Canadian coming for Christmas.

Hogg24
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Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Hogg24 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:02 pm

Hey fellow cyclists, my name is Steve and I am Canadian. I am coming over for Christmas and plan on making a cycling trip out of it. I cycle here in Canada but it is starting to get cold. I will be swimming four days a week to get in shape for Australia.

I am to spend Christmas day in Wagga (I am told not to say Wagga Wagga, I presume one of them is silent eh). I have had a dream for sometime now to ride down the east coast of Australia. Well this is my chance, I normally only do 40 km rides here in Canada, usually between 1.5-2 hours.

My math says about 3 weeks and I can make a trip from Cairns to Wagga, via Brisbane, and Sydney. 150 km a day maybe a day off a week to rest.

A few questions.

Can I ride a bike on the A1 highway (freeway, motorway, not sure what you call it.)?
Has anyone done a ride of this length end of November beginning of December?
I will be buying a new bike for the trip, and FedEx or UPS my bags from Cairns to Wagga except my bike bags and supplies. Store recommendations in Cairns?
Are there lots of stores along the way where I can buy supplies between small towns?
Any help with planning, or finding a place to crash would be great.
I am not in the best shape, but that is part of my adventure. I can endure a lot and have over the years, this will be an adventure for me.

Hope to hear from you all,
Thanks Steve

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Warin
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Warin » Mon Oct 08, 2018 7:13 pm

One word:

Hot.

Cairns is in the tropics, and your coming in summer.

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/ ... 1010.shtml

November - (historical means) min 21 C to max 32 C ... that is 70 F to 90 F ... hot. Humidity? ~ 66%

Better off starting in the south, say Melbourne, and going north. That way it will start cooler and you can adjust to the temperature as you get north.

P.S. The people of Wagga would probably like some rain - bring some for xmass :D

Hogg24
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Hogg24 » Tue Oct 09, 2018 12:21 am

Thanks Warin, I figured it would be hot, at the beginning of summer in Cairns. Most people find it hard to believe, but where I live in Canada the temps are in that range along with humidity.

Tamiya
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Tamiya » Tue Oct 09, 2018 1:34 am

Afaik suburban/metropolitan multi lane freeways usually disallow cycling but it's fine on the interstate highways... often they'll be the only paved route once you're outside city limits. Interstates will go from divided 2 lanes each way, to 1 lane each way with alternating stretches of overtaking lane in the middle, to single lane each way but usually with a wide shoulder "emergency stopping" lane most of the time. Otherwise you'll be sharing lane with motor traffic signposted to 100-110km/h.

If you're an inexperienced unfit cyclist... I don't think you should be planning to cover 150km EVERY day :) at a pinch I'd plan for 50-80km average daily if you want to do any sightseeing etc.

If you really want to do nothing but ride only... ok I plugged into google maps Cairns -> BNE -> SYD -> Wagga2 and their Bike estimator says it'll take 7d of continuous nonstop riding.

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ldrcycles
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby ldrcycles » Tue Oct 09, 2018 4:09 pm

Hogg24 wrote: A few questions.

Can I ride a bike on the A1 highway (freeway, motorway, not sure what you call it.)?
Has anyone done a ride of this length end of November beginning of December?
I will be buying a new bike for the trip, and FedEx or UPS my bags from Cairns to Wagga except my bike bags and supplies. Store recommendations in Cairns?
Are there lots of stores along the way where I can buy supplies between small towns?

The heat has already been mentioned, a mate of mine has been in BC for a few years now so I've heard from him about the heat and humidity they can get in summer, but the Australian summer can quite easily kill you if you don't take precautions.

The biggest issue for me wouldn't be the heat, but the fact that along the east coast the wind is almost always easterly or south easterly. 2,500kms or more into a headwind is not my idea of fun! I've seen quite a few riders out there doing it, but I wonder how many of them actually knew what the wind patterns were like before starting.

You can ride the A1 from Cairns all the way down to just south of Gympie (160km north of Brisbane), from there to Brisbane it is a designated motorway and cyclists aren't allowed on it.

Most of the way through Queensland you won't have too far between towns, between Clairview and Rockhampton it's pretty remote though.
"I must be rather keen on cycling"- Sir Hubert Opperman.

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avolve
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby avolve » Tue Oct 09, 2018 4:19 pm

Having toured a few times (including in Canada), I'd also suggest lowering your daily distance. Riding 50-80km is much more enjoyable than 150km. You get to see more. You can extend it to 100-120km a day after you dial things in.

