Indian Pacific Wheel Race

[leftover pie]

anyone else watching this?

Started yesterday morning in Perth, Western Australia at 6am with riders setting off on an unsupported ride to Sydney 5400km away.

It's now 8PM Sunday and the lead riders have done just over 900kms. :surprised:

Honestly, it's madness and I can't look away.

you can keep track of the dots here: https://indianpacificwheelrace.maprogress.com/?id=10112#

Some great photo and content here: https://www.instagram.com/indianpacificwheelrace/?hl=en

The lead riders are about to hit one of the straightest stretches of road in the world, 150kms without deviation.

 

[yaco]

Will be interesting to see how the renowned cycling journalist Rupert Guinness performs in this arduous test.

 

[BigMac]

This's awesome. :geek:

 

[Red Rick]

I don't understand it. Is it divided in stages or do riders just have to take all dem breaks themselves?

 

[BigMac]

Re:

I don't understand it. Is it divided in stages or do riders just have to take all dem breaks themselves?

Ultra-ultra-cycling.
https://www.indianpacificwheelrace.com/about

The Indian Pacific Wheel Race is a solo, single-stage, unsupported, 5,500km road cycling race ocean-to-ocean across Australia. The course is 100% sealed. The race starts on 18 March 2017 at 6:00am in Fremantle, Western Australia and finishes at the Sydney Opera House whenever you get there. The clock does not stop. There is no prize money. Nothing is at stake except honour.

 

[Red Rick]

Ah thanks

The Indian Pacific Wheel Race is a solo, single-stage, unsupported, 5,500km road cycling race ocean-to-ocean across Australia. The course is 100% sealed. The race starts on 18 March 2017 at 6:00am in Fremantle, Western Australia and finishes at the Sydney Opera House whenever you get there. The clock does not stop. There is no prize money. Nothing is at stake except honour.

They forgot about the insanely sweet bragging rights

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

I see Durianrider is participating in this!!!!!!

Not doing very well though..... carb the *** up man, come on!

 

[leftover pie]

durian rider has withdrawn as far as I know.

It's absolute madness, sleeping here and there, finding food on the way.

And the route they're taking is extreme too, the last 1500 or so kms from Melbourne to Sydney goes through some really hilly parts of Australia, just what you need with 4000kms in the legs already.

 

[King Boonen]

Top dogs now leaving Western Australia.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Durian forgot his BANANAS

 

[valentius borealis]

Re:

durian rider has withdrawn as far as I know.

It's absolute madness, sleeping here and there, finding food on the way.

And the route they're taking is extreme too, the last 1500 or so kms from Melbourne to Sydney goes through some really hilly parts of Australia, just what you need with 4000kms in the legs already.

I see that Back of Falls is on the route.

 

[Jspear]

Cycling Maven is doing it. He's a real chill dude with pretty good YouTube content. He's posting video updates.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

I see Allegaert isn't as far ahead anymore as when I checked this morning.

 

[jens_attacks]

Finally a proper tour de france.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

This type of racing is reminiscent of those earliest TDFs yes

Only here the GPS makes sure the riders aren't taking the train
(or at least their GPS's aren't)

 

[leftover pie]

Re: Re:

durian rider has withdrawn as far as I know.

It's absolute madness, sleeping here and there, finding food on the way.

And the route they're taking is extreme too, the last 1500 or so kms from Melbourne to Sydney goes through some really hilly parts of Australia, just what you need with 4000kms in the legs already.

I see that Back of Falls is on the route.

that is a really hard climb, I did it a couple of years ago in the 3 peaks, having already done 200km that day it was up there with the really tough climbs I've done in france (galibier, superbagneres, tourmalet etc etc)

can't imagine what it will be like with 4000+ under the legs.

OMG this race is insane!

Having been riding solidly for 3 days a few riders have just left the state of Western Australia and are now in South Australia, in the next thousand or so kilometres they should expect to see some slightly more challenging hills.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

durian rider has withdrawn as far as I know.

It's absolute madness, sleeping here and there, finding food on the way.

And the route they're taking is extreme too, the last 1500 or so kms from Melbourne to Sydney goes through some really hilly parts of Australia, just what you need with 4000kms in the legs already.

Yeah, he has. He was hit by a car a few weeks back.

 

[StryderHells]

Been following this closely as a couple of friends of mine are actually riding in this event, Sarah Hammond and Hardnox. If I can get my health back on track I'd love to give something like this a go next year.

 

[StryderHells]

Re: Re:

durian rider has withdrawn as far as I know.

It's absolute madness, sleeping here and there, finding food on the way.

And the route they're taking is extreme too, the last 1500 or so kms from Melbourne to Sydney goes through some really hilly parts of Australia, just what you need with 4000kms in the legs already.

I see that Back of Falls is on the route.

that is a really hard climb, I did it a couple of years ago in the 3 peaks, having already done 200km that day it was up there with the really tough climbs I've done in france (galibier, superbagneres, tourmalet etc etc)

can't imagine what it will be like with 4000+ under the legs.

OMG this race is insane!

Having been riding solidly for 3 days a few riders have just left the state of Western Australia and are now in South Australia, in the next thousand or so kilometres they should expect to see some slightly more challenging hills.

The event really does change once they leave Melbourne as they head into the Dandenongs then its up and down pretty much all the way into New South Wales, mind you after all the flat riding from Perth to Melbourne I would think some would really welcome the change of scenery.

 

[King Boonen]

There's a similar, but much shorter/easier event in Scotland this year I'm considering coming last in

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

There's a similar, but much shorter/easier event in Scotland this year I'm considering coming last in

Coming in last is a lot better than not trying at all so I say GO FOR IT!

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

There's a similar, but much shorter/easier event in Scotland this year I'm considering coming last in

Coming in last is a lot better than not trying at all so I say GO FOR IT!

I'm pretty certain I will, it's much, much shorter and will likely only require a single overnight stop. I don't race, but I could make an exception:

http://www.theracingcollective.com/transscotlandrace.html

 

[BigMac]

Allegaert nearly hitting the 2k mark, lots of fades cos of bad pacing. Trying to ride too much in the first days.

And I don't get the people making fun of Harley, because a) anyone who dared enter this event deserves kudos and b) it should be obvious that he had some sort of physical problems (hit by a car not long ago, as Jspear said), as he'd have no trouble faring better than most riders here. For instance, with all due respect to Maven, no one actually believes he's a better bike rider than durianrider.

 

[StryderHells]

Allegaert nearly hitting the 2k mark, lots of fades cos of bad pacing. Trying to ride too much in the first days.

And I don't get the people making fun of Harley, because a) anyone who dared enter this event deserves kudos and b) it should be obvious that he had some sort of physical problems (hit by a car not long ago, as Jspear said), as he'd have no trouble faring better than most riders here. For instance, with all due respect to Maven, no one actually believes he's a better bike rider than durianrider.

I won't bag Harley for what's gone on in this event and certainly don't celebrate that he was hit by a car a while back but I can understand why so many don't like him. His views on domestic violence alone is more than enough to think that guy is a tool.

 

[Lupi33x]

f**k that crap in January, this is the REAL Tour Down Under.
This is an absolutely epic race that is capturing the imagination of all kinds of people following the adventures of these slightly crazy individuals.
follow it here and pick a favourite
https://indianpacificwheelrace.maprogress.com/#

find some facebook or youtube videos of them arriving / leaving isolated roadhouses

highly recommended - so many stories and there'll be some fascinating documentaries made of this race