April 12, 2014. Day 6. Coolgardie to 30k north of Norseman.

The original plan for today is just to cruise out to Widgiemooltha, stop overnight and head for Norseman tomorrow ... 

A pleasant 80k ride. 

I had a nice fresh start from Coolgardie at 7am...usual start time. Saturday morning in Coolgardie and all that is open for business was the local IGA. I am still carrying plenty of supplies from Perth, so no stop was necessary. 

A magnificent looking day, & I have the road to myself for the first 25km. Only 1 road train passed me in that distance. 

The road through to Widgiemooltha is Velomobile territory. After every long slow climb is a descent of a good 5km, where it's possible to wind the RV out! 

It's possible to sit on a constant speed of 45km/h or faster, if I put a bit of effort into it ;-) 

What a change from yesterday after slogging along all day and seemingly not making any sort of progress. Today the K's are flying by, and I made it into the roadhouse before 11am. Gotta love "undulations". 

Had a morning tea stop, iced coffee, up 'n go, slab of carrot cake.  Hmmm only 11am, 90km to Norseman... It seems too nice a day to camp this early.  

I reckon I'll give Norseman a go... any distance covered today is less tomorrow.

 

mmmm  un-du-lations  Kewl!! :-) 

Wind up the legs, 'n  let's chase that semi down ... Roll 'em...

After 120km of fun..., my! how your fortunes change on the road!.. It must be time for afternoon tea...

Water, coffee, plunger!! ;-) Gatorade, fruit 'n nut mix...& a couple of Glucodin tabs....let's roll again !!

Hell!! The Shire of Dundas!!  Am I back in Sydney. I hope not! I'm having too much fun today. (I'm 40km north of Norseman --Shire Boundary) 

It's heading for. 4.30pm, still 40km to town...2hrs riding... Reckon I'll wild camp tonight. 

Nice little spot to myself 30k out ... 155km all up today.  

Not a bad effort, 'n I'm feeling pretty chuffed :-)

April 10, 2014. Day 5. 20k east of Yellowdine - Coolgardie.

One sentence sums it up... Lotsa Nuthin'  :-/

Got off to a good start at 7, ended up with a. "Herd of Grey Nomads" last night. 9 caravans.. The last rolled in at 9pm..someone should tell these people to STFU when they pull up. Some of us WERE tryin' to sleep. LOL

They did settle fairly quickly. Thank Christ! or it "coulda got nasty". ;-)

Damn moonlight is a pain lol. Still a few days from the full moon.. might b some night time riding, it's that bright..

Trivia..Pinpoint the horizon. It's supposed to be 26 miles if you're viewing flat land. 

Here's a godsend. Comfort stop. Found a hole in the fence & a free tap. Excellenct. Thanks Telstra. lol ;-)

Damn hills lol granny gear n pedal.. only solution.

Bulla Bulling roadhouse. Dead!! Closed, finished.. Kaput. 

Salvation. 130k. :-)

Coffee, dinner, bed... Repack-Repeat :-)

April 9, 2014. Day 3. Kellerberrin to Carrabin

I've had a pretty good days ride today. 7am start from Kellerberrin,

 just one minor hiccup of a dropped chain, trying to wind out to top speed downhill, and over shifted on the big chain ring..couldn't get it to jump back on whilst freewheeling so let gravity take over 'til the RV ran out of steam, coasted to a stop..30 seconds later and off I went..uphill of course. LOL 

Made Merredin by 10.30, just in time for morning tea & to wait for "The Prospector" train to cross the road on its way to Perth. 

Good morning tea at Cafe 56. Thank you. 

Uneventful ride for the rest of the day. 

Checked for rabbits at the fence...

None to be seen. 

Made it to Carrabin by 2.30 local time. 

Wash, shower...time to fill the nose bag. 

Tomorrow is another day!! 

April 11, 2014. Day 4. Carrabin to 20k east of Yellowdine.

Today began with a 5am SMS form my upcoming support team (Norseman to Ceduna) asking if I needed any luxuries... Just a camp stretcher for a night or two might be nice. LOL

Packed up & on the road by 7am. Not a lot of traffic. Nice undulations. Good riding weather, even if it's with a gentle headwind. Again! 4 days of it so far, not taxing in the RV at all, just a noticeable change in the air conditioning. 

A good ride to Southern Cross, to be reminded by the local constabulary that riding a bike is dangerous. 

So is getting out if bed every day!! 

