Freeway Bike Hike

[Jr Dacks]

I also entered in the E group from Belmont Park, live in Carlisle so its not a far ride but will prob catch the train anyway

[dwatt]

Hmmmm....just realised that I had to pick up a participation pack and didn't! Anyone know if they have a dumbo stand for people to pick up at Belmont Park???

[HappyHumber]

at 0730 Sunday Morning... Have fun with the ride all....
Hope to hear some good stories once it's all done & dusted.

Next year for me... Next year!

[wce]

Have just heard that there was not enough room on trains to get people down to Thomas road, oh well at least the ride will be a bit shorter

[Jr Dacks]

This was my first real ride and i had an absolutely awesome time!!
Managed to do the 30km leg in exactly an hour on the fixe despite getting on the piss last night, not eating breakfast and having to ride my ass off to get to the start line cause the Armadale train line isnt in service today Still got to the start line with 5 mins to spare then decided to go with the D group. Was a great feeling riding through the tunnel with a few thousand riders, managed to get a few pictures which i will post up later on. Ave speed was around 30kph, couldn't go faster due to the gearing but it was perfect for going up hills. Saw one other single speed bike out there and had a good chat and met a few other track bike riders at the end. All in all i had a great time and cant wait for the next one

[cray-]

55mins. Very happy with that. Had a good kick up that last hill [on/offramp] and was itching for a sprint finish, a la TDF

Started right at the back of E group since I was running late and it was chockers through the single lane section before you got out on to the freeway proper. Spent tonnes of my time on the hard shoulder since absolutely nobody wanted to keep right and I guess I really should have been in D group.

Some twat with a scraggly grey mullet poking out from under his helmet decided to draft me for quite some time and he had a pack behind him of other dudes who may have been on the 60km ride. I guess they where struggling to hang with the big boys and decided to show us D/E groupers how awesome they where.

Apart from that the ride was great. Tunnel run was once again the best bit. Nice slow little peddle along the foreshore back to Burswood. If I didn't have the car parked there it would have been easier to head back up Kwinny from the Esplanade and just ride home. Was certainly refueled by that point. Great day out.

[karadoc]

Absolutely awesome for a beginner like myself.

Did 72mins (in a hybrid) for 30km ride and spent most of the time enjoying the ride with mates. Left in the F group but will go up a group next year. Spent most my time cutting through traffic.

Had a round trip of 64km and I can't get the smile of my face.

Big thanks to the organisers of this event. Will look forward to it next year.

[Aushiker]

G'day

60 km in 02:07:13 at an average 27.7 km/h. Did 116.2 km overall for the day at 24.4 km/h. Given I expected to do the 60 km in 2.5 hours I am happy.

Worst part for me was all those 30 km riders who don't know how to ride Had clear air until the merge point.

Andrew

[moosterbounce]

I was a bit pissed with 55 mins as my stretch target was 50. I suffered quite badly from a weird pain in my right butt cheek (I suppose that is technically the top of the hammy). Tossed up whether to stop and stretch it, but couldn't bring myself to do that. Turns out I should've done, as when I had finished, I stretched, then went back to Greenwood for the 10km with some work mates and their kids and it was fine I'm such a doofus. Ended up with 60km even for the morning.

I did notice that waiting for the start this morning, my HR was about 20 beats more than normal so I was running pretty high today. I think it was nerves as I never ride with other people except Mr Moo and as such I don't tend to trust them. So I did the whole way pretty much alone.

Mr Moo was happy with 1h37m for the 60km ride. He also came back to Greenwood for the 10km and it was soooooooo slooooooooow but was a good "recovery".

That Powerade at the end was awful!! I don't care that it will help me recover, it had a foul powdery after taste!!

[Kalgrm]

I had a great time too.

I started the 60km ride near the front of group A and found myself in a large, fast pack (>100 riders). I finished in just under 89 minutes for an average speed of 40.3km/h. Excellent fun but it was over all too soon - I would have been happy to ride another 40km at that speed! (Easy to say when you're just one of the pack and not leading like Nimm was in his group. )

I ended up doing 142km for the day, after Nimm and I rode back along the beach (glassy calm!) and in through Perry Lakes to the Kwinana Fwy path.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Aushiker]

I had a great time too.

