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Ride 1: Ettalong
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- When
- Saturday 7 November at 5:30 am AEDT
- Where
- 425-429 Pacific Highway, Crows Nest New South Wales 2065, Australia
Course
- Distance
- 136.9 km
- Elevation gain
- 1759 m
- Water
- Rest stop
Choose your race
The Ettalong ride is a 130km loop to the central coast and back to Palm beach via the ferry. It's a great ride to start building up some endurance in preparation for longer rides, especially for those that haven't done a long ride over winter! We will aim to catch the 9:30am ferry from Ettalong to Palm Beach. The Ettalong wharf is located 100m from Coast 175 (park up). Ferry cost: $15.10 (Card only)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the goal of these training rides?
- The goal is to build a strong base as most of your riding will be in tempo and sweet spot zones on the day of the event. We start with a few long endurance rides to build up a base, and then move into some structured training rides to build strength in higher zones. The structured training rides are key rides that will help to improve your speed and give you the best chance of completing 3 peaks in sub 9 hours. Without them, you will have only built endurance, and there are many parts of the ride that require a higher intensity effort to stay with a group, or make it up a steep section of a climb.
- What do I need for the ride?
- It is expected that you are self-sufficient for the ride. This means that you will have the tools + equipment to repair punctures, and that you carry sufficient nutrition for the ride. It is also required that ALL RIDERS must have an Aus Cycling membership.
- What pace will we be riding at?
- On endurance rides with no set structure, we will be riding at a sustainable pace for a 9 hour target rider. You can expect this to be around 3-3.5W/kg average by the end of the ride. The goal is to keep it smooth, without surging, however this is not always possible in a group ride. On structured training rides the pace will be more strict. We will aim for a Z2-Z3 pace and I will be vocal if the pace is surging. This is because the goal of these rides are to have high quality hill repeats, and this will only be possible if the pace leading into the reps are smooth and sustainable. Riders will be reminded of the pace before the ride, but do be prepared for some surging and discomfort in pace.
- Am I fast enough to go sub 9 hours?
- If you are an experienced rider that rides 3+ times per week consistently, and enjoy pushing your limits, there is a good chance you will be strong enough to finish in a time under 9 hours. If you ride with a power meter regularly and know your FTP - it would be a good sign if your FTP is above 4 w/kg before starting the training rides in November. As you get closer to the event, your aim should be to have a higher FTP than this, and also have a strong resistance to fatigue.
- Will we be riding as a group on the day?
- No, these are just training rides and I will not be organising a group to ride together on the day. The best advice I can offer is to ride with the 9 hour or 8 hour pacing group on the day depending on your goals. These are experienced riders put together by the race organisers and will give you the best chance to reach your goals.
- How many groups will there be for each training ride?
- Depending on the numbers on the day, we will split groups into manageable sizes. Please do register for each ride so that we can have an estimate of the numbers in advance. This will ensure we can organise a leader for each group.
- Will 8 hour and 9 hour riders be seperated?
- 8 and 9 hour riders will only be separated if we have the numbers for it. It is expected that the groups will be combined, and if so, we will be riding at a pace suitable for those aiming for a 9 hour time.