Munda Biddi trail preparation and pre/post trip notes

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A lot goes into planning for a trip such as the Munda Biddi bike ride, especially when you have to consider the requirements of a group. I normally do all of this on my own, spending weeks and months reading up on various blogs, travel books and studying maps. This time I enlisted the aid of the group participants to help research accommodation and assist with the route plans

Planning

I invited members of the Bayside Bandidos midlife crisis cycling club and Cycling Victoria Off Road to come along. I had 12 interested parties, which whittled down to the five of us participating.

Various software tools and good old fashioned pen and paper were used to ensure that I covered the requirements for planning the trip. The software I used was the open source Freeplane mind mapping and open office calc spreadsheet. The mind mapping software allows me to put down all the things I need to think about, and there are many in random fashion and the spreadsheet was used to create detailed  lists.
Numerous things have to be considered.  The illustration on the mind map shows a collapsed view. I arranged a couple of meetings to gain assistance in the likes of accommodation and the possibility of using a support vehicle. The support vehicle was discounted as it was very difficult to arrange and would have been too costly, especially if numbers dwindled.
Here is a list of the main topics of consideration:
  • Participants
  • Training
  • Maps and navigation.
  • Safety equipment
  • Bike requirements
  • Camping equipment
  • Food
  • Transport
  • Accommodation
  • Insurance
Then there are several sub topics eg.
  • Transport
    • Air - Melbourne to Perth
    • Air - Perth to Albany
    • Bus - Perth to Albany or Denmark
    • Rail - Bunbury to Perth
    • My place to airport - car, taxi or train ?
The Internet is your friend, here is a list of some of the resources I used:

Equipment List

There is a limited amount of weight and space available to carry on a bike. I collected everything I thought I could possibly need, weighed each article and ruthlessly discarded the ones that were deemed superfluous to my needs. This is something I do for bush walking and snow camping. The effort paid off as I crept in under the scales at the airport at just on 23kg with 5 kg of carry on baggage. 

A few weeks preceding the trip I had test rides to check out the integrity of straps and camping gear. I left instruction for the other party members to do the same. Whether they did (I doubt it) or not was not relayed to me.

I suffered from leaving a couple of decisions too late:
  • The pannier side rails were a late purchase. I neglected to Loctite the fixings as it they were not entered on my check list.
  • I purchased a pedal spanner and some Loctite two days before leaving and forgot to pack them.
  • I decided not to take the front rack as it would not fit the bike packing bag. Not detrimental, but it meant that I had to reorganise the packing plan late at night.
  • Deciding not to take the water bladder and affixing a water bottle to the slanting down bar with zip ties. It worked but was too makeshift. Glad I did not take the bladder as I hate sucking on it, and it's always a hassle to secure.
I did not need to take:
  • Kindle ebook reader. It got damaged from the tight packing and I never got round to reading it.
  • Battery chargers for head lights and gps and camera. I had spare batteries anyway. The gps and headlight were used infrequently so battery life was not an issue. 
  • Excessive spare clothes. One merino cycling top and one merino thermal was sufficient for the trip, the top can be washed every three days or so, with the thermal covering for night use. Same with knicks and socks, only two are required.
I will take on future trips:
  • A Vaude handlebar bag. I was very impressed with Ed's arrangement. It was useful to carry snacks, raincoat and the map in its top mounted clear pouch.
I rejected taking:
  • GoPro camera.
    Nice to have, but in the end it got culled because of space and the need to look after the gear and accessories.
  • Tent outer.
    The inner is waterproof. I intend to use the tent only as emergency. There are campsites with cabins and commercial accommodation all no further than 40km apart.
  • Padded shorts.
    No gung-ho on this trip, and the terrain is that of a long distance mountain bike touring trail not weekend warrior stuff.
  • The front rack. No room in the bike bag without disassembly. Weight on the front unbalances the bike on loose surface.
We shared to save weight,
  • Cooking stove
  • Medical kit
  • EPIRB
  • GPS
  • Did not share tent as we preferred our own lightweight single ones.
  • Food
  • Some spares and tools.
Here is part of my gear list (not all taken, and some added):
Group Item
Qty
Mass (g)
BIKE 10 speed chain
296
BIKE 2mm green polyethylene pad for rack 2 10
BIKE allen keys x 4
62
BIKE Ayup Head Light

