2026 Triple X at Jacks Ridge

After a solid outing north west of Sydney at the Convict 100, we turned our focus more locally for the annual Jacks Ridge Triple X. As always we were keen to benchmark our current form against our previous campaigns on this layout and were please to hear the team had chosen the same route as last year.

The weather lead-up to this year’s event could not have been more favorable for maintaining high flow. With only scattered showers leading up to the weekend. The level of moisture, paired with a crisp overnight minimum on race morning, served to deliver near perfect conditions. We were pretty certain the singletrack was due to be running at peak rolling velocity. This pristine track condition would lay the groundwork for an incredibly high-paced day.

We opted for the Pivot 429 with a proven Conti Race King wrapping the rear wheel. Maintaining momentum through the course is critical to saving energy over a long duration, and the low-profile, fast-rolling rubber Race King was set to a pressure to balance traction and rolling efficiency. 

The start was fast, utilising the wide firetrails to sort out some general positions before funneling us into the singletrack. We settled into a fast but controlled tempo early, letting the aggressive starters go while focusing on clean line selection. The Pivot 429 excels through the flow sections, holding its line beautifully and allowing us to stay off the brakes, maintaining momentum and conserving early energy.

The tactical shape of the race shifted significantly on Lap 3 with the wave start of the 50km field of riders joining the race loop. This injection of fresh riders into the system altered the track traffic and rhythm. Our main objective here was maintaining our established momentum while having the 50km riders attempt to navigate our 100km pace and race line, possibly sneak a drafty wheel. While the pace at the front of the 50km field was very fast; it took the first two fast bunches the entirety of the lap to progressively catch and pass us. By holding our lines predictably, we minimized energy loss and managed to hitch a ride on the back of most riders, getting a premium speed boost before settling back into our solo rhythm. Lap 3 was our fastest.

As the race stabilised post 50km rider merge, we focused entirely on smooth execution over the technical features. In past years, we have seen riders lose significant chunks of time by misjudging the narrow timber bridges or getting bogged down in the tight switchbacks. By maintaining a steady cadence and staying light on the bike, we kept both wheels firmly on the ground and avoided any mechanical complications.

Fatigue began to impact lap times across the field, but our consistency paid off. We managed to hold our target pacing block, utilising our familiarity with the trail's rhythm to claw back several positions in the final three-kilometer singletrack run back to the event village.

Looking at our racing history, Jacks Ridge has always provided a clear indicator of our mid-year performance step.
2019 - A highly efficient run where we secured 2nd place.
2022 - Climbed onto the podium with a hard-fought 3rd place.
2025 - Digging deep through a highly competitive field to secure 8th place overall

This year we felt we were tracking well, the last hour was the toughest. The 50km riders had already finished, the trail seemed to empty with just a few riders we'd catch or lap seemingly randomly. We could feel the pinches become harder, the climb a little longer. Finally on our second last lap (his final lap) Jason English caught us and we just one final lap to complete.

Crossing the line after that final lap we were spent, we had chased for as long as we could and kept all other riders at bay. We were happy to climb onto the podium, for a 3rd. 

Our thanks go to the Jacks Ridge MTP Park crew and the event coordinators for presenting a perfect course. The timing infrastructure, course marking, and track preparation were flawless.

Results can be found here.

Thanks to our team sponsors;

@supavest_racing #supavestracing @supavest #supavest @theoddspoke #theoddspoke @praxisperfomancemassage #praxis_performance_massage @graveleur #graveleur @marketsoft #marketsoft @BowyActive #bowyactive

2026 Convict 100

With an offer to the the 20th year of Convict 100 we look back at our past events and wrap-up this years event.

Here is a look at our the event in 2009, https://mcrummy.blogspot.com/2009/05/st-albans-100km.html

Despite earlier rain in coastal regions, the St Albans enjoyed dry, sunny conditions and a fast-rolling course. Riding our Canaan with a long-travel fork, we navigated the 100km circuit with a mix of technical strategy and endurance, stopping briefly to assist a rider with a mechanical failure and another with a broken collarbone. We successfully navigated the canoe bridge and pushed through heavy fatigue on the final climbs to leverage their bike's downhill prowess. We finished with a 13th-place finish in the Open Men's category, clocking a personal best time of 5:12—a three-minute improvement over our 2007 performance.

Here is what we saw in 2010, https://mcrummy.blogspot.com/2010/05/classic.html

The St Albans MTB Classic kicked off on a foggy morning with competitors facing a course moistened by recent light rain, leaving some sections tacky and the descents loose or rocky. In the competitive 100km event, Pete Hatton secured the title by edging out Gordo with a time of 3:57:46, followed closely by Mr Flemming at 4:00:30, while Zoe King took the female title. Beyond the elite field, the event was marked by notable personal achievements, including long-time volunteer Mick Smith completing his first 100km event in 5:40, and as the 50km sweep-rider we spent time with Anthony Collins, who successfully finishing the 50km course in 5:09 after overcoming his previous year's DNF attempt.

