LESS IS MORE

Riding without PR pressure

By EAT MORE LARD

February 10^th, 2018

THE BEST LAID PLANS

I've never been a planner. More correctly I've never stuck to plans. It's why I'm not a project manager.

Take this year's Alpine Classic. I had tentatively stepped forward to be part of the test crew for the unofficial ACEs High 500km ride, 2 laps of the ACE 250 loop in 24 hours. I had a preparation plan. It involved riding my bike alot and preferably up hills. Lot of hills.

Then family priorities got in the way and a one week trip to Vegas for work changed into a family trip over Christmas and 6 weeks away in the US. I knew that with the amount of riding I was likely to be able to get in (or more to the point not get in), even if it was at altitude, I would most probably be somewhat short of form for the 500. So I decided to drop back to "only" the 320.

Sunshine, cactus and sagebrush. Classic New Mexican.

GETTING HIGH

The riding that I did manage in New Mexico was at least of high quality. It's an arid land of high desert - think cowboy country - and higher mountains, topping out at over 4000m. In December, the peaks would normally be under snow and the average temperature rarely into double digits and frequently below zero. Not this year. You can read about an average Albuquerque winter here.

I took the opportunity to ride high when I could as even the highest local road near Albuquerque, Sandia Peak at 3200m, was free from snow and ice. I went up it a couple of times, both via the dirt way. Little did I realise it would be some of the roughest gravel I have ridden on a road bike. Somehow, it didn't stop me returning, the second time armed with a gravel bike! I also had a new experience on the mountain, hunger flatting at over 3000m. It wasn't pretty. I was feeling hungry with about 10km to go - at that altitude, that's about 50 mins of climbing - but I thought that I would be ok to eat at the summit. Wrong. The lights went out about 2km from the top and I stood on the side of the road and sought resurrection in a gel and a banana.

New Mexico was an unexpectedly fun place to ride a bike, both on-road and off. The roads in general have well maintained shoulders and drivers are very courteous and accommodating to bike riders. I never experienced any hassles or close passes and I have no doubt that the 5ft minimum passing distance had a lot to do with it. On top of that there are some fantastic bike paths through the major cities. The ride to Santa Fe was a highlight, possibly because it ended at a brewery for beer and green chile fries. Come to Albuquerque for Breaking Bad, stay for the cycling and breweries (there are 57 in New Mexico).

I definitely felt the effect of the altitude. It pulls at your legs and makes you wonder where your strength and fitness had gone. You keep looking for another gear or wonder if your brakes are rubbing. I shudder to think what it feels like to try and ride a bike at 5000m in Tibet.

The question was, would the altitude give me enough of a training effect to get me through the Alpine Classic?

A WET ALPINE CLASSIC?

Two days before the Alpine Classic I went for a quick spin up my local climb on Mt Macedon to check out the bike and the legs. While the bike was good, the legs were less so. Three weeks of minimal riding - I'd only been out twice in total on short rides as I had been travelling and then single parenting once I was back home - had taking their toll on my fitness so I knew that my expectation for the ride was just to get around the course in the time limit. I could live with that.

Fast forward to Saturday morning.

I woke early. Earlier than the alarm which was itself set for early o'clock (3am). There were flashes of lightening in the sky and that was definitely rain on the roof. I tried to go back to sleep but the rain got harder. Oh. Eventually, I just got up. Tiff was up as well. I didn't want to descend Buffalo in the wet. I'm not a poor or nervous descender - somewhere around mid-pack you would say - but the thought of doing that surrounded by a few hundred other riders wasn't filling me with joy.

I decided to drop Buffalo and ride the 250 instead, taking in the loop over Hotham, the Back of Falls and Tawonga Gap. It was half the original plan. I decided I would just have a fun day out on the bike in the company of others. No time limit, no target, no goal except riding the bike all day.

Having checked the rain radar, it looked it was going to get better and then worse again. We decided to roll down for the 4am start and just play it by ear. Damian was there and we agreed to ride as a trio around the loop. Once you leave Bright, there's little shelter all the way to Hotham so we chose to sit in the doorway of the Bright Brewery until the heavy rain had passed. After 20 mins, we had had enough. It was still raining consistently but it wasn't heavy or cold. The streets were empty again as everyone else had gone and we knew it was time to move. 20 mins of nothing. That's definitely not going for a record time.

30KM OF UP

Mt Hotham. She's a tough mistress no matter what the conditions. It was still raining as we hit the initial steep pull out of Harrietville but rain jackets had been stashed away as it was super humid and we were about to put out the first effort of the day.

Hotham is a ride of three parts. The first a consistent and solid 6 - 7% before it transforms into a false flat through the middle section. The kicker, or more accurately the 4 kickers, come in the last 10kms with plenty of testing 10% ramps with some speedy descents in between. This was Tiff's first time up Hotham and as I described the climb she said "I hate false flats". "Not this one", I replied, "You'll really appreciate it". I was right as we ripped through the middle section, happy for the relief before the final push.

