Working Week Series - Penrose Forest

petulance said:

That statement on the website has me worried. I believe some people
on this NG have ridden the Penrose track before. How hard is it compared
to Manly Dam and the Oaks? I still can't ride all of Manly Dam clipped in
as there are parts where I stop and wheel my bike down.

It's not that bad. I haven't run the B-line around the steps for a long
time, but I don't remember it being at all tricky. Otherwise the only
real difficulty is doing it at speed. Mostly it's fairly flowing
singletrack.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
"He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does
not ask remains a fool forever." -- Old Chinese saying

Random Data said:

petulance said:

That statement on the website has me worried. I believe some people
on this NG have ridden the Penrose track before. How hard is it compared
to Manly Dam and the Oaks? I still can't ride all of Manly Dam clipped in
as there are parts where I stop and wheel my bike down.

It's not that bad. I haven't run the B-line around the steps for a long
time, but I don't remember it being at all tricky.

Are the steps at Penrose called the "Gauntlet"?

Quoted message said:

Otherwise the only real difficulty is doing it at speed. Mostly it's fairly flowing
singletrack.

Good to hear. I like singletrack.

OK, I have just entered myself in the solo category (coz I have no
friends ...).
I'm staking a claim on last spot!

petulance said:

Hiya,

I am considering entering the Working Week Series race to be held on
Sunday, March 19 at Penrose Forest.

Do it! There is only one technical descent (which has an alternate
route) and a couple of other little tricky bits which aren't nearly as
bad as anything on Manly Dam. The Penrose track is great fun,
unfortunately it is about to get logged so shortly it will be no more.

Enduro races are a very relaxed environment so no one will mind to much
if you need to get off & walk for a bit and if they d they're be plenty
of others around who will quickly put them in their place.

I have a few photos of the track from the NSW State Round here
http://singlespeed.smugmug.com/gallery/817760

Come & say hello, steal Celia's muffins and enjoy a suitable beverage.
I'm riding the black rigid Surly and will be camped under the MWMTB
banner.

Parbs

petulance said:

Are the steps at Penrose called the "Gauntlet"?

No the Gaunlet is on the old course.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Otherwise the only real difficulty is doing it at speed. Mostly it's fairly flowing
singletrack.

Good to hear. I like singletrack.

Don't we all.

Quoted message said:

OK, I have just entered myself in the solo category (coz I have no
friends ...).

Did that last year, but this year have a friend - although I'm kind of
regretting it a bit for this round as the track is so fun.

Quoted message said:

I'm staking a claim on last spot!

It's a highly contested spot you'll have to fight hard for it.

Parbs

Parbs said:

petulance said:

Hiya,

I am considering entering the Working Week Series race to be held on
Sunday, March 19 at Penrose Forest.

Do it! There is only one technical descent (which has an alternate
route) and a couple of other little tricky bits which aren't nearly as
bad as anything on Manly Dam.

Good to hear, I have had 2 endos at Manly Dam and I don't plan on
increasing that number.

Quoted message said:

The Penrose track is great fun,
unfortunately it is about to get logged so shortly it will be no more.

That was one of the reasons that compelled me to join up as I have had
good things about Penrose.

Quoted message said:

Enduro races are a very relaxed environment so no one will mind to much
if you need to get off & walk for a bit and if they d they're be plenty
of others around who will quickly put them in their place.

I have a few photos of the track from the NSW State Round here
http://singlespeed.smugmug.com/gallery/817760

I discovered your site when I was Googling for information about
Penrose. I like the looks of the track on the site.

Quoted message said:

Come & say hello, steal Celia's muffins and enjoy a suitable beverage.

Is this Celia from MTB-OZ?

Quoted message said:

I'm riding the black rigid Surly and will be camped under the MWMTB banner.

Parbs

Thanks, I'll keep a look out for the banner. I'll be riding a slime
green Kona Cinder Cone.

petulance said:

Quoted message said:

Come & say hello, steal Celia's muffins and enjoy a suitable beverage.

Is this Celia from MTB-OZ?

That's the one

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Parbs

Thanks, I'll keep a look out for the banner. I'll be riding a slime
green Kona Cinder Cone.

Hmm slime green, nice.

Parbs

Parbs said:

petulance said:

Thanks, I'll keep a look out for the banner. I'll be riding a slime
green Kona Cinder Cone.

Hmm slime green, nice.

