Peaks Challenge: How Not to End Up on the Truck
How Not to Get Politely Removed From the Peaks Challenge 🚚
The Peaks Challenge is simple on paper.
Ride 235km.
Climb over 4,000 metres.
Finish inside 13 hours.
In reality, it’s a moving cut-off wrapped in scenery.
Miss it, and a volunteer very kindly explains that your ride is over.
Why Does Peaks Feel Reasonable… Until It Suddenly Doesn’t? ⏱️
Because Peaks doesn’t explode you.
It erodes you.
You don’t crack.
You fade.
A few minutes lost on a climb.
A few more on a descent you don’t push.
A few more when stops get sloppy.
Individually harmless.
Collectively fatal.
Is Tawonga Gap Actually a Trap? 🚴♂️
Yes.
A friendly one.
Tawonga Gap settles you in.
It’s long, steady, and forgiving.
You find rhythm.
You feel competent.
You start thinking, this isn’t so bad.
That thought will be used against you later.
Does Mount Hotham Sort the Field? ⛰️
It sorts your attitude.
Hotham hurts.
Everyone knows that.
But most riders get through it.
A bit quieter.
A bit less cheerful.
The real damage hasn’t arrived yet.
Why Does Everyone Go Quiet at the Back of Falls? 😬
Because it’s late.
And you’re tired in a way training never quite simulates.
The back of Falls Creek is steep.
Inconsistent.
And deeply disrespectful.
That first pinch doesn’t care how your day has gone.
It just asks what you’ve got left.
For many riders, the answer is: not much.
What Actually Gets People Put on the Truck? ⚠️
Not motivation.
Not toughness.
Time.
Fatigue makes everything slower.
Climbing.
Accelerating.
Recovering.
And when fatigue meets extra weight, things unravel quickly.
Why Does Weight Suddenly Matter So Much Late in the Ride? ⚙️
Because your power is dropping.
But gravity isn’t.
Every unnecessary gram costs more when you’re tired.
Every acceleration hurts more than it should.
You can’t diet mid-ride.
You can stop hauling excess weight uphill.
Why Do Wheels Matter More Than Almost Anything Else? 🔥
Because they’re always working.
Every climb.
Every surge.
Every change in gradient.
Rotational weight compounds fatigue.
Lighter wheels don’t make you faster.
They just stop draining you.
At Peaks, that’s often the difference.
Why Are the New TLO 50s Such a Good Fit for Peaks? 🧠
Because 940 grams is not a gimmick.
It’s a gift to tired legs.
The new TLO 50s climb like a shallow wheel.
But hold speed like a deeper one.
They don’t feel flashy.
They feel efficient.
Which is exactly what Peaks rewards.
Built by Schmolke for riders who care more about finishing than impressing strangers on Strava.
Is This About Going Faster or Just Surviving? 🎯
Mostly surviving.
Elegantly.
Finishing Peaks isn’t heroic.
It’s methodical.
It’s turning up with a plan.
Sticking to it.
And not making things harder than they need to be.
What’s the Smart, Boring, Effective Play? 🏁
Train properly.
Fuel properly.
Pace properly.
And don’t sabotage yourself with heavy wheels.
If you’re committing months of work to Peaks,
riding ultra-light wheels isn’t indulgent.
It’s sensible.
At 940g, the Schmolke TLO 50s won’t make Peaks easy.
But they might stop it becoming harder than it already is.
And at Peaks,
that’s often all you need
to stay on your bike
instead of watching it drive away without you.