{"id":18884,"date":"2017-12-24T10:47:30","date_gmt":"2017-12-24T10:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/?page_id=18884"},"modified":"2018-01-04T05:30:18","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T05:30:18","slug":"rudolphs-revenge-3-december-2017","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/?page_id=18884","title":{"rendered":"Rudolph’s Revenge – 3 December 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Jingle bells, cyclists smell,<\/em><\/p>\n

The beer’s on-tap today.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rudolph’s\u00a0course shows no remorse.<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s a lumpy 70k.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It was a few weeks before Christmas, and the quiet streets of Yungaburra were filled with the pre-Christmas cheer of 93 cyclists celebrating the second year of Audax riding in Far North Queensland.\u00a0 Rudolph had wisely decided that Christmas celebrations in Cairns were enough to melt the wax on his candles, and transferred this year\u2019s gig to the cooler climes of the Tablelands.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Once again, the RO had everything under control.\u00a0 The registration process was firmly taken in hand by the two wise persons (aka \u2013 the Perkins’ connection), and any risk factors were clearly demarcated by the appropriate safety devices.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

One shouldn\u2019t assume a close connection between Santa\u2019s helpers and the evil elf, but there was an uncanny familiarity about the ride organiser.\u00a0 Was he also the person who deviously found the lumpiest 70km on the Tablelands, or who was seen playing with his drone while others slogged along the dirt road, or running down the steepest hill yelling \u201cI\u2019m not sorry\u201d.<\/p>\n

After the usual dire warnings about following directions, obeying road rules and watching out for vicious canines along the route, the ride started in orderly waves of 20 or so cyclists, strictly according to their registration number, or whenever they got their act together and headed for the hills, or whatever came first.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It wasn\u2019t long until the promise of lumps in the road was fulfilled, with the route heading away from the Gillies Highway and upwards to Peeramon.\u00a0 The smiles continued along the beautiful rain-forested roads into Lake Eacham, where the peloton paused for a well deserved break, complete with photos, cool drinks and lollies.\u00a0 After all, they had ridden 15km.\u00a0 The lolly containers were cleared within moments, while Audax riders demonstrated just how serious FNQ events could become in these pre-Christmas moments.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The route then headed out of the Eacham area, where the navigational skills of Audax riders again came to the fore as a group of riders heading the opposite way yelled \u201cIs the checkpoint somewhere around here?\u201d\u00a0 After another slight incline, the road tilted wonderfully downhill past the old Rankine sawmill to the turnoff into Topaz Road.\u00a0 It was another long quiet stretch through green farmland, until the point of serious decision making at Butchers Creek Hall.\u00a0 Riders had been promised a short stretch on very good dirt roads with amazing views over the Tablelands.\u00a0 The alternative, for the gravel-phobic, was a 4.5 kilometre, mostly downhill, bitumen stretch around the tea farms.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A Christmas ride seemed to be as good a time as any to face one of my many neuroses, and I was soon tackling the dirt and reassuring myself that my head would probably remain above my toes for the duration.\u00a0 For the most part, the gravel remained on the edges of the road and in manageable portions, and I was able to enjoy the views.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a>My favourite view was of our RO cheerfully playing with his drone at the top of the crest, while his 93 ex-best riding buddies slogged it out on the road.<\/p>\n

The dirt road rolled down to meet the bitumen, and the first non-secret stamp was hidden in clear view on the street corner, carefully not concealed by the gathering group of cyclists.\u00a0 Many had missed the dirt turn-off altogether, and were lamenting the lumpiness of the \u201ceasy\u201d bitumen bypass.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Glyn-Allen Road then takes a series of turns, possibly navigating its way around long-forgotten farm boundaries, before scaling several near impossible lumps in the earth\u2019s surface.\u00a0 It was a sweaty crew that rolled into Malanda, taking on Wil\u2019s advice to patronise the bakery that had opened specially on a Sunday to meet the needs of hungry Audax cyclists.\u00a0 While most riders quickly recognised it as a vital bakery and coffee stop after just 40 km, the disappointment of other pub-seeking riders was clearly evident.\u00a0 Plaintive queries about the distance to Yungaburra were heard, as they crouched sadly in the gutter outside the Malanda pub before opening hours.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But the challenges Rudolph had planned were far from over.\u00a0 After an easy jaunt along (or was that slightly up) East Barron Road, it was time to tackle the big one for the day.\u00a0 Mention Belson Road to any Tablelands cyclist, and they will adopt a look of fear and respect and ask \u201cWhich Way?\u201d\u00a0 On Sunday 3 December 2017, Santa\u2019s elf had decided on The Hard Way.<\/p>\n

It was a memorable scene from the top of the hard side.\u00a0 Belson is steep, but it is the last little kicker at the end that sorts everyone out.\u00a0 Resolve fell like dominos, as riders ran out of legs, and gears and puff.\u00a0 Mountain bikes reigned supreme, and granny gears ruled the \"\"<\/a>day.\u00a0 Cleats were well scuffed, inappropriate language was used, and Santa was somewhere checking people onto the naughty list.\u00a0 And in between it all, a giggling elf ran back down the hill yelling, \u201cI\u2019m not sorry, I\u2019m not sorry\u201d.\u00a0 Was that a drone he was packing under his arm?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Belson Road connects to the Kennedy Highway and points mercifully downhill and downwind until the turnoff back across East Barron Road and towards the finish.\u00a0 A few short lumps, and a non-secret control stamp later, and the sky was darkening as riders turned into the last few kilometres and the promise of beers at the pub.\u00a0 In true Tableland\u2019s style, a curtain of \"\"<\/a>water loomed across the road just before the turnoff to Curtain Fig Road, giving a short but thorough drenching.\u00a0 While bikes, clothing and all gear were fully dampened, spirits were still high as the Yungaburra Pub loomed into view.<\/p>\n

It was time to swap stories of cramps, sweat, hills and a great\"\"<\/a> morning out, as the beers flowed and plots were hatched for the next rides.<\/p>\n

It was another fabulous route by Santa\u2019s favourite helper, and we are all keen for Wil\u2019s next event.\u00a0 See you at Tolga for the Colt 45<\/a> on Sunday 7 January 2018 !! \u00a0It will be a great way to kick-start your year of Audax riding with a morning in the dirt, followed by a few thirst quenchers at the pub.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(24 December 2017)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Jingle bells, cyclists smell, The beer’s on-tap today. Rudolph’s\u00a0course shows no remorse. It’s a lumpy 70k.” It was a few weeks before Christmas, and the quiet streets of Yungaburra were filled with the pre-Christmas cheer of 93 cyclists celebrating the second year of Audax riding in Far North Queensland.\u00a0 Rudolph had wisely decided that Christmas … Continue reading Rudolph’s Revenge – 3 December 2017<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18886,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18884"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18901,"href":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18884\/revisions\/18901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.longrides.bike\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}