Let us take you on an epic adventure from the red dirt of the Goldfields to the gardens of Perth’s iconic Mundaring Weir. Over five unforgettable days you will trace the golden pipeline which has been delivering fresh water to Kalgoorlie for over a century. More than just a mountain bike ride, the Pipeline Challenge proudly raises awareness and money for West Australian charity Youth Futures who have been supporting at-risk young people for three decades.

When

The Pipeline Challenge is held in May each year and is set for Saturday 2nd to Wednesday 6th May 2020. The event is held in Autumn to take advantage of the great mountain biking weather Western Australia offers at this time. A monthly average temperature of 20-22 degrees and 7 days of light rain across the region sounds like perfect mountain biking weather to us.

Where

Your epic ride begins in Kalgoorlie, located 594 km east of Perth. Made famous in the late 1800’s when prospectors Paddy Hannan, Tom Flanagan, and Dan O’Shea discovered gold, the rest is history. Who knows you could be riding over a small fortune as you make your way from Kalgoorlie to Mundaring in the Perth hills. We will camp overnight at Coolgardie, Southern Cross, Merredin and Northam.

Who

The beauty of the Pipeline Challenge is that it is suitable for everyone. Whether you’re a group of friends looking for a socially competitive race or a novice just in it for a challenge, we’ve got you covered. We’ve had children as young as nine join us on the Pipeline Challenge- they can ride as part of a team on the easier sections and enjoy the experience.

The course is not overly technical, however it is varied. There are sections that consist of rocky outcrops, rutted trails, corrugations, sand, and climbs/descents. Just because the course isn’t technical doesn’t mean you don’t have to train! Your experience will be much more enjoyable if you’ve put in the hard yards before setting off. We recommend your training regime includes riding on consecutive days to prepare your body for backing it up day after day on the Challenge.

We encourage most riders to form a team and participate in a relay-style which makes the longer days a lot more achievable. That said, we have a number of spaces available for soloists keen to push themselves. If this is you please read the information provided and contact us before registering.

Registration

Each participant will receive a free registration when they make the following donation to Youth Futures during the registration process.

Adult Team Rider: $485

Adult Solo Rider: $500

Adult Support Crew: $435

Under 18 Rider: $325

Accompanying Child (aged 9-17): $115

Accompanying Child (under 8): Free, jersey not included

This contribution covers all your meals, camping fees, insurance, jersey, car stickers, race plate (number), mechanical support, first aid and water stops (soloists only). Please note this amount will not be included in your fundraising total.

The 2020 MTBA Fat Bike National Championships will be held on Cable Beach Broome, Friday the 15th of May, 2020 as a prologue race stage to The Gibb Challenge.

The Championship course will incorporate natural and improvised obstacles to create a unique race experience on the hard, flat, tidal sands of Broome’s iconic Cable Beach and the ancient songlines of the Yawuru. It’s the only beach cycling race event in Australia, and one of only two events of its kind anywhere in the World.

‘Fat Bikes’ are hybrid mountain bikes with wide, high volume, balloon tyres originally designed for the snow fields of the northern hemisphere. In Australia they’ve found favour amongst off road cycling enthusiasts for their unrivalled traction and agility on otherwise unrideable terrain including sandy trails and beaches.

The Championships are sanctioned by our sport’s peak national body, Mountain Bike Australia to recognise and award Australia’s National Champions in this unique cycling discipline. Categories for Men, Women and Youth will be contested across Elite, Expert, Masters (1/2), (3/4), (5/6), (7/8), Under 15 & Under 19.

Adults $20 Juniors $10 including Mountain Bike Australia Race Day Licence.

More information available at www.thegibbchallenge.com.au

Western Australia’s longest climbs and most scenic trails combine to create an unforgettable cycling experience. A number of competitors in our inaugural year described SEVEN as the best event they had ever done and others described it as the most challenging.

The route finally selected for SEVEN was a result of nine months research and we believe that it is world class, but all the hype aside these are the places that we love to ride and explore.

For most people SEVEN is just a ride against themselves and for others it is a race against the ten hour cut off mark, but for others still will come with the hope of winning one of the toughest one day races in Australia, if not the toughest.

Our most asked question is in relation to what is the fastest/best type of bike, evidence to date suggests that there is no distinct advantage between hard tails, dual suspension or gravel specific bikes. They all seem to have an equal portion of the 125km to excel on.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in May or perhaps earlier on one of our orientation rides.

Regards all,

Brendon Morrison, Event Director.

Details

When: Saturday May 16th, 2020 race starts at 7am sharp

Host Town: Nannup, Western Australia (Brockman Street)

Distance: SEVEN 125km FIVE 85km THREE 50km

Elevation: 3300+ metres (SEVEN) 1600 metres (FIVE) 1100 metres (THREE)

Terrain: Spectacular. Undulating to various degrees.

Roads: Unpaved, well-formed, mix of gravel, clay, quartz grit and mica. Virtually no fire trails and only 2.6km of single track at finish. We call these roads “parallel single track” because they wind, climb and descend, with plenty of room to pass.

Major Climbs: 10

Time cut off: 10 hours.

More Information

Camping: Available at Start/Finish Line. Link to book: Nannup Caravan Park

Post Race: Camp Fire, Live Music, Food options, Camping, Presentations.

Entry Fees:

SEVEN $165

FIVE $125

THREE $95

*Please note that for non members of Cycling Australia or MTBA and additional insurance fee of $11 will apply.

*Entries are non-refundable from 4 weeks prior to the event, but are transferable to another rider, or can be rolled over to 2020 if required at any time.