 

Just a reminder to check my "Ghooli's". PMSL! ;-)

Lunch at Yellodine.. a Red Bull & salad sandwich. Wonder how good those "wings" will be?

Then another 40km to "the gravel pit" rest area. Which ended up being very popular with the grey nomads..3 cars, 1 Rotovelo and 6 caravans. 

Thanks to Neil for a coldie after a good days ride. Much appreciated!! Enjoy your travels mate !!  :-)

Rotovelo Across Australia

Just a small sample of my Ride across Australia

April 8, 2014. Day 2. Bakers Hill to Kellerberrin.

Good start to the day, 5 a.m.. rise & shine... cool, fine & clear, packed and on the road by 6 a.m, so instead of bypassing Northam, I thought I'd go into town for breakfast. Nice idea but it involved me being reported to the Northam Police for "being on the road in a solar powered vehicle" yet another "please explain" to the local constabulary..Solar Powered!!..hmmph. Just the small solar panel on the nose of the RV is to keep the phone,lights,etc., charged.

"Yes officer, it's a bike... pedal powered, no engine, No! I don't need a flag,Yes, I'll be safe", Same old, same old.. Just concerned for my safety .. (I still don't think a flag pole, 1m tall, 5mm in diameter. with a pissy flag of 15sq. cm is gonna save me when a 90 tonne road train "snots me !)

I see what everyone's on about, but if I have no trouble negotiating Sydney's peak traffic as well as the main motorways like the M4. M5, & M2 with traffic passing me at 100km/h, I'm pretty sure I can survive out in the Wilds of WA.

It's all part of the challenge of riding a Velomobile across Australia.

Again, if I was on a "regular" bike, no-one would've even noticed me!!
It's all driver perception.
Maybe they should get out of their sealed, airconditioned  tin cans, slow down a bit, & REALLY take a look at the world around them & see the world as it's meant to be seen.!!! ;-)

Northam, just before my 2nd Police Stop. .....  I need a coffee!!



Back out on the road and the slow climb from Northam out to the main highway....slow and steady. The legs feel good. There's no rush. I've got two months to get to Sydney.....  Day 2 is not the time to start doubting my capability to complete the ride.

Meckering.... & I didn't feel the earth shake today. no earthquake. Unlike in 1968

The Big Camera, tourist attraction.....closed for renovation.....Smile Anyway!

Thanks to Clair at HTC Agencies & General Store for her kind donation of fresh fruit...just what the nutritionist ordered.


More miles, headwind from the right, cool breeze and aerodynamics ... great combination.

                                   

    Ettamogah Pub, Cunderdin.....Lunch, 'n maybe an ale to wash the dust down?

Gentle riding for the afternoon, mild undulations,

That'll do for today ! 

April 7, 2014. Day 1. Fremantle to Bakers Hill

Just a quick check in, whist using free wifi

Day 1, Fremantle to Bakers Hill
 ....was a reasonable 1st day's ride (105km) and considering I had to climb Greenmount Hill.. which was a pretty tough "physical challenge" as most West Aussie riders will know.

The traffic wasn't too bad. As I'm also carrying a handheld CB radio, I had to enlighten plenty of  truck drivers, who seem to think THEY own the road.... with their comments of "death wish", "too small", "can't be seen", "get off the road", "too slow", "what is it?","I'm reporting you to the Police" etc.,

The Rotovelo SHARES the road!! 

I was stopped by the Police (for the 1st time), when I was about half way up Greenmount, I had been reported as "using the whole lane" (as I'm entitled to, as per the Road Rules) and they were concerned for my safety. They, the Police, seemed to think that adding a "flag" will keep me alive.... Rubbish!!  drivers keeping their eyes on the road, 'n them and I, BOTH being aware of our surroundings, is the ticket! 

If I was riding a "regular" bicycle, no other driver would've given me a second glance....they just would've shot past, 1/2" off my elbow, scaring the crap out of me, and just keep on going.... , the Rotovelo is something they haven't seen before, and they don't know how to share the road with different vehicles!! that's all that's worrying them. 

Start at Rouse Head Lighthouse,
Fremantle.....                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     with my "Send - Off Party" of one lone seagull

Climbing through the Perth Hills....

And finally ..... after a coffee and couple of pies at the Bakers Hill Bakery,    

105 km from the start, a deserted shed looks like a quiet, secluded place to call it a day.

1st night wild camp. 

