2010 Rainbow Ride

[RobM]

Details Here
Map Here

One of my goals is to do this ride at the end of the year. If i keep up my training i should be okay but im worried about the climbs (especially the one at the finish line ). The area i live doesn't have that many hills so a local 100km ride for me is alot different to 100km thru the mountians.

Anyone do this ride last year? Any tips or pointers?

Cheers,
Rob

[goneriding]

Head over to Mt Nebo and Glorious for some climbing HTFU. Do that once or twice a month and you'll get a pair of climbing legs. Drive over to the Gap (Macca's) and then go from there. Nebo is about 19 km and Glorious another 5(?) km. The bottom half of Nebo is much harder than the top.

The other ride to do is the River Loop with Mt Coot-tha thrown in for good measure. Somewhere between 50-60 kms with a reasonable amount of up and down. If you haven't done the River Loop before head over to La Dolce Vita in Park Rd at around 6am and go from there with the bunch. Check when you get there as there is a fast and a slow bunch.

I'd also suggest doing a couple of the participation rides that are on in Bris. Bris to Gold Coast, Brissie to Bay, etc to get used to how it all works.

Enjoy!

[Pax]

This looks like an interesting ride. I've been put off in past years due to transport / accommodation issues. Will have a more serious look at it this year I think.

Hmmm...Perhaps Byron to Nth Brisbane and get that elusive 300k target ticked off??????? (yeah yeah who am I kidding )

[Pax]

One of my goals is to do this ride at the end of the year. If i keep up my training i should be okay but im worried about the climbs (especially the one at the finish line ). The area i live doesn't have that many hills so a local 100km ride for me is alot different to 100km thru the mountians.

Anyone do this ride last year? Any tips or pointers?

Cheers,
Rob

Hey Rob, I definitely have't done this ride so someone who has might correct me here; However by the look of the elevation profile and the route description it looks like a 350m verticle gain over a 5k distance. That is a 7% climb. MT Glorious would be great training for that (as Goneriding suggests).

7% is pretty doable with a bit of training. However you might find that though the average is 7% it might have some peak bits at 10% or more; and that is getting steep.

It would be interesteing to hear from someone who has done this rout before or who at lease knows the climb up MT Tomewin

[elantra]

Details Here
Map Here

One of my goals is to do this ride at the end of the year. If i keep up my training i should be okay but im worried about the climbs (especially the one at the finish line ). The area i live doesn't have that many hills so a local 100km ride for me is alot different to 100km thru the mountians.

Anyone do this ride last year? Any tips or pointers?

Cheers,
Rob

DON'T do it like my effort last year.

I did the 96 km option from Mooball (NSW) to Currumbin (Qld)

Drove down to the start with a friend, you know, up at 0.darkhundred o/clock and no breakfast.
2 and a bit hour drive, there used to be an enormous roadhouse at Mooball but it has closed.
Small servo only there now.
So started the ride after no breakfast.
Rode strongly for the first 60 km, then starting to fatigue just before Chillingham.
There i ate a big piece carrot cake with thick icing and washed down with a can of coke.
Felt sick +++ for the rest of the ride, therefore had to walk up most of the climb up Tomewin, which is actually not that bad, not as big as Mt.Nebo.
But the problem of course, is that it is at the conclusion of a hard ride.
Overall it is a great ride and i will try to do it again this year but will try to spend the night somewhere close to the start.
Oh and i will not buy the carrot cake and coke at Chillingham.

[RobM]

Haha thanks for the tips guys - can say i learnt about the can of coke thing the hard way...talk about sugar crash

As for climbs, a few questions (sorry if theyre obvious):
- is there a right direction to do the mt cootha ring road up the mountain? I only ask because someone once told me that they only go up/down one side as the other side is abit sketchy.
- what road/s do you follow for the mt nebo and glorius climbs? Ill try to look them up in bikely.
- lastly, on my normal rides i usually take a banana and some homemade energy gels with 1 bottle with gatorade to keep me going. Should i bring more if im doing climbing? Eg. Am i likely to bonk faster/harder and need to prepare for it.

Thanks guys. I cant wait to do this ride - sounds pretty scenic too. Ive also entered the Brissie to Bay and will enter the Bris to GC to get the hang of riding in large groups. Almost all of my riding is done solo otherwise (but at least i build up the mental toughness talking to myself for 3hrs haha)

[goneriding]

is there a right direction to do the mt cootha ring road up the mountain? I only ask because someone once told me that they only go up/down one side as the other side is abit sketchy.