I started the 60km ride near the front of group A and found myself in a large, fast pack (>100 riders). I finished in just under 89 minutes for an average speed of 40.3km/h.

Excellent time Graeme and well within the time you had indicated you wanted to achieve.

Thanks all so for the lift to the train station.

Andrew

[WASwansFanatic]

Hi all,

I am an absolute novice (and also new here) and did the 60km today. It was bloody fantastic and an absolutely rush riding with so many people.

One thing.... A poor bloke got absolute smashed by someone pulling straight over into him, went straight over handle bars and hit the road head first. Noone knows if he is ok or anything?

Happened to see the whole thing and really shook me up.

[moosterbounce]

If anyone has time next year, the 10km ride had some interesting sights - just be prepared to be cut off continually and not go over 14kmh for most of it!!

We saw:

- A Goodies bike with mum, older kid and younger kid - all about the same difference in height, all wearing stripey tops, all looking very cute. I was tempted to ask them if they did anything, anywhere, anytime!!

- Lots of tandems including recumbent tandems, and a tandem with a double kiddies tow-bike thing. 4 bikes in a row.

- About a dozen unicyclists. They were certainly doing it tough.

- A chariot ridden by scouts.

- A few superheroes in capes.

It is certainly a fun ride where time and speed just don't come into it

[Double-Gee]

My mate and myself did the 60km in 2hrs 13mins which we were both pretty stoked with. We entered Group B and were fairly sure that we would be closer to 3 hours than 2. Now that we know how it all works, I'm fairly sure that next year under 2 hours will be achievable.

Another mate got squeezed forward as we were moving forward just prior to the start and got in with a group of riders. He was pretty happy with his 1hr 50mins.

Kwinana to the City was pretty smooth sailing and I was surprised to see quite a few bikes being repaired by the side of the freeway. Had to have a chuckle at the bikes leaning on lamp posts and a bright splash of lycra vanishing into the bushes.

The riders coming through the tunnel after the city made things a bit more of a challenge and then after Greenwood the pressure was on we people weaving everywhere. I spotted a few close calls, but all the riders remained upright.

The magic orange freebie drink at Joondalup was better tasting than the red brew in the morning.

We rode to a mates place a few km away and that was it for the day. A bit tired, and happy the mission was completed.

[Cambo]

We got through the 60kms in 1hr 55mins which we were really pleased with. We had a great time and wished we could do it more often to check on improvements.

I did spend a little bit of time wondering who at Powerade approved the flavours of this mornings before and after drinks. Very ordinary indeed.

[Cambo]

P.S. My mate and I were amongst the people at Bullcreek station that were unable to get onto the train to Kwinana due to it being already packed on arrival. This prompted a land speed record breaking drive to Kwinana via Stock Road. We arrived in plenty of time to make our start.

[nimm]

What a day!

I rode to Bull Creek station to get the train down to the 60km start but the trains were 100% full and the platform was 100% full too - i.e. no chance. Without a car I jumped back on the bike and headed south. On the way down I managed to flip my bike over, took a graze to the elbow, all while having a phone conversation! (also the cause of the stupid move which resulted in the flip).

At approx 7:12 I rolled into the A group starting area just in time to hear them counting down and off I went again. My plan was to catch up to Graeme since Ron and Phil mentioned he was up the front but by the time everyone got out the starting area we were spread out over a km. I was pushing hard to move further up until I met some other guys going the same speed and we kinda formed a group. This may have been the 2nd or 3rd big group out of the A starters - many riders joined on and we had a pretty big pack all the way to the end. We were really moving although I think with better co-ordination we could have pushed a little quicker.

A few times after people would wreck our pace line the guys behind would surge and surround us leading to some scary situations.

In the end I finished in 1:27:56 averaging 40.3kph over the 59.06km. My avg HR was 156 and max HR 176.

After 20km + 60km we had a short ride to Ron's place and enjoyed a long relaxing breakfast before heading home (+46.33km). So all up I would have done approx 125km today.

