BicycleWA

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.