12 Hours of Darkness

[jasco]

So who is coming down to the 12hd???

I'm in a team of three coming from sydney................

Anyone got any hints, this is my first enduro event ever. Come to think of it this is my first race ever that isn't Trials, and well that's not much of a race is it =\

[intense jonoooo]

ye...i'm hitting it up...on my xc rig with 2 mates... should be good...

[struggles]

I will be there. I will be on my xtc2 hardtail in a four man team. I learnt my lesson after riding my stinky in a two man team at the mont.

[BrumbyJack]

So where is this race report???

I went as a spectator then rode the course on the Sunday with my kids.

We froze, as did everyone else, but we had a great time. 8)

[jasco]

Alrighty, here it is..............

I arrived down there on Satuday afternoon at about 4ish, pitched the tent. Got everything ready, put the lights on the bike and helmet batteries in my pack (I rode with a 15W on my helmet and a 10W on the bars), got dressed. My team mates (I rode in a team of 3 guys called the UNSW night probers) were all sitting around watching the spectical of me trying to put on my bib and brace nicks. By now the time is about 5:50 and the race starts at 6:00 so I'm rushing like a crazy man to get to the start area. Make it to the start area and realise that its a "Le Mans" style start, which means everyone started further down the road and had to run back to their bikes. I start running towards the start line (I got to about 5m away) and then the gun goes!! So I wait for the first people to pass me then start making my way to my bike. I didn't get the chance to warm up so the run to my bike (about 100m) was all I got.

The first lap I went out as hard as I could. This was not only my first night race, but also my first enduro and XC race. The only type of competition I'd been in on a bike before was at Mt Beauty in the Trials comp (which I came 2nd in ;) ) So something I learnt from my first lap is that you have to pace yourself!! So after returning 35mins later from the first lap absolutly exhausted. I went and ate copious amounts of pasta and a couple of bananas to re-fuel. My two team mates went out and did 2 laps each getting under 30mins for both of them.

The track started out with a really tech single track section and which I heard someone liken it resembled riding around someones intestine. It wrapped back on itself time and time again and went up and over lots and lots of fallen trees/branches. The race was set in a state forest so there were lots of fallen branches etc to jump/roll/walk over. When you finally found your way out of the "intestine" there was a short climb up a bit of firetrail to the top of the downhill section. hehe now this bit was fun!! It snaked down a hill over two dirt jumps then swept round a corner to the next bit of tight single track. Similar to the last but this time it was also hilly as all hell. Right at the end of this section was a big arse log pile, which most people got off to ride over. When I got to this the first time I though "hey I can do this!! I ride trials!!", I had a shot at it, got over the first pile and smacked my left bicep into another fallen branch that was sticking out on the other side which gave me a dead arm for the next hour! :shock: OUCH! This big log pile also marked the end of the single track, and the start of a seamingly never ending hill on fire road. There were a couple of great fast downhill sections in this which were really sketchy at the begining as there were little marble sized rocks littering the space between the car tyre tracks. By about midnight though they were cleared out so you could rail those corners at full pace. After the last downhill section there was a really tight lefthander which led to a seeeeeeeriously steeeeeeep hill about 2oom long up to a water tank which had a equally steep hill leading down from it!! This stretch of fireroad was crazy crazy fun, I hit 58.7k/h flying down it!! Which at night, only being able to see about 5m infront of you feels like you're doing about 150!! After this crazy speed section was a little north-shore style section that was right at the transition area so everyone could watch when people fell off! There was a chicken line that some people took, but the northshore section was only about 40cm off the ground so it wasn't like you were going to die when you fell off, just make an ass of yourself infront of the crowd! At the transition you had a barcode that you had to scan to register you lap which was great for being able to moniter who was winning etc.

For the bext lap I paced myself a little better, and pulled my lap time down to 28 and 29 mins which was better but I knew I could do better. So before I went out on my third set of laps I had an energy bar just before I left and manage to nail the hilly section and came up with a 24.23min lap!! The best lap of the night though was 17.49min lap, the guy who set that also held 4 of the top 5 laps! Up until abuot 11pm though, third place was held by one of my mates at 19.47, but this dude was in a team of three guys all riding single speeds!! Which if you saw some of the hills, was a seriously big effort. There were a few funny teams put together too. There were a bunch of guys that rode in suits and afro wigs, another mixed group that rode in kids pyjamas.

