Mt Perry Gold Rush 6 hour

Last year I made a lonely solo trek to Mt Perry to race in the Grindin Gearz Gold Rush 6h but, mush to his disdain, this year I managed to convince Andy to join me.Andy in turn convinced Aly Ramsay(his Cape Epic partner) to ride with him on a two person mixed team... a weekend of camping and riding...on paper it sounds awesome doesn't it?.....Hmmmmmmmm..... In fact, this weekend turned out a little tougher than I had planned thanks to the Willett

The drive up to Mt Perry is always a little long and nasty with slow traffic and few passing lanes, fortunately for me, Andy insists on driving. We arrived Saturday evening using the last of the daylight to set up camp, privileged to be next to the glaringly yellow AY-UP crew (Andy and Jo). The night crit was winding up as we arrived and the pit fires were starting to emerge. Within minutes it seems the temperature dropped to FREEZING by Queensland standards... elsewhere it would be considered nippy or a little brisk but by sunny Queensland standards it was frost bite territory....bedtime ensued and no rising until AFTER the sun does...


Race morning was cold (aka FREEZING), fortunately the race location is country Queensland and the race start is a similarly relaxed 0930. This allowed enough time for the sun to rise and melt the permafrost. The female line up was scary with the Willett and Anna Beck both on the start...doh!
My race plan was pretty much go hard trying to avoid the smacked into the invisible wall .. it seems I smacked around the 4h mark....it was then maintenance home...

The Mt Perry course is tough, it climbs for around 5.5km then descends for about 5.5km but there is no free time... the ups are hard and the downs require uber concentration, especially as the 6h approaches and both rider and course fatigue set in. The course becomes very very very treacherous (aka scary), for the likes of me anyway..... This year was particularly dry and the light dusting of gravel on hard pack made for some tricky cornering....


I was stoked for 3.5 hours as I lead the elite female category, somewhat shocked to have held off the Willett for so long...then around lap 6 to lap 7, I smacked headlong into the wall, or in my case fell in a chasm..:)... the Willett stomped past me and maintained her lap times in awesome form as I dropped 2 minutes and started creeping... my last 3 laps were not great but I held onto 2nd, stoked to have finished the hardest Mt Perry I had ever ridden.....Fortunately the hooligans were on the hill till the grand finale with a beer on the last lap... made all the difference as my final lap was a minute faster than my previous....


The course was longer and tougher than previous year and I managed more laps (10 in total) which was more that acceptable. This little hit out bodes well for our assault on Cape Epic 2011....the Willett and I are racing on a female team

Aly and Andy also placed 2nd in the mixed pairs so we left Mt Perry once again with a car load of cash... thanks Mike at Grinding Gearz and ONZA for another sensational event.

Lap 10 39:58 9 41:30 8 40:17 7 40:44 6 38:35 5 37:26 4 37:07 3 36:01 2 35:15 1 34:16

KWT Maxxis Sunshine Series Round 1

Firstly apologies for the tardy update but my boss recently took a motor vehicle assisted tumble off his commuter and is off work for 6 weeks with a broken collar bone. OUCH!....that leaves me in charge...:) BOSS
Anyway back to the more important world of mountain bike riding and racing.....

On the 16th May Kenmore Cycles hosted round 1 of the KWT Maxxis Sunshine Series XC at their prestigious Mt Crosby course. Andy and I decided we should attend, much as we fear XC racing it was the first round and maybe the start of a beautiful XC relationship.

I must say the day exceeded all expectations....beautiful weather, an awesome track (and dry, a marked contrast to the water logged tracks of Noosa) and I managed to snake a first in the elite female category....from this day till round 2 (30th May Illinbah) I was leading the QLD state XC series elite female....nice..:)......I say was as round 2 did not fit in with my hiked up work schedule so this meant a GNS for me at Illinbah and a solid win to the Willett on the 30th May.

ABSA Cape Epic 2010

ABSA Cape Epic 2010: Its not just about the race

Last year my partner, Andy, and I raced the ABSA Cape Epic for the first time (aptly named ‘virgin’ Epic riders) in the ‘mixed’ category, we placed 10th and were hooked in a very weird and somewhat perverted way. This year we returned, each with a new riding partner, hoping they too would appreciate the ‘wonder’ of this amazing race. It is a risk introducing fresh blood to what is known as the worlds toughest mountain bike race but my philosophy is “what doesn’t break you makes you stronger”, plus the race is in South Africa, a long way from home so their return policy is inhibited.


