Thanks for checking back, I appreciate it!
So the Scott 24 hour race is once again upon us. For those of you (many roadies and casual readers I’ll wager) not familiar with this ridiculous race, check it out here. It’s a 24 hour mountainbike (MTB) “participation” ride in Canberra, Australia – (Hans) solo or teams of 4 (or more).
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I read participation in the context of bikes, I know (and you know) it’s a race.
Participation-partishismation is what I say.
So, when my good mate Matt gmail-chatted me asking if I was in, I said “Sounds ridiculous, and I’m a ridiculous chap, so I’m in.”
And now I have a new bike, whom I’ve fondly christened Slayer. For the bike nerds reading, it’s just a bog-standard 09 Specialized Epic Comp – thanks to Total Rush for the SWEET DEAL. Yes, yes, I love S-Works, but a) I am not being paid to race (I have a carbon roadie), and b) carbon breaks.
Anyway, only after buying the bike and thinking about this did the true ridiculous nature of the situation occur to me.
Hmmm, haven’t been mountain biking in 4 years. Sure, I’m very fit on the road, but dirt. DIRT?! It’s so…so… uncivilised. So, dirty.
Anyway, so on the weekend of Oct 11/12 I shall be making my way northward with a great unwashed horde (sniff) of ye olde crusty mountainbikers and partaking in this event.
With no training.
So I’ll make sure I keep you up to date with all the goings-on leading up to this event but I can assure you that with a full time job, several hatchling web businesses, 3 more weeks of my road racing season and the surf starting to look appealing, the training will be equal to approximately “not much”. All of these events will therefore conspire in a nefarious confluent manner to render this ride extra-ridiculous and will probably make me look very silly, DESPITE Matt’s reassurances that is a participation (particishmation) and that “you are very fit, don’t worry.”
Famous last words. Stay tuned.
-tim
Similar Posts:
- Scott 24 Hour 2009: Hours 1 – 4
- Pre-race Update from the Scott 24 Hour
- Reminder: Scott 24 Hour Live to Air!
- Photo of the Day, France 2010 update
- The 2010 Tour de France and L’Etape du Tour Trip Wrap Up
Comments:
{ 1 trackback }
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
SO how did you go?? Did you get dirty? if you rode past me there may have been a good chance you did… i wasn’t the best chick to pass… i usually stacked it letting people past me, sorry to all those people… And those rocks were treacherous. But AWESOME times!! Great event… i have only owned a bike for 4 weeks… 4 laps was enough for me, had a super fun night ride!! Cant wait for the next 24hr race. Yay!!
Hi Amy, thanks for the comment!
That’s awesome that you did that after only 4 weeks! And 4 laps is a great effort, what times were you doing? What were you wearing, I might have seen you, though there were a lot of people. I was rolling around in bright pink Total Rush/Specialized kit (as you can see in the photos).
Most people who are pretty good can get past the slower people really easily, all you have to do is not panic, keep in a straight line, and we can get past in places that you probably didn’t even think were passing spots (especially when we really start travelling).
As for us, we went ok, we had some pretty good laps around 57′-1hr but a couple of mechanicals at night cost us 2 laps, possible three, so we only got 21 laps in.
They definitely needed more toilets and showers though.
I’m excited about the next race too, road and mountain, busy busy!
Tim