4th Dec - Michelago to Canberra

Up at 6.30 for no apparent reason but felt good. Had a most amazing big cooked breakfast with Pete and Rohan and a good chat. Spent several hours doing internet stuff. We then started having a look at my bike. I needed to tune it an fit new break pads. Pete very kindly helped me - when I say help.... he actually did a lot of it :-) It really needed a good clean as it was crunching with small bits of gravel in the gears from the off road riding the last few days. After a good clean and tuning it was like riding a different bike. Again it is great to stay with people that understand bikes and the difficulties that you experience with touring.

Pete pulled a trailer around Aus so that he could carry enough food and water for the long stretches through nothing. He was pushing about 50kg including his bike. I was intruged to workout how much I am carrying so we weighed all the parts on the bathroom scales:

Bike : 15kg (with out any bags)

2 Back Pannier Bags with all kit: 17kg

Bag which sits on top of pannier rack: No food (bike locks and others stuff): 3kg, With Food >6kg

Bike with tent and front pannier bag (camera etc): 17kg

Total = 37kg with out food or water, >40kg with food and water.

If I was not carrying so much electronic stuff it would be lighter..... I am not carrying very many clothes. 2 luxury items: denim skirt and Mascara - I am a girl after all and can't spend all my time in hiking/biking kit!

All of my things fit into the 2 main pannier bags on the back with the black bag sitting on the top of the pannier rack for food and water. My valuables and tent are on the front. It does make the bike back heavy but it is very difficult to get a front pannier rack which will fit my front forks and also if I get another pannier rack and front bags this will add to the over all weight. As I am not short of space I decided to cope with it just being back heavy. This might change later.

I discussed with Pete the fact that I am getting tingling fingers and he suggested getting butterfly bars - decided to get some in Canberra tomorrow.

I was very glad to have the morning off the bike today and give my legs a bit of a rest. I headed off at 3.30 (slightly later than planned) to bike the 60km Jerrabomberra where I was staying with Paul - again from Warm Showers. It was a sunny day but there was a storm coming in. I had told Paul I would be there for 6.30 and so I raced to get there on time and also to try and beat the storm. Made very good time considering the hill and the head wind but the storm caught me up only 5km from Paul's house. I got absolutely soaked and turned up like a drowned rat!

The first picture is looking north - the second is looking south - from the same spot!

Paul has a cool folding bike for touring. He has done lots of touring round the world - especially in Japan. Some by bike, other trips hitching etc. Very interesting chap to talk too. He cooked us a good meal while I dried out.... He offered to show me Canberra tomorrow. Cool!