My original partner (Rebecca Locke) was, unfortunately, under the knife three weeks prior to race start leaving me frantically looking for a female partner last minute, more difficult a task than I could have imagined. Finally I elected to pursue a girl from NZ who appeared to have some reasonable mountain bike breeding and was comfortable with the thought of racing for 8 days knowing I wanted a podium at the end.

Andy’s partner was also female, Allyson Ramsay, and a virgin mountain bike rider in more ways than one. Ally approached Andy with the desire to race the Cape Epic, knowing I had dumped him for another female. Cape Epic would be Ally’s first mountain bike stage race, in fact it would be only the third mountain bike race she ever attended, Ally became a mini project of sorts and with three months solid training (a plan adapted from my own program thanks to Nikoli Razouvaev , aka The Russian) she smoked the Epic and I hear has a desire to return.

Well all good plans are made to be trashed and rehashed, the ABSA Cape Epic 2010 was no exception. I smoked the Kiwi stage 1, she spent two days in hospital after collapsing across the finish line with a temp in the vicinity of 42C, so no podium for me. Andy fell ill after 2 stages leaving Ally to soldier on alone and she did so in remarkable form. Partnerless, Ally and I were forced to continue as individual riders, racing each day from the rear of the start grid. Andy was relegated to support/bottle bitch and the Kiwi, well she was in hospital. This year the Absa cape Epic represented more an experience than a race, which for most was positive, except maybe the Kiwi?

So about the race: We all know the ABSA cape Epic as one of the toughest team mountain bike races in the world, eight days of racing, 722km and 14 635m climbing, 1200 riders (600 teams) from 50 countries, many of whom will start but not finish this gruelling event. An article published post race reported 20 individual injury incidents to riders on the first day alone (including a female that collapsed across the line with a temperature of 42C, the kiwi). The ABSA Cape Epic was born in 2004, a child conceived by Kevin Vermaak whilst riding La Ruta de los Conquistadores in Costa Rica with the assistance of Mike Hamel ( the voice of the ABSA Cape Epic) and Sonja Guldner-Hamel. Now the ABSA Cape Epic is the most televised mountain bike race, the first team mountain bike stage race to be awarded UCI status and the only mountain bike stage race to be classified HC (hors categorie) by the UCI, placing it in the same pedigree as the Tour de France.


The majority of the riders have the goal to complete the race, tick the box and never return. They claim their attendance is purely for the Cape Epic experience and go on to enter the Trans Rockies, Trans Alps, Trans Andes, La Ruta de los Conquistadores, so they can experience another country and another race. This is noble but in my opinion lacks commitment. Then there are the adidas Amabubesi members, riders who have successfully completed a minimum three editions of the ABSA Cape Epic. These are the riders that recognise and appreciate the ABSA Cape Epic as the ultimate stage that it is. They return yearly to test themselves against the best riders in the world on a course that is unrelenting and an environment so friendly and familiar. These riders enjoy the ‘privilege’ of entering the race before the general public, fabulous. I hope one day to have Amabubesi plastered next to my name.


Andy and I are already planning a return assault in 2011, addicted to both Cape Town and the ABSA Cape Epic. For us, the ABSA Cape Epic represents an escape to a routine and an environment that provides us the rare opportunity to ride, recovery, eat and sleep with no thoughts of work or the issues of life at home. The ABSA Cape Epic experience is so much more than just the race; it is the organisation, the locals, the landscape, the critters and Cape Town.

Characteristics of the ABSA Cape Epic:
The ABSA Cape Epic is UCI awarded and therefore attracts some of the world leaders in mountain bike cross country and mountain bike marathon disciplines. The ride route is altered every year, a task that takes Dr Evil eighteen months in design and instigation. The course is designed not only to test riders and their teams both physically and mentally but also to expose riders to the beautiful landscape of that particular region. The organisation recognises that the majority of the riders are actually aiming for a finish rather than a podium and are therefore riding for the South African experience. In the past two years, there seems to be an inherent appreciation for the regional vineyards and orchards which is somewhat beneficial on the completion of a stage.


