Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Race of 6 Friends™ V4 Announced.


The date for the fourth version of the  Race of 6 Friends™  has been set, it's the 24th June 2012. Like the last edition, the race will start and finish at Riverhead. The course is new again, and will take in a number of new and different roads, along with the welcome return of a favourite piece of road from a previous edition.

Load the date and spread the news.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

The 3rd edition of the Race of 6 Friends™, brought to you by Auckland Central Cycling Club, will be held on Sunday 4th March 2012, starting and finishing at the Riverhead Tavern.
The event involves teams of six riders, who must start and finish together. The route for the 3rd edition is approximately 125 kms, 10% of which will be on gravel roads. The course will also involve 2,000 metres of climbing. Maps and route cards showing the final details will be handed out on the day of the event.

Teams will be asked to estimate their finishing times, with those estimated tobe slowest being the first to start and the fastest departing last.

There is no upper age limit for riders but the organisers have decided, for this and all future
editions of the Race of 6 Friends™, to set a minimum age of 18 years (taken on the day of the event).

Each team mustpick up a playing card from one or more checkpoints and take a photo of 5 of
the 6 team members at the same or other checkpoints. The playing card and photos (using a mobile phone or digital camera) must be presented to the organisers in order to secure
a finishing time. The checkpoints will be announced on the day of the event.

Once all entries have been received, starting times will be announced, with the first team set
to start at approximately 7.30 a.m. When entering, each team will be asked to estimate their finishing time. This will be used to assist in setting each team’s start time, the aim being to have all teams finish in time for the prize-giving.

We will be using a handicapping system similar to that used for the first two editions. As a guide on how to build a winning team:

· To qualify for a finishing time all 6 riders must finish together. Each team’s finishing time will be taken from the last rider to cross the finishing line;

· The team’s finishing time will be reduced for riders over 45 (proof of age may be required);

· The finishing time will also be reduced for every woman in the team (and if she is over 45 more time will be deducted as above);

· Allowances will be made for Clydesdale and Athena riders (more than 91kgs for men and 69 kgs for women). Riders may be asked to weigh in at the start line;

· Teams riding on pre-1990 bikes will have their finishing time reduced further. For a bike to qualify, it needs to have down tube or bar end shifters, no more than an 8 speed rear cassette, and a quill stem;

· Other options (single-speed bikes, fixies, aerobars etc) may be given allowances or penalties
depending on the mood of the organisers.

The event will not be marshalled or supported but teams will be seeded and sent off at intervals,
so that larger groups do not form. Riders must obey all road rules on the road at all times. No support vehicles will be permitted on the course. The organisers will have spotters on the course and if they see a vehicle following or supporting a team, a significant time penalty will be applied to that team.

There will be no feed stations, so riders will need to carry all of their own food and drink (or
enough money to buy it at one of three shops en route).

The entry fee is $30 per rider. For every rider who is a member of Auckland Central Cycling Club the fee is $20. When entering please quote your ACCC membership or WheelTime Tag number.

The prize giving willbe held as soon as possible following the arrival of the last team. Included in the prizes are:

· Dinner for 6 Friends at Ciboto the value of $900
· set of Pure Black Racing kit
· pair of Fizik R3 cycling shoes from WH Worrall & Co
· heaps of accessories from Hot Cycles and Rode Pt Chevalier
· vouchers from Specialized for redemption at Mt Eden Cycles Cycle City and Echelon Cyclery
· three Solo Classique jerseys worth $180 each
· cool tools from Trade Tools
· special teas and infusions from Tea Total
· vouchers for Real Balance Massage.

A portion of the proceeds from this edition the Race of 6 Friends™ will be donated by Auckland Central Cycling Club to the Pure Black Supporters’ Trust, which has recently been set up to raise funds so that the Pure Black Racing team can continue racing in New Zealand and overseas.

The closing date for entries (and payment) is 24th February 2012. Teams should therefore enter as soon as possible even if with a provisional line-up of 6 riders. Substitute riders will be
accepted until 24 hours before the start.

You can enter and pay in one of the following ways:
1. Pay by credit card and enter online at http://www.aucklandcentralcycling.org.nz/
2. Complete the attached entry form, email it to entries@aucklandcentralcycling.org.nz and pay by internet banking to credit the Club‘s Westpac Bank Account, no. 03-0195-0663524-001
3. Complete the attached entry form and post it, together with a cheque made out to Auckland Central Cycling Club, to P O Box 91 470, Victoria St West, Auckland 1142.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The course data


Some stats around last Sunday's course.

