Great Ocean Rd Otway Classic

Archibald

Anyone else doing this 160km event?
Any advice to a relative newcomer to road riding on training and preparation, considering that the longest road ride i've done now is about 80kms...
(have just discovered riding Beach Rd in Melbourne)
Obviously kranking out the k's is the main thing.

Aussie Steve

This has been covered in a previous thread.
link is here: http://www.cyclingforums.com/t372978.html
There are some really decent climbs that will make you gag.
Like the hike up to Ben Werrin. Kind of like l'Alpe d'Huez in the Tour de France...
Before you do it, make sure your weekly mileage is about 250 kms at least, and include lots of hills in those workouts. Maybe go into the Dandenongs every weekend. But you really need a good fitness base.
The ride itself is absolutely magic, once experienced, never forgotten. A bloody marvel.

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I have never had a problem with Premature Ejac... it's my partners that had the problem

Dave80

As previously mentioned make sure you include some hills in your training and attempt to sit on the bike for progressively longer periods.

Before I did a similar event (see link above) I had only done a couple of 100km rides. I found the hills weren't to bad going up the otways (i.e bloody hard work but not bad enough to make me vomit/get off and walk). I actually thought the hills on the Great Ocean Rd were tougher due to being tired as compared to the otways hills which were relatively early in the ride.

We had quite a windy and warm day. I drank about 4L of water and two bottles of gatorade during the event. I don't think I drank enough. My mate drank about 1/2 as much as me and really struggled towards the end. He never drinks on our shorter training rides and only drank 1 bottle when we did Sorrento to Melb. i.e he never practises taking in fluids during a ride (if that makes sense). So if your not already in a good routine of keeping your fluids up, I would start now. My theory is: its very hard to over hydrate when doing a long ride like this - but its very easy (and potentially dangerous) to under hydrate. As the old saying goes: if your thirsty it's to late.

Enjoy your training.

Archibald

i recall that thread, but it didn't talk much about the preparation side of doing such a ride, only how good it was...

250kms a week? uh oh. averaging around 100-120km at the moment, but will be ramping that up, and including a run up to kinglake.
hills don't concern me too much as i've been working on climbing on the mtb for the otway odyssey, but will be adding the kinglake hike to the mix for the road.
any particular hills or routes through the dandenongs that you'd recommend?
I will also be spending 2weeks in Adelaide, so if anyone knows some good rides there, I'm all ears.

WrxAnt

Hey Guys,

Silly question.... when is the Great Ocean Rd Otway Classic?

Cheers
Antony

Aussie Steve

It's been a few years since I lived in Melbourne but I recall riding through Toorak and somehow ended up going along Mountain Hwy in Bayswater, then thru Dandenongs past that Cuckoo Restaurant, I cannot remember the road...I will e-mail my riding partner who still lives in Melbourne to confirm the roads we used to travel on...

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I have never had a problem with Premature Ejac... it's my partners that had the problem

Archibald

cheers Steve!
good luck with the personal ad!

Antony, it's March 3rd (i think).
www.supersprint.com.au

wongaga

The main hills in the Dandenongs are the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road (from Ferntree Gully via Burwood Highway, or from the Montrose end via Canterbury Road) and the Mountain Highway (climb up from The Basin).

There quite are a few other short sharp ones which are on nice quiet roads. Look in your Melways for Perrins Creek Road, Olinda-Monbulk Road, OneTree Hill Road, Sherbrooke Road amongst others.

Jono L

If you get the time check out the pleasant Mast Gully rd or even Belgrave Ferny Creek Rd, great for beginners...

*evil smile*

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Classic1-
Don't get me started on triathletes. Sluggo wearing, mechanically inept, dirty, dribbling, elbow steering spawn of Satan. Anyone who sticks food to their bike is a disgrace IMHO.

wongaga

Should we tell them you mean down and not up, or let them find out the hard way he he.....................

Jono L

Hey I'd prefer to go up them than down! Say goodbye to your breakpads!

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Classic1-
Don't get me started on triathletes. Sluggo wearing, mechanically inept, dirty, dribbling, elbow steering spawn of Satan. Anyone who sticks food to their bike is a disgrace IMHO.

aussiejim

If your still looking for climbs to do or maps the back of macedon is very similar to otways but a couple of km shorter and if You go to the bikenow website
they have some good routes through the dandenongs. i,m also doing this ride and will be using macedon mostly and the you yangs .

Archibald

you yangs? are you talking off road or on?

aussiejim

On road, there are three climbs at you yangs follow the main road in theres a short climb on the left or if you stick to the middle you can climb up to lookout carpark or you can climb the right hand side whitch is the longest climb just be careful because the right hand climb is the exit for cars to come back down , all climbs are pretty steep but not that long ,I do 4 hill repeats with 5 to 8 minutes rest in between and i use a harder gear each time the 3 rd and 4 th climb im using brute force to get up the climb spending most of the time in the red .