Riders will travel 5,300km through deserts, wineries districts, rolling hills, winding coastal roads and tough alpine regions.The variety of landscapes and uses will be good for the stories and I dare say for the riders too. The word wineries interests me; is it simply an Australian synonym of vineyard or something slightly different?
They are different riders, with Kristoff a faster road specialist. I expect Kristoff to be the faster rider over this sort of course, with Mike having a proven record as a 'hard man' in very tough conditions.
I am indeed!
If anyone would like to follow it, the tracking site is here:
https://indianpacificwheelrace.maprogress.com/ (https://indianpacificwheelrace.maprogress.com/)
Starts on 18 March.
last week it was 44 degrees in the desert and snowing on the route through the mountains. The more harsh the conditions, the more it could favour Mike.
It looks like a very interesting route. Have fun crossing the Nullarbor.last week it was 44 degrees in the desert and snowing on the route through the mountains. The more harsh the conditions, the more it could favour Mike.
It'll be bloody freezing at night when you're going through Kosciuszko National Park at 1,500m. When we cycled through Victoria last year we left Melbourne on 29th March heading eastwards towards New South Wales and despite sticking to the coastline the nighttime temperatures were dropping down to a around 5 °C. It was certainly chilly. Things warmed up a lot once we were in New South Wales, probably because the climate is less controlled by the Southern Ocean.
Interesting. I've been watching the weather a bit and it does seem to vary a lot from day to day. Looks a bit less extreme this week: 10 minimum at Falls Creek (highest point) and max in the mid-30s at Nullarbor.
There's not too much time spent above 1500m or even 1000m but, having said that, if it drops below freezing I might be walking as coming off on ice in the middle of the night on a deserted road would be silly.
You can get Chapstick that is sunblock here as well. For sking or the Alps in summer.
btw it's Kristof with 1 F.
Kristoff with 2 Fs is the Norwegian pro.
The hills in VIC and NSW roll up to 1700m and 1600m! But overall its a lot flatter than, say, the TCR.No big climbs, no steep climbs, that's true. Reflected in Mikes choice of back block. I think his biggest cog is a 26. But those roads roll up and down for 100s of ks before you hit the flats of the interior and that will be where the field spreads out I reckon.
Aussies seem to refer to the whole desert crossing from Norseman to Ceduna as the Nullarbor. It is a bit daunting because once you leave Perth there is not a lot. Realise you need to pick something up from a bike shop? Wait until close to Adelaide.
if I had to bet, ..... my money is on Steffen Streich.... (I might place a tenner on a bet tomorow if my local bet shop covers this .... should be decent odds)
Durianrider talked the talk, but has dropped out due to injury .... I knew that he would not win, (a race like this does not suit vegans ... you need to eat lots of meat or big cornish pies and fish and chips and Kentucky chichen on races like this :)
but I was fascinated by his bamboo bike ... would have loved to see him finish, and see how the bamboo bike fared on this course .... looks like a pretty decent bike
as for the woman, I'd bet on the Greek Girl (Vasilike Voutsali)
Weather looks awful:Who was the woman who said that the policeman had stopped her twice? I'm not surprised, she was weaving all over the road like she was falling asleep on the bike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KouMGrYCd10
He's also lying twelfth. Come on Frank, top 10, you can do it!He is doing incredibly well! Sounding strong and mentally with it after the really tough wet first 36hours, and now moving up through the field.
All the footage of the roads is just long straights into the distance.
The race going on behind Mike and Kristof is fascinating too. It looked like Adam and Seb were matching each other but now Adam seems to be taking a lengthy stop and in the last couple of hours Sarah has overtaken him.
I particularly like the coverage of the guy at 11 mins. didn't quite catch his name , was it Paddy?
Frank's dropping places. Yesterday morning he was about 220km from the the WA / SA border. This morning he's about 20km into SA, so he's ridden ~240km in the past 24 hours. I would expect him to have covered a higher distance. I hope everything is OK.He's had a 7hour rest stop. That's the second one he's taken so far and they are both at about the same interval so I'm guessing they are strategic rather than out of desperation.
