The Garmin 1000 is the leading edge.

The Garmin 1000 is the leading edge.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Pre Tour ride. Tuesday 31st July 2012

I thought I'd add a photo of myself from the recent Cairo to Capetown tour, this way you'll know me when you get to Perth.

In relation to the start day of the tour, that's not going to change.  The tour will roll out of Perth on Wednesday 1st August 2012, rain, hail or shine.  Not that I'm going to worry if it's pouring down rain, because I'll be nice and warm in my vehicle driving to the lunch stop.

Now I know some people will want to start the tour from the shore of Western Australia and ride to the Eastern seaboard of Australia. The cabin/lodge that I 've chosen is approximately 4kms from the airport, and about 20kms from the coast. The reason for this is to get everyone out of the city in one piece and the accommodation is on the road we need to take.

I've arranged with an old school friend who lives in Perth to provide an escort for those cyclists who want to ride from our starting base to the ocean on the Tuesday 31st July, leaving at 1pm.  That means your bikes have to ready by this time.

I anticipate the 20km trip will take about 1.5 hours through the traffic to reach the ocean.  The group will stay at the beach for photographs for 30minutes and then ride back to the cabin/lodge.  The staff have alot to do to get this show on the road so this is the only time I can arrange for this to occur prior to departure. 

The staff and vehicles will be arriving on the Sunday 29th July 2012.

Safe riding
Terry.


Sunday, September 25, 2011

Weekly update: 26th September 2011.


Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

One of my famous mates from BMC.
So what's new?  Well I'm back on the bike and that's always a positive.  To cover a couple of points first, the cabins v tents on the tour.  Of the caravan parks we'll be staying in at leat 90% have cabins or lodges to stay in.  If you wish to stay in a cabin then this cost is your responsibility.  Remember we carry every bit of your gear.

Be prepared to camp out for a couple of nights in your tents as this will add to the experience on the holiday.  I have purposely chosen a couple of locations where there are no facilities other than the wet wipes you bring along with you.  You will camp out in the bush at least once, but this could be as high as 3 nights, so during this time, no shower, no toilet, other than the one you dig in the bush. Now that's living.

Due to the temperatures around this time of the year I would strongly recommend full cycling gloves aswell as cycing mitts.  Boot warmers, leg & arm warmers would be a good idea.  A wet weather jacket and winter sleeveless vest will help for those cold morning along the Nullarbor Plains.

A camp dinner set with a carry bag is required by each cyclist.  We do not supply your bowl, cup, plate, knife & fork on this tour.  We will supply enough food to feed a football team each day.  You will never go hungry.

One important item to put in your bag is butt cream to prevent those nasty sores, and high quality cycling shorts.  Not your $30 dollar pair from ebay.

When I did the TDA I brought all my gear in a duffle bag, 90X40X40cm.  It was perfect and I do recommend them for this trip as they'll be easy to store on the vehicle and will fit your tent, roll out matt, sleeping bag and your clothes in quite easy.  They are good because they cost around $50 and can roll away into your cycling box for the flight.  Everyone has their own preference, but don't prefer hard case bags because they won't be coming on the trip.

Safe riding and keep the questions coming.

Terry.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Weekly Update of 2012 cycle tour.

Time for that weekly update.  At this stage the number of interested cyclists for the tour next year is 10.  I need 15 at the minimum to go ahead. 

In relation to bag weight, I know TDA was around the 43kg limit, in this tour the bag limit will be 30kgs per person.  This of course is not including your bicycle.  So if you're bags are weighed in at 35kgs, I get to keep the excess.

When taking your bike on the plane, a good option is to send a letter off to the airline with the authorisation letter I have from the Guide Dogs NSW/Act indicating the ride is for charity.  I know Singapore Airlines accept the letters and in my case they gave me a 10kg bonus when I flew to Cairo this year.  This would apply to all airlines around the world, not sure about Qantas. 
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A full itinery will be sent out closer to the date. 

It will be the responsibility of the cyclist to get himself and his bike to the starting line in Perth.

The camping grounds I've chosen nearly all have cabins that you can stay in if you're sick of sleeping in your smelly, damp tents. 

I'm sure the real hard tough aussie cyclists will be camping all the way.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

2012 Tour Update.

Currently I have 9 people showing an interest in the Perth to Sydney tour next year.  I need 15 starters for the tour to go ahead, it comes down to numbers. 

The way I've planned the tour is to have roughly 28 days of riding broken up into 6 sections averaging 140-160kms.  I've included 5 rest days.

Having crossed the Nullarbor many years ago I can assure all cyclists that these distances are achieveable. 

For those who are not able to take 5 weeks off work, I've decided to offer the trip in 2 sections.  The first section will be Perth to Port Augusta, South Australia, and Port Augusta to Sydney.

First section:                  1st August to 19th August, Perth to Port Augusta.
Second section:              19th August to 2nd September, Port Augusta to Sydney.

The cost will be $2000 per section.

In relation to equipment that you'll need to bring along with you, make sure you have a 2-3 litre camelbak hydration unit or similar product.  Of course you need your own tent, inflatable mat, and a good sleeping bag for those cold night on the Nullarbor Plains.

Safe riding
Regards Terry

Monday, September 5, 2011

Recovering well, update on Tour 2012.



It's now 4 weeks since I entered hospital and I have another 2 weeks of relaxation before I get back on the bike.  

This weeks tour update:

So, where do I begin.  I've had alot of emails over the past fortnight and I hope to address some of those matters.  Firstly the price has been decreased from $5000 to $4000AUS.  The reason for this is that some have questioned the price of the tour and how much would go to the charity out of the entry fee.  For this reason I've reduced the costs and now request participants to raise $1000 for the Guide Dogs of NSW/ACT.  This money will be handed to the charity at the steps of the Sydney Opera House when we get to our final destination.  To all Australian participants, this $1000 is tax deductable.

In relation to the equipment you will need to participate in the tour,  I recommend a road bike not a mountain bike.  Age is no barrier to the tour, anyone under the age of 16 years will need a support/guardian to participate for legal reasons.

The ride is still planned for departure on the 1st August 2012 and finishing on the 2nd September 2012.  Any changes will only be to the starting day and this could be 1 day earlier, and of course I'll let you know as the time gets closer.

So safe riding and I'll see you back on the bike in 2 weeks.

Regards Terry