Rob Parbery has been pedaling a variety of singlespeed bikes longer than you have been able to buy knives from Demtel. Yesterday we had his account of Wildside Day one – and now the saga continues…
Day 2
Stage 3 – Sterling Valley
Day 3 begins with a short cruise from Tullah to the start of stage 3 which once again was under blazing sun, unlike yesterday’s stages today’s would be under a shady canopy for most of their length. Of all the stages Sterling Valley is my favourite, the technical muddy descent more than makes up for the endless climb up over the saddle. The lead up to the climb is not hard but with lots of sharp rocks care needs to be taken to avoid destroying tyres else your race is done for the day before you even get to the climb. Again I take the start easier than is my usual want, making sure there was plenty in reserve for the climb. The climb is fairly steady on pleasantly shaded through the rainforest, giving a taste of what the conditions will be on the way down, I’m a fair way back in the group but climbing steady and there’s not many places to pass with out being a knob. Into the single track and the first group I catch move out of my way, cheering me on as I ride on through. I catch another couple off walking, but they don’t immediately clear the way and not wanting to lose my rhythm through the roots I kept riding, but alas was now going to slow and ended up going over the bars down a drop. Back on quickly & I’m now sitting on the wheel of a guy on a dually & we’re wooping and hollering the whole way down at very silly speeds. Another stupid crash on the way on to the finish and I roll into Roseberry for 5th just 2 minutes behind 3rd – coulda – woulda – shoulda.
Stage 4 – Montezuma Falls
It’s the theme for today – BFO climb followed by a long fast decent. The first part of the climb is 4km or so on asphalt, with a little break after about 2 km. I tried to stay with a group of 5 riders with 3 riders in the group further up the road, I got dropped once the road flattened out, but began to chase hard again once the tarmac turned on to dirt and started picking a couple of riders up. Spurred on by a spectator promising me that the group was only one minute up the road and that there was a beer at the swing bridge I chase one. He was right about the group, I caught them as they crossed the bridge, but lied about the beer. On the descent I worked with a couple of Tassie riders and we passed up a few more people on the way and must have been close to the lead of the Group E. I had a few frustrating moments when I dropped my chain when spinning hard trying to hold wheels on the fire roads but managed to finish in 6th.