Tdu 2011 !!!!

[bongo]

Hope bike sa get it back, the first year I rode was to Angaston and organisation was pretty good.Enough to get me to sign up early the following year.

[Sumichino]

The full route has now been posted on the website
http://www.tourdownunder.com.au

Stage 1 Mawson Lakes to Angaston
Stage 2 Tailem Bend to Mannum
Stage 3 Unley to Stirling
Stage 4 Norwood to Strathalbyn
Stage 5 McLaren Vale to Willunga
Stage 6 City Loop

The Tailem Bend to Mannum stage looks interesting. It's not flat but it looks like it will be completely dominated by the sprinters' teams. I was hoping there would be more hills so some of the GC guys can have a chance of winning.

[williamsf1]

rode checker hill today.... and my god is it a prick of a hill.... garmin says its up to 19%.....

the decent is pretty wild too! and gets the heart going rather fast!!!! max 235bpm and not a spike!!!!

the rest of the stage has 10 significant hills but nothing on checker, so I am guessing that most riders will only do the 91km and not the full monty!

the final run into Strath will be epic for the leadout boys!!! wow what a run....

[alex]

rode checker hill today.... and my god is it a prick of a hill.... garmin says its up to 19%.....

the decent is pretty wild too! and gets the heart going rather fast!!!! max 235bpm and not a spike!!!!

the rest of the stage has 10 significant hills but nothing on checker, so I am guessing that most riders will only do the 91km and not the full monty!

the final run into Strath will be epic for the leadout boys!!! wow what a run....

riding these so called flat stages gives you a new appreciation regarding 'sprinters' on the pro tour... they can still climb perfectly well!

[bionic wombat]

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/01/ ... #more-8590

check out the photos of Checker Hill !!

[MichaelB]

Sheesh, that makes it look really badder than I thought it could be .....

the 11-28 cassette is on order and a 6700 Rd will be on by the time Jan 2011 rolls around, but really need to do some standing climbing training on some steep hills.

Hmmmm repeats of Morphett Rd sounds like the easiest way to do it. The practice that is ...

[shiv]

i took the family out for a recon drive on sunday to see what Im getting myself into.

Had no idea where it was so just put checker hill into the phone map thing and followed the blue line. Driving up it I was saying to the missus how bad its supposed to be, but going up it looked not bad at all and started getting pretty confident in my abilities. Reached the top where there is a dip then another small climb and was sure I was in the wrong spot.

Crested the hill and lo and behold the road disappeared below the front wheels somewhere. Stupid maps had taken me the back way!!
So now my assessment is, this is gonna bloody hurt!!!!! It doesnt look all that much longer then Morphett Rd, but that doesnt mean its gonna be easy.

Tried taking some pics to send to my brother so he has an idea, but you just cant get a decent shot that does it any justice!

Anyway, since I live at the flat end of morphett road Im gonna be riding straight down to the other end at least twice a week from now till december.

[rustychisel]

Anyway, since I live at the flat end of morphett road Im gonna be riding straight down to the other end

I feel sure you'll get more benefit from riding STRAIGHT UP...


Ah, that's what you meant to say

[limetang]

I had a ride up Education Rd at Happy Valley on saturday for a bit of TDU hill practice. Its a tough one! had to take a break half way up.... would love to hit it with a garmin and get some data on the gradients/total lengths etc.

[shiv]

Anyway, since I live at the flat end of morphett road Im gonna be riding straight down to the other end

I feel sure you'll get more benefit from riding STRAIGHT UP...


Ah, that's what you meant to say

Na I live at the north end, the hill is at the south, so I ride down the map.

So Ill go down the road, up the hill, down the hill then back up the road.

[williamsf1]

anyone else looking for a good place to practice.... sheoak rd would do the trick!!!!

how many people will try to do the whole 135km? out of say 8000 expected???

[MichaelB]

anyone else looking for a good place to practice.... sheoak rd would do the trick!!!!

Is this the same Sheok Rd that intersects with Old Belair Rd at the top ?

[shiv]

Yep. Has a 20% section (according to the road sign) a few ks along coming from old belair rd

[MichaelB]

Yep. Has a 20% section (according to the road sign) a few ks along coming from old belair rd

OK, may give it a look this weekend then. Up Belair and down Sheok

I mean, it's not like I have to prove to myself that I can't even climb like Kenny van Hummel ....

