Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
- Iceman
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Iceman » Sat Mar 23, 2013 2:40 pm
Bakks, I too was considering riding to the city but have decided to drive in and park up.. see you guys in Mandurah
- ColinOldnCranky
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Sat Mar 23, 2013 2:49 pm
The convenience of trains are free to and from. Check the web site and the riders pack.Iceman wrote:cheers ramp, sounds much the same as the ocean ride for MS last year....
Bakks, I too was considering riding to the city but have decided to drive in and park up.. see you guys in Mandurah
http://events.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/ev ... transport/
Services for all other start points too. Inthe past they have never been fussy if you take trains others than the special event trains either.Full Hike Participants: Special event trains will take participants to Mandurah ready for the 7am Full Hike start. These services will include a mix of express trains from Esplanade to Mandurah as well as trains that stop at nominated stations along the Joondalup and Mandurah lines.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Sat Mar 23, 2013 2:55 pm
- Iceman
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Iceman » Sat Mar 23, 2013 4:58 pm
and yeah theres trains but nothing from the midland line so I'll drive into the city and then hook in at the Esplanade
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Bakks » Sun Mar 24, 2013 1:53 pm
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby hkgts » Sun Mar 24, 2013 2:53 pm
There was a fair bit of carnage on the roads too, heaps of accidents. Maybe some cycling safety tips in the riders packs next year?
But even with all of that, it was perfect conditions with the right temp, right weather and a nice tailwind.. Thoroughly enjoyed my ride and will do it again for sure.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby ramp » Sun Mar 24, 2013 3:35 pm
Once the release was made, why announce that everyone, all groups, had to go now and open the fence to put the slow group out before the faster riders? After we finally got to the freeway is was a great ride, perfect conditions until Bull Creek and then it was a game of dodgem with kids and parents weaving all over the track. I did see on kid brought down by a hybrid, I think ended OK but there was real danger in the last few k's.
Hope all from here got back safe, saw too many down along the way and stack of people with flats which would reflect the amount of riding in the emergency lane trying to get past the slower riders.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby dmwill » Sun Mar 24, 2013 3:48 pm
Poor planning for the Currambine 30km too.
Only one "special" train to get people up there which was packed by the time it got to Whitfords - no one could get on. The next train which was the first service for the day was also packed, but all 100 or so of us managed to squeeze in.
Finally got to Currambine just as the 'slow' group departed....it was like riding a Flintstones bike all way way onto the freeway (too slow to remain clipped in). Yes, I could have ridden to the start, but had my reasons to catch the train.
I felt like a tool weaving about everyone at some speed, but it was just like any given day on the freeway, the slow ones did not keep left.
Given the event gets bigger and bigger every year, the planning is poor - especially the trains and the lack of safety - it really needs to be drilled into people.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby MrDerrickC » Sun Mar 24, 2013 4:16 pm
Spent the first 10mins dodging and weaving out of people as they did not keep left. After that it was a nice clear run with perfect weather. Train in the morning was fine, ended getting the normal train service just before the special service arrived.
- ColinOldnCranky
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Sun Mar 24, 2013 4:27 pm
Looking at the number of riders who forked out for RAC shirts, the number of riders who paid entry fees, the other extra cost items like breakfast (is that why we got no juices or celebratory ice cream this year? To "encourage" us to pay for a $30 snack?), pay-up for photos, etc then the amounts collected may run into three times the amount that the intended benificiaries get.
So I think it is fair that we should expect a high standard from all those parties.
As it is we got:
- As I previously predictred many riders were heading to the wrong start off point (Bull Creek station)
- Fast riders wound up coming up behind the weakest riding group of all
- The free cup of water at the end was hidden behind low screens this yeatr - I did two circuits before finding them, and only then because I had knowledge of where it operated last year
- Not even a lousy free drink - water is for washing in!
- If there were any of the promised water fill points, then I failed to see any along the 14.5km of the mini-hike from the south.
- Queer choice of route at Bull Creek and a more difficult to negotiate start
- As was the case last year, not much awaareness-campaign to get slow and stopped riders to one side and fast riders to the other - three years ago there was some awareness by riders.
- As per last year the very dangerous expansion joint on Mt Henry bridge was exposed and without any warning. How difficult is it to lay a length of rubber conveyor belt across it for a few hours? Or a couple of marshalls before it. For ch*** sake there are gonna be a couple of thousand riders with 1" or skinnier wheels hitting that at some speed. Skinny wheel riders beware!
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby jaseyjase » Sun Mar 24, 2013 4:33 pm
Saw a lady go down HARD in the first 10 kms, and probably 4 or 5 other groups with one rider looking much worse for wear, hope everyone is ok.
On personal note, improved my time from last year by about 30mins, and avg speed by about 8km/h.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby jaseyjase » Sun Mar 24, 2013 4:46 pm
OMGosh so true, both my bidons nearly fell out i got jolted that hard.ColinOldnCranky wrote: [*]As per last year the very dangerous expansion joint on Mt Henry bridge was exposed and without any warning. How difficult is it to lay a length of rubber conveyor belt across it for a few hours? Or a couple of marshalls before it. For ch*** sake there are gonna be a couple of thousand riders with 1" or skinnier wheels hitting that at some speed. Skinny wheel riders beware![/list]
Oh and i was gonna say gday colin but there were too many little kiddies around i was scared i might hit them if i got distracted for a second
- Iceman
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Iceman » Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:47 pm
On board I got talking to a guy who had driven up from Australind for the ride, he was one of 4 involed in a wipeout at just over 45kph, apart from a huge amount of bark missing from his elbow, hip, hand and calf he and the other 3 walked away (all be it a bit second hand) the casualty of the whole thing was his carbon bike... about all that could be salvaged from the remains was the stem, both brake calipers, the pedals and the seat post, the rest was totalled. the frame was crushed in two places, both whels buckled, bars bent, derallier and cassette smashed, both levers busted... a real mess.
