Port Campbell Audax

Kardinia Cafe @ start of ride, 6am, Thursday August 18, no flash......

and with flash.

Pit stop in Lorne

Fuel tank with nuts and salted lamington fingers

Descent into Port Campbell before dusk, Apollo Bay chips in fuel tank

and after dusk.

Hi

2 days ago I got up very early to be at the start of the Geelong to Port Campbell 200k ride by 6am.  I already had the trike in the car and I got away in time to unpack and reassemble the trike and head off with the others - about 28 bikes, one recumbent bike (Mick Creati).

For about 5k I kept up with everyone but after that most people overtook me and I didn't see any Audax riders again until Port Campbell.  I just kept at my own pace through Torquay, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and Lorne before stopping at Apollo Bay about midday.  That was about 105k into the ride and before all its serious hills.  I left Apollo Bay at about 12:40 afetr lunch of Coke, chips, a cake and fried dim sims.  There's no running water available from Apollo Bay to Laver's Hill so I topped up on water as well.

The steep hills after Apollo Bay were too much for me to pedal up so I had to walk and push the bike, but I decided if I was to walk, I would walk like Olympic walker Jared Tallent,  that is, quite briskly.

The 2 big hills to climb on this ride are after Apollo Bay and after Casle Cove, climbing from near see level to several hunderd metres above.  There were some surfers at Castle Cove on a fine small right hander.  I had surfed there myself back in the day about 30 years ago and following that I had Liz Stringer's High Open Hills (....and for one more moment, I wish I could stand / on those high open hills of our youth, me an' my travellin' man) song stuck in my head as earworm. The surf at Castle Cove is bloody cold in Winter though!

Anyway, after some brisk walking and some riding (wish I had 170mm cranks instead of 150mm) I got to Laver's Hill and started the ride down to Port Campbell.  I'm watching the clock and the k's to Port Campbell at this stage and its getting dark. I make it in to the checkpoint at the youth hostel about 7:10 for a 7:30 cutoff time.

There is food at the youth hostel and I don't have to leave there once I get in.  Peter Donnan is there along with a few fellow riders and there is a chance to chat and have a cup of tea and shower before bed.

I was on a 200k ride and run concurrent with that was a 600k ride.  Whereas my day's time limit was 208k at 15kph, they had to achieve 600k at the same average speed.  600k riders were all out on a 140k jaunt to Warnambool and back when I got in to Port Campbell and I didn't see any of them till the next morning.  There was a big rain front approaching from the West and all eyes were on that and what it would mean for the weather in the morning.