Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt - 2007
Overview     Schedule     Map     Diary     Pictures     Messages     Conclusion
Day: 005
Date: Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Accommodation Cheap motel ($35!) in Miriam Vale
Summary Riding from Gympie to Miriam Vale
Start Time: 4:15am
Finish Time: 6:20pm
Daily Map Kms: 299
Total Map Kms: 1,351
Map Kms To Go: 13,060
Map Kms ahead (+)/
behind (-) schedule:
0
Daily Odometer Kms: 299.3
Daily Average Speed: 24.87
Weather: Rain at first, partly cloudy later with mild temperatures.
Nutrition: Big brekky for breakfast.  Pie and pastie for lunch.  Burger with the lot, chips and ice-cream for dinner.
Encounters: None really.
Highlights: Finishing for the day
Lowlights: Starting out in the dark and rain.
Daily Pictures: Here
Daily Podcasts: Here & Here
Journal: I imagine I will have plenty of more days like today.  Fourteen hours of riding with a couple of short breaks in the only towns I passed through, interspersed with long road sections through mainly arid forest.  

I’m still not getting enough sleep, but survived the day OK, although I did a lot of dreaming about spending the rest of my retirement lying on a couch watching the midday movie and being served with lime milkshakes.  When I wasn’t dreaming about that, I was reassuring myself that I will never have to do anything like this again.  Sounds good!  

Given the terrain, which was undulating to hilly all day, I don’t think I can ride 300km faster than I did today.  You just can’t maintain a high average speed when you encounter long hills every few kilometres that slow you to 15kph or less.  I have learned to hate the sign that says “Overtaking Lane Ahead” because it almost always means you are about to start climbing again.  
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The scenery was quite pleasant, with the arid forest giving way every now and then to agricultural or grazing land.  I saw vineyards and banana, pineapple and sugar cane plantations.  In the distance to the left, and from higher elevations, I could generally see high mountain ranges.  The towns were small and authentic country towns although the tourism industry is obviously also important.  

Although I am eating plenty of junk food, I am also consuming about 3 litres of flavoured milk a day plus plenty of fruit juice, and actually feel pretty healthy for someone burning so much energy.  

I toyed with the idea of getting the bike serviced in Rockhampton, which I pass through tomorrow, but have decided that it seems to be OK and I am keeping a close eye on it.  This means it won’t get a service until Karratha, some 6,000km further on, although I will change the tyres in Townsville on the coming weekend.

ADVENTURE LIST

 

Round Ireland
(2016)

Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)

Via Alpina
(2012)

Australian Alps Walking Track
(2011)

Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)

Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)

Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)

Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)

Three Peaks Race
(2004)

Appalachian Trail
(1986)

Alpine Track
(1983)

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You can email Dave directly at dave@davebyrnes.com.au or subscribe to his Adventure Blogs here.

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