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Barry Moore
Australia
7 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Oct 2004 : 22:02:48
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Andy Moore reports that two riders left Apollo Bay at 8.45, on the last leg (and their last legs?) to the finish at Anglesea.
Carl Leahy is on the 300 and Sean Kinna is the first rider through on the 1200.
Weather is fine and cool and the wind has dropped. |
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Barry Moore
Australia
7 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2004 : 07:26:57
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Last post from Apollo Bay:
Andy reports that all remaining riders were through the secret controle at Apollo Bay shortly after 6.00.
The last rider through was Peter Mathews on his recumbent. Peter is riding the 1000, with a finish time of 10.00 am at Anglesea. Riders have been taking between three and a half and four hours to cover the 75 kms between Apollo Bay and Anglesea (although they may be quicker in the daylight), so Peter will not be able to spend too much time enjoying the magnificent coastal scenery.
Rob Gray and Charlene Barach (both 1200 km, cutoff time of midday) spent from about 6.00 am until around 7.00 am at the controle.
The last rider in the 400 was Rob Lubbock, who left Apollo Bay at 6.20.
The weather at Apollo Bay is reasonable: overcast but with the sun breaking through over the wharf, temperature of 1 -12 degrees (C!) and a light breeze helping the riders. |
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Peter Mathews
1 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2004 : 15:45:43
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There is no doubt that this is one of the most challenging and enjoyable rides I have ever attempted. I finished the 1000km version.
To answer Maxine's question first, the route for the 1200 km riders includes a prologue of 200 km around the Belarine Peninsula, starting in Anglesea. From all reports it was a pleasant night ride. From Anglesea all distances share sections of the route to Apollo Bay, Lavers Hill, Port Campbell, Hamilton, Dunkeld, Halls Gap, Moyston and return.
At the end of the ride someone put me on the spot by asking for my highlights and how I felt. I was pretty incoherent. However...
My legs didn't really hurt until Nick and I had to sprint the last 74 km back to Anglesea from Apollo Bay, due ot my not hearing my wrist alarm go off for at least two consecutive 15 min powernap periods. Suzy and Ken helped keep us moving along on this last leg and I finished with 13 mins to spare!
Lavers Hill both ways is not without its challenges. On the way out I didn't find the climbing too hard but the pavement condition on some of the downhill sections created some excitement at 60-65 kph! Coming back in the middle of Thursday night the pavement was inbeautiful condition but I could have sworn the gradient was much greater in this direction. The Great Vic Bike ride through here will be ugly!
I enjoyed the ride to Port Campbell in both directions, and was "inspected" by one of the tourist helicopters on the way out. From Port Campbell to Cobden isn't nearly as interesting, but the bakery in Cobden is worth the effort. After Cobden on the way out the weather was definitely going pear shaped (like a balloon full of water ;-). I had my first tyre failure and got behind the bunch I had been riding with and comitted a minor geographical indiscretion which added a few extra kilometres to the cost effectiveness of the ride.
Riding with Richard and Nick towards Port Fairy the balloon burst. There was an overabundance of wind and water. Bob and Chris mounted a marathon of feeding, organising and drying clothes for soggy riders. I would never use the Port Fairy YHA dryer having smelled some of the clothes thay put through it that night!!
There a road between Port Fairy and Hamilton which I rode in the dark both ways - the only part of the trip. The highjlight of this leg was probably sleeping in a public toilet in MacArthur on the way back!
I loved the ride through the Grampians. It is a favourite area of mine and one I had not visited for some years. It was pretty windy, and hilly. I found that you can sail a tailbox during this leg. The wind assistance even when partly side on was noticeably different at different angles.
Heading back to Dunkeld seemed harder and I was confused by a very large light which did not seem to get any closer in the rear view mirror. I realised it was the moon once I figure that it was rising over Mount William! The full moon on Wednesday and Thursday nights contributed some spectacular lighting on wild clouds and the surrounding landscape.
My ride out of Port Fairy was horrible. The wind, the road, the energy level all conspired to make it hard work. Two burgers and coffee at Hungry Jack's did the job and things got better from there.
On the gear side there were only a couple of problems. Two of my Schwalbe Stelvios developed lumps and bumps which was a bit of a worry. I fell off twice at low speed and bent my handlebars (user incompetence!). Other than that all I needed to do was pour quantities of chain lube at regular intervals (usually when I realised that shifting was not as crisp as it usually is) and adjust the disk brake blocks (these worked very hard on some of the steep winding descents).
Peter Heal lent me a beautiful 3W Luxeon Star headlight, which outperforms my 6V 3W Halogen in just about every respect (including expecially battery consumption).
I rode with lots of people. Hans, Don, Richard, Nick (who had only ridden 320 km before completing the 1000!), Ian, Robert, Charlene, John.... All great company. This is a ride on which you need moral support from fellow sufferers - I certainly received a good dose. Thanks everyone.
Lastly, but absolutely critically, this ride is superbly conceived and wonderfully supported. Peter assembled a crew who turned themselves inside out to meet out every need - Andy, Bob, Chris, Enid, Jan, Pam, Libby, Martin, Grant, Phil, Des (all epic rides need Des!) and several others whose names I am sorry I can't recall.
I am stoked... Still!
Peter
Peter Mathews, Librarian & Information Officer
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
PO Box 2008 Royal Melbourne Hospital
Parkville VIC 3050
Ph: (03) 9341 3123 (direct) Bike: 043 999 2130
Fax: (03) 9341 3104
Email: peter.mathews@ludwig.edu.au
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Apollo Bay - 75 km to go!
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