Keepit Real 100 2014

As we headed out of Sydney it looked like we might miss the regular afternoon storm. Dinner was at Singleton and there was a fair way to go to reach Tamworth. The clouds were brewing, forming the inevitable rain-cloud shape with just patches of clear sky. Unfortunately the roads weren't heading in the direction of the clear sky and on the radio the Hunter Valley were being warned of hail and high winds.

There was rain, hail and high winds, so much so we pulled the car over pointing it into the oncoming weather, fearing the bikes may be wrenched from the roof otherwise. The rain persisted all the way to Tamworth featuring some spectacular lightening along the way. Thankfully our lakeside cabin was dry, while we enjoyed camping on the foreshore last year the additional crew joining us this year needed a few more amenities.

Slightly damp conditions around Lake Keepit,
tell-tale signs of the possible trail state.

We were at Lake Keepit, just west of Tamworth, for the second edition of the Keepit Real 100 by Switchback Events. A challenge by distance event along the shoreline and forested sections adjacent to the lake ridden mostly on the fire-trails and single-tracks in the area. We were signed up for the 50km again this year and pretty happy with the addition of more single-track for 2014 rendition.

Race day dawns, still humid and overcast but no longer raining. Time for breakfast and some pre-race prep before heading down to the registration area to pick up our race number, timing chip and goodies.

As we count down to the race we spot some of the top competitors this event has drawn, Jamie Vogele and Peter Selkrig fresh from last weeks National Solo 24hr Champs, and Torq/Merida team mates Em Parks, Holly Harris and Billy Sewell. But more impressive was the rest of the riders, it seems that there was twice as many people up for the challenge this year.

There was a new starting loop before we traversed along some 4wd trail and were spat out not far from the dam wall. It was a fast start with last years winner Sam Spokes putting plenty of pressure on the remaining field.

From the dam we headed into the steep hilly country where the Switchback Events crew and hardy volunteers had crafted the additional single-track sections. This single-track was intermixed with more open fire-trails, usually just in time for a steep climb!

Jamie Vogele and Billy Sewell lead out the 50km event.

The fire-trails were clay based and when not flicking globules of orange at you they were attaching themselves to our tyres. Thankfully we took the On-One which is built for these conditions, its wide stays and thin tubing now allowed for our super fat clay-laden tyres to pass easily and not collect as much muck.

At the 10km mark a deraileur misalignment saw us stop to fix the mechanical, our only one for the event. Handfuls of riders passed us and our work was cut out to work our way back up the ladder. The single-track helped, we were able to rocket along the sweeping narrow trails and over the technical sections with relative ease. On one of the more gradual climbs we caught team mate Sara Mills and further on it was known roadie and recent MTB convert Ray Griffin.

Riding with Holly Harris at the start of the back 20km.

The trail turned back towards the dam wall and we burst out of the forest, we were now riding with last years winner Sam Spokes, a mate of his and Holly Harris. Sam had turned off the afterburners due to some pedal cleat issues, turns out mud and road-shoes just don't mix. While Sam wasn't racing to win he still pulled some solid efforts as we transitioned from the first 30km to the flatter, more open remaining 20km.

It was time turn up the hurt just a little more and we broke away from the group before the course turned onto the hard packed fire-trail section. Then it was into a TT position to maintain the gap back to the group, just insight ahead was a CX bike (Lewis Garland). I really wanted to catch the CX bike but every time I came close the course would flatten out and he would gain time. We were now returning along the shoreline and it was exceptionally boggy, almost like riding on wet sponges.

Turning from the shoreline up towards the finishing arch, locking out our X-Fusion fork and determined to leave it all out on course, sprinting all the way. We didn't catch Lewis on his CX but made up a place overall passing young Michael Harris, finishing 13th overall and 7th in Senior Male Category. Full results are available here.

What a blast the Keepit Real 100 was! A heap more singletrack, nice overcast conditions and the most leg-sapping mud we have seen in a long time. Thanks to Switchback Events for putting on another challenging event in a great location, you should look out for more events from this dynamic team. It was great to catchup over the weekend with my JetBlack MTB Racing team mates, thanks to the team and our sponsors for their continued support. 

Ay-Up Dusk till Dawn with Video

When someone said it had been five years since the last Ay-Up Dusk till Dawn I was surprised. I soon realised that particular event could have been my last Dusk till Dawn too. It seems like this format of racing is under utilised.
Having previewed the Tamworth course last year I was keen to visit again. The mixture of flowing corners, rocks and pinch climbs had me intrigued. To top it off the Ay-Up Dusk till Dawn was offing 100% single-track and all-night riding.

