Rapid Ascent

2 days ago

Forget death and taxes…

If there are 2 certainties in 2025, it’s these:

1) 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧’ 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 (it’s one of life’s small treasures)…

And…

2) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 (did you know 80% of 18-28 year olds struggle to find work? Let alone afford the ridiculous costs of living!).

But what if you could solve both issues (new bike gear – AND – easing the burden for young people) in one fell swoop?

𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐎𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐝𝐲𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲/𝐆𝐎𝐆𝐆.

Good Cycles is a social enterprise and registered charity that helps young people to find meaningful work in the bike industry with 100% OF PROFIT going towards their program.

Since 2013, Good Cycles has provided employment and training pathways to over 750 Young People.

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐝𝐲𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲 – 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫-𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦.

Please support them!

How else you can help?

1) 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬:

You’ll find Good Cycles bike shops in Geelong, Melbourne CBD and Brunswick.

Again, they reinvest 100% of their profits to support young people who are experiencing barriers to employment (so you can buy shiny gear and feel good about it!).

𝟐) 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞:

If you’re feeling extra generous, you can donate via their website OR when you register for the Odyssey/GOGG (you will see the option to donate at checkout).

Learn more about Good Cycles here:
👉 www.goodcycles.org.au/

Enter Odyssey/GOGG here:
👉 raceroster.com/events/2025/93506/great-otway-gravel-grind-and-otway-odyssey-2025

Thanks all.

Here’s to new toys and good feels,

The Rapid Ascent Team ... See MoreSee Less

Rapid Ascent

1 week ago

[𝐎𝐓𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐃𝐘𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐘 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐊𝐌 | 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 | 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟓 | 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐘𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐑]

Welcome to “The Hypnotiser”!

After coming through the footy ground expo for the first time – and hopefully stuffing your face with a metric sh*tload of sugar (you’ll need it) – you’ll climb a steep bit of fire track (Boundary Rd) before entering the Yaugher single-track zone.

And, in the Odyssey, there’s not much of Yaugher your tyres won’t traverse!

You’ll ride all the famous tracks like Grasstrees, Mariners, The Yaugher Super Loop, and J2…

And, at the 68km mark – WHACK – you’ll meet the infamous “Sandy Pinch” – a 260m long, steep, loose climb that only the most elite riders can get up on two wheels. (Our advice is to save plenty of energy for the top third of this pinch).

All told, The Yaugher Hypnotiser is an undulating 34km that will have you changing directions more times than a ping-pong ball in a washing machine.

SAVE PLENTY OF BICCIES FOR YAUGHER!

If you’re riding this section with heavy legs/eyelids, you can lose a lot of flow (and speed).

For Strava stalking, go here:
www.strava.com/segments/33827622

And for more info about the event, check out the website here:
bit.ly/41mTj1o

As always, if you’ve got any stories/advice/warnings about this section…

Please unleash in the comments below! ... See MoreSee Less