If your used to it, the heat is not that big an issue. I road across BC in August almost 10 years ago, and it was 44ºC in Grand Forks (BC), and I climbed Anarchist Pass (east of Osyoos) a couple days before and it was high 30s. I was going through a lot of water and sports drinks

I'd also suggest avoiding the highways, and there are many other here who can share their (not much fun) experiences with these. Not that much different to cycling highway 1 in Canada: far from fun having cars fly past you at 100+ km/hr.

There are plenty of alternate routes that others have taken. Crazy guy on a bike has quite a few listed, there are there posts on these forums, and a lot of blogs out there.

Hogg24
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Hogg24 » Wed Oct 10, 2018 3:30 am

After all your responses, and talking to my brother in-law (he is from Wagga). I think I will cut the trip and go from Brisbane down, that will cut out 1800 km or so. And I have been told there isn't much to see from Cairns to Brisbane anyway.

Cutting the trip short would also let me cut my km a day in half, and see more like a couple have mentioned.

I was looking into the winds last night. Trying to find the prevailing winds. In Canada they are from the North West, looked like it is out of the east, to south east in Eastern Australia.

Also since I'm still not in the same shape as I was in High School, I am going to get a body composition done in Brisbane and in Wagga for the science side of my brain.

Steve

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RonK
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby RonK » Wed Oct 10, 2018 8:04 am

Hogg24 wrote:After all your responses, and talking to my brother in-law (he is from Wagga). I think I will cut the trip and go from Brisbane down, that will cut out 1800 km or so.
Good thinking - I wouldn’t recommend riding the Bruce Highway it is notorious. And your brother is right, the highway is mostly not near the coast - most places of interest will require a side trip.

South of Brisbane consider this route.

NSW Coastal Cycle Trail
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avolve
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby avolve » Wed Oct 10, 2018 11:21 am

RonK wrote:
Hogg24 wrote: South of Brisbane consider this route.
NSW Coastal Cycle Trail
If you can connect with people have ridden this, I'd recommend it. For example, the section between Gerroa and Shoalhaven Heads (south of Kiama, past Wollongong) is single lane, has no shoulder and a speed limit of 100km (some of it 80).

All local cyclists avoid it (cray and quite horrible). Fortunately there is an alternate route (short ride on the new highway, then via Toolijooa Rd, Beach Rd Agars Lane the either Coolangata Rd to Shoalhaven Heads or Bryces Rd towards Bombaderry).

On my tours, the experiences of locals (and past travellers) always proved invaluable to me.

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RonK
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby RonK » Wed Oct 10, 2018 3:48 pm

avolve wrote:
RonK wrote:
Hogg24 wrote: South of Brisbane consider this route.
NSW Coastal Cycle Trail
If you can connect with people have ridden this, I'd recommend it. For example, the section between Gerroa and Shoalhaven Heads (south of Kiama, past Wollongong) is single lane, has no shoulder and a speed limit of 100km (some of it 80).

All local cyclists avoid it (cray and quite horrible). Fortunately there is an alternate route (short ride on the new highway, then via Toolijooa Rd, Beach Rd Agars Lane the either Coolangata Rd to Shoalhaven Heads or Bryces Rd towards Bombaderry).

On my tours, the experiences of locals (and past travellers) always proved invaluable to me.
That seems an awfully convoluted route, considering the marked route doesn’t use the highway at all between Gerroa and Shoalhaven??
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

Hogg24
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Hogg24 » Thu Oct 11, 2018 5:21 am

Hey Thanks RonK and Avolve for the comments. Whereever I end up for the day, I would ask what the best route south would be, locals do know the best.

I'll have to take a look at that route in a bit, I'm at work, and I imagine most of you are sleeping. That route looks exactly what I'm looking for. The last leg from what I can tell is going to be hell for me as I am not good with hills. There seems to be a monster climb between Sydney and Wagga.

To the one that suggested I bring rain to Wagga, anything I bring from here will be white and fluffy.

Thanks Steve

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Mugglechops
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Mugglechops » Thu Oct 11, 2018 8:42 am

RonK wrote:
avolve wrote:
RonK wrote:
If you can connect with people have ridden this, I'd recommend it. For example, the section between Gerroa and Shoalhaven Heads (south of Kiama, past Wollongong) is single lane, has no shoulder and a speed limit of 100km (some of it 80).

