Scody Teams Plus, Mornington Peninsula, Sunday 16 November 2008

SCODY TEAMS PLUS FEEDBACK WINNERS!
Friday 28 November, 2008.

SCODY TEAMS PLUS WRAP-UP.
Thursday 20 November, 2008.

AVANTI PRIZE WINNER.
Wednesday 19 November, 2008.

TIMES NOW AVAILABLE.
Monday 17 November, 2008.

MORE DETAILS ON BOTH COURSES.
Friday 14 November, 2008.

ENTRIES STILL OPEN ... JUST NOT ONLINE.
Thursday 13 November, 2008.

TEAMS PLUS RIDE INFO ... LAST MINUTE NEWS FOR ENTRANTS.
Tuesday 11 November, 2008.

EVERYTHING IS READY TO GO!
Monday 10 November, 2008.

NEW SIZES AVAILABLE FROM SCODY!
Wednesday 22 October, 2008.

NEUTRAL SUPPORT FROM SRAM!
Tuesday 21 October, 2008.

SUPPORT FROM SEALY'S!
Monday 8 September, 2008.

ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN!
Thursday 3 July, 2008.

WELCOME TO TEAMS PLUS
Wednesday 20 June, 2008.

HOW DOES THE TIMING WORK?

WHAT ABOUT THE TEAM TIMING?

