Hattah 2011!!!

[nathanMember]

Well I’m back home after Hattah and am still in one piece to tell the tale. Still a bit sore even 4 days after the race.

Starting to pack for the 1,300km trip from Goondiwindi to Mildura.

Packed and ready to go.

The first night near Rankin Springs in a truckstop. We had mice crawling all over us and bloody trucks pulling in and leaving all night. I only got about 3 hours sleep and when I rolled the swag back out later there was mouse sh#t all through it!! Not a good start.

Lining up for scruteneering.

The bike passed with flying colours.

Warming up for prolouge.

Prolouge start. I came 9th in class (35-45yrs) and 91 out of 260 overall starting position.

[nathanMember]

Race Day!!

Lining up for race start. They line us up in rows of 35 riders and then ride a quad bike across the front, starting at the quickest prolouge time. When the quad bike passes in front of you, it’s go time!!

Toby Price and Smarty in the first corner.

It was dusty in prolouge but then it rained during the night and for most of the race. Conditions where perfect with no dust and wet sand as far as you could see.

Coming into pit straight for the first time.

I had my cousin and dad as my pit crew. They were too effecient as they fueled the bike so quick that i hardly had time to eat or drink.

Roosting my pit crew here as I left the pits. Sorry fellers.

Not everyone came out of it unscathed.

[nathanMember]

Toby Price coming though the start finish lane in first place.

I came through in 119th out of 260 riders. I was aiming for a position in the top 50% so I was happy with my finish.

Checking for blisters. I can see why they call it one of the toughest races in Aust. The last few laps of the track it was so chopped up and whooped out that you could not sit down at all and my back felt like someone was kicking it. Sometimes while I was out there I would feel very low and and totally stuffed but I would try to think about how awsome it was to be part of one of the best Desert races in Australia with the best riders and I would pick up the pace again.

Moterex Team bikes

Smarties Bike

Todd Smiths Bike

I got lapped by these guys twice on the 35km track. I comleated 6 of the 8 laps. The speed they carry as they pass you makes you think they are supermen. One second you can hear them coming up behind you and they they are gone. You don’t have time to move to the side and let them past and this would acually be dangerous. You just keep your line and they blow past you like your standing still.

Here’s a few extra pic taken by professionals.

[Dwayne OMember]

Fantastic effort Gibbit, flying the OBT flag too I see
You have some awsome pics there too, hang em on the wall in the Poolroom for all to see now

Cheers Mate

[nathanMember]

EAGLE`02 wrote:

Fantastic effort Gibbit, flying the OBT flag too I see
You have some awsome pics there too, hang em on the wall in the Poolroom for all to see now

Cheers Mate

Thanks Mate. Its amazing what pics can be taken with a camera in the right hands hey. I had a few ask what the OBT sticker was all about.

[Aaron WildeMember]

Brilliant work Gibbit. Those whoops sound like motivation destroying beasties. The photos are brilliant. One guy getting filled in on a corner is a classic. :laugh: Would be great to see the likes of Toby Price punching hard on wet sand. :cheer: Must be a sight to see.

[rick matthewsMember]

should of read this b4 we went to hattah great ride gibbit, we 4 of us went 4 a ride around lake albacycha on the saturday then sunday to watch the race at hattah geez them top 4 or 5 riders where smooth and quick, very quick, will look though the vidio to see if wev’ve got any footage of you tough race but nice sand a bit of moisture would of helped

[nathanMember]

Thanks fellers. I had a ball doing it and recomend it to anyone. If I do it again I will work a bit more on my fitness. I could have made up a lot of positions in the last couple of laps if I wasn’t so stuffed. I would also run 14/49 gearing instead of 15/49. The gearing I ran was good for the first few laps while the track was smooth and fast, but once it got chopped up and whooped out I didn’t use top gear. Doing tankslappers down a chopped out straight was hairy enough at 120km/hr let alone 150km/hr.

I cleaned the bike and the gear on the weekend. That Hattah soil is horrible stuff!! All my new riding gear is badly stained. I’ve washed it about 4 times now and it still dosen’t look like getting rid of it. It has also stained the alloy and rear spokes on the bike.

But this is all a small price to pay for how much fun I had.

Let me know if you find any footage of me Dozrr.

Finke Desert Race 2012 here I come!!!

[Mick DMember]

Good onya Gibbit, great report and pics there!! Glad to hear you had a great time and came through unscathed and you exceeded your expectations of yourself.

Cheers
Mick

[simon burkeMember]

Onya Gib
What a great bloody experience :cheer:
Well done.Double thumbs up :cheer:

Bol :woohoo:

[nathanMember]

dozrr wrote:

should of read this b4 we went to hattah great ride gibbit, we 4 of us went 4 a ride around lake albacycha on the saturday then sunday to watch the race at hattah geez them top 4 or 5 riders where smooth and quick, very quick, will look though the vidio to see if wev’ve got any footage of you tough race but nice sand a bit of moisture would of helped

Any luck in finding a bit of video footage of me mate?

[rick matthewsMember]

still in progress mates comp shit its self with vidio on it ( 3monthOLD )trying to recover footage

[Martin TwineMember]

Top work Gibbit, awesome report and photos, it definetly takes alot of commitment on so many levels to even be half prepared for an event of that size and difficulty.
A friend of mine did it 2 years ago and he said it was brutal.
Well done mate

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