B2B 2007

[LuckyPierre]

Is anyone intending to do the Blayney to Bathurst 'cyclo sportif'?
It sounds like it would be fun!

[mikesbytes]

There will be some of my club members doing it, but not me.

Burn plenty of Glycogen
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[Hotdog]

I'm tempted. After the Tour de Hills last weekend I reckon I'd be able to cope with the shorter of the two courses at least.

[gururug]

I might do this aswell.

My first group ride and race on the same day hope I don't take anyone out. (short course for me too I think)

I wonder if they have bidon filling stations along the way or you just stop at any tap? Anyone know about this?

[sogood]

Interested, but no time over that weekend.

[LuckyPierre]

The information posted on the www.bathurstcyclingclub.com.au website doesn't mention refilling, but the Blayney to Bathurst route goes through several small (very small?) towns, so there should be chances to fill up.
Remember, it's not really a race - it's a challenge that you set for yourself. Keep an eye out on the short course for an old fart in an ACT Vets jersey - you can always ride with him.

[LuckyPierre]

After all this, I'm not going to be there.
I can't do both B2B and the Canberra Tour and so I've decided to skip the travel (and my accommodation plans had fallen through over the weekend anyway).
If the riding is anything like our recent club events (we've ridden at Cooma, Dalton and Gunning in the last few weeks), then it will be very good fun. Riding in open, reasonably pretty, countryside with just a few others is really good, so having lots of people around you will be even better.
Ride at your own pace, particularly over the first third of the distance, recharge your energy batteries before you blast up Mt. Panorama and think about what all those people stuck at home are missing out on.
Don't forget to post a report after the ride - remember, if there's no photos, it didn't happen!

[Bnej]

Ok, no photos.... no proof..

70km route, good start, clear and easy run out of Blayney onto the first road. I started off riding with a group of mostly inexperienced riders I'd come with, and we were in the MTBs and non-competitors block at the back. A big bunch of the MTB riders shot past us at the start, pedalling hard.

I poodled along for a few minutes, until the first hills, then left my friends behind and started moving forwards in the pack. I was concentrating on making sure I'd have enough go left to do the 70km and get up the hill at the end.

I felt like a bit of a bastard on the first significant hill, because I was passing all these MTB riders who had gone hard at the start and were struggling, and coasting past them without breathing hard.

After 20kms the field had spread right out into groups of 2-6 riders spaced pretty far apart. There were some cars on the road who were well behaved, and they had people directing traffic at intersections so we got a clear run through.

There were rest stops at roughly 20, 45, and 60kms, with plenty of water and fruit buns.

Most of the other groups I joined onto lost too much pace for me on the hills, so I ended up riding past and carrying on on my own most of the way. There were a few stretches with headwinds or crosswinds, but not too bad.

Last 5km to the finish was marked off at 1km intervals. I had to take a break at about half way up Mt Panorama, had a drink and rode the rest of the way up. About 7/10 of the people I saw climbing were walking it, it was really difficult. One guy was doing it in 50m bursts, then holding on to the guard rail to stop and catch his breath! The group I'd gone with who did the 110km ride were waiting near the finish and cheered when I showed up, which was great!

Unfortunately one of the girls from the 70km group I'd started with had a second flat at the bottom of Mt Panorama and had no spare left, and had to walk to the finish. To add insult to injury, some hoons threw a bottle at her & her husband from a car as they climbed the hill.

Anyway, that was fixed up at the top, all rode into Bathurst and got lunch at 3:30pm. Fantastic day out.

[LuckyPierre]

It sounds like a good time was had! I'm much jealous.
I had a 'bad riding day' on Saturday, but Sunday's ride around the Uriarra / Cotter loop made up for it - a lovely day, good scenery, well-behaved traffic and just enough (a fair bit, really) climbing to be a test and plenty of other riders to talk to on the way.

The group I'd gone with who did the 110km ride were waiting near the finish and cheered when I showed up, which was great!

It's amazing how good a bit of recognition feels, isn't it?

[Bnej]

I say no pics but I lie:



That's me in the red jersey in that photo, sagging a bit on the final stretch after climbing Mt Panorama.



That's Chris & Julie from the Velo Nova bike shop in Katoomba, who organised our group.

More here: http://nsw.cycling.org.au/Files/photos/2007/Apr/B2B.htm

[mikesbytes]

You were in luck Bnej, there weren't many photos up and you were in one.

Burn plenty of Glycogen
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[Bnej]

It's pretty neat, no-one in our group took a camera but we were in a few photos anyway. The photos from your DHBC forum also had one of our group (no. 150 in the B&W Velo Nova jersey)

Definitely going to get a pocketable camera for the next big ride I do though, a few times I thought "that'd make a great photo".