2014 BWA 3 and 5 Dams Challenge

Many of you out there in bicycle land ride your bike for many different reasons including commuting to and from work, recreation, health and fitness and some of us are crazy enough to go out there and belt out a race or two. There are also those who love a good challenge and for the last couple of years, Bicycling Western Australia has played host to what has since become a world class event to challenge riders of all capability and interest levels.

The BWA 3 and 5 Dams Challenge is a mass participation event being held on Sunday, April 6th 2014, taking riders through the scenic Perth Hills and taking in up to 5 of the region's reservoirs offering a choice of 150 kilometres or 255 kilometres including up to 2,000 metres of vertical climbing.

This year will be my first attempt at the challenge and I am looking forward to getting out there with my fellow team mate, Andrew Patterson. The two of us have also been afforded the privilege of being one of six Ambassadors for this year's event and as such, along with BWA and our fellow Ambassadors, we would like to encourage all of our fellow cyclists, both local and abroad, to come and challenge themselves among potentially thousands of other riders in a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a very safe and well organised cycling event.

Correct preparation for any event, especially one of this duration, is vital and through this blog, we will be posting some event specific details of our training for the 5 Dams (which can also be applied to the 3 Dams) and give you an insight into what is required to complete such a challenging event. We'll provide you with some tips on how to get up (and down) the hills and at the same time, staying safe on the road to ensure you are able to get back to the finish in one piece. Just as importantly, we will provide some tips on recovery both after training and once the event is done and dusted.

Team Unicorn-Specialized is honoured to be a part of such an exciting event that has been recognised as one of the top 50 rides in the world* and deservedly Western Australia's premier on-road cycling challenge. We look forward to seeing you out there.

For more information on the 3 and 5 Dams Challenge, jump over to the BWA website here for registration and the latest information to help keep you up to date. Remember, there are now less than 14 days left to get your early-bird registration in to qualify for your free event jersey.