I arrived at the Royal Exhibition Centre in Carlton this morning with no small amount of nervous trepidation, as well as some weary eyes, after catching the 0520 train with my partner, Danielle. We said goodbye with a big hug at Southern Cross Station, and I rode from there to Carlton, and parked at the big fountain to the south of the Exhibition Centre.
Bike It In A Dress
Getting everything packed and ready to go!
With just a few days left to go until I depart, I’m putting together all my kit, just like Santa Claus I’m making my list and checking it twice. (more…)
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Setting up the bike for cargo
When sitting down to plan out the Ride in September, one of the first requirements to come to mind was carriage space on the bike — how would I allow enough storage for food, water, shelter, changes of clothes, etc? Being a newcomer to the world of bike touring, I quickly found a number of different options and styles of travel, that when compared to the gear I already had, left me with three main choices to make: A setup involving lots of panniers and frame bags; a support vehicle to accompany me and carry all my gear; or attaching a cargo trailer to the rear.
Saturday morning Creswick run
I made another run out to Creswick today, taking a slightly different route to avoid a long gravel section of roadwork, and taking in a bit more of Pootilla and Wattle Flat. It was also the first chance I’ve had to field-test the Jakroo cycling bibs that arrived on Friday!
Sleeping arrangements
Not wanting to ‘waste’ money on proper accommodation that could be far better spent on the cause, and being an enthusiast of the outdoors anyway, the obvious answer for me has always been to camp rough in, or near, each town/stop on the journey. It’s with this in mind that I first started contemplating a simple hammock and tarp setup. The Snugpak Jungle Hammock and All Weather Shelter fitted almost every requirement that I had…
First century achieved
On 29 December 1928, Don Bradman, Australia’s, and some say the world’s, greatest cricketer, scored his first international test century. It was against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the third test of the 1928–29 Ashes series. Today, the annals of Australian sporting history just saw another defining first century.
Ballarat–Skipton Rail Trail
Smashed out 60 kilometres and had an absolutely beautiful time doing it, riding up the Ballarat–Skipton Rail Trail, a disused railway that’s had its tracks uprooted and fine gravel laid down to provide a pretty wicked little biking/walking/horse trail.
First half-century in the bag!
I achieved my first half-century today, logging 50 kilometres on my way out to Creswick and back to Ballarat. The ride was very scenic, and the smell of eucalypts made for a strenuous but altogether very enjoyable day out.This wasn’t just the longest bike ride I’ve ever undertaken (so far) in terms of distance, but also time in the saddle, hitting almost three hours’ riding time.