Blackgate 50 - An unusual double

Today, wife Carol rode her first 50k Audax ride. I went along and although I've now done too many Audax rides to count it was my first 50k too! A chilly start from the Grovedale Hall at 9am but the forecast was for perfect riding weather and it did not let us down. We set off with 100k riders and soon everyone was spreading out along Horseshoe Bend Road before turning west in the general direction of Moriac. We strategically positioned ourselves towards the rear of the field and progressed at a sure and steady pace that would be maintained for the full extent of the ride. As we travelled along Hendy Main Road we were passed by a small bunch of racers, car escort and all, but to be honest I think we could have given them a good run for their money but racing is not what our style of riding is about. A litte bit further along I rode ahead to grab a pic.

Carol and others approching Moriac

The checkpoint at Moriac General Store provided the opportunity to take a break, sit in the sun, and have a Cappucccino in my case or a long black in Carol's. Cape Otway Road was quite busy as we headed back with 20k to go but we were soon on a more quiet Mount Duneed Road. In no time we were back at Grovedale, handing in our brevet cards, and enjoying minestrone soup and another coffee with other riders and ride organiser Maxine Riggs.

Carol was driving home but my plan was to ride home over the Barrabool Hills to put in another 60k for the day. Things were going well on my return ride and today I was riding No.2 bike- my Avanti Corsa Pro. I climbed up to Ceres and turned towards Gnawarre. I then had a rear gear shift problem at low speed, my chain and rear derailleur decided to have an argument that resulted in the chain jamming in the cassette. The rear derailleur hanger snapped off as my rear wheel locked up and with no time to release from the pedals I hit the deck. Bummer!  

 derailleur hanger snapped off

The rear derailleur will need replacing as it is rather bent and my Maxxis Refuse tyre on the rear had the outer casing worn off by the lock up but suprisingly the kevlar layer below was tougher and this meant the tyre remained inflated.

 damaged tyre

Thank goodness for mobile phones. A call to Carol had her returning from home to pick me up. Once picked up we drove on a few k's to the final checkpoint of the Blackgate 200 and chatted with Geof Bagley and other riders as they reached the top of the Pollicksford Road hill.

So after a perfect Audax ride and some good conversations with fellow audaxers I can hardly complain about my mechanical problems. Looking forward to Balmy Bendigo 200k next weekend.