Nice weekend for the mundabiddi

[till!]

Plan is harvey to jarrahdale, leave this morning.

Wish me luck, my bike's swimming lessons havent been going that wel
=

til

ps: http://www.mundabiddi.org.au

--
till!

[Marty]

till! wrote:
> Plan is harvey to jarrahdale, leave this morning.
>
> Wish me luck, my bike's swimming lessons havent been going that well
> =\
>
> till
>
> ps: http://www.mundabiddi.org.au/
>
>

Should be a great ride this time of the year. You won't need to carry
water at least. The section below harvey, just north of Worsley is
really nice. Do you finish at the Yarri hut?

Marty

[BrettS]

till! wrote:

> Plan is harvey to jarrahdale, leave this morning.
>
> Wish me luck, my bike's swimming lessons havent been going that well
> =\
>
> till
>
> ps: http://www.mundabiddi.org.au/
>
>

You couldn't have picked a nicer weekend to ride...

Good luck!

--
BrettS

[Marty]

BrettS wrote:
> till! wrote:
>
>> Plan is harvey to jarrahdale, leave this morning.
>> Wish me luck, my bike's swimming lessons havent been going that well
>> =\
>>
>> till
>>
>> ps: http://www.mundabiddi.org.au/
>>
>>
>
> You couldn't have picked a nicer weekend to ride...
>
> Good luck!
>
> --
> BrettS

Till obviously missed the weather forecast. Here it is.

SOUTHWEST:
Warning for Sheep Farmers.
Showers tonight and tomorrow. Isolated thunderstorms and hail tonight
contracting east and clearing tomorrow morning. Fresh to strong and
gusty W/NW winds shifting squally SW overnight.

Outlook for Sunday : Cold. Scattered showers, isolated thunderstorms
and hail.

Marty

[till!]

Marty Wrote:
> Till obviously missed the weather forecast. Here it is
>
> SOUTHWEST
> Warning for Sheep Farmers. Na, I got the warning, Im just an idiot, see below for details
Incidentally I went with some other people who wont be identifie
directly, the full list follows

J: contarino tourer (700C), drop bars, michelin 35mm transworl
sprint (knobbly), racks+panier
A: Surly long haul trucker, flat bars, front knobbly, rea
town+country (26"), rack pannier
M: new 26" merida MTB with front shock, rear rigid, rack+pannier
D: Jamis coda hybrid (700C), pretzel bars, michelin transworld
35mm, rack top bag

D1: bus down to harvey junction. Can someone PLEASE EXPLAIN how com
you cant put more than 2 bikes on the train, and then only to Bunbury
I mean WTF???? We get off around midday, trundle down to the harve
cheese joint (3km south way on sw highway). The bistro is a no-go, s
we try every cheese and buy some for the road. Get back to the cap
stirling cottage and throw down food. Get told the ride to lak
brockman is a 7km climb after 9km on the hway. We do it in ligh
drizzle, just making it there as it really opens up. Lake brockma
tourist park is ok, the huts warm up, the showers are hot and the foo
is fried
Stats: D = 45km, avg: 18.8km/

D2: Get up for planned ride to dwellingup. Rained all nite and it
fricken cold. Feel better after breakfast and cawfee. The ride i
pretty fast (hoho), not too much water on the track, and its wel
compacted. Next was two flat tyres, one after another, oh and
non-drive side spoke busted, oh and a pump broke (all on A), D had
brake-cable problem. We stopped into the hut below nanga, and replace
a bolt that had fallen out of M's bike rack. From there somehow los
the track and ended up on the waterous loop track, we think. How/Wher
do you go from the hut dammit? M buckled his wheel really badly, ya
for disc brakes. Anyway, rolled into dwellingup community hotel, foo
good again (fried), did lots of carb replenishment (beer)
Stats: D = 60.27, avg = 14.1km/

D3: This day hurt, and we knew it would, so we tried to take
shortcut. Pity it wasnt one, the road markings up the top of the dam
really sucked and we rode all the way down to the fricken hwy, an
back. It was sort of raining pretty hard on and off all day here. J'
stupid cateye cycle computer periodically reset all day. J ran out o
brake pads. They were shomanos with less than 200kms on them. The las
hills down into dwellingup were done feet-out in an attempt to brake
Get to the pub, they dont do rooms. GRRRRR. Get told we have to rid
out of town to IHD for chalets. It just gets worse. By now its dark an
we're all shivering and its a few km. Get there and things are jus
looking worse, the attendant seems to have to walk from the moon to th
office, walks past us, tells us there is no food or restaurant, an
thats it. J vainly trys to ring "thistle do b&b" on the mobile, but no
not only are they a failed bnb, but a failed curio shop it would seem
We decide to stay and live on powdered sports drink, museli bars an
the hip flask contents. After we get showering a much nicer lady Mi
comes past with some firewood, and while we ask her for some pasta o
whatever, she offers to take us to the pub. Mil really rocks, so we g
to the pub for probably the best dinner so far, more carb replacement
Later she picks us up and we crash out, mmmm fire
Stats: damn you cateye. About 75km

