DAY 13 - INTERLUDE - CYCLING IN OZ

As we travelled back from the coast to Woodend today, there was no opportunity to ride. So instead I'll mention a little about what it is like to cycle in this part of Australia.

The Roads

In Australia roads are either tarmac'd ("made") or dirt tracks ("unmade"). If you look at a map such as google maps or the NavTec or Garmin maps, you won't see any distinction between made and unmade roads (except the highways and freeways which are all made roads, at least in Victoria).

This does present a problem when planning rides. Even google maps has great difficulty planning routes and will often choose 4wd dirt tracks when you ask for a "by car" route. So a little local knowledge is very useful when planning ahead.

The unmade roads are actually good quality (usually) and you could get by on a road bike, but it's not ideal.

For this trip I've stuck to made roads and it's these I'll describing. The great thing about them is that there's almost always a lane to the left that you get to yourself, like a hard shoulder that we see on Motorways in the UK.

The Great Ocean Road

This greatly increases safety and you feel a lot more confident with those lorries thundering past on the bigger roads. You can even cycle on most freeways (Australia's motorways)!

The safe lane is usually good quality but you have to watch out for the odd broken glass, dead kangeroo or other obstacle! (Dead roo count is only 1 so far on this trip, and I did nearly run over it!)

I've hardly come across any potholes or other dangerous road failings - They seem to keep right on top of the repairs unlike back home.

Traffic is very light compared to home, that is a given. But if you do ride into a city you will expect it to be the same as any city, anywhere, i.e. dangerous and busy.


The solitude

When planning longer rides, you have to take into account the possible lack of places to stop for food, drink, and general assistance. On our way from Anglesea to Woodend, there was a run of about 40 miles with nothing except the odd farm, and they were spaced a long way apart - much more than back home.

You don't see many other cyclists either, although cycling is popular, there's so many places to go and it's all so spaced out that you hardly see anyone else on wheels.

The heat

You can't really describe it until you experience it. The 39C day we had, with a sand-blasting wind from the North, was quite incredible. Luckily my bike was in the workshop that day otherwise I'd be looking for a different excuse not to have ridden. Correct clothing is a must, and protection from sunburn even early in the morning is essential. I bought a new cycling helmet for this trip (Giro Atmos) that ventilates much better than my previous one.

You have to plan your hydration - They don't sell electrolyte powders out here, I asked in several large bike shops. Locals seem to go for Gatorade, that you can purchase in liquid form at any supermarket or petrol station. I didn't like it so much and went for a home brew lemon hydration drink.

Overall Experience

Road cycling here is fun, and safer than in the UK. I've been lucky to have had a really good mix of scenery, mountains, tree lined roads, and coastal. One thing you never get away from is hills! Oz has them just as bad as the UK.