2011 was interesting, https://mcrummy.blogspot.com/2011/05/st-albans-classic.html

Despite a disastrous training lead-up to the event caused by adverse weather, we set three core goals for the 100km St Albans Classic: finish by riding all the major climbs, ride safely despite the challenging conditions, and achieve a personal best time. The initial escarpment climb proved highly demanding, forcing many riders to push their bikes, but we successfully navigated the climb and the technical sections that followed, maintaining a safe and smooth pace. Late in the race, while on track for a sub-five-hour finish, the author suffered a major sidewall puncture that required a complex repair. Although this late mechanical issue cost us a personal best time, the stunning scenery, great atmosphere, and the post-race celebration ultimately made the testing event a memorable weekend.

The following year, 2012, https://mcrummy.blogspot.com/2012/05/convict-100.html

Under dry, fast-moving conditions, the sold-out St Albans event launched both the 100km and 50km riders into a challenging, highly competitive day of racing. We competed in the 50km event, maintaining a blistering early pace, riding the steep initial climb successfully, and working alongside fellow riders on the rock-strewn fire trails. Making the most of our Yeti ASR-C on the final descent and joining a group of eight on the flat dirt roads, we emptied the tank in a final sprint to the finish. A successful morning as we felt completely exhausted but achieved our primary goal—setting a new 50km personal best by around eight minutes.

2026 - 20th Classic Year

A warm, clear morning greeted the 100km field as we gathered for the start, as noted by our commentator, sharp contrast to the chilly mist of previous years. With the weather playing ball and the trails completely dry, the course was fast-rolling and primed. The classic route playbook was thrown out the window for this year’s event as the loop was generally in reverse, meaning the descent we used to tackle on the 50km course was now our initial, lung-busting climb—and we had to face the old escarpment (former initial climb) descent twice.

Team mate Graham Smith went so close to a sub 5hr.

The start was blistering and knowing we would be tackling that massive climb right out of the gate tested the legs immediately. Digging deep to keep the pedals turning, the bike climbed efficiently up the steep incline before rewarding us with the undulation and arm-whipping of trails across the top.

Dropping down required precision, picking the best lines through the loose, rocky sections and soaking up the waterbars while maintaining control. Once at the bottom, we had a gap to both riders in front and behind, about halfway along the road we were reeled in and began the grind up the climb in a bit of a group. The Pivot 429 handled the mixed climbing and descending beautifully, keeping the momentum going as the kilometers

Team mate Thomas Newman had a solid sub 5hr effort.

ticked over and the legs kept turning. It was tough going through the sandstone shelves, picking lines, looking ahead, keeping both wheels on the ground. It was a relief to get back onto graded trails and closer to the descent.

Team mate Rodney Rae had an early puncture and clawed back a sub 4:45hr time.

Hitting the escarpment descent for the second time late in the race tested both nerve and tired legs, but it was an absolute rush opening the taps before the final road stretch. We linked up with a small group of riders for the run into the finish, we dug deep for an all-out effort along the dirt roads. Crossing the line completely exhausted with nothing left in the tank, the relief was immediate. 19th in Category in 5:08hrs.

Results can be found here.

Thanks to our team sponsors;

@supavest_racing #supavestracing @supavest #supavest @theoddspoke #theoddspoke @praxisperfomancemassage #praxis_performance_massage @graveleur #graveleur @marketsoft #marketsoft @BowyActive #bowyactive

2026 February Masters Racing - MyWhoosh

Another month, another block of virtual racing in the books, this time for February. We wrapped up February Masters racing series on @mywhoosh this week, placing 3rd Overall. This series shifted slightly in February with a timing change, for us the two hour shift saw racing at either 5pm, 9pm or 5am. With none of the times looking particularly exciting, it was decided the 5pm time-slot was best for us to show up and repeat the efforts week after week over the month.

Inside MyWhoosh Masters Racing

Feb 6 – Belgium (Bruges): 33:57 | We kicked off the month on the flat Bruges course. Attempting to hold the draft of the stronger rider, with a good gap to the next rider. We held steady on the second loop of the course, soloing in for a 2nd place. 

Feb 13 – Alula (Nomad Trail): 28:56 | This was the "hurt-fest" of the month. A shorter, sharper effort where the pace didn't slacken at all. With 10 rises of approximately 20Vm over the 19km, with 7 rises in succession, there were lots of surges to break the bunch apart after a 4km warm-up. A group of 5 now had done most of the hard work and as we closed in on the finish line 2 riders got away finishing 25 seconds ahead of our bunch of 3. Gareth from Germany successfully out sprinted me (1/5th of a second) for 3rd and I had a 1 second gap on 5th.  

