You are hereForums / By Discipline / Mountain (off road) / MTB Events / Dirt works - how hard is it?
Dirt works - how hard is it?
Hi all,
Been riding for a little over 6 months and I have put my name up for the 50K's in the Dirt works race.
Question is - how hard or 'technical' is the 50ks? I am used to riding Manly Dam - struggle in a couple of spots (Steps mainly) and come off pretty much everywhere on the track.
Just starting to panic that I have bitten off a little more than I can chew!!
Cheers
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
Tags
There are just about zero technical parts on the Dirtworks 50. Forget about anything remotely challenging... you can ride it all on a cyclo-cross bike. You will be fine. The more speed oriented your bike, the faster you will be.
You'll be right
Starts of few Km of sealed/gravel road. Massive climb (get off and walk). Then 30-ish Km of rough firetrail. Well - it's smooth in parts but there are loose rocks, some small drops and stuff to keep you on your toes. The part before the 28Km water station is quiet fast IIRC.
Somewhere around the 38Km (guess) point there's a very fast downhill. Someone crashed here and had to be air lifted out last year (read about waiting for the Helicopter in some blogs from then). So take it easy down there.
Then you come out on the gravel road and suffer around 10Km of corrugated hell to the finish.
If you are really fast you will witness the pros coming over the river around 4Km from the finish and blast by you like they are on a short sprint rather than finishing a 100Km ride!
First 10 ks is dirt road all fairly flat. Big climb nearly everyone walks. Then its consatnt up and down untill the feed station. After that there is about another 5 k of up and down then a really long descent and then probably 10 kms of dirt road to the finnish. I liken it to a slightly harder woodford to glenbrooke with ten ks of flat riding at the start and end. Winning time last year was 1.51 which gives you some indication
Thanks all, it sounds like it should not be too taxing apart from the distance and a few worryingly fast downhill parts.
I've got 2.35 tyres on at the moment - sounds like I should drop back to the 1.75s too if there is not too much loose stuff and a lot of road
What kind of bike are you riding and what 1.75 are they. Whilst there is a lot of flat sections im thinking a 2.35 {im assuming a larsen} will give you better puncture protection as there are some quite rocky parts. My setup will be larsen front crossmark back
Yeah, it is more of a non-technical 50k sprint than anything else.
There is a video of the entire course at www.videotime.com.au - 5th entry down the page.
It is bloody good fun. You will love it!
See you there.
I have just stared out as well and was wondering what other races are out there like the Dirt Works 50 that newbies could tackle?
Is there a regular northern beaches club race around as well?
Cheers
Sadly Manly Warringah don't have their own circuit at the mo so for club races try WSMTB at Yellomundee (just past Penrith). Damien has been posting a few of these in the calendar. HMBA (and others) run races at Ourimbah and Awaba which are also worth a look.
We've had two pretty nice rounds of the WWS so far but details of other rounds seem lacking
Or keep an eye for more enduro style races such as the Angry Doctor and Highland Fling later in the year.
Thanks for that. Hopefully these club races cater for all levels?
Yes, the club races do cater for all, I bought a bike 5 years ago and started racing immediately in D grade. It made me want to train to do better in that grade and get better I did, this year I'm pretty much banned from C grade for being too fast, now my challenge is to get kicked out of B grade LOL.
It's also great for finding people to ride with at your level, as you get to know the people that finish just in front and just behind you in the race.
John.
Hi all,
Thanks again for the advice - I've just watched the 50K video and it looks like a lot of fun - no-where near the dangers of the Dam. Looking forward to it now!!
And no idea what type my 2.35's are - the bike shop recommended them and I bought them!! They do have an inner sleeve though for reducing punctures so I'll stick with them.