OL’DIRTY 2019 :: 11:00AM 22 SEPT 2019
Mic check.
Yarra Ranges Council and Cannondale, in conjunction with Hells 500, MAAP, ST.ALi, and Carman’s proudly present Australia’s largest, loudest, and most satisfyingly unconventional gravel grind: Ol’Dirty.
Lock up your roadies, because we’re taking the Ol’Dirty tour back to its birthplace in Warburton for the biggest show in its nine year history. Once again you’ll have to get in early to avoid missing out. Three of the past four years have reached capacity, so scratch ⚡️22 SEPT ⚡️ into your desk, stick that wad of gum under your chair and start passing around notes.
The volume has been turned up to eleven for 2019 with an animal-print lycra party the likes of which you’ve (thankfully) never seen before.
Sign up before June 30 and you’ll receive an invitation to a secret underground pre-party ride at the end of July.
Grab your spot for September 22, and commence the final countdown.
#oldirty2019
INCLUSIONS
It wouldn’t be an Ol’Dirty production without a solid roadtrip playlist by (The Soup Boys), a warm ST.ALi batch-brew and Carman’s Bar pressed into your gloved mitts on arrival while our special guests keep you entertained, a mid-ride intermission with hot lunch, a pre-grindy-bit refuel zone, and optional (but highly recommended) post-ride BBQ.
You’ll also pick up a fistful of swag (which you can choose to have delivered to your door at the end of August) including a custom fanny pack, patch kit, collectible event neck warmer, and ride map.
– Custom Fanny Pack
– Ol’Dirty collectible neck warmer
– Set of 5 sew-on patches
– Pre-ride batch brew from ST.ALi
– Mid-ride hot lunch (Vegan/GF friendly)
– Re-fuel station
– Optional post-ride BBQ
– Collectible printed route map and on-course signage
– Access to professionally shot Instagram-ready pics
– Mechanical and Medical support
Tickets $89
ABOUT THE COURSE
The 2019 course takes us back to the event’s roots in and around the town of Warburton. In the next few years you’re going to see one of the most significant and professionally built MTB courses in Australia snaking it’s way through the Upper Yarra Valley, and through this event we couldn’t be more proud to introduce or reacquaint you with the region.
The course is 62km in length (1,250m climbing), with the start and finish both located at the Redwoods Community Centre, just past Sanitarium as you head out of town. If the weather isn’t too soggy, you’ll be able to park in the event village itself, otherwise we’ll direct you close-by.
Featuring a variety of terrain, topography, and geology you’ll be playing in Sequoia forests, lush fern gullies, along forgotten aqueducts, and botanic arboretums on a mixture of hard-packed gravel, soft singletrack, decaying leaf-carpets, grassed tracks, sticky clay, gravel pits, and rich red earth.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The majority of the 2019 course is on hard-packed well-drained gravel and dirt. There are a number of single track sectors. If it has been raining in the lead in to the event these will be a little soft in places. There is a small amount of clay which has the potential to be slippery in the wet, but even in heavy rain these roads and paths hold up well – and you won’t see a repeat of the slip-and-slide we experienced back in 2017.
The main climb for the day comes after lunch, and while it’s long, it’s a nice and gentle gradient. Think of the 1:20 on durt, glorious durt. Note that the first kilometre or two of this sector has been repaired (it previously was a mud-wallow for 4WDs), and it has been re-graded and laid with chunky gravel. We’ll keep you up to date on this sector as it beds-in.
In the backend of the course you’ll find a number of low logs so being able to bunny hop half a foot is an advantage. The single track that has been selected for the course is not technical by any means, and is equivalent to any mission you have completed on the Yarra Trails.
You’ll be provided with a printed map ahead of the ride (if you’ve chosen the mail-out), a GPX route in the week leading up to the ride, and in addition there is extensive on-course signage. There are only a handful of tracks and turns, so navigation shouldn’t be an issue.
The staging location out of Redwoods Centre, Warburton will be the point for the start and finish. Unfortunately there are no toilets en route (we’re taking you proper-bush) so don’t make us say “you should have thought of that before we left”. Parking will be on site, unless there is an almighty downpour in the lead-up to the event, in which case we’ll provide an updated parking location in the final week before the event.
YOUR BIKE IS YOUR AXE
…but that doesn’t mean bringing a knife to a gunfight. We recommend Gravel Grinders, CX bikes, or MTB (a dually is overkill). Leave the roadie at home. Based on extensive course reconnoissance, we have the following recommendations:
GRAVEL GRINDER
You are going to be faster on the hard-packed gravel sectors, and slower on the singletrack and trails. Opt for a wider tyre, and if there has been any rainfall the singletrack sectors are likely to be soft in places. We strongly suggest a tyre with at least a small amount of bead (think G-Ones as a minimum).
CYCLOCROSS
A great all-round choice given the non-challenging singletrack and paths included in the course. Run a tyre with a small amount of bead as a minimum. While not as easy as riding MTB, you’ll have a lot of fun on a CX.
MTB
Riding MTB you are going to be slower through the hard-packed sectors, but you’ll find the singletrack and trails a breeze. If you are planning on riding MTB we’d recommend a hardtail or locking out your suspension if a dually (it’s a bit of overkill, but you’ll still have a blast).
We complete all course reccis on hardtail MTD and gravel grinders. You’ll have more fun on the latter, and more assurance on the former. If you ask us, we’ll always lean toward the gravel grinder.
OL’DIRTY 2019 TECHNICAL BAMBOO ‘BAND TEE’
This is a stylish and lightweight technical tee made for g-roads, singletrack adventures, and that spot just in front of the front-left speaker. It’s constructed from a bamboo and cotton blend, featuring the Ol’Dirty logo print up front, and ‘rawk’ graphic on the back.
Bamboo is an awesome material for trail-specific tees for a bunch of sane reasons, including:
– It’s anti-bacterial
– It wicks sweat
– It feels soft
– It’s lightweight
– It dries super-fast
– It’s a sustainable, fast-growing, replenishable material
Available for purchase at the time of entry for $30, or alternatively there will be a small amount available on the day for $40.