Okay thicky question for the day :facepalm: ???They don't get updates, but I'm sure they're checking the tracker.
Do the competitors get updates on where they are relative to the others ??? Or is that left to them finding out at rest stops??
This is incredible:A bit of both, I think.
http://road.cc/content/news/219630-video-allergic-reaction-halts-juliana-buhring-during-indian-pacific-wheel-race
I can't decide whether she's brilliant or insane...
Maybe.
Adam Hall's tracker has been off for some time, so it is not possible to tell his location. Sarah could be ahead, or not.
She is certainly riding very strongly, looks unphased by the lack of sleep.
Frank's bike at 4:04 (https://youtu.be/7dBv76BOmqA?t=4m4s)
Frank's bike at 4:04 (https://youtu.be/7dBv76BOmqA?t=4m4s)Zip ties! :thumbsup:
And Frank himself reported this morning that he was having trouble with a tyre boot, so was using a piece of plastic to cover. Hope it works.
I've been curious about data coverage. It has surprised me that there has been data coverage from all of the roadhouses (that's not something you would have got in south-west WA just 8 years ago, let alone in the more remote areas).Trackers send a signal via satellite, it's not internet-style data or mobile phone-type coverage. I think one roadhouse has closed, there're only a couple open on the Nullabor now.
I think that the riders will only be able to check trackers etc when they get to a major roadhouse (petrol station) or town.
I meant data coverage and checking other rider's tracker positions. There has been vid updates from most of the roadhouses.I've been curious about data coverage. It has surprised me that there has been data coverage from all of the roadhouses (that's not something you would have got in south-west WA just 8 years ago, let alone in the more remote areas).Trackers send a signal via satellite, it's not internet-style data or mobile phone-type coverage. I think one roadhouse has closed, there're only a couple open on the Nullabor now.
I think that the riders will only be able to check trackers etc when they get to a major roadhouse (petrol station) or town.
Some coverage of Shell still looking good at 11:48 on Durianrider's latest vidAnd Frank right at the start
https://youtu.be/glSLCKziDJk
weird readings on Kristof's tracker.
If you look at the graph, around about 136hrs. Not totally flat, he does about 4km in 3hrs. Was he walking, or was the tracker giving a false reading and he took a break? Taking a break makes the most sense, but the trackers usually just show a complete halt.
If it wasn't a break, Kristof hasn't had a proper sleep for 45hrs. Mike has had a couple of 1hr stops and a proper sleep 30hrs ago.
Is the K-man starting to crack? Not quite half the race ridden.
Must be a relief for them to clear the city. While getting cheered on would be nice, it would interfere with their 'groove'.I was thinking that about some of the on-road 'interviews'. I'm sure having someone appear at my elbow in the dark, shouting "Cannondale Super Six Evo! Cannondale Super Six Evo! How's the Cannondale?"* would really piss me off (even if I wasn't trying to race across Australia!).
Mike Hall has/had problems with bike bike after a mechanic serviced it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w90-YPS2e3g
Mike Hall has/had problems with bike bike after a mechanic serviced it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w90-YPS2e3g
you can stumble upon a reputable bike shop if you are very lucky, however my experience tells me not to trust anyone near my bike, unless i somehow know they are qualified to do the job..
There's an article on cyclingtips looking at some of the different bike set ups here: click. (https://cyclingtips.com/2017/03/bikes-2017-indian-pacific-wheel-race/)
I am continually amazed at how little stuff Kristof is carrying.
(https://cdn-cyclingtips.pressidium.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/kristof.jpg)
Just seen a post from Frank on FB - he's contemplating packing :(I've just spoken to him on the phone: he's having a decent night sleeping in a hotel. He's running out of time and simply must get back to the UK by a specific date: a client has a big project and Frank is very important to it and he won't break that commitment. So he's still on the bike and still in the race, but having a rest. Too early to say he's out.
Just seen a post from Frank on FB - he's contemplating packing :(
He's been stopped for an hour.
Oddly, he had slowed right down for an hour before stopping. Must have decided he couldn't ride on and needed a rest.
She has a biggish climb to get over to catch him. She's made up a lot of distance, when I checked 4 hours ago, there was nearly 100km between them.