The rider camp area (tent city) is a particularly special experience, one we elected to skip this year in exchange for the comforts of a motor home. Around 1400 single man, red, ABSA tents are erected in tight conformation at the completion of each stage. Leaving little to the imagination as their nylon walls are far from sound proof. In base camp the pre and post ride atmosphere is positively electric, a feeling empowered by the voice of Mike Hamel (the voice of the ABSA Cape Epic), from the rider wake up siren 0500 to lights out 2200 the camp is alive with chatter, music, bodies and the voice of Mike Hamel. In such an environment a special camaraderie develops between riders over the eight days of racing; familiar faces in the start chute, similar riding buddies day after day, similar drinking buddies in the Chill Zone (the bar), select dining allocations in the marquee, routine after routine. I believe this camaraderie is essential in completing this race psychologically intact. The mental and emotional support gained through the encouragement of other riders is invaluable in the closing kilometres of a stage, especially when the sand begins to suck you down and the corrugations vibrate the hell out of your brain.

About the route:
The course is redesigned every year by Leon Evans (aka. Dr Evil). This year we started in Diemersfontein with stops in Ceres (3 nights), Worcester (2 nights) and Oak Valley (2 nights) before finishing in the familiar Lourensford. A significant proportion of the route is on private land and open only for race riders and riders on the ‘Epic Trippers’ programme. Riders attempting to ride the route outside the race will not only receive a lifetime race ban but also be subject to the wrath of the landowners and the law. Each year it seems Dr Evil finds a new and exciting way to test riders and their teams, last year the most significant was a cruel portage that took the best part of 60 minutes. This year’s route featured an interesting 7km of railway track riding to complete stage 1, an amazing amount of single track riding in stage 2, an awesome 27km time trial for stage 5, a very special 12km climb through some Martian landscape on stage 6 and a compulsory portage through some sensitive vegetation on Gamtoe pass before descending into Lourensford.

The stages range from 65km (stage 8) to 123km with between 1625m and 2280m climbing per day, with the exception of the time trial on day 5 (27km and a mere 860m climbing) and neither the stage profile or the course description do justice to what the days riding entails. With the exception of the super elite riders, you can be assured a solid 5-8h saddle time each day and as the week progresses the mental battle emerges with tears almost a certainty. The climb is always worth the view and the descent so never be disheartened, the sand does end eventually as does the climb and each kilometre down is one closer to the finish. With respect to the individual stages they are all amazing but individual stages merge together by the end and to try and recall each stage would be criminal and flippant, not to mention false. The problem is my recall is notoriously skewed toward the positive and I tend to completely forget the tears, the cursing, the sore arse, sore legs, sore brain, feeling of complete and utter fatigue until the next year.

About the riders camp:
The photographs of tent city are indicative, neatly erected rows of red, one-man ABSA tents, one tent allocated to each rider. Riders are supplied with a tent tag so they can select and claim their tent to avoid tent poaching. When selecting a tent it is important to appreciate the proximity to the shower wagon, the portable toilet area, the shade, the dining marquee, the medical facilities and rider that may snore and/or fart during the night. The tents are closely aligned and their walls are thin, ear plugs and an eye mask are advised. Andy and I camped last year, this year we were more race-smart, we booked a motor home and imported Ally’s partner, Benny, as our driver. It was a very pleasant experience in comparison.

Note from Benny: Driving does not fill in the day so for persons considering the task of driving it may pay to take a bike to assist access to water points and spectator points along the stage. Drivers and other non riders are also able to ride the route under the Epic Tripper programme.

About pre and post ride routine:
The breakfast hall opens at 0500 with a selection of quality hot and cold breakfast foods served by way too cheery Green catering staff. The residing coffee van is usually also open about this time, as is the bike secure and the bum clinic (medical term). Our day starts at 0445, breakfast, bike collection, coffee and then some quality digesting time before corralling for a 0700 race start. For many riders the morning routine included a trip to the ‘bum clinic’ to have derrière abrasions taped to endure another day in the saddle. At 0500 it is still quite dark in South Africa at this time of year and the weather can range from shorts to thermals with or without wet weather gear, so be prepared.

About the race start:
At the close of each stage, times are posted and each team is seeded, the seeding applies to their start chute category (chute A through Open). Riders must be checked into their start chute 10 minutes before race start, the earlier you arrive the better your position in the chute. This year the race start was staggered with seeded riders released within their designated group at 10 minute waves. I understand this was a trial start regimen and may not be instigated in future races. As an individual I was not seeded and categorised as ‘open’ which meant I raced from the rear of the chute, this was less than ideal but did allow me an extra 10-20 minutes morning time before race start. I do not recommend this start regimen as it ensured a great deal of frustration initially with congestion on the early climbs a way of life. I would like to think this experience made me a more tolerant competitor but NOT!