Parbs

Well, the Kona site says it is "radar green", but I think slime green or
puke green is a more accurate description ...

Parbs wrote

Quoted message said:

petulance wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm staking a claim on last spot!

Quoted message said:

It's a highly contested spot you'll have to fight hard for it.

As expected, I managed to place last in the Solo Male category.

I managed to do 4 laps in 8 hours (so apparently I am as good as some 7
year old kid riding a "rigid SS"😉 ...

All in all, I had a great time. The Penrose track is the best track I
have ever ridden (not that I have done too many tracks).

Most people on the track were very courteous when overtaking. They
would let me know that they were behind me and let me choose an
appropriate moment for them to overtake. Some people would just yell
out "Track" and whizz past me. There was only one person who overtook
me without any notice whatsoever. And that was on a downhill section as
well.

I also got tracked in the transition area (I know, like WTF?). Some
people who were camped near the transition area yelled out "FFS, it's
the transition area!".

Some harsh truths were laid to bare in the race.

- I'm not as fit as I think I am (you know things are going really bad
when you start drafting behind a 12 year old kid on the fire trail)
- my downhill skills need more work (way too much brake)
- I can't generate enough power

Still, I'll be back for more. I'll be signing up for the 12 hour
version of the N-ZO 24 hour in two weeks time in a 4 person team.

petulance said:

As expected, I managed to place last in the Solo Male category.

I managed to do 4 laps in 8 hours (so apparently I am as good as some 7
year old kid riding a "rigid SS"😉 ...

Got to watch those kids, I was very relieved after my first endurance
race to have done 9 laps - one more than a 9 year old kid.

We did 12 laps (6 each, mixed pairs) for 6th in class. After a bad crash
on my 3rd lap I though I was going to have to pull out but after sending
my team mate out for a double lap I was OK to ride again.

Random Dave (who is fitter than he thought) & his team mate managed 13
laps in the Mens pairs.

Quoted message said:

All in all, I had a great time. The Penrose track is the best track I
have ever ridden (not that I have done too many tracks).

Get down there quick if you want to ride it again.

If you're going to keep doing the WWS wait till you get to Killingworth
& Sparrow Hill they rock.

Quoted message said:

Most people on the track were very courteous when overtaking. They
would let me know that they were behind me and let me choose an
appropriate moment for them to overtake. Some people would just yell
out "Track" and whizz past me. There was only one person who overtook
me without any notice whatsoever. And that was on a downhill section as
well.

Sorry about that ;-)

Quoted message said:

snip <

Still, I'll be back for more. I'll be signing up for the 12 hour
version of the N-ZO 24 hour in two weeks time in a 4 person team.

As others here have found - its very addictive

A few snaps http://singlespeed.smugmug.com/gallery/1287730

BTW your bike is more snot green than slime green.

Parbs

petulance said:

As expected, I managed to place last in the Solo Male category.

Obviously Parbs' special sports drink paid off then. Though I think the
UCI might have views regarding its content... He mentioned seeing you, but
I must have been 1/2 lap out of sync all day.

Quoted message said:

All in all, I had a great time. The Penrose track is the best track I
have ever ridden (not that I have done too many tracks).

You've *got* to get to Killingworth then.

Quoted message said:

my downhill skills need more work (way too much brake)

Don't worry too much about this. My last lap I was being drafted along the
bit of fireroad leading to the 2nd last singletrack. As I hit the little
pinch up to the turn I pulled off and eased back, and the drafter
sprinted past me to go in about 30m ahead of me. I then more or less
coasted through the next singletrack (easy pedalling along the straights,
minimal braking) and ended up right on his tail coming on to the next
fireroad, fresh enough to sprint straight past him. While I've got a way
to go, very few people corner well in singletrack (Though if you can learn
to do it you can post quite reasonable times with fairly low effort - this
is one of the keys to a decent solo position).

And Aido still went past me like I was standing still.

Quoted message said:

Still, I'll be back for more. I'll be signing up for the 12 hour version
of the N-ZO 24 hour in two weeks time in a 4 person team.

Smart boy. I'm trying to avoid sending Stu the email saying "Thank you sir
may I have another", but I have a bad feeling solo 24 is calling.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
"Powerful, cryptic and dangerous, plus a command line entry that looks
like line noise. What's not to love?" - Robert Sneddon, on G=C800:5

Parbs said:

petulance wrote:

Quoted message said:

We did 12 laps (6 each, mixed pairs) for 6th in class. After a bad
crash on my 3rd lap I though I was going to have to pull out but after
sending my team mate out for a double lap I was OK to ride again.

