Evolution of the Species – GT LTS

THE YARDSTICK BIKE OF THE MID 90S. You are not a true GT fanatic unless you recognise this bike. Like the original GT Zaskar which pushed things onto the next level, the GT LTS raised the bar and set a new standard for all to follow. A revelation of its time and a bike that holds special memories for those few who were fortunate enough to own one back in the days. I'm glad I've still got one.

THE MID 90’S WERE A CRAZY TIME in the development of off road bicycles. It seemed every month there was a new dual suspension bike design being released. Doubts no longer existed that dual suspension was the way forward. The public was willing and eager to jump onto the dual suspension bandwagon and there were no shortage of choices.

SPEARHEADED BY THE NEW GENERATION of bike designs such as the Answer Manitou FS, Proflex, Cannondale Delta V and Trek Y series, the GT RTS was soon outgunned by these new comers as other manufactures grasped the rules of engagement. With availability of better suspension components, suspension travel has gone from 1.8” to 3.1” overnight and even though the GT RTS was still a great bike, (both factory GT DH racers Mike King and Nicolas Vouilloz held on to and kept racing the GT RTS as long as they could, even after release of GT-LTS) the writing was on the wall that a replacement to the rapidly aging RTS was needed desperately.

ONE OF THE CRITICISM of the old GT-RTS, though at the time of launch it was actually considered as strength, was its lack of a plush and active rear suspension. Public were becoming more educated and the demand for an active suspension bike that worked constantly increased exponentially. So in fall of 93, GT began testing an all-new design, designated LTS (Linkage Tuned Suspension), to restore GT back to forefront of dual suspension bike war, both from pure suspension performance perspective, as well as regaining lost ground in the showroom.

ESSENTIALLY A 4-BAR LINK DESIGN, the LTS employed the Horst Link that populates the entire Specialized FSR range today. As a matter of fact, if you look at the pre-2007 Specialized Stumpjumpers FSR range, you’ll be able to see LTS’s DNA lurking beneath these Specialized bikes. Equipped with then cutting edge Rock Shox Judy forks and Super Delux rear damper, the LTS provided incredibly plush suspension action that was unmatched in its price category. The LTS was so good, it took out MBA Bike of the Year in 95 uncontested, and the record sales of LTS globally meant Specialized had to take action to enforce the FSR design patent to ensure GT could no longer continue selling the LTS and evolution models after 1999.

WHEN IT CAME TO COMPETITION, the LTS crushed its opposition. The strength of the LTS was its versatility over different terrain and bump eating performance. Downhillers loved them, and the race results backed it up. The biggest winning margin in the history of World Cup DH race was established with a derivative model of the original LTS concept. The infamous GT LTS Boomerang. Ridden by Nicholas Vouilloz, the prototype GT LTS won on debut at the incredibly rough 1995 Cap d’Ail event by a massive 14.13 seconds, a record that remains unbeaten today. A year later at 96 Cairns World Championship, Nico, now onboard a Thermoplastic framed LTS DH running first generation Rock Shox Boxxers, defeated American sensation Shaun Palmer, who raced onboard the arguably the greatest DH bike ever, the Intense M1, to showcase how good the basic LTS design truly was, even against the latest generation of super bikes. An unknown British rider called Steve Peat was also winning British National and European regional events onboard a LTS. Back home, Michael Ronning, Scot Sharples and many other future World Cup racers also all kick started their racing careers onboard a LTS.

TILL THIS VERY DAY, the GT-LTS remained as one of the plushest mass production dual suspension XC bike ever made, and this is unlikely to be rivaled as the modern day XC bike design tend to employs air shocks instead of coil spring unit. As it was built during the 90’s, where fashion trend dictated that everything had to be CNC machine, anodized or ball burnished, it ensured a LTS cut an unmistakable profile in the crowd. However, the LTS was not without faults, despite all the astounding performance it offered. Soon it became clear that the multitude of pivots and bushings wore out all too fast, and the high mount shock mean the center of gravity was on the high side. Also, the scissor-action shock linkage means that when going down a steep hill with brakes applied, a V-brake equipped LTS will display one annoying trait – a tendency to ‘stink bug’, or rear suspension jacking up under heavy braking. This was easily cured by running a rear disc brake, so GT provided holes on rear drop outs on bikes built after 96 to enable a rear disc brake be fitted. However, as the threat of Specialized lawsuit on bikes with Horst Link design approached, GT had to abandon its most successful dual suspension design, one that enjoyed enormous global success both on the showroom floor and international race circuit, to commence a totally new and radical design in which the brand still depend on today. The GT I-Drive System.