Im thankful I didnt hit the bituman and Im a bit disappointed in the fact that up until the tangle I was flying with an average speed of just over 39.... unless the seeding and start is sorted I'll not be bothering next year.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Tornado » Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:00 pm
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Redbull » Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:58 pm
Overall pretty good but agree with everyone about the delay then running the groups into everyone. Additionally some of the faster bunches should have exercised a little more care when they could see what was up ahead.
I saw some pretty risky riding to get by some 4 year olds - and it wasn't the kids!! Poor little buggers got swamped - luckily everyone managed to stay upright.
Averaged 40kph but would have been faster except for the traffic.
The bad organisational aspect makes unlikely to do it again - bucket list, done.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby donkuok » Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:47 am
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby soennecken » Mon Mar 25, 2013 4:28 am
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Aphexchefpusher » Mon Mar 25, 2013 10:54 am
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby inline_online » Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:12 am
There was plenty of space on the Currambine Hike and I saw no accidents or trouble at all.
Got my photo in Perth Now also...http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western ... 97?page=12" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I had a couple of guys on carbon racing bikes stay with me for a bit to offer moral support when my legs started to give way. Thanks guys, much appreciated.
Colin, I missed you at the finish. Not sure what time you got in but I left at about 1020hrs or so.
Hope you had a pleasant ride.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Shifter » Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:30 am
It would be seriously worthwhile getting some folks to actually organise the groups and give some folks a reality check and move them into a better area.
Also, the start times made things very hard. I was in the medium group from Currumbine and basically rode into the back of the Stirling group who were doing roughly 10km/h slower and spread out all across the freeway. Maybe some extra traffic cones to siphon the mini hikers to the left for the first 2km would be useful?
Last but not least, how much are those roadworks playing havoc with Riverside drive?
I remember doing the mid hikes from Belmont previously and it being much safer. The organisers need to realise that with greater numbers, a greater emphasis needs to be placed on safety, and courtesy for that matter.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Shifter » Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:36 am
Holy crap... the finish arch feel over?inline_online wrote:Got my photo in Perth Now also...
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Bakks » Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:41 am
I didn't see any keep left "abuse". All the (hundreds) of keep left calls I saw were to give people warning there were faster riders coming up behind.Aphexchefpusher wrote:I'm a seasoned roadie and decided to "sedately enjoy" the experience this year and go from Bull Creek with my daughter and her friends/dads...........coming down the off ramp it was impossible to get left due to the sheer volume of bikes coming from the south. The attitude and riding skills of the majority of these riders were shocking, a lot of the kids were wobbling all over the shop and one girl came off on the Mt Henry bridge looking badly hurt, yet a lot of these riders still refused to kill their speed abusing everyone to keep left as they rolled thru', it amazes me that peoples own efforts are more important than children's (some as young as 5/6 safety).........THESE ARE CHILDREN FFS. The organisers apparently have got a lot to answer for , late start from Mandurah?.....Carnage
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby lowros » Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:25 pm
I did the full hike and saw two. One was near the Roe Highway onramp and the second was around the Como area.ColinOldnCranky wrote:
- If there were any of the promised water fill points, then I failed to see any along the 14.5km of the mini-hike from the south.
Saw some big stacks and avoided plenty of discarded energy gel wrappers, a few drink bottles and someones mini pump.
Overall I enjoyed the day and managed to avoid injury and flat tyres. Some poor guy got a flat about 100m into the ride
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby Karati » Mon Mar 25, 2013 3:38 pm
Aphexchefpusher wrote:a lot of these riders still refused to kill their speed abusing everyone to keep left as they rolled thru', it amazes me that peoples own efforts are more important than children's (some as young as 5/6 safety).........THESE ARE CHILDREN FFS.
This event sounds totally crap.
I know it's a good excuse to have a blast up the freeway but, despite how woeful the organisation sounds, it is a participation ride and not a race so in the circumstances presented all these "fast" riders should ride to the conditions and not carry on like arrogant w*nkers. It's not rocket science that flying past little kids is a recipe for disaster and it's not like your palmarès will suffer without "Finished 250th in RAC Bike Hike 30km". Sad idiots.
Similarly, knowing the history of these events I will never risk my girls safety at this sort of thing.
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Re: Freeway Bike Hike - Sun 24 March 2013
Postby mnh86 » Mon Mar 25, 2013 3:52 pm
I was at the back of the medium group waiting to leave the station when half of them turned around broke out through the bus entrance, the organisers did nothing to stop it either, I stayed in line and ended up passing most of them a long the way.
Avoided the far left and the emergency lanes where I could and stayed mostly in the car tyre lines to avoid debris (I assume there's not as much debris along there?)
Had no problems with the start time other than turning up on time and having to wait an hour and a half. It worked out well for me because by the time I got to Mt Henry most of the mid and mini hikers were well dispersed and keeping left etc.
Might go in the back end of the fast pack next year so I don't have to worry about navigating through the hundreds of take it easy riders who left the station before me.
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