Taking the race out of the equation definitely made for a heightened appreciation of the stage ride route and daily ride routine. While riding I actually took some time to look at the view and I recognise the amazing job undertaken by route planning team. Along each stage we passed through a wide variety of different landscapes, from barren open plains and fields, almost tropical forest patches, pine forest plantations, burnt sandy moonscapes, rough rocky climbs and there was always an abundance of spectators, especially the local children cheering and begging for ‘chocolate’ which I think equated to the lollies and Mule bars on offer at the feed stations. Approximately every 30km along the stage route there is placed a feed station which is fully stocked with Energade electrolyte drinks of varying colours, muffins, Mule bars of random flavours, lollies, coke, water and manned by a very cheery team of peoples. This year it was allowed that UCI riders could have spare equipment ( 1 wheel set and 1 equipment box) transported to a designated tech support zone, otherwise no outside assistance is permitted during the race. Fortunately the organisation does place a mechanic at the first feed station for riders that get into trouble in the early kilometres of any stage.

So I think that about wraps up the ABSA Cape Epic experience and I have a lot of people to thank for making it happen. A special thanks to the Amy Gillett Foundation and African Wildlife Safaris as well as Outer Edge Magazine, A’qto, Nikoli Razouvaev (Top Dog Cycling), Le Cyclo Sportif, AY-Up lighting, Sportograf photographers and K.W.T Nominees.
The 2010 ABSA Cape Epic was dedicated to James Williamson who died in his sleep following stage 2 of the 2010 event. Jimmi was an amazing Australian rider and his contributions to mountain biking in Australia will ensure he is eternally remembered.

About Entry for 2011:
www.cape-epic.com
Dates: 27 March - 3 April 2011
Entry Fee: R 14 950 per rider (±EUR1 500 / ±USD2 050 / ±GBP1 370)
Lottery Opens: 29 March
Lottery Closes: 30 May
How to Enter the 2011 Absa Cape Epic
• Most of the entries for the Absa Cape Epic are available through the lottery or the early entry guaranteed slots. Professional and national level riders and celebrity athletes can apply for a wildcard entry. If you wish to support one of our official charities you can buy a charity entry.

An Otway Odyssey 2010

WOW... the race I vowed 2 years ago that I would never ride again!

Two years ago the conditions entailed copious amounts of mud and mud, hard on the bike, the brain and the body. This year was a dream in comparison, but still super tough none the less. Andy and I arrived Melbourne Friday afternoon, jumped a hire car and headed direct to Apollo Bay, flying straight past Forrest en route. This is only significant when we reach Apollo Bay and realise that registration was actually at Forrest (so much for reading the race brief... my bad!)

Saturday morning was surprisingly DARK! and the elite girls due to set off 30 minutes before the rest of the field, 0645. I had planned this race as a meet and greet with Bec Locke (my Cape Epic 2010 partner) and a gauge as to how training was progressing.....this is what happened....




















The race started into a stomping head wind, east out of Apollo Bay and left to the first climb (timed climb). It was great riding with girls, no craziness, until Bec decided to attack and again. The group was split, Bec L, Katherine O, jo W, Peta M, Judith A, me with a margin on the rest of the girls. Sweet!! The thing to remember about this Odyssey is that the first climb is just the start of many and in reality the climbing finishes only at the start of the red carpet ride and even then only temporarily, restarting directly out of the 87km check point.

So we were climbing and climbing and then there were two. I looked back and it seems Judith and I had a mini break away, on paper a 3 minute margin had developed...SWEET!!. I was thinking maybe I could hold this and place second, somewhat delusional as I realised there was a good 20km of single track ahead that was definitely not my forte. Anyway it was nice while it lasted.

I felt great, Judith was holding a good tempo and riding was good, for a while, then my legs started to feel heavy. I tried to recount my food intake and it was suboptimal, I started chewing bars and sucking down gels but too late as I watched Judith creep away... doh!

All watered out I stopped to refill at 58km check station, feeling very average. I reached the red carpet and the single track leading to the 70km check station still in second. I was thinking maybe I could hold on but i knew Katherine would be stomping through the single track hunting down first place. Then she caught me and my brain was switched to off as I tried to negotiate the trails with as much finesse as possible. Focus....focus....focus...... too late...

Peta caught me at 80km but fortunately for my brain she never really crept out of sight. I was glad to be finally rid of the single track as I passed through the 87km check, now in 4th. The stairway of fire trail that marked the final climb to home seemed to go on and on and on. The frustration was seeing Peta and not having the legs or brain to actually initiate an attack.

