Firstly I want to thank all of you who followed my travels and shared in the adventure. At the time of writing this we have raised (including pledges to come) over $25,000 for the BridgeWork project. That means that more children and youth at risk of trafficking and exploitation will be given an opportunity to have a better life. I canāt even imagine how terrible it could be for those without help, so knowing that every dollar raised will go directly to helping those youth is a wonderful thing, and your support will go a long way in achieving that goal. As I said on several occasions, one of the things that kept me going even on the hardest days was that knowledge, and that at the end of the day I was doing this ride by choice ā those children who are exploited donāt have that choice.
I always expected to have some hard days, and I donāt think you really appreciate the good days if you donāt have some tough ones, though I didnāt expect to have so many hard days. Well, in the end itās got to make you tougher! I certainly came home fitter and leaner ā now I need a new wardrobe, as all my clothes are too big. The trick will be to not out on the extra weight. Out on the road I could eat whatever ā and as much as I could ā but now have to watch the intake, and keep up the momentum of doing decent distances on the bike each week.
There were a few things that really worked for me on the ride: Firstly having Lee as support until just after Adelaide. Having jumped straight into the deep end of cycle touring, having the coffee and cake or lunch prepared each day was tremendous help ā not to mention the encouragement as I battled those windy days.
My two mirrors were invaluable, for even if the road turned a little I could get a glimpse of what was approaching from the rear. My standard technique was that whenever the conditions or road in front changed, I checked my mirrors. Then I could evaluate what was the best course of action, and at times that meant getting right off the road to avoid a dangerous situation. Without mirrors I think I would have ended up in a few tricky spots, but as it was, I never felt that I was put into danger.
The very bright (Hotshot) rear flashing light was on all day every day, and it was great to get to a town and have someone come up to say they had passed me back along the road. Then they would add, āand we saw your flashing light way before we could even see anything on the road, and then when you came into view the fluoro green vest stood outā ā another good choice as I could put the vest over whichever top I was wearing (including rain jacket).
I am very happy with the bike which I named Nausicaa, and would recommend the Vivente World Randonneur as a great touring or commuting bike. It comes with all the right equipment and proved to be reliable and an easy bike to ride all day especially when fully loaded. Well I did have some days with a rather ātiredā rear end, but getting a bit saddle sore is just another factor to take in your stride if your going to spend long days riding.
Matching with the dynamo front hub (which supplies power for the included lights – another great feature of the Vivente) I added an āe-werkā (Busch &Ā MĆ¼ller) which gave full recharging of all my USB devices ā phone, cycle computer, headlamp and rear flasher etc. That meant that I was independent of power supply, and there were several occasions where recharging all my devices was not possible, so charging while riding was the answer. I also had a small āpower monkeyā battery that I could charge during the ride and then use to top up any devices once stopped adding to the versatility. As it turned out, I had a lot of overcast and rainy days, so a solar unit would not have been as effective. I always had the Garmin 810 as my reference, calculating distance, speed, eta’s and maps. As a multi function cycle computer it provides a great many statistics and reference points to help me along the way, Ā and I was constantly referring to itsĀ different screens and data options. The most data I used was time of day, speed and distance covered and distance to destination, though at times odometer, elapsed time, maps, compass, temp, gradient, heartrate etc were all useful.
My Mont Moondance tent was fabulous. I had already tested its waterproof ability last December on the great Victorian Bike Ride, and it once again gave first class protection. Easy to put up and take down and weighing in at 1.6 kg it fitted perfectly on the top of the pannier rack. I could sit up in it, get changed etc and with a reasonable vestibule plenty of room for gear and myself. Many people have commented that I must be very happy to be at home in a real bed. Well the Exped Synmat UL7 sleeping matt was a good as any bed I have come across, and better than many! And at under 470 grams is both lightweight and packed down well into my panniers. This has to be the best sleeping mat I have ever had. Combined with a new lightweight Mont Helium sleeping bag the tent,mat and bag came in at under 3.5Ā kilo. And as with any outdoor activity where you’re carrying all your equipment, weight and space are essential factors when packing.
For those of you who remember my bushwalking kit, my small billy is still doing service after over 30 years of use. A bit battered and blackened over the years, it worked well with an amazing gas stove I borrowed from friend Brett ā the stove part is miniature yet worked a treat. I was prepared to cook full meals if necessary, but as I always managed to make my destination each day I usually bought dinner at a cafĆ© or counter tea. My standard procedure (when by myself) on waking each day was to assemble the stove and put the billy on. While the water was heating the tent was pulled down and start packing away the gear. My coffee plunger cup was at the ready and coffee made while the rest of the equipment packed and a quick cereal breakfast. Wash up and last things added to the panniers and ready for another day on the bike, in all usually around 45 minutes without rushing.
Life on the road has its moments, but one thing is that in many ways itās a much simpler existence. I achieved a number of personal bests on this ride, and there was always a sense of satisfaction when arriving at my planned destination. My total riding average was 105 km a day, and I did like it when the speedo turned over the hundred. Doesnāt matter if itās hot, cold, wet, windy, flat or hillyā¦. I was ridingā¦. so just get out there. And as soon as the legs were turning and the bike rolling along the road – it felt great.
A great group of family and friends gathered at Bondi Beach to welcome me and celebrateĀ “crossing the Continent”
Ā
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Bob's Ride 