Good to hear you were OK to continue. Where did you have the crash? I
fell over in the last bit of sandy singletrack when I went too far to
the left to give the rider behind me room to overtake. My fault
completely, I just hit a pile of sand and came unstuck.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

All in all, I had a great time. The Penrose track is the best track I
have ever ridden (not that I have done too many tracks).

Get down there quick if you want to ride it again.

Yeah, that is an option but I'll have to content myself with the usual
suspects (Manly, Royal National and the Oaks) in the meantime.

Quoted message said:

If you're going to keep doing the WWS wait till you get to Killingworth
& Sparrow Hill they rock.

Cool. Looking forward to it. At least I'll have the saner option of a
pair or trio the next time around.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Most people on the track were very courteous when overtaking. They
would let me know that they were behind me and let me choose an
appropriate moment for them to overtake. Some people would just yell
out "Track" and whizz past me. There was only one person who overtook
me without any notice whatsoever. And that was on a downhill section as
well.

Sorry about that ;-)

Ah, you gave me plenty of notice. I was overtaken in a dangerous manner
by some guy in a pink jersey.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

snip <

Still, I'll be back for more. I'll be signing up for the 12 hour
version of the N-ZO 24 hour in two weeks time in a 4 person team.

As others here have found - its very addictive

A few snaps http://singlespeed.smugmug.com/gallery/1287730

Ta. will cruise over.

Quoted message said:

BTW your bike is more snot green than slime green.

🙂

Random Data said:

petulance said:

As expected, I managed to place last in the Solo Male category.

Obviously Parbs' special sports drink paid off then. Though I think the
UCI might have views regarding its content...

I think I have learnt not to make the Staminade mixture too concentrated
.... I was feeling nauseous after the first bottle. And I discovered a
clothes peg in my hydration bladder when I was cleaning it last night
.... mmmm ... extra iron in my diet

Quoted message said:

He mentioned seeing you, but
I must have been 1/2 lap out of sync all day.

The way I was going, I reckon everyone would have lapped me at some point.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

All in all, I had a great time. The Penrose track is the best track I
have ever ridden (not that I have done too many tracks).

You've *got* to get to Killingworth then.

I'll make a date in the calendar for it. Does it have more technical
descents than Penrose? I chickened out of doing The Steps in Penrose and
did the Chicken Run throughout the day.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

While I've got a way
to go, very few people corner well in singletrack (Though if you can learn
to do it you can post quite reasonable times with fairly low effort - this
is one of the keys to a decent solo position).

I'll keep that in mind. I didn't feel that I was carving through most
corners. My lines felt angled instead of flowing.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Still, I'll be back for more. I'll be signing up for the 12 hour version
of the N-ZO 24 hour in two weeks time in a 4 person team.

Smart boy. I'm trying to avoid sending Stu the email saying "Thank you sir
may I have another", but I have a bad feeling solo 24 is calling.

My friend who went to Penrose with me will be doing the solo 24 at
Dargle Farm. Then again, he is a way better and fitter rider than I'll
ever be.

petulance said:

I'll make a date in the calendar for it. Does it have more technical
descents than Penrose? I chickened out of doing The Steps in Penrose and
did the Chicken Run throughout the day.

I missed Lithgow this year, but off the top of my head The Steps would
probably be the hardest descent in the series. There's some tricky stuff
at Yarramundi, but nothing that hard. Killy and Sparrows (ACT) are just
fun, though the faster you go the harder they get.

There was a great bit in last year's Sparrow round where the track flowed
really well and had nice edges on the corners - mini berms really. Until
the one where the edge wasn't quite as well formed, and a train of three
of us went flying off into the trees.

Quoted message said:

My friend who went to Penrose with me will be doing the solo 24 at
Dargle Farm. Then again, he is a way better and fitter rider than I'll
ever be.

Don't say that. I suffered in a team of 6 the first 24 hour I did. I've
now soloed two, with reasonable performance in both. Just keep riding, and
work on your cornering and descending. On the road the uphills are where
the time is made. Off road it's everywhere: You can be passed by an
ultrafit roadie on the uphill, then go straight back past on the downhill
singletrack. At the same time you fly past the nutter riding a DH bike up
the firetrail, but try to get out of their way on the way back down.

