Uphill all the Way......

#22
Well that was an eventful couple of days well for us anyway o_O

I hope you were all as entertained as we were, difference being that you were in your air conditioned houses we were out in the elements...melting

By now i'm sure most of you have worked us out, we like a challenge and that it was! :eek:

Even though we didn't quite make it i still want to get to Marree for a swim!

Thank you to you all for watching and commenting
 

Fatman

Well-Known Member
#24
Some pics from a couple or days ago approx 20km north of Lyndhurst SA

The hole was easy to locate, it was where the loud hissing noise was coming from, cleaned the hole and preparing the plug to insert.













So with the plug (stringy type) fitted and the tyre pumped up again I found the single plug didn't quite seal 100% and by the time we got to Leigh Creek (approx 50km south) the tyre had already lost 15PSI. So I removed the first plug cleaned the hole a bit better and I could see there was a hole and a slash. Only option was to insert 2 new plugs and cross our fingers.

Pumping it up again



Heading back to Hawker this view was from a lookout, with the Flinders Ranges in the background



The sign says it all



Back to Jeff the Chef's home and the Lobethal Bierhaus beer tasted sooooo good

 
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Fatman

Well-Known Member
#26
How were you guys coping on the gravel roads before the puncture? Good,to,see you on your way again and yes, help in the bush is not a given anymore.

Russell the bit we saw was in great condition, I think the RT would handle the conditions but maybe in hindsight some knobbies would have been a better option?? Seeing the puncture happened so early into the dirt section with another 120km of dirt to go to get to Lake Eyre South start then a total of 140km dirt back to Lyndhurst we decide to abort the attempt. A couple of days prior to the ride LTP spoke the local Police and they said both the Marree and Roxby Downs route option were both in good condition.
 

Rusjel

Premier Member
#28
Mick, I reckon you'd have been fine with the tires you had, just bad luck. The best option for your bike would have been something like Tourances, Anakees and they would puncture almost as easily as road tires.

What seems counter intuitive but should be done is to let your tires down a few psi, maybe mid 20s for your bike. It helps ride the gravel a bit better and reduces the risk of punctures.

As I said though, sometimes it's just bad luck, sharp stones bits of metal and the like. I picked up a 25mm slash in a dirt tire out there one time and needed about 10 rope punches just to limp back to civilisation. Next time I ride out that way I'll take a few of those plugs that spread out from the inside.

I hope you guys have another go at this, it's a ride I'd like to do sometime as well.
 

Fatman

Well-Known Member
#30
Mick, I reckon you'd have been fine with the tires you had, just bad luck. The best option for your bike would have been something like Tourances, Anakees and they would puncture almost as easily as road tires.

What seems counter intuitive but should be done is to let your tires down a few psi, maybe mid 20s for your bike. It helps ride the gravel a bit better and reduces the risk of punctures.

As I said though, sometimes it's just bad luck, sharp stones bits of metal and the like. I picked up a 25mm slash in a dirt tire out there one time and needed about 10 rope punches just to limp back to civilisation. Next time I ride out that way I'll take a few of those plugs that spread out from the inside.

I hope you guys have another go at this, it's a ride I'd like to do sometime as well.
I had thought of lowering the tyre pressures but then I was worried about rim damage from the rocks, it may have helped though Russell.
 

Rusjel

Premier Member
#31
Completely understandable, I thought the same thing when we first moved out there in 1988, but the local wisdom soon wins you over.

Less punctures, less rim damage and a more comfortable ride.

I should also say that when we are out there in our Landcruiser I often have people come past going a lot faster than the 80-90kmh we think is sensible at those lower pressures. Then we stop to make sure they are o.k when they shred a tyre.

I don't imagine you two would be going much faster than that on the RT.

On the Dusty butt we were going a bit faster than that of course, but only one puncture in Ed's rear right towards the end.