I finished in 4th, 2 minutes down on 3rd, 9 minutes down on 2nd and a mere 14 minutes from 1st. Thanks to Santa Cruz I actually did better than I expected through the single track and climbing was a sinch. A valuable nutrition lesson was learnt, one would have thought I should know by now but the season is early and it is better to make this error now rather than Cape Epic which is only 3 weeks away.

Awesome race Rapid Ascent!!

Wildside 2010

A week back on the rainy Sunshine Coast and I am still completely miffed by the awesome weather conditions in Tasmania for Wildside 2010. Wildside for many years has been reputed as a mud-fest but I have attended 2008 and 2010 and both years have had exceptional weather, exceptional organisation, exceptional lunches and a really rad atmosphere. The tragedy is we now have to wait another 2 years for the next WILDSIDE 2012.... anyway...

Wildside 2010 was a bit of a whirlwind last minute excapade and we owe Dave and the King of the Mountain Cyclery (KOM) team immensely for the experience. Andy and I flew to Launceston and hooked up with Zoe King, Warren Burgess, Andy Blair, Amanda Sanderson and our support Sammi Legend Jesney (team KOM) in Tullah Friday afternoon. Race brief Friday evening and early to be before stage 1 starting at the base of the magnificent Cradle Mountain.

I suppose neither Andy or I were prepared for the mist/fog and light rain that greeted us at race muster Saturday morning. It was 9C at the base of Cradle and the air was very heavy with water droplets (mist/fog/light rain?), a far cry from the tropical Sunshine Coast. Race start was 1000 and the air had thinned but still wet, so we cruised to the start, located our start groups and smack or should I say wham bam thank you mam! How the hell could 16km (54 minutes) rip my legs and lungs so intensely, but I suppose that is XC racing and the reason I elect for marathon distance. The lead ladies, Rowena Fry and Heather Logie, started a battle on this stage that was destined to ebb & flow through the entire four days of racing. These girls were amazing in their ability to maintain such a high intensity for the entire seven stages....AWESOME. My place: 4th in Vets, 6th overall



Stage 2
Around 1400; and more to my liking, a longer stage with predominantly undulating fire trail. there was a small amount of single track at the start, not my finest few minutes, but I hit th ethrottle when I was snuggled within th ecomforts of the familiar single trail. I passed Zoe mid course (after a few encouraging words from the queen) I set the tracker for Trudi... determined to eat up her adn her 29er!! I rode well and stomped through in 2nd place in vets, 4th overall.

Stage 3
Out of Tullah and a solid climb, winding up and up through some truely magic single trail. There is limited passing on this section of trail and any hesitation by the rider in front is felt through the entire line. Technically taxing up but a well earned spell at the top then down down down !!. Here I unexpectedly met a forlorn Andy on the track side fixing his second flat for the stage. I comiserated briefly before mustering the mind set to brave the really gnarly rocky and rooty 6" travel territory that lead down the other side. Fortunately the roots were drier that I remembered 2 years ago and the Santa Cruz is built to descend even if the rider is a bit of a muppet at the moment (I have a resolution to rectify this situation soon). Hold your breath and hang on..... 3rd in vets, 5th overall and this was pretty much my place for the remainder of the race.


Stage 4
Out of roseberry and up a 6km road climb. I was keen for this climb as I really can climb but heightened by the chick on the line next to me on the start. She had the audacity to skyte off about her climbing ability.... well....Andy and I are no sloches in the climbing front and on this occasion we were ready...suspension locked out and smack down we crested ahead of our group after blowing a certain chick to the wind....one thing I can do OK is climb! The descent that follows is all about Santa Cruz but as hard as I think I am riding there is always a guy that blows past like I am stagnant in the mud. The swing bridge was a treat and just when the buzz from the awesome descent is maxing the trail flattens and climbs again with 10km to the finish...slippery, rocky, muddy stuff....

Stage 5
The time trial over 6km with Andy 30s ahead and Zoe 30s behind, Zoe had me by half way, fortunately the last 3km was fire trail so I managed to redeem myself a little and monstered home as best I could. Fortunately in front of Zoe at the end despite my 30s advantage... She is a mean technical rider... I can only hope...

Stage 6
A climb to start, phew, a chance to buy some time on the descenders. It was somewhat of a seeded mass start and I managed to bridge the gap to Rowena/Heather on the climb only to see them disappear at lightening speed on the next descent. Large rocks, sand, boulders, drops, bridges, water...ARGHHHHH...then Zoe (with 5km to go) descended past me like a blur. The next rise and I had bridged the gap just before pst pst pst and sealant from my front tire started kicking me in the face...please seal... please seal...doh!!...5 minutes in ripping off the tire, removing the rim tape and smacking in a tube....my first race flat and it sucked...



