I’ve just returned from two weeks travelling around with the kids. We did a flying visit to the Gammon Ranges (North Flinders) and then the Oodnadatta Track. ’bout 5000 Ks. No cycling involved myself, but we did see some cyclists out there. There were couple doing the Mawson Trail that goes up through the Flinders. My brother did that as a five day race last year. Would be an interesting ride.
Further along, on the Oodnadatta Track we encountered a Cycling Safari doing the Track. There were 20 in the group accompanied by a bus. The bus had a 20 stacker bike rack on the roof. With bikes on the roof, the bus looked like a giant toast rack. (Bikes mounted transverse. No photo, sorry.) Anyway the folks on this safari would set off about 7am and the bus would chase at 9am, picking up stragglers as it went. On the leg from Coward Springs to William Ck, we passed them all except for one dude who was waiting in William Ck when we arrived at 10:30 – beat the others by an hour over a distance of 90k. Said he was averaging 32 kph. See the first attachment. The road surface is good and flat. No hills. But the scenery??? Salt bush, spinifex and red gibber that goes on and on…
The safari guys were supported. The next lot were not. This pair was getting along with T-bars and a Tag-a-long trailer arrangement. The trailer had the tent, sleeping mats and a cute folding chair. Given they would have to be going through at least 5 litres of water a day just to ride and road houses with water supplied are 200 Km apart, I do not know how they kept themselves watered.
Food for thought for those keen on long distance endurance rides.
B2.