Thats it on the mundabiddi proper (Harvey to Jarrahdale), lookin
forward to the rest

D4: its unnaturally cold and we're all totally shagged. J's swappe
pads around and now has a working front brake, we pack, ride dow
jarrahdale rd to the hway, cross at watkins, up soldiers to byford fo
breakfast, back onto the hway (love those trucks) to armadale and
waiting train

Further thoughts
1) a 700C tourer is suprisingly good on the track, it was pushed u
track a smidge more than the 26" MTB, mostly to do with toug
transitions on 35mm tyres v's 45mms. It got to the top of the hills
and the bottom, as fast as the MTB
2) the mundabiddi isnt signposted appropriately to pop on/off as w
hoped, where it seems to get close to roads. We didnt have a lot of
time, so we didnt want to take cooking & sleeping gear, plus food.
3) Koolstop, Koolstop, Koolstop. Also, because you lose your
adjustment screw using v-brakes with drop bar levers and travel-agents,
you should get the newer dia-compe levers for the job, at least then you
would have easier cable-adjustment to accomodate excessive pad wear.
4) my wrists are a bit sore from the tourer, but why wouldnt they
be after 200km of nasty track?

I may post some snaps lately, but the snaps were mostly film, and I
hate scanning.

till, not dead yet.


--
till!

[Gumby]

till! wrote:
> Marty Wrote:
>
>>Till obviously missed the weather forecast. Here it is.
>>
>>SOUTHWEST:
>>Warning for Sheep Farmers. Na, I got the warning, Im just an idiot, see below for details.
>
> Incidentally I went with some other people who wont be identified
> directly, the full list follows;
>
> J: contarino tourer (700C), drop bars, michelin 35mm transworld
> sprint (knobbly), racks+paniers
> A: Surly long haul trucker, flat bars, front knobbly, rear
> town+country (26"), rack panniers
> M: new 26" merida MTB with front shock, rear rigid, rack+panniers
> D: Jamis coda hybrid (700C), pretzel bars, michelin transworlds
> 35mm, rack top bag.
>
> D1: bus down to harvey junction. Can someone PLEASE EXPLAIN how come
> you cant put more than 2 bikes on the train, and then only to Bunbury.
> I mean WTF???? We get off around midday, trundle down to the harvey
> cheese joint (3km south way on sw highway). The bistro is a no-go, so
> we try every cheese and buy some for the road. Get back to the capt
> stirling cottage and throw down food. Get told the ride to lake
> brockman is a 7km climb after 9km on the hway. We do it in light
> drizzle, just making it there as it really opens up. Lake brockman
> tourist park is ok, the huts warm up, the showers are hot and the food
> is fried.
> Stats: D = 45km, avg: 18.8km/h
>
> D2: Get up for planned ride to dwellingup. Rained all nite and its
> fricken cold. Feel better after breakfast and cawfee. The ride is
> pretty fast (hoho), not too much water on the track, and its well
> compacted. Next was two flat tyres, one after another, oh and a
> non-drive side spoke busted, oh and a pump broke (all on A), D had a
> brake-cable problem. We stopped into the hut below nanga, and replaced
> a bolt that had fallen out of M's bike rack. From there somehow lost
> the track and ended up on the waterous loop track, we think. How/Where
> do you go from the hut dammit? M buckled his wheel really badly, yay
> for disc brakes. Anyway, rolled into dwellingup community hotel, food
> good again (fried), did lots of carb replenishment (beer).
> Stats: D = 60.27, avg = 14.1km/h
>
> D3: This day hurt, and we knew it would, so we tried to take a
> shortcut. Pity it wasnt one, the road markings up the top of the damn
> really sucked and we rode all the way down to the fricken hwy, and
> back. It was sort of raining pretty hard on and off all day here. J's
> stupid cateye cycle computer periodically reset all day. J ran out of
> brake pads. They were shomanos with less than 200kms on them. The last
> hills down into dwellingup were done feet-out in an attempt to brake.
> Get to the pub, they dont do rooms. GRRRRR. Get told we have to ride
> out of town to IHD for chalets. It just gets worse. By now its dark and
> we're all shivering and its a few km. Get there and things are just
> looking worse, the attendant seems to have to walk from the moon to the
> office, walks past us, tells us there is no food or restaurant, and
> thats it. J vainly trys to ring "thistle do b&b" on the mobile, but now
> not only are they a failed bnb, but a failed curio shop it would seem.
> We decide to stay and live on powdered sports drink, museli bars and
> the hip flask contents. After we get showering a much nicer lady Mil
> comes past with some firewood, and while we ask her for some pasta or
> whatever, she offers to take us to the pub. Mil really rocks, so we go
> to the pub for probably the best dinner so far, more carb replacement.
> Later she picks us up and we crash out, mmmm fire.
> Stats: damn you cateye. About 75km.
>
> Thats it on the mundabiddi proper (Harvey to Jarrahdale), looking
> forward to the rest!
>
> D4: its unnaturally cold and we're all totally shagged. J's swapped
> pads around and now has a working front brake, we pack, ride down
> jarrahdale rd to the hway, cross at watkins, up soldiers to byford for
> breakfast, back onto the hway (love those trucks) to armadale and a
> waiting train.
>
> Further thoughts;
> 1) a 700C tourer is suprisingly good on the track, it was pushed up
> track a smidge more than the 26" MTB, mostly to do with tough
> transitions on 35mm tyres v's 45mms. It got to the top of the hills,
> and the bottom, as fast as the MTB.
> 2) the mundabiddi isnt signposted appropriately to pop on/off as we
> hoped, where it seems to get close to roads. We didnt have a lot of
> time, so we didnt want to take cooking & sleeping gear, plus food.
> 3) Koolstop, Koolstop, Koolstop. Also, because you lose your
> adjustment screw using v-brakes with drop bar levers and travel-agents,
> you should get the newer dia-compe levers for the job, at least then you
> would have easier cable-adjustment to accomodate excessive pad wear.
> 4) my wrists are a bit sore from the tourer, but why wouldnt they
> be after 200km of nasty track?
>
> I may post some snaps lately, but the snaps were mostly film, and I
> hate scanning.
>
> till, not dead yet.
>
>
Till, sounds like a fun weekend, glad there are some charitable souls
out there to help.
The track sounds pretty well compacted, not too many rocky/tree
root/washaways then?
You picked a good weekend for the weather for your ride.

