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Bicycle Tours in South Western Australia:Cottesloe - Lancelin & return5 days, 330 km
DAY 1, Cottesloe - Yanchep MONDAY 5 SEPTEMBER. 1994 Left home 9.49, speedo read 29841. Mild, NE headwinds. I went up Railway Street to the Napier Street foot-crossing, then up Curtin Avenue to Servetus Street, where I turned left to take the main road up the coast. North of Scarborough I bore left to continue up Marmion Avenue. Rested 29858 (Carine) -875 (N. of Burns Beach Road) -888 (shop on Wanneroo Rd). Marmion Avenue comes to an end at Hester Road and I had to turn right and go 3 km east to join Wanneroo Road. I reached the Yanchep Beach Road turnoff at 28896, by which time the winds had shifted NW, still against me. Took a wrong turning when I meant to join Lagoon Drive, so didn't reach the motel till 29904, at 1.55. Rest, ride to swim in lagoon, very beautiful. Reading at Yanchep motel, end of day: 29907. Km for day: 66. Speed to motel: 15.2 kph.
DAY 2, Yanchep - Lancelin TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER Left the Yanchep Lodge at 8:17. The wind was NE, and it would shift to NW as I approached Lancelin, so it was a headwind all the way. I estimated the journey to be 83 km, so I should arrive at Lancelin at 29990. I reached Wanneroo Road at 29914 and headed north. I rested at 29923, then started off again, feeling quite optimistic because the wind wasn't too bad and I felt able to complete the task. Then at 29924, one km after my rest, I heard a familiar snap, looked down and saw the back wheel going wibble, wibble, a broken spoke. I stopped briefly to check and sure enough, it was on the cluster side. I had only brought the small spanner and in any case I would need a big pipe to fit over the end of a spanner to provide leverage. This is a recurrent problem with broken spokes on chain-gear bikes (see 1988 ride account). Since no spokes had broken for a long time I had trusted that they wouldn't do so during these few days and had left the big spanner behind to save weight; though, in a contradictory decision, I had, thankfully, brought the cluster remover and spare spokes. However I knew that there would be no service stations on the way up to Lancelin. There would almost certainly be one in Lancelin that could lend me a spanner and pipe, but that was yet 66km away. I hadn't seen one since the previous day's stop on the Wanneroo Road, now 20 km back. If I returned there that would really end the trip. I decided to continue to Lancelin, with the option of limping into Guilderton, Seabird or Ledge Point if more spokes broke and the bike really became crippled. I took another rest at 29942, and reached the Gingin Road turnoff at 29945. There were still 45 km to go to Lancelin, 45 km that would have to be done all the way back when I went ot Gingin, since there was no other way. The topographical map, which shows the contours of the land, shows that this region is gently undulating, not what you would call hilly, but with the broken spoke and the headwind, the pain in my hip and general worry about the situation the road seemed very difficult`. Clouds began rolling in from the west - a weak cold front with some rain was forecast - but it didn't look as though it would affect me. I took further rests at 29957, 969 and 980. Fortunately I had packed more drink boxes than I thought I would need, because last time I went to Lancelin this road had been a hard grind and I hadn't had enough to drink. There are some days when the kilometres spin under the wheels and others when each one seems a labour. I was starting to form an idea of staying two days in Lancelin, not trying to grind back to Gingin the very next morning, against what I assumed (correctly, as it turned out) would be another headwind, from the opposite direction. At last came the downhill run with Lancelin clearly in view. Another spoke snapped at 29986 and the back wheel really started to flop about. The more spokes break, the more the others are stressed. That's why it is important to replace even one broken spoke promptly. I reached the expected service station at 29990, at 2:17, and this was when the day gave me something back, because the place was appropriately stocked with tools and a pipe and the proprietor was willing to let me borrow his stuff briefly, or rather, he didn't care much what I did. I unpacked the bag to get spokes, key and cluster remover, and got the cluster loose in a few seconds (once I had found a bigger spanner to replace the small one he had got for me and also located a length of pipe). After that, replacing a spoke is actually less trouble than replacing a flat tube. Just the the rain started. I had to remove all my scattered luggage quickly off the garage forecourt and onto the swept but stained floor inside. I would have been safely at the motel by this time had the spokes not been broken. When the job was done and everything repacked and stowed I thanked the proprietor and bought some food and drink at his shop. The rain still fell so I decided just to rush to the motel and not worry about the bike getting wet. It would only be five minutes. I reached the motel at 29992 and booked in and dumped the luggage but on reflection, realised that I needed to find a better shop for drink boxes and breakfasts. I usually buy biscuits and things for hotel breakfast that is cheap and can be eaten in bed. I raced back down the road in the rain and back, then at last settled down for a needed rest and a snack between 3 and 4 pm with wet and gloomy weather outside, but the day's effort a success. At this point I was almost certain I would spend two days here. After resting I had a swim on the beach just 30 seconds walk from the hotel, as a weak sun peeped through the clouds and a cold wind blew from the SW. It made no sense to go straight back the next day. Had a nice mixed grill in the hotel bar for tea. Reading at end of day: 29994. Day's ride: 87 km. Aggregate: 153. Km/day: 76.5
DAY 3, Lancelin WEDNESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER This was a rest day. It was sunny with a fresh southeasterly. My decision had been right. I rode around the town and down to the surf beach, not protected by the reef, and had a pleasant boisterous swim. Back at the car park the speedo read 0000 for the fourth time, so after 11 years and 30,000 kilometres it was time to retire it and fit the new one I had brought with me in expectation of this moment. Went back to the motel for lunch and a sleep, then had another swim at the hotel beach. This time I walked up to the point closest to Lancelin Island and after deliberating, tried to swim across. But halfway the water seemed very deep and there was a strong current flowing through the channel to the north, so I chickened out and struggled back, landing somewhat further up the coast, where the coast curved back to the east, giving me a longer swim. I would like to try it again some time, in company, with clearer water and not such a strong current. I bought chicken and chips for tea and ate them on the jetty as the darkness gathered, watching the fishermen as I like to do here and in other places on these rides where there is a fishing jetty. The sky was very clear and unaffected by urban lights and haze. The 'old moon in the new moon's arms' could clearly be seen. Reading at end of day: 9. Day's ride: 15. Aggregate: 168. Km/day: 56.
