Endeavour Challenge

[Brockie]

Came across this yesterday. Looks like a good challenge.
http://www.touroftoowoomba.com.au/endea ... lenge.html

[monkeymajik]

I've signed up for this one. I'm on a blue cell with silver velocity deep v's if you see me, say hi and if my heart/legs haven't exploded I should respond

[elantra]

looks really good but what will the weather be like ?

I think i will take the entry option that includes arm warmers

[elantra]

Yep i have taken the plunge, i suspect entries close today or this weekend at the latest.
Going to Toowoomba in the middle of winter, how nutty is that ?

[elantra]

Did it, well not the full full distance, "just" to Goombungee and back, probably about 90 km.

Approx 150 starters, sorry i did not catch-up with Monkeymagik, i arrived at the start late
Returning into Toowoomba, i think you might have passed me (? blue Cell bike) but i tried to follow and got caught at the lights, then took a wrong turn.....

Overall it was fun but tough, a bit damp and cold at times.
Oddly enough, just past a road called "Teschner Road" (off the Meringandan Road), i had to stop and take defensive action when i was chased by a dog.
Fun in retrospect !

[monkeymajik]

Agreed on elantra's summary of "Overall it was fun but tough, a bit damp and cold at times". Weather was not the greatest, but a good ride with nice scenery. I loved it how the CEO of endevour and the policeman supervising the start referred to it as a race and had to correct themselves 3 times between them heheh.

elantra were you wearing a BNA jersey? I may have seen you! I missed Teschner Road. I did see a few of those dogs too (and a rooster! but he wasnt as game enough to attack the tyres)

I pushed on through to be i think 4th over the line in the end, there was a fella in bikehub kit with the biggest calves I've ever seen and a guy in a drapac porchse kit who rode off the front at 50km, two of us tried to chase them back but could not. Too many clif bars and pre-ride coffee did not sit well hard to resist a hot cuppa in the cold drizzly conditions and it tasted good at the time

[bprb]

Is anyone here doing the Endeavour Challenge ride on Sunday? I thought it was a terrific ride last year, and supporting a great cause. This year the event is on a whole new course — still 110 km, but heading out to Oakey this time and looks to be a bit less hilly than last year. Entries close tomorrow (Friday), and the added bonus again is getting to see the pros race as part of the National Road Series (after their morning road race in a similar vicinity to the Endeavour Challenge the pros are doing a 50 km criterium around Queens Park in central Toowoomba, starting at 2 pm). Last year I was staggered at how fast the pros went.

https://challenge.endeavour.com.au/index.html
http://www.touroftoowoomba.com

[notwal]

I just registered for the 110. Thanks for the timely reminder bprb.

The forecast is good - clear sky and light wind.

How many riders will there be?

[bprb]

Good on you Notwal. Yes, the clear skies will be a pleasant change after the drizzle at the start of last year's ride. Not sure on numbers. Last year there were only something like 120 at Toowoomba, but the MS Brissie to the Bay was on the same day so that was a reason for 4000 riders not to be in Toowoomba. I'm really hoping more people are making it up there this year, because I'm sure a lot of effort is going into putting the day on, both for the Endeavour Challenge and for the pro racing. There's a family fun day in the park where the Endeavour Challenge finishes, which is also where the pros race their criterium, and last year the pizza sure did taste good while watching the pros race 50 km in about one hour. So if anyone else is thinking about taking part, I'd recommend it, it was one of the highlights of my riding year last year.

[elantra]

Sorry i cannot make it this year.
Shame i can't, because i have a score to settle with the b***** farm dog that chased me somewhere near Meringandan last year.
And the elite racing was fun to watch,
with Coffee shops and Antique shops on Margaret street a good distraction for the missus

[moreegolfer]

Get out the warmers cause it will be cold when you head off. I am racing at 10.40am in Elite C crit so hopefully it has warmed up by then.

[dobby]

Im a Toowoomba "local" and am doing the 110km Endeavour Challenge on Sunday - if you are coming from Brisbane or surrounds, the forecast for the weekend here is cold - very cold, so make sure you bring some warm gear.

I know the route reasonably well - we ride that area most Sundays - so if you want to meet up - send me a private message. Should be an excellent ride, the last bit of climbing will be some fun after 100+ kms.