No. Either way is fine. If you are starting out I recommend the front side as it is a bit easier. That is where you turn left up the road from the gardens. The back side is where the Coot-tha Challenge is run and is avg 9% for 2.3 km's. Save that for a day when you have some climbing on your legs.

- what road/s do you follow for the mt nebo and glorius climbs? Ill try to look them up in bikely.

Waterworks Rd for Mt Nebo and Glorious (this follows on from Nebo unless you come from the Samford side).

- lastly, on my normal rides i usually take a banana and some homemade energy gels with 1 bottle with gatorade to keep me going. Should i bring more if im doing climbing? Eg. Am i likely to bonk faster/harder and need to prepare for it.

It's going to hurt more. As to whether you need more, for me, no but everyone is different. I'd suggest taking a gel hit about 5 mins before the start of the climb.

The other thing is to make sure, that for the longer climbs, you get a rythym going otherwise you will blow up. For me alternating in and out of the saddle for seems to work as it changes the muscle groups being used. Watch out for the arms getting tired on steeper climbs as well. The only other thing to do is HTFU! Best of luck

[monkeymajik]

You can throw in Mt Gravatt Lookout on the way to Mt Cootha for some extra climbing practice, I would only do it early morning though as the road is quite narrow.

[Brockie]

Mt Gravatt lookout is a good option before 6.00 am. They have it closed off to cars between 11.00 pm and 6.00 am. I used this to train for Mt Cootha last year and took 6.5 minutes off my previous best in the Cootha Challenge. There is only one way up Mt Cootha, the back way. Up the front is too easy.

[kiso]

You can go up Mt Coot-tha either way - as Brockie says, the back way is harder. It's recommended you don't go down the back way - it's narrow and windy and there's too much chance of collision with a car coming up - apparently a cyclist was killed a couple of years ago.

I always do it anti-clockwise: up the back way and down the front way.

[Pax]

You can go up Mt Coot-tha either way - as Brockie says, the back way is harder. It's recommended you don't go down the back way - it's narrow and windy and there's too much chance of collision with a car coming up - apparently a cyclist was killed a couple of years ago.

I always do it anti-clockwise: up the back way and down the front way.

Yep, anti-clockwise is also recommended by Bicycle Qld.

The added bonus is an absolutely fantastic, fast and pretty safe descent as a reward for the hard climb up the back. JUST remember that the descent down the front ends at a T intersection & stop sign, so get on the brakes in sufficient time

[whichway]

Hi

I just did the Tour de Tweed Grand Fondo which is about 136 kms of almost the same ride as the Rainbow Ride, but without the big 300m hill at the end.

Training - Do some 120km to 140km rides, with some rolling hills. I would suggest you need to do two or three rides of about that length. Do some Mt Gravatts, but Mt Cootha is better. Do Nebo at least once. So from Runcorn, ride out to Samford and back a few times, but early on a Sunday morning to avoid the Traffic. You need to do some moderately serious hill climbing before you do some of the hills around the Tweed. Be aware that at that time of the year, you might hit a headwind for the last third of the ride so practice headwinds too.

Water - Carry at least two bottles, drink one every hour. Work out what you need in them - I use half strength Endura, so I carry extra Endura to put in the bottles. You need to keep your electrolytes up to avoid cramping (which I am still working out how to do).

Finally - This is spectular country and it would be a great ride, but you need to be fit enough to do it without dieing.

Hope this helps

whichway

[RobM]

Thanks for the advice mate. I rode out to Mt Cootha on sunday morning and climbed it the front way. It wasnt as hard as i imagined so ill do that a few more times before trying it anticlockwise. Im actually pretty happy i wasnt dying on the way up.
I will probably do the 100km Rainbow Ride and have already done a few 80ish km ride so ill keep pushing them up until i get over 100km. And try to work in some headwind riding too.

How much food did u take for a +100km ride? Is it best not to rely on the food stations on a ride like this? Eating too much a bad thing?

Cheers,
rob

[elantra]

How much food did u take for a +100km ride? Is it best not to rely on the food stations on a ride like this? Eating too much a bad thing?

Cheers,
rob

In relation to the Rainbow ride last year, i might need to be corrected but i do't recall there being any food offered at all, just water.

