Beaches fat bike ride Hillarys to Preston Beach

[eldavo]

Hi all,

I'm seeking any knowledge for beach access for sections I can't get to or any route tricks for getting around non-beach coastal segments.
I'm looking at the satellite map for continuity of beaches to plan entry/exit points, and any rideable sand bars like Point Walter for fun photos.
https://goo.gl/maps/fg4Nv


It's <200km <40 hour trip at walking pace with backtracking and map complications unable to follow the beach.
My priority first shorter destination is to my inlaws house in Dawesville to rendezvous with wife/kids Tuesday 23rd December, maps simply as <21hrs walking pace via National Route 1.
I'm happy to work on that for a riding estimate, to continue on Wednesday morning 24th December from Dawesville to Preston Beach, which is where the extended family Christmas function is.
I have 3 nights there 24-26th for the extended family Christmas to rest.
Saturday 27th December hopefully well rested intend to return up the beaches, with any experience gained I can bypass any delays from the way down to make the extra distance a bit quicker.

I'm riding on this, currently preparing extra bottle mounts, and checking if my 10L bar pack will fit on the bars. I can have my holiday trip luggage taken down by my family, so I just need the bike essentials, water and bananas to get by between refills for the ride. I have a Freeload rear rack, not sure it will fit, but also not sure I need it either yet. I also have these tyres I'm thinking of fitting since they're over 700grams each lighter than the current knobbies.

[Aushiker]

Sorry cannot help much on the beaches but the ride sounds pretty amazing. On the other hand, those tyres are scary

Andrew

[yellagonga]

You will be going against the sea breeze with too many groynes/obstacles in your way. Preston beach will be a good ride. as is north of burns beach. Ide do lancelin to wedge instead.

[yellagonga]

If i had one of these ide be doing the swan foreshore infront of the rich houses, burns beach to mindari (used to be good 4wding but shut off to public 4wd now), quinns rock to yanchep past the alkimos wreck (again, great 4wding but now shut off to vehicles), two rocks to more river, more river to ledge point, preston to myalup, all of geographe bay, 80 mile beach from port hedland to broome, cable beach north of broome to cape levaque..... and beyond... hell, gibb river road and canning stock route, why not. and if i had a mtb; ide be limited to rail trails.

[eldavo]

The primary mission is to end up at the correct destination within a day or two and not fail to attend the extended family Christmas

From satellite, It looks clear for 25km to Fremantle, then a bit time consuming in spots from Fremantle to Woodman Point (that looks worthwhile). Most things south of river will be first time for me, second time on return trip.
Henderson, Naval Base, Kwinana all look problematic or undesirable, so may bypass that cluster in preference of a PSP or shared path until East Rockingham.
From Rockingham to Mandurah it looks all good again.
A little effort to do the beach between the two bridges (do it once maybe bypass on longer return trip).
Then on the Dawesville south side it's beach all the way to Bunbury, or the scenic path by the estuary will also get me to my inlaws in Dawesville if I go the night before.

Thanks for the northern reminders for another time, I had done some of the places in 4WD's about 15 years ago when the freeway stopped at Joondalup Drive I think. I later did many of the 4WD days out on road/trail motorcycles like the Preston to Myalup portion and Moore River, got lost at times and probably trespassed in riding by bearings, but a few times it was glorious like living the On Any Sunday film. The fat bike pace is relatively more like a zimmer frame, so I'm looking closer to walking pace than road cycling pace for estimates.

[eldavo]

Sadly my trip got scuttled for family duties, after Christmas a better time for the rest of the family. I doubt I would make such a big trip without a destination purpose and stay over, so I will likely just do Hillarys to Fremantle return as a day trip, if any fat bike riders are out there up for it I haven't got a date set in mind yet.

[Aushiker]

Sadly my trip got scuttled for family duties, after Christmas a better time for the rest of the family. I doubt I would make such a big trip without a destination purpose and stay over, so I will likely just do Hillarys to Fremantle return as a day trip, if any fat bike riders are out there up for it I haven't got a date set in mind yet.

Bummer about the full ride ... it sounded very interesting. I was down on Mosman beach with the pugs on the weekend and sand there is nice and firm ... would be easy riding. The biggest hassle would be the people and dogs. Mosman Beach/Leightons/Port Beach will bring you out at the Port.

Andrew

[eldavo]

Yeah it's not the end though, inlaws in Dawesville and I have next week free so I could get down to Lake Preston/Preston Beach, overnight at inlaws, then back up the beaches again.

We have a picnic brunch at Point Walter with family friends this Sunday, but I won't ride the fat bike just for that little sand bar I will take the Rohloff, Hillarys to Freo to Point Walter. If you are free later in the day could look at the P-38 with Rohloff swap test.

With a bit more time to schedule it, I am keen to see if I can line up with low tide for the sand bar to Penguin Island to circumnavigate that

I also have a Navy friend living on Garden Island, got a chance to see it via road motorcycle on a Police ride years ago, beaches be a nice extra. I would be keen for a day trip just doing the Mandurah Rockingham and islands if the tides and navy access worked out.

[Aushiker]

We have a picnic brunch at Point Walter with family friends this Sunday, but I won't ride the fat bike just for that little sand bar I will take the Rohloff, Hillarys to Freo to Point Walter. If you are free later in the day could look at the P-38 with Rohloff swap test.

Thank should be fine with me ... PM your details and we can touch base Sunday if you are still available to drop around. I live just up behind the prison so close to Fremantle itself or can meet at Woodmans Point or somewhere on your route.

Andrew

[eldavo]

I just saw you are going derailleur for the ECR build on the blog post, and was just thinking myself I can do Hillarys to Fremantle on the beaches (Trigg to Fremantle uninterrupted) then a casual 30min to Point Walter along the river, put bike rack on family wagon and I can skip the heat of day return trip for an easy first leg of the bigger trip, without any delay after returning.

[Aushiker]

I just saw you are going derailleur for the ECR build on the blog post ...

Rethinking that and working hard to justify a Rohloff

Andrew

[eldavo]

So last week I did this cut down consolation ride, put the the bike on the car for picnic lunch with family friends at Point Walter.

Photo slideshow 'story' on photobucket is handy for desktop view with large screen:
http://s16.photobucket.com/user/tillis/ ... arys/story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Once we were done I had the afternoon to ride home while the family drove.
I hugged the river, literally in the water across rocks at one point before easing the hugging, to get to Fremantle beach to start the sand.
Trying to escape the river cliffs I met a kindred spirit, an old British guy swimmer at a Scouts club, chatted for half an hour about bicycles and the world's problems that could be solved by bicycles.
Great day continued that way.

I didn't eat much in the morning, was hungry through the ride and went through 6 bananas, 3 gf nut bars, 2.1L of water only urinating once at Trigg Island.
Tail wind sea breeze was strange to have back of head cool and dry with helmet (normally least air and sweaty on the road).
Heart rate was high the whole way, puffing early on I checked and saw 189, so kept back from the puffing threshold about 177-180 whenever I glanced at it. Other times riding the coastal PSP into the headwind I've had the same numbers for heart rate.
Pace was as estimated, half the speed on the path, double the speed of sand walkers.

I put the footage from camera/phone/action cam in chronological order just in one SD video lump for now.