Ol' Dirty 2017
Ol' Dirty by Hells 500 is always one of my favourite rides of the year. The 2017 edition, in all its mud-covered glory, was no exception. Here's how my day unfolded. Read more “Ol' Dirty 2017”
Ol' Dirty 2014
If there's one thing I've learned from organising cycling events with Andy van Bergen of Hells 500 and riding in the ones he's organised, it's that he doesn't do things by halves. I knew the lengths Andy had gone to in pulling Ol' Dirty together on Sunday, and yet I was still blown away by the vision and the execution. Read more “Ol' Dirty 2014”
Everesting Yarra Street: 203km, 13 hours and 159 laps
A few years back Shane Miller did 100 laps of the popular Yarra Street climb in Melbourne's inner east, earning himself a place in local cycling folklore. On Sunday, Paul Dalgarno, the rider formerly known as the Donvale Demon, set out to do his own epic ride on Yarra Street, attempting to 'Everest' the climb. Here's Paul's story. Read more “Everesting Yarra Street: 203km, 13 hours and 159 laps”
Domestique 7 Peaks Series 2013/14: Mt Buller
Putting on the Domestique 7 Peaks Series has been extremely satisfying and rewarding for Andy and I and the final ride, at Mt. Buller last weekend, was no exception. Here's my report from that ride, including some terrific photos from Kirsten Simpson. Read more “Domestique 7 Peaks Series 2013/14: Mt Buller”
Everesting: a Hells 500 epic
It's been nearly a year since the last Hells 500 epic -- Crux -- and this year's ride is scheduled to take place this weekend. It's called Everesting and it's almost certainly the hardest Hells 500 epic yet. Read more “Everesting: a Hells 500 epic”
Domestique 7 Peaks Series 2013/14: Mt. Buffalo
In the third of four recent rides in the Victorian Alps our Domestique 7 Peaks group took on the picturesque climb up Mt. Buffalo. It's not the most challenging of the 7 Peaks but when you're fatigued from two climbs in the past 24 hours, it's far from easy. Read more “Domestique 7 Peaks Series 2013/14: Mt. Buffalo”
Domestique Dirty Dandys
If you love climbing and you live in Melbourne, chances are you spend a fair bit of time in the Dandenongs. And if you do, you probably spend much of your time on the more popular climbs. But there are also a bunch of amazing unsealed roads in the Dandenongs that should be on your radar. We took a group of 30 riders out to explore some of these great roads. Read more “Domestique Dirty Dandys”
The Italian Job: Mortirolo, Gavia and Stelvio in one day
The Mortirolo, Gavia and Stelvio are three of the most legendary climbs in world cycling. Climbing a single one of them makes for a tough day on the bike. Eat More Lard wanted to see if he could do all three in one day. This is his story. Read more “The Italian Job: Mortirolo, Gavia and Stelvio in one day”
Domestique: a Hells 500/Climbing Cyclist collaboration
Domestique, a collaboration between The Climbing Cyclist and Hells 500, was born in the lead up to last year's Domestique 7 Peaks Series. A year later Domestique has grown to offer a number of other rides in addition to the 7 Peaks Series. Help us to run this series of free events by buying official Domestique merchandise -- merchandise that's actually useful. Read more “Domestique: a Hells 500/Climbing Cyclist collaboration”
Interview: John van Seters after his 430km, 9,100m ride
Last weekend Hells 500 hardman John van Seters rode 430km and climbed 9,100 vertical metres all in a single ride and all on a 7km stretch of road. The ride was an attempt to "climb Mt. Everest" by doing repeats of the famous 1 in 20 climb. John took the time to speak to me about his epic achievement. Read more “Interview: John van Seters after his 430km, 9,100m ride”
Behind the scenes of the Hells 500 "Hurt" video
A few months ago I was lucky enough to take part in a shoot for a Hells 500 promo film. That film has now been released and in this post I share a couple of behind-the-scenes photos and thoughts from the day. Read more “Behind the scenes of the Hells 500 "Hurt" video”
Donna Done Dirty 2013
Riding up mountains in the middle of winter mightn't sound like much fun, but when the ride is organised by Hells 500 and you're surrounded by great people, it's a great way to spend a chilly Sunday morning. Here's my report from the second annual Donna Done Dirty. Read more “Donna Done Dirty 2013”
Crux: the movie
A few weeks ago myself and a dozen others took on the annual Hells 500 epic: Crux. It was a tough day -- 215km, 10+ hours in the saddle, 5,600m of climbing -- but it was also a very rewarding and memorable. Thanks to Nigel Welch, there's now a terrific video that really captures the spirit of the ride. Read more “Crux: the movie”