Check out my ride on Strava.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1390578854
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Night Riding
Moderator: Moderator Team
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kgibbo1868
- Posts: 425
- Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:36 pm
Last edited by kgibbo1868 on Mon Feb 05, 2018 4:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
2019 Baum Ristretto
Pain is my friend!
Pain is my friend!
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kgibbo1868
- Posts: 425
- Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:36 pm
Well, I had an epic day of riding. With a better route choice I could have got more kms, but this was a crazy, amazing, challenging day that I won’t forget any time soon!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
2019 Baum Ristretto
Pain is my friend!
Pain is my friend!
That sounds good!!!!!kgibbo1868 wrote:Well, I had an epic day of riding. With a better route choice I could have got more kms, but this was a crazy, amazing, challenging day that I won’t forget any time soon!
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Write your experience!!
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kgibbo1868
- Posts: 425
- Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:36 pm
Thanks to everyone who gave advice, I was all set up with heaps of reflective tape, 2 x headlights, 2 x tail lights, lots of food, 3 liters of fluids, a portable battery for recharging my phone, and lights. I had warm gloves and arm warmers as well as a windproof vest. I set the alarm for 2:45 (wife was not impressed) and checked my watch every hour from the time I went to bed as I could not sleep. Too much nervous energy I think.
3:00am departure, 50km in the sun started to rise. By this time I had already seen a Tasmanian Devil eating road kill, as they do..., A bunch of possums and rabbits not to mention a constant flow of wallabies crossing the road in front of me. One got a bit to close, but contact was avoided! The first 50km was truely wonderful quietly cruising down road by myself. I saw 2 other vehicles in the first 50km, traffic is definatly not an issue!
The pavement ended, to my surprise, after 50 km and turned to gravel. I had planned the ride on ride with gps and it looked like a decent highway....
I thought I would see how I go on the gravel, I had some sealant in my tool bag and a spare tubular as well.
The road wasn't great but I kept hoping it would get better, it didn't.... Gravel and 20% climbs on 23c tyres will test you, not to mention trying to go down the other side and not lose your $hit.
100km in and 50 km of gravel. By this time I was committed to trying to make it to pavement, I could not turn and ride the last 50 km again. I was feeling pretty beat up from the vibrations and the effort required to ride this road was starting to take its toll on me both physically and mentally.
The bike was filthy and so was I... I stopped to have a stretch and take a picture of the river. While taking the picture 2 hikers came out of the bush and told me only another 20 km of gravel to go. I had already done 80 so I guess another 20 wouldn't be the end of the world, but inside I was feeling like it might. By this time I had lost both water bottles on a scary decent, then I rode back and collected them but one had a broken nozzle and they were both disgustingly dirty. Then at some point (not sure when) I lost another water bottle and one of my rear lights ejected itself as well...
Did I mention that this road was a bit sketchy, especially on steep descents?
This little dude was in bad shape as he had been run over, I was not game to help him though...
At km 150 I finally saw pavement again. I had actually ridden 100km of gravel and gotten a flat, how is that even possible? My ax-lightness 24 ULT wheels and Veleflex tyres impressed me once again!
Back to the coast at km 240, and I turned left into a nast head wind...
278km of vast nature, this was my longest ride ever, and totally solo. It was around 8:00 pm when I called in the SAG wagon.
I am a bit sore and tired today but still glowing with a buzz from the ride.
3:00am departure, 50km in the sun started to rise. By this time I had already seen a Tasmanian Devil eating road kill, as they do..., A bunch of possums and rabbits not to mention a constant flow of wallabies crossing the road in front of me. One got a bit to close, but contact was avoided! The first 50km was truely wonderful quietly cruising down road by myself. I saw 2 other vehicles in the first 50km, traffic is definatly not an issue!
The pavement ended, to my surprise, after 50 km and turned to gravel. I had planned the ride on ride with gps and it looked like a decent highway....
I thought I would see how I go on the gravel, I had some sealant in my tool bag and a spare tubular as well.
The road wasn't great but I kept hoping it would get better, it didn't.... Gravel and 20% climbs on 23c tyres will test you, not to mention trying to go down the other side and not lose your $hit.
100km in and 50 km of gravel. By this time I was committed to trying to make it to pavement, I could not turn and ride the last 50 km again. I was feeling pretty beat up from the vibrations and the effort required to ride this road was starting to take its toll on me both physically and mentally.
The bike was filthy and so was I... I stopped to have a stretch and take a picture of the river. While taking the picture 2 hikers came out of the bush and told me only another 20 km of gravel to go. I had already done 80 so I guess another 20 wouldn't be the end of the world, but inside I was feeling like it might. By this time I had lost both water bottles on a scary decent, then I rode back and collected them but one had a broken nozzle and they were both disgustingly dirty. Then at some point (not sure when) I lost another water bottle and one of my rear lights ejected itself as well...
Did I mention that this road was a bit sketchy, especially on steep descents? 
This little dude was in bad shape as he had been run over, I was not game to help him though...
At km 150 I finally saw pavement again. I had actually ridden 100km of gravel and gotten a flat, how is that even possible? My ax-lightness 24 ULT wheels and Veleflex tyres impressed me once again!
Back to the coast at km 240, and I turned left into a nast head wind...
278km of vast nature, this was my longest ride ever, and totally solo. It was around 8:00 pm when I called in the SAG wagon.
I am a bit sore and tired today but still glowing with a buzz from the ride.
Last edited by kgibbo1868 on Mon Feb 05, 2018 5:01 am, edited 2 times in total.
2019 Baum Ristretto
Pain is my friend!
Pain is my friend!
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wheelbuilder
- Posts: 1209
- Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 2:10 am
Wow. Nice job!
Never cheer before you know who is winning
