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Stevens Bikes Husky100 MTB Marathon


kerbs's picture

By kerbs - Posted on 13 November 2012

Note that this ride is Cancelled.
When: 
Saturday, 29 June, 2013 - 07:00
Come Rain or Shine: 
I'll be there, no matter what the weather.
Online Entry: 
http://www.husky100.com.au
Ride Database Entry: 
Nowra/Currambene State Forest
Meeting Point: 

Callala Beach RSL Country Club

Details:

Whether you ride to win, for the points or just for the sheer pleasure of swooping through awesome tree lined singletrack trails, there is no better event in which to quench your hunger for riding than the Stevens Bikes Husky 100 Mountain Bike Marathon. Consisting of a 100km and a 50km point-to-point Mountain Biking Marathon, the Stevens Bikes Husky 100 is one of Australia's premier Mountain biking experience, and Round 4 of the Real Insurance XCM Series, powered by Cyclenation.

After the successful relocation of the event centre in 2012 which saw a new buzz and vitality around the event, attention for 2013 has changed to redefining the course, making vast improvements to include more single track, more super-slick trails and less of the bog that the Husky has become known for. The 2013 course is looking a treat, and will undoubtedly be the best Husky100 course ever. Come ride the Husky in 2013, it's going to be a blast!

Who's in?
Lach, ps, paulwhitfeld, kerbs, Pete B
Lach ps paulwhitfeld kerbs Pete B
What Happened?

Were you there and have a story to tell?

Ride Gallery
beetle's picture

It will want to improve 10 fold to get me back!!
The single track was great , but the rest (most) was crap. If you are charging top dollar for entries you have to deliver the goods. Last weekends race is a good example of doing it right. IMO

Jubas's picture

I did the 50km this year and it was good fun - had a mate along doing his first race and he thoroughly enjoyed it too. They really need to do something about the mud on the track though - it was just ridiculous at times, and must have done so much permanent damage to the tracks

I'll probably end up doing the 50km again next year. I always turn it into a lads weekend away as one of us has a holiday house nearby in Culburra

Pete B's picture

Just sorted my rego for this. It's my first 100km race so starting to get pumped for it now. Smiling

There doesn't seem to be much NobMob interest for this event, too muddy going by previous comments?

GAZZA's picture

Although the trails are awesome, the unavoidable areas of bike swallowing mud are not!
This race has cost me a small fortune in bike maintenance over the past two years.
A shame really as it could be an awesome event were in not for the mud!

Pete B's picture

I was going to get a new XT cassette and chain for the race, sounds like I may as well wait till after. What other parts got damaged?Brakes?

Brian's picture

Hey Pete, here's a link to my blog from 2011 with a pic of my bike after the race. Needless to say, make sure you carry a good wet lube

http://nobmob.com/node/30306

Pete B's picture

Bloody hell! There must 5 kg of dirt on there! Was there much damage? You're recent Convict time was massively quicker than that Husky time, is that down to the Husky conditions or just a better training program?

At the 50km water stop, are you allowed outside help? My wife is coming down for the weekend and if possible, I'd like her to bring a water spray, to blast some of the mud off and give the chain a bit of an oil top up. Also, if they're likely to run out of water, she could bring some to top me up.

Brian's picture

I don't think I had any damage from that one. Maybe some pad wear but I can't really remember. As for my times getting quicker, I just do a whole lot more riding now. The guys I ride with are getting faster so you have no option but to push harder to keep up which I guess makes you faster.

Check the rules because if they are not sanctioned by the CA/MTBA its up to race organisers. On their latest news page (http://www.iadventure.com.au/callala-mtb/husky-1...) the riders briefing from 2012 is there and says no outside assistance is allowed.

They also state on their FAQ page that they will be bypassing a lot of the low lying mud baths. It will be interesting to see if that has happened.

GAZZA's picture

I remember something being said about loads of track work that had been done prior to the event to sort those big bog holes out.
Didn't seem like they'd done that much really?

Pete B's picture

I should like to do a recce ride in the next week or two. Does anyone know what part is private land or where the muddy parts where/are? I have a gps trace of last years course but don't want to be trespassing.

Pete B's picture
Lach's picture

... with the forecast east coast low developing Sun / Mon, there's not going to be much chance for the tracks to dry out down at Callala before Saturday Sad

Pete B's picture

You've jinxed it now! Sticking out tongue

I thought we may be lucky but it's not looking good. Hopefully it won't be as bad as predicted.

