Just how hard is the Alpine Classic?

Walrus said:

I know that it's obviously hard, but can anyone put it in some context for me? I hear that riders of all abilities do it, but what level do you need to be to finish the 200km route? I'm in my late 20's, ride between 75-200km a week on mostly flat routes and I'm doing my first ATB in October. My climbing is fairly week, so I would need to work on that a lot!

audax.org.aualpine course.htmOpen ↗

I'de love to do it as a challenge, but don't really have any idea what I'd be getting myself into. 😕

If you're thinking of doing the AAC I suggest going to Warburton & riding up Mt Donna Buang (could be a bit cold right now). It's a steeper climb than both Falls Creek & Mt Buffalo but also a bit shorter. About 14km from memory. If that doesn't kill you or scare you off, you're half way there. :p

I've done all distances of the AAC & am now deciding which one to do in 2005. Last year I did the 100 on my road bike inleiu of the light MTB I'd used in previous years. The higher gears (no triple, 39 - 23 lowest gear, 180mm cranks) had me climbing much faster than before. I've got to decide which ride on which bike. Can I do the 200 on the road bike?

Bikesoiler said:

If you're thinking of doing the AAC I suggest going to Warburton & riding up Mt Donna Buang (could be a bit cold right now). It's a steeper climb than both Falls Creek & Mt Buffalo but also a bit shorter. About 14km from memory. If that doesn't kill you or scare you off, you're half way there. :p

I've done all distances of the AAC & am now deciding which one to do in 2005. Last year I did the 100 on my road bike inleiu of the light MTB I'd used in previous years. The higher gears (no triple, 39 - 23 lowest gear, 180mm cranks) had me climbing much faster than before. I've got to decide which ride on which bike. Can I do the 200 on the road bike?

Thanks for the Mt Donna Buang tip.

What's the ratio of MTB's and road bikes?

Walrus said:

I know that it's obviously hard, but can anyone put it in some context for me?

I did the 200km for the first time this year, and am planning on going back and doing it again next year. It's a hard days riding. I usually race D or C grade, and do somewhere around 200km/week. I upped that to 300-400km/week for a couple of months before the AAC.

I used a 13-26 with a 39/53, on a road bike for the first 130km, and swapped to a 14-28 cassette for Buffalo. Buffalo wasn't the hardest climb for me, it was returning to Bright from Falls Creek, and climbing Tawonga gap that had me seriously considering quitting at 130km. After half an hours rest back at Bright though I figured I had plenty of time to finish, so could went on, and am glad I did.

Have you done Fitz's? It's sort of similar, though the climbs are longer but not quite as steep. Buffalo and Falls Creek just go on climbing for ever. It's the only ride I've done where I got sick of the descents and wanted to ride on the flat again.

Having said that though, the feeling you get when you get to the checkpoint at the top of Buffalo is pretty special. Nothing can stop you then, and the beer tastes _so_ good back in Bright.

Regards,

Suzy

quote='suzyj'Walrus said:

I know that it's obviously hard, but can anyone put it in some context for me?

I did the 200km for the first time this year, and am planning on going back and doing it again next year. It's a hard days riding. I usually race D or C grade, and do somewhere around 200km/week. I upped that to 300-400km/week for a couple of months before the AAC.

I used a 13-26 with a 39/53, on a road bike for the first 130km, and swapped to a 14-28 cassette for Buffalo. Buffalo wasn't the hardest climb for me, it was returning to Bright from Falls Creek, and climbing Tawonga gap that had me seriously considering quitting at 130km. After half an hours rest back at Bright though I figured I had plenty of time to finish, so could went on, and am glad I did.

Have you done Fitz's? It's sort of similar, though the climbs are longer but not quite as steep. Buffalo and Falls Creek just go on climbing for ever. It's the only ride I've done where I got sick of the descents and wanted to ride on the flat again.

Having said that though, the feeling you get when you get to the checkpoint at the top of Buffalo is pretty special. Nothing can stop you then, and the beer tastes _so_ good back in Bright.

Regards,

Suzy[/QUOTE]

What was your total ride time?

Walrus said:

What was your total ride time?

11 hours 30, of which 10:30 was riding, and 1:00 was stopped. I'm hoping to break under 11 hours next time.

In answer to your other question, probably 95% of bikes on the 200 were road bikes.

Regards,

Suzy

Walrus said:

What was your total ride time?

I'd back everything the others have said.
I first did it in 2001. Approx 6.5 hours for the 130k version

2nd time was the full 200k. total time 10:40 hours.
Very little hill training and no riding in the 2 weeks prior (big mistake)

I came back this year with comical gearing (due to cluster availability during the xmas break) and had 30/42/53 and a (cue laughter) 13-29 cluster. The triple was cool but should have been with a closer/lower cluster (was wanting a 12-25 at purchase time).
Anyway the 2nd time i did it in 9:18!!! A huge improvement IMHO.

