Tathra Enduro

After being crook since Boxing Day, some of it self-inflicted, some not, I needed to get back into the swing of things. What better than a nice easy 50k enduro on the south coast at Tathra?

I found out about this enduro last year from a pamphlet in my show bag from the Three Ringed Circus & thought “I just have to do this!”

So it was on, I left buying a ticket until the last minute as it was only two weeks ago I started feeling human again. I was nervous & full of self doubt about my fitness & generally not keen at all but I had to get on with it & start again somewhere.

I also have a new bike that had 50km on it, only 20 in the dirt so there was some trepidation there too. I needn’t have worried as it looked after me all day, I just need more miles under my belt on it. It was awesome & I am so glad I had it for this ride because I think I would have thrown the old dunger in the bush & walked home………..

The day dawned, Justin & Phil picked me up in the Departure Lounge (the over 50’s retirement village my parents live in) & off we went to Tathra. The day was overcast and a bit cool, perfect. By the time we got there the 100kers had gone & I found Steve & Kat kicking back with a coffee. I bummed another drink bottle off the organisers, a quick chat & it was almost time to head off. Poor Kat, I think she is 38 or 39 weeks pregnant & she managed to sit in the car for a couple of hours to Tathra, just as well there are plenty of rest areas!

We wandered over to the briefing which was short but to the point & then they sprung a Lemans style start on us. I thought “Shit, I didn’t need to do a couple of laps of the oval as well….” It wasn’t too bad, just a 50m stroll across the paddock & then slot in at the back of the pack to wander up the road towards the inlet.

The flood signs were everywhere, I noticed the boat ramp has been washed away & there were trees down all over the place. There was even a chopper taking pictures of us, wow.

We hung a right after the bridge, this is where we hit the dirt & started the roundabout climb to Dr George Mountain. The track climbed around a headland in the inlet & through some wattle/tea tree scrub back to the Bermagui Road where some single-track was carved out along the edge. Thank god there was only a crossing on the tar & we were quickly on Goats Knob fire road (I can confidently say I have ridden the Goats Knob………..well maybe I shouldn’t :p). This is where the climb really started, all I could think about were the words “don’t go out too hard too early as we have saved the best to last” in the notes on the website.

I started walking hills early, due to fitness & wanting to pace myself. This is the first time I have done this in an enduro, if I get a hill I can’t hit the lot in one go I usually stop, recover a little & then hit it again. I walked because it was so early in the ride & there were so many hills that I thought it better to keep moving. I didn’t care that the chicks were passing me………well maybe a little.

At the top of Goats Knob we turned right, this was an awesome downhill piece of track as I smacked up the chick that had just passed me on the last hill, man the X29 is stable at speed. Phil (my mate who was riding with me) and I caught a young bloke on a Specialised something who was whinging already. It was his first race & assured him he probably picked the toughest 50k one he could have. I think he nearly hit me! Anyway, we leapfrogged the rest of the race, the last time was when I was cramping & he rode past in Doolahgarl. I passed him again in one of the suicidal dips & I didn’t see him again until the end. His attitude had not changed much despite our encouragement…………

We turned right onto the Dr George road & then left onto the track up to the trig. Another guy on a SS Niner had caught us by then & we chatted (as we walked, thank god I was not the only one). This climb was particularly gnarly with some washed out slippery clay at the top. Phil was there as ever waiting patiently for me, we had a gel & we swapped bikes (he has a Kona Dawg Deluxe), now for some downhill. The Dawg with its 150 of travel soaks up the big hits beautifully but is a bit unstable at speed, it was here that is dawned on me that I made the oh so correct decision in buying the Anthem, even though it has 50mm less travel the combination of the longer wheel base & the 29” wheels makes it fly over the rough stuff.

Phil is now convinced he needs one too although apparently he can’t buy a Giant because I have one……

It is a bit of a blur at this point, I remember going past some houses, loving the motorcycle trail worn into the track & the snotty climb after a left hand hairpin. I walked up this with another bloke who was cramping already (only about 20km in at this stage), poor bugger. The bloke at the top of that hill gave us some encouragement to keep going.

At the next turn the bloke turned us onto some single-track, he said “It’s all downhill until the drinks stop!” He lied……there is something about the Tathra folk; they don’t seem to know what downhill means. It was the first of many downhill lies I was told on the day.

It was here I was passed by Ben Henderson & Jason English, I was only 23km in & I could feel the wind as they passed oh so politely giving encouragement on the way. A couple of pieces of watermelon later & Phil & I speared off down the hill to the creek. What a hoot, side by side smacking the table drains; I hit one a bit hard & nearly binned it. This is also where I passed the bloke I ran over. We stopped at the creek, Phil dove in & immediately the water was above his chain wheel, I thought “Fark it!” & took my shoes & socks off! Call me soft if you like but I hate riding in wet shoes!

While putting my shoes back on I was passed by my soon to be better acquainted riding mate. Spearing down the next hill there was another creek, nowhere near as wide nor as deep. I caught old mate at a great rate of knots & it did cross my mind to spear past him through the creek & up the other side of the hill. I thought better of it & slotted in behind him. As we crossed the creek he decided he was in the wrong gear & threw his chain ring, I dove right, he fell right & I ran over the top of him. Man I felt bad, I had run into another rider while commuting only a couple of months ago & it didn’t go well so I had visions of this going badly. He was right though, apologised profusely, dusted himself off & we all headed up the hill.

Man what a hill, not very steep but seemed to go for 30km, old mate dropped back & Phil & I were joined by a couple of younger blokes who had taken their shoes off with me at the first creek. We all rode The Knob down to the Bermi road but lost them on the downhills a bit, Phil & I were having a fat time. Legs were getting tired though by this stage.

Back on the edge of the Bermi road Brett Bellchambers called “track” & gracefully passed me. The view across the inlet we superb as we wound down through Mogareeka to the tar. A nice restful transport stage ended with my right calf tweaking as we turned back into the county club, dammnit, don’t start now!!!!!

The locals clapped & cheered us on as we wound around the edge of the oval past the Poo Ponds, carpet was laid down as the track was new due to the floods & in quite deep sand, the Anthem loved it though and ploughed on. Half way up the first lot of switchbacks both my thighs cramped, bugger. I told Phil to go & enjoy himself. The next 10km I was on & off, walking some of the drops into the bridges (fark they were steep), winding up the endless switchbacks back to the young bloke who said “2k’s to go & it’s all downhill!”  I asked him “Are you sure??” I had been told it was downhill by many locals but I had climbed many after these affirmations.

Well he lied……..sort of, I was that buggered that the 1/2m rise in the track felt like climbing Mt Ainslie :p.

It was the best bit of track, winding along the cliff edge, down though the quarry & the grassy hill. I gave Phil & Justin the bird as I rode past them lounging in the sun & was welcomed with screams of  “DADDDYYYYYY” from my daughters as I crossed the finish line.

It had been a tough ride but a goodun, I was consoled that I had indeed bought the right bike, the jersey & knicks the Cell has given our team for the Mont were the shiz & I am back in the groove to get my fitness back on track.

Well done South East MTB Co for a great event.

I was so tired I could not keep my eyes open...........

The crew.