DAY 4, Lancelin - Gingin THURSDAY 8 SEPTEMBER Left the Lancelin Inn at 8:01. The winds had come around so rapidly since Tuesday afternoon that they were already North-East, but not too strong, so I expected (rightly as it turned out) that they would moderate and back around to the north later. This actually helped me, at least it did not hinder me. I passed the Ledge Point turnoff at 43 and the Guilderton Turnoff at 50. It was clear by now, checking against the 5-km posts, that the new speedo was highly accurate and needed no correction. I came to the Gingin Road turnoff at 56. At last I would be riding on new road, the possible mental hardship of retracing the 45km struggled over on Tuesday was behind me. I climbed the steep hill and rested at 57. The map showed a steep downhill run and then mostly level country before a climb just before Gingin. The winds seemed to have gone around to light northerly, as I had expected. The going was steady but I was feeling the effects still of days 1 and 2. I rested at 69 and 81. The country was very green and pretty, and it was a nice sunny day. The whole ride had been beautiful in that respect. As expected, I met the Brand Highway junction at 85, but if I had been concentrating on my work I would have noticed that it was a straight T-junction, not matching the map, which was very accurate as far as it went BUT based on information 20 years old. I turned right and started bowling down the Brand Highway, putting on a bit of speed now with the wind behind me and the day's journey, as I thought, nearly done. But the expected hill was some way to the east, my road was pretty level and the compass heading seemed wrong. I reached 90, at which point I should have been in Gingin, but there was no town, no signs, just road and country. I stopped at 91 to check the map, stopped again at 92 to ask a passing motorist for directions. She was a young mum with two babies. She said that yes, the Brand Highway had been re-routed, it no longer went through Gingin, and that she thought the turnoff was a couple of km back - I must have missed it. I turned back and she went on her way. At 94 I heard honk-honk, the lady pulled in front of me and told me that in fact the turnoff was 3km back south! I thanked her and turned again. I met the turnoff at 97 - the sign said 'Gingin access road. Gingin 7km'. I had to push 7km mostly uphill into a headwind. Checking later made it clear that I should have turned left when I met the Brand Highway, then right to go into Gingin. I had added 14 km to the day's journey. It was a learning experience. I was really overdone this time, but rested at the motel (reached at 104, 2:29 pm), recovered, shopped, had a nice walk round this historic town and through the scenic walk round the brook, and enjoyed an excellent roast beef dinner (on special at $7.50) before retiring to watch TV in the room which with full facilities was only $25, the same as 4 years ago (see 1990 ride story). I was looking forward to the next day - a tail wind, a good downhill run, level riding and only 66 km to do. Reading at Gingin: 105. Day's ride: 96km. Aggregate: 264 km. Km/day: 66. Speed to Gingin: 14.7 kph.
DAY 5, Gingin - CottesloeFRIDAY 9 SEPTEMBER The day was sunny and mild with NE winds shifting NW later. I left the Gingin hotel at 8:34 and went down the hill and onto the Brand Highway. I didn't stop for my first rest until one hour later, having done 22 km (127). I went through Muchea and joined the Great Northern Highway at 134. I took further rests at 145 (opposite the Air Force base) and 159. An easy and pleasant day's ride ended, with this whole Ride A, at Midland rail terminal at 12:06, 171. I boarded the train that had just come in and went home. Reading at Midland: 171. Day's ride: 66km. Aggregate: 330. Km/day: 66. Speed to Midland: 18.7 km/hour.
Charles A Pierce 1994 Do you have questions about bicycle touring in Western Australia's SouthWest? You're welcome to ask Charles!
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