A perfect day for a 236km ride through the Darling Ranges – report by Peter Mills.
Event start was well organized and went well even though it was still dark. Our plan to keep our team of 16 together until Greenmount didn’t quite go to plan as we had a late starter (Geoff). I’m told that’s normal for Geoff. We lost track of a couple of others amongst the other 2000 starters. I think it was 800 5 Dam and 1200 3 Dam riders.
The first big climb split the team up as expected and Doddy and I pushed ahead overtaking quite a few riders. Jo had the big white van and Peel club banner set up at Mundaring for a quick pit stop to unload any extra clothing and pick up food and drinks.
Food and drinks were well provided at each checkpoint and there were no holdups getting our passports stamped. The transponder system they used worked well and we could be tracked by anyone via internet.
We had a few challenging climbs which were followed by some great decents. The organized pre event training was essential in preparing us for this type of event helping to make it a mostly enjoyable experience. Fatigue began to set in along Karnup road pushing into a wsw wind. Doddy started to cramp and when I tried to lift the pace along the freeway I was pulled back with the same problem. I think we should have paid more attention to hydration even though we thought we had drunk plenty.
We kept a steady 30-35 kmh for the rest of the way home and were happy to finish in under 8.5 hrs in 88th position.
At the finish there was plenty of food and refreshments and we waited there for the rest of the team who all finished safely and aside from a few punctures and minor mechanical all went well.
This is a must do event for anyone who enjoys a challenge and wants to improve their riding ability. The hill climbs break up the groups and you end up riding with a variety of riders of different abilities which makes it a bit more interesting. If you don’t think you could handle the 5 dams the 3 dams would be a much easier challenge.
Many thanks to the Peel Club volunteers, your support was very much appreciated.