MONT 24 HOURS "RIDE THE BIRD" - SPARROW HILLS, CANBERRA

AT THE OFFICIAL TIMING TENT next to the start & finishing line, the race announcer had just broadcasted that there were less than 8 minutes remaining in 2009 Mont 24 hour MTB event. “It’s all down to Andrew now”, Damien says, forcing a smile. “Now it’s going to be really tight - it would be a shame if Andrew does not make it back in next 5 minutes”. I added. Then almost on queue, over the distant horizon, Andrew Wade muscled his way uphill and scrambled past the finish line to press home with a time of a 57:50 minute lap time in time to sending a sleepy Stephen on his way to complete the final team lap at this year’s Mont 24 hours MTB event.

WHERE IS SPARROW HILL? WHAT IS THE BIRD? was theme repeated in my head as Damien and I headed north towards Canberra. This was our first ever interstate race event, so there was an elevated sense of of unknown and adventure. With the race site Sparrow Hills not marked in the Canberra town maps, and us driving to the beat of the song “Where Are You Going” by David Matthew Band in the car, it was going to be a road trip one way or another.

The first impressions of Sparrow Hills course was....dusty. Really dusty. Within 10 minutes of arriving to the camping ground Damien's car turned from black to brown. Powder fine dust means high speed but also low grip, plus zero visibility at night, which isn't something I look forward to in a 24 hour race event. But the massive thunderstorm night on the night before the race saw to the dust problem and ensured superb riding conditions for the race ahead.


RETURN OF DAMIEN. It has been a good while – almost 6 months – since Damien last competed in a bike race to set about demolishing the myth that you need to be on the bike regularly to be a competitive endurance bike racer. On the strength of his lap times throughout the event, one may as well consider he’s never left the racing scene. One might suppose that Damien had approached this event with breezy equanimity, given that he’s been absent from mountain biking for so long. In fact he had done nothing of the kind, taking the event by scruff of its neck. From volunteering to take part in the Le Mans style running start (where his marathon running strength coming into play), to systematically pacing himself through the entire 24 hours, his event was run with machine-like precision for maximum results. It was by no means plain sailing for Damien though. No 24 hours in the saddle ever are. Although you’d never tell from his demeanor, a laid back approach toward this event that in actuality was tackled with greatest efforts and intensity.

FOR MOST OF THE EVENT I have been one of the more appreciative witness to a superlative performance from both Andrew & Stephen. Their new Giant Anthems were good, there was no question to that, but the speed and efficiency in which both dispatched laps after another was most impressive, given that Andrew had been up all night organizing the campsite, while Stephen suffered from jet lag. No doubt their pre-event training program months prior paid dividends, although I haven’t exactly been idle either, despite somehow suffering a lack of motivation towards mountain biking & training weeks prior. As the sole rider equipped with the lightest bike complete with tubeless setup, my lap times were no match to Andrew Wade’s, especially on a track that was supposed to favor handling skill over raw power, spoke volume of Andrew 's & Stephen's vast improvement since Kona 24 hour event last year.

TO RIDE WITH DEATH GRIP was a skill that I haven’t had much practice of late, for the obvious reason that having your fingers covering the brakes minimizes the chances of running into trees. But with track being so incredibly smooth and most corners being wide open with no sniping apex hiding in the scrubs, using brakes almost felt like cheating. The I-Drive, deliberately set with 50% sag for maximum cornering traction, darted through corners with the precisions of a slot car. It was one of few rare occasions where more travel does not equate to greater performance.

Busily keeping myself preoccupied as I made my way through slower riders, I hadn’t notice that the race leaders were coming up behind, but then the said rider didn’t ask for overtaking room as I was holding a fast line through the pack, and he seemed content to follow. Although whoever behind was a far quicker rider than I am, as he had no trouble sticking to my back tire while I had to muster all I could to hold a fast tight line through turns. A slight mistake from cutting a corner too fine and in a flash, the said rider was through. Sporting the unmistakable RockStar Energy jersey on a Scott, the flying cyclist who just blown by me was none other then the MTB legend Craig Gordon.

