Majura Pines – ACT

The following are taken from my Jet setting Josh Facebook page and personal Facebook page, of all the bikepacking and other cycling I have completed

31 Dec 2018 – Mount Pleasent Lookout

Final road ride for 2018 done, 60km in 2h 15mins around Lake Burley Griffin. Time now for all-you-can-eat buffet lunch, then bring on the new years fireworks!!!!!!!! PS Turned out this was the last time I rode my Giant OCR1 as I sold it a couple of days later.

13 Jan 2019 – Cumberland Trail

This weekend I got to ride my new #polygon mountain bike from #bicyclesonline. This bike replaced the one that was stolen from my work christmas party last month. Driving about 3 hours south of Canberra, I rode (& hiked) the steep (at times) 10km return Cumberland 4WD trail which is just off the Snowy Mountain Highway, near Talbingo, NSW. Took 2 hours with 320m elevation gain. Three lookouts in one trail, gotta love the greater Kosciuszko National Park. Get out and #explore.

7 Feb 2019 – Dairy Farmers Hill

1st longer road ride with my #focusbikes mares CX, getting ready for this year’s #bigcanberrabikeride. Thanks #99bikes for the racing 4 #fulcrumwheels, #chainreactioncycles for the #schwalbe pro one 700×25 tubeless tyres and Dante for sorting out the sealing tape.

11 Feb 2019 – 1st longer ride with new mountain bike

1st longer ride with the new #polygon mtb from #bicyclesonline with #wtb ranger 3 inch tubeless tyres, getting ready for the #cloudride500 in a months time.

23 Feb 2019 – Full Centenary Trail

Rode the full #centenarytrail with 35kg as the final big training ride for the #prologue500. The Polygon Entiat TR8 from #bicyclesonline performed really well. Even with getting trapped behind a fence in Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve and having to eventually lift my bike over a 7 foot fence to get out, I still completed it in under 10 hours. Excuse all the bike leaning on stuff photos 😀

6 March 2019 – Big Canberra bike ride

Completed the #bigcanberrabikeride last sunday. I have done this ride a few times over the years now but was the first time with the #focusbikes Mares CX. Is the longest ride I have done with this bike so far and it felt light, nimble and could have kept going. Such a versatile bike. I past a lot of other riders on the inclines, must have had something to do with all the climbing I have done recently on my mountain bike 😀

11 March 2019 – Monaro Cloudride Prologue 500km

Attempted the Monaro Cloudride Prologue 500km on the weekend. Made it over the very challenging Tinderry mountain (1440m above sea level), some parts were so steep, and got as far as Braidwood (220km) but had no energy due to not eating enough over the last two days and started throwing up. I learnt from this adventure to eat more often, not take so much gear because my bike was too heavy and use not as wide tyres next time. The rest of the route is all pretty much flat(ish) along minor tarmac roads and dirt road that I will pick up where I stopped and finish it on the next weekend that I can.

24 March 2019 – Monaro Cloudride Prologue 500km continued

True to my word from my last post about not being able to finish the Monaro cloudride prologue 500km due to retiring in Braidwood having no energy, I completed the remainder of the route this weekend. Started where I retired in Braidwood, I followed the last 280km of the route going through Tarago, Collector and Gunning. Took 18 hours in the saddle with sleeping overnight in Gunning. This was a lot easier then the first half of the route that I did starting in Canberra then Tinderry mountains and Braidwood. Carried 20kg worth of gear this time which was 15kg less then my last ride and this helped alot, along with my cyclocross bike weighing 5kg then my other bike. Took my Focus Mares CX bike for this ride due to there being pretty much no mountain climbs except for a couple, compared to the first half. The bike performed really well even on the rocky gravel corrugated country roads. I will convert my cyclocross bike into an adventure bike with larger tyres, a larger “granny gear” and a higher angled steering stem, as this bike was better suited to long endurance rides compared to my mountain bike. If I attempt the Monaro cloudride prologue 500km next year, I will be so much better equipped with knowledge and experience

13 April 2019 – Brindabella National Park

Haven’t posted for a while due to being busy training for mountain/road cycling and running events but finally got out this weekend and did this very steep loop ride. It was difficult and had to hike-a-bike most of it but was great to get out in the mountain range just outside of Canberra Australia and do some more exploring.

19 April 2019 – Good Friday ride

Impromptu 3 peak challenge. 3/4 tarmac, 1/4 dirt ride (on #wtb crossboss 700×35 tyres) to start the long weekend. Not bad even though my chain came off twice. Have a great easter everyone.

14 May 2019 – Training ride

Taking advantage of the good weather before winter really begins.

22 May 2019 – Stromlo Forest Park

Took part in the third annual 130km Giro d’Canberra last sunday. Was slightly cool and a little windy during the event but never hindered what was an enjoyable ride. According to Strava I came 11th out of 26 participants. There were a few more that weren’t on Strava though. Photos by Bob Miller.

29 March 2021

Bit of a tour around some of the mid central of Victoria. Day one was following the GDT Castlemaine to Ballarat, which was mainly on singletrack and sometimes difficult to find the correct track. Day two was back to Castlemaine via the Mallee Blast trail south to north version, from Ballan, which was mostly on forrest trails. Hope you like “bikes leaning against things” photos. 253km 3,900m elevation gain, averaged 13.5kmph.