On Sunday 17 March 2015 in Rydal NSW, Wild Horizons (best known for their Highland Fling and previous Polaris events) will be putting on a new event which hopes to bring road and mountain bikers together. Sure, many mountain bike marathon events cover a little bit of road riding, but the concept of swapping bikes is new to us.
For those wanting the full event, the mountain bike course will include some 40km through the Lidsdale State Forest, and the 80km of tarmac will cover Rydal, Sodwalls, Taranda and beyond.
A mini version of the event will also be available in the form of 40km road and 27km mountain.
Soloists will take on both disciplines as one race, with the ability to transition bikes. For the team types, a duo category will allow a pair of riders to each complete a stage (road or mountain).
Unfortunately given the logistical issues of transporting two bikes, we don't foresee too many interstate entrants. However, we do hope to see this format made more widely available in future.
Entries open 1st of December and for more information on the Rock&Road event, visit here.