Panniers Bags and Pannier Racks

If you want to ride the trail unsupported (camping at the shelters) you will need to carry about 20kg of gear for your overnight stay on the back of your bike. For this you will need a sturdy rack and the bags (panniers) that hang off it. Parts of the track are quite rough so it needs to be sturdy. Here is a picture of the Toppeak rack I bought for my 29in bike. Note that it has lower extenders so that it clears the disk brakes. They bolt onto the frame quite easily.

Pannier Anchor Points

You may see near that in the frame near the rear wheel axle there may be threaded holes. One or two on each side. There may also be 2 more in the frame closer to the saddle.

If your bike does or does not have these will determine what kind of rack you can use. The lightweight higher performance bicycles often don't have them. The only solutions to this are: -

• Use a trailer or :-
• Get a Thule "Pack and Pedal Sport Rack". These are quite recent products which I have yet to see or use, but they would seem to be the only solution to fitting a rack on a performance MTB.

Pannier Bags

There are many available. I originally bought a cheap pair of Tioga Rear Panniers, but found them a bit of a hassle on the trail. They are strapped to the rack using hooks and stretchable shock cord. Over rough terrain they tended to slowly come loose. I also noticed on a couple of guys that came down the trail from Perth that by the time they got here the stitching was coming loose and they had had some difficulties with them.

So I have bought myself a pair of Ortlieb Panniers for my next trip. They are German made with a great reputation and are pretty much a classic for touring cycle rider. Waterproof with a roll top, lets see how they stand up to the rigours of the Munda Biddi.

Greens Pool Loop

Not everyone wants to ride the whole 1000km in one trip. The trail is also the backbone for many routes in the South of the Western Australia. I have started mapping some of our local trails using an IPhone (and Android) application called EveryTrail. For about $4 you can download it to your device and use it to follow my trails and many others in the region.

My First trail I have call the "Greens Pool Loop". It starts at the Denmark Visitor Centre and heads to William Bay National Park Via the coast at Lights Beach. Its about a 36km loop circuit which could take a couple of hours riding plus time for stops. It needs moderate fitness level. The surface is firm all the way and could be done on any hybrid or mountain bike.

The local shire have committed to extending the trail along to Wilson Head which will make this the most spectacular part of the whole 1000km trail. Enjoy your ride!

Greens Pool Loop at EveryTrail

The Weather - North and South

Its 1000km along the trail, but only 400km by road from Perth to Albany. That means that the trail does a fair bit of winding around the various small towns on the way. Australia's population is very concentrated around the capital cities so as you leave Mundaring (near Perth) its a fair distance between towns. For that reason it was necessary to place shelters at about 50km intervals along the track.

Being 400 km apart, there are various climatic conditions you need to consider when deciding where and when to ride. Perth can get really hot in summer (January-February) and in the South it can get cold and wet in winter (July-August). So these can be times worth avoiding. I now close my hostel in Denmark for these 2 winter months as there are not enough people around.

Note that these are average maximum and minimum temperatures. Its not uncommon for the Perth hills to have over 45 degree days in summer. I remember a 47 degree day and only the tough want to cycle in that temperature.  Likewise, I sometimes doubt the sanity of Bibbulmun Track walkers coming through Denmark in July-August when the days are short, and its cold and miserable. In winter, if you don't have the right gear for what you are doing it can be very unpleasant and in fact dangerous.

One also needs to take into account that the south gets a lot more rain. Its a lot greener down here and we have lovely tall forests but its no fun when the rain keeps dripping on you. Nevertheless we can have some lovely winter days down here which can make for great day rides. Here is the comparison of the number of days of rainfall between Perth and Manjimup.

Choosing a Bike

Don't Get Cheap Rubbish

Its amazing that the Chinese manage to produce a bicycle for such low prices. If you go to somewhere like K-Mart you can get an MTB for $100-$200. But if you take one of these on this trail they are likely to break pretty quickly. The spokes, frame, gears or something will quite likely break and you can be stuck in the middle of the bush walking home. They are not for this type of terrain. Maybe for a day ride it can be OK, but for trying to ride a rugged section over any distance its not worth it.

