With almost a week to kill in Jindabyne the TDM crew were looking to log some decent rides and rack up some serious elevation whilst in the alpine region. I mapped out a few rides for them to take a look at, each ranging between 60 to 80kms a day. Clearly for Hando this wasn’t quite enough. Wanting to back up his efforts in the Victorian Alps, his first comment was “cant we just join these two rides and make the Jindy 150?". This involved climbing to both Charlottes Pass and Thredbo all in the one ride, which sounds like a lot. Once revised over a small team discussion it was locked in to be quite a casual ride of sorts. 50km of climbing, 50km free k’s descending and a dream 50km of false flat. Easy! Especially for me, riding shotgun in the team car. The weather looked a little ominous early on as the group prepared for their semipro hours start around 7:30am. Evidently just a test to make sure everyone was up for the ride regardless. After sufficient morning banter and the cloud cover starting to lift the team set off, for what would be seen as questionable team tactics and polite group riding etiquette, with Duke, KP and Bix dropping Hando at the roundabout on the way out of town, 10k’s from the first real climb of the day. Setting the scene for an 'every man for himself' style training ride with some rendezvous points along the way. The morning was very relaxed for Min, Shelly and I in the team car, looking to meet the riding group at the summit to pass on supplies. However the morning turned out a little too casual seeing us miss the group, on their sight seeing break, at the top of Charlottes. Only to watch them cruise by full of smiles at the beginning of the roll back down to the lake.
It didn’t take long before TDM’s solo training ride tactics were back in play. The drive back down the mountain saw us passing each rider individually giving out a few hoots of encouragement and snapping a few photos as we sailed through to the next pit stop before the turn to Thredbo and the start of the next lot of climbing. As it turned out the descent was not quite the easy roll down the hill that was expected. The first 15km consisting of a lot of false flat with some climbing followed by only the first 15km of free k’s where it was described as fast descending through long open corners with no brakes necessary.
Mixed views were voiced, during pit stop, as to weather everyone was still keen to complete the proposed 150 that needed to be ridden on the day. Resulting in KP making a wise choice to call it a day and join the team cars sight seeing road trip. A small amount of peer pressure amongst the others got all three of them back on the bike and socializing, for at least a few k’s, whilst riding. With a little bit of time up our sleeves the team car was taken home and properly stocked with some extra food and water for the top of the next ascent.
The climb up to Thredbo proved to be a tough one with Duke pulling the pin, after climbing the steepest segment in order to roll home completing a solid ride of 120kms and preserving his back for more rides through out the week. Bix and Hando continued on to the top, dead horse gap for one and Thredbo resort for the other, this time meeting the team car briefly for a refuel then dodging the surplus of mtb riders enjoying the trails at Thredbo before rolling back home.
All in all the Jindy 150 proved to be an awesome day out for all involved and the TDM team/solo training setup proving to be the only way to ride in the mountains with your friends.
