course, featuring a smoother descent into Whittlesea, participants battled it out as they wound their way through the fire-ravaged townships of the Kinglake area, taking in some of the best riding country in Victoria.

ASCEND sponsored riders for the event, Jason Jackson, Ash Thomas, Joel Pearson (Savings) and Shaun McCarthy (Savings) were there on the day to lend their support, having a great day out despite the inclement weather. ‘It practically snowed for 120 km!’ says Jason. ‘At one point all I could do was laugh. The rain was so heavy I couldn’t see 10 metres in front of me.’

The highlight of the event was undoubtedly ‘The Will Walker Challenge’ where riders pitted themselves against the champ’s time on the gruelling 7.2km climb into Kinglake. ‘It turned out to be a solid hit out’ recalls Jason.

The boys helped to supply the field with ASCEND Elite Recovery Bars, ensuring all involved had the strength and stamina to take on the 70km and 120km recreational rides. ‘Over the course of the day all I ate was two Recovery Bars’ says Jason. ‘My energy levels didn’t fluctuate as much as with other bars and regular food. I recovered well’.

Even with reduced visibility from the driving rain, Jason Jackson belted out a strong finish to come in first across the line with an impressive time of 3 hours 17 minutes, and even managed to have a bit of fun along the way. ‘The bunch may have been wet and cold but everyone loved it’ he says. ‘Big thanks to Ascend, Supersprint and Degani for putting on a great day for all to enjoy.’

Check out the photos below for all the action from the Degani Kinglake Ride 2009…

See you there next year!

We're everywhere!

2009-10-16T06:07:00.002+11:00

Sighted in Queensland, the royalty cheques are starting to flow out Jason's letterbox.

King of the Flat Hill?

2009-10-06T22:18:00.003+11:00

Could it be??

With the 'end of days' type weather looming, it was truely the dedicated/sensless that made their way to the Yarra Flats to contest the Flat hill Crit, with our own Jason Jackson looking to make it 3 from 3!

Talk was that teh race organiserer had slipped some ringers in the field, so when Jason lined up against Paulie, AJ, Rohin, and the rest of the Total Rush freight train, it was going to be on. With hail just before the start line, the end of days looked nigh.

But with some good fortune for him, bad fortune for others, and some good hard racing, Jason took home the prize, and in the same breath talked of moving to queensland and retiring...!

When Jason returns, he's laid open the challenge to knock him from the top spot ;) Mouthy little chap, can you beat him??!

Epic....

2009-10-01T19:17:00.003+10:00

THE GATHERING.

THE OBSTACLES.

THE NERVES MOMENTS.
THE MECHANICALS.

THE SEARCH...THE REWARD!

THE CLEAN UP :)

Tee Pee Epix

2009-09-27T19:58:00.001+10:00

Check out Cams Epix video here.

St Andrews ambling...

2009-09-26T21:43:00.004+10:00

Anther Epix is safely in the books, and as usual it was not without its adventures! A who's who of victorian bloggers took to the trails in the areas connecting Ringwood and St Andrews. With riders such as Troy, Bellie, Cam, Randall, Matt, Nat, Brian, Jeff, and Christian making up just part of the crew, it looked like a heap of fun. (most of these blogs will have a take on the day - click on by and check 'em out) I was benched with what Bellie called a 'softness', slipping somewhat freudianly when he meant to say sickness, and sunsequently took on the EXTREMELY important roll of drinks boy...

So whilst I sat and sipped the drinks..., watching the rain fall sidways through the windscreen, listening to Jason talk on the radio whilst they huddled beneath some low trees, just as the rain turned to painful hail, I figured that it was better him out there this time :)

Meeting the crew beneath the fun that is Ridge road, we handed out some much appreciated refreshments and they then took off to hit the trails. Whilst I can't quite find one of the camera cords I need, there should be some more pics out there to come, but in the meantime, this is what I captured between showers...

Having just checked the other camera, there is still more to come including video, so fear not. And I'm sure Jason will have his take on it shortly too(given he actually did the riding, or at least some if it) , so just talk quietly amongst yourselves whilst we get organised...

Flat Hill Dirt Crit.

2009-09-22T21:45:00.004+10:00

Nat, Cam and I ventured out to the dirt crit tonight. The course is amazing! Fast and flat with two small pinches.

The boys are doing a great job running the event for all to enjoy. With Cam on the camera the pictures taken always look great. Check here for the happy snaps over the next few days.

Tonight I was the lucky one to take out the win over James Dickey (Team Specialized) and Nat to come across the line in third place. The next event will be held on the 6^th of October so come down and get dirty on a school night. I will have a set of Nightlightning lights for all to demo and some Ascend samples to be given away.

Dirty bike, happy life!

Weather watch!!!

