4.30am Alarm clocks beeped. Time to get up and go.
5.30am Knees creak as we cycle out from Mt. Connor lookout. A spectacular blanket of stars keeps us company until the dawn sky lights our way.
8am I request a breakfast stop. I negotiate 20 minutes.
12.30ish 100kms down. My energy is starting to fade and I'm getting slower and slower. Everyone else wants to push on but I negotiate a 30 minute lunch stop.
2pm I feel like a battery that's slowly running out of juice. We have 20kms to go to Yulara, the resort next to Uluru. Brendan steps in to help by pushing my saddle everytime I drop below 20km/h (I'm still cycling, but with a 'Brendan tailwind'). We power on ahead to get to Yulara. Thanks Brendan!
3ish We make it to Yulara! I take advantage of being a little bit ahead to have an extra 5 minutes of rest. A dose of Powerade recharges all our juices, particularly mine. We were going to meet our lovely driver at the Cultural Centre by now. No time for resting, gotta push on for the last 20km.
Uluru is sited but seems simultaneously close and 5kms away. On and on we cycle, 'it must only be another 5km away surely?'. 1 hour later later we make it to the cultural centre. And, no, I didn't need to get pushed for the last part!
4pm We collapse onto the benches at the cultural centre. Only moving to buy more Powerade's and meet our very patient driver. We revive ourselves to take a few more photos and visit Kata Tjuta for the sunset. Bikes are loaded onto the car ready for the trip home via Kings Canyon. We made it!!
With dawn creeping up behind us we stole out of Erldunda Roadhouse at about 8am. A one hour head start from the Alice Springs Cycling Club. With that head start, we reckoned, we could meet them for morning tea.
Good to know that our safety vests work well in the dark as well as during the day.
The milestone turnoff - from Stuart Highway to the Lasseter Highway. Uluru was just down the road...
And here we are at morning tea, with the wonderful tuckshop van. Our bikes got a few looks from the other cyclists - obviously no cyclist worth their salt can resist a bit of a bike perv. We waved them off, expecting that we wouldn't see them again until we were back in Alice Springs.
But lo and behold, we caught up with them at lunchtime, only 20 minutes behind the cycle club (who were on road bikes in a pelaton). They were pretty surprised too, and clapped us in as we turned into the driveway! Best feeling ever. After pinching a sandwich and some drinks from their van they were on their way. I earned a reputation from the food van of being a 'mexican bandit'. The buff I was wearing probably didn't help :0)
30kms on and then we stopped to camp at Mt. Connor lookout. Our lovely driver was there to meet us with extra food and water supplies. We knew the next day, the last day, would be a big one. For the last time, we vowed we would get up earlier the next day...
The day dawned clear and bright. We know this because we were up at dawn packing up our tents and getting ready to go. We were on the road by 8am. The following photos gives you an idea of the depth and variety of the scenery that we experienced...
with the occasional road train to break up the routine.
Brendan was lucky enough to see a kangaroo at the end of the day. What I mean to say is, he was lucky enough to see an alive kangaroo at the end of the day.
We made it to Erldunda Roadhouse by about 4pm and - after scoffing down ice creams, pies and chips - enjoyed a long hot shower. The Alice Springs Cycling Club were also there, having just finished the first of three days to Kings Canyon. We were so happy to see them! Not just because of their great company and excellent cycling stories, but also because their support crew kept giving us free food. A bag of muffins anyone?
By nightfall we were pretty tired and fell asleep quickly. The next day, we vowed, we would get up even earlier...
After deliberately not committing to this ride for many months beforehand, I found myself at 'the gap' in Alice Springs with my bright new touring bike and shiny new panniers. A very excited Brendan was next to me snapping away photos and Zoe joined us to wack a few 'I love variety club' stickers on our pannier bags.
Brendan had to race back home to pick up the forgotton kerosene and by 9am we were on our way. Savouring the feeling of not having to go to work on a Friday we rode our first 10kms into the ride. Only 440km to go!
Highlights were the '5km to the next rest stop' signs...
and the occasional dead car
We arrived at about three thirty at Stuarts Well roadhouse (home of dinky the singing dingo) for a Gatorade, a shower and a camping spot. Next day, we vowed, we would get up earlier.
