Top 10 Bikepacking trails
Bikepacking is the combination of mountain biking and minimalist camping. It provides the freedom of multi-day backcountry mountain bike riding. It’s about exploring places less traveled, both near and far, via singletrack trails, gravel, and abandoned dirt roads, carrying only the essential gear. Ride, eat, sleep, repeat, enjoy!
The Indian Pacific Wheel Race is a solo, single-stage, unsupported, 5,500km road cycling race ocean-to-ocean across Australia. The course is 100% sealed. Tradition dictates that the race starts at 6:22am in Fremantle, Western Australia on the third Saturday of March, and finishes at the Sydney Opera House whenever you get there. The clock does not stop. There is no prize money. Nothing is at stake except honour.
There are two categories for the race - solo and relay. The relay category is for four riders, with each rider riding solo and unsupported for their chosen section of the course. The sections are Fremantle - Adelaide, Adelaide - Melbourne, Melbourne - Canberra and Canberra to Sydney.
This race was inspired by the other grand tours of bikepacking: the Tour Divide, the Trans Am Bike Race and the Transcontinental. Similar to these races, the rules for the Indian Pacific Wheel Race are simple and largely self-policed. The rules attempt to embody the spirit of self-support and fairness for all riders.
This race is not for everyone. The race route plots out a serious adventure through remote sections of regional Australia, one which is dangerous and has serious risks for those unprepared. Those considering racing the Indian Pacific Wheel Race should consider whether they are ready to take on such a serious challenge in an unforgiving environment.
The race course has a number of distinct sectors with different characteristics. Riders will brave the deserted and treeless Nullarbor Plain which includes a 150 km section of completely straight road. The next sector will take riders through the rolling hills of the famous Clare Valley and Barossa Valley wine districts as well as the Adelaide Hills, the setting for many Tour Down Under stages. Riders will travel the full length of the world famous Great Ocean Road, popular with cycle tourists from all around the world. Finally riders will have to tough it out through a mountainous 1,000km final sector through the heart of the Australian Alps. Sure you might be able to time-trial through the desert, but can you hold it together through a 1,000km high mountain stage to finish?
Often bikepacking races avoid major cities; not the Indian Pacific Wheel Race. The route will pass right through the centre of Australia's southern and eastern capitals. Through Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, riders will experience some of the favourite local cycling spots. We want commuters to see the racers. We want the racers to pass office workers on their way to work, just as a commuting cyclist would. We want local bunch rides to find racers. We hope some local riders will ride with racers as they pass through. This is a throwback to the original Australian overland cyclists who passed through the major cities on their cycling speed record attempts across the country. These pioneering overlanders were greeted by large crowds as they passed through Australia's major cities in the late 19th and early 20th century.
All info from https://www.indianpacificwheelrace.com/about.