Archive for September, 2008

Golden Spokes Charity Ride

Aushiker | September 15, 2008 12:32 pm
Golden Spokes Charity Ride

Golden Spokes Charity Ride

The inaugral Golden Spokes Charity Ride is scheduled for October 26, 2008.  The Golden Spokes is a charity event organised in conjunction with Cycling WA by Citizen Advocacy South Metropolitan, a charitable community organisation helping people with a disability.

The ride has a race component, which is an Open Race and has been sanctioned by the state’s governing body Cycling WA as part of the State Road Racing Titles. The charity ride itself starts later and consists of a 32 km ride which is two laps of the race course.  There is also a short course ride, family ride and a wheel chair race.

Full details on the Ride can be found at the Golden Spokes website.  Please consider supporting local charities and ride events like this. The more support the more we get.

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Bushwalking Resources

Aushiker | September 14, 2008 6:56 pm

BOOKS and WEBSITES

Bibbulmun Track

Bibbulmun Track – Aushiker pages on same.

Bibbulmun Track Foundation (Formerly Friends of the Bibbulmun Track) – A good website focused on the track. Provides excellent advice on walking the track (FAQ); accommodation guides amongst other material.

Brampton, J. & Maher, M. (1998). A guide to the Bibbulmun Track northern half: Kalamunda to Donnelly River Village. Como, WA: Department of Conservation and Land Management. (ISBN 0 7309 6874 X).

Day Tripping the Bibbulmun Track – A personal website focused on day tripping on the Bibbulmun Track. Includes day walk track reports and photos.< Introduction to the Bibbulmun Track – Author’s brief diary of this end to end.

John Chapman – Bibbulmun Track – John Chapman is a noted Australian bush walker and author of numerous bush walking books. In these pages, John shares his experience of walking the track and provides advice for other’s planning to walk the track.

Brampton, J., Maher, M., & Keating, A. (2002). A guide to the Bibbulmun Track southern half: Donnelly River Village to Albany (2nd Ed). Kensington, WA: Department of Conservation and Land Management.

Cape to Cape Track

Cape to Cape Track – Aushiker’s pages on same.

Friends of the Cape to Cape Track. A very good website focused on the track.

John Chapman – Cape to Cape Track – John Chapman is a noted Australian bush walker and author of numerous bush walking books. In these pages, John shares advice on walking the track.

Scott, J. & Forma, R. (2008). The Cape to Cape Track guidebook: Incorporating the Meelup Trail. (4th ed). North Fremantle, WA: Cape to Cape Publishing. (ISBN 978-0-9803337-1-8),

Scott, J. (1999). Walking the capes: Twenty-one walks in and around the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Fremantle, WA: Cape to Cape Publishing. (ISBN 0 646 68414 7).

Other Pack Carry Walks and Trails

Chapman, J. & Chapman, M. (1988). Bushwalking in Australia. South Yarra, VIC: Lonely Planet Publications (ISBN 0 86442 007 2).

  • Describes two Western Australian walks – The Stirling Circuit in the Stirling Ranges and Nuyts Wilderness Area in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park.

Coastal Plains Walk Trail – The Coastal Plains Walk Trail is a 55 km trail located in the northern outer region of the greater Perth metropolis. It starts within the Yanchep National Park and ends in the Melaleuca Park, west of Bullsbrook (northeast of Wanneroo). The trail is fairly well established, with four campsites (Shapcotts, Ridges, Moitch, and Prickly Bark).

Fitzgerald River National Park – Probably considered the hardest walk in the South-West of Western Australia, the walk described here is a variation of the walk published in Forests on Foot. As described here, it is a seven day walk from Four Miles Beach at the eastern end of the Park to Quaalup Homestead at the western end of the park. The walk follows the coastline (beaches), overgrown 4WD tracks and compass bearings. There is no defined track despite suggestions to the contrary

Klinge, S. (2000). Classic walks of Australia. Sydney, NSW: New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd. (ISBN 1 86436 5498).

Meney, K. & Brown, P. (1985). Forests on foot; 40 walks in WA. Perth, WA: Campaign to Save Native Forests. (ISBN 0 9589269 0 5).

Morphet, A. T. (1996). Mountain walks in the Stirling Range – Part 1. Capel, WA: Torridon Publications.

Morphet, A. T. (1996). Mountain walks in the Stirling Range – Part 2. Capel, WA: Torridon Publications.

  • Part 2 describes the Stirling Ridge Walk.

Local and Short Walk Trails

Department for Planning and Infrastructure – Details of the department’s walking program.

Gough, D (Ed.). (1992). Perth outdoors: A guide to natural recreation areas in and around Perth. Como, WA: Department of Conservation and Land Management.

Swan Valley and Perth Hills Trails: This website site features over 40 nature walks, bike and bridle trails in the Swan Valley and Perth hills. An excellent resource.

Swan Valley and Perth Hills Trails Discovery Guide (2005). Belmont, WA: Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council.

  • This is the book which goes with/compliments the Swan Valley and Perth Hills Trails website.

WalkGPS: Bushwalks in the Perth Region, Western Australiaprovides descriptions for more than 50 one day walks, most of which are less than 100km from the city of Perth in Western Australia. Route maps, waypoints, links to satellite imagery, and over 700 photos are included within 120-plus web pages.