[cricetidae]

Well it looks like it was a good day all round apart from a few scrapes along the way.

I must say I am jealous of you all as all I could do was lounge around and try to reach that spot in my cast that is driving me spare with an itch I can't scratch.




Well there is always next year...

[JB]

I didn't do the BH ride but our South Perth group ride organiser Peter Mah did manage to record a stack on his camcorder - you can just make out the carnage in the background...very fuzzy

http://whereareweridingtoday.blogspot.com

Sort of reinforces my beleive this is one event to avoid.

Not denying is sounded like a lot of fine - just not for me.

Safe Riding,
John

[Aushiker]

My mate and myself did the 60km in 2hrs 13mins which we were both pretty stoked with. We entered Group B and were fairly sure that we would be closer to 3 hours than 2. Now that we know how it all works, I'm fairly sure that next year under 2 hours will be achievable.

Nice time. I would have only been a few minutes behind you given I started in the "C" group.

Kwinana to the City was pretty smooth sailing and I was surprised to see quite a few bikes being repaired by the side of the freeway. Had to have a chuckle at the bikes leaning on lamp posts and a bright splash of lycra vanishing into the bushes.

Saw one couple on the side looking pretty forlorn ... I suspect no spare tube and probably no tools from what I saw. I nearly stopped to help ... but got selfish, thinking about my time.

I did the dash too ...

The riders coming through the tunnel after the city made things a bit more of a challenge and then after Greenwood the pressure was on we people weaving everywhere.

Same for me. I had hoped the "B" group would get through before this. I think they need to delay the 30 km start a bit more to make it safer.

Regards
Andrew

[Aushiker]

In the end I finished in 1:27:56 averaging 40.3kph over the 59.06km. My avg HR was 156 and max HR 176..

Well done Jason, particularly given your adventures first up. Hope you are ok.

Andrew

[HappyHumber]

Has anyone heard any final attendance figures?

Was meaning to watch for some TV news coverage.. but got quickly got distracted when the new items turned to state politics and I went outside and watered the lawn

[Bruce]

Not sure, but that wouldn't surprise me to ensure others paid for the train.

It was very busy heading back the last few years - long, long line at joondalup station - so the trains may be specific ones (at first) and then normal trains where you fit where you can. It is a Sunday though and security is a bit quieter on those days though so you never know.

If you do plan to take the train south, either spend time looking around joondalup first, or ride like crazy so you can be one of the first on the return trains

as it turned out a cycling mate and i rode accross to burns beach (hodges drive),rode the cycle path to hilleries had a kebab rode to greenwood ,caught the train to leederville a huge effort. 75minutes for the 30km ride,approx 80ks for the day

[mich rolling]

Well I did the 60km (purists would be horrified it was on a 15 year old steel Giant hybrid with flat bars and a luggage rack but then this is who the ride was aimed at).

Had a wonderful ride, chatted to people, enjoyed the odd 'sprint' and generally feel like a hero.

Some observations:
heard on the PA that 2000 riders left Kwinana with over 10,000 overall, if correct this means that about 1 person in 70 of the Perth population got out of bed on a Sunday morning to enjoy the event

brilliantly organised and staffed, top marks to DPI, Main Roads, TransPerth, the hundreds of volunteers standing by the roadside with the bottle of magic recuperator, and the police

people rode in much straighter lines and more carefully this year than last

if you were going so fast that plonkers ptootling in your way was an issue why weren't you registered with the actual racers up the front? If you registered with groups B,C,D,E or kiddies you are a plonker like me, enjoy the event.

heaps of people rode back to Perth.

I hope BikeWest manages to get some publicity out quickly to capitalize on the increased numbers and visibility before we forget about it and cocoon in cars for the winter.

Thanks guys.

[Aushiker]

if you were going so fast that plonkers ptootling in your way was an issue why weren't you registered with the actual racers up the front? If you registered with groups B,C.

Interesting comment. It would appear you didn't take on board the times specified for at least these two categories at least ...

Oh as I understand it, it was run by Trievents, a private events management company ...

Andrew