Now running behind Craig, I was amazed to see how late he was braking, and how little brake he used when they are needed. Scything past the flotilla of rag tag cyclists log jamming the single tracks, it wasn’t merely that he was a strong rider, but his ability to maintain momentum in unfavorable riding conditions while picking his moment to pass slower riders, just like a sniper picking off his targets, that was the most impressive.


THE FINAL LAPS 22 laps in, at 10:45am Sunday morning, Damien returns from his last lap of this event. “The maths tells you one story, but it’s not quite that simple.” I observed. Although Andrew Wade knew precisely what story the maths told. If our team were to stay in ccontention with others, it was absolutely essential that Stephen heads out and do another lap. Before he set off for his lap, and acutely aware of the difficult task ahead, Andrew said he'll push himself to limit so the team can have a fighting chance to stay in touch with others. Asleep in the caravan and totally unaware of the situation, Stephen was ushered out and very reluctantly waited for Andrew to return from his lap. With less than 10 minutes remaining before the event concludes, doubts were raised that Andrew would make it back in time. In the end, through a superb final lap effort by Andrew Wade, the team managed to fend off 6 other rival teams to retain our position. Through the combined effort of Andrew, Damien, Stephen and myself, and the usual immaculate pre-event preparation by both Andrew and Damien, our endeavours paid off handsomely, in the process rounding off the Monte 24 event as the best 24 hours MTB race meeting that I have ever attended.


FINAL RESULT

Category: Open Class Male x4
Overall Standing: 51th out of 141
Time: 24:55:34

ANACONDA OTWAY ODYSSEY MTB MARATHON, Apollo Bay, Victoria

I KNEW WHAT WAS REQUIRED, but the trick was to seek out the right information and persuade myself to go with my final assessment. In clear or consistent conditions, the 50km between Apollo Bay and Forrest are a daunting proposition, but on this overcast February morning, the trail ahead was far from clear, and not for the first time, there was every chance that it would be decisive. Exceptionally dry weather in the past month have turned the trails ahead bone dry, and the real possibility of a decent down pour during the day would turn the powder dry dust into unrideable muck on the impossibly steep terrain that is the south face slope of the Otway mountains.

THE BRAVE SOLUTION was to take Maxxis’s renowned, but rarely seen Maxxlite 310 dry racers. If they negotiated the loose gravel, the Taiwanese flair for mixing fast rubber onto super lightweight casing would pay off handsomely on the asphalt hill climb sections and bone-dry dirt tracks. But I am nothing if not cautious and, been warned by others who are all running regular XC tires, there was every chance that I would revert back to the conservative choice of general-purpose XC tires, or worse, wet weather spikes if heavens opened. In the end, it was left to Bureau of Meteorology, spurred on by knowledge that most of the 50km trails ahead were sealed, to convince myself these dry racers would work.

HAVING TAKEN THE 310s, I could scarcely believe my eyes when I saw how gravelly and rough the trails were. Loose gravel with sharp edges littered the trail, ready to tear apart the featherweight 310s. On the assumption that I can no more nurse these tires over rocks than nurse a baby, the idea of not getting a puncture throughout the race seemed as fanciful as a bull tiptoeing through a china shop. But the gamble worked like a charm. Semi-slick racers saw me through the impossibly steep Wild Dog Road asphalt climb, as both Andrew Nurse and I scythed our way through the field of fellow competitors and devoured the lead of others who’s had started the race ahead of us. With a stupendous run on loose gravel heading into the Mt Sabine Fire Tower, I left Andrew and others behind with each crest, but the race was far from over.

STRIPPED DOWN TO ABSOLUTE BARE ESSENTIALS, the titanium Xizang was about as feasibly light as possible without resorting to exotic carbon fiber and expensive parts. To my way of thinking, the Xizang still felt nervous and nowhere as surefooted as the Zaskar but it was no denying it was well suited to the task ahead. Never a fan of hill climbs, the lean bike allowed me the rare pleasure of overtaking other competitors on the ascend, instead of being overtaken. Where traction was available, the 310s amazed myself, and opened eyes of many others following closely behind, by staying resolutely glued to loose dirt & gravel over steep terrain and generally behaved it self, but the trade off for running such a specialized skinny tires was surefooted grip & traction. So the downhill run into Kaangalang Rd trail was an absolute shit my pants affair, as the bike pinballed between deep ruts down the insanely steep and badly eroded dirt track, as well as drifting at will in gravelly corners. Unflinching commitment was required going into each bend and it became 5 km of balancing act between wanting to go fast and not crashing out; the possibility of flipping over the bar onto my head a constant threat.

