Cottesloe to Harrismith Tour 1999

Cottesloe to Harrismith 1999 – 11 days, 726 km cumulative distance. The aim of this trip was not decided at the outset. It depended on weather and wind conditions, how I felt and how the new bike, built with some difficulty and finally with some haste, would go. I was clear that I wanted to reach Wickepin on Day 4, but after that I would be flexible.

Originally I had planned to start from Albany and come back through Denmark and Walpole, visiting the Valley of the Giants and trying the new tree-top walk, but the ‘Walpole Problem’ of a 120 km gap with nowhere to stay between Walpole and Manjimup made me realise that I would have to come back through Northcliffe and up the South Western Highway, which I had only done the previous year. Either that, or I would have to try the 120 km in uncertain conditions (would have been stormy, as it turned out) on an untried new bike. So I decided instead to head south-east and try to go to new places or places not visited for years.

PRELIMINARY

The old touring bike needed major renewal. It needed a new frame and the cluster and pedal-axle bearings had worn beyond the stage where simple cleaning would restore them. I bought a new rigid alloy frame and front fork, only to find that the wheels would be too large for it, and the brakes would be too long for the blocks to sit on the rim. The new frame was metric and a 27-inch frame could not be found, except second hand and steel. Similarly, good wheels and tyres and tubes were no longer available in 27-inch size.

So I had to buy new wheels, a new cluster and a new bottom bracket, and it was cheaper to buy a whole new set of pedals and chain-rings than to buy just new chain-rings and bolt them onto the old pedals. Finally I decided to build a new bike complete and leave the existing bike intact as a spare.

There were a number of other worries and glitches before the thing finally commenced its trials on September 27. It carried a number of old parts and bits and pieces, but nothing that wasn’t as light as it could be, and nothing that wasn’t in sound mechanical condition. The major and important components for mechanical efficiency were new and of top quality.

By the time this ride started the new bike had only done 78 km of trials but was working perfectly and justifying the time and money spent on it.

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

1. Cottesloe to Harrismith Tour 1999 (This post)
2. Cottesloe to Mundaring 1999
3. Mundaring to York 1999
4. York to Pingelly 1999
5. Pingelly to Wickepin 1999
6. Wickepin to Harrismith 1999
7. Harrismith to Narrogin 1999
8. Narrogin to Williams 1999
9. Williams to Boddington 1999
10. Boddington to Dwellingup 1999
11. Dwellingup to Mandurah 1999
12. Mandurah to Cottesloe 1999

Daily Locations for this Tour:

Incoming search terms:

boddington property big;

Related posts:

1. Harrismith to Narrogin 1999
2. Wickepin to Harrismith 1999
3. Cottesloe to Yealering Tour 2003
4. Mandurah to Cottesloe 1999
5. Cottesloe to Mundaring 1999

Tags: Boddington, Cottesloe, Dwellingup, Harrismith, Mandurah, Mundaring, Narrogin, Pingelly, Wickepin, Williams, York