01.04.07 - DirtWorks 6-Man at Sydney 24hr:
With so many 24hr and other varying distance endurance races on the Aussie calendar, the Sydney instalment had it's work cut out for it. It's been growing for the past few years, but this trend looked to have stopped by the looks of the start/camping area on arrival. Jimi, Lewie and I couldn't believe how bare it was compared to last year. Maybe half the riders. This was good in a way, as it meant less traffic, less dust, less track damage, and easier access to parking and camping.
The atmosphere was still nice though, with a few trade tents setup. DirtWorks were showing off the new KHS range, as well as their hot Salsa single-speed rigs. Most importantly the sun was shining, which wasn't the case back in Canberra. Aside from cruising a few laps, the CBD crew from Sydney were organising one of the bashes of the year. It was a 'unique' site - a heap of scrawney MTBers dressed in op-shop formal attire, downing booze from lunch time, then retiring to a mad setup under a big dining tent, BBQs, wine coolers, kegs, and everything you could imagine. We ate our stale chips in front of them to make them feel bad while they were downing their banquet, so they eventually invited us to join in. We did. It was one of the best nights out (literally) we've had in ages. Even the band was going off (sort of). That's rare, as good bands and 24hr races don't really go hand in hand.
So instead of having to wake up in the cold, dusty night and stuff around with lights, we had different fun and slept soundly. Then we woke up at a civilised hour and had fun on the bike. Everyone on the track was friendly, having fun, and having a go. The race was well organised, the track was cool (and got better with each lap), and the weather was sweet. Sure it wasn't a huge turnout, but that's not always what makes a good event. We might even rock up next year.