Like many parts of NSW for that weekend it was forecast rain but still that heat we had been putting up  with was going to stick around. If it did rain it would make this track even more interesting, I fitted all-round tyres and crossed my fingers. For this event I was teaming up with Sean Bekkers in the hope that pairs would offer us more chance to socialise, enjoying the event from a different perspective.
We kicked off the race against a quality field of both teams and solo riders, going for a single lap strategy to begin with. Just a couple of laps in and it was dark and any mistakes could be costly. Sean punctured on the first lap of our double laps sending me out to do a first double and giving him a time to sort out tyres.

The team keeping tabs on us and our close competitors was a team of three, all three very good cyclists in their own right. It looked like the competition between us would continue all night. It was great to be able to watch the other battles from the sideline during the night, as Sean punched out his laps, especially between the leading solo riders.
After six hours of racing the tight sections and pinch climbs began taking their toll and the team of three  were getting faster and faster, finding their groove as the night went on. With eleven kilometres of trail there was plenty of space between riders and during that post midnight period it seemed quite often like you were the only one out there. A special time to be out on the trail.

In the final hours we had a comfortable lead in our pairs category, the team of three challenging us all night finally caught us and made a good time gap. The leading team remained the same for the whole 12hrs, these guys were on fire and untouchable from the word go. A massive effort by all the solo riders on what was a fantastic but tough course.
A great event on a trail I hope to visit more often, hot food, drinks, cool showers, endless trackside camping, all just outside of Tamworth town centre. Thanks to Ay-Up and Sean Bekkers for the support and fantastic lights. Got to love getting back into night racing!

Keepit Real 100

The New England region has been bursting with MTB enthusiasm of late and the inaugural Keepit Real 100 mountain bike race would cap off a great 2013 for many of the cyclists in the region. Centaur Events had teamed up with the landowners surrounding Lake Keepit to bring to the area a unique MTB challenge, with one of the aspects a ride across the Keepit Dam Wall.

Arriving at the Keepit State Park we were greeted with the same warm weather they had been getting all week. We found our camp spot, with a front row view overlooking the lake, then headed to Registration to pick up our number plates and goodybag. The friendly Centaur Events crew had us sorted in no time. Next on the cards, dinner, hydrate and a sleep ready for tomorrow.
 On the morning of the event it was still incredibly warm and with a cloudless sky the sun had an instant bite when it rose. 

Local mountain bike guru David Harris was not only behind the mic but behind the tools for Bicycle Central on Marsh and was super busy in the last hours before race start. Gathering beneath the massive start/finish arch were many master of enduro mountain biking this year, 2^nd place at WEMBO Andrew Lloyd, Croc Trophy rider Pete Selkrig, Shimano MTB Grand Prix Series winner Catherine Wood, just to name a few.

It was a fast start for the 50km and 30km race with a 4km grassy double track loop to spread the field before heading towards the Keepit Dam wall and unknown adventures. At the 3km mark the lead bunch split, we were under pressure from the local road racing talent and I slipped back, staying with a small bunch of local shop and road riders.

Photo: Centaur Events

The Keepit Real course was a mixture of short on-road sections, a whole heap of fire trail, and a mass of open grass sections with just a few narrow single-track/cow-trail thrown into the mix. I stuck with the bunch till we hit the first fire trail and single-track sections, the group started to splinter. When I got to the furthest northwestern section (~15km in) along the shores of the lake I was riding solo, the others had slipped back due to the technical sections or mechanicals. Hundreds of meters in front I could see another competitor, it could have been Selkrig, but the grassy course was hard going and the competitor like a mirage on the horizon.

Have to admit the initial 30km was challenging, not only with the grassy sections but many of the climbs were super pinchy and when I ran out of gears I was hoping everyone else was too. Counter that with the fast loose descents and blind sharp corners you had to be on edge for the next obstacle.

 The 30km mark saw another turn-around point for the 50km entrants, and by all accounts the guys in front of me were all strung out. A few quick glances back would confirm I no longer had a bunch chasing me but just a few persistent riders a couple of hundred meters back. I had burned through my first bottle of fluid; riding past our campsite I was able to offloaded the empty bottle and stash the full one on the bike.

Photo: Centaur Events

The remaining 20km was different to what we had already covered in that there weren’t any climbs or descents. Initially it was a traverse along the lake foreshore before turning right and a series of dirt roads that circumnavigated the State Park, some short single-track and crossing a dry dam. From here we headed to the furthest point on this side of the lake it was at this point I looked back and saw a fellow rider just behind me. I waited just a bit so I didn’t have to ride the remaining 10km solo.

With just a couple of hundred meters to the finish I lead-out and kept applying pressure till my companion backed off and over the finish line we went, crossing the line in fourth and placing third for the Senior Male category. The shade and grass below the Bicycle Central on Marsh tents were a welcome relief after a tough 50km.

Photo: Centaur Events

Thanks to Centaur Events for putting on a great challenging event in a unique location, we look forward to more events from this team.