Chuck here again for yet another exciting installment of... dunt, dunt, duhaaa... the Alice cycling experience.
Here in Alice Springs Naomi and I are dedicated to living without motor vehicles as much as possible. We try to walk and cycle everywhere and it works most of the time except for when we want to leave Alice but we are working on that.
Here is a picture of the 'shopping ute' as I call it. The bike that I can fit a weeks worth of groceries on. The best part about it is that the bike only cost $150. Probably a little expensive but I ride it everyday to work.
I do get a little flak for the basket (you have to have thick skin to ride past a group of ten year old school kids on bikes who call out 'fag basket man' and not mean it in a good way).
Here are the two everyday bikes parked in our carport. Everybody else has four wheel drives or two cars so we get all self righteous and snooty with our left wing dogma and lord it around the place with our giant calf muscles (just kidding. We only do that in private). I love that our landlord saw a need and bolted an old fence to the column and made us a bike stand.
This weekend Naomi and I and the great Alice Springs Cycling club went on their annual fun ride to Kings Canyon.
Kings Canyon is about 323km South West of Alice Springs and to cycle there it takes approximately 500kms of saddle-riding joy. Just as a point of comparison North Sydney to Parramatta is only 40kms. Erskineville to Woollongong is only 90kms.
Here are some pictures.
Saturday the 5th of May, 5:30 am. 200kms to go for today.
No one sane is awake except for us. It was so dark that my flash couldn't penetrate the darkness. The few huddle together to wait the critical mass before we take off.
We don't get very far out of town before the toll of a saddle pressing into your perineum show. The first "piss stop" as it is colloquially known (also slash stop, snake stop or whiz-by (if you're into that tour De France feel of non-stop peeing) is also yelled up and down the peloton) sneaks up on us at 20kms.
Boys to the left, girls to the right or which ever side had more bushes. I didn't take a picture of the other side of the road out of modesty but as the ride went on the girls were not walking far enough into the bush and a few bare bums could be spied if you were looking (also some guys just put their bikes down and piss into the wind right where they were). I love nature.
Then we were off again. This is a video of the back of the peloton as we pull off. Now times this by 500 and thats pretty much the riding side. Looks like fun huh?
The other side of this ride is the food! My goodness. FOOD! I heard some stories about riders putting ON weight riding to Kings Canyon.
Not surprising considering we had a support vehicle that was a tuck shop on wheels. It would ride ahead of us, set up, feed us with delicious fruit, cake, drinks of all kinds and then would chase us until we stopped for a slash stop every 30km or so and it would take past us to set up at the next stop. We would gladly stop and line the road to watch the tuck shop roll past...
Part of this riding caper is to sleep outside like your common everyday, garden variety insect which there was no shortage of. Bloody insects. This part of the world is just full of stuff that wants to bite, stab, stick or eat you.
Camp site 1. Erldunda. Nice place. It had flushing toilets. The future was here. No clothes lines though. I guess thats why we brought the bike...
Sunday 6th of May, 7:30 am. 165kms to go for today.
Here is the full group of nearly 50 riders standing in front of one of the 3 support vehicles. It took me till the third day before I realised that there was a port-a-loo on the back of the truck (it's that white box in the middle). They really should tell you these things. I was wondering why no one else was complaining about getting their arse stabbed full of thorns in the dark.
This truck carried all our swags and 1000 litres of water that we drank nearly dry over 2 and a half days!!
This day we had a sleep in from our 5:30 start the previous day. Look, the sun is actually up and casting our shadows a long way.
There was, of course, more riding. Here the landscape swallows the peloton in the distance (this photo was taken by Naomi from the Sag wagon. The 3rd of the support vehicles with tools and spare parts and seats for those not wanting to ride all of it. Naomi rode 180km over the 2 and a half days. A great achievement for her considering she only started riding seriously since we got here in Alice).
Camp site 2. Desert Oak bush camp.
