Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Cycle Tours => Topic started by: in4 on September 25, 2013, 01:40:54 PM
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Although written primarily for photographers, this blog is a great read devoted to the Canning Stock Route that crosses the Simpson Desert in WA Australia. I was particularly interested in the choice of 'fat-boy' type tyres. They might be a necessity given the terrain but they do look like hard work to me.
http://bicyclenomad.com/2013/08/31/canning-stock-route-photography/
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Yes, the fattest tyres possible are really a necessity when you get out on the sandy tracks in the desert, believe me.
Last year a mate and I were defeated by the sands of the Andado Track. We were well and truly loaded with food and supplies for 8-10 days, and water for 2-3 days. We were running 2.3" Schwalbe Mondials and mine were down to sub-20psi to get traction, but the deep sand had us walking and pushing - extremely debilitating in this sort of soup:
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u666/petesig26/Red%20Centre%20Way%20and%20the%20road%20to%20Old%20Andado/P1020208_zps23df62c6.jpg) (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/petesig26/media/Red%20Centre%20Way%20and%20the%20road%20to%20Old%20Andado/P1020208_zps23df62c6.jpg.html)
We were forced to change our plans and backtrack the 4-5 days back to the highway.
Sunsets were gorgeous though
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u666/petesig26/Red%20Centre%20Way%20and%20the%20road%20to%20Old%20Andado/P1020188_zpsf94487f4.jpg) (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/petesig26/media/Red%20Centre%20Way%20and%20the%20road%20to%20Old%20Andado/P1020188_zpsf94487f4.jpg.html)
(http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u666/petesig26/Red%20Centre%20Way%20and%20the%20road%20to%20Old%20Andado/P1020213_zps0b12945c.jpg) (http://s1327.photobucket.com/user/petesig26/media/Red%20Centre%20Way%20and%20the%20road%20to%20Old%20Andado/P1020213_zps0b12945c.jpg.html)
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Horrible looking sand there. One thing I found helpful is to bring along a backpack (actually, my rack bag is a backpack). Then load the heavy gear (especially water and food) into the backpack so as to reduce the bike weight. An unloaded bike is MUCH easier to push than a heavily loaded bike. This trick is good for short stretches of sand like in that photo, but I certainly wouldn't want to spend the whole day pushing through stuff like that while carrying 60+lbs of food and water on my back.