One Man's Web

400 Km Day

This trip was a four hundred kilometre challenge. Could I do it in 24 hours? The date was set for 7 October 2010, chosen for the warmer weather after winter but before the summer heat.  The day was a Thursday, which was chosen, as was the route, to minimise traffice exposure. I left Elizabeth at midnight.

(Update, Feb 2023. This was my very first endurance ride.  I was only 55, which was just as well, because I knew nothing...and learned a whole lot!  It's been a blast.)

It is fair to say the trip was a large learning experience! It was also a great experience. The unplanned section started when the bitumen road to Mallala turned into a dirt road, with a sign post to Mallala point in a direction I was certain was 90 degrees out. The flat country between Gawler and Mallala is no place to be lost at night. I lost enough time here to fail to reach the 400km in 24 hour goal.

I began to feel the cold between Mallala and Balaklava. I had made up some windproof arm protectors, for the top of my arms, but eventually had to go to a full wind jacket. No matter what they say about Goretex, this eventually means getting steamed inside the jacket. I eventually stripped this off around 10 am and spent the rest of the day warm.

Water, food and fatigue were all very manageable until I left Gladstone around 12.45 pm and began the slow climb across to Jamestown into head winds. The bitumen was also rough in places. The speed dropped here, and I actually felt tired.

I began to realise how much time one can spend waiting for a simple steak sandwhich. The next time I try one of these trips I will carry some light meals in a town pannier. I reckon the time saved will be well worth the weight.  A minute's break is 3 kilometers lost, at least.

I arrived at the Trengove house in early evening and took advice to take 90 minutes sleep. That is something very hard to wake up from!

Clare to Elizabeth was an extraordinary hard slog. The main problem on this stretch was windchill combined with sugar levels and fatigue.  If I stopped riding I was warm and then hot in very little time. The wind generated in riding was the problem.  Eat a Mars Bar and my temperature would immediately improve. This did not last more than 15 minutes.  Next trip will involve a drip feed of a sugar source.

I was wearing a full face balaclava, but still needed to add a bandana to lessen the cold against my face. I reckon another layer of wicking material would also have helped.

My next attempt at this distance will involve carrying some meals, multiple small sugar feeds, another layer of clothes for the second night, and warmer footwear. I will "sock up" under the booties, and see if I can find a heavier pair of tights. Temperature seemed to be the main issue. I was not unduly tired or sore over this distance!

A short stop at the farmhouse where I grew up, just west of Gladstone.

Statistics

Trip = 421km in 29.75 hours.
Real Average Speed = 14.39kph.
Average Riding Speed = 20.18 kph for 20 hours 52 minutes.