NONETHELESS, spirits revived the moment I reached the summit leading into Yaugher State Forest, as it meant the worst of the hill climb was well behind me, but the tension was still palpable, for the Keen’s Timed Descend down the fabled Red Carpet Hills was still ahead, where the tight single track offered no room to hide the slow and terrified. Fortunately, the dirt track was well packed and as I generally don’t fear technical single tracks, the timed run down the mountain became easy meat in the end. Of course, I had no hope in setting the time chart alight with my conservative run, but the satisfaction of finishing the toughest MTB race event in Victoria, without any major mishaps or injury was an award in itself.

Finally, congratulations to James and Sharon for being engagement at the finish line, in front of hundreds of event participants. Ballsy way to ask for someone’s hand, where rejection is not an option to be endured.

FINAL RESULT:

Category: Open Class Male 18-39
Overall Standing: 80th out of 425 in Open Class Males
50 km Race Standing: 47th /225 entered
Time: 3:35:43

Evolution of Species - GT RTS

WHAT A HEAP OF SHIT. That was my very reaction when I completed my first downhill stretch of dirt on board this rebuilt GT RTS. Hard to believe this design was, by all accounts, the absolute cutting edge in dual suspension design back in early 90s. In fact, it was so good it managed to bag numerous gold medals by the likes of Nicolas Vouillez, Julie Furtado & Walter Braendli at MTB World DH Championship in 1992 & 1993.

WIDELY REGARDED AS THE WORLD'S FIRST competitive production downhill bike, it was also no less a capable XC racer, although any XC racer worth his salt would never considered racing a dual suspension bike. Before the advent of platform damping (heck this thing doesn't even come with a rebound adjustment - front or back!), it was one of the few dual suspended MTB that could be pedaled up a hill as efficiently as a hardtail MTB, while still being able to tear down a hillside with added speed and control. Paired with then the finest available suspension fork, the Rock Shox Mag 21 custom built for GT RTS, the Noleen coil damper, it provided a massive 48mm (1.8”) of travel at front and 56mm (2.2”) at rear. Because quality suspension dampers in the market didn't really exist back then, the GT RTS had an ingenious mechanical lock out designed into it, meaning the suspension only worked when you're coasting or charging along, but as soon as you put power down, the suspension locks out and bike would climb & accelerate like a hardtail. Absolutely ridiculous by today's standards but it was the best pedalling suspended bike back then, as most other dual suspension bikes couldn't climb any hill without flexing or bobbing like a power line in a windy day.

THE KIND OF DOWNHILL EQUIPMENT that was considered high performance back in 1990s, is a complete joke by today's standard. Take the WTB Velociraptor tires - hailed as one of the best mountain bike tire made, IT exemplified what people considered race worthy in the pioneering days of downhilling. By changing the rotational direction of the tire, it would become either a downhill tire or XC racing rubber simply by changing the way a tire spins. Burning through the dry dirt tracks on my regular trails, these tires grips like chalks on black board and feels like they were made of timber. Brakes - what brakes? This bike's been around for 2 years before V-brakes were invented and disc brakes only existed if you rode a motocycle. Trying to pull up in a hurry was definitely a case of 5-finger white knuckle affair, none of this one-finger operated hydraulic disc brakes that you and I take for granted nowadays.

TODAY, WE CAN CHOOSE FROM bikes with advanced designs such as FSR, DW-Link, Maestro, VPP, I-Drive and so forth, all of them enabling us to go faster on knarlier terrain with less effort. We get to ride better bikes today thanks to early pioneering bikes such as GT RTS - it's success in racing changed people's mind about suspension bikes which no longer had to be needlessly heavy, unreliable and flexy, and its eventual widespread acceptance by the racers worldwide was instrumental in kicking off the progression of MTB designs. Mountain bikes have come a long way since the formative years of the 90s, and we all ride a better bike today thanks to likes of the GT RTS.

