The following are some guidelines if you are contemplating riding off road in Western Australia. Apart from the Munda Biddi Trail which is a dedicated cycle trail through the bush, any other riding in Western Australia is done on fire trails, and 4 Wheel Drive tracks.
Archive of posts filed under the Touring category.
What sort of Bicycle do I need to tour in WA?
The answer to this question depends on several things, such as where you are going, how much weight you will be carrying, and how long you will be riding for. You can tour on any sort of bicycle that you wish.
People tour on road bikes, mountain bikes, recumbents, hybrid (cross between Mountain bike and road bike) and touring bikes.
Fly Net
I cost less than $5, go over your head, can be used both on and off the bike, and can save you from going completely insane whilst bicycle touring in Western Australia.
Corrugations
What are corrugations? They are known as washboards in the U.S. I have had several english people ask me what they are. So Crank (Thank You) kindly went out and found some and photographed them for you. Knowing what they are, you can prepare yourself if you are ever going to ride over them.
Touring Introduction
Touring Western Australia by bicycle is exciting. You can do it supported by a tour company, or by my favorite way, which is self supported.
Self supported touring can be done solo or with other people. We will be posting advice, tips and information that is useful for bicycle touring in Western Australia.
Brakes and Touring
If you’ve never ridden a loaded touring bike before, be aware, that like a loaded truck, they take longer to stop. Always anticipate when you will need to stop, and start braking before this. You also need to make sure that your brakes are well adjusted, and if on a long tour, that you carry spare brake pads as they wear out quicker when used with a loaded bike.
Bicycle Touring Tips
These are some general tips to keep in mind when touring by bicycle anywhere in Western Australia. Be aware of the heat and signs of heatstroke.
Getting Yourself Ready For A Tour
You have the bicycle set up, the racks on, a list of what you are packing, but what about yourself? How do you get yourself ready for your big tour? Apart from the obvious things such as knowing how to ride a bicycle, and at least having some level of fitness, there are some other things you need to do.
Types of Bicycle Touring
There are many ways to tour Western Australia on a bicycle. This is just a short introduction to some of them, and some highlights of each. There may be other ways available, or you can mix and match to suit your schedule.
Touring In The Heat
For those of you that are thinking about bicycle touring in Western Australia and live in a cooler climate, the heat here may be a shock. I will quote all temperatures in Celsius, but 38 Degrees Celsius is around 100 degress Fahrenheit.
During summer in Perth, there may be days on end where the maximum day time temperature is above 38 degrees. The minimum overnight temperature in summer may only drop to 22 degrees. Yes it does get hot enough to melt the bitumen, and to cook eggs on the barbeque plate without lighting the barbecue.