On the drive on the way down there were dribs and drabs and rain which could have made the race misirable, instead the clouds cleared completely and it was bitterly cold instead!! The temperature got down to the negatives overnight, with un-attended water bottles freezing. The temperature also paid a toll on peopls bikes with the oil in most peoples forks turning the consitancy of Golden Syrup and some people even complained of grease in bearins freezing up :shock: The only way I made it throght the night was wearing full length winter nicks, leg warmers over the top, a full length winter jersey with a windproof vest as well as arm warms and a beanie thing under my helmet!! And I was still cold!!

Finally after having completed 24 laps in the 12 hours we had come 10th out of about 20, 3 man teams (the overall winners completed about 34) we were stuffed so decide that after breaky and the Award presentation we would hit the sack and then contemplate the drive back to Sydney afterwards. The prizes for coming first in your divsion was.......wait for it.......... A spray painted light globe!!! And absolutly no product!! Which I thought was a bit shite considering the $115 entry fee and the event was sponsored by the likes of Sram! The only product there was, was then thrown out to the crowd like they were giving away candy!

Overall the weekend was an incredable amount of fun, a great track and well organised race. I would highly recomend it to anyone in the future. Infact I'm already looking at putting a team together for the Mont 24!

[Dreggsy]

hey mate
a very nice description of the race indeed
my team gave up and went to their warm
sleeping bags at around 2ish when it was -2degrees

i met someont there who was from farkin
i was the guy in the blue suit with the afro
hope your team went well
im doing the 24hr over at dargle later this month.
im hooked
xc racing has never been so much fun

[jasco]

Were you the one that was thawing his toes at the fire?? If it wasn't you I did have a chat to someone on your team (I got my little piglets out to warm them up too)

Yeah my team went alright, we came 10th in the 3 man teams. BTW do you know if the results are posted anywhere?

[BrumbyJack]

bugger, wrong thread before :oops:

The results are...http://www.26inches.com/26inches/race/results.asp

[jasco]

Awesome, thanks BrumbyJack

[struggles]

Jasco,

Just replying to your question from the other thread.

My team was called No idea. We did ok 16th out of the four man teams. We lost one team member at about 12 so were down to three. My times were about 30 to 35 minutes a lap. We had a ball despite the cold.

I managed to get a lap in with the helmet cam on and it turned out ok.

On my 4th lap I ran out of battery power and did the last two downhills with no lights, now that was scarey.

Here is a photo of our campsite, I was glad we had the big tent as it took the edge off the cold. Not by much though.

http://www.farkin.net/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=7126

[jasco]

Did you get a measurement of the course?? I think my Computer said that it was about 6.5km??

[tyno]

Did you get a measurement of the course?? I think my Computer said that it was about 6.5km??

Yup, it was just over 6km. It should have been about 12km but between the lackluster course prep and state forests not doing what they were meant to, it only ended up being short.
I was pretty pissed off with the course. It had nothing on the courses that have been used for the 8hour series (You should all ride the Lydsdale XC course.) The singletrack was hard to get a flow through and wasn't very challenging. Then there was all that wasted downhill on the firetrail. If the 2 big downhills were on singletrack, the course could have been pretty good. As it was, you just cruised through the singletrack attempting to find flow where there wasn't a hell of a lot and then hurt your way along the firetrail to the end. Can you tell I wasn't impressed with the track?

My team went out with little enthuiasm after the other 2 pre rode the course in the arvo and sure enough, by about 1am we'd decided we couldn't be arsed riding any more. I cruised through 4 laps all around 21:42 - 21:52 but really couldn't be arsed trying to do anything fast.

Oh well. Here's hoping the 24hr at Dargle is a little better... It bloody well better be. I'm racing solo.

[MrCove]

oh yes the 24 hour course at Dargle WILL be better
i'm building it!!! was there today infact, 4 hours of Kango hammering to make some sections faster, more to come
let me tell you that there are some g-g-g-g-g-g-narly sections, plenty of variety, technical climbs and descents, sweet singletrack, rocks, berms, sandy sections, it's got the lot, one thing it won't be described as is boring!!!
all of it is good for spectators too, lots of easy access points to get good views of the carnage!!
it's still not finished and it's on private land, SO PLEASE DON'T TRY AND GO AND RIDE IT.

there is a Cove hardtail frameas a prize too....

