Monthly Archives: November 2014

Misc, Photos

Turn Head- into Tailwind

2 Comments

Did you ever enjoy an all day ride into a blowing wind? Well, cycling through the Australian Outback from north to south doesn’t offer real choices. The wind mostly blows from south, south-east or east.

What options do you have, if you do not have a headwind riding clone, the avatar who rides for you into the wind, once it gets stronger and facing you?

20141110_101911Like my clone, whom you can see leaving from lunch just at the time when I arrive at the lunch stop!

How to turn a headwind into a tailwind!

No matter how much the wind in your face will serve to cool you down in the glowing outback heat, the energy needed to ride against the wind heats you up more than the breeze can cool you. Since we can’t change the direction of the wind and there is no alternate route going south, we must find a different way to overcome the everyday headwind problem. Luckily TdA always guarantees to have some smart engineers amongst the riders, which ought to help resolve problems that are beyond standard cycling tour issues. One night at a desert camp a brainstorming session was started to come up with possible solutions to Turn a Headwind into a Tailwind …

A clever rider came up with the following solution, which helps him to always ride with joy, regardless of the obstacles the gusty wind does inject. The idea behind his solution is as simple as this. The human brain can always be cheated or programmed to recognize things that are actually different in nature or even not existing at all. So it just needs a way to make the brain think a headwind is in fact a lovely tailwind …

Look at the two photos below and see if you can find out his solution:
G0787406G0807431

The left photo clearly shows, that he is not really pleased with the wind situation, certainly a strong headwind. Whereas the right photo, taken just after a slight modification to one if his cycling gears, make him ride with pure joy.

Did you get his idea?

Yes, you are right. Simply turn the back of the helmet into the wind and the airflow through the backside of the helmet to the front does the job to fool your brain. Give it a try! Let’s see, if we can see many more riders on the road, applying this great solution …

Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 64: South Australia

Tarcoonyinna Rest Area to  Cadney Homestead
Date: 11-12-2014 Time: 05:12 h Σ Time: 360:31 h
Distance: 135 km Σ km: 7619 km Temp: 15/41°C
Up: 175 m Σ Up: 72124 m Down: 272 m
Calories: 2339 kcal Σ kcal: 164628 kcal  
Conditions: Good for a solo ride as the wind wasn’t giving too much trouble.

Easy going all day. Unfortunately the pool at the roadhouse was a bit filthy, thus no swim after the heated ride. French fries were great at the restaurant. Another movie night, this time in apartment #11, made available by David J.  Thus no flies and other bugs that would spoil the movie experience of ‘The Chef’.

stage-64

Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania

South Australia

I am on my way through South Australia. More deserted than the Northern Territory.  First telefon signal since 3 days, thus a quick update from the road.

image

After a night in the desert we are heading for another road house with pool and cold drinks. The night under clear skies was great. Moon and shooting stars completed the picture.

image

Now 135km through desert with littke change, like these small table mountain.

Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 63: South Australia

Kulgera Roadhouse to  Tarcoonyinna Rest Area
Date: 11-11-2014 Time: 04:55 h Σ Time: 355:18 h
Distance: 126 km Σ km: 7484 km Temp: 16/40°C
Up: 132 m Σ Up: 71949 m Down: 238 m
Calories: 2137 kcal Σ kcal: 162289 kcal  
Conditions: Cool morning, heat turned on as usual. Wind was more to our favor accelerating the ride to the next camp.

Today was the crossing over into another state. We are leaving the Northern Territory to South Australia on our way to Adelaide. Before I started onto the official track I turned into a dirt road at camp for some sunrise photos. The wind seemed to be good to us today, as we turned a bit more to south out of the ever blowing south-east wind. It was a quick 20 km ride to the ‘border’ to South Australia. Not a real border, but huge signs warn from carrying uncertified fruit, veggies and livestock from NT to SA. They want to keep fruit flies and other parasites out of their state. The landscape turned flatter and flatter with occasional small hills. The trees and bushes grow smaller and do not offer any shade at all. We are entering a deserted territory. The distances between roadhouses increases, such that we are forced to camp in the ‘middle of nowhere’. No more cold drinks, no cell phone reception. Just us and occasional trucks and caravans that stop at our rest area. I was riding at the very end of the group. Only Henry and Chelsea were behind me. Good time for photos, as the ride will be not exhausting today. Lunch at 70 km was well placed with lots of food. The 56 km thereafter a bit more into the wind, but not as bad as the previous days. I arrived at the desert camp at 12:30. Brutal heat, no shade, but hot soup and tea. Everyone was hiding in the little shade the van and the canopies offered. Some fellow riders obviously don’t like camping, or the desert and continued on their own to the next town, which is another 51 km further south. However not before they emptied a substantial part of the cold drinks in our cooler box. I think the desert camp and camping at all is the flair of such an expedition trip and not the run for AC cabins in every campsite. However some like it different. Tonight is another cinema night, the only goody we have in the desert besides a cooler box with cold drinks for a while, since Gerald bought the LCD projector.

stage-63

Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 62: Australia / NT

Desert Oaks Rest Area to  Kulgera Roadhouse
Date: 11-10-2014 Time: 05:00 h Σ Time: 350:22 h
Distance: 108 km Σ km: 7358 km Temp: 15/39°C
Up: 266 m Σ Up: 71817 m Down: 172 m
Calories: 2362 kcal Σ kcal: 160152 kcal  
Conditions: Again a windy ride with constant head- or crosswind.