[Marty]

till! wrote:
> Marty Wrote:
>
>>Till obviously missed the weather forecast. Here it is.
>>
>>SOUTHWEST:
>>Warning for Sheep Farmers. Na, I got the warning, Im just an idiot, see below for details.
>
> Incidentally I went with some other people who wont be identified
> directly, the full list follows;
>
> J: contarino tourer (700C), drop bars, michelin 35mm transworld
> sprint (knobbly), racks+paniers
> A: Surly long haul trucker, flat bars, front knobbly, rear
> town+country (26"), rack panniers
> M: new 26" merida MTB with front shock, rear rigid, rack+panniers
> D: Jamis coda hybrid (700C), pretzel bars, michelin transworlds
> 35mm, rack top bag.
>
> D1: bus down to harvey junction. Can someone PLEASE EXPLAIN how come
> you cant put more than 2 bikes on the train, and then only to Bunbury.
> I mean WTF???? We get off around midday, trundle down to the harvey
> cheese joint (3km south way on sw highway). The bistro is a no-go, so
> we try every cheese and buy some for the road. Get back to the capt
> stirling cottage and throw down food. Get told the ride to lake
> brockman is a 7km climb after 9km on the hway. We do it in light
> drizzle, just making it there as it really opens up. Lake brockman
> tourist park is ok, the huts warm up, the showers are hot and the food
> is fried.
> Stats: D = 45km, avg: 18.8km/h
>
> D2: Get up for planned ride to dwellingup. Rained all nite and its
> fricken cold. Feel better after breakfast and cawfee. The ride is
> pretty fast (hoho), not too much water on the track, and its well
> compacted. Next was two flat tyres, one after another, oh and a
> non-drive side spoke busted, oh and a pump broke (all on A), D had a
> brake-cable problem. We stopped into the hut below nanga, and replaced
> a bolt that had fallen out of M's bike rack. From there somehow lost
> the track and ended up on the waterous loop track, we think. How/Where
> do you go from the hut dammit? M buckled his wheel really badly, yay
> for disc brakes. Anyway, rolled into dwellingup community hotel, food
> good again (fried), did lots of carb replenishment (beer).
> Stats: D = 60.27, avg = 14.1km/h
>
> D3: This day hurt, and we knew it would, so we tried to take a
> shortcut. Pity it wasnt one, the road markings up the top of the damn
> really sucked and we rode all the way down to the fricken hwy, and
> back. It was sort of raining pretty hard on and off all day here. J's
> stupid cateye cycle computer periodically reset all day. J ran out of
> brake pads. They were shomanos with less than 200kms on them. The last
> hills down into dwellingup were done feet-out in an attempt to brake.
> Get to the pub, they dont do rooms. GRRRRR. Get told we have to ride
> out of town to IHD for chalets. It just gets worse. By now its dark and
> we're all shivering and its a few km. Get there and things are just
> looking worse, the attendant seems to have to walk from the moon to the
> office, walks past us, tells us there is no food or restaurant, and
> thats it. J vainly trys to ring "thistle do b&b" on the mobile, but now
> not only are they a failed bnb, but a failed curio shop it would seem.
> We decide to stay and live on powdered sports drink, museli bars and
> the hip flask contents. After we get showering a much nicer lady Mil
> comes past with some firewood, and while we ask her for some pasta or
> whatever, she offers to take us to the pub. Mil really rocks, so we go
> to the pub for probably the best dinner so far, more carb replacement.
