Cycle across Australia

First Trans Oz bike race will take riders 2,000 miles across Australia.

After cycling solo across Australia earlier this year, British explorer Mike Laird could have been forgiven for going back to his day job and never getting on a bike again.

However, Mike isn’t like most of us. Instead he decided to organise an epic amateur bike race that will follow a similar route.

Mike battled brown snakes, giant spiders, a locust plague, saddle sore, gruelling terrain, scorching heat, and floods to become the first Briton to retrace the steps of 19th century explorers Burke and Wills across Australia, solo and unassisted.

He cycled over 2,000 miles from coast to coast to achieve his goal. It took 33 days.

“I cycled through numerous picturesque towns, cycled across major rivers, saw cultural landmarks, and battled the heat and dust along long stretches. I saw everything.

“I saw more of Australia than most other people ever do. I would see regularly 30, 40, or more, kangaroos every day bouncing along besides me.”

The adventurer clearly met plenty of Australia’s wildlife but like Burke and Wills, his journey across inland Australia was not without drama.

“When I crossed the states of New South Wales and Queensland I was hit by severe flooding which meant he had to alter my route,” Mike says. “The rain was a challenge and certainly unexpected. I’m a pretty prepared chap and I suppose the fact I was prepared got me through it. I was often carrying bikes through waste deep water; I lost my video, my GPS system, and my mobile phone – so to a degree I was then very much reliant upon survival and map and compass reading skills. The people coming on the race however won’t need to do any of that kind of thing – we have it covered. They will benefit from my experience.”

I know what you are thinking… why inflict all this on others?

“I felt sad to have done it on my own and not have anyone to share it all with, it would have been nice for there to be someone to share it with,” he reasons.

The first Trans Oz Bike Ride, which will take place in May, will cover 3,200km (2,097 miles) in 17 stages, with competitors starting in Melbourne and riding north through Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland to finish in Cairns.

The race will include road, dirt road and hill stage, and riders will need to average 188km a day to be in with a chance of winning the £5,000 prize.

“We have a Route B as well,” says Mike. “The reason for that is we have had an awful lot of interest from people who love the idea, and would love to cycle across Australia, but said the stages were just a bit too tough for them.”

Route B is aimed at “giving people the same experience, but keeping them in the saddle for no more than 6 hours a day”.

“What we have done is we have kept the route the same, reduced the price for Route B, slightly chopped the time for Route B and we have reduced the stages in terms of length,” says Mike. “This is aimed at giving people the same experience, but keeping them in the saddle for no more than 6 hours a day, which means they’ll get a lot more enjoyment, and a lot more time for their legs to recover, but they’ll also get the chance to see and experience a little bit more of Australia, again what it is all about.

“It is only really two to three days shorter in terms of time. It is 15 stages over 16 days, rather than 17 stages over 19 days.”

The good news is that Mike is still looking for people. “It is an ever changing demographic, which is very interesting,” he explains. “Yes, we are looking for more people; we would love more people.

“We wouldn’t run either route without a minimum of 40 entrants; likewise, neither of the groups will go off with more than 100 people. For 100 people, for example, I need one ton of drinking water a day. Any more and we’d have to alter provisions.”

Early stages of both routes will retrace the steps of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition of 1860, when seven men died attempting the north-south crossing on foot, camel and horseback.

“Although competitors will still face hazards, including extremes of temperature and the local wildlife, we have planned and researched every element of the race to ensure that the Trans Oz Bike Ride runs as smoothly as possible,” Mike, a risk manager, says.

The race will be shadowed by a number of accompanying vehicles manned by the race management and support team. There will be a lead vehicle, keeping ahead of all riders at every stage. There will also be a tail vehicle, staying a short distance behind the last cyclists in each stage. Further support vehicles will be driving in between the lead and tail vehicles.

“These support trucks will carry water, supplies and luggage and spare kit, and will be on hand to assist any riders who experience difficulties,” Mike explains. “We have also arranged meals, accommodation and entertainment for all riders and crew.

“My experience was truly an experience of a lifetime and I'm delighted to be able to open this up to other people with an appetite for adventure," he continues. "We’re looking for anyone with determination, bags of energy and a decent bike to be involved.”

The expedition of Robert Burke and William Wills has long been part of Australian folklore. The pioneers led a team of 19 men, 26 camels and 23 horses to explore inland Australia for the first time, but it turned out to be a doomed journey as both expedition leaders died on the way back. All together seven men lost their lives, and only one man, John King, was rescued by Aborigines and returned alive to Melbourne.

Mike, 41, said he felt “immensely privileged to have followed in their footsteps” on the 150^th anniversary of the ill-fated crossing and was “proud to offer others the opportunity”.

“I’m a seasoned traveller who took part in the BBC’s Castaway 2000 TV programme alongside Ben Fogle.

“Since that time I haves led and joined expeditions in remote locations as diverse as Ethiopia, Bolivia, Mongolia and Alaska.”

In 2007 Mike joined Coalition Forces in Afghanistan as a war correspondent. He is currently CEO of the charity Marocaroundtheclock, as well as a trustee of the UK Scientific Exploration Society and a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society.

To find out more about the Trans Oz Bike Ride, visit www.transozbikeride.com or email info@transozbikeride.com.

And enjoy a few tinnies when you finish!