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We will ride close to 3,000 kms (1,850 miles) in one month. We
ride
our first 160 km day (100 miles) on day 2. In the first 6 days, we ride
consecutive days
over 100 kms, one of which is a day over 160 kms (100 miles).
In
week 2, we ride 3 95 mile (150 kms) days consecutively. From
week
3, our daily rides are in the range of 100 to 120 kms (65 to 75 miles).
The wind will help but
it
would be unwise to try to train into the ride. Past
participants
will advise that it pays to do enough training to make the first week
as enjoyable as the last. The preparation that has worked best for
other participants is to train for a century (100 kms or 100 miles)
over 8 weeks before we start. The following resources have proved
useful in the past.
It is essential that your bike is comfortable - you will be in
the
saddle over 150 hours. Pay attention to getting a good saddle on which
you have spent some time training. Padded cycle shorts (knicks) and
gloves are highly recommended. Helmets are compulsory. It is essential
that your bike is mechanically sound - we suggest servicing before the
trip replacing worn cables, chain, brake blocks and tyres. There
are bike shops in Broome, Karratha, Port Hedland,
Carnarvon, and Geraldton (each about 600 kms apart).
As we are using 4 star caravan parks (where available) and travelling
with a fully equipped camping and cooking trailer, you need only bring
the minimum essential camping equipment - a small tent, a lightweight
sleeping mattress, a decent sleeping bag, eating essentials, and a
torch.
We have scheduled rest days every 4 or 5 days. There are laundry
facilities in all the caravan parks we use. Consequently, you can
safely limit clothing required to 4 or 5 days wear. However, please be
aware that the nights in the Outback can be cold - a useful way to deal
with this is to use several layers of lightweight clothing (e.g., pack
a thermal vest and a lightweight woolen jersey).
You will find that you can get almost any supplies in the main centres along the route - we have rest days scheduled every 4 or 5 days in these to allow ready re-stocking. Unless you have any very specialist needs (e.g., medical or food allergies), you can stock up in a planned way along the way.
Travel Insurance is required. Personal liability insurance is recommended. Cycle Across Oz will ask you to sign a liability waiver form. Medical Insurance is recommended - for Australian residents this includes specific cover for Emergency Ambulance Evacuation (not normally covered outside the state in which you live)
Broome is currently served only by domestic air services from Darwin, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney operated by Qantas and Virgin Blue. Each of these cities is served by a range of international flights. Airnorth and Skywest offer services from smaller regional locations to Broome. As aircraft used tend to be smaller than on other routes, agree with your air carrier before checking in for your flight how to ship your bike. Most airlines will accept a bike box from your local bike shop. When you pack your bike make sure you use a bike fork and wheel hub protector and remove the axles. You can travel also by bus from Darwin or Perth.
Perth is well served by domestic and international airlines. Have a look here for links to domestic and regional airlines and here for international airlines. For something different you could travel back to the East Coast on the Indian Pacific rail service.
We are very lucky to be able to draw on the experiences of past Cycle Across Oz adventurers, some of whom have committed to ride with Cycle Across Oz again:
We travel through some very special tourist regions:
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© 2010 Cycle Across Oz ABN 17 420 128 935.