> Later she picks us up and we crash out, mmmm fire.
> Stats: damn you cateye. About 75km.
>
> Thats it on the mundabiddi proper (Harvey to Jarrahdale), looking
> forward to the rest!
>
> D4: its unnaturally cold and we're all totally shagged. J's swapped
> pads around and now has a working front brake, we pack, ride down
> jarrahdale rd to the hway, cross at watkins, up soldiers to byford for
> breakfast, back onto the hway (love those trucks) to armadale and a
> waiting train.
>
> Further thoughts;
> 1) a 700C tourer is suprisingly good on the track, it was pushed up
> track a smidge more than the 26" MTB, mostly to do with tough
> transitions on 35mm tyres v's 45mms. It got to the top of the hills,
> and the bottom, as fast as the MTB.
> 2) the mundabiddi isnt signposted appropriately to pop on/off as we
> hoped, where it seems to get close to roads. We didnt have a lot of
> time, so we didnt want to take cooking & sleeping gear, plus food.
> 3) Koolstop, Koolstop, Koolstop. Also, because you lose your
> adjustment screw using v-brakes with drop bar levers and travel-agents,
> you should get the newer dia-compe levers for the job, at least then you
> would have easier cable-adjustment to accomodate excessive pad wear.
> 4) my wrists are a bit sore from the tourer, but why wouldnt they
> be after 200km of nasty track?
>
> I may post some snaps lately, but the snaps were mostly film, and I
> hate scanning.
>
> till, not dead yet.
>
>

Wow! What an adventure. It reminds me of a trip I did in about 1979. The
Bibbulman track was just opened and no-one had thought of banning
bikes. me and a friend did a ride from where the track started at
Kalamunda down to Dwellingup. he was on a custom tourer and I was on a
converted track bike, probably 7 speed with 25mm tyres. Mountain bikes
didn't exist then. My freinds wife dropped us off in the dark near the
start of the trail, we found a clear spot and camped. We woke up to find
ourselves in the middle of the Kalumunda golf course. The distance was
covered quite easily on our bikes, the weekend was very wet like yours.
Our second nights camp was struck in the dark and when we woke up next
moring we were surrounded by signs that said "DANGER, Blasting area." We
in one of the bauxite mining areas. We got to Dwellingup on dark and
then flew down the hill to Pinjarra which was our pick up point.

Today was a long day for me. My car is in for panel beating after a
large kangaroo ran into the side of it, so I decided to ride my mountain
bike to work. it's about 20 km through bush and I start work at 7 am so
I had to get up at 4:30 am. I woke up and it was pretty cold. Not having
a car I HAD to ride. Putting out the bin I noticed it had ICE on it and
the lawn was crunchy. I later found out it got down to 0.4 degrees C.
After riding a bit I warmed up and the ride to work was quite nice. Just
before knock-off the boss asks me to work back. Not a problem, I've got
lights. Ended up leaving work at 12:30 PM, get home just after 1:30 am.
time for dinner and some sleep.

Marty

[till!]

Sounds waaay too frosty for me Marty! And people thought 35mm/700C wa
too narrow for this trip, 25mm would be nuts

The few sandy parts of the track were compacted nicely, so the 35m
tyres were ok. The clay-heavy parts were a little sticky and resistiv
but the pea gravel/stone chunks parts were fine.

There are countless washouts and tree roots, but you learn to lik
them for the traction, and at least it wasnt dusty

til

--
till!