2009-09-21T20:30:00.004+10:00

This weekends adventure will be run no matter what weather is forecasted!!

Forecast for Saturday

Cloudy. Scattered showers and the chance of thunderstorms with hail. Winds west to northwesterly averaging up to 40 km/h.

City

Few showers. Windy.

Min

Max

Remember...Epic!!!

Tuesday Night Dirt Crits

2009-09-17T20:39:00.001+10:00

Spring Racing is here!

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

Starting with the 22nd of September

6.30pm Ivanhoe crit course (see map)

$5 entry

Current MTBA License is essential

Check here for details.

Degani Kinglake Ride 2009

2009-09-14T06:23:00.008+10:00

Sorry no pictures were taken as it was too wet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Riding that long road back...

2009-09-08T06:15:00.000+10:00

2009-09-04T19:39:00.001+10:00

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

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

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

Worlds mania

2009-09-04T06:18:00.002+10:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Out...

2009-09-02T06:25:00.001+10:00

Can we connect the dots....?

2009-09-01T15:31:00.001+10:00

Hello,

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

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

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

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

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

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

2009-08-28T16:30:00.000+10:00

2009-08-27T21:55:00.002+10:00

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

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

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

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

2009-08-24T21:11:00.002+10:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

2009-08-19T20:31:00.000+10:00

When one needs to recover…

School night torture.

2009-08-18T22:14:00.002+10:00

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

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

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

In search.

2009-08-16T21:47:00.003+10:00

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

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

Performance!!!!

2009-08-13T23:01:00.002+10:00

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

2009-08-03T12:11:00.001+10:00

Kabush finally takes a world cup win!

What a legend!!

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

Congrat's to him!

Pick a plank

2009-07-30T19:17:00.002+10:00

Everyone who rides a bike, has heard of the mythical pic-a-plank bridges in Gippsland. This right here, is a very good explanation of why you need to pick a plank, and stick to it!! :)

Thats gotta hurt...

Winter fun

2009-07-26T22:24:00.004+10:00

A backyard was just crying out for some attention, so a rake hoe and a shovel, and a few hours, and this is what has been created!

And there some more camera phone pic's over here!

2009-07-19T21:26:00.000+10:00

.........I still think that it’s a wide open race. If you look at Cadel Evans, he might be a few minutes down but he’s still riding really strongly. I think he’d be less than thirty seconds down if it wasn’t for the team time trial. In fact, he attacked a few days ago. I have to say that it wasn’t a move I expected but some of the peloton were laughing when he went away. That’s a big mistake I thought when riders were chuckling away into their team radio. Cadel isn’t a guy I know personally but I have a lot of respect for him as a rider. Some say he never attacks but there he was, putting people into difficulty. Some of those people that laughed won’t be laughing when the race hits the Alps and he’s a main contender.

*Andy Schleck. (sp.?)

2009-07-16T06:45:00.001+10:00

*stolen from Rotorburn (ex-Farkin.net)*

"heard a rumbling that the park ranger at king lake is very open to putting in a mountain bike park similar to the you yangs mtb park. word is no one visits the king lake nat park and they are looking to increase visits. due to the success of the you yangs the ranger is looking to copy the you yangs model.

this shows that when something is done well and is respected by riders and is a success then more national parks, state parks etc will be opened up. congrats to the mtb community."

More parks, more betterer!

FTF 6hr Enduro

2009-07-15T20:12:00.002+10:00

This is one event you don’t want to miss out on. The single track at Officer is awesome!! The venue definitely will work well for an enduro format and will test the riding ability of all levels.

Don’t be scared… just enter!

You can read more about it here.

2009-07-12T08:28:00.003+10:00

Before the adventure truly began!

On a side note, those of you whole regularly follow the Felt Epix blog, you may have noticed that posts by me (Ash) have been sporadic at best recently. Over this winter, I've dialed my riding right back, as I've got a few other major projects on the go which are soaking up my time. I'll be back in a few months, ready to rock, so in the meantime Jason seems to be providing more than enough material to keep things ticking along! Plenty of Epix are still being planned, with our adventures taking us far and wide, and bringing you plenty of stories and images! Please be sure to keep checking back as all the latest is posted here first!

Rd # 2 FTF winter series.

2009-07-10T19:48:00.000+10:00

FTF Winter Series Rd#2 – 12th July @ Harkaway Details
Entry & Licence:
Done in the morning of the race.
You need to show a VALID MTBA licence, if not, you can purchase a $15 day licence.
Note: Cadets need a parent / guardian to fill in a $5 participation licence.
Race Entry Fees:
$20 = A, B, C, D & for this race a "CHIX” only class.
$10 = Junior (13-17)
Nil = Cadets
Directions:
Harakaway Scout Camp, 138 Chadwick rd, Harkaway melways 210 B7

Timing:
8.30am = Registration open
9.30am = Start for the Cadets (15min event)
10am = Racing starts for A, B, C, D, Junior & CHIX classes.
Straight after racing has finished, presentations and spot prizes will be drawn, so you are best to hang around because we have plenty to give away!
The Course:
The race format is not your traditional XC race course consisting of a 5-6km loop, instead it’s a “short and intense” loop of around 2km long. It’s not overly technical, but it will certainly be close racing. So please expect a few short sharp climbs. A perfect MTB loop!