It has been warm/hot everytime but apaprently the weather can differ hugely.
The middle of the day going up Buffalo is pretty cruel.

Drink. Alot. There are springs and water supplies at set points (many arent marked/indicated. I still have all the bits of paper to stick on the stem for distances/water).
Eat regularly.
Alter your positoin/hands sitting/standing too. its a long grind.

Bright-Tawonga is just a steady hill over about 12k
TG-Mt Beauty is very cool
MtB-Falls is just one long (not too hard) climb over about 30k, from memory.
Eat/drink alot. Stretch alot too.
Tip, dont stop too long and get cold before descending back down otherwise you seize up.
The climb back up Tawonga is the hardest part of the ride.
Is the same as the other side but over only 6km, not 12km!!!
There is a spring about 1km ofrom the top. very handy (and cold!).

Maybe 130km will do you the first time (it 'did' me)
and the temptation to stop after tawonga and roll into Bright will be strong, no doubt.
(especially when you see some of the faster people are already finished the 200!!!).

Buffalo again isnt too steep; just long!
After the ride you have already done it seems to grow in front of you.
Having that triple meant i was feeling so much better than the equivalent point in other long rides and I stayed on the 42ring all the way up.
There is also a spring about 2/3rds of the way up (and i think they usually organise a water truck too?).
I almost cried when I got to the chalet thinking i had 'done' it, only to find out the last checkpoint was another 4-5km down the road. Very cruel.
Taht feeling of coming down Buffalo is like nothing you will ever again, and the Beer's do indeed taste so much better at the end. Must have shipped them in especially...

The whole weekend is awesome, just being in a town totally geared toward a few thousand cyclists and you know you are one of them. Bike [censored] aplenty
(that fully carbonfibre 2-wheel recumbant went past me down Falls like a stealth bomber. slowed down only by the widthe of his smile :-) )

There are a few Audax rides leading up to it. Are you in Melbourne?
The Audax going up to Lake Mountain is a good test (the Narbethong-Marysville rd is a killer and as bad as the Tawonga Gap rd too. If you can do that you can do Alpine).
Come along on the BR rides. wont give you ALL the hills you want but a good base to begin with.

I recieved my entry form yesterday in the mail (priority i guess for being a carry-over).
Imunsure if Im doing it this time (one car family and the grief from her-indoors is hard to scale). I may enter and just sell-pass it onto someone else if I pull the pin later...

Got some ride reports somewhere...

i should clarify that Im no climber and could lose 5-10 kilos without missing it.
Many/most were faster than me, but many were slower too.
You settle down fairly quickly into tempo that suits you and you seem to stay within the same 10-20 faces all day.
Do it. the buzz stays with you for weeks after!

flyingdutch said:

i should clarify that Im no climber and could lose 5-10 kilos without missing it.
Many/most were faster than me, but many were slower too.
You settle down fairly quickly into tempo that suits you and you seem to stay within the same 10-20 faces all day.
Do it. the buzz stays with you for weeks after!

Thanks for the great response. I think I may go for the 130 as you suggested. I might check out the other Audax rides as a guide.

How often did you stop, and for how long each time? If at all... 😉

Walrus said:

Thanks for the great response. I think I may go for the 130 as you suggested. I might check out the other Audax rides as a guide.

How often did you stop, and for how long each time? If at all... 😉

tried to keep it to a max of 10 minutes. Leigh at cecil walker gave me guide that if you dont go under 10kph, dont stop for longer than 10 minutes, you finish under 10 hours so I had that in my head. Plus a big sticker on my bars saying "Drink, you idiot!"

Flyingdutch said:

tried to keep it to a max of 10 minutes. Leigh at cecil walker gave me guide
that if you dont go under 10kph, dont stop for longer than 10 minutes, you
finish under 10 hours so I had that in my head. Plus a big sticker on my bars
saying "Drink, you idiot!"

I remember that one from somewhere. don't drop under 10km/h on the climbs, and don't stop for more than 10 minutes, and you'll finish in 10 hours.

I didn't stick to that. I managed to keep over 10km/h on the climbs (had to, with a double chainring), but my stops got longer as the day went on.

Regards,

Suzy

FD raised some good points.
You need to eat & drink LOTS. The weather can make or (more likely) break you.
The year I did the 200 the temps varied from 30 something in the valleys to 8 degrees on Buffulo.... and in rained, ..... most of the way up.
I had enough clothing to deal with the weather except for full finger gloves. Stopped twice on the decent of Buffalo to warm my fingers when I couldn't feel the brakes. There were riders with hypo that needed re-warming in the chalet drying room.