No comfort here except for the bare minimum. No bathroom, no building just a water tank, a picnic shelter and various vehicles that some people brought themselves. Wish Naomi and I brought a tent... Some people had there family drive a motor home to meet them. That was just old fashioned cheating. I slept on an old yoga mat and my sleeping bag trying to practice for cycle touring. Naomi had a swag and thankfully a friend lent us a mosquito dome (highly recommended if you're coming out here).
Here I am sitting in our bedroom. Beautiful isn't it? Lots more bugs here. I think it was one big ants nest. The view at night made it all worth it though. The stars are stunning and I can't take a photo of it.
The food again was on the stove within seconds of stopping. Road, fire, trees and food all on a bicycle. Really, what more do you want?
The only picnic shelter was where we had dinner that night. We kind of hogged it and stayed until the unseemly hour of 8:30 pm before going to bed. That night I had the strange experience of hearing mosquitoes descend into our camp ground from out bush. It was like a World War 2 movie during the blitz. I expected to hear Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries.'
Monday the 7th of May, 6:45 am. 135kms to go for today before lunch. Today I ate kilometres for breakfast. The boys and the girls split off with the girls leaving earlier and the boys chasing them. We had been averaging 25km per hour till this day when the all male peloton pushed into 38km with our speedy cycling at a comfortable pace. We had to hold back a little as there were some septuagenarians with us (amazing people. When I'm 70 I wanna be just like that).
The peloton cycled with everyone taking a turn at the front in a rolling formation. I felt like a fighter pilot with guys peeling off to my left as we came up the right hand side of the peloton going around from right to left then dropping to the back as guys took there turn in front of you then back up the right to go back to the front all at 30 odd km per hour. It was the fast getting faster when young blokes got to the front and started picking up speed forcing us closer to 40km on some points (I have to say it was hard not to want to go faster).
Here is the first tea stop. This was the terrain on the last day. Long, flat and straight with a 15 knot headwind and around 27 degree heat. Murder. The guys coming back in the wrong direction are sprinters who race each other in the last 2km of each leg and fly past the stop going at almost 50 to 60km per hour. They were absolute machines.
One of these guys got a puncture on one of the stages and had to draft behind a car to catch up to the peloton. The speedometre in the car read 70km per hour and he was still on its tail!! Absolutely amazing. Next time you are in a car drive at 70kmph and imagine doing that on a bicycle.
Here we are in The canyon. 494km later (we still have to ride to the resort which is 6km out of the canyon proper). We look happy don't we? Check out Eddy in the front row third from the right. 70 years old (or close to) and has ridden 500km on a bike with only one gear for the fourth year in a row (or fifth. He's a little deaf so he might have thought I was asking for how many toes he had left).
Naomi Joined in for the last 30km into the canyon and we got a picture together before riding together to the end at the resort car park. A fantastic ride.
The bus ride home was so relieving. We were grateful to be sitting on something wider than our bum cracks for a change. If you are ever in town and want to do something challenging try this ride. It is great.
Cycling to Simpsons Gap. Great ride out of town along the Larapinta Drive for a good 25 km from our house (I think).
Naomi and I started out with the best of intentions as these things usually start. Here you see smiles and jovial jocularity as we start out. All seems well with the world and our Bikes are fit and ready to go.
But troubles started early. Getting on the bikes was a little painful. Naomi trying to look comfortable on a road bike. Second time out and the strained smile says more than words ever will.
Here we are on the turn off to Simpsons Gap. It has been raining lately and the green, frothy fringe is more green than usual. Pretty. That's Simpsons Gap in the distance.
Unfortunately I don't have photos of what happened on the ride home (after road side puncture repair). Naomi is never one for riding very close to my rear tires when we try to draft but for some reason this time she stuck to me like glue without me realising.
As we pulled into Flynn's Grave I turned in the saddle to see where she was while slowing down and I think you can guess what happened with someone right behind me...
Oh well. Naomi almost made me choose between my two true loves ;) Nah, I would only choose one thing; my bi... I mean, Naomi (she was very fine except for a few scratches. I was lucky to be totally unscathed).
This weekend we ride 500kms to Kings Canyon. It's about as far as Ayers Rock and we are doing it in two and a half days. Let you know how we go.
