In a nod to the growing interest in ‘gravel grinding’ and adventure rides, the organisers of the always epic Otway Odyssey have added another range of events to make an amazing weekend of off-road cycling. In 2017 the Otway Odyssey will be presented by Focus, and celebrates its 11th year of long distance mountain bike racing in the Otway ranges. The Odyssey is set for Saturday 25th February 2017.
New for 2017, the inaugural Great Otway Gravel Grind (The GOGG) will take place on the Sunday 26th February, with 49km and 97km races following spectacular courses along the 2WD and 4WD dirt roads that criss-cross the Otway rainforest.
Mel Ansett in action at the Odyssey
The Otway Odyssey MTB courses are known for their tough climbs and technical trails, but with the GOGG joining the line-up the Odyssey now welcomes road riders, cruisers and those looking for a new off-road journey to join the challenge in the Otway Ranges. Whether you’re a fan of epic singletrack, lung busting hills and blitzing descents on your mountain bike or prefer your skinny wheels rolling over traffic-free roads in the rainforest then we welcome you set your sights on the 2017 Otway Odyssey.
Doing the double
Of course, with the mountain bike races on Saturday and the gravel races on Sunday – there’s some serious temptation to do both events. This is something Rapid Ascent are happy to help you with, and if you’re signing up for both events they’ll get 20% off their combined entry fees.
The GOGG route favours a gravel bike or cyclocross bike, but we hear it can be handled on a road bike or mountain bike too. So if you’re concerned about travelling with two bikes, you can almost certainly make do with one. But do you do the Odyssey on your ‘cross bike or the GOGG on your mountain bike?
Going the distance at the Otway Odyssey
As usual, there’s a course for almost everyone, with 10, 30, 50 and of course 100km options at the Odyssey, and 49km and 97km options at the GOGG.
If you’re interested, head to the Rapid Ascent website for full event details.
Forrest trails at the 2014 Giant Otway Odyssey. Photo Rapid Ascent