Oh, my time was 12:40, I was happy to finish. Lots pulled out at Bright that year (1998).
1999 - 100km 6:21 & HOT.
2000 - 130km 8:37 & seriously under trained. Finished within 8 minutes of cut off.
2001 & 2002 too slack or scared off or somewhere else.
2003 burnt out. The area not me.
2004 100km 4:52, road bike climbs faster or you fall over. 😉

flyingdutch said:

I almost cried when I got to the chalet thinking i had 'done' it, only to find out the last checkpoint was another 4-5km down the road. Very cruel.

I was thinking that once I'd cleared 'The Gap' I'd finished climbing & the plateau would be a cruise. Beware of Dingo Dell, it bites!!

Ok now I'm interested, although probably the 85km to start with. Is it
something that entries fill up for well in advance. Or can you enter up
to a month before hand?

DaveB

"Walrus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know that it's obviously hard, but can anyone put it in some context
for me? I hear that riders of all abilities do it, but what level do
you need to be to finish the 200km route? I'm in my late 20's, ride
between 75-200km a week on mostly flat routes and I'm doing my first
ATB in October. My climbing is fairly week, so I would need to work on
that a lot!

http://www.audax.org.au/alpine-course.htm

I'de love to do it as a challenge, but don't really have any idea what
I'd be getting myself into. 😕

--
Walrus

It's probably the hardest one day ride you can do without racing.
I did it once I think in 1999. I had been taking part in a University Study
where I was restricted to 3x 50 km rides a week on flat roads at slow speed.
I managed a total time of just under 11 hours.
At the time I was fairly unfit and I am still no hillclimber... probably one
of the worst going around.

If I were to do it again I would definitely be doing fast hilly, at least
100km rides weekly for at least 10 weeks before the event.
I could then walk after the ride finished!

Peter

suzyj said:

Walrus said:

I know that it's obviously hard, but can anyone put it in some

context for me?

I did the 200km for the first time this year, and am planning on going
back and doing it again next year. It's a hard days riding. I usually
race D or C grade, and do somewhere around 200km/week. I upped that to
300-400km/week for a couple of months before the AAC.

I used a 13-26 with a 39/53, on a road bike for the first 130km, and
swapped to a 14-28 cassette for Buffalo. Buffalo wasn't the hardest
climb for me, it was returning to Bright from Falls Creek, and climbing
Tawonga gap that had me seriously considering quitting at 130km. After
half an hours rest back at Bright though I figured I had plenty of time
to finish, so could went on, and am glad I did.

Have you done Fitz's? It's sort of similar, though the climbs are
longer but not quite as steep. Buffalo and Falls Creek just go on
climbing for ever.

Quoted message said:

It's the only ride I've done where I got sick of
the descents and wanted to ride on the flat again.

This really strikes a chord with me. I remember exactly
the same thing on the way down Buffalo. Although, I was on a MTB
and I went too fast too soon and was exhausted by the time I reached
the chalet.

Quoted message said:

Having said that though, the feeling you get when you get to the
checkpoint at the top of Buffalo is pretty special. Nothing can stop
you then, and the beer tastes _so_ good back in Bright.

Regards,

Suzy

I just remember feeling like I should vomit and wondering why the bloke
was apologising because the fruit cake had broken up into bits. At the
time it was pretty much the limit of my physical abilities.

That was in 2000. I'm thinking about doing it again in January 🙂

--
Nick

DaveB said:

Ok now I'm interested, although probably the 85km to start with. Is it
something that entries fill up for well in advance. Or can you enter up
to a month before hand?

DaveB

Not sure of dates but it's _always_ very well attended and organising
accommodation beforehand is a good idea.

--
Nick

NickZX6R said:

Not sure of dates but it's _always_ very well attended and organising
accommodation beforehand is a good idea.

--
Nick

Its always on the Sunday (23rd Jan 05) of the Australia Day Weekend.

I have just dug my 'Invitation to 05' letter out and it has 2 Rego slips in it!
They must be encouraging even more numbers which is wierd cos they were so cautious to not be over a certain limit last year (think police had placed a ceiling on numbers. 3000 maybe? cant remember...)

fee ranges from 85k = $53 to 200k = $58!!!!!
Aah yes, Insurance Co's win again...

trivia: on the back of the letter is T&Cs. 'Audax' from the Latin, Audacious.
Wonder what's Latin for Bodacious? 😉

'Drafting during Audax events is permitted. That'll come in real handy up dem climbs 🙄