USQ Ride the Range 2012

[Crawf]

I am a local and didn't do the ride - I was struck down with a stomach virus and am just getting better now.

A guy I know came off on the descent due to a flat and as a result loss of control at speed - broke 12 bones including 8 ribs - the descent down Blanchview can be dangerous.

PS: thats a great clip from the poster above.

Sounds nasty. Riding the brakes? Hot rim... Tube pop?

[moreegolfer]

I am a local and didn't do the ride - I was struck down with a stomach virus and am just getting better now.

A guy I know came off on the descent due to a flat and as a result loss of control at speed - broke 12 bones including 8 ribs - the descent down Blanchview can be dangerous.

PS: thats a great clip from the poster above.

I heard about the stack on the ride this morning Rob. It did sound very nasty but I think the descent would have been down Flaggy Ck Rd? I didn't ride as I had family commitments but it was a picture of a day for it. I rode to Oakey instead, a lot less hilly .

[KonaCommuter]

Here’s my experience of the 2012 Ride the Range

To date this was the biggest ride and challenge I’ve undertaken.


Preparation

Signed up for the 100km course even though I’ve yet to actually crack a metric century. My first attempt at doing so I didn’t know that you were allowed to take breaks and I bombed out at 80km and had to walk home as I couldn’t physically ride anymore

Two weeks before the ride I had to take the week off as my knees were painful (tendonitis).
One week before the ride I had a chest infection which meant zero riding


So two weeks of no riding before the big one

About to head out to Toowoomba and I made sure my tyres were inflated correctly and I broke the valve off my rear tyre..... Grr shot off to my trusted LBS to get it sorted (I only have one spare). Stayed at my sisters who made up an inappropriate pre-race meal and being a quasi-vegan it was a little tough. My fault there though.

Got to bed late then had a restless nights sleep as I was nervous about the upcoming challenge.



The Big Day

Got up in plenty of time. Tired from the late night / poor sleep. Wife and I snuck out early taking care not to wake anyone. Jumped in the car and lo and behold it wouldn’t start and the battery died. What to do? I got shirty and said “May as well go back to bed” did some sums in my head and thought to myself “what the hay?” and I put my bike together and rode out to where I thought the ride started at. I only had a rough idea as I was depending on the car GPS to get me there. Also I wasn’t sure I’d make it there in time. Found the start easy enough but as I rode there a mobile coffee van came in the opposite direction. I was running late and the van was a bad sign. But lucky is my middle name and the Police escort were late in arriving so lucky me. No breakfast, poor sleep, poor preparation, having to ride to the start (and back home again at the end) and arriving flustered I changed from the 100km course to the 60km. Got it all sorted as the Police rocked up. Yup I’m lucky.


The Ride


The riders headed out. It was quite cool (temperature wise ) I was last in line and I wish I’d taken a picture of 200 odd blinkies headed up a hill. It was an awesome sight. I’d never really thought about it, but had I done so I would have said riding down hill is easy. Nup, not down the Toowoomba range. I was riding my brakes hard and I thought to myself more than once that I’d bitten off way more than I could chew. Nearly in a panic as the grip on my brakes was weakening a driveway appeared and I took the opportunity to rest. My name really is Kona “Lucky” Commuter The SAG wagon made sure I was cool and offered some advice which was appreciated.

The course was well sign posted. There were stacks of volunteers pointing riders in the right direction. This was greatly appreciated. The weather was fantastic. The ride at the bottom of the range was very pleasant.

At Helidon there was a rest stop. Free baked treats and very reasonably priced Gatorades. As I rested and ate breakfast the riders that were there when I arrived left. Did I mention that the baked treats were yummy?

Headed off and chatted to a guy on a dual suspension MTB We were going a bit slow for my liking so I said that I’d see him when he overtook me going up the range


About that. Riding up the range. I was exhausted when I finally arrived at the bottom of the range and it didn’t take long for me to stop riding and start walking. I did make a few attempts at riding but my hip was cramping up big time and when I nearly fell off from an almost cramp I said PFFT and walked. The GPS had trouble tracking my speed it was so slow. Then I started getting overtaken by people doing the 100km course I tell you what though. Almost every single rider that passed me gave me words of encouragement. It’s that sort of behaviour that encourages people to ride and it’s a credit to them. I did get offered a lift by the SAG wagon but come on, don’t deny me my achievement


Finally got to the finish line and picked up my previously paid for Jersey. My first “earned” Jersey, I’ll be wearing it with pride


The ride organisers are to be commended. Thanks go out to the volunteers as well. I’ll definitly be doing it again next year. I don’t know whether to go for the 100km or the 60km and not get overtaken


Anyway here are the stats http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView/2?id=548706

Riding Time 04:35:02
Riding Distance 82.47 km
Altitude Gain 1094 m
Calories Burned 4613 Kcal
Difficulty Level 2 (81.5)
Avg Speed 18.0 km/h (hey, I did walk up the hill )
Avg HR 148 bpm


And here’s the highlights. Sorry but I didn’t have the camera on at the very start and I forgot to turn it back on after the first rest stop.

[dobby]

From what I am told the cause for the accident was a slow leaking flat tyre at the wrong time on a steep downhill descent. The rider involved rides a brand new Specialized S Works Tarmac with SRAM Red 2012 and deep alu rim Carbon fairing Roval wheels so I doubt that braking on descending would be an issue here (as the alu rim would take the heat).