I was feeling good. We climbed above the clouds and the day opened up. Legs and head were in a good place and I pushed ahead on the final slopes so I could snag a happy snap of Tiff and Damian as they rolled through the summit. Hotham really is a magical place to ride a bike.

IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE

The downhill rollercoaster to Omeo and then on to WTF corner is always a highlight of this route. There are a few secret climbs that shall not be discussed on the descent to Omeo. They tend to result in the gnashing of gears followed by the gnashing of teeth.

As ever, Audax support was exceptional. Soup. scones and ukulele at Dinner Plain and sangas and real coffee at Omeo. We were in good spirits as we rolled out of Omeo. With the ever enchanting section to WTF corner ahead, how could we not be? It's a constantly twisting road of easy riding, virtually devoid of traffic. The only hazard is a couple of plank bridges with slots big enough to swallow a wheel and end your ride.

Once you swing through Anglers Rest. there's only one things on your mind. WTF corner.

THE END OF THE FELLOWSHIP... FOR NOW

There's something special about an all day ramble with a small group where you all pace yourself to the slower rider for the pure enjoyment of riding together. On reasonable grades, it's possible to temper your speed and still enjoy the climb. Once you get to the knee popping gradients of WTF corner and the Back of Falls, however, that all changes. It's every man and woman for themselves as you stare at the wheel, the stem or the road (well, that little patch about 5cm in front of your wheel) wondering when the gradient will relent. We agreed to re-group at Falls Creek and headed off into our own little worlds for the struggle ahead.

Tiff disappeared off up the climb immediately while Damian and I stopped for a toilet break to compose ourselves. It was my eighth time on the climb and it never gets any easier. The legs felt good so I was able to settle into a comfortable tempo that was at least marginally quicker than walking. It took me a while to catch Tiff. She had ridden right past the first water stop. I had stopped to refill with the plan to right straight through from there to Falls Creek.

Oddly, I was enjoying this, maybe more than any other time. I had come to Bright with no expectation beyond finishing but I was actually feeling pretty good. The gradient and the heavy road weren't pulling at my legs like they have done in the past and I was pushing past riders consistently. Although it was humid, it wasn't hot like previous years. Just before the grip of the gradient losens and the climb turns into a series of ramps onto the high plains, I was passed by a female cyclist. It wasn't one of those Back of Falls slow motion passes either. She glided past effortlessly, like she was riding down the road for a coffee. It turns out it was Lisa Jacobs showing us the gulf between the best and the rest.

The high plains is always enchanting and the sight of Rocky Valley pondage gives you a shot of energy as you follow its shoreline, cross the dam wall (cue "where's the damn wall" jokes) and then drop down to Falls Creek. They had a coffee cart out front so I ordered a macchiato and topped it up with a can of the black doctor. All the caffeine. I'd been real hungry on the Back of Falls. A banana, two gels and even a bar hungry - yes, I must have needed it as getting a bar down after 9+ hours on the road is not normally a pleasant thought. I hoed into pretty much everything on offer and enjoyed the extended break before Damian and then Tiff arrived. They had been going well, not coming in that far behind me.

BRINGING IT HOME

Fortunately the forecast rain hadn't arrived yet and we were treated to a dry descent of Falls. The road surface felt like it had improved and we all flew down with big grins on our faces. When we zoomed though Mt Beauty and headed towards Tawonga for the last climb of the day, it had warmed up, easily the hottest it had been all day.

Damian and I swung left onto the climb. Tiff kept on going straight. "Are you going via Rosewhite for an extra 80km?" we called out before she turned around and joined us on the climb. It was hot and humid. The air was so thick you didn't need to eat, you could just bite chunks out of it. Everyone we saw was just turning the pedals over. At the water stop they had the sprayers out and we all appreciated a hose down. As we rode higher a little breeze kicked in and the oppression of the lower slopes diminished. We even established a tradition by stopping in the shade at exactly the same spot as last year to alleviate a little hot foot.

Shortly, it was Whoop! We were flying down towards Bright, our work for the day done.

We blasted into Bright rolling turns at over 40km/h, picking up a couple of hitchhikers on the way. As we came into town, our two passengers suddenly came surging past. Now I'm very happy for people to get a tow. They don't even have to take a pull but this was just rude. I turned to Damian. "I'm not having that", I said, clicked up a few gears and powered past them. As Tiff observed afterward, "They got out of the saddle to try and catch your wheel but gave up and sat down. I said to Damian that Jem does this sh*t. That's why we love riding with him".

You can't beat a silly moment to end the day, except for maybe the beers afterwards. It had been my most enjoyable lap of the 250 circuit ever. Perhaps my perceived lack of preparation had meant that I had no expectation for the day beyond finishing. I had put thought of setting a best time behind me and had simply gone out to have fun. I had no regrets about the 500 and I was certainly glad that I had skipped Buffalo in the wet (I rode it the following day because it was there).

Maybe they were right. Less is more after all?

Thanks to Damian and Tiff for the company. Thanks to Max and congratulations to him for knocking out a 130km (including Falls Creek and both sides of Tawonga Gap) on even less preparation than me. Congratulations to Marty for his hugely impressive 370km, including the 320 in a little over 13 hours!