BIKE Bike Bag - Ground Effects
1275
BIKE cable ties
25
BIKE cutters
53
BIKE derailleur + hanger
288
BIKE Freeload rack for back
960
BIKE Freeload sport rack on front
900
BIKE Giant Anthem 29er bike

BIKE helmet
366
BIKE Orange garbage bag

BIKE pedal spanner
282
BIKE phillips head driver
19
BIKE polythene adhesive tape
100
BIKE presta-shrader adapter
15
BIKE pump 1 171
BIKE puncture kit
40
BIKE rag
37
BIKE rock n roll chain oil
109
BIKE screwdriver
45
BIKE spoke and spoke tool 5 10
BIKE sprocket brush
31
BIKE toolbox plastic
569
BIKE torx driver
82
BIKE tube 29 2 190
BIKE tyre levers
21
BIKE valve insert
25
CAMP Cuben quilt
516
CAMP Gossamer Walking stick /tent pole
85
CAMP knife
21
CAMP macpac day pack
190
CAMP Sleeping pad - Exped ul downmat
646
CAMP Tent inner - bear paw cuben
327
CAMP tent pegs x 6
72
CLOTHING Merino vest
159
CLOTHING Padded shorts
250
EMERGENCY Epirb
165
HYGIENE razor
17
HYGIENE soap
12
HYGIENE toilet paper
86
HYGIENE water filter
131
MEDICAL scissors
22
MEDICAL sunscreen
230
MISC gopro bike mount 
81
MISC Olympus Tough camera 
239

Gear of special note

  • Camera
    I have been using and love the Olympus TG-1 Tough camera for a few years now. It has built in GPS and is water and shock proof to a couple of metres. I used to use Panasonic Lumix, which took great photos, but failed due to water ingress.
  • Tent
    My tent is very light, especially taking the inner only at only 480gm all up with pole and pegs. Even with the outer it is only 800gm.  The Cuben fiber material is light, waterproof and strong. I purchased this Bear Paw Pyratent pyramid tent for my trip to Nepal, it was the only one that I could procure in time as they are made to order by small cottage industry manufacturers. I am ambivalent about a pyramid design, because it is a long way to reach the zip entry and can let in a lot of water in a ran storm upon entry, and not so good in snow dumps. It does, however do the job and no design is perfect, is very roomy and  very light.
  • Sleeping
    The sleeping pad is an Exped UL downmat. It is very comfortable and is rated low enough to provide good insulation against the cold of the snow. I like it because it is quick to inflate with the 'schnozzle' bag and is full length and of uniform width.

    The quilt is another Cuben fiber product. It looks strange because Cuben is semi transparent and you can see the feathers, however this means you can shuffle them around to adjust the warmth. The material being waterproof is a bonus as you do not have to be overly anxious about it getting wet. I bought this from another cottage manufacturer : enLIGHTened equipment.  You have to ask specifically for Cuben and you can get the quilt stuffed to whatever temperature rating you want. Using a quilt instead of a sleeping bag works as it has web loops to attach to the sleeping pad and it is easy to vent when it gets too hot.
  • EPIRB
    I wanted the lightest EPIRB on the market and chose the lightest one I could find that suits walking. It is important to register (Register at http://www.beacons.amsa.gov.au) and test the device before going away. The one I chose was an ACR ResQLink. Hopefully I will never need to use it, but I have seen the value of one on a trip I did on the South coast track of Tasmania, where a guy broke his leg: a cheap practical form of insurance I think.
  • Bike

    Giant Anthem 29er     How can I ignore the bike ? This bike is designed for enduro style riding. I found this bike to be well suited to this ride.

    I tossed away the saddle and the tyres that came standard. The tyres I used were Maxxis Cross-mark tubeless. The saddle is much a personal thing, I have a PrologQ which is comfortable, but still needed to wear two knicks to relieve saddle pressure over a long day.

     The handlebar grips were also tossed away and replaced with Ergon GP1 handles. In a trip to New Zealand I found my hands were going numb. Since changing to these handles I have not had an issue.