[DanielS]

Having ridden Checkers and Sheoak a few times each, I'd say Sheoak is very good practice for Checkers. Checkers is a little longer I think, but Sheoak is a little bit steeper -- that's my feeling, i could be wrong though.

[MichaelB]

Apart from the obvious slope that goes up, are there markers (road turnoffs, signs etc) that mark the start and finish of this section of enormous suffering ?

[DanielS]

Not really... you will just be riding along this pleasant back road and suddenly it goes up! (I think it actually has two very steep sections, but the first is steeper).

If you're on the east side of town, check out Kensington Rd lookout too. Ride straight up Kensington Rd and keep going through the roundabout when it turns into a suburban street. That is very very steep.

You've also got Coachouse Dr / Woodland Way which is an alternative route up to Norton Summit -- also very steep.

I'm told Coach Rd at the top of the Parade is similar also but have never done it!

[MichaelB]

.... check out Kensington Rd lookout too. Ride straight up Kensington Rd and keep going through the roundabout when it turns into a suburban street. That is very very steep.

Done that. Almost died. Mind you, from the garmin data, the average gradient is similar to Old Belair and Corkscrew - ninish % average.

[alex]

the more i think about this the more i am considering taking the day off work to just sit on the side of checkers hill road so i can watch the carnage

[shiv]

the more i think about this the more i am considering taking the day off work to just sit on the side of checkers hill road so i can watch the carnage

The pro carnage or us silly bastards carnage? Id love for someone to film us all struggling up it, hint hint.

[williamsf1]

sheoak is very close to town (maybe 10-15 mins from the city in a car....) and starts from the pony club to what was the end of the road surface at the top.... but now it goes through to stirling etc...

but its an easy to get to replica of checker that you could do 2 times and say that is the same as checker.... just for hill training!

I wouldn't ride up old belair or james road as you are liable to get splatted!!!! main belair road is ok though....

kalyara hill is also a good one too!!!! just after the windy point lookout turn RIGHT

[Dahondude]

Sheoak is a dog of a road...terrible surface, I dunno why anyone rides up it.

Another good one to try is Woolcock Rd out near Mylor. Cheery Gardens Rd > IronBank Rd then turn R into Morgan Rd (a very steep descent on a good surface, so you could turn around at the bottom and ride up it. I reckon Checkers cant be much steeper). Ignore the Left turn at the bottom, round a sweeping right bend, then turn left into Woolcock. I guarantee you will regret it

[MichaelB]

kalyara hill is also a good one too!!!! just after the windy point lookout turn RIGHT

Didn't get out till late on Sunday (7:10pm), so Sheoak road was given a miss, but did Belair Rd (= best time), then rode down and tried Kalyara needed a quick break at the false flat, the Garmin said it was 19/20% for the second steep part . Then continued down Sheps Hill and tackled Morphett Rd.

Made it to the top without stopping and avoided the heart attack, but it was sure pumping !!!!

Back in time to have a shower, make dinner and settle down to the start of Stage 8

[alex]

the more i think about this the more i am considering taking the day off work to just sit on the side of checkers hill road so i can watch the carnage

The pro carnage or us silly bastards carnage? Id love for someone to film us all struggling up it, hint hint.

the pros will be in a bit of pain but there are only maybe 100 of them? and they can all ride up no worries. ill be there to watch the challenge tour riders/walkers which should be quite a spectacle!

[bongo]

Rode up the gorge and on to checkers today, some suffering involved there for sure.When I got to the top of the climb I stopped and the first thing that I thought of was how the hell are several thousand people on bikes going to fit not only up this road but where to fit all the people who stop as I did today. The guys who want to go up and watch others suffer and see the chaos unfold will be hard pressed to hold there spots with all the punters stopped trying to catch their breath,there is simply not enough room. I hope the organisers have thought about this,it could become a very dangerous situation.On the day I dont intend on stopping,clearing that area at the top is going to be hard enough,remember fox creek last year. As someone else mentioned here the descent is also pretty full on,you gain speed so quickly.I think I will leave earlier than the official start, hopefully avoiding riders who have under prepared,there are always plenty.Many more trips to checkers before the event I think,as well as some hard rides around that,there is a lot of riding left after conquering this nasty little number.