As a final point, the GT RTS also hold a special spot with me, as I had one in 1994 - took me working 3 years for $5 an hour in a bike shop to afford one. It was my very first proper GT MTB, and this was the bike which ignited my passion GT bikes that lasted to present day.

*Update* Well well well. Shortly after this bike was restored to former glory, the bike suffered a terminal crack on the rocker linkage which extended right to the bottom bracket shell. Quality control and frame construction just isn't the same in 1992. Time to rebuild another one - if I can ever find another replacement frame.

TOUR OF MELBOURNE

A LITTLE TRAINING RIDE that gone out of control. My ride today was meant to be a quick 2 hour spin around the East Link bike trail ended up being a little epic ride around Melbourne's inner suburbs. And quite it ride it was, 95.21 kilometers was the final tally and almost entirely ridden on bike paths away from cars.


IT ISN'T VERY OFTEN that I get inspired to go for a bike ride that is devoid of dirt, rocks and jumps, but for reason of doing something a little different, I decided to make the most of today's cooler weather condition and go for a road bike ride. Well, not exactly a ride on a proper road bike, but instead on my trusty clunker that is my commuter bike. A 1992 GT Borrego that was converted into a single speed courier bike by the previous owner, complete with matt black powder coating, decorated with left overs from my other GT bike builds. A Shimano 105 rear mech running with a 11-32 SRAM 8 speed cassette (Yes it does work), and old FSA cranks off Damien's Cannondale coupled with a 36T chainring off my BMX bike finished off with a set of Shimano Deore wheelset that nobody wants. This baby looks like a mongrel but it does its job of churning away road miles admirably well, all without breaking the bank or attracting any attention as it gets left out on the street. It was as stealthy as it can get.

SO THE IDEA WAS TO RIDE SOUTH along the new Eastlink bike trail to Carrum then head back home as the weather wasn't exactly looking too promising, but as I headed South towards the beach, the head wind was strong so I gave in and turned around and headed North towards Ringwood instead. With wind behind me I managed to get to Ringwood in less than 20 minutes with out too much effort. So I thought, why not explore other linking bike trails? Armed with a water bottle and basic essentials, I headed deep North into Mullum Mullum territory not knowing what to expect.


THE SCHWERKOLT COTTAGE wasn't exactly what I was expecting to find smack bang in the middle of Eastlink freeway crossovers, but that where it was. A historic remain of early German settlers built next to the Mullum Mullum Creek, these cottages have been immaculately preserved by Parks Victoria and have become a bit of local destination for BBQs or taking the dog for a walk (and pee). Smoke barns & homes built from stacked stones, a cellar built from a disused mine shaft and a display centre showcasing the antique machineries the early farmers used were highlights of this cottage. Looking at my bike resting against the caged display of tractors, I can't help and think my bike has evolved much.

I DIDN'T KNOW THE OLD KOONUNG BIKE TRAIL was now linked with the Eastlink bike trail, otherwise I would have turned around and headed home, but by the time I realised that I was in Doncaster and heading towards CBD was when I first noticed the city skylines. Distracted by the very cool looking exercise machines lining along the trail, I stopped at each pockets of exercise points and had a bit of play. Fell off the step machine a few time too as it was tough to master, and got the obligatory weird look from other trail users, but I didn't care. I said it before and I'll say again, I'm a big kid when it comes to play time. What's the point in life it you can't have some fun?

PROCEEDING ALONG THE TRAIL I soon reached Studley Park junction and much to my surprise, my knee wasn't playing up nor was I feeling any ill effects from my impromptu ride that was now really turning into a bit of a major event. Rode past Dights Fall and not really certain where I was heading next, I accidentally stumbled across Collingood Childrens Farm and St Helier's Convent which my colleague Jen had been raving about. By now I was ready for lunch and the Convent Bakery made a perfect place to stop for a bite. Luckily my backup stash of $20 note in my road side repair kit was still in there, albeit a bit grimy, so other than getting a bit of dirty look from the waiter, a chicken & avocado bagel with drink was demolished in quick succession.

