Nemisis Marathon Challenge

Last year this race taught me a lesson. I was in pretty good form, had preridden the track and climbed almost all the hills with my 2 x 9. The single track endurance trail i had also ridden while helping to clear it so i was ready for a good day. Not expecting to win, just ride strong and cross the line at the end.

I never got there... I built a new bike the week before and had some setup issues. Big cramps, going backwards and at the 70km mark i stacked and taco'd my rear wheel.

This year would be different! Perfect weather. No pressure. Smaller field. Just ride my own race.

I did however roll to the startline on a new bike....

Couldn't help myself. Brand new ASR carbon with 10speed XTR. Built on the thursday before


Special Projects Area


Done, just need to shorten those brake hoses


Sweet cranks....

Sweet ride. Full XTR. Thomson. Easton. DT wheels. About 10.5kg with my Tricon wheels. When my new DT240 with stans rims arrive it should shave a bit more off...

Probably not down to Sid's 9.04kg ASR but enough for me..

Race Day

Rhino on the startline. Ready for climbing... His race didn't go as planned, many of the leading elite field missed a turn and ended up on an earlier part of the course. I missed the arrow too but thanks to the preride day i knew early that i'd missed something and turned back.


Halfway up one climb, think this was at about 50ish km. This was where i got off to walk. No Shame, everyone else was too...

The bike was awesome. Climbed well and decended like a rocket, i even picked up a place on the last descent, passing in the rubble on the outside of a corner and dropped him launching waterbars like a crazy man.



Finished. Slammin down a solo... It didn't really hit the spot.

The meat pie from a BP servo on the way home sure did tho....

Mel raced the 45km event and smashed the field. Winning the Queen of the Mountain on the first climb, riding away from her competition and even people in the 90km classes. She nearly caught me apparently.... There is a new ASR arriving with her name on it. Me thinks someone will be unstoppable in a few weeks.

Photos from the race will appear when i can find some.

Counting Down....

Cool ASR7 video

Funny video with some sweet riding on an ASR7

Special Projects

Duael 6 hour

Rules, Pairs only, No double laps.

Ryan and i started our race prep the night before in what is becoming typical style.

Sunday morning rolled around all too quickly and with the usual daylight savings stuff up we managed to get to the race site with time to spare and set up.

Lap times had been a hot topic all week and the quoted times ranged from 17 out to 45 mins. A quick word with some locals had it pinned around 20mins for the fast guys, it was gonna be a tough 6 hours. Constantly swapping out, minimal rest time, on the rivet for 6 hours. Who would crack!

Ryan and i had decided earlier in the week that the ASR5 would be our weapons of choice. Pine forest single track can be rough and with both of us still listing shoulder injuries in the excuse book it would make the day a little nicer toward the end.

6 hours in a skin suit, Ryan 'threading the needle' on a double jump into a rut.

No skinsuit for me. Climbing one of the only steep sections of the course.

Laps were indeed fast. The lead pack were doing 18-19 mins. Ryan was cranking out the 19s, shaking the night before off like a pro, i was still attempting to see through beer goggles and consistently in the 20s. No time for wandering around. In, food, drink, jacket on, jacket off, GO...

Heaps of fun.

The fast group were smashing it, at the 3 hour mark there was a split where one Paul Van decided to up tempo and cracked out a 17min lap, then another. This split the 4 teams up and from then it was just a matter of who could hold it together and not lose a place.

In our race we had settled into a comfortable 10th place in elite. Doing some jostling early with Brad Davies and Brett Kellet(who were in the 40+ damn them) and the CBD Cycles team of Paul Randell and Grant Lebbink.

Eventually the 40+ guys left us behind and we left the CBD guys behind. As we both started to hit the wall it was one lap to go and Ryan took the last lap honours. Finally even-ing up the lap score from the Kona 24 hour in 2009.

Great day and a great course. Super quick laps made for some exciting times with everyone pretty shelled at the end.

Bring on the Short Track Enduro format!

Nemesis Marathon PreRide

Monday was spent on the bike. Headed up to Avoca with Rohin and Grover to preride Rohins marathon course. Given last years epic fail by me it would be good to actually finish it before the race in a couple of weeks.

The boys, on our way with about 90km to go and close to 3000m of climbing.

Last year it was tough, plenty of climbing and the endurance walking trail single track was a suffer fest. The school that built the track "back in the day" didn't follow no IMBA guidelines. This year however will be different. Work has been done over the winter months and plenty of new switchback sections made to avoid having to ride straight up the hills.

Sadly my climbing legs had been left on the couch and as i slowly ran out of gears this was my view on the climbs for most of the day....

The one respite, flat road, its over pretty quick tho and back to climbing.

It wasn't all bad, with the ASR5 as my bike of choice the extend descending that comes with long climbs was super rad. KM of flowing 4x4 trail with almost perfect waterbars to launch off. Some sections of the course begged to be sessioned with some fatter tyres and maybe a set of knee pads just in case. Drift, Launch, Drift, Clench. So good, made the schelacking i was taking on the climbs worth it.

Only 20ish km to go... I didn't get any more photos as all my energy was directed at the pedals and keeping my chin up.

Total ride time, 8 hours. many of the spent waiting for me I suspect... Bit of riding to be done I reckon...

Trent Lowe

Trent Lowe Climbing the 1 in 20 from cycling tips on Vimeo.