Stage 7
The beach stage...I followed Zoe through the dunes and onto the beach then for some crazy reason I decided to take first turn along the beach...the sand was heavy and wet.... this is bad.... I rolled as Zoe hit the front closely followed by a guy in blue, he surged and I sucked..spat and on my own.....so close and yet so far until the next group rolled through....a fatal error that left me in no mans land for too long...the soft sand after the beach drained me and I was glad to see Strahan and the finish in the distance.

Final results: 3rd vets and 5th overall femaleThanks a heap to Sammi our super support and the KOM team, especially Warren for his mechanical prowess. I love my Santa Cruz for guiding me safely down and a'qto for the cap that stopped the mud getting in my hair.
....and I think Andy wins the best legs competition with his ultra short shorts (for the record he squeezed into a medium bibshort for the occasion....:)

Welcome to 2010

It is still only January but there are many exciting escapades in the pipeline. Andy and I completed 2009 with the resolution to return to Cape Epic and Trans Alps in 2010. In the hype we inadvertently also entered Trans Germany, Otway Odyssey and the Husky 100km, we were content to start here. Then KOM (King Of The Moutain Cyclery, NSW) threw a spanner in the works and we will be riding at Wildside (Tasmania) in a week......another event gets marked on the calendar. Now Andy is mumbling something about the Mebbin race at Byron Bay around the 28th Feb so I suspect we maybe there too. Addicted?....no more than most. I also have closet urges to attend The Crocodile Trophy again and East Timor but we will see how the year unfolds.

To further enhance the racing aura of 2010 I have sold my 2009 bikes and acquired two new steads: Orbea Orca Ultegra and Santa Cruz Blur XC Carbon XTR...SUPER SEXY!! both bike match being black and red and carbon.




























A littel more excitment.....I have found a girl willing to endure the brutality of Cape Epic 2010 with me, a Melbournian called Rebecca Locke (Prime Estate, CBD Cycles). With the much appreciated assistance of the Amy Gillett Foundation, African Wildlife Safaris, Outer Edge, Top Dog Cycling, A'qto, Le Cyclo sportif (Noosa), CBD cycles (Melb), Prime Estate, KWT Nominees, AY-UP Lights and Incline Bec and I will take the Australian Flag to South Africa and we will hopefully end up on the podium in the female teams category.

With respect to training: Nikoli is whipping me into shape very efficiently and I appreciate the fact he never seems phased by my last minute race additions. Currently I am on around 490km (18h) per week riding and 32h vetting, the rest is sleep/beach/eat time.

a'qto
I would like to make a special mention of a new (not really so new for Melbournites) brand of casual cycling clothing I have stumbled across: a'qto: Race Division. Let me introduce you

WHO WE ARE

We are a fashion label.
A Melbourne-based start-up.
We do cycle inspired streetwear.
100% Australian made and owned.
We are a'qto

WHAT WE BELIEVE

a'qto (pronounced "a-cue-tow")
means intense or acute in Italian.
We are inspired by European road racing. Our designs subtly reflect the passion of professional and recreational cyclists alike. And most importantly we believe that cyclists should look good when walking too.

WHAT WE DO

Our garments are for the cycling
enthusiast. Each is finely-crafted and provides a relaxed comfortable fit. Our collection includes crew-and-V-neck t-shirts, polo shirts, jumpers and accessories, all of which features motifs and iconic images that capture the very of cycling. We do streetwear for cyclists.

All the garments are all made in Melbourne using Australian made fabrics.

The designs are produced in limited runs of 50 to 100 units.
All 100% cotton.
All available to purchase online
T-shirts from $49.95
Sent via Express Post for a quick delivery.

The most important fact is the chicks tees look hot and they actually fit!!

Amy Gillett Foundation

Amy Gillett Foundation
Canberra to Melbourne
23rd to 28th November 2009

About The Amy Gillett Foundation (AGF)


On average, 35 cyclists are killed and over 2,500 are seriously injured on our roads every year, I believe these figures under represent actual numbers as many minor incidents pass under the radar, remaining unreported. The tragic reality is the majority of these road accidents involve bike-motor vehicles interactions that are preventable given a little less complacency and a little more vision.

