2005 Gravity 12 Hour Mountain Bike Race

• Steven Hanley - Riding the pink steel HT
• Ben Crabb - Riding a 2002 Marin Bear Valley Steel HT
• Sam Reinhardt - Riding a 2003 Kona Kikapu

Also camping with us were Patrick and Susie Kluth, teamed up with Belinda Allison also in mixed threes, and Rebecca Thomson and Dan Mackay in mixed pairs.

Fortunately the day was a lot drier than last year and a lot cooler than two years ago. Susie and patrick bagsed us a great trackside camp spot, Sam and Ben arrived around 4pm Friday afternoon, I arrived around 8pm Friday night, Belinda arrived around 10pm and Bec and Dan arrived around midnight.

The track was a heck of a lot of fun, from the change to gravity drop to some of the extensions to various single track in other places. I am definitely keen to be there again next year.

Results wise, Bec and Dan won mixed pairs fairly well. We came second in mixed threes (if you look at the results you will notice that they pulled their female rider off the track when we started to get ahead of them and she did not ride again in the race, somewhat underhanded tactics, ahh well) and Patrick, Susie and Belinda came third in mixed threes.

fullsize Ben getting ready for the start. fullsize Ben's bike had antennae all day. fullsize Maxine looking around in the confusion before the start. fullsize The runners coming toward us, Morgs is just to the right of the head of the woman in the middle of the shot, and Ben is just behind Morgs. fullsize Morgs picking his bike up from Joo, somehow Ben got a bit lost in the Melee. fullsize Ben found me holding his bike eventually. fullsize And he got on it and rode off for the first lap. fullsize A pink outfit I don't think even I could bring myself to wear. fullsize Sitting down at the camp, Sam about to wave to the camera with Belinda in the background trackside.

fullsize Ben riding past the camp about to finish a lap. fullsize Bec enjoying not having to be out there riding for a short 43 minutes (Dan was doing some damn fast lap times fairly consistently) fullsize Max dancing/posing. fullsize One of the Mexicans closely followed by Cath Kellaher. fullsize Morgs. fullsize One of the defence force guys. fullsize A guy with no number plate I saw a number of times during the day. fullsize Bec riding past the campsite. fullsize Sam passing the campsite.

fullsize Bill Clarke wearing a Mont Trail Rocket jersey showing he was at the Mont. fullsize This guy had hydration down to a fine art wearing that on his back all day. fullsize Bec riding up the finishing climb. fullsize Sam, on an ST about 1.5 KM before the finish. fullsize I tried some corner shots, and got my finger in this one too. fullsize Still on my way back toward the campsite getting a few photos. fullsize This guy was probably sharing a bike, I hope he remembered to flip to the correct number when he transitioned. fullsize Some other random person. fullsize Okay so year there were a few bits of mud as can be seen on my bike here (the Duallie did not leave the car once more this year) but on the whole the course was absolutely fantastic fun, even the muddy bits were fun.