There are quite a few reputable brands which make sturdy bikes with good components. Trek, Giant, Avanti, Merida. I have seen a reasonable 26" Trek MTB with cable disk brakes and 18 gears for around $420 which would be adequate. It does need a low "Granny" gear so that you can handle the steep climbs. Even with a reputable brand its worth paying extra for something with good components. It will last longer before it needs repairing and save you money in the longer term.

A good touring bike without front suspension will also do the trick. If it is using front panniers the weight on the front forks could be pretty cumbersome on some of the difficult sections.

Unsupported Riders

What do you need for an unsupported rider?

• A hard tail mountain bike with fat tyres. 26in or 29in wheels with at least 2.1 in tyres.
• Lots of gears, particularly a low granny gear for the steep climbs.
• A hard tailed (no rear suspension) bike with anchor points to be able to fit a strong pannier rack. The alternative is to use a trailer.

Panier Anchor Point

The last requirement is worth discussion, because many of the performance lightweight aluminium or carbon fibre mountain bikes do not have anchor points to fit a pannier rack. If you do already have one of these, you may need to use a trailer, or buy a Thule Pack and Pedal Sport Rack.

The Frame Needs to Fit You

There are various sizes of frames. You may be able to push the saddle up to a height that makes it high enough for your legs, but its easy to end up with backache from a frame that's too small. Buying from a shop that has expertise on bike sizing is a good idea.

Competitive road and triathlon cyclist will actually get a frame tailor made to fit their personal body dimensions and it does make a difference. Here is a good sizing chart that will help you pick your frame and maybe even be able to check that the bike shop are on the ball.

Panniers or a Trailer?

Trailers are great for touring cyclists as they are convenient and do not effect the balance of the bike. The Northern sections of the track are pretty rugged and the trailer can be quite an impediment. It makes a longer vehicle for getting around corners and there is also an extra wheel that can fall off the track. The trailer itself adds extra weight to tow.

My preference is for panniers. If you have a bike without anchor points you may find it best to buy or hire a trailer.

 Riders that I have met coming through Denmark, using a trailer have found them rather awkward on difficult sections of the track. The Thule Rack is great, but expensive and it may be better just to buy a cheaper 26 in mountain bike for the trail than to get your lightweight performance bike kitted out for touring.

Consider Hiring Gear

There is no point buying panniers, a trailer or a whole bike so it can just sit collecting dust in the shed for months afterwards. Simply having your old bike serviced could cost more than hiring. There are a few places that will provide well serviced equipment and afterwards you can just give it back.

Supported or Unsupported?

So what kind of rider are you? I reckon there are 4 types

• Unsupported - You want to carry all your food and kit on your bike, find your way around get your own food ? You are the rugged type who does not need soft bed and a shower every night and the food may not be crash hot. And if your bike has a problem you know how to repair it.
• Supported - You are not interested in heavy panniers and having to navigate your own way along the track. You want a good meal every night and someone to fix your bike if it breaks. You are happy to camp or stay in a shelter so long as its all catered for. The Munda Biddi Foundation runs these types of tours called the "Munda Biddi Epic" and do an excellent job. It also helps to support the Foundation. http://mundabiddi.org.au/
• Luxury Supported - You are not interested in sleeping outdoors or in a shelter. You want a good shower or a both a good bed and a meal indoors at a table. Probably one or more support people to drive a vehicle with a bike rack. At the end of a day they can pick you up at a designated point and take you to your accommodation. Then a good meal and maybe even a massage. The next day they can drop you back on the trail. Out of Sight Tours in Denmark are running this type of service. www.mundabiddi.com.au .
• Day Riders - You are doing a small portion of the trail staying at some accommodation venue or home. You transport your bike using a motor vehicle, do a few kilometres and return back at the end of the day.

This is what you and whoever you may be with need to consider before you take on riding the trail. Unsupported is the cheapest and it requires the most preparation. But its not for everyone.