For those who like to analyse statistics, these are the daily logs from my Gamin Edge 1000 bike computer.

Although I experienced this firsthand, there is still some interesting information to be gleaned from this information. In previous posts I have discussed each day in more detail but to summarise.

The first few days/weeks of any long distance ride is always the most difficult and this was no different for me. Canberra to  Khancoban was definitely the section that I under-estimated. I had been warned that this was tough ground and I thought that it had been planned appropriately but very quickly I discovered differently, it was far, far tougher than anticipated. The hills were never-ending and with an overloaded bike, I had to walk many of them, dramatically impacting the daily average. But the road shoulders here were excellent and the country green was a pleasant distraction.

Reaching the last twenty kilometres into Khancoben, which was mostly downhill, was a welcome relief! But after a long climb out of the valley that Khancoban nestles in, the ride is generally very enjoyable. There is one long uphill section halfway to Wodonga with a corresponding long downhill glide into Tallangatta but the rest is mostly through low rolling hills. From there on you should be able to pick up the pace a little but be aware that the Murray Valley Highway is very busy and the Victorian road authority has yet to discover the concept of putting shoulders on their roads. Depending on the time of year, for the rest of the ride you will be traveling through some very dry country but if prepared, it is a relatively easy, enjoyable ride and you should be able to travel over some quieter roads.

Switch back forth between Victoria and New South Wales as you see fit and enjoy the sights. Any hills of substance are now a rarity but carry plenty of food and water as the towns are fewer and in summer the heat (and flies) will test your resolve. Once in South Australia about the only hard work you will do is into any headwinds or climbing out of the river valley if you switch back and forth over the river. In summer this will be a hot dry ride but the river views are a great equalizer, stop at the many lookouts, take a ferry ride and enjoy this wonderful landscape.

A few key statistics:

  • Total distance traveled – 1668 kilometres (1036 miles).
  • The daily average was 76 kilometres (47 miles).
  • Most distance travelled in a single day was 133 kilometres (83 miles).
  • Highest climb in a single day – 1087 metres (3566 feet)
  • The longest day in the saddle – 10 hours 32 minutes.
  • Average Speed – 9.3 kph
  • Maximum speed – 65.27 kph (40.55 mph)
  • Average cadence – 67 rpm.
  • Max cadence – 126 rpm.
  • Calories expended – 60,226 (about 200 medium sized muffins). Please note that these figures are only while riding, any walking I did will increase this total.

Legend:

  • Time – Ride time in hh:mm format, generally excluding rest stops, although sometimes I did forget to pause the bike computer.
  • Kms – Daily distance travelled in kilometres ( 1.00 km= 0.621371 miles).
  • Avg – Average speed in kilometres per hour.
  • Max – Maximum speed reached in kilometres per hour.
  • Ascent – Distance climbed (metres) in the day.
  • Descent – Distance descended (metres) in the day.

** These segments were cut short due to the breakages of the bolt(s) fixing the rear rack to the bike frame. Repairs meant that several hours were lost.