NOW FUELED UP AND SUN'S SHINING BRIGHTLY, I kept riding along the Capital bike trail and it took me through Kensington then past the Melbourne Zoo, before reaching the Dockland precinct. As someone who works in construction industry, I can't help but take the time out to checkout the scenery. A lot of money has been sunken into this place and it look all trendy and very flash, but I couldn't help and feeling this was all very pretentious and wondered if people living around here were really happy, as undoubtedly it would have cost a decent fortune live here only to be stacked like sardines in apartment complexes and to have to put up with all the people, noise and blinding lights daily, with the niggling knowledge that this isn't a place to raise a family and in 10 years time this place will become an urban decay like it did in Southgate.


BY NOW it was getting into mid afternoon and what started as a late morning training ride was getting a bit out of hand, so before my body packs in as it usually would, I thought I do the right thing and start make my way home. The odometer on the bike was reading 65kms and that's pretty much bang on my usual endurance limit. So with my last $4.50 I stopped at the Southgate foodcourt and got myself a chocolate bar for the road and headed down the Gardiner bike trail, a path which I have ridden many times before to commute to work. Leaving he noise and the traffic of the city behind and heading east, the harsh concrete jungle and roads soon turn into something that I'm more familiar with, surrounded by trees, dogs, kids and people who are out there for no other reasons but to enjoy their local parkland in the sun, and I for one didn't mind that the last 25km of my 95km epic ride was finished among these surroundings.

DITCHING THE MTB FOR A TRACK DAY ON BMX

THERE ARE TIMES when riding a mountain bikes become a bit of a chore. It's hard to believe I know, but it happens to the best of us and I'm sure we have all been there before, when you just can't be bothered with it all. Paul's been there recently, nearly selling his beloved Epic & turn to the dark side to get Tarmac road bike, and more recently the evergreen Damien declaring also that he's lost his passion for mountain biking as well.

IN MY CASE, after the recent Kona 24 MTB race and, I must admit I have also lost a bit of my usual enthusiasm for mountain biking. OK, admittedly my previous weekend at You Yangs with mob from Bicycle Victoria was great fun, but I vividly remembering the climbs to the summit being a real pain in the arse, with my knees playing up and the constant struggle in forcing a myself uphills when other riders easily gliding by, a clear indication of my deteriorated level of fitness. Even yesterday afternoon's quickie through Lysterfield Lakes on board my beloved Xizang didn't bring much smile to my face. I need a change of scenery and road bike just doesn't cut it for me, although I am acutely aware that putting miles into road is exactly what I need to do to rebuild myself to be in any shape to tackle Otway Odyssey next year.

LUCKILY FOR ME, within my stupid little collection of GT bikes I have a BMX bike in the fleet, and as a bonus there are 4 BMX tracks all within 30min of driving from home, so this morning, instead of doing the usual one hour MTB ride, I decided to do something different and pay my local BMX track a visit. It was a novelty to be the only person at the track, but I guess being fairly early in the morning most kids are enjoying the chance to sleep in during the school holiday. This worked to my advantage as I didn't need to be self-conscious about my lack of ability on board a BMX bike compared to the much more youthful track companions, whom can take to air at will. The lack of other riders allowed me to quietly put in laps of practice around the track without being interrupted.

SO FOR OVER AN HOUR THIS MORNING, I was able to be totally absorbed in learning how to ride a BMX bike again under a clear blue sky. My only audience were a couple of magpies and they were content to watch me putting in fast sprint intervals, followed by laps of moderate track works to strengthen my knee and improve my breathing. Riding a small 20" wheeler also turned out to be a great way of refining my riding skills in general, be it clearing double jumps, pump rhythm sections, rail berms, and generally fine tuning my spatial awareness for things happen so much faster on a small bike, that unless I stay focused I tend to end up crashing. Granted I don't know if I really have progressed much from today's track work, but suffice to say I freak out a lot less now as I roll towards a table top jump at 40km/h.

Not to mention having the entire BMX track to yourself was an odd but refreshing experience.

2008 KONA 24 HOURS, Forrest, Victoria

IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME that something so simple as riding a push bike can mean so much to so many different people. Kona 24 Hours this year was no exception. Some of us are out there for fun, some of us are out there with a point to proof, others are just out there whether they can ride or not but mostly people are there for a bit of mountain biking adventure.