THE AMY GILLETT FOUNDATION

Hints & Tips What are the two ride options? There are two different distance options to choose from, 60km or 112km. Both rides start in Mornington and follow the same course to Dromana. The 60km cruises along the peninsula's famous beachfront before turning around at Tootgarook and heading back to Mornington. The 112km ride goes up Arthur's Seat, back down to the beach, inland to Flinders and then meanders its way back to Mornington via Balnarring.
Is the SCODY Teams Plus Mornington Peninula a race? No, it's a recreational ride through some of Australia's most scenic beachside country. However, we are timing the first two-thirds of the 112km ride. So if you feel the need to get a little competitive, we reckon they'll be lots of others feeling the same way. But don't forget ... it's NOT a race and normal road rules will apply throughout the ride. What time does it start? The 60km ride will begin from Mornington Park at 9.30am on Sunday 16 November 2008. The 112km ride will have a start 'window' of one a half hours from 7.30am to 9.00am. This is to spread out the field so we don't take up too much space on the roads and to protect the integrity of the time trial! It is recommended that teams (especially teams of 4 and 8) consider starting earlier in the morning, as close to 7.30am as possible. How do I enter? Entries are now open! Go to the How to Enter page and follow the links. How do I get to the start? The start and finish is at Mornington Park, right near the beach at the end of Mornington's Main Street. It's only about 45km or so from Melbourne, so you could ride down if you start early enough! An alternative, is to catch the train to Frankston and ride the 12km to Mornington. Connex runs the trains on the Frankston Line, details of their timetable, and bikes on trains policy, can be found at www.connexmelbourne.com.au Of course, there is plenty of parking near Mornington Park if you want to drive to the start.
How fit do I need to be? Well, it's not a race, so you don't have to be superfit. However, there is a bit of climbing involved, especially in the 112km ride. Are there any prizes to win? Yes, there certainly are! If you're one of the first 1000 to enter the SCODY Teams Plus Mornington Peninsula, you'll go into the draw to win an Avanti Carbonio 3.0 road bike, Specialized Carbon Pro shoes and 2D helmet. The total of this prize is $5000! Plus there's the King of the Mountain and Queen of the Mountain prizes for the best time by an individual male and female up Arthur's Seat.
How do I get my free SCODY Teams Plus Mornington Peninsula jersey? As long as you're one of the first 1000 entered into the SCODY Teams Plus Mornington Peninsula you'll receive your jersey at Mornington Park at the start of the ride. Look for the the SCODY stand in Mornington Park. Jerseys will be available there from 3pm to 6pm on Saturday 15 November and between 6am and 9am on Sunday 16 November. How will I know where to ride? Both of the SCODY Teams Plus Mornington Peninsula rides will be signposted on all corners. You will also find marshals on some corners. Will there be cars on the road with the cyclists? Victoria Police and VicRoads have declared that most roads will remain open to vehicular traffic during the SCODY Teams Plus Mornington Peninsula rides. The organisers, Bikevents Australia, ask that all cyclists respect the directions of the Police and share the road sensibly and safely with motorists. We also ask motorists to please be patient and courteous while the cyclists are out on the roads. As ever, normal road rules apply.
Can my family/support team follow the ride in our car? Additional vehicles on the course increase the risk to all road users. Please have friends and relatives use alternative routes where possible. Carry water! YOU are responsible for your hydration. Especially if the weather's hot, make sure you carry two bidons of water. There will be Water Stations on the Teams Plus rides, plus you'll be passing lots of shops so you can always stop and get more. But to make the most of it, you need to carry enough of it to make a difference. And drink often! What should I do for food? Food is mainly your responsibility. Bikevents will have Water Stations with fruit and nibblies scattered around both courses but lunch is up to you. If you're riding the 112km option, we suggest stopping for a bite in Flinders or Balnarring before heading back to the finish. (This will be once you've ridden under the SRAM banner and the 'timed' section of the ride is over.) If you're riding the 60km option, there are heaps of eateries along the beachfront where you can stop for a snack.
How does the timing work? If you enter the 112km ride, you'll be given a transponder to attach to the left leg of your front forks. When you ride underneath the arch at the start you will have the time recorded automatically. When you ride underneath the SRAM banner at Flinders, the sensors will record the time and calculate how long it took you to get from Mornington to Flinders. We will also record your time from the base of Arthur's Seat to the summit. Times will be posted on the Teams Plus website as soon as possible after this and hopefully we'll have print-out posted at Mornington by the time you get back there. But keep in mind that this isn't a race ... you must obey all normal road rules at all times! More details on timing shortly. What about the team timing? You can enter as a team of 2, 4 or 8. The timing for your team will begin as soon as the first rider passes underneath the start arch in Mornington. Your team's total time will be calculated once your LAST team mate rides under the SRAM banner at Flinders! So, you need to work together as a team to get your slowest team mate to Flinders - having one or two faster riders go up the road won't help your team's total time. But again, keep in mind that this isn't a race - it's just a chance for you to have your time accurately recorded so you can compare from year to year, team to team. Police will be out on course - riders who break normal road rules in a quest for a faster time will be prosecuted! What about gearing? If you don't climb hills like Arthur's Seat often, you might want to consider changing your cluster. If your road bike has a standard 39-52 front chain set, Bikevents recommends you have at least 25-tooth first gear. To give you a bit more flexibility, something like a 26 or 27 would be even better. One of the newer "compact" crank sets available on many new road bikes would be perfect as it is. Ask at your local bike shop – they'll offer the best advice and help to set up your bike. Descending While many people consider climbing up a hill the hard part, we've heard that many of you are worried about descending. You needn't be! Here are a few tips that will make it safer and easier. Look where you want to go. If you look further up the road while you're riding, you'll be more balanced on the bike. Plus, if you look at where you want to go, you'll more than likely up end there. Conversely, don't look at where you don't want to go… Brake in a straight line. As you approach a corner, smoothly use both front and back brake while still in a straight line. Try to slow down enough so that you can roll through the corner without braking. That's difficult, especially if you're a bit nervous, but at least try not to use the front brake during the bend. That way the front wheel will roll more easily and help to roll you through the corner. Keep your pedals level! If you're rolling down the road and not actually pedalling, try to keep your pedals level, i.e. both the same height off the ground. If the road gets a little bumpy, you'll be able to put your weight evenly on both pedals and lift your bum up off your saddle more easily. That way, you won't feel all the shock from the bumps up through your spine so badly, your legs will act like shock absorbers. When you're cornering, make sure the outside pedal is lower than the one on the inside of the corner. This will give you better clearance, so you won't hit the pedal on the road. Try to feel more of your weight on the lower/outside pedal, this will keep you more balanced around the bend. Finally, lean the bike. Try to feel that you're leaning the bike a little into the corner, rather than turning the handlebars too much. Be a bit careful at first with this though. You don't want to lean your body into the corner too much. An old saying we use when mountain biking is "Lean the bike, not the body". (It's much easier to do this on the road than off-road.)