Who thought it would be an easy, short day after yesterday’s 169km, was told different. The wind was constant against us, keeping us cool but substantially slowing us down. I was riding on my own this day. 108 km is a short distance and even with headwind not much of a torture. Keeping it at a moderate pace will make it early enough to camp to enjoy the pool, cold drinks and food.  The Erldunda Roadhouse at 33 km was to goal in the morning to get cold drinks and snacks after the night in the desert. Thereafter keeping nose to the tar and rolling down the kilometers in an environment that does not offer much of a change. The Kulgera Roadhouse is the most expensive place in Australia so far. All prices for food and drinks are astronomic. This guy knows how to make money with the monopoly he has here in ‘The middle of Nowhere’. However the pool was a real refresher. The water was cool as ice. Don’t know how he get this done. He probably manages to keep it cool from the night temperatures, which are as low as 10°C. Halfway into the night it is time to crawl into the sleeping bag. After dinner we had a few games in the pub. Pool billiard, darts and kicker and the music box playing songs of the good old 60th and 70th.

stage-62

Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Trans-Oceania

Erldunda Breakfast Stop

After a night in the desert camp – the first of 4 we will have south of Alice Springs – the Roadhouse at Erldunda, just 33 km south of our last camp eas a welcome Coke stop.

image

With only 77km more to go today time is not an issue, spending time with the emus in the gardens …

image

image

Opals, Missiles, and Vino, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 61: Australia / NT

Alice Springs to  Desert Oaks Rest Area
Date: 11-09-2014 Time: 06:54 h Σ Time: 345:22 h
Distance: 169 km Σ km: 7250 km Temp: 20/39°C
Up: 324 m Σ Up: 71551 m Down: 490 m
Calories: 2827 kcal Σ kcal: 157790 kcal  
Conditions: The first of 4 desert camps of the tour.

After 3 days without cycling, except for grocery shopping in town, it felt good to be back in the saddle again. We were quickly out of town into a crosswind. Dana, Charles and I formed a peloton for the rest of the day, helping each other to break the wind. It were long 93 km to the Stuarts Well roadhouse to have a cold drink and stack up with food and beverages for the desert camp. Not much time and opportunities for photos on the road, as that would mean to leave the little group and struggle through the day on you own.

Gerald bought a battery powered LCD projector and a sound bar during our rest days in Alice Springs. A well made purchase to have desert camp entertainment when nothing else is around or to do. The movie of the night was ‘Mad Max’ filmed in locations in the outback and on the Stuart Highway, perfect to fill in the things we did not see on the highway. There are more movie treasures in our box for the forthcoming desert night in Southern Australia.

stage-61

Bike the Outback, Misc, Photos, Rest Day, Sections, Trans-Oceania

Me and Me2 in Kings Canyon

Second day of the rest day trip to the outback’s most famous sites. I am feeling good even without my bicycle.
My ‘wind cycling clone’ and I are lazing on the rim of the spectacular Kings Canyon in the Watarrka National Park.
image

This canyon is considered one of the most spectacular sights in Central Australia. The 7km, 3.5h hiking loop started with a short but steep climb up to the canyon rim with fantastic views into and over the canyon. The heat turned on and reached a high of about 41°C before noon.

image

We left Uluru at 4am to be early at the entrance to the canyon for a breakfast and before it is been closed for hiking due to the burning heat.

image

Garden Eden provided shade and water, not only for us but also the, plants, birds and other animals in this boiling oven.

image

Now on the way back to ‘Alice’ for one more day of real rest and longer sleep? Or do I have another tenting surprise after leaving my little home unattended in ‘French’ territory for 2 days?

Bike the Outback, Misc, Photos, Rest Day, Sections

Leaving for Uluru & Kings Canyon

A new perspective on Stuart Highway.  Usually nose deep down, almost into the tar, to break through the wind we now have a high raised and comfortable seat in the coach that carries us 1300km over the next 2 days, through the major sites of Ayers Rock, The Olgas and Kings Canyon.

image

At the Stuarts Well Roadhouse we were served the Soup of the Day.

image

Probably some of the riders who decided to spent 3 boring rest days in Alice Springs, rather than to go with us on tour, will regret to miss this special.
image

Later at Curtin Springs, the view of ‘Fooluru’ – Mt. Conner or ‘the world largest toothbrush – and Lake Amadeus. Mt. Conner is often thought to be Uluru (Ayers Rock), which is still 100km further to the west, and it is said that some people even turned around here after taken their photos, not knowing that they were fooled by a similar looking rock.
image

Now at ‘The Rock’ for a quick daylight photo before this pkace gets crowded.

Bike the Outback, Misc, Photos, Rest Day, Sections

Leaving for Uluru & Kings Canyon

A new perspective on Stuart Highway.  Usually nose deep down, almost into the tar, to break through the wind we now have a high raised and comfortable seat in the coach that carries us 1300km over the next 2 days, through the major sites of Ayers Rock, The Olgas and Kings Canyon.

image

At the Stuarts Well Roadhouse we were served the Soup of the Day.

image

Probably some if the riders who decided to spent 3 boring rest days in Alice Springs, rather than to go with us on tour, will regret to miss this special.