Freo brekky ride 'n sights

Although the weather forecast wasn't sounding great, morning storms, showers etc.,I felt the need to get a few more miles into the legs before heading off to Sydney

I planned to do the "Perth to City Beach" ride, then head down to Fremantle  & stop at "Ciccerello's" for breakfast/morning tea. Then head back to Perth for lunch at Fast Eddie's Cafe, followed by an arvo ride to Kings Park before calling it a day.
I'd carry a fair amount of my gear, just to ease into fully loaded mode again.

The plans of mice 'n men....

The ride out from the YHA was uneventful, cool and pleasant in the morning freshness heading south from Swanbourne to Fremantle, 

A view of the Indian Ocean, from Cottesloe..quite a queue of shipping.

Brekky/morning tea stop. Ciccerello's. (Yummo..just as I remembered it!)

The ride back to Fast Eddie's Cafe for lunch was also uneventful, with quite a bit of "on road" cycling, just to get a feel of the road surfaces.

On getting back to Fast Eddie's, the cafe was full...so a coffee 'n cake was good enough for a quick lunch...the munchies I'd been carrying kept me topped up, so a big lunch wasn't necessary. 

On my way back to the YHA was where the plan went "pear shaped" ...for a bit, anyway

Is it a bad omen to get a puncture right out the front of Perth Railway Station?? When I'm planning to ride all the way to Sydney??

No, not really.. It was a busy spot to try and do a quick tube change though... 

The RV seems to attract attention .. *wink* 

..so it turned into a tube replacement demo for the small crowd of onlookers, as well as answering 20 questions. LOL

Well, I didn't mind... Kings Park will still be there tomorrow. 

Back riding ..

Voila!!

As I would have been a bit rushed in trying to get myself settled at the Perth City YHA, and then rushing to make "closing time" at GMK yesterday, I took a relaxed bus ride out to GMK this morning & picked up the RV from GMK Logistics today...

"great job Aaron and the Gang!". I can't thank you enough for your services, & looking after my RV and also in helping me get the new light set fitted.

It feels good to be riding after a few weeks off, and riding today with the RV empty of the 20kg of "training weight" felt exceptionally fast. I had a good ride back into the CBD via the Swan River Share Path... a couple of wrong turns..to be expected, I guess... but back at the YHA in one piece.

I'd better settle back to reality and load it up again.  I could get used to such a light load. ;-)

Thanks again to my generous supporters, you'll be riding with me !!

But it's too nice a day to be stuck inside,...

A view of the WACA ground from the opposite bank of the Swan River...

                                                       ...and the Burswood Casino.....

I'll stay outta there, I'll keep my luck for when I'm out on the open plain....... !!

Dinner & a show!

No plans for a cooked meal tonight, grab a no-frills box of junk food and thought a "river view" would be nice at dinner time, when I came across this...

A building with an active light-show!  

Now that's different!

Chocks Away Biggles!

Every morning begins the first day of the rest of your life. 

Today began without too much drama. Just a simple task.. Drive to the airport and catch the flight to Perth. 

Sydney peak hour traffic being what it is ... in a word "crap" .. we allowed a good 2.5hrs to cover the 40km. The long suffering, good lady wife, suggested we drive, to avoid the hassle of dragging my gear through rail stations, as well as the Airport. 

We made it in time, with 40mins to spare. Not too bad considering we took the Scenic Route, avoiding the heaviest traffic but still getting plenty if red lights :-)

Departed on time. 

Writing this at 12,000m (40,000ft) altitude, crossing Spencer Gulf, and rounding Port Lincoln, just on 1400km to Perth. I'm wondering how long it's gonna take me to cycle back here, & what will life be like on the road... It's bound to be interesting and I reckon I'll be in a definite routine. 

I'm looking forward to picking up the RV & getting myself sorted. Hopefully this arvo I can get a ride in around the Swan River.  

Lunch being served, I wonder if this will be the best meal of the trip??

Bon Appetite!

Here at last. Using the YHA as home for the next few days. 

No RV ride this arvo, too much of a rush to get to GMK Logistics before they close for the day. There's plenty of time tomorrow. 

Reckon I'll do a bit of "rubber neckin'" instead, & hunt down a decent coffee 'n take life easy. 

Who's reflecting more ?? ;-)

Shiny!! LOL

T - 2 sleeps

I received a call from GMK Logistics (Perth) last night, the RV has arrived in one piece, and is waiting collection.  Hopefully I'll arrive and have enough time to collect it from the depot before closing time on Thursday. 

So far so good......

Now to stow all the goods and chattels that will be part of my life for the next two months, into a suitcase, for the flight to Perth.