Yes, getting interesting at the front.
not much time left in the race
25km now! Go Mike!
Perhaps offer him a liquorice allsort?
10 minute gap!Yep, according to twitter
Any news on Frank???
Potentially, Kristoff banked a lot of sleep and now aims to push through to the finish at speed with minimal stops.I do wonder what quality of sleep he could have had up there though, it must have been freezing! He looks to have minimal warm kit too.
Yep - leaderboard puts Kristof 3km ahead of Mike but the dots on the map are still showing Mike ahead.
ETA: map has updated now, Kristof definitely in the lead. The predictive tracker was putting Mike at the top of the Mt Granya climb but he seems to have stopped at the bottom for a break.
J Alaphilippe: Did someone say my name? Also, RAAAWWWRRR!!1!
Interesting to switch between predicted and tracker modes. Latter one shows Mike a few km ahead whilst the predictive mode shows K-Machine pulling ahead!
It shows Mike as being stopped still, so he must have found a bivvy spot. Meanwhile, Sarah Hammond is now 300km behind Allegaert.
It shows Mike as being stopped still, so he must have found a bivvy spot. Meanwhile, Sarah Hammond is now 300km behind Allegaert.
Yes Sarah is falling back as Kristof and Mike have put sustained efforts in. Kristof now 92km ahead of Mike.
Kristoff will most probably have some sleep soon
Video of Mike riding through The Alps here (https://www.facebook.com/IndianPacificWheelRace/videos/409843289391061/) in which he explains why he cannot see in the dark.
Some of mike's tweeting suggests he caught Kristof and was going to chat but K was having none of it and 'attacked', or was Mike referring to someone else??
Kristof is currently about 350km from the finish.
It is not known if it was a race participant who was killed, but race organisers said they were working with authorities to investigate the incident.
Oh dear God. I just fired up the track to see if Kristof had won, instead saw the message saying the race was cancelled.
...
Terrible terrible news.
I cant get my head round this.
First time a thing like this has happened to a guy I've had a beer with - and that was only back in November. He was a bit of a hero of mine and just a totally utterly nice decent bloke.
I'm still reading the news posts thinking it must be some shitty viral fake news.
Tribute from Kristof
https://twitter.com/AllegaertK/status/847753957006901248
RIP Mike.
It's amazing how emotionally attached you can be to someone represented by a dot that you've only ever seen on a map. He sounds like a fantastic guy and my thoughts are with those close to him.
:'(
Unless Kristof goes back for another crack at this, my money is on Sarah Hammond.
Purple dot ftw
As you’re probably aware, the matter of Mike Hall’s death is before the A.C.T. Coroner’s Court with an inquest likely to be held later in the year.That reads like some fingers of blame are going to be pointed at the organisers. Crap.
Given this situation, and as more information about the potential outcomes of this process have become clear only very recently, it is with an extremely heavy heart that we cancel the 2018 Indian Pacific Wheel Race (IPWR) with immediate effect. That is, Dragon Face Pty Ltd will not be facilitating the riding of the IPWR in any way.
Unfortunately the Indi-Pac won't be running this year. Jesse has just posted a statement announcing the immediate cancellation, which reads to me like he's been advised that he might face some liability in the inquest into Mike's death.
https://www.indianpacificwheelrace.com/
Ah.
I can imagine, pending outcome of the inquest, the liability might be difficult to calculate.
Wonder what the implications are for TCR and trans-am? Insurance underwriters are global institutions.
Mandatory 6hour rest periods at night are a huge change from normal ultra-distance racing practises. Was that decision made on safety grounds alone? I can imagine that the discussions over bringing in such a rule would have been, um, intense.
Will you put minimum requirements around sleep? Surely race organisers are putting road users at risk if they don’t?
Similar to Audax events, the experts in ultra-endurance cycling, no restrictions to daily riding time will be included in the IPWR rules. This is a far more complicated issue than many without considerable unsupported ultra-endurance bike racing experience would realise at first glance. Ultra-endurance cyclists are managing unpredictable conditions, situations and terrain out on the road and need to be able to make the calls that are best suited to their particular circumstances. Riders must have the freedom to decide when and where they stop, for their own safety.
