Spring Cleaning

Post date: 01-Nov-2011 05:54:56

Over the years I seem to have been accumulating more and more rides to organise. Definitely time to give the ride calendar a bit of a trim. Even with this high objective I've manage to add as many as I've dropped. Oops. I wanted to concentrate more on the Mixed Terrain Randonnees and the longer distances, so Jump the Gun has gone to a better home, Strzelecki Traverse is getting a rest and Bay City Roller enters semi retirement as a Permanent.

Out with the old and in with the new? Kind of. The Great Alpine Road 300 is in. In the same way as most rides start life, I did this one a few years ago and thought it would be fun to put it on the Audax Calendar. Now that the trains are running to Wang again, and before the new mining works in Omeo fill the roads with trucks 2012 is the moment or never.

Its all the the preparation. With the Great Southern Randonnee on again next year I thought a scenic 300 would be useful in the lead up. No unsealed roads, well only a very little bit, but several favourite routes strung together for the first time.

Bigger is better. Donna's Alpine Adventure gets a further upgrade to become a 300. More dirt, and more hills. The first Mixed Terrain 300.

No room at the inn. Handing over Jump the Gun has made some room for the ludicrously difficult Jamming for Jamieson Mixed Terrain 400, but not quit enough. So Gippsland Gold becomes a winter ride, Wild Dogs (a wonderful 100), is squeezed out to make room. Hopefully next year Wild Dogs will make its return.

Small steps. With a 200, 300 and 400 mixed terrains on the calendar it seemed only logical to add a 600 to make up a full super series. However, there simply wasn't enough space. Besides, this year is going to be challenging enough with the 300 and 400 being run for the first time. So this year,as the french would say, is going to be a case of "petite a petite".