Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club

This flyer was given to me from an old cyclist, it's from a race held in 1951. It looks like a good touring route?? Any takers for a winter tour? I've never done a five day professional jubilee cycling marathon before. I notice that leading citizens are involved of all towns en route. Perhaps they'd give us free cream buns??



We can make a plan...

Lindsay

Count me in...if it's in school holidays that is.

So Lindsay, let me get this clear - you liked that route from Lithgow to Mudgee so much you want to do it again?

I'm attracted by the Bourke to Sydney tour. 2000 pounds (I can't make the sign) - that would be good. That was alot of money then I'm figuring.

I'm interested. Guess it depends on when it's planned for. I seem to have an decreasing amount of free time

I'm in depending on when it is.

I'm interested.

I don't have any big rides planned for this year, so something like this could be good.

James

pencil me in

how many km is it? i reckon 300 a day and we will be all good cut that 700km thing down

Looks good, though i'm not sure i can fit it in. I put the 5 day tour into google, and it came out at 966km see here
Of course you have to get to and from Lithgow, and you may as well ride, so there's another 280km...

I quickly knocked together two different timetables for a possible ride.

5 day

Day 1 - Lithgow to Gulgong - 182km
Day 2 - Gulgong to Dubbo - 208km
Day 3 - Dubbo to Peak Hill - 194km
Day 4 - Peak Hill to Canowindra - 203km
Day 5 - Canowindra to Lithgow - 176km

7 Day

Day 1 - Lithgow to Mudgee - 154km
Day 2 - Mudgee to Gilgandra - 171km
Day 3 - Gilgandra to Narromine - 104km
Day 4 - Narromine to Peak Hill - 154km
Day 5 - Peak Hill to Forbes - 126km
Day 6 - Forbes to Orange - 117km
Day 7 - Orange to Lithgow - 117km

I prefer to the idea of a 7 day tour. I would assume that this would be unsupported, so the idea of averaging about 180km for 5 days with all of your own stuff doesn't appeal. Plus, my brother lives in Orange, so I wouldn't mind stopping there for a visit.

Just my 2 cents.

James

I quickly knocked together a possible 3 day ride.

3 day

Day 1 - Lithgow Dubbo - 390km
Day 2 - Dubbo to Peak Hill - 194km
Day 3 - Peak Hill to Lithgow - 379km


I prefer to the idea of a 3 day tour. I would assume that this would be unsupported, so the idea of averaging about 280km for 3 days with all of your own stuff appeals. Plus, i cant be arsed having to sit around talking to people when i could be riding or passed out asleep, so I wouldn't mind not really stopping.

Just my 2 cents.

Tim

(whats better, some long first and last riding? or more even 200 and some thing km days? i thought of that, but would have required more than copy and pasting on my part, with some editing.)

I am interested in 3 and 5 day tours but would prefer more cafe hopping distances. Not at all interested in backing up 200k+ days.

I'm interested irrespective of school holidays, number of days or kilometers per days, just so long at the leading citizens of each town en route give us cream buns!

And I want to go to the Dubbo zoo. And see that little animated woman in the Cowra museum who wanders about in the display cases. And have a milkshake in Canowindra. And meet a gentleman from the NSW League of Wheelmen.

Cream buns? I want cream buns!

Count me in. As disscussed already with lindsay, I will be doing this fixed. Gear suggestions will be taken.

fixed gear 3 day

hey i dont think im actually in for this unless its on during my one week off , not sure when that is

You guys are mad. It's going to be freezing out there at this time of year.

September or october like those rides would be the better time of year, not so cold and not roasting hot. I think the last time I was out near parks in the middle of winter it was still only a mild -4 degrees at 10PM.

September or october like those rides would be the better time of year

Hear hear. We should do it when the wattles are flowering.

A supported ride with a sag wagon/equipment tender, one of those extenda-tents (don't know what they're called) and a gas cooker would make it cheap enough for everyone and reduce the logistics of organising accomodation.

Thats a cool pic Lindsay. Love to see a bit of history coming back to life.
I'm very interested. Let me know when you're thinking. James 5 or 7 day options are fine. I'm also happy to cafe hoop as well.

I think it's do-able in the colder months if you're staying places and not camping. Once you're moving on the bike it's ok - surely? I mean you still train through winter right? I am rarely cold while moving provided I'm wearing some warm gear.

Hmmm...

It'll probably need a bit of advance warning so people can organise leave and make sure it's not an important race week.
I notice that the original race was at the mid/end of September. Perfect time for that neck of the woods.

September is far too far away. If it comes to that we can always have 2 tours. And I'm not camping in winter. I'm sure there are a plethera of cheap dodgy pubs and caravan parks along the way that we can avail ourselves of. Places that will also have FOOD (and red wine and scotch to keep us warm if all else fails). Plus we'll get to meet the locals! That's always a blast.

Oh, and I'm not in the country in September so couldn't go then anyway. Not to make it all about me...

I hate to tell you this, but alcohol cools you down.

As far as "once your moving you warm up", last year I was on the bike at about 6:30am leaving Aileron, it was about 1 or 2 degrees once we were away from the roadhouse. I didn't warm up for about an hour or so. Despite the thick winter gloves, my hands (particularly my fingers) were frozen, my toes weren't much better. This was despite Shoe Covers, Thermal Socks, Arm Warmers, Buff and Thermal Vest.

The only saving grace was that once the sun rose, the temperature did start to rise (dramatically), once I reached Morning Tea (8:30am) I was down to Summer Riding kit. You wont get that out West.

My preference is for something towards the end of September when it is starting to warm up and the days are quite a bit longer.

James

Let's kick a few facts: average July temperatures from the BoM website.

Orange Maximum 9.7 Minimum 0.3
Lithgow Maximum 10.4 Minimum 0.7
Mudgee Maximum 14.3 Minimum 1.3
Gilgandra Maximum 15.6 Minimum 2.5
Parkes Maximum 14.0 Minimum 4.0
Bathurst Maximum 11.7 Minimum 1.0

I.e. much, much colder than Sydney. And we're allowed to roll over and go back to sleep when it's raining (or snowing) on Saturday and Sunday morning.

HTFU you may well say. Fair enough, but this looks like a ride for September/October or March/April, unless you've been very bad and feel a strong need to self-flagellate.

I want to tour now so I can eat all day

Hi All,

I would love to join you for a tour! I have LOTS of long distance cycling experience, toured all over Oz and other countries...
Camping, pubs, caravan parks, I’m ok with any/all...
Just give me country rds, good coffee, wine and nice conversation, THEN, you got me...


Cheers,

Glenn

There are really cheap tickets to Byron and Cairns around at the moment ...

There are really cheap tickets to Byron and Cairns around at the moment ...

Touring around Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands in fantastic!

If it wasn't busy, you might be able to go up to Kuranda in the cable car with your bike and then ride back down or somewhere else on the table land. There's some lovely places.

Touring around Cairns sounds awesome. How cheap is cheap?

In one week we could ride to Melbourne...

I need a bit more than a free cream bun in every town.

Now maybe if there was a tart in every town.

As Ted said its going to be freezing this time of year.