There are many scenarios where any restriction on ride time would result in serious danger. These are scenarios that the IPWR ringleaders have personally experienced in multi-week unsupported races. A rider must not be forced to stop at the top of a mountain pass in a snow storm if they misjudged the time required to complete the climb and their ride time limit is up, they must have the choice to continue for their own safety - stopping for hours could result in hypothermia. A rider must not be forced to stop in the desert when being followed by dingos if their ride time limit is up, they must have the option to continue until safety is reached - stopping could result in a dangerous animal encounter. A rider must not be forced to stop short of a critical resupply, shelter or medical option if their ride time limit is up, they must have the option to continue to reach an urgent supply of water, food or medicine. Stopping could result in dehydration or waiting longer for medical treatment. Riders must have the freedom to decide when and where they stop, for their own safety.
RAAM tried an option one year where Solo racers had a minimum mandatory time off the bike each day. It wasn't repeated.I recall reading about this a few years ago - info was a bit scant, but the reversal seemed to come down to the riders that needed less sleep not liking the rule.
two new rules for 2018
11. All riders must take a mandatory continuous 3 hour stop in every 24 hour period. Excluding the first 24hr and last 24hrs of your race.
12. All riders need to light up like Christmas trees during darkness hours. and display some form of hi-vi during the day and reflective gear at night ( helmets, tape, bags, jerseys, bands, vests, flags, anything at all that improves your chances of being seen. make an effort.)
That second rule makes me want to cry. Just how ambiguous and nonspecific can you get?!
Adrian means well but his rules are not thought through and amount to victim blaming. They implicitly agree with the view that riders in other events have been hit by cars because they were too tired and/or inadequately lit. There's no evidence whatsoever for either. But accepting those arguments takes the responsibility off the drivers.
Pretty similar to PBP rules, I think.PBP wanted everyone to have a high viz gilet. So it gave everyone a high viz gilet. A simple answer. Merely saying "make an effort" isn't really enough. Nor, I suspect, would it stand up in court as proof of having taken "reasonable care".
Those rules need proofreading; "registered paris".
Nothing in them rules out recumbents, which surprised me.
I understand the intention of the lighting rules, however they are very badly written.
Asking for two independent front and rear lights, plus some form of reflectors fitted either to the bike or the rider would be relatively reasonable. Pretty similar to PBP rules, I think.
Pretty similar to PBP rules, I think.PBP wanted everyone to have a high viz gilet. So it gave everyone a high viz gilet. A simple answer. Merely saying "make an effort" isn't really enough. Nor, I suspect, would it stand up in court as proof of having taken "reasonable care".
Regardless whether or not a particular race requires lights, it would appear to be in the selfish interest of the racer to be lit up like a 'Christmas Tree'.
Of course drivers are usually the responsible party when cyclists are hit, but it is pretty difficult to argue the toss from the grave.
Regardless whether or not a particular race requires lights, it would appear to be in the selfish interest of the racer to be lit up like a 'Christmas Tree'.You can wear whatever you think makes you safe; but please don't tell me what to wear, or how to equip/ride my bike.
Of course drivers are usually the responsible party when cyclists are hit, but it is pretty difficult to argue the toss from the grave.
Silly!
"perhaps" isn't really the desired outcome for a rule though. A rule should define what is and isn't acceptable.Regardless whether or not a particular race requires lights, it would appear to be in the selfish interest of the racer to be lit up like a 'Christmas Tree'.
Of course drivers are usually the responsible party when cyclists are hit, but it is pretty difficult to argue the toss from the grave.
perhaps they are saying that you should not use a black jacket at night and rather use something like the new Proviz REFLECT360 CRS jackets? ... hi viz for day, and it turns super bright at night:
You can wear whatever you think makes you safe; but please don't tell me what to wear, or how to equip/ride my bike.
Not hurting others and complying with the law suits me fine, thanks.
The type of jacket as available at PBP can even be a safety hazard. It's that hot that on a warm night the risk of overheating is serious. And overheating leads to drowsiness and falling asleep.
