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Here's some weird and not so wonderful stats for our journey thus far...

Commenced: Fremantle, Western Australia
Currently: Townsville, Queensland
Number of cyclists: 2
Australian states visited: 5
Distance thus far: 9,300 kilometres
Muesli bars consumed: 600
Litres of milk drunk: 250 litres (or 1/4 of a cubic metre)
Number of koalas seen in the wild: 3

Costs: We're in denial
Times lost: 2 (pretty hard to get lost when a lot of the time there's only one road!)
Bikes: Two green Long Haul Truckers named Kermit and Big Sur. Kermit was built by Sats at Quantum Cycles in Perth and Big Sur was mainly homemade with help from Quantum, 64 Farmer Street, North Perth, 08 9443 3407. We love our bikes and are very happy with their overall performance TOUCH WOOD!
Scenery which epitomises the daily grind of Australian cycle touring:dry yellow grass and bull dust with staring cows or sheep

Wow, a choice of roads in South Australia




Casualties of vigorous pedalling:
Guido
2 pairs of trousers - Jag - worn through
2 split tyres - Maxxis Overdrive - (one after 5000kms and one after 2000kms)
5 punctures (mostly from the tiny wire threads that are found in split roadtrain tyres but also one from thorns and one from a nail gun nail)
Claire
7 pairs of trousers - Target/BigW/Myers - worn through
2 pairs of knicks (one pair split along the inner thigh and the other unravelled along the chamois (Netti) both after about 9000kms)
1 worn tyre - Maxxis Overdrive - (replaced at 5000kms)
1 pair of pedals - el cheapo brand that was not recommended by the bicycle builder - (replaced at 5000kms because I was sick of the clunking noise)
1 spoke - Sapim - (at 7000kms)
1 sheepskin saddle - Eagle Wool - worn down to the stitching but still going (like me)

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Why are bicycle flags NOT more popular?

Cycling flag
Flag waving for cyclists...


Out of the ten other touring cyclists we have met, not one has had a flag. All the motorists, motorcyclists and truckies we have met have been extremely complimentary about our flags. They truly DO want to be able to see us as far ahead of them as possible. I have heard complaint after complaint from motorists about cyclists not being visible - so why so few flagwavers in Australia?

I think partly this is because of the perception that flags are for kids. A peception I believe may even extend to the manufacturers themselves who do not seem to make flags as hardy as they could.

Ours, for instance, did not stand up to high winds or being taken off the bike repeatedly. The glue beneath the flag quickly dries out and the flag requires gaffer tape or a plastic clamp to secure it.

Also, flags in Australia are meant to go on the back wheel axel and come with a metal plate to attach it there. For a tourer, this is hopeless as your panniers and rack are in the way.

Instead, we have had to devise our own attachment system using a hacksaw, cable ties, a twig and reticulation connectors. We attach the reticulation piping to the rack with cable ties then place the flag inside it secured with a twig as the pipe is too large for the flag.

Cycle flag
The attachment system...


Plastic reticulation connectors, reticulation ends and cable ties can be purchased for under an Aussie dollar in the hardware store. We keep a hacksaw on our bikes gaffer taped on along with our spokes and have used this to saw off the metal attachment plate. Twigs are freely available under any tree...


Bicycle flag
Cheap ways to attach flags...


The flags we have seen in Australia come in two parts which is very handy. In cities, when we are walking our bikes along the pavement, we have to be very careful not to whip people in the face with it. It is much easier to take off half your flag than the whole flag and, when necessary, the disconnectable top half becomes an excellent and humane dog deterrent.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of stress on the plastic at this halfway point which we have tried to alleviate using cable ties and which the flag manufacturers have tried to alleviate using connecting metal clamps on the latest flags.

Bicycle flag close up
Flags come in two parts...


Ok, so you may look like a dork with a flag. But is it that much dorkier than lycra? Isnt it better to look like a dork than to look like roadkill? Flags cost around $12AUS from bike stores everywhere.

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