In the last decade we have seen an increase in environmental awareness and a trend toward personal health and wellbeing. This ‘awareness’ has provided momentum for a transport transition from cars to bikes, with more than 1.1 million bikes being sold per year. More bikes sold = more cyclists sharing the tar = an increase in bike-motor vehicle encounters unless we act to counter this emerging pattern.

The Amy Gillett Foundation has a number of programs directed at reducing cyclist-motorist accidents, increasing awareness and understanding between road users. All road users need to be mindful of their actions on the road to avoid the potential dangers of mixing cars and bikes.

The Amy Gillett Foundation's primary objective is to reduce the incidence of injury and death caused by the interaction between cyclists and motorists, therefore promoting a safe and harmonious relationship of shared respect between the two groups.

About me

My name is Naomi Hansen, I am 36 years old, a Veterinarian and a cyclist. I work as a Veterinarian for Greencross Noosa but my real passion is racing mountain bikes off road. I have been racing for approximately four years and now compete at an elite level, nationally and internationally, in multi day races, alongside my partner Andrew Davison. Although most of my races are on the dirt, most of my training is done on the bitumen (road).

Talk with any cyclist and they will relay a tale of a close encounter of the motor vehicle kind. Fortunately, not all these ‘close encounters’ result in time in intensive care and not all are the fault of the driver but accidents do and will happen. A few years ago I had a very close encounter with a Taurus while commuting in Philadelphia (USA). I was in Philly at the University of Pennsylvania training in veterinary emergency and critical care, a three year residency, abbreviated in an instant. The framework of my story can be recited by everyone who has ridden a bike on the road; it is just the outcome that varies. It was peak hour and I was riding to University, the Taurus was late for work, agitated and inhibited by the slow flow of traffic. Instinctively, the Taurus accelerated across an intersection to dodge the oncoming traffic. Unfortunately the Taurus didn’t see the girl on her bike in the middle of the intersection until it was too late.

I was lucky to be in a city with a rapid emergency response team and a well equipped intensive care unit. I stopped the peak hour flow and made the front page of the Philadelphia newspaper; I also sustained spinal fractures, facial fractures, lost a few teeth and banged my head pretty badly. Some cyclists are not so lucky.

This maybe news to many drivers but cyclists are allowed to share the road with motor vehicles, we are allowed to ride two riders side-by-side and we are human beings, not just common pests or play toys. We generally travel at around 28-35km/h so stopping takes some time, we wear helmets but that does not mean we need to use them, we are not there to be abused, we take offence to having things thrown at us and if large vehicles drive too close we do get a little off balance and scared.

When I heard about the Amy Gillett Foundation (AGF), their background, their objectives and their charity rides I was excited to think there was a chance to improve road safety from the cyclist perspective. Interestingly, until approached to participate in this ride I knew only of Amy Gillett and the terrible incident in Germany, nothing of the AGF.


About the ride
The ride guide went something like this:

From Monday 23rd November to Saturday 28th November, 27 intrepid AGF supporters are riding from Canberra to Melbourne to support the new "A Metre Matters" road safety campaign.

The six day ride covers 830km including heading over the Australian Alps, taking in Jindabyne, Khancoban, Beechworth, Mansfield and Yarra Glen being finishing at Port Melbourne. Money raised from the ride will go towards funding the AGF’s road safety campaigns aimed at decreasing accidents between motorists and cyclists. The ride will also act as the launch for the AGF’s new "A Metre Matters" campaign aimed at encouraging motorists to provide more space on the road for cyclists.

Riders include AGF Board members Simon Gillett, Duncan Murray, Stephen Hodge and Matt Pringle and a range of business and community leaders from around Australia. A number of well known cyclists including Matt White, Dave McKenzie, Matt Tilley and cycling great Phil Anderson are also involved in the ride, along with three Amy Gillett Scholarship recipients Amber Halliday, Carlee Taylor and Jessie MacLean.

The catch:

Each rider must fundraise in the vicinity of $10,000 for the AGF

The result:

Three months of phone calls to potential supporters, emails, forum posts, newspaper articles, street corner attendance and our grand finale: a charity auction/pizza night, enabled Julia (my co-conspirator) and myself to raise sufficient funds to board a flight to Canberra. Prior to this I was a charity ride virgin, I knew of people that attended charity rides, I had seen people on such rides parading through the streets of Noosa, all in matching kit but until this day I never envisaged myself as a charity rider. I race mountain bikes, what place is there for the likes of me in what appears to be a very non-competitive arena such is the charity ride? The weeks leading upto the start of the ride I confess to a new mantra “it is not a race”, none the less I confess to packing caffeine enriched gels alongside my regular training nutrition, just in case.