--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
Congratulations. Astronomers have detected pressure waves whose frequency
is something like 57 octaves below middle C in the core of another
galaxy, but you've found a lower tone than that. - Steve VanDevender

Random Data said:

I missed Lithgow this year, but off the top of my head The Steps would
probably be the hardest descent in the series. There's some tricky stuff
at Yarramundi, but nothing that hard.

You'd be right, although "The [censored] King's Deadly Dungeon" at Lithgow
probably required more physical effort to get down.

Yellowmundee will have some tricky climbs though instead.

Quoted message said:

Killy and Sparrows (ACT) are just
fun, though the faster you go the harder they get.

Weeeeee!

Quoted message said:

There was a great bit in last year's Sparrow round where the track flowed
really well and had nice edges on the corners - mini berms really. Until
the one where the edge wasn't quite as well formed, and a train of three
of us went flying off into the trees.

Petulance wroted:

Quoted message said:

My friend who went to Penrose with me will be doing the solo 24 at
Dargle Farm. Then again, he is a way better and fitter rider than I'll
ever be.

Ohh, I almost attributed this to Dave, which caused me to read this bit
3 or 4 times in astonishment.

Parbs

Parbs said:

Yellowmundee will have some tricky climbs though instead.

Aaah, the nasty fire trail bypass is being used again. Hope they also
include the "where did that turn come from" climb as well. That was
annoying until you remembered to turn left instead of right.

Quoted message said:

Ohh, I almost attributed this to Dave, which caused me to read this bit
3 or 4 times in astonishment.

Oh, let's talk *him* into doing it solo. He's fit enough.
--
Dave Hughes | [email hidden]
That which does not kill me, make me stranger
- Old Dragon Axiom

Random Data said:

Oh, let's talk *him* into doing it solo. He's fit enough.

He did mention he had entertained the thought of doing one of the 24hr
adventure races... *Maybe* it could be done.

Parbs
24 hours in the race
24 beers in a case
4 riders in the team
4 cases of beer

Random Data said:

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:02:00 +1100, petulance wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My friend who went to Penrose with me will be doing the solo 24 at
Dargle Farm. Then again, he is a way better and fitter rider than I'll
ever be.

Don't say that. I suffered in a team of 6 the first 24 hour I did. I've
now soloed two, with reasonable performance in both. Just keep riding, and
work on your cornering and descending.

That's my problem really, not enough miles on the bike. I can put in the
road miles during the week but the weekends will be the only time I can
go off road.

Hmmm, I have the option of doing Manly Dam or a road ride with Renegade
Cycles on Sat. I'm leaning towards the road ride but SWMBO wants to do
Manly Dam ...

Quoted message said:

On the road the uphills are where
the time is made.

Ah, I remember the time I rode to Bobbin Head ... I had trouble keeping
up with the pack on the flats, and most of the pack was already on the
climb back up when I got down the marina.

But I managed to overtake all but one of them on the climb up
(OK, so they might have not been trying real hard, but still ...)

Quoted message said:

Off road it's everywhere: You can be passed by an
ultrafit roadie on the uphill, then go straight back past on the downhill
singletrack.
At the same time you fly past the nutter riding a DH bike up
the firetrail, but try to get out of their way on the way back down.

I'll keep that in mind about the downhillers. I hear they are a
different breed of cyclist all together ...

🙂

Parbs said:

Random Data said:

Oh, let's talk *him* into doing it solo. He's fit enough.

He did mention he had entertained the thought of doing one of the 24hr
adventure races... *Maybe* it could be done.

Isn't there one in Canberra this weekend?

Quoted message said:

Parbs
24 hours in the race
24 beers in a case
4 riders in the team
4 cases of beer

Sounds like a plan ...

petulance said:

Parbs said:

Random Data said:

Oh, let's talk *him* into doing it solo. He's fit enough.

He did mention he had entertained the thought of doing one of the 24hr
adventure races... *Maybe* it could be done.

Isn't there one in Canberra this weekend?

Quoted message said:

Parbs
24 hours in the race
24 beers in a case
4 riders in the team
4 cases of beer

Sounds like a plan ...

Next weekend isn't it?

All 3 are in April (Canberra, Sydney, SEQ) I think

Tam