This'll be easy to pack. ;-) 

Gear out.

Bits and bobs laid out and strategically grouped... only food to be added.

2-man tent and accessories.
Sleeping bag (feather down -5 deg. rating)
Thermarest (full length)
2x 6 Litre MSR Dromedary water bags / drinking tube
2 standard bidons
1.25L bottle & cage
Trangia stove and cook gear.
USB folding Solar Panel
GoPro & mini tripod
iPod / iPhone
Spot Connect
mini AM radio
Lezyne strobe lights (front-rear)
spare Schwalbe Marathon tyre
6 spare tubes
2 puncture repair kits
mini floor pump
chain whip / chain breaker / 2 master links
cassette tool
spare brake & gear cables /spokes / brake pads
screwdrivers / spanners / pliers
3 Jerseys / nicks
Cable lock
Toiletries / personal gear
Sleeveless sweater / arm - leg warmers / Buff head wear / cycling cap
fly net / spare T-shirt / shorts
cycling rain jacket for wet camping


Pillow & camp stool are the only luxuries.

If I don't get a good nights sleep every night, there aint gonna be too much good cycling!

....Wrapped in plastic...

I think that's a line from an old t.v show ... Twin peaks or something ,,

Plastic RV in plastic wrap, palletised and ready to travel....

Certainly looks well packed!

Bon Voyage. 

Now its really getting real.

Dropped off the Rotovelo to GMK Logistics this afternoon.... now its starting to really feel real.  Over two years of planning and research is coming together quite quickly.  It'll soon be time to "put my money where my mouth is" as my dear Mum used to say.... time to make actions speak.

Bath time

Time to knock off a few months worth of grunge. It can't be helping the aerodynamics if the laminar flow is hindered by filth ;-)

Not to mention all that summer sweat that ends up on the inside.. eeww .. lol. 

Maybe I'll give the RV a polish too, might help with the loaded hill climbing, but I doubt it. 

The Route

Put quite simply, my plan is-

Arrive Perth April 3, 2014.
Leave Fremantle, April 7, 2014.

Arriving Sydney end of May 2014 or there abouts via:-

Perth - Northam - Kellerberrin - Kalgoorlie - Norseman - Ceduna - Port Augusta -

and depending on mind and body, either:


option one:- (which is my preference)  

Adelaide - Mount Gambier - Great Ocean Road - Geelong - Dromana (Trisled factory) - Melbourne - Old Hume Highway - Wangaratta - Corryong - Jindabyne - Canberra - Goulburn - Old Hume Highway - Sydney.



option two:-
Mildura - Hay - Narrandera - Wagga Wagga - Goulburn - Old Hume Highway - Sydney.



I have no set itinerary apart from this... each days ride will be governed by the legs, the weather, and the sights.

Nullabor support crew.

My big sister, a world traveller, was looking for a different holiday experience, and who has a friend that, although also well travelled, hadn't seen the Outback of Australia..... Big Sis was worried about her "nutty" brother attempting to cycle through the wilds of the country, and asked her friend (who also has a keen interest in photography) what she thought about a Nullabor Holiday...... thus, a plan began to form........



The end result being, that I will have a support crew checking up on my welfare between Norseman and Ceduna, covering the Nullabor Plain and surrounds.

Their plan is to meet up with me in Norseman around mid April, checking in on my welfare (i.e., see if I've lost the plot totally... or not),  then they will head out each day in any direction and do their own thing, then meet up with me as I continue East, at the end of the day. We'll either wild camp, or maybe, be civilised at the nearest Roadhouse depending on each days ride.

Big Sis's plan is... to carry a few extra litres of Life's Nectar (water) and tucker, should I require it.

This is my greatest concern... rationing out the 15 Litres of water I'll be carrying with me.
I'd have to make my water last the 200km, (which is probably a 2 day ride) between Roadhouses. It's thirsty work powering a Velomobile, and I take on water like a steam train at the best of times, I don't want to expire from dehydration.
This has put my mind at ease knowing that I'll have extra water there if I need it.

(Not to mention a break down wagon should things really go wrong)

Thanks 'Ran 'n Nic. (aka..Thelma & Louise)

Last training ride

Rotovelo training ride. Parramatta Valley Cycleway. You have to enjoy the weather !  

Where I'm at.....update.

Quite a bit has been organised in the past week...

The Rotovelo is booked with a Freight Company for transportation to Perth.

