Perth to Sydney by ebike 2013 - ride diary

[Rodney64]

Day 22

So excited to be heading for the mountains!

After lunch at Wilmington I enjoyed a little bit of dirt before hitting the main road for a sunset ride into Quorn.
We’re staying at the caravan park in Quorn, an eco style place with solar panels, plenty of trees, efficient lighting and water heating, recycling and a discount for cyclists and walkers.
Our latest electric bike epic!
Glowwormbicycles.com.au/perth-to-sydney

It was a great feeling leaving the main roads and heading to the Flinders Ranges. The road to Wilmington was the first sealed road in south Australia outside Adelaide. It’s about the same width as a Dutch bicycle path but not as smooth!

After a sleep in we visited the only bike shop in town, which also sells ammunition and beer brewing supplies (make a mental note of this for the coming zombie apocalypse).
The owner was very friendly and by coincidence they had just built an electric tricycle for a customer in the hills near where we were heading to.
Hopefully the next ebike they sell will be one of ours!

 

[voicecoils]

Day 22 Port Augusta to Quorn, 86.2 km (3257 km to date)

19.8 ah
737.16 wh
54.4 ave pedal RPM

Today was almost a rest day after yesterday's big ride. Late start, slow pedal rate, low average speed and ample energy consumption 8) The countryside was also quite beautiful so it was nice to take it easy!

Staying at Quorn Caravan Park where they gave a discount for arriving on bikes! We're making laksa for dinner in the camp kitchen now.

 

[Hyena]

Staying at Quorn Caravan Park where they gave a discount for arriving on bikes!

Heh, they probably figure you won't use much electricity. If only they knew

 

[Rodney64]

Day 23 photos


Live updates from the Quorn show. Poultry pavilion showcasing the various ways you can breed and groom and cage a bird
Our latest electric bike epic!
Glowwormbicycles.com.au/perth-to-sydney

Horses playing football

Good news for Adelaide. More room for pedestrians and bicycles, less space and more expensive parking for cars
Our latest electric bike epic!
Glowwormbicycles.com.au/perth-to-sydney

 

[pendragon8000]

Hi guys. Great work. I'm loving the photos. Flinders ranges should be beautiful this time of year.
I'm looking forward to meeting you guys when you come through Adelaide. Looks like it'll be a fair way off if your detouring through the flinders. I PMed some Adelaide ES members and so far Architechtonic, DunkenK , my mate scope and I are keen to meet up. Hopefully we can ride with you for a bit or do a little adelaide cruse. I'm sure there will be an obligatory beer or 2 involved
Travel safe guys
Peace
Ken

 

[Rodney64]

Day 22 photos continued posted by rodney64 on behalf of Glowworm cycles

Mawson offroad walking and cycle route from Adelaide to flinders range. This is the Quorn-Hawker section
Our latest electric bike epic!


Arriving in hawker after a short day in the Flinders Ranges.

 

[voicecoils]

Thanks again to Rodney for continuing to bring the photos across to this thread.

Stats for today:

Day 23 - Quorn to Hawker, 98 km (3355 km to date)

25.14 Ah
908.95 Wh
58.9 ave pedal RPM

Riding through sections of the Mawson Trail with Maurice while Ching took a more direct route to Hawker after the first 20 km of dirt & gravel roads. Lots and lots of flies but beautiful scenery and nice to get away from cars and enjoy narrower 4WD tracks / firetrails.

 

[Rodney64]

Thanks again to Rodney for continuing to bring the photos across to this thread.

Stats for today:

Day 23 - Quorn to Hawker, 98 km (3355 km to date)

25.14 Ah
908.95 Wh
58.9 ave pedal RPM

Riding through sections of the Mawson Trail with Maurice while Ching took a more direct route to Hawker after the first 20 km of dirt & gravel roads. Lots and lots of flies but beautiful scenery and nice to get away from cars and enjoy narrower 4WD tracks / firetrails.

I've enjoyed it Abraham



Adelaide events

Hello all Adelaide people! We’ll be arriving in Adelaide Friday after lunch. First thing will be to visit some bike shops in the hope that they’ll sell our ebikes! Any recommendations appreciated.

At 4pm we’ll ride to the Woodside Bowls Club for a 6-8pm presentation by the Hills electric bike project. All welcome to ride with us to the event or make your own way there.

On Saturday morning we will ride from Lobenthal towards Castlemaine. All welcome to join us. Contact us for more info if you’re planning to come.

Also stay tuned for an event in castlemaine on Tuesday Sep 3 evening or Wednesday 4 morning. Ride to Ballarat on sep 3 (all welcome) and meet and greet in Ballarat. Sep 4 we’ll do something in Melbourne, maybe a hill climb ride. Then onwards for more meeting up with people from albury, Canberra, Berry and then home!

