Finding the limit
Words: Chris Visvis, Jonny Odams, Charlie Coquillard | Pictures: Charlie Coquillard | 07/12/2020
Sydney to Canberra on gravel roads. 413 KM, 7365 meters of elevation, and the guarantee of an unforgettable ride.
Mix that up with 40° heat, 60km/h headwinds, and you have one hell of a challenge. Even for Jonny’s incredible fitness and skills on the bike, it was going to be a tough one. Chris decided to join him halfway for the most extended leg, Nowra to Canberra, and last-minute railed me in so I could document what was going to be a never-done-before ride.
But Why?
The day started pretty easy. We stayed at Jonny’s mate’s place in Nowra, after he had already punched 181 Km and 3400m of elevation from Sydney. After a strong black coffee, we were on our way.
Jonny: “I’ve always wanted to ride to Canberra from Sydney but never really got the chance to. I thought gravel was a good idea because it has never been done before. I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into; I spent a lot of time on Strava and Google Maps to scope out the route.”
Chris: “I work 9-5 in a very structured and planned job, and it’s pretty dull. The idea of riding outside the box was appealing. So when Jonny called me on Wednesday, I dropped all my end of the week plans and jumped on it.”
Road to the Pain Cave
The first 30Km started with a road, changing to gravel as we accessed the bushland past Nowra. After an epic descent into the national park’s depth, I had to leave our two heroes by themselves, battling the wind and the midday heat creeping in.
“There was that first climb after the super long downhill. Honestly, I never rode anything that steep — it was a straight wall going from the bottom of the valley to the top. We muscled up the first bit, then we had to walk. Between KM40-60 my blood sugar got really low, I got dizzy, and I had to stop. There were also many sandy sections where the front wheel kept washing off — it’s 100% focus or you fall off, and that was extremely exhausting.”
35° average temperature and 60km/h winds. Our bodies couldn’t handle it — but we’re definitely coming back to get it done.
Safety First
They decided to call it at Braidwood, about 100km away from Canberra. Both happy to have made it that far and in one piece despite the conditions, but not ready to give up on the idea just yet.
Chris: “When I was lying down on the road, dizzy, and I literally couldn’t get up, I decided I was good. On the scale of difficulty, this was probably a 7.5/10. I never cramp, and today I cramped like crazy — it has never happened before.”
Jonny: “After I saw Chris stop, I was thinking it wasn’t safe to keep going. It’s totally doable — but 35° average temperature and 60km/h wind just made it too hard. We’re definitely coming back to get it done.”