Many thanks to GMK Logostics 

I've got myself organised with a flight as well.... The RV will arrive before me and GMK Logistics are happy to look after it 'til I get there. Excellent!!

Accommodation for my few days stay in Perth before starting my Expedition has been booked as well.

Camping gear has been finalised.
Carrying capacity for 20 litres of water.

Rotovelo has been serviced and spares parts are ready, hopefullt I'll just carry them, rather than have the need to use them. But ya neva know!


I think I've covered the  "6P plan"  ...

Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

I'm also looking forward to catching up the the gang from the Western Australian HPV Group

More Go Pro Cam action

..... just a small part of a day out with the Retro Riders. Always a fun time.

.... and the weather's generally pretty good too.

Go Pro cam...

Do I look funny in this?

I probably do, with all those expressions    :-)  LOL

T minus 3 weeks

Hectic is a good way to describe the last, and next few weeks as I try and REALLY get stuff sorted. There's no time for mucking around, but my day job seems to be getting in the way.... so much to think about, so little time.

I have managed to find some time to put some serious miles into the legs, as just last weekend I completed an Imperial Century, cycling 100 miles (160km) in one day.... and not feeling too bad the day after. A bit of tiredness in the legs but otherwise good.

Should cycling such a distance out on the ride be necessary, I know I have it in me to accomplish it.

This link is to my Spot Connect Page, which will show my training rides.

NVsAr8vhttp://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=053vtDLemd4rjd9jFLJcez7ONW


I've been trying to get the RV transported as cheaply as possible.

The airline I'm flying with had told me the RV could go as checked baggage... after a few days reviewing this, I began to think it sounded a little bit "too good to be true"....So upon further investigation, and plenty of help from said airline, I was advised it would be prudent to send the RV as freight "just to be sure" rather than have the disappointment of a "NO" answer when arriving to check-in.
Now it's gonna cost a bomb to ship!!!  damn  :-(

Wet weather training.

I suppose rain IS to be expected! 

Inclement weather training is the order of the day. It's warm 'n dry when cocooned inside the RV. 

Pics of a couple of stops to appreciate having the trail to myself. 

New toys....Go Pro, Spot Connect, Strava,...

Shopping for a few "necessary items" for the Ride is well underway.

MANY THANKS FOR ALL THE PREVIOUS INDIEGOGO CONTRIBUTIONS!!

                         My campaign is now CLOSED>  Many thanks to all who have contributed...


Items I'm currently endeavouring to purchase include

                                                                                     Go Pro Hero 3 action cam

I'm after a decent action cam that can be easily attached to the RV, is weather proof, that can take decent video and doesn't suffer too much from road vibrations.  This should be a good choice.

                                                                                    Spot Connect Satellite Communicator.

Along with the relevant iPhone App, this will allow me to communicate with the outside world with SMS, email, Facebook and Twitter.
It allows "real time" tracking for those following me online.
It also has an SOS function, should the worst happen. Search and Rescue is only a button press away..... a good investment..Just in Case.





And then there's this App called Strava.... I've heard and read the blurb,so thought I'd give it a go........maybe it will help with my training.
It's only a matter of getting "miles in the legs" anyway, I'm not out to break any records, or rack up PB's, but it'll give me a record of my rides.

Duck!!

Terrific weather today, so decided another training ride was the order of the day.


Paid a visit to the Rubber Duck event (part of the Sydney Festival 2014)  in Parramatta Park.

Looks like the duck may have laid an egg?

Overall 120km put into the legs....

Where's the nose bag?

The Countdown Begins........

Ooooooo!! its the start of 2014 and things are getting scary....

Only a few months more to actually get things properly organised! Time waits for no Velonaut!!

I've still got to track down a decent action camera.(Currently researching the GoPro Range) This will be a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity, and I want to record it in as many ways as possible....at least on video!  as well as this 'blog.

I'm going to need a durable water carrier with a large capacity... It'll take me a couple of days cycling to get between the roadhouses on the Nullabor plain and its going to be thirsty work.(Thinking of the MSR Dromadery 10Litre Water Carrier.... maybe I'll need two, 20L capacity) Better to have too much water, than expire and become road kill for the Wedgetails.

Another line of thought is whether to carry some sort of GPS tracker / EPIRB....
GPS tracker so friends and family (and all my avid followers) can see just where I might expire  LOL
and the EPIRB for rescue if required!

Then there's working out tucker for the 1200km from Norseman to Ceduna ( towns with Supermarkets)... 50 packets of two minute noodles anyone!!   LOL

I'd better get cracking..................