Jetblack WSMTB 12 hour

[isuzutoo-eh]

Anybody else competing in the Jetblack Western Sydney MTB 12 hour race?
Rocky Trail Entertainment - Event Information (http://www.rockytrailentertainment.com/events/12-overview.html)

I'll be competing in a team of four, but won't be very competitive judging by my and my friend's fitness!

[DiscoWeb]

Mark,

Can not do the 12 hr but trying to get a 6 man team sorted for the Scott 24 hr in Canberra in October.

Enjoy the 12 hr, they are always good fun events, regardless of fitness.

George

[isuzutoo-eh]

I haven't been in an MTB race before, only completed organised road rides like Cycle Sydney, Highlands Double Hundred, Gong before the landslide cut it short etc before. That was all many years ago!
Any hints or tips for MTB racing gratefully received...i'll be on an 11 year old hard tail Merida...

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Hey Mark,
How did you go on this?

I'm assuming you survived:) Was it as hard as you thought?

J

[isuzutoo-eh]

G'day Jon,
I did survive, and managed to walk the following day! The team did 140km, 10km per lap. Haven't been for a ride since though!

My team came 30th out of 33 or so teams in our category. I think that means we were the last team to actually finish...

My three team mates all stacked it at least once, I didn't :D but my lap times were a few minutes longer than theirs and not near competitive enough. My team mates are better at speed sections whereas I prefer technical and died on the fire trails! My last lap was in the twilight so I didn't do a full darkness lap, some of the single track would have been nuts under lights. Props to the riders who had sub half hour lap times in darkness.
All in all a good time was had, probably do it next year and now on the lookout for a decent 2nd hand soft tail.

Oh, the campsite had the biggest bonfire I have ever seen, fuel consisting of tree trunks placed on the fire using an approximately 16 tonne wheeled loader...