TRYING TO EXPLAIN the concept of riding a bike nonstop for 24 hours is usually greeted with curious amazement or total ridicule by those who don’t ride, but what they fail to comprehend is that there are elements within a 24 hour event that cannot be easily summarised unless one’s had a go in participating and experience it firsthand. Call it a weekend camping event with bikes or whatever, but to treat this event with disrespect, it can cost you dearly.

THE BATTLEGROUND FOR THIS YEAR’S KONA 24 is once again in the magnificent Forrest MTB Park. A slice of mountain bike heaven carved out by none other than Australian MTB legend Glen Jacobs. It featured miles of twisting single track in an otherwise pretty isolated piece of Victorian bush land. Sweepers, berms, rollers and hip jumps are all signature Glen Jacob affair but for the reason of safety, the race organisers have opted for tracks without too many technical features. I find it a bit of shame because in my opinion, rider’s skill and bikes are progressing every year, therefore so should the track that we compete on. Cross country tracks needs to get more technical, not just to sort out road bike riders from true mountain bikers, but if Aussie riders are to take it to the international level and compete on par against riders around the world, we need more technical stuff to ride in.

MY PARTICIPATION THIS YEAR was already determined 364 days prior during last year’s Kona 24 hours. Andrew, Caleb, Marissa and myself all made a pack to return this year after surviving last year’s slog. This year, we’ve managed to convince 4 more newbies to join in our little fanfare. Brenton, Stephen, Ben and Kathryn have all signed up. With them they bring a mixed level of personality and experience; but more importantly, right attitude towards the event – a healthy dose of adventure carefully mixed with some anxiety and hint of caution.

SEASONED VETRANS DON’T TAKE THIS EVENT ON LIGHTLY and after the disappointment of previous year, Paul’s return to this year’s event earmarked a new level of personal achievement for him. Now sporting Total Freedom Machine colours, it symbolised an end of his association with his previous sponsor Total Rush. Paul’s new green, red and white livery was comically close to a Christmas tree but there was nothing funny at about his preparation to this event. Toned up and ready to battle, the smiles in the camera was hiding a rider with a lot of point to proof; to please his new sponsor and redeeming last year’s disappointment. Not even his wife was immune from his drive to succeed. She was there shadowing his every move to ensure that no details are missed for his 24 hours of torture ahead.

IN A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION of outrageously sound organisation skill, Andrew has managed to bring everything bar a kitchen sink & plasma TV to this year’s event. Twin marquees, mushrooming tents of sleeping quarters in the field behind, gas heat lamps and plenty of food & drink making our team pit the envy of the field. Ben rocked up with boxes of mixed fruits enough to keep a zoo happy, with enterprising Marissa completing the picture with a laptop to time our progress. The ever cautious Kath brought a bed and massage roller just in case. Me? Lame excuse persists. From a sore knee resulting to my botched race at Bendigo 4 weeks ago, to being under prepared or whatever, no excuse was going to save me from this 24 hour that will sort me out whichever way I tackle it.

IN A CONTINUATION OF PAST YEAR’S FORMAT, the race was divided into 3 segments. First 6 hours will be on a circuit loop, to be followed by 12 hours of night racing on a separate circuit, then finally round up by another 6 hours of racing on a 3rd loop. The justification of this was to ensure that technically dangerous circuit are eliminated from the night laps. This I can’t argue, crashing hard in the middle of the night isn’t much fun. So at 1 minute past midday on 29th November, 2008, hundreds of riders set off into the single track to commence their event that would end in 23 hours and 59 minutes.

THERE ARE A FEW METHODS GOING ABOUT how one should tackle a 24 hour race. Pace yourself or go hard and blow up, rest then repeat, the choices are only limited by your imagination and resources. Common logic should dictate the soloist riders starting slow and finish slower, but often this aren’t the case as their progression are often more rapid than those who race in a team. 6 rider teams behave like a pack of wild dogs, barging their way through the course like hyenas after deer, while others seemed to be content to sit in their tents over a Power Bar watching others sweat out over on the course. Our pit was split up into 2 teams of 4 and the agreed strategy of taking things as it come provides ample opportunity for individualism in this event. Be a clown or taking it serious, there was a place for all. Andrew was out to put himself to test, while Ben, competitive by nature, was going to see to it that a non competitive cyclist can mix in with the season riders. Brenton, Steve and Kath showing some nerves while Marissa and Caleb cracked jokes with each other. All I cared about was that I was going to ride my bike again in Forrest.