The evening before day one, all the riders were welcomed to Canberra and accommodated at the Novotel (thanks to Mercure one of the ride sponsors, who would again enlighten us with an evening at Belgowie Estate in Yarra Glen before our final ride into Melbourne). There was a welcome dinner and the posturing undertones began, as they do when 27 unfamiliar riders congregate in a small room for a ride briefing. I found myself at the bar alongside far too many sparkling water drinkers, gin and tonic in hand. The format of the ride: there will be two groups of riders, self seeded and generically termed the ‘fast’ group and the ‘not so fast’ group. Riders can transition between the groups at any time and the aim is to have all riders at lunch and the destination at roughly the same time, allowing the ‘fast’ group a later departure and more coffee stops. I elected for the ‘fast’ group, the late start and the frequent coffee stops, there were twelve (give or take depending on the gradient of the ride and the distance) of us.

Surprisingly of the 27 riders, there were only four girls.

Day one and the launch of the ‘A Metre Matters’ campaign at Parliament house, in true Canberra form the day dawned overcast and threatening rain. There was no damping the buzz of the cyclists as we negotiated, somewhat ad hoc as there were few Canberra locals, our way from the Novotel to Parliament house. Overnight the 27 individuals had transformed into a homogenous peloton of pink, black and white, all ambassadors for the AGF, it was an amazing feeling to be riding for such a worthy cause. The concern, as ambassadors for road safety is that as a mass, we must maintain a vigilant awareness of road rules and diplomacy; no swearing at motorists, no crude hand/finger gestures, no peeing in public, if we are to be respected as cyclists we must portray an air of respectability.

So that is how we started, we rode out of Canberra toward Jindabyne in a tight respectable peloton. Admittedly not far out of Canberra there was call for a wee stop, which is fine for the guys but the sparse grassy foliage did little to shelter the female population that incidentally has swelled to 15 for the day as we were graced by the womens AIS cycling team. We made do and to my knowledge no photos have been posted.

Lunch in Cooma and onto Jindabyne, where my ‘this is not a race’ mantra was dispelled as the AIS girls smelled the shores of Lake Jindabyne and launched an attack with 10-15km to go. OMG, fortunately the support vehicle was close at hand and helped close the gap on the ladies as they tried to break one another on the sprint into Jindabyne. The Thursday following, six of the twelve girls were to be selected for the 2010 AIS squad and I think maybe the desire to prove themselves temporarily debunked their sensibility. Anyway it made the final kilometers into Jindabyne literally scream by and fortunately the AIS girls were returning to Canberra leaving us to complete the remaining 650 km or so in relative peace.

The ride progressed over Thredbo to Khancoban, Beechworth, Mansfield, Yarra Glen and finally to rest in Melbourne. I rode with the ‘fast’ bunch for the six days, every day threatening to leave them for the ‘not so fast’ bunch but I think the guys actually liked having the token females (myself and Jessie MacLean) to brake up the scenery. The days formed a comfortable routine, breakfast, ride, lunch, ride, beer o’clock, dinner, sleep and each evening we were audience to Stephen Hodge and his ‘two-up’ routine as he questioned the how, what and whys of the cycling greats accompanying us on our ride.

The ride route was spectacular and the weather very well organized (thanks Rach), except the day into Beechworth where there was some quality heat, quenched only by some pool time and a great ice cream shop. The ride guide for all intensive purposes was lacking in some pre ride proofing and housed several contradictions; it only served to make the journey all the more interesting. Fortunately the start and finish locations were correct, the details in the middle incidental and open to individual interpretation.

The end of the tour, we rode Beach Rd to Docklands and deposited our tired bodies on some conveniently arranged couches with some well earned snacks close at hand. I was one of a few riders with returning home commitments so little time to enjoy the post ride ambience before packing and jetting back to Brisbane. There is something special about the camaraderie and routine of a multi day ride/race that inflicts a real emotional low when all is said and done. After six days riding together it is amazing how well you get to know and understand (or believe you do) the people you are riding alongside. Maybe I was lucky for my first charity ride that there were so many really passionate people in attendance all with the same objective or maybe that is the draw of the charity ride.

Regardless of the hows or whys I hear the AGF is planning another ride in 2010 and I will be one of the first to lock it in.

Thanks to the sponsors and the AGF team