All local cyclists avoid it (cray and quite horrible). Fortunately there is an alternate route (short ride on the new highway, then via Toolijooa Rd, Beach Rd Agars Lane the either Coolangata Rd to Shoalhaven Heads or Bryces Rd towards Bombaderry).

On my tours, the experiences of locals (and past travellers) always proved invaluable to me.
That seems an awfully convoluted route, considering the marked route doesn’t use the highway at all between Gerroa and Shoalhaven??
It may seem convoluted but it's far better for your sanity and chances of making it without a local bogan motorist trying to run you off the road.

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Warin
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Warin » Thu Oct 11, 2018 9:34 am

Hogg24 wrote:The last leg from what I can tell is going to be hell for me as I am not good with hills. There seems to be a monster climb between Sydney and Wagga.
The 'Great Dividing Range' .. can be a bit of a hill. You could cheat and take a train to the top in some places. But then you may miss out on some bits that are a good ride.

The train can be used to avoid some hills and urban congestion for Sydney as a whole. I'm thinking of Brooklyn southwards.
Hogg24 wrote:To the one that suggested I bring rain to Wagga, anything I bring from here will be white and fluffy.

Bonus points. But it won't last long in Wagga.

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RonK
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby RonK » Thu Oct 11, 2018 11:16 am

Hogg24 wrote:Hey Thanks RonK and Avolve for the comments. Whereever I end up for the day, I would ask what the best route south would be, locals do know the best.

I'll have to take a look at that route in a bit, I'm at work, and I imagine most of you are sleeping. That route looks exactly what I'm looking for. The last leg from what I can tell is going to be hell for me as I am not good with hills. There seems to be a monster climb between Sydney and Wagga.

To the one that suggested I bring rain to Wagga, anything I bring from here will be white and fluffy.

Thanks Steve
PM me with your email address and I will send you some more information.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

avolve
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby avolve » Fri Oct 12, 2018 6:18 pm

RonK wrote: That seems an awfully convoluted route, considering the marked route doesn’t use the highway at all between Gerroa and Shoalhaven??
The road being avoided is the old single lane highway (two lane road) with no shoulder (and I mean none at all). It's one of only a few roads I have ridden and will never ride again — and it is 5km from my house.

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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Hogg24 » Mon Nov 19, 2018 1:25 pm

Hey Everyone, I am about to embark on my trip over to Australia. I will arrive in Brisbane on the 22 and start my right on the 24.

I have used komoot to plan my route along the way. Most days are around 60 - 100 km a day, shorter days to start and longer days towards the end.

I would love it if anyone could go over the routing and let me know what you think, especially if you are from the area of that route. I am trying to stay off major highways most of the way, for both me and the drivers. My user name on Komoot is Stephen Hogg, and email is hogg18@hotmail.com. I have make all my planned routes non private so I think you should be able to see them.

Any more help would be great.

Thanks again Eh!
Steve

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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby bychosis » Mon Nov 19, 2018 1:48 pm

Hogg24 wrote:I was looking into the winds last night. Trying to find the prevailing winds. In Canada they are from the North West, looked like it is out of the east, to south east in Eastern Australia.
Around the Hunter Vally and Central Coast of NSW the summer afternoon breeze is typically from NE and is generally quite cooling along the coast but doesn’t penetrate inland terribly well.

Southerly changes can be brutal around here too, so if one is forecast it might be worth looking for a lay day.

Good luck with your adventure.
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

Hogg24
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Re: Canadian coming for Christmas.

Postby Hogg24 » Sun Dec 02, 2018 4:27 pm

Hey Guys and Gals, I am about a week into my ride. I am taking a rest day at a motel in Kempsey. Legs needed it, I took one other day off this is all new to me. After the first three days I was exhausted. Leg we're sore and I must of missed a few spots with sun block.

When I started after the first day off I felt like a million bucks. Near the end of the day, my right knee started to hurt. I did some reading at lunch and everything said to put my cleats on dead straight. The guy that did my bike fit turned them a little. He noticed that I walk with my toes pointed out. I moved them back to where I had them originally I have been fine since.

You have a beautiful country out here, the roads seem to be kept very clean with almost no garbage. Most vehicles seem to move over and give me room.

Think I should be at the North end of Sydney on Saturday next week. I'll have to find a place to camp or get a motel.

Steve

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