Related Resources

Action Outdoors Association is a non commercial, volunteer run, multi-activity club for adults which offers fun, fitness and friendship.

Aushiker Yahoo! Group: Excellent Western Australian resource on bushwalking here in Western Australia. Discuss bushwalking with other locals.

Bunbury Bushwalking Club – No further information available.

Bushwalkers of Western Australia (Inc).

Department of Enviornment and Conservation Parks and Recreation. CALM also maintains a live bulletin of up-to-date news on Bibbulmun Track conditions, maintenance etc., which can be printed or emailed to yourself or a friend. Just follow the link above and then click on “Track conditions and Other News.”

Great Walk Networking meets twice most years during the April and October school holidays and hosts a ten day long fully supported bushwalk and travelling community event.

Holland, J. (1999). A guide to priceless campsites & rest areas in the north of Western Australia. Canning Vale, WA: Priceless Publishing.

Holland, J. (2001). A guide to priceless campsites & rest areas in the south of Western Australia. (2nd Ed.). Canning Vale, WA: Priceless Publishing.

  • The author/publisher can be emailed at campsite@start.com.au if you are having trouble locating a copy.

Perth Bushwalkers Club

West Australian Family Bushwalking Club Inc

Western Australian Rogaining Association

Western Walking Club Inc

MAPS

There are two main publishers of topographical maps within Western Australia. They are Landgate and the Department of Conservation and Environment (DEC). In addition the Australian mapping agency, National Mapping also publishes some maps of interest. Contact details for these agencies are reproduced below along with the details of the main map shops in Perth.

Department of Conservation and Environment
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Phone: (08) 9442 0300

DEC produce the Land Management Series of maps (1:50 000).

Landgate
1 Midland Square
Morrison Rd (Corner Great Northern Hwy)
MIDLAND WA 6056

Located within walking distance of the Midland train station. See Transperth timetable – Midland Line.

National Mapping
Scrivener Building
Dunlop Court, Fern Hill Park,
BRUCE ACT 2617

National Mapping’s main Perth agencies are the Perth Map Centre, The Chart and Map Shop and Landsgate.

Western Australian Atlas (WALIS)

From the about page: “WALIS is developing the Western Australian Atlas to be the premier web mapping tool for Western Australia. The WA Atlas is the only reference tool available where users can create their own maps from a wealth of Western Australian information.”

Map Retailers

Perth Map Centre
900 Hay Street
PERTH WA 6805
Phone: (08) 9322 5733

Located in the city. A good source of maps, guide books, atlases etc. One stop shop.

The Chart and Map Shop
14 Collie Street
FREMANTLE WA 6160
Phone:

Located within walking distance of the Fremantle train station. See Transperth timetable – Fremantle line.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

South West Coach Lines – Servicing the south West of western Australia

Transperth operate the bus and train services within the Perth metropolitan area.

Transwa (Western Australian Government Railways) provide a limited train service and a comprehensive bus service serving the southern half of Western Australia.

Taxies. A number of companies provide taxi services in WA. For a listing, do a search in the Yellow Pages.

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ROUTE 7 Leg Warmers Owner Review

Andrew | September 5, 2008 11:07 am

Route 7 Leg Warmers

I purchased my Route 7 Leg Warmers, Model R7WALN8LW from Torpdeo7 in July 2008 for $21.99 landed as with my weight loss and riding Froggie, my Look 555, I found I was feeling the cold more. Four degree Celsius starts probably doesn’t help!

The leg warmers are described by Torpedo 7 thus

They feature gripper elastic at the top to keep them in place, and have a smooth stretchy polyester spandex fabric with a brushed back lining to provide warmth. These legs warmers easily fold up to fit into your pocket or backpack as you warm up.

Features include:

  • Fabric: 86% polyester and 14% spandex
  • Brushed back internal lining for warmth
  • Reflective printed Route 7 logo on each leg warmer
  • Gripper elastic at top
  • 20cm zip opening at hem

Initial Impressions | Field Experience

Initial Impressions

Torpedo 7 provide sizing on their website (lengths only) and do warn that the the sizing is generous [This has now been corrected and more sizing information is provided - September 12, 2008].  It would have been helpful in my view if they provided the thigh and ankle opening sizes as well. It should not be hard to do and they do it for other brands of leg warmers they sell.  I say this as I have found the warmers to be a firm fit around the ankle but not around my thighs.  Maybe a smaller size would have been better.

Field Experience

Update – September 12, 2008Torpedo 7 have the 2008 leg warmers on special ($12.99) and since I am sure they will replace my faulty pair and I am overall happy with them, given my riding conditions I have decided to purchase a second pair, albeit a size medium this time which hopefully will fit better.

Update – September 5, 2008: I have been wearing the leg warmers pretty much on all my rides since I received them in July 2008, approximately 43 rides (51 hours). Other than the fit issue which I resolve by wearing firm fitting knicks over the warmers, therefore assisting in hold them up and the threads coming away on one leg I am happy with the warmers.  They are on the light side which works for the mild winter weather here in Perth.

I will be returning my pair of warmers to Torpedo 7 for repair/replacement and will then probably use them again next winter but more likley as a back up to a better fitting pair.

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