ANY farkin-ers who are there come and say hello, i'll be mobile marshal/track checker/etc
look for the blue LandRover

[LordNikon]

Struggles... you stole my team name! :evil:

well, kinda...

I race enduros in a 2 man team called "No eyed deers".

:shock:

[jasco]

MrCove when is the race on?? I don't think I'll be able to get a team together for it but depending on when it's on, and how uni is going I might be able to help out as a volunteer.

If you still need people, let me know

[BrumbyJack]

Struggles... you stole my team name! :evil:

well, kinda...

I race enduros in a 2 man team called "No eyed deers".

:shock:

Well mine is called the Snow Eye Deers :P

[MrCove]

jasco
weekend of the 22nd (weekend after this one)
if you don't fancy the 24hr you can do the 12 hours of dylight raced which is running at the same time but split over the 2 days, 6 hours the first day, 6 the next, you could do that solo!!!!

mail me for more info

A

[LordNikon]

And here I was thinkin we were being original... :wink:

[intense jonoooo]

does anyone no who the youngest rider was ther??? i am 15 and raced there.. our 3 man team came 5th or 6th 8)

[jasco]

You weren't by chance the ballsy little bugger who rode a sub 22min lap on a stinky were you? If you were well done!!

[Blueman]

Tyno, from what I hear you actually have not finished any major race for at least two years! Actually apparently your teammates have a hard time finishing anything either. :?

[tyno]

Tyno, from what I hear you actually have not finished any major race for at least two years!

Define finish :-) I don't think I've DNF'd anything lately and I've been running middle fo the field in the first 2 of the working week series. What's it matter anyway? I was commenting on the course not my propensity for self damage in the leadup to a major race.

Actually apparently your teammates have a hard time finishing anything either. :?

Where'd you get that from? One of my team mates is preparing to go to Canada in Septemeber to compete in the world 24hr solo champs.

[liamo]

Tyno, from what I hear you actually have not finished any major race for at least two years! Actually apparently your teammates have a hard time finishing anything either.
OK, I'll bite...

Blueman, I'm not quite sure what was in Tyno's post that would elicit a personal attack on him, but I am absolutely sure that neither Gaz or myself (Tyno's teammates in the race) have done anything to earn your scorn. Quite the opposite, Gaz counts you as a personal friend and has defended you to others repeatedly. It's very saddening to hear such comments coming from someone so involved in the sport. :cry:

For what it's worth, the reason I didn't finish the 12HD had nothing to do with the event or the organisers. If not finishing makes me weak and lessens my standing in your opinion, then it's your loss my friend. I race for my own enjoyment and to push myself, I certainly don't do it to prove myself to others.

I understand one of the aims of the 12 hrs darkness/daylight was to avoid the competitive attitude and nastiness that can accompany some XC races and to focus on participation and enjoyment for all in the race. Not just for the serious and elite riders. Comments like Bluemans seem to embody all that is wrong with the competitive side of XC racing. I hope the event can continue to evolve and maintain a friendly grassroots vibe. It would be great if the Labgear crew can keep the 12HD an upbeat event next year...

Adios,

Liam

[Blueman]

I think you have me confused with someone else.

[liamo]

I think you have me confused with someone else.

Sorry, my mistake.

And you are? :)

[Blueman]

Blueman.

I lurke in many places, here, 26inches.com, mtb-oz....

[tyno]

I think you have me confused with someone else.

Sorry, my mistake.

And you are? :)

I believe he is known elsewhere as... Creampuff

[JohnJohn]

Blueman.

I lurke in ... mtb-oz

Time for a very thorough examination of the subs list there, then.

[namehtmas']

i rode me' bison fer 2 hole days this one summer, scheesh me but wer saw

[jasco]

What the fuck are you talking about?? This thread is dead, go find another forum to fill with post-whoring shit :evil:

[Colonel]

For all you guys that dug the 2004 event, the 2005 version is open for team reservations. Apparently the 2005 event will be called an Endurofest, with the race going for 18Hrs. That way you can still get heaps of riding in plus see the bands and DJ's.
Sounds mega, for all the good inside info and rego link, check this:
http://www.26inches.com/26inches/ENDUROFEST/26_inches_Fest.htm

Hopefully the North Shore sections will hold up a bit better in February, nothing worse than icey skinnies!

Punch it.
Colonel