However the ride did pass through a few small towns and so you can purchase nibblies in the shops along the route, specifically at Mooball, Tyalgum, and Chillingham.
However, just to labour the point, do not do what i did

Drove down to the start with a friend, you know, up at 0.darkhundred o/clock and no breakfast.
2 and a bit hour drive, there used to be an enormous roadhouse at Mooball but it has closed.
Small servo only there now.
So started the ride after no breakfast.
Rode strongly for the first 60 km, then starting to fatigue just before Chillingham.
There i ate a big piece carrot cake with thick icing and washed down with a can of coke.
Felt sick +++ for the rest of the ride, therefore had to walk up most of the climb up Tomewin, which is actually not that bad, not as big as Mt.Nebo.

Part of the problem is that the 2 shops in Chillingham actually have a lot of yummy stuff for sale.

[ryan]

[quote="whichway"... keep your electrolytes up to avoid cramping (which I am still working out how to do)

try magnesium tablets from your local chemist in the lead up to big rides. I haven't had a cramp since doing this but your results may vary.

This looks like a fun ride. No ready to commit but definitely considering it.

[dclnmurray]

Hi all

Sorry to resurrect an old post but is getting close to that time.
I did a ride on Saturday of 145km's so i think I am ready. The only thing is the there are a lot more hills. i still felt strong at end of ride and managed to ride up the Gaza rd/Mt Gravatt hill between 20-26kph.

As i don't know the route and the hills I have an 11-23 cassette on the bike but also have an 12-25 and 13-29 cassette I can change to. I know only I can answer the ultimate question but should I put on the 12-25 as insurance against the last hill and that i might run out of steam

cheers

Dave

[ryan]

Hi all

Sorry to resurrect an old post but is getting close to that time.
I did a ride on Saturday of 145km's so i think I am ready. The only thing is the there are a lot more hills. i still felt strong at end of ride and managed to ride up the Gaza rd/Mt Gravatt hill between 20-26kph.

As i don't know the route and the hills I have an 11-23 cassette on the bike but also have an 12-25 and 13-29 cassette I can change to. I know only I can answer the ultimate question but should I put on the 12-25 as insurance against the last hill and that i might run out of steam

cheers

Dave

I would go with the 12-25, especially if you are running 53/39 up front. I would much prefer to be spinning out on the downhills than slowly grinding up Tomewin with 130km in the legs.

I'm working through the logistics of doing this without a car, but am keen. Have done Brisbane to Kilcoy via Nebo/Glorious/Somerset Dam and a 500km 3-day ride through Byron Bay hinterland and am feeling ok. I guess time will tell.

Anyone here signed up?

[the grid]

I have got a compact crank 50/34 (i think ) with 12/23 cassette and still think I need more for the Tomewin Hill. Should I go to 12/25 or even 11/28?
Thanks in advance.

[the grid]

bumper!!

[elantra]

I have got a compact crank 50/34 (i think ) with 12/23 cassette and still think I need more for the Tomewin Hill. Should I go to 12/25 or even 11/28?
Thanks in advance.

Tomewin Hill is not steep steep steep.
From the New South side it is only steep.

Its the sort of hill that under good conditions 34/23 would be more than adequate.

However if you have got empty legs because of a fast pace for the preceding 100+ km, then no amount of granny gear will save you from walking.
So put some thongs in your jersey would be my advice.
Sorry to be a pessimist.

[the grid]

Thanks elantra
I have been up and back twice over Tomewin in the last two weeks and 34/23 doesn't cut it for this old man so 34/27 is my next step.
PS I live at the bottom on the QLD side so I paln to keep on doing it.

[dclnmurray]

Does anyone know roughly how many riders normally do this ride?

Dave

[elantra]

Does anyone know roughly how many riders normally do this ride?

Dave

When i did it last year i think there was about 250 riders started at Byron Lighthouse and about 150 started at Mooball.
so i think there was about 400 in total.
The Mooball riders were allowed to start after the Byron peleton had gone through.
The ride is a very pleasant one but also quite challenging because of the very significant hills, and perhaps also the weather.
Not many cars for much of the route.
More cars after Chillingham, including a large number of classic Ferrari's on an outing last year

[whichway]

I think I can average 25 km/hr if riding solo without too many hills, closer to 30 km/hr if in a group. I don't want to be in the lead pack, but I don't want to be picked up by the sag wagon either. Is 25 km/hr fast enough for this ride.
whichway