Just a quick update.
About two weeks ago we purchased a new front tyre, a Metzeler Tourance EXP which is the current equivalent of the tyre that was on the bike already and I was happy with. The EXP is a 80/20 highway/dirt tyre.
Last week I gained my first rear tyre puncture which I managed to repair with my kit, which was good practice for the long trip I reckon.
Yesterday we went for a dirt road ride of about 20 odd kilometres. The bike felt really loose and bad in the rear end and it wasn't due to Donna being on the back. We pulled up on the dirt road and I got my tyre pressure gauge out to see if the rear tyre pressure was the issue/cause of the bad handling and looseness in the rear -- 16psi in the rear tyre! I wanted 36psi! Wow that puncture repair I had done really lost some pressure over a week or so. Problem of the handling solved we turned around and went to the nearest place to pump it back up.
From the dirt road we headed straight to our favourite bike tyre shop and got a new Tourance EXP tyre for the rear. We were going to get a new rear tyre for the trip anyway, this just brought things forward a month or so. The old tyre had already been repaired once before and was down to about 40% tread so it was never going to last for the 7000km trip.
The trip has been altered a little as I will be riding by myself from Alice Springs on, which means Boulia and the Plenty Highway are out and the highway alternate route vita Tennant Creek and Mt Isa and in. I am also cutting out a couple of site seeing days, by-passing Carnarvon Gouge and heading home to get back to work a week earlier. Without Donna there is really not much point in dawdling back as I can ride quicker by myself.
The other bloke that was going to come -- haven't heard from the pom git for over a month so we've gathered he's definitely not coming as we've thought for quite a while anyway.
No problem -- we go ahead with our plan, even slightly altered it will still be fantastic!
About two weeks ago we purchased a new front tyre, a Metzeler Tourance EXP which is the current equivalent of the tyre that was on the bike already and I was happy with. The EXP is a 80/20 highway/dirt tyre.
Last week I gained my first rear tyre puncture which I managed to repair with my kit, which was good practice for the long trip I reckon.
Yesterday we went for a dirt road ride of about 20 odd kilometres. The bike felt really loose and bad in the rear end and it wasn't due to Donna being on the back. We pulled up on the dirt road and I got my tyre pressure gauge out to see if the rear tyre pressure was the issue/cause of the bad handling and looseness in the rear -- 16psi in the rear tyre! I wanted 36psi! Wow that puncture repair I had done really lost some pressure over a week or so. Problem of the handling solved we turned around and went to the nearest place to pump it back up.
From the dirt road we headed straight to our favourite bike tyre shop and got a new Tourance EXP tyre for the rear. We were going to get a new rear tyre for the trip anyway, this just brought things forward a month or so. The old tyre had already been repaired once before and was down to about 40% tread so it was never going to last for the 7000km trip.
The trip has been altered a little as I will be riding by myself from Alice Springs on, which means Boulia and the Plenty Highway are out and the highway alternate route vita Tennant Creek and Mt Isa and in. I am also cutting out a couple of site seeing days, by-passing Carnarvon Gouge and heading home to get back to work a week earlier. Without Donna there is really not much point in dawdling back as I can ride quicker by myself.
The other bloke that was going to come -- haven't heard from the pom git for over a month so we've gathered he's definitely not coming as we've thought for quite a while anyway.
No problem -- we go ahead with our plan, even slightly altered it will still be fantastic!
