I’m genuinely considering giving this ride a go with my housemate ‘cameronp’ (you may know him from other threads such as ‘Kinesis Tripster’ etc), but I’m a relative n00b when it comes to this bikepacking caper and it makes me nervous, both due to my general lack of fitness, and my old man knee. i really wanna do it though!!
As a point of reference, I did MGG #2 on my unloaded tourer a coupla months ago and was fairly flogged afterwards. Ride was 63km with about 1300m of climbing. Used my 26/32 granny gear a fair bit on that ride.
Will a loaded bikepacking setup kill me?
So, hoping people can help me out with planning the length of the ride and some options if i needed to do it over 4-6 days rather than 3-4.
my lowest gear will be 34x42 on tyres i’m assuming will be 38-40mm (yet to buy any and my 35’s won’t cut it).
Figured this thread could be a better way to get collective knowledge rather than hassling people individually.
I’ll need to buy/borrow/steal a few things to get setup properly, as so far i only have a small frame bag.
Rolly, your old tourer’s bottom gear (26/32 = 0.812) is pretty much the same as your new bike with a 34 ring (34/42 = 0.809). We can take it easy and walk steep parts if necessary.
Anyone (particularly @Bigadz) have any thoughts about whether this route would be rideable with panniers? I’ve just spent a heap of money on a new bike and I’m reluctant to spend even more right away on new bikepacking gear when I already have a rack and Ortliebs which are functional if heavy and unhip.
I should qualify - I’m super down for this if we could make it starting the weeken of the 21st. I could drive from Melb and have 3 bike roof racks plus loads of boot space.
So, in terms of roughness, it’s about a 5/10. There’s heaps of smooth stuff and about a bit of rougher stuff, but nothing too crazy. Just the occasional ruts, potholes, stray rocks, loose sand, etc. Just what you’d expect from 4WD trails. It’s no perfectly graded dream road, but not a rock garden either. I think a friend of mine rode it with panniers.
ahhhh bummer rudi, unfortunately i have to work on the 21st.
i might dump cam at the nearest bus/train station & carry on somewhere in the hilux afterwards. i don’t need to be back to melbourne until evening of the 2/11…
Rolly, I think your bike will be fine. Tom rode it with 700x40mm WTB Nanos without problem.
Your body, however, is another issue that I think I’ll leave up to you to diagnose.
As you know, there’s heaps of camping options and nice places to rest. There’s only one really extended climb near the end, but even that is sensationally nice, with creeks across and next to the trail.
yeah, i know no one can answer the fitness aspect but me. good to know the bike will handle it though
interesting to note that it’s doable with panniers too.
i think, with regards to the big climb, i’d like to structure the camping spots to hit that as fresh as i can. there’s a campsite halfway up or something yeah?
As with any offroad route, the condition is super dependant on recent weather. We’ve had the driest winter in 20 years so you shouldn’t have any issue with creek/river crossings, nor should you have any problems with the slippy mud in the Buddawangs (It’s super fun and slidy), but these things could be an issue at other times of the year.
You might have a few less options for water fill, but many creeks still seem to be running.
There is a sandy section before Yalwal that took Gypsy out when we rode, but we were screaming along at a silly pace being dingusses.
There isn’t really a resupply between Braidwood and Nowra, so take enough food.
As for difficulty, it depends how you feel and how fast you go. Take it slow and you’ll be fine but you will need to carry more food which makes weight an issue.
The campsite that Adam and I stayed at the second time is premium, definitely worth a stay.
Let me know when you are going to do it and I may join you for the Buddawangs section if I’m not too busy!
thanks keith. looking at starting either 23/10 or 24/10.
current plan is to try & get to Wog Wog for the first night (or bush camp if i’m fucked), then resupply/have lunch at the Nerriga pub before camping at Piercy’s Clearing, then head to Nowra for the night before hopefully cruising through the next section over two days.
does that sound reasonable considering the gradual flat/descent (?) most of the way to Nowra? any ideas about the options at Nerriga pub? says they do lunch 7 days & takeaway is an option, so thought about getting a slab of lasagne or similar to reheat on the campstove that night…
thoughts?
*i’m basing the plan on making it to WW campground on a ride Mike D & i did a while ago that was 90ish km sealed/unsealed with about 1000m of climbing on my fully loaded tourer… unsure if that’s realistic on 40mm tyres unsealed.
First day is doable, resupply in Braidwood though. I don’t trust the Nerriga pub.
Day two we rode from Wog Wog to Yalwal and were there just on dark, from Piercy’s you should be ok to get to Nowra, especially with daylight savings. There is a decent climb out of Yalwal and the road along the ridge is fast-ish, was quite corrugated when I rode it but quick nonetheless.
Also probably don’t need to mention this, but keep a close eye out for snakes. I’ve already seen 4 this season splatto’d on the roads which seems unusual.
I got from Piercy’s Clearing to Nowra in 7 hours, and that was stopping HEAPS for photos, and lunch at Yalwal before the climb.
I agree with Keith; avoid Nerriga Pub (it’s a complete dump) and resupply at Braidwood. Dojo Bread is fantastic.
If you need help between Yalwal and Nowra, there’s a couple of friendly bikepackers (one is a Prova owner) that live on the route.
).