So since the course is so short, there will be only one class racing at a time. The actual race time won’t go for that long (around 15-20min or so depending on the weather). So after each class has done their 1st race for the day, the 2nd and final race will be in the reverse direction. It will be like racing on two different courses on the same day. We’ll then add the scores up for your two races to determine the eventual winner for each class. While your class is not racing, you’ll be able to watch the other classes, a perfect atmosphere.
Facilities:
Croydon Cycleworks will be providing mechanical support in association with their ‘mobile shop tent’.
There will be NO food or drinks available, so please BYO.

Parking:

We will be coordinating the parking around the buildings near the start finish line. It’s a one way little dirt road into the camp, so please be mindful of other drivers and riders. Ie. drive slow.
Thank you in advance.

Hope to see you there.

08 Cape to Cape.

2009-07-09T16:47:00.002+10:00

The Forrest 6 hr Championships.

2009-07-07T21:34:00.005+10:00

Reflecting back a couple of months ago MR T who is a good friend/riding partner/neighbour of mine asked if I would be keen to race an enduro with him. The first thought that popped into my head was ‘I’m retired from enduro racing’, only to reply to him “I’m in”. After all, the man is a 50hr adventure racing freak that loves punishing his body until he ends up sleeping in a dirt spoon drain to get some rest before heading out on his next leg.

We came up with the Forrest 6hr as our event of choice after Ash and I had ventured down there earlier in the year. I new we would be riding some of the best trails Victoria has to offer and had photos to prove it.
With the weather turning pear shaped late in the week the decision had to be made to rip off the old and worn summer tyres in exchange for a new set of Panaracer Rampage 2.1. With the help of SPEX tubeless tyre sealant of course.I will go into more detail about these tyres shortly.
A new set of OZRIDERS grips were fitted.

After a well hydrated Friday night MR T was sound asleep having his midday nap. I snuck out to turn the legs over. Riding out of Apollo Bay I had some very bad flash backs to the Otway Odyssey race. Heading up towards Forrest there is a bitumen climb that would last for around 32km’s. Fortunately I rode 3km’s of it and stopped to ponder for a few minutes.

Unfortunately I have no more pics of the race which is a poor effort on my behalf but I hope I can make up for it in a short race de-brief.

This was the first time the Forrest crew had held a 6hr in this location. The course turned out to be a cracker that everyone loved. Super fast flowing single track with BIG berms that spit you out twice as fast as you entered them. They really do know how to build and maintain single track down there.

My thoughts of the day to MR T before we started were, lets not race the other teams lets just race the course for six hours and see where we pop out the other side, and that was what we did.

Matt rode like a man possessed from start to end and left everything out on course. He was ‘in the zone’ that much on his second lap he forgot his helmet and on his third his gloves. But this is why his profession is logistics I guess… ;)

By the end of the day we finished with big smiles and plenty of stories to be told. This was just a reminder why I used to love racing with my mates.

Final results were 11 laps in 6hours and 34 minutes. Sixth over all and forth in our category.

One might find some pics and results here.

FTF 2009 Winter XC Series Round 2

2009-07-07T19:45:00.001+10:00

Winter Series # 2 – Harkaway “heads up”

The FTF committee was once again hard at work yesterday ‘scouting’ out the Harkaway course that we made last year. The course is in perfect condition and ready to race.

Just to give everyone a bit of a heads up, the race format is not your traditional XC race course consisting of a 5-6km loop, instead the “short and intense” loop is around 2km long. It’s not overly technical, but it will certainly be a close race. So please expect a few short sharp climbs. A perfect MTB loop!

So since the course is so short, there will be only one class racing at a time. The actual race time won’t go for that long (around 20min or so depending on the weather). So after each class has done their 1st race for the day, the 2nd and final race will be in reverse direction. It will be like racing on two different courses on the same day. We’ll then add the scores up for your two races to determine the eventual winner. While your class is not racing, you’ll be able to watch the other classes, what a perfect atmosphere.

Check here for all the club details

Who is Felt.

2009-07-07T19:23:00.002+10:00

All the answers are found here.

Blood, Sweat + Gears

2009-07-01T20:09:00.001+10:00

Blood, Sweat + Gears: Racing Clean to the Tour de France from Team Garmin-Slipstream on Vimeo.