    The travel bag is a GroundEffects body bag. It is strong, light and just fits the 29er.  I carried some rags and bubblewrap to protect the essential components and scrounged cardboard at the airport.
  • Freeload bike rack
    This rack is a good piece of engineering, invented by some New Zealanders and now owned by Thule. It is one of the few racks available to fit dual suspension bikes. It does have its flaws though, the rack will fall apart if you do not attend to the fasteners with Loctite and replace the nut/bolt arrangements with Nyloc or double nuts. I preferred the pannier rack over the sports rack as the sports rack is rather limited in its usability being tricky to attach to.     

 Hygiene and Water treatment

  • I use the Sawyer water filter system as it is light, compact and quick to use. It is a bit cumbersome to fill the bag at times in a stream as the bag collapses. This is easily rectified by using a silnylon water bag and small plastic funnel. This system is good enough to filter out bacteria, viruses may require chlorine tablets, though I elected not to bother.

    It is important to take care with water. Simply changing from one place to another can bring on traveller's diarrhoea.

    A trip can be spoilt with loose motions and a bad gut.  I made a mistake by drinking water from a waterfall at the beach. Waterfalls, clear water, pure right ? This water comes from a creek that runs through farmland. Even if it did not, there could be a dead animal or stagnant ponds upstream. A day later my stomach was gurgling and plenty of gas from there on, and the number twos were not what you would call solid.
    It took months to get rid of this bug,  I took a kit of gut tablets as recommended by my doctor eg. Imodium on the field . I also spent a week before loading up on Travelan, but probably should have carried on with them on the trip. The doctor prescribed Flagyl and the side effects were far worse than the ailment.  Eventually it was sorted out. I worked hard to improve my gut biology with rolled oats, low animal fats, ginger and garlic along with another prescribe medicine.

    So, do not let your guard down ! Be vigilant with general hygiene eg. wash your hands with liquid antiseptic solution eg. Dettol is a good measure before eating and after toilet. Small ampoules are available at most supermarkets.

    A herbalist describes my symptoms to a T in this article (Note, I have not used this person's services, nor provide any recommendation. The main take here is that bacteria and virus infections are difficult to fix) :
https://www.byronherbalist.com.au/parasite-infections/herbal-treatment-for-blastocystis/ 
"Anyone who has been reading this blog will know that I have been struggling with Blastocystis homins and Dientamoeba infections since contracting them, four years ago, in the Byron Bay hinterland. More on my story here."

    Phone coverage and phone etiquette

    If you are using the Telstra service there is good coverage, with some dead areas in deep forest. I had Vodafone with roaming. The roaming seemed to work on an adhoc basis.  In a lot of ways I really wish that phones did not work on this trail, a futile wish in even the remotest places around the world.

    Phones are a benefit and a hindrance to the holiday experience. My belief is they are there for emergency, and should be used sporadically. There is nothing like a phone call to destroy the joy of conversation, that and incoming notification bird noises and keypad sounds.  We are supposed to be enjoying the wilderness and getting away from the stresses of modern times.

    Working with a group

    Being leader of a group and participating in a group is a challenge. There are the pros, in that there is safety in numbers and you have the satisfaction of experiencing things with others to witness and sympathise. There are cons, as you need cooperation as a leader, as a member you have to compromise your own desires.

    I worked on the premise that we are all adults, quite experienced in our lives and are all on a holiday. With that in mind I kept the schedule flexible, and at towns we either shared or went our own way on accommodation.

    There was  a bit of grievance in the early stages with the long fast runs on gravel roads allowing escape. We had a group talk, where we agreed to keep the group closer. If there is any simmering thoughts they need to be expressed and resolved.

    The policy of taking frequent rest breaks at approximately an hour spacing, and maintaining an easy pace worked well. We all were able to complete the trip without being overly tired and stressed.

    I perhaps left some things to assumption. I did not expect people in this party to deviate from the planned route, noting their cited experience with other groups. This happened on a couple of occasions, fortunately the outcome was not disastrous. It should be made clear that everyone plays follow the leader. If there is disagreement on the route or a need to deviate then, then the other members of the  party should be made aware with a clear response to that communication. It is distressing sending out search parties with all sorts of negative thoughts running through everyone's minds.

    Unfortunately we did not have the benefit of riding together as a group prior to this trip. Mark was in Siberia, and Jon in Bright. I was very busy with work and family. The more a group can work together, the better the understanding of each other. I think we did well overall, but it could have been better.
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