Category: Oct-Dec 2016

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 1

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 1

E Sharp

Granya Gap – both ways – 42 unloaded miles

Sunday October 2, 2016

So last Monday, it looked like we might finally get in an overnight ride. After two days of rain Thurs and Friday, Saturday’s forecast was for a 20% chance of rain in the morning of only 2mm. Yay – finally a camping weekend!

Alas, as the week wore on, the forecast got worse and worse. Saturday arrived and it drizzled and rain most of the day. It took a long time for the big system to move out – but we can’t complain… the entire state of South Australia lost power when the storm rolled through there earlier in the week. Read more →

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 2 – The week that was

E Sharp

Friday October 7, 2016

So this is where I work. It was a crap week – another flood surge after one that lasted two weeks a couple weeks ago. But this flood was higher and our building cut off. We had to park elsewhere and take shuttles into the one area of high ground that gave access.

The flooding peaked on Friday just 20cm below major flood level. All week there was tremendous disruption at work. That may be an understatement. The water may be hanging around at a high level for weeks. That beautiful full Lake Hume was releasing 75,000 ML to 85,000 ML a day all week – causing extensive flooding downstream below the dam wall and meaning the water is waist-deep outside our building and almost 8 metres above normal levels. Read more →

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 2 – Day 1

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 2 – Day 1

E Sharp

Holbrook – Little Billabong – Lankeys Creek – Jingellic – Thologolong

Saturday October 8, 2016, 77 miles (124 km) – Total so far: 1,996 miles (3,213 km)

There are only two good days for the ride before more rain comes through. This means, in the time available, I can’t get in a complete loop from home AND get in the new roads I’ve got planned. So I get a lift to Holbrook to cut off 45 miles. Dear husband drops me off at the side of the road and looks relieved when I say he doesn’t need to wait on me to load the bike. So I get a hug and kiss and then I’m left there with a pile of panniers, a front wheel and a bike. Read more →

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 2 – Day 2

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 2 – Day 2

E Sharp

Thologolong – Granya – Wymah – Bowna – Jindera

Sunday October 9, 2016, 52 miles (84 km) – Total so far: 2,048 miles (3,296 km)

It’s all familiar roads today – we’ve ridden all of these roads many times. But this is still a favourite of mine, so I don’t mind the repeat. While I normally get tired of the roads I’ve ridden a million times, I don’t get tired of this one.

I do take off from the camping area early though. The winds are supposed to get quite strong today, and I’d like to minimise the time ridden in 40kph gusts. Read more →

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 3 – Day 1

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 3 – Day 1

E Sharp

Henty – Pulletop – The Rock – Five Ways Reserve

Saturday October 15, 2016, 74 miles (119 km) – Total so far: 2,122 miles (3,415 km)

Decent weather two weekends in a row! Woo-hoo! We normally start getting such luxury in August not October… but nevermind. This weekend I don’t really have any expectations about what the ride will be like. I am just on a quest to pick up more new roads. I’ve mapped out a route that will meander east then west while slowy heading north on Saturday… in an effort to head north while making a predicted northerly headwind not quite so direct. Then we can ride the northerly wind back home on Sunday. Read more →

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 3 – Day 2

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 3 – Day 2

E Sharp

Five Ways Reserve – Munyabla – Walla Walla – Jindera

Sunday October 16, 2016, 47 miles (76 km) – Total so far: 2,169 miles (3,491 km)

Through the night I have dreams of my tongue swollen so large I cannot speak. Then I feel like I’m being strangled.

So I don’t get a great night’s sleep since my nose is so stuffy, I can only breathe through my mouth. This means I ignore the first of the sun’s rays beaming down on the tent in the open-sided, east-facing shed.

But I don’t linger too long. There is a front coming today. The NNE wind is already strengthening. It will be a tailwind most of the way home, and a NNE wind indicates I still have plenty of time to beat the rain. When the wind swaps to the NW is when the window starts to slowly close on dry riding. Read more →

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 4 – Day 1

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 4 – Day 1

E Sharp

Jindera – Milbrulong State Forest via Burrumbuttock, Pleasant Hills and Lockhart

Sunday October 23, 2016, 89 miles (143 km) – Total so far: 2,258 miles (3,634 km)

So this excursion should be called the “Plan D Trip”. Early in the week, the weekend looked nice. So dear husband agreed to go camping. So I mapped out a route that would include a campground with him on Saturday night. Then, later in the week, the weekend weather looked cold overnight, and dear husband doesn’t do cold, so I mapped out a new route without him. Then dear husband suggested it would be nice to get away for a night, anyway, so how about I meet him at a motel somewhere. So I mapped out a third route. Then dear husband backs out of that. So I mapped out a fourth route – which is what we tried to ride. Read more →

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 4 – Day 2

4,000 for 40 – Oct Ride 4 – Day 2

E Sharp

Milbrulong State Forest to Jindera via Munyabla

Monday October 24, 2016, 69 miles (111 km) – Total so far: 2,327 miles (3,745 km)

My alarm goes off at 5.30am. I am immediately up and packing. The plan is to get everything packed up and loaded on the bike before breaking down the tent last thing – hopefully getting as much ready before the mozzies under the tent fly get cluey about what’s happening. Read more →

4,000 for 40 – October 2016 Goal Summary

E Sharp

To make my goal of riding 4,000 miles this year, with 4,000 kilometres within that being loaded touring…

I need to ride 350 miles each month, including 350 kilometres of touring: 350 miles/kms x 12 months = 4200 miles/kms

So for October I rode:
October Unloaded Miles: 103 miles
October Loaded Miles: 408 miles (657 kms)
October Total Miles Ridden: 511 miles

Year to Date Unloaded: 1214 miles
Year to Date Loaded: 2327 miles (3745 kms)
Year to Date Total Miles: 3541 miles

We’re right on track. We should get to our 4,000 kms of loaded riding in the next few weeks. And we need 500 miles in total in the next two months to reach our 4,000 miles goal. Barring major disaster, it should be achievable. I won’t stop at 4,000 though… I’ll see how much I can pedal before year’s end. The rain is finally easing, so if we don’t get carried away by mosquitoes, we should have more conducive days for riding than we had May-Sept. Pedal on!

4,000 for 40 – Nov Ride 1 – Day 1

4,000 for 40 – Nov Ride 1 – Day 1

E Sharp

Jindera – Wymah – Jingellic – Walwa – Clarkes Lagoon Reserve

Saturday November 5, 2016, 85 miles (137 km) – Total so far: 2,412 miles (3,882 km)

The last weekend we rode, we rode Plan D. This weekend I think we sorta ride Plan 1A-Alternate. The past six months have been so full of frustrations and loss, and nothing I ever plan ever goes to plan (just wait, there will be more loss this week with the US election and the death of Leonard Cohen!). So this week, I planned out three possibilities, and this ride is a bit like Plan A, but not exactly. The wind will disrupt any chance of doing what I’d originally hoped. Read more →