[dobby]

(AT) Moreegolfer - good luck in the Crit mate - watch the Campbell Street into Hume St corner

[moreegolfer]

Likewise Rob, see you in the park to watch the PROs show how a crit is raced. I'll watch every corner and make sure I don't get off when someone in front does .

[bprb]

Dobby, any suggestions on attire for the day? Predicted minimum is 1°C, maximum 14°C, so it'll be a few degrees cooler than I'm used to riding in. I'm thinking at a minimum I'll wear short knicks, jersey, arm warmers and a windproof vest, and will likely add full finger gloves, shoe covers and a helmet liner. Am I underdoing it? Should I go for a thermal-type undershirt beneath the jersey as well, or do you think I should be okay once I get going? I don't feel the cold greatly, but advice from a more seasoned local is most welcome.

[bprb]

Moreegolfer, ditto, good luck in your crit. I'm really looking forward to watching the racing after I've finished trundling about in the Endeavour Challenge.

[dobby]

bprb

You are bordering on "mad" if you dont at least bring leg warmers - I wouldnt contemplate doing the ride without my long Giordana Super Roubaix longs, it was freezing here this am for the town ride at 6.30 this morning - and hasn't really got warm all day

[bprb]

Thanks Dobby, I was tossing up on the leg warmers, but you've convinced me to throw them in. They don't take up much room, so I can always throw them in the jersey if I do warm up.

[bprb]

Dobby — thank you! I cannot remember ever being as cold as I was this morning, and can't imagine how I would have fared without the leg warmers. Great ride though.

[dobby]

No probs, today was actually quite mild compared to how cold it has been for some of our weekly 5am bunch rides (50kms) and 5.45am bunch rides (but they are only 30kms) - I did one recently where the avg temp for a 30km ride was 0.2C and a 50km ride where the avg temp was 1.8C.

How did you enjoy to 110km ride? I didn't stop at all because I wanted to get back to see some club members race in the crits - I think I took about 3 hrs 45mins with no stops (the avg speed was just over 28kmh).

[bprb]

Full credit to you riding in those temps Dobby, I was genuinely surprised how much difference those extra couple of degrees made. That's a decent ride without stops as well. I didn't stay long at the stops because I cooled down quickly, but my ride time was pretty modest because I was with a few slower friends, which gave me a chance to really enjoy the scenery (once the fog lifted, that is!). I thought it was yet another really good course this year. The hills after Meringandan were a nice little kick in the guts, but they spared us that hill into Toowoomba that was on last year's course.

It was great seeing the pro peleton scream past in the other direction between Oakey and Yalangur, and of course watching the pros race their crit afterwards.

Huge thanks to all the volunteers that gave their time on a cold day to keep us safe and comfortable, and to the police (who did a brilliant job) and of course the organisers and the fellow riders (there were a heap of women doing the rides, which was great to see too). I really think this is a great event and hope it continues, and hope more people (especially Brisbanites) make the effort to get up there. Big thumbs up to Endeavour. (Great wool jerseys too, by the way.)

[dobby]

I think last year (I wasn't riding at all then - I only started in December 2010) you rode the hill we call "Red Rooster" hill - we ride it each Tuesday and Thursday morning on a 5am bunch ride (but I am not heading out this morning - it is simply too cold for my lungs being asthmatic). I remember the first time I attempted it backin february and had to get off an walk - it can be a bit painful if you haven't done many hills. After 100kms it could be a bit tough but I am thankful for my compacts and the 11-28 cassette and it isn't too bad a climb now. One of the guys that I ride with is 68 years old and rides up that hill in the big chainring - which can be a bit demoralising.

I am looking forward to next years "Challenge" - I am wondering where and when and what the course will be.

[moreegolfer]

Pretty chilly this morning up Red Rooster hill, dobby! I think I had a touch of asthma creeping into my breathing but managed to keep up.

[dobby]

Hi Tom

My left knee was a bit tender and I didnt want to push it (together with an asthma scare on Saturdays Bikeline ride in the cold). I went out around town at 6am and just eased the legs back into it after Sundays Endeavour ride - caught up with a couple of the Red Hill riders at Firefly for coffee