2009: an Otway Odyssey...
- Thread starter DaGonz
- Start date
Generally speaking it's all realatively smooth trails, especially the fireroad in the first half. Some of the faster singletrack like Marriners Run are a little choppy. However the sheer amount of time you are on the bike means everything hurts A LOT towards the end, I was on a 4inch duallie when I did it too. I ride a rigid 29er SS 50% of the time and I've considered what it would be like to do it on the 29er. I'd probably go for a suspension fork over gears if I had to change one thing.
It all depends how tough you are, I mean that seriously.
Whats say we start a petition Megahead to reverse the Otway, make sense to me to be able to incorporate a beer at the end.I agree with Liam. A 50k loop around Forrest & then straight downhill to Apollo Bay finishing at the Pub for a few beers would be perfect for mind.I was stuffed after last years race & only did the 50. agghh the mud. It was like riding the Kokoda trail.
Any one else agree with us?
here is my view from previous post on the 00 but has sold out so I am wrong.
it did sell out so I have been proven wrong,
Quote:
I don't think saying an event is the toughest is a good selling point. most of us want to have fun when we race and ride.we want to race on fun flowing creative tracks. forest has all these elements but the ottway seems to ignore these great tracks and go headlong into making the event "the toughest" which I think is just plain dumb. it seems to be more a marketing ploy than a decision for the riders. It is far more fun finishng a race on a decent rather than an assent. I am a victorian and quite a few of my mates have also agreed that they would not do the 00 again because it is a bit pointless walking up hills, and spending most of your time on an assent. I think the reason the ottway sells out is because the promoter dose ALOT of promotion and advertising and gets alot of people out side of the sport of mtbing to enter. ( which is a good thing )
I would not recommend this event to any nsw riders unless they want to spend half the race climbing ,riding fire trails. I just think it could be heaps better.
it did sell out so I have been proven wrong,
Quote:
I don't think saying an event is the toughest is a good selling point. most of us want to have fun when we race and ride.we want to race on fun flowing creative tracks. forest has all these elements but the ottway seems to ignore these great tracks and go headlong into making the event "the toughest" which I think is just plain dumb. it seems to be more a marketing ploy than a decision for the riders. It is far more fun finishng a race on a decent rather than an assent. I am a victorian and quite a few of my mates have also agreed that they would not do the 00 again because it is a bit pointless walking up hills, and spending most of your time on an assent. I think the reason the ottway sells out is because the promoter dose ALOT of promotion and advertising and gets alot of people out side of the sport of mtbing to enter. ( which is a good thing )
I would not recommend this event to any nsw riders unless they want to spend half the race climbing ,riding fire trails. I just think it could be heaps better.
Would you change your mind if the race was run in reverse and finished on a descent into Apollo Bay. A few people on here have suggested that and I think it is an awesome idea and much more enjoyable but it is not going to happen while Jacoby is running it. He is a guy who thrives on pain and testing the body to it's limits. You could try a petition but even then he would just laugh at it and then find even steeper hills to do the next year.
Bodin
GMBC
I think it's a crap idea. What we've got now is a genuine challenge, incorporates a lot of high quality singletrack (for a 100km event) and has now sold out three years in a row because your average punter respects the challenge and there's worthwhile prizemoney for the elites.
An long run down paved roads and fireroads for the second half of the race (when you're already knackered) would be insanely boring and a waste of good brake pads. I think a better idea be to start the 50km event from Forrest, so it completely avoided the slog from Apollo Bay, but that won't happen, because too many people will wuss out of the 100km event and do the 50km instead.
True.
andreytio@gmail.com
Squid
I don't know about anyone else. But i entered Otway Odyssey because of the pain and that special feeling that you get when you cross the finish line after doing it tough.
If you don't find the pain, the suffering and knowing that you have achieved something after hours of hard work appealing. Than Otway Odyssey is definitely not the event for you.
If you don't find the pain, the suffering and knowing that you have achieved something after hours of hard work appealing. Than Otway Odyssey is definitely not the event for you.
Knut
Troll hunter
Descents are fun
When I was a kid the most exciting thing about going to the coast was watching the ocean get gradually closer.
There would be no reason against running it from Forrest to the Bay, maybe a ride up the next day? What if the race is over two days and goes up and back? It is not about the toughest race anymore, that concept is 2-3 years old. Run a fun, hard and memorable one.
When I was a kid the most exciting thing about going to the coast was watching the ocean get gradually closer.
There would be no reason against running it from Forrest to the Bay, maybe a ride up the next day? What if the race is over two days and goes up and back? It is not about the toughest race anymore, that concept is 2-3 years old. Run a fun, hard and memorable one.
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scratchy
Farkin Activist
For all those interesting in the Otway Odyssey you might be interested in episode 30 of the Mountain Bike show where we interview Rapid Ascent on this and the Mt Buller MTB festival
http://www.farkin.net/forums/showthread.php?p=1693158#post1693158
http://www.farkin.net/forums/showthread.php?p=1693158#post1693158
I liked it scratchy when you asked him what the price was to the mt buller event and he gave this big sugar-coated answer before he actually spat out it was $217. He should be a politician that bloke.
Water?
Just wondering about opportunities to fill up water on the course. The website seems to suggest that there are a number of streams and a picnic area in addition before the sections at Forrest at 68km and 87km. What is the reliability of the water at the streams? (eg enough water, good enough quality to drink etc?)
68km seems to be a fair way for the first re-fill opportunity, hopefully someone who has raced it before can shed some light on this?
Just wondering about opportunities to fill up water on the course. The website seems to suggest that there are a number of streams and a picnic area in addition before the sections at Forrest at 68km and 87km. What is the reliability of the water at the streams? (eg enough water, good enough quality to drink etc?)
68km seems to be a fair way for the first re-fill opportunity, hopefully someone who has raced it before can shed some light on this?
There and back in day/share a ride?
hi all
Otway 100 for the first time, and it looks like my fine wife (and 2 yo) are not happy to spend the weekend away, so current thinking is to drive from Melbourne to race and return in a day.
So, I'm in Alphington, anyone interested in sharing a car and/or organising a car shuffle (ie leave one car at Forrest for the end and continue to Apollo Bay for the start) or similar? I took a leisurely 6.5 hours for the BMC thing at Woodend, am fitter now but absolutely no idea how long it will take me.
Alternatively, what's a reasonable time to allow for the drive from the city to Apollo Bay for the start, and how regular/busy is the shuttle service they run from Forrest back?
Welcome any advice, not having family along has chucked a spanner in the plans, I've signed up and definitely want to be able to do it!
hi all
Otway 100 for the first time, and it looks like my fine wife (and 2 yo) are not happy to spend the weekend away, so current thinking is to drive from Melbourne to race and return in a day.
So, I'm in Alphington, anyone interested in sharing a car and/or organising a car shuffle (ie leave one car at Forrest for the end and continue to Apollo Bay for the start) or similar? I took a leisurely 6.5 hours for the BMC thing at Woodend, am fitter now but absolutely no idea how long it will take me.
Alternatively, what's a reasonable time to allow for the drive from the city to Apollo Bay for the start, and how regular/busy is the shuttle service they run from Forrest back?
Welcome any advice, not having family along has chucked a spanner in the plans, I've signed up and definitely want to be able to do it!