Our latest electric bike epic!
Glowwormbicycles.com.au/perth-to-sydney

 

[voicecoils]

Hi guys. Great work. I'm loving the photos. Flinders ranges should be beautiful this time of year.
I'm looking forward to meeting you guys when you come through Adelaide. Looks like it'll be a fair way off if your detouring through the flinders. I PMed some Adelaide ES members and so far Architechtonic, DunkenK , my mate scope and I are keen to meet up. Hopefully we can ride with you for a bit or do a little adelaide cruse. I'm sure there will be an obligatory beer or 2 involved
Travel safe guys
Peace
Ken

Hi Ken & Adelaide ebikers,

We are aiming to arrive in Adelaide this Friday (30th August) in time to check out the Hills Electric Bike Project's presentation from 6-8pm at the Woodside Bowls Club which is 35 km from Adelaide's CBD / downtown. Their info is here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/hills-electric-bike-project
and we're interested to learn more about their ebike loan plan. You may be too!

If anyone would like to join us, I propose we meet downtown at 3PM for a 4PM departure to ride out to the bowls club. For those who want to attend the presentation, you'll need decent battery capacity (or lots of pedaling!) to make it in to the CBD, out to the bowls club and then back home. Anyone is welcome to meet downtown to ride out part way with us if you don't have the time or battery to make it all the way.

Can anyone suggest a good downtown meeting spot?

We will be riding from Clare that morning (140 km away) and will do our best to arrive by 3 but it's possible we may end up running late. If Ken or anyone else who thinks they may want to come sends me their mobile number in a private message, I can send a text if we're running late.

For those who want to meet up but can't make it on Friday downtown or to the bowls club later on, you're welcome to ride out with us on Saturday morning as we head in the direction of Castlemaine, VIC. Not sure where we'll be spending the night but doing at least ~150km getting We'll be leaving from Lobethal where we're spending the night on Friday. 9AM sharp departure. Send me a PM if you're interested!

EDIT, Rodney's beat me to the punch with Maurice's post over on our blog but I'll leave my post here anyways.

 

[pendragon8000]

great photos

thanks for all the options . meet up and or ride , or meet up later or do it all.
thats pretty tough climbing the hills to woodside, beautiful scenery though.
i sugest victoria park race course. its got the old F1 hair pin bit of track to play on if so desired and pretty good parking to drive there and its a quite nice big open park. (they dont race horses there anymore) _just a sugestion_.

edit:
not sure how "down town" you mean.. if you want to start of in the more central city area then maby the pultney street end of rundle mall. that would alow for a nice ride through rundle street.
sorry edit again. the bike shop:
super elliots on rundle is a pretty old and well established bike shop. they have had a ebike for sale before to. so maby meet there?

 

[Rodney64]

Day 24 photos

These mountains used to be the sea bed

The 100kW wilpena solar diesel hybrid station powers the Wilpena pound resort, presumably a holiday location for lost dogs.
Our latest electric bike epic!


 

[Architectonic]

Hi Guys, I'm willing to meet wherever you like within the CBD. I'm free Friday afternoon too.

I'd like to make the trip in the hills, but I'd need to charge the battery when I get there (so I can get home), I'm going to ask using that email address on the aforementioned link.

 

[Samd]

Still hoping to meet up with you guys and F-T in Castlemaine next Weds for the ride back to Ballarat.

Two recent Ezee owners teed up for a mid-way stop in Daylesford, keen to provide us with some drinks and freshly baked goodies on the mid-way stop through town in the afternoon. Hopefully Ching gets a buzz out of seeing an Ezee powered tandem!

SD

 

[Sweeney]

Going great guys! I'm really enjoying following the Tumblr feed, but there aint nowhere to leave a comment.

The Mawson trail section and Fliders Ranges looks like great riding.

We're about to start dehydrating food for our Murray River ride. What meals came out the best on the road from what you had prepared?

Looking forward to riding the last day with you all!

Clive & Clare

 

[adrian_sm]

Still hoping to meet up with you guys and F-T in Castlemaine next Weds for the ride back to Ballarat.

I am still trying to make it along too. Are the time and places confirmed around castlemaine, Ballarat, and Melbourne. Would love to join up for the ride, but need to off load work and kids to make it happen.

 

[Samd]

That'd be neat! We should put it up in events...

Did you have a start time in mind from Castlemaine Maurice? Given the short ride length for the day a slightly later start may help us get up there on time...

 

[Tinto]

So excited to be heading for the mountains!

Take note - This is the first time this has ever been said by someone riding a bicycle TOWARDS the bottom of a mountain.

 

[t3sla]

That'd be neat! We should put it up in events...

Did you have a start time in mind from Castlemaine Maurice? Given the short ride length for the day a slightly later start may help us get up there on time...

Super keen!!
The quicker the details come in the better (I'm flying out that night) But honestly couldn't picture a better way to spend it...