Fatboy's picture

Sorry for those who are going if it is wet but it vindicates my decision not to enter. I have a house just around at Culburra Beach less than 10 min from the start available for free and I love racing enduro's yet I just plain don't like this race because each time I trash my bikes and just don't enjoy the event. Rant over ...

teeps's picture

Rain, hail or sunshine. I'll be there bashing it out on what mountain bikes do best!

Brian's picture

You can see the rain they've had down there this year. I'll be keen to hear how the new tracks are they said they would have to avoid a lot of the mess.

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/201306/html/ID...

sikllama's picture

Such a shame, it's a beautiful part of NSW down there, it gets its fair share of rain though and part of the trails don't seem to cope? Would love to have a go at the race.

Have the organisers considered moving the date of the event to mid spring or autumn instead of winter for future years?

Lach's picture

... the first year, I think (or at least quite a bit earlier in the year), and got cancelled due to wet weather even then - on the Friday night, once everybody had got down there. Given that the forecast for today, Monday and Tuesday for Nowra is rain (including heavy rain and thunderstorms) and for the rest of the week is chance of showers, I think a postponement or cancellation is looking likely. A decision a bit before Friday night would be good....

ps's picture

They have had an average of 15mm of rain for the last week with more forecast for the next few days so not much chance of the trails drying out before Saturday. I think I did the rescheduled race that first year and it was actually dusty in places on the fire roads, hasn't been that dry since then and personally I haven't noticed that much difference in the frequency or depth of the waterholes.
They should know by wednesday if its going ahead.

rider21's picture

The waterholes/ bogholes on that course almost never dry out. Re-scheduling it wouldn't make any difference. The first year the event was run (after the first re-schedule) was the driest year and even then, while parts of the course were dusty, there were large, deep unridable puddles. The single track on the course actually holds up really well in the rain. It's the fire roads that are the problem ... and unfortunately the course is predominantly fire road. 2011 it rained about 5mm the night before and it was a complete mudfest. 2012 it was dry the week before and it was marginally better but still very muddy with lots of barely ridable/ unridable sections . This year .....

Pete B's picture

I'm not liking the negativity gentlemen. It's going to be a damp but sticky, flowing race with well drained trails - probably. Smiling

Seriously though, if it's muddy and wet, surely that's a part of mtb? I wasn't into mtb back in England but but I presume that's the norm there. Maybe we're all a bit spoit here with dry weather riding and ought to observe rule 5 a bit more.

hawkeye's picture

Much more erodible, and much more abrasive on your kit.

A lot more effort goes into armoring as well in the UK

GAZZA's picture

Have you done the Husky Before?
I'm from the UK.
I've never seen mud like at the Husky before in my life!!!!!

Antsonline's picture

I concur with Gazza - having raced MTB in the UK a fair bit, and also having ridden the Husky every year since the race began, I decided this year that I wasnt gonna go through it again.
To be honest, last years race was ok - the mud was bearable, the bike wasnt completely ruined, but this year I fear the worst.

PeteB - power to you for man-ing up and getting on with it. It is fundamentally a good race, so I hope you enjoy it. Dont brake too hard, and dont change gears too often - it will increase the life of your pads, and lessen the likelihood of snapped chains / severe chainwear.
Ironically, of all the 100's out there, this one actually suits a tall geared Singlespeed bike pretty well. I think I might take approach in future years!

I f it wasnt organised by iAdventure, I'd be very surprised however if it wasnt postponed. However - they are not the best for this sort of decision.

Pete B's picture

I'm only geeing you all up. Laughing out loud

I've neither done the Husky or mtb'ed in the Uk, I was never into it when I was there. I'll start the race but if I feel it's doing too bike damage or it's not fun, I'll be pulling the pin.

Brian's picture

At least you're on a HT so cleaning is a lot easier.

Brian's picture

Latest update on facebook

Pete B's picture

Not looking good. It may be for the best., we shall see.

Lach's picture

Just posted on the web site.

ps's picture

See http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/860625/c9c9af6bc5/ARC...

The new date for the Husky100, 50 & 15 is now SUNDAY, the 27th of October 2013.

Pete B's picture

Disappointing as this would have been my first 100k but it gives a bit more time for training, I suppose. Also saves me trashing my new components. Got to see if the accommodation can be changed too.

At the end of the day, it's for the best in regards to wrecking the trails and bikes. Why don't they permanently move the date as the last few years have been a wash out?

Gunga's picture

Thanks all sorted

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