That's why I had a seperate non windstopper gilet at PBP (with the apropriate EN markings).
The best one IMHO is the Sportful one, which is minimalist so not too warm.
Halfords are giving them away for £5 ATM. I paid many times that much for mine a couple of years ago.
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/cycling-clothing/jackets-gilets/sportful-reflex-bretelle-en-471 (http://www.halfords.com/cycling/cycling-clothing/jackets-gilets/sportful-reflex-bretelle-en-471)
Edit, just seen they are out of stock. Might be available elsewhere
a high visibility vest that ensures you stay safe at all times whether out on your bike or in the workplace.
Silly!
That remark is non-excellent.
Please remain excellent!
Silly!
That remark is non-excellent.
Some cycling tops amount to a good version of dazzle camouflage!
Some cycling tops amount to a good version of dazzle camouflage!
Funny you should say that, I like this, other than the stooopid price
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1096/9584/products/Pro_Air_Jersey_Blu_Front_1024x.png?v=1493301302)
It's even called the dazzle range :facepalm:
Silly!
That remark is non-excellent.
Please remain excellent!
Are you his mother?
The funny thing is that Charlie/Kenneth has posted many less logical rebuttals. (and I'm not including him calling me a twat).Silly!
That remark is non-excellent.
Hardly. I think your response has more to do with the poster than the remark.
The type of jacket as available at PBP can even be a safety hazard. It's that hot that on a warm night the risk of overheating is serious. And overheating leads to drowsiness and falling asleep.
That's why I had a seperate non windstopper gilet at PBP (with the apropriate EN markings).
Which one were you using? I have a very simple runners hivi I got so that I could at least attempt to comply with french law when cycling through France at xmas, but am thinking I may need something more suitable for cycling for the summer.
J
They're very sweaty according to owners to whom I have spoken.
Provis jackets are truly spectacular for spotting from a long way away in the dark, but can be unpleasant to ride behind in a group.
(I remain sceptical that being visible from a long way away gives a real safety benefit in terms of not being hit by motorists, but it's awesome bling, a completely retroreflective jacket could give you WTF factor, and I suppose it might help rescuers find you quickly if something goes wrong.)
so en'lighten' me .... what would you wear ?
so en'lighten' me .... what would you wear ?
Whatever was appropriate for the weather conditions.
I've chosen jackets based on fit, affordability and how well it could breathe. In the absence of any that can breathe effectively, I've chosen cheap ones that fit, and rarely wear them. They have some retroreflectives on them, which is fine, but it doesn't contribute anything to my safety as it's usually rolled up in my bag.
so what's your 'favorite' assuming that you were to ride 1000km (which included riding several hours during pitch darkness), and assuming that the temp and weather were mild? ... and assuming that you could only have 1 jacket
Whatever was appropriate for the weather conditions.
I've chosen jackets based on fit, affordability and how well it could breathe. In the absence of any that can breathe effectively, I've chosen cheap ones that fit, and rarely wear them. They have some retroreflectives on them, which is fine, but it doesn't contribute anything to my safety as it's usually rolled up in my bag.
Essentially, it is a victim blaming document in that it focuses on what could Mike have done to make himself more visible, and what new laws can be brought in to force other cyclists to do so, rather than what could drivers do to avoid hitting things in front of them.
One thing I don't understand is that when a car hits another car from behind there is an automatic presumption that the car doing the hitting from behind is liable (In Australia as well as UK, I believe). Why should that not apply when the vehicle being hit is a bike?I don't *believe* that is the case (in UK, anyways!) - it's just one of those "common law" udnerstandings (i.e. if you rear-end another car, you will need a VERY strong case to put the blame on t'other driver). If it's actually documented anywhere, it will be (interesting) news to me.
“No one will help a rider if things go wrong for them in any way – riders will be alone. Understand that this is a personal challenge against the clock,” the disclaimer reads. “By signing up riders get nothing but an excuse to plan and execute their own adventure, one which is dangerous and has serious risks for those unprepared. This race is definitely not for everyone and it is probably not for you.”
Carlsson makes no apologies.