 

[DunkenKBliths]

Hi Guys, I'm willing to meet wherever you like within the CBD. I'm free Friday afternoon too.

I'd like to make the trip in the hills, but I'd need to charge the battery when I get there (so I can get home), I'm going to ask using that email address on the aforementioned link.

Yes Architectonic ...I'm all for trying to do the hills but only if I can charge at the club house, as I won't get home either, there's some crazy battery sucking hills up there... 650w charger in backpack....

A Stealth Bomber is no easy peddling bike...

 

[Rodney64]

Day 25 photos
Came across a pack of emus on the way to Orroroo
Our latest electric bike epic!


Views from an ebike tour of the Flinders Ranges

Rodney64. You are going well guys, it looks like Chings suffering a bit in this last photo. Good to see a CEO of a company out of the office.
More photos of Maurice he seems to be getting let out. Sorry guys i accidentally slipped one in of the Phasor but I've removed it now.

Abrahams still smiling

 

[voicecoils]

Hi Adelaide crew, been out of Optus 3G reception till now.

Let's meet as Ken suggests at the Victoria Park Racecourse, 3PM Friday for 4PM departure (for those joining for a ride to woodside). I've never been to Adelaide but I'm confident we can find it on google maps!

I'm sure the Bowls club would let people charge their bikes for the return journey. If someone has asked and got a response, let everyone else know, cheers. Might even find an outdoor powerpoint with a bit of scouting around. We've developed a keen eye for them the past 3 weeks

 

[voicecoils]

You are going well guys, it looks like Chings suffering a bit in this last photo. Good to see a CEO of a company out of the office.
More photos of Maurice he seems to be getting let out. Sorry guys i accidentally slipped one in of the Phasor but I've removed it now.

Abrahams still smiling

Ching does prefer smooth paved roads, fresh salmon and big steaks but we seem to be giving him dirt roads, big hills and lots of flies instead :lol:

Always happy to see more Phasor photos, even by accident.

Maurice misses out on photos as he's the one taking them on his phone, which is also the only one with reception to easily upload them. Damn Telstra's monopoly on country coverage!

 

[voicecoils]

Going great guys! I'm really enjoying following the Tumblr feed, but there aint nowhere to leave a comment.

The Mawson trail section and Fliders Ranges looks like great riding.

We're about to start dehydrating food for our Murray River ride. What meals came out the best on the road from what you had prepared?

Looking forward to riding the last day with you all!

Clive & Clare

Glad you found your way here!

Pasta with eggplant & tomato sauce and mushroom risotto were the best rehydrated meals so far.

Jetboil has been working well for us for water boiling fast for tea and hot chocolate. Next time we'll bring more instant miso and instant soup packets too. They are nice at lunch and as an appetizer at dinner while impatiently waiting for rehydrating food to cook

I'm a few days behind with my stats posting but hope to catch up tomorrow.

 

[Architectonic]

I haven't received a reply from the email address on the site. Do you guys have a better contact?

It seems logical that it would be possible, but you never know.

Getting there from the city isn't the easiest thing (since this isn't Holland), the shortest route is:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=204175822756979760320.0004e4ee0cabf151484e8
I actually like Greenhill Road, but the problem is that a small minority of drivers don't seem to like cyclists up there...

But a more common route (with a few bike paths) is:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=204175822756979760320.0004e4edfab0e39250faf

Or you could be more adventurous and ride through Cleland and see the Kangaroos (there are always kangaroos and the trails from Waterfall Gully road up to the carpark at the Wildlife park isn't that bad, depending on the weather...).

 

[Rodney64]

Copy and paste from glowworm cycles blog.



Hi everyone,
trying to stay a step ahead in our social calendar, so here’s the latest on
our Victoria movements:
Arrive Castlemaine Tuesday Sep 3.
Public event/ meet and greet in Castlemaine either on evening of the 3rd or
morning of the 4th, probably in the main street in a corner building called
the ‘Hub’, formerly the MASG offices.
Wednesday Sep 4 - Group ride from Castlemaine to Ballarat at a relaxed pace
(there will be non-motorised bikes amongst us!), all welcome. Please let us
know if you’re coming or would like to join along the way. Maybe email us
your phone number to maurice@glowwormbicycles.com.au. Start time will
depend on who is coming and when they can get to castlemaine and als if we
do the public thing on the 3rd or the 4th
Thursday Sep 5 - Melbourne. We’ll be visiting electric bicycle shops in
melbourne and then heading out to the “1 in 20” hill climb around lunchtime
to see how our bikes measure up. All welcome to come ride with us, it’ll be
a fun time. That’s out here:
starting in
the suburb of The Basin, about 30km from the CBD
From melbourne we’re going to take a train to Albury and then head into the
snowy mountains, Canberra and home!