Gentle Annie 2008 - putting my $15 glasses to the test!

I rode the Gentle Annie for the second year: 80 km of gravel and big, big hills from inland of Taihape across the volcanic plateau finishing West of Napier.

I did not enjoy it this year; I was tired from the start. And it drizzled on and off the whole way, turning the course into slurry. At times I felt as if I was riding in porridge. It was so hard!

But let's talk about glasses: I wore my $15 3M safety glasses and was so thankful. There was a constant spray of abrasive sandy slurry with the only thing between this stuff and my eyes being the glasses. Thank goodness I was not wearing a $200 pair of designer glasses!

Every now and then, as I passed my support vehicle, I swapped glasses for a clean pair. It worked well.

Four wet and sludgy hours later and another 10 km or so to go, I was shot. With just three training rides in the bank after breaking my wrist, I just did not have enough gas left in the tank. I took off my glasses to put them in my back pocket; but I was too cold, tired and stiff to do so. Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle as I wobbled across the gravel tracks, finally dropping my glasses onto scoria. That meant having to do the the worst thing imaginable: Stop and go back to pick them up! As I did so, the riders ahead disappeared over the horizon. It is amazing how much momentum one loses in such circumstances.

Anyway, In finished in 14th place, down from 3rd last year. The feed at the finish was the best of any event I have ever attended and the prizes impressive (I did not win any - damn!). The $15 glasses turned out to be fine other than a few scratches and will live another day.

The Gentle Annie is a great event for both serious and beginner cyclists and I thoroughly recommend that you put it on your list of things to do this time next year.

Bookmark this adventure for 2008

On January 27th we completed the 80km ride from inland of Taihape through the Central North Island Plateau to inland of Napier. It was through awesome country side up and and down equally awesome gravelly hills.

Organised by Andrew Ninnes and his team of volunteers, this inaugural event goes down in my book as one of the most memorable and enjoyable bike events I have ever done.

It was a relaxed event with most of the participants being novices doing it for the scenery and the challenge just to finish. As per usual, there was the handful of hard out fanatics who had to go as fast as they could (I confess - I was one of them). But I still managed a quick swig of the free brewed coffee on offer at the half way point. The overall winner was the appropriately named Steve Pedley.

I did the whole distance according to heart rate. I had worked out that I could do 80km of mountain biking at about 140-150 beats per minute with the upper limit being 160 beats. So that is how I rode the hills and the flats, only once hitting 160 beats. I was in about 25th place by the halfway point and finished strongly to be 5th overall. Not too bad for a guy in his 50's if you don't mind my saying. I drank approximately 2 liters of water and ate about 4 caramel bars which I gobbled down at the crest of the big hills before picking up to speeds of 60-80 km/hr on the massive winding descents. What a thrill! Despite the huge hills and the heat, I finished without any cramps at all - only a raw arse from all the bone rattling ruts. I put my performance down to improvements in diet over recent years and being much smarter with training and racing.

The race finished at the Waiwhare community centre, a converted rural school. There we lazed in the shade and paddled in the refreshing swimming pool. The locals put on the healthiest spread I have ever had at any sporting event and there was more food than anybody could eat.

The prize pool was impressive and I was astonished to win the spot prize - a $1,400 spinning bike donated by Action Wheels of New Plymouth. In fact, the bike was of such a good quality, I have arranged to sell them on my website (keep an eye for them as I bring them on line).

This was a wonderful event through one of the most remote and scenic areas of the North Island. It was impeccably organised and so relaxing from start to finish. It was almost an embarrassment to appear to be riding hard out in such picturesque surroundings.

We will be there next year - and we will be looking out for you!