Record number of riders to tackle Range
A RECORD 600 cyclists will tackle this year’s Rotary Ride the Range tomorrow including Toowoomba cyclist John O’Brien who will take part in his second 100 mile (164km) challenge as part of the event.
Now in its eighth year, Ride the Range, continues to break record attendance every year, but what has taken the committee by surprise this year is the number of cyclists entered in the 100 mile.
Mr O’Brien, who is also on the Ride the Range Committee, has done the event a number of times (112km x 3 and the 164km x 1) as training for his European cycling adventures mid-year and knows first-hand that this event definitely requires kilometres in the saddle before the start line.
“Every year at Ride the Range we get the new cyclists who don’t know the course and they go out pretty hard not knowing that the last 40km is all uphill, and by uphill, I mean solid uphill,” he said.
“The group I ride with use the day as a good hit out before our bigger rides mid-year in Europe.
“But in saying that we have trained for the distance and for the hills. We ensure that we have the kilometres in the saddle and we encourage any new cyclists to join us in the lead up to train for the distance so they know they can make the it.”
Mr O’Brien, 63, took up cycling at 51. He has since completed many cycle events in Australia and overseas, including the Three Peaks, Bright and Bowral.
“Ride the Range is definitely one of the best organised rides in terms of nutrition available to cyclists on the course and safety wise,” he said.
“However ... people should still come prepared with their own nutrition – both fluids (electrolytes) and food.”