WITH A TEAM OF 4 in our group it was awhile before it was my turn to commence my 24 hour campaign. Conscience of my deteriorated level of fitness and knee issues, my goal was to finish the race without incurring further injuries. Under the glaring eyes of the crowd at the transition zone, I proceeded to clear the very first steep hill climb after start / finish line, when I really should have walked up it. So out the window it went my conservative race approach, all within 50m of starting my race. As usual, the long non-technical climbs irritated me whereas descends and technical terrains kept me happy. If only the whole race was to be like that. A bit of overconfidence in a loose corner sent me crashing off the bike but beyond that little spill, my progress was linear and unexcitingly steady.

THE SECOND LAP after a round of rider rotation meant that by the time I headed out again, I would be tackling the night loop just before the sun set. There’s nothing like riding in a sunset in Australian outback. Wildlife stirs while air cooled. It was pure magic riding conditions. The lights I was carrying wasn’t necessary as there was still enough daylight to see where I was going, and this gave me a huge advantage over others who will have to track the same course in the darkness. Poor Kath, a total novice to night racing, had the unfortunate draw of tackling her first ever night lap unseen in total darkness and to no surprise she didn’t like it. By then Caleb also did his back in and had called an end to his race campaign, so after a quick conference Brenton and I would take turns to soldier on and see how far we could push.

DE JAVU. That’s all I can say about my body. Not long after I headed out again, my legs started to do the usual trick of cramping up just when I thought things were going rosy. This was becoming an annoyingly regular occurrence on all my long distance rides and I’m at lost how I can overcome this. Sure enough my knee soon followed suit, each heavy pedal stroke was greeted by a pain that’s just too complicated to write here. The ride back to pit soon turned into a fine balance between pushing in the dark and not packing my knee in. When I finally completed my lap, I was 20 min overdue. Upon my return to the pits, broken Matt (he destroyed his ankle a month earlier so no riding for 6 month) was there in our pit, drowning his sorrows over a beer with Sandy who also missed entering this event through indecisions, Both harbouring some regret for not being able to participate in this event while I ditched my bike and gone searching for some ice.

While I sat in pit nursing a knee feeling like a grapefruit and listening to Matt and Sandy discuss life’s trials and tribulations, Paul soldiered on unwaveringly by our pit. Paul’s event has been a quiet but determined progression, never buckled under pressure on his way to a strong solo finish. When Brenton returned from his lap, we all agreed we to take time out and get some sleep in preparation for a big push next morning.

GOOD AFTERNOON, Good Evening, Good Night and Good Morning- all of which probably mean the same to a lot of us over the last 24 hours. The sleep didn’t seem to reduce my swollen knee but the daylight did brighten all our spirit. Kath then Brenton went out first only to return complaining the new lap format being more difficult than it needed to be. But I was determined to give the 3rd circuit a go, despite going against sound advice from Caleb that I should sit out. You only live once and I was happy with my decision to head out as I got to ride the fabled Mariners Run, a technical track best described as being similar to the “Karate Monkey” track in Whistler, albeit without the steep gradient. The technical bits were immensely enjoyable despite the hill climbs doing my knee in again. A big wild slide while burning through a berm kept me awake for rest of my lap for otherwise a steady progress to the end. As I completed my lap I noticed no one but Kath was present. No doubt that everyone’s had enough of riding and gone somewhere for a cold beer. Content with finishing my stint and ready feet up, I had not noticed that Kath headed out for another lap so she can beat her XC racing nemesis Megan Lawson. For Meagan to be ahead of Kath in a race it was like waving a red rag to a raging bull – no way was she going to take this sitting down. An hour and twenty minutes later, Kath sprinted past the finish line and returned grinning like she’s just won lottery.

THE AFTERMATH OF AN 24 HOUR SLOG usually results in a field littering with walking wounded, but this year the carnage level seems to be down thanks to a less demanding track and milder weather. Our cause was made a lot easier by two particular individual’s endeavour, from organising entry to this event to picking up after others., credit must go to where it is due and we all have a lot to thank Andrew and Stephen for. Everyone took away something unique from this event, and for those who got something positive out of it, they’ll no doubt return to this place another day.