Outback Odyssey 2019 - T minus 1 week

Welcome Back!

The original starting point for this (almost dormant) blog was to document Miss V and I taking on our BikeSA Mini Mawson 2 trail adventures all the way back in 2013.  Since we're about to take on the full Mawson Trail this time around (once again with BikeSA), it seems fitting that I resurrect the blog.

As we were in 2013. Outback Odyssey newbies

Only one week to go!

Holy crap! where has all the time gone? I don't think I can keep telling myself that there's plenty of time, because there really isn't. That said, I reckon we have most things sorted. We've learnt a whole bunch during our previous BikeSA Mawson adventures and Annual Tours, so (we reckon) we've got things sorted as far as making sure things run smoothly for ourselves. We're taking advantage of the deluxe camping option that BikeSA provide, plus we have even more deluxe accommodation booked for the scheduled rest days (solid walls and heating!). At this point, realistically, there's probably not much in the way of training that will make any difference to the outcome of the adventure, so it's probably all mental from here on.

Challenges

Something that is weighing heavily on the mind is whether or not my body is really up to the challenge. Our first attempt on the Mawson trail (Burra to Melrose) in 2013 resulted in my knees giving out and nearly having to give up. Our second attempt in 2015 (Melrose to Blinman) was more successful, though not without some serious aches and pains. So how will I cope this time around attempting the entire 900 or so kilometres from Adelaide to Blinman?

Training

This probably hasn't gone as well as planned. We've certainly being doing a lot more kilometres on the bikes (both indoors and outdoors) but generally we don't do big days in the saddle; and almost never multiple big days in succession. More recently we've been putting in a lot more effort to get out and ride the 29ers, including riding some of the more local sections of the Mawson Trail, so while the training that we wanted to do hasn't really happened, I think we're semi-comfortable that we're capable of making the distance. As mentioned above, at this point there's little in the way of training that will make a difference, so we've just been concentrating on ticking the legs over and keeping moving.

One of our training rides - Riding the trails outside of Tanunda

Bike Preparation

Coming along on the ride will be my beautiful Lynskey 29er that I built up before the last Mini Mawson trail ride in 2015. We've had a lot of fun adventures together between then and now, so I'm fairly confident that my ride won't let me down. Very few changes have been made to the setup of the bike since the last time, and those that have been made mainly come down to comfort. Frustratingly, I backed a suspension seat post on Kickstarter that was due to arrive last December, but the delivery has been pushed out past the finish of the Outback Odyssey. The most significant changes I've made are:

Tyres

Last time both Miss V and I were running Specialized "The Captain" tyres in 1.9" width. These were super tough, and rolled very nicely, though because of their narrow width tended to ride quite harshly. This time I've opted for a set of Michelin XC Force tyres in 2.25" width, allowing for a much more plush ride with lower pressures. If I'd got my act together earlier I'd set things up tubeless to help with dealing with punctures, but I didn't, so I'll be running Stans sealant in the tubes with a tyre liner. Fingers crossed that does the trick and keeps the puncture fairies at bay.

Grips

With a nice juicy $50 gift voucher that I won from Biomechanics, Cycles and Repairs (BMCR) at Christmas time, I was unsure what to get. Then it came to me on one of our training rides. I wondered what I could do to reduce the aching and numbness in my hands? New grips! :)   I picked up a set of Ergon GP1 grips and they felt immediately right.

Saddle

This is possibly the most radial change that I have made, and to be honest, I'm still not sure if I'm happy with it. Probably not ideal with 1 week to go.  I came to the realisation that perhaps the saddle that I had on the bike wasn't quite right for me, particularly for longer trail rides,  so I swapped out my Selle Italia SLR XC for a SQLabs ErgoWave Active. While I think it's an improvement on what I had on there, I'm still not convinced that it's perfect.  At this stage, I'm not sure if the saddle suits me, or if the setup isn't quite right.  I guess we'll find out in a few weeks time.

Lynskey is ready. Hopefully I am too.

General Preparation

Something that was clear from our previous Mini Mawson efforts was that having some sort of luggage organisation would likely be key to enjoying our trip. With limited time (and space) at each overnight location, know where to find stuff in our bags would (we felt) cut down the stress and hopefully avoid our tent being filled with the contents of our bags as we go searching for a particular item. So we've purchased a number of stuff sacks to keep ourselves and our luggage organised. Hopefully that works as intended!


Bring it on!


Continue to Part 2