Klondyke Road tops out at 377m asl, and is the high point of the race.
The first climb is 2.5 kilometres in length, with an average gradient of 9.5%, but there is a kilometre at an average of 11.1% and a maximum gradient of 15%. 
After the short descent the next climb is 2.9 kms @ 5.2% average.
The climb after you came off the metal, and up to Onewhero is 2.8 kms @ 4.1%.
To Wairamama hall it's 4.1kms @3.1%.
Back up to Onewhero (where the supporters where) is 3 kms @6.6%

The climbs on SH22, while numerous and sapping were small in comparison to these. (well, that's what I told my team at the time).

The total length of metal was 17.3 kms, Klondyke Road was 14.4kms and Churchill Road was 2.9kms.

First up, here are some photos of Klondyke Road on a less than wet day. This is what it looks like without mud in your eye.








This last photo is what the final kilometres of Klondyke Road at the Onewhero end looked like before the council dropped fresh metal on it, the Friday before the race. It was fast, smooth and very rideable.


Monday, September 26, 2011

Here are the final placings after taking into account all (undisclosed, arcane and obscure) handicap factors.

1 Pure White Racing
2 Speed Goats
3 Lunn Ave Bicycle Club (Fast)
4 Clipped In
5 Steel Springs
6 Lunn Ave Bicycle Club (Slow)
7 Defy Evolution
8 Rode Riders (1)
9 The Right Revolution
10 Rode Riders (2)
11 Six Feet Under
12 Ngati Velo
13 Axis of Mischief
14 Team Test Cycles
15 Tim’s Hot Angels
16 The Coffee Runners
DNF The Outlaws
DNF Roy’s Rebels
DNF Exceed Coaching
DNF Hot Cycles
DNF Moments of Extreme Madness

The actual finishing times and overall places were:

1 Speed Goats 4.56.06
2 Pure White Racing 5.09.41
3 Lunn Ave Bicycle Club (Fast) 5.21.08
4 Steel Springs 5.30.56
5 Defy Evolution 5.38.01
6 Rode Riders (1) 5.52.16
7 Rode Riders (2) 6.07.31
8 Lunn Ave Bicycle Club (Slow) 6.14.00
9 Clipped In 6.21.08
10 The Right Revolution 6.29.31
11 Six Feet Under 6.54.25
12 The Coffee Runners 6.56.47
13 Axis of Mischief 7.03.36
14 Mrs Doyle & Ngati Velo 7.07.35
15 Tim’s Hot Angels 7.15.21
16 Team Test Cycles 7.37.12

Thanks to everyone who participated despite the ugly weather.

Thanks too to the sponsors, Hot Cycles, Specialized, Tea Total, Allpress Coffee, Continental, Wheelworks, Trade Tools, Rocket Kitchen and Solo.

Commiserations to those who didn’t finish, whether on account of punctures, crashes or other mishaps. Better luck next time (which is likely to be some time in Autumn 2012)

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Where to send your supporters

Where to send your supporters!
Two places, one is the corner of Wairamama-Onewhero Road and Kauri Roads, from 10:30 onwards. this is at 69 kilometres, and

is at the top of a climb, the riders will be approaching from Wairamarama up a climb, this climb is a reasonable length and sealed, there are places to see the race from on the climb. If your supporters do drive down the climb, please ask them not to drive any further along the course than the one lane bridge at the bottom of the climb as the road on the other side is quite narrow and riders will be approaching at speed.


The second point is Pukekawa-Churchill Road and Glen Murray Road at around 12:00. This second point is ready accessible from Rangiriri on SH1. If the supporters head along the Pukekawa-Churchill Road they will find they are at the section of flat metal, the riders will be readily visible as they approach for a couple of kilometres. Take banners and make it look like a real classic.

Please also, no supporters following the race, esp in the first half as the roads are very tight in places. Any team found breaking this rule risks being disqualified.



Sponsors

We have been very fortunate to be well supported with a number of excellent sponsors.
It is through this sponsorship that we are able to offer such depth of great prizes.
Theses sponsors are listed out to the right of this page, and include everything one needs to ride a bike, from bikes, components, wheels, tool and components to sustenance and liquid refreshements.
Please do support our sponsors whenever you can.

Thank you.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Abandoning, Accidents and DNFs

Hopefully the day will be accident free, and you will all finish the race with your team mates and still be on speaking terms. However if the worst does happen and you, or a team mate, suffer an accident, there are several things to consider. These are quiet and deserted country roads, but for a large portion of the course there is cell-phone coverage. It would wise for each team to carry a cellphone.

As organisers, we will have a couple of first aid kits on the course at the supply point, as well as a roaming one on the more rugged sections of the course.

If you do have an accident, abandon the race, or don't finish, can you please inform us, so that we can mark you off the list at the finish.