Mutual Community Challenge Tour

[ni78ck]

it was a great day with plenty of riding into the wind
the ride home was much better

[DaSchmooze]

My thoughts -

Pros -
- the course itself - despite being beyond my capabilities (and the crappy headwind didn't help) I thought the course was great. Struggled at Checker Hill and unfortunately it was the first time I have ever pushed my bike!
- meeting some nice people along they way
- finally seeing someone else who has the same bike as me!

Cons -
- having to wear the same jersey... I lost my group early on but managed to catch up at Gumeracha. I understand why it has to be done but would be more than happy to wear my own which leads to my next con
- the sign on the Thursday. Whoever organised that needs a slap in the head. Standing for nearly 2 hours in the heat wasnt the best way to prepare for a long ride. Why they had some people doing lots of registrations whilst other did none was beyond me. If we have to wear a snot coloured green jersey, why dont you just send it to me?
- Neo pros - If you dont want to be amongst amateurs then dont ride in a community event - simple. Some people aren't aware as to what proper etiquette is - agreed - but it's not a hanging offence and there's no need to get snippy about it. Saw a lot of rude buggers out there hanging crap on people who dont know any better. Not cool

[eeksll]

- Neo pros - If you dont want to be amongst amateurs then dont ride in a community event - simple. Some people aren't aware as to what proper etiquette is - agreed - but it's not a hanging offence and there's no need to get snippy about it. Saw a lot of rude buggers out there hanging crap on people who dont know any better. Not cool

I think this is a very good point ... although I think there are cases when your in packs (intentional or not) that you are at the mercy of those around you.

I did get annoyed with people not staying on the left and I probably committed my fair share of non-proper etiquette. Maybe I should re-think that next year.

[elantra]

Cons -
- having to wear the same jersey... I lost my group early on but managed to catch up at Gumeracha. I understand why it has to be done but would be more than happy to wear my own which leads to my next con
- the sign on the Thursday. Whoever organised that needs a slap in the head. Standing for nearly 2 hours in the heat wasnt the best way to prepare for a long ride. Why they had some people doing lots of registrations whilst other did none was beyond me. If we have to wear a snot coloured green jersey, why dont you just send it to me?
- Neo pros - If you dont want to be amongst amateurs then dont ride in a community event - simple. Some people aren't aware as to what proper etiquette is - agreed - but it's not a hanging offence and there's no need to get snippy about it. Saw a lot of rude buggers out there hanging crap on people who dont know any better. Not cool

The jersey collection arrangement needs to be done better next time.
This is probably the reason some riders were not in official jersey.
If the jersey was not worth waiting for there is no way i would have stayed in that line for so long.
I stood in a line of a thousand people waiting to volunteer for the brissie flood cleanup a few days earlier but Norwood was worse.

[gdt]

- having to wear the same jersey... I lost my group early on...

Thus the ribbons, coloured cable ties, etc in people's helmets.

[Dr_Mutley]

For the last 12 months i have been a very vocal detractor of the Mutual Community ride after last years dangerous debacle.... but credit where credits due, i think (from the outside) the ride looked reasonably well organised and run.

To qualify my comments, i didnt pay to ride, and wore my own jersey... my money was donated straight to charity (livestrong), and not to the Mutual Community/HBA shareholders. I set off from norwood at about 7.45am, long after the last riders had departed, and had an awesome ride up the gorge with minimal traffic. I wasnt going to attempt checkers due to saftey concerns, but given the lack of cyclists at the time i chose not to take the bypass. From what i hear it was carnage as expected, but i am yet to hear any serious injury from checkers mayhem.

I chose not to stop at any refreshment stops along the way, as i had plenty of taps to fill bottles along the way. Again it seems the food situation en route was measily when compared to ride like crazy, but u come to expect that from this event (which given the $$$ it generates is quite disappointing). I didnt start hitting big groups of cylclists until hahndorf, and agree that there should be some literature given to all prticipants about how to be safe on a bike, especially when riding with thousands of other punters... The slow traffic thru Mt Barker was expected and unavoidable really given the route and time of the event. There was plenty of police presence which was pleasing to keep riders safe, and motorists frustrations under control.

i am however amazed that some would be so vocal in slagging other riders, both on the day, and in these forums, as what do u really expect to happen during an event with 8000 riders? I too was at times frustrated, given that i was twice as fast as most of the stragglers, who all seemed to ride in the middle of lanes, or veer out in front of me without warning. But at the end of the day, its not a race, and most of these guys are out for the challenge, or for whatever reason, and therefore dont deserve any bike nazi having a crack at them. If racing or looking/riding pro is important, then go race at vic park and put your balls on the line there with other riders who want to race and beat you... slagging off at riders not being "pro" only discourages them from again participating in the future, which obviously isnt what anyone wants.

I rolled into strath about 12.15pm and everythign seemed much better organised than the goolwa fiasco of last year. So once again props to the organisers...

So next year i think i will do the same again... donate my money to charity, ride in my own, well fitting, decent looking jersey, and set out an hour or so after the offical start time. Makes for a much safer ride, and u still get to be a part of a great spectacle.

[MichaelB]

....To qualify my comments, i didnt pay to ride, and wore my own jersey... my money was donated straight to charity (livestrong), and not to the Mutual Community/HBA shareholders. .......

I think the money goes to TourismSA, not Mutual Community, aren't they just sponsors for the satge ?

But like the idea of donating money to another organisation. Well done.

So next year i think i will do the same again... donate my money to charity, ride in my own, well fitting, decent looking jersey, and set out an hour or so after the offical start time. Makes for a much safer ride, and u still get to be a part of a great spectacle.

Sounds like a good idea. Will consider it next year. There are plenty of small shops along the way to buy water/food etc.


I agree with the comments about people being snarky. There were lots of comments going up the hill just out of Macclesfield (was waiting for friends), and the riding/road skills of some were pretty average to say the least.