SERIOUS DISTANCE...
Day 3 – 3/03/2015
Start – Emerald Finish – Jake and Jess’s house at Cunnamulla Distance travelled – 732km Words by - Swells |
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Using Google maps to find short cuts is where adventure begins…
Heading through some of the most spectacular country so far we were well on our way to our Charleville goal, then out of nowhere - gravel road. Gravel road which didn’t end for 250km - thanks Google.
My riding experience does not extend to Gravel. Johnny Bang and Dan however were both happy to continue on as if the road surface had not changed. Meanwhile I had slowed considerably, feeling as if my wheels would slip at any moment and I would eat dirt. Slowly building confidence it didn’t take long until, on a corner, in a rut full of bull dust, I involuntary dismounted the super Sherpa. The front wheel dug in and bucked the bike, I spent a short time on my stomach across the handle bars, then un-gracefully hit the deck helmet first. Luckily – while I felt like I was flying – my speed when I crashed was not enough to damage the super Sherpa or myself. I called the guys on the Sena (helmet bluethooth speaker) who doubled back for laugh.
I had no choice but to get back on and try to keep up as the team blasted off. I was nervous at first, and now after eating dirt directly to my head I was – surprisingly to the team – more nervous. Riding with TwentyOneHorses was going to test my steel.
The gap between us was growing, Johnny Bang sat between 80 and 90 k/hr while I sat between 60 and 80 k/hr. Dan could ride at whatever speed he wanted on any part of the road he felt like. Often he would ride next to me, offering advice and demonstrating lines, then accelerating hard - leaving me in dust, enjoying his Yamaha WR 250 at its top speed.
Johnny Bang at 90k/hr was next to involuntary dismount. Cresting a small rise to find the road surface deteriorate into bull dust, the TTR already throttling hard had nothing extra to give and like the horse from the never ending story, sank into the dust. Johnny bang was then ejected at high speed to watch the TTR disappear beneath his new trajectory, landing to roll he came to a stop 10 meters away from the TTR. Now this I did not see, however I heard it all in glorious detail as initial swear words opened the Bluetooth comms line. I did get to the scene in time to find Johny Bang taking some deep breaths lying in the dust clutching his guts. He recovered quick as he patted himself down checking for any body modifications and catching his breath. The TTR was fine - or as good as it was before, so we saddled back up and took off.
Now my nervousness was somewhat settled, falling off seemed not to bad a thing. While I didn’t want to get broken my stoke for gravel riding was slowly increasing. I stopped wishing that I had spent some time on gravel before the trip and started to enjoy the experience - not looking down at each and every meter that was passing beneath my wheels I found helped the most.
The universe made sure to even the cosmic scale and in return for Luke’s adventure seat pillow the rough gravel road claimed thongs and a drink bottle, which coined the days motto - what the road giveth the road taketh.
The unexpected gravel road experience coupled with the dramatic bush scenery made for stoke levels which far exceeded the straight line roads which we would have been on.
After getting off the gravel and back onto the black top we were ignited with the motivation to bank some serious k’s. A quick phone call was made and we had a lounge room floor to sleep on 400 something k’s away and 5 hours of daylight left. We hit the road hard and made good time on the open straight empty sections of road, the time was mostly spent coming up with different ways to spread the weight among aching body parts.
Racing roos and emus we arrived at Cunnamulla just after sunset and pulled into our friends Jake and Jess's house. Refusing the offer of an inside normal shower we showered true adventure style with the hose in the back yard. Now lying on the lounge floor safe from the heat outside Google maps is planning our next two days to Adelaide…
Heading through some of the most spectacular country so far we were well on our way to our Charleville goal, then out of nowhere - gravel road. Gravel road which didn’t end for 250km - thanks Google.
My riding experience does not extend to Gravel. Johnny Bang and Dan however were both happy to continue on as if the road surface had not changed. Meanwhile I had slowed considerably, feeling as if my wheels would slip at any moment and I would eat dirt. Slowly building confidence it didn’t take long until, on a corner, in a rut full of bull dust, I involuntary dismounted the super Sherpa. The front wheel dug in and bucked the bike, I spent a short time on my stomach across the handle bars, then un-gracefully hit the deck helmet first. Luckily – while I felt like I was flying – my speed when I crashed was not enough to damage the super Sherpa or myself. I called the guys on the Sena (helmet bluethooth speaker) who doubled back for laugh.
I had no choice but to get back on and try to keep up as the team blasted off. I was nervous at first, and now after eating dirt directly to my head I was – surprisingly to the team – more nervous. Riding with TwentyOneHorses was going to test my steel.
The gap between us was growing, Johnny Bang sat between 80 and 90 k/hr while I sat between 60 and 80 k/hr. Dan could ride at whatever speed he wanted on any part of the road he felt like. Often he would ride next to me, offering advice and demonstrating lines, then accelerating hard - leaving me in dust, enjoying his Yamaha WR 250 at its top speed.
Johnny Bang at 90k/hr was next to involuntary dismount. Cresting a small rise to find the road surface deteriorate into bull dust, the TTR already throttling hard had nothing extra to give and like the horse from the never ending story, sank into the dust. Johnny bang was then ejected at high speed to watch the TTR disappear beneath his new trajectory, landing to roll he came to a stop 10 meters away from the TTR. Now this I did not see, however I heard it all in glorious detail as initial swear words opened the Bluetooth comms line. I did get to the scene in time to find Johny Bang taking some deep breaths lying in the dust clutching his guts. He recovered quick as he patted himself down checking for any body modifications and catching his breath. The TTR was fine - or as good as it was before, so we saddled back up and took off.
Now my nervousness was somewhat settled, falling off seemed not to bad a thing. While I didn’t want to get broken my stoke for gravel riding was slowly increasing. I stopped wishing that I had spent some time on gravel before the trip and started to enjoy the experience - not looking down at each and every meter that was passing beneath my wheels I found helped the most.
The universe made sure to even the cosmic scale and in return for Luke’s adventure seat pillow the rough gravel road claimed thongs and a drink bottle, which coined the days motto - what the road giveth the road taketh.
The unexpected gravel road experience coupled with the dramatic bush scenery made for stoke levels which far exceeded the straight line roads which we would have been on.
After getting off the gravel and back onto the black top we were ignited with the motivation to bank some serious k’s. A quick phone call was made and we had a lounge room floor to sleep on 400 something k’s away and 5 hours of daylight left. We hit the road hard and made good time on the open straight empty sections of road, the time was mostly spent coming up with different ways to spread the weight among aching body parts.
Racing roos and emus we arrived at Cunnamulla just after sunset and pulled into our friends Jake and Jess's house. Refusing the offer of an inside normal shower we showered true adventure style with the hose in the back yard. Now lying on the lounge floor safe from the heat outside Google maps is planning our next two days to Adelaide…
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