The joys of country riding!

[open roader]

Out of curiosity, what are the details on the wheel set and are they really all purpose? Love the look.

+1 are they tubbie Vittoria Paves?

Yes, 24mm jobbies. A wise acquaintaince of mine twisted my arm to try these tyres, only second ride on these today - so far uber grippy, ultra comfy and don't lose too much speed over the 21mm/23mm Vittoria CX combination I had on these wheels previously, I must thank him!

[open roader]

Why I like thick tubular tyres (a not so joyous aspect of country riding)

[open roader]

Gotta love a day off work and the Ocean Road only a 50 minute ride from home..........

[WarrenH]

The joys of country riding ... possibly comes undone when a bike needs to spend time on Country Link. I'm just pulling my bike apart at the moment, to fit it into a cardboard coffin, which must remain under an inflexible Country Link weight limit of, 20kg ... there will be no air in the tyres, in this box. The box weighs about 5-6 kg.

I'm heading to Armidale with Country Link next week, to ride the BNT Main Trail from Point Lookout, hiking the bike downhill most likely, to my home in Canberra. I'm in no hurry to get back. I've not spent winter in the Western Blue Mountains before so I'm really looking forward to see what the light will be like during winter. And hopefully, get to enjoy(?) some early snow in the Barrington Tops, if today's temps on the Great Divide are any guide. The light out on the Western Slopes is usually very fine and soft, and atmospheric, good for foggy and frosty mornings.

I'm leaving the BNT at times, to do a few side trips (to places like Sugarloaf Mountain west of Nowendoc, to Belltrees Mountain NW of Scone, and to the amazing Tombrong Road, to Mordor (that's the track along the Turon River into Sofala ) and to the Hill End Bridal Track down to the Macquarie River, then rejoining the BNT where I've left it, at those times.

Hopefully I'll have some good shots when I get back, hopefully ... but for now, it's back to packing up the bike and making that Portuguese flavoured jerky ... like Nando's Peri-Peri.

Some packing stuff ... and modifying the cardboard coffin, that has to fit both the bike and trailer.






... and a bit of cold evening light in the ranges.




If you haven't ridden out to Hill End off-road, and crossed the Macquarie and Turon, it is well worth the effort. Here is an old shot from above Sofala with the road to Mordor. That horrible tarmac stuff doesn't last long, thankfully.




Fair tailwinds.

Warren.

[silentbutdeadly]

Oh I remember those back roads out from Sofala from my time in the area a couple of decades back...never knew where half of them went but the run down the Turon from Running Stream and the Dark Corner Road to Palmers Oakey were a hoot. The Limekilns Road out of Wattle Flat was always fun too.

[open roader]

I'm heading to Armidale with Country Link next week, to ride the BNT Main Trail from Point Lookout, hiking the bike downhill most likely, to my home in Canberra.

Hey Warren, you have wrestled your health back from the jaws of the serpent? Trip sounds great, look forward to the pic-a-logue........

[ldrcycles]

Beautiful.

[WarrenH]

Oh I remember those back roads out from Sofala from my time in the area a couple of decades back...never knew where half of them went but the run down the Turon from Running Stream and the Dark Corner Road to Palmers Oakey were a hoot. The Limekilns Road out of Wattle Flat was always fun too.

silendbutdeadly, G'day. That's about a similar time for me too ... out that way.

I remember the low level crossings with many short but steep undulations and as loose surfaced and as off-camber as the waterbars and corners can be and the water will be freezing, doing wet crossings. On other threads in the MTB section members write about highways to hell overseas. 'Snake Alley' is the track along the Upper Turon ... so my preference is a winter trip.

... look forward to the pic-a-logue........

open roader, G'day. A pic-a-logue? ... I'd hate anyone to expect any thing from me about bikes or riding. That would change my style. But a Pic-a-logue? ... how about photo reportage or editorial images, more likely.

It's taken a while to come back from the snake bite, almost 6 months. I've improved considerably thanks to allied health people. In the last 9 days I've upped my training from 4 to 5 hours a day. 10 weeks ago I struggled to even walk 100 metres, without damaging muscles and my frozen ankle, leg, hip and shoulder joint/s on the bite side are basically fine.

I've been pedalling heaps and using the Tabata System for doing weights and reps in the local gym and it has worked wonders. Apart from still having an ugly itchy scar on my leg from the bite, I've not felt fitter or stronger, for a while.

Idrcycle, G'day. Thank you. Both Sofala and Hill End are heritage listed towns on the old Turon Goldfields. Some old stuff from the Turon.

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Lif ... 8763&qo=15

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/The ... 88763&qo=5

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/A-C ... 88763&qo=3

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/An- ... 88576&qo=7

http://wildwassa.deviantart.com/art/Sof ... 8763&qo=17


Warren.

PS, I wrote earlier that Belltrees Mountain is NW of Scone, it is actually 25km to the NE.

[drnick79]

Some great pictures in here!

Yep, country hack here and love it!!! Love doing a mix of road and MTB (single/rail trail) riding. Some weekend mornings I can do a 52km ride and not pass a car at all, just some cows on a cattle crossing!


Like a sunrise!


The road ahead...


MTB hack on the local rail trail.


Having a hack on the Bass Coast rail trail, love running the CX tyres on the dually/hardtail, roll great!

S