Death Valley

from Guillermo Gilly Chutrau (creator)

The long week of cycling culminated with the annual club ride to Death Valley.

Got up early and I was out of the door at 4.45am as I rode casually to Kingsley Dome where everyone was meeting up. Got there just before 5.30am and it was still dark .This year was a smaller group but Brad Hoskings a club ace triathelete and a 4th age group finisher at Kona 2008 was there . Brad is training for a run across America (Tour of Duty)

http://tourofduty.com.au/index.php

We started off promptly but Steve had 2 puntures from glass just 20 mins into the ride. After the forced wait we headed off to the hills.Got to the base of redhill regrouped and then started off up Redhill.I managed to keep up with the initial group but Brad and a few others just zipped up the hill which was approximately a 10km climb. I eventually passed a few who had passed me and got to Obrien Road not feeling too bad.we waited for everyone to get to the turn off before we started off into the valley .Brad and a few others had started off ahead. The valley was a 40km loop with a short climb before a long descent into the valley before a ride back out with 2 particularly longish climbs . I had done a lot of rides up toodyay Road last year in preparation for IM Austria so I knew thje rout well. Peter broack the australian Rally car driver was killed on one of the roads we used a few years back.

I managed to stay within site of Norm and Gilly who passed me in the valley but by the turn off to Reserve road I had lost sight of them and would have been 1-2 minutes behind. They waited at the turn off for everyone and we then headed for the general store at Gidgegannup . this was about 15-20km from the end of the loop.We then had a break at the store and waited for Mike .But he did not show so we headed back down Redhill. This was a fast downhill ride back to the base and then along great Northern Hwy and Swanview road and Reid hwy .We were going pretty fast and I was clocking 35 plus kph and as much as 40kph. I turned off at Alexander drive and headed home whilst the rest rode back to Kingsley. I had done just under 130km .

I then ran off the bike for 30 minutes and felt quite tired by then.