10 Deserts Solo Cycle Epic - website

Whoops my bad for not posting this link:

10 Deserts Solo Cycle Epic

Please forward the link onto your friends, family and work colleagues. Everyone is welcome to follow my high and lows over (approx) 11 weeks through 10 deserts.

We've set a pretty ambitious fund-raising goal of $30,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service as fitting beneficiary of this expedition. Please click on the link in the upper right hand corner of the website side-bar to make a contribution.

No ride anywhere near this distance has ever been completed before on similar terrain. One of these deserts has never been ridden before. One other route will be a first by bike if successful.

If you'd prefer, help my motivation by making regular donations at the end of each leg of my ride. There are 9 in total. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Ride On ... Cheers, Russ.

Gear Testing

I've only had the Fatback a few days now. I have a ride planned on Fraser Island this weekend, but I couldn't wait to get some early testing in ...

The bike breezed through the sand and the water, even with 10kg water on the pannier rack.


Hey I think a triathlete could pick up on this innovative method of combining the swim and ride - lol!



This short video demonstrates how well this beastie climbs, and I hadn't even let any air out. I've still got 10kg water on the back too:)

Hill climb testing

Worlds Apart

Speedway Cycles Fatback ... Down Under in Brisbane





After a few obligatory photos, I took my weapon of mass flotation onto the river loop. "Fat Albert" as I've nick-named my Fatback felt like a fish outta water on the road, but he sure got heaps of comments from roadies we passed en-route;) With lots of rolling resistance from low-pressure 4" tyres, the bike is still suprisingly fast. I can see it will be worthwhile retaining my biggest chain-ring. Now I can't wait to test this great bike on more fitting terrain.

Thanks to the guys from For the Riders for helping fit-out my fatty. I know I'm in great hands with For the Riders.

From above to below in the space of approx 3 months. 10 deserts and 7500km. Can I do it? I'll post a link to the expedition website in the near future. You'll be able to track my progress the entire way. Less than 4 weeks to go now ...

10 Deserts Solo Cycle Epic

Things have been a little quiet on the blogging front of late, but for good reason. My 24hr racing plans are also on hold whilst I'm planning, preparing and undertaking my 10 Deserts Solo Cycle Adventure:

My planned departure is 1st May from Alice Springs. I'll be attempting the above route in counter-clockwise direction and am planning approx 11 weeks. It'll be the longest and toughest ride I've done by far, approx 7500km. It'll take in all of Australia's major deserts, and some smaller ones; namely the Tanami, Great Sandy, Gibson, Little Sandy, Great Victorian, Painted, Moon, Strzlecki, Sturt Stony and last but certainly not least, the Simpson.

To the best of my knowledge, the Anne Beadell Hwy (Great Victorian desert) has never been ridden. It contains only 4 possible water stops (all rain-water tanks) dotted over 1380km. The longest stretch between water stops on this leg is 645km. I'll also be attempting a route across the heart of the Simpson desert; 420km, 1100 sand-dunes up to 20m high, with no water en-route. Many people have ridden around this deserts' edges, but never the route I am proposing. This adventure will certainly include some unique challenges. The ride will be solo and unsupported; except by support in close proximity around the Great Victorian and Simpson deserts for safety reasons.

This satellite view kinda puts things in perspective. Oz is called the sunburnt country for a reason:

I'm in the process of building up my amazing 4" Fatback fatty (special thanks to Greg at Speedway Cycles), and single-wheel "Extrawheel" type trailer.

Leanne from Astrovisual has very kindly offered to help out with an expedition website. Thanks heaps Leanne. I'll post the website URL and some news updates in the coming weeks .... I'd like to welcome people to follow me in the lead-up up to this adventure, and the journey itself.

More later ....

Cycling in my blood???

At my great Uncle Reg's 90th birthday recently we were discussing riding. Reg remembered that my great grandfather Allen Valentine Worthington used to race bikes, and also did quite well in his era. We've just managed to dig out this old photo. I know Allen was born in 1882 and we believe this photo was taken around 1900. Looks like a single-speed fixie. I'd love to know what bike this is. Anyone else know? If I can dig out any more detail on where or what he raced etc I'll update this post.

Fatties Rock

I have been looking at getting a Surly Pugsley. Pugsley’s are the original 4” fatty. They look like a MTB on steroids given their oversize tyres. They’re built to go places traditional mountain bikes can’t; places I’d like to go!

I’ve always got another adventure on the cards, so a Pugsley was high on my list of priorities. I’ve gotta say whilst I’ve always been a big fan of the Pug and the far-out places it could take me, my bone of contention has always been its weight. You see, I like adventure but I also like speed. At 2.57kg for an 18” frame alone, the Pug is no light-weight, even if a lot of this weight is quite justifiable when you consider the enormous loads these bikes are designed to carry for BIG adventures in crazy-arse terrain. I've been on the look-out for a light-weight adventure MTB, but without sacrifice to strength.

Enter the Fatback ...


This is not a bike we have heard much about here in Australia. Much of its use to date has been in the snow in Alaska and North America. Greg Matyas and Pete Basinger from Speedway cycles conceived this bike from years of Alaskan back-country experience.

Check-out their website here: http://speedwaycyclesak.com/pages/fatback.html

And below, Greg showing off one in the "flesh".

These bikes can do everything a Pug can do, and more.

Other than its light weight (full build possible at 23lbs), the obvious advantage of the Ti frame is its rust resistance. There’s not much point having a bike built for real adventure if it’s restricted on where it can go because of fear of corrosion on beaches etc. This is a real problem in Alaska because most roads are heavily salted to minimise ice formation. Fortunately Speedway Cycles can also accessorise with Ti options for a fully nuke-proof bike that’ll last longer in the back-country than I ever will.

Ti is also more compliant than CrMo steel, so the ride is not as jarring given these oversize beasts normally use their baggy tyres as suspension rather than suspended forks. The result is that weird and wonderful adventure can still be LIGHT & FAST. The 4” tyres also have plenty of clearance. The rear drop-outs come with 165mm spacing, so this bike is designed for the future with even bigger wheels in mind for harsher terrain. The drive-train is conventional, rather than off-set or “dished” like the Pug. Like the Pug, the Fatback also uses a 100mm bottom bracket.

They look schweeeeet, they look fast, and I can’t wait to get one. I know it will take me well off the beaten track. What are other people’s thoughts?

Oh, check out this link if you don’t already know what the Iditarod Trail Invitational is about. This should whet your adventure appetite:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/sports/othersports/24ultra.html?_r=1

Don’t our solo 24hr MTB & XPD adventure races feel kinda like junior girl-scout outings by comparison???

Seeya out on the trails, or “off the beaten trails” soon.