Ok, so it was an 'event' but still a fairly decent unsupported ride into some serious back country...
Pizazz, G'day. I enjoyed your ride report. A good recovery and congratulations on finishing. Chapeau!
Hey Wassa, Not sure if SF was doing the BNT or if you were refering to our BNT experience.
John, yes Mate. Apologies. An equally enjoyable ride report. Which will go to several BNT coordinators.
This is the National horse trail
This was the National Horse Trail ... for the last 2 decades it has been the Bicentennial National Trail. Sorry, I had to write that ... just so sane people know what to avoid. I agree it is still a pack-horse track and it always will be and even then its only suitable for true mountain bred brumbies. Cyclist now well outnumber the horse riders on the BNT.
The comment you made about not being able to show the actual steepness of the track photographically, ... that fall-off in perspective always avoids showing others the pain. I've not been able to get that true ambiance through the lens either. Your photos are fantastic.
Congratulations to your riding partners too, a fantastic commitment. When I see reports like this, answering the inquiries about the BNT is well worth my time. Chapeaux au loin.
As a side note, I'm changing my tack on the way I've been mentioning and stressing the food requirements ... now I'm only going to say,
a minimum of 7,000 calories a day for Victoria.
Those Revelate Designs bags look great.
That style appears to have been around for a tad. As displayed by the trend setter William Virgin when he crossed the Nullarbor back in 1897, riding from Perth to Brisbane in 60 days ... but Bill's bag was real leather.
In the 'Bicycle and the Bush' by Jim Fitzpatrick (Hesperian Press reprinted in 2002) he looks at how Australian riders developed and adapted bags for what was then known as
Overlanding on push bikes. I never did get around to hanging an old style canvas water bag from my crossbar, doing that real bushie type stuff.
Just finished our 4-day trip through the Aust high country.
Oh did you? Come on, fess-up on how many Gu Gels? Did you ride Lone Pine or was that the 1 kilometre that you walked? If I did that trip nowadays I'd hopefully ride 1 kilometre ... ... hopefully.
Great effort Mate. As always.
Warren.
PS, I've got a confession. I did some flat-landing. I rode on the flood plains along the Murrumbidgee River, north of Wagga Wagga, in the Eastern Riverina ... and I liked it. I'd like to give you XC/Enduro Gurus a figure for the altitude gained over the ride, to put away for your future trips ... but there is none. One bridge possibly had a slight rise in the middle of it but I'm not sure. How does anyone claim a Strava KOM around Wagga and sleep straight or even live with themselves?
River Red Gums, near Eunony Lagoon, Eastern Riverina, NSW.
River Red Gum, Broman Lagoon, Eastern Riverina, NSW.