Feb 20 Round - Trying to hide in the draft

Feb 20 – Hudayriyat (Velodrome): 52:00 | The "Big Ring" week. 52 minutes of circling the island is as much a mental battle as a physical one. It was a tactical affair with 3 of us in the front bunch. Joy Fun from Japan stepped it up first, probably after seeing me surf the draft for much of the first lap. Then Matteo stomped on the Velodrome climb to make a gap. We placed 3rd with a clear gap of almost 3mins to 4th.

Feb 27 Round

Feb 27 – Arabia (Al Wathba): 35:49 | Closing out the month we were back on a flat course. The bunch was a bit bigger, with the likes of Joy Fun from Japan back in the mix. The bigger group saw the more powerful riders make their move early with a group of 5 getting away. Our bunch worked its way down to about 4 and as we got closer to the line one of the guys went early, leaving us to sprint for 6th. It was a very even sprint with half a second between the 3 of us. I managed to hold onto 7th.

February Masters Racing Series Overall Points

Our "no wins" trend continues this month, with both ourselves and the placing above us (just a slim 5 points ahead) best placing 2nd and 3rd in a single week. This isn't bad though because we also managed to place 3rd overall for the month of February and 1st in our age group.

Age Group Results for February

Results for the February block are available on @mywhooshinfo for those who want to see how the watts were spent.

@supavest_racing @supavest #supavest @theoddspoke #theoddspoke @praxisperfomancemassage #praxis_performance_massage @graveleur #graveleur #donnellyroofrepairs

2026 January Masters Racing - MyWhoosh

Another month, another block of virtual racing in the books. This week wrapped up the January Masters racing series on @mywhoosh, and a clear lesson in the value of persistence. In a series like this, success isn't defined by a single night of glory, but by the ability to show up and repeat the effort week after week.

We finished the January series 7th overall. While it wasn't a trip to the podium this time around, the consistency across the month was the real takeaway. After a tough start in Week 1, racing outside our standard timezone, the following three weeks were about finding a rhythm and holding onto it.

The Racing Breakdown:

Week 1: A bit of a slow burn to start the year (52 points), placing 13th in a stacked field.

Week 2: The standout performance of the month with a strong 90 points, proving the legs were there. A close sprint with Gareth Lloyd and Vladimir Oslopovsky for 2nd, placing 3rd.

Week 3 & 4: Back-to-back 80-point efforts to seal a top-10 series finish. Placing 5th in each race with glimmers of potential. 

The "no race wins" trend continued this month for us, with the top three overall all snagged at least one maximum point score, and the top 6 all achieved at least a 2nd twice during the month. None of this is bad though because we managed three 2nds in our age group category for our events and a 2nd overall in our age group.

Results for the January block are available on @mywhooshinfo for those who want to see how the watts were spent.

January is done. Time to take the lessons from these four weeks, reset the motivation, and get ready for the next block.

@supavest_racing @supavest #supavest @theoddspoke #theoddspoke @praxisperfomancemassage #praxis_performance_massage @graveleur #graveleur #donnellyroofrepairs

Jacks Ridge Summer Series – Round 3

The final round of the Summer Series was another warm day at Jacks Ridge, with plenty of talk beforehand about track conditions. As expected, it was fast and dry. It was always going to be a quick start followed by a steady race, where pacing, hydration and focus mattered.

The field was stacked with some seriously strong riders and the pace at the front was high from the gun. Thankfully our team-mates looked after us in the self-seeding bunch start and edged us forward early. We chased the front three for a lap, then settled into our own rhythm and focused on lap consistency. There were no issues with bike or body. Laps two through seven were all within a 30-second window, with lap one being the fastest and lap eight more of a cool-down. We finished 3rd on 8 laps.

3rd with a B&E burger

Supavest Team-mate Grant Hodgins rode a solid, consistent race to finish 4th, also completing 8 laps, four minutes back. He’s never far off the podium and backed up his good form from earlier rounds with another reliable ride.

Team-mate Russell Rankin put together a very good ride to take 2nd place, finishing on 7 laps. He rode smart and kept the pressure on throughout the race.

A highlight of the day was team-mate Michelle Newstead, who took 1st place in her category. She completed 7 laps, riding consistently and edging out the competition with steady pacing.

Overall it was a solid day for Supavest Racing, with podiums across multiple categories and everyone finishing strongly in tough summer conditions. A good way to wrap up the Summer Series.

Across the three rounds of the Summer Series, Simon Ballard topped the Solo 40-49 Men standings ahead of Tim Lee, with Grant Hodgins in third, we rounded out the top four. In the Solo 50-59 Men’s category Russell Rankin topped his category, and Michelle Newstead took out the Masters Women’s title with the highest points tally.

Results can be found here.

Thanks to our Supavest Racing Sponsors;

@Supavest Racing 

@Supavest

#supavest

@theoddspoke

#theoddspoke

@praxis_performance_massage

#praxis_performance_massage

@Graveleur

#graveleur

#donnellyroofrepairs