“You’re gonna be out there alone. If something goes wrong, no-one’s gonna necessarily hear you scream,” he said. “You’re gonna need to know how to solve all the problems out there.”
But he admits to worrying.
“In any of these races you’re always worried about someone having a run in with traffic, getting hit by a car or something like that, so it goes with the territory unfortunately. Hopefully everyone stays safe.”
The adventurers and risk-takers in our midst should be supported and applauded for daring to do the things and go to the places that most of us will never contemplate. There’s great personal reward to be had in challenges like the Indy Pac, and these can reach beyond the individuals. Jesse Carlsson agrees.
“It’s inspiring; ordinary people doing remarkable things like this,” he said. “It motivates people to do all sorts of cool stuff.”
Cool stuff indeed. Some of the entrants have quit their jobs. Documentaries and cinema launches are being planned, books will be written, blogs and vlogs will grow; and there will be countless photographs, video updates, and all manner of social media snippets emerging from the Indy Pac story.
You could say the Indian Pacific Wheel Race has a good dose of Oppy’s DNA in it. The Indy Pac start date of March 18 also happens to be the same date as the Audax Australia Fleche Opperman All Day Trial, a 24-hour team time trial that has been held since 1985 in honour of Oppy. Fittingly, this year is also 80 years since the last time Hubert Opperman rode from Fremantle to Sydney and broke that record.
It is clear from speaking with Indy Pac organiser, Jesse Carlsson, that he has deep respect for Australia’s first endurance cyclists. That is also evident from the Indy Pac website itself which includes many snippets of Australian overlander history.
Few realise there was a time when Australia was regarded as the ‘long-distance cycling centre of the world’. (See the bottom of this article for a list of just some of the distance cycling achievements from Australia’s past.) The early Australian riders (the ‘Overlanders’ and ‘Indefatigables’ as they were called) played a key role in promoting cycling as a past-time and sport, and the development of roads and other cycling infrastructure. The widespread interest their efforts attracted also helped spark the public imagination about new possibilities for moving around Australia.
The notes they made, the stories they told of their experiences, and the touring maps that resulted, paved the way for many others that followed them.
Jesse Carlsson (and the cast of others who have helped him) should be congratulated for bringing this Indy Pac adventure to fruition, for wanting to see a resurgence in Australian ultra-endurance cycling, and for his efforts in building an engaged community around that big idea. However, events of this scale are very unsettling. And maybe that is exactly the point.
Come this Saturday morning, March 18, I will certainly be one of what I suspect will be a very large virtual crowd of onlookers staring into their computer screens, eager to see how this bold new thing called the ‘Indy Pac’ unfolds.
I’ll be reading the dispatches from the road, scanning the social media updates on race progress, and following a handful of Indy Pac racers that have captured my interest for whatever reason. I will also be holding my breath, and praying to the Gods of cycling that everyone gets through this massive thing safely.
One concern has always been that the coroner's verdict would contain criticism of the idea of endurance racing in principle. The organiser outlined the dangers before the start.
...
The dominant story of Indy Pac has been the demise of Mike Hall. That's inevitable, given Mike's high profile, and the apparent novelty of unsupported adventure racing. However, there's a much bigger back-story to long-distance riding, and there have been similar incidents on rides I've done, and what happened to Mike has happened to friends.
One thing I don't understand is that when a car hits another car from behind there is an automatic presumption that the car doing the hitting from behind is liable (In Australia as well as UK, I believe). Why should that not apply when the vehicle being hit is a bike?I don't *believe* that is the case (in UK, anyways!) - it's just one of those "common law" udnerstandings (i.e. if you rear-end another car, you will need a VERY strong case to put the blame on t'other driver). If it's actually documented anywhere, it will be (interesting) news to me.
Given this coroners ruling, what do people think will be the chances of the IPWR being organised officially again ?
J
I find the Coroner's verdict VERY hard to swallow having seen the video on YouTube of Mike riding just a few hours before he was hit. He was well-lit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvZpUjEfU74 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvZpUjEfU74)
That plant based chap is really motoring. Way off the front now. I can't fathom his daily totals, the time/speed stats are funky.