An Aussie cycling adventure
Following the footsteps of the well-known Polish explorer, Sir Paul Edmund de Strzelecki (noted for his contributions to the exploration of Australia, particularly the Snowy Mountains and Tasmania), this two-stage bicycle expedition covers 1,569 km over 18 days.
An expedition like the Strzelecki is so much more than riding your bike from A to B, according to company founder and still passionate, Dylan Reynolds. Exhilarating and potentially the trip of a lifetime, it’s also about boosting your health, meeting new adventurers, rediscovering nature, connecting with different cultures and learning. Born in Zambia, Reynolds has, according to his credentials, had an itinerant lifestyle and possesses a wonderful passport to explore the world as a professional squash, snowboarding and cycling specialist.
Man from the Snowy River
On this epic adventure, the founder and his team will take riders on some of Australia’s most iconic climbs and up its highest mountain, Mt. Kosciuszko. Along the way, there is built-in time to experience and learn about the region, its landscape and rich iconic history.
Riders who pay close to $11,000 will be supported by a core team of six veteran specialists, who between them have 92 years of bike touring under their handlebars. Together, they’ll participate in daily rides and activities covering everything from 60,000 years of indigenous occupation, the convict settlements, early explorers, frontier wars, gold rushes and outlaw Ned Kelly to the bushrangers, and stockmen like the man from Snowy River.
Heading to bushranger country
The tour will follow explorer Strzelecki’s journey into the Great Dividing Range through the Snowy Mountains to Melbourne. Riders will spend a day in the skiing township of Thredbo New South Wales in order to climb Australia’s highest peak, which Strzelecki climbed and named Mt. Kosciuszko in March 1840. From there, everyone will head into bushranger county and along the Murray River before turning back into the mountains and summiting Mt. Hotham, Australia’s highest sealed road at 1,840 metres, promises Reynolds, who rides a nimble, titanium Lynskey Sportif when he’s on tour.
Ride like a local
Scouts with decades of touring experience have cycled every road on this Epic Tour, using the latest navigation technology with a boots-on-the-ground approach. Their objective is always to find the road less travelled and simultaneously avoid having to shuttle guests. Pre-planned routes take cyclists in and out of major cities and also through the prettiest small villages and rural towns with beautiful vistas, better road surfaces, less traffic, and no nasty goat track surprises!
Daily route briefings don’t just cover the ride ahead but hypothesize about and share historical context as well. Complemented by informal lectures on the historical angle of each tour, riders will have visits from regional experts who pop in to provide insight and add a sense of place.
Bike tour difficulties
Reynold’s Epic Tours are geared towards riders who are keen to cycle for longer, more punishing distances and take on more challenging terrain. The frequent changing of hotels and the ‘expedition’ focus of these tours makes them ill-suited to the novice cyclist. The company has grading levels that offer a detailed breakdown so potential adventurers can score the type of rider that they are and pick the right tour. These breakdowns correspond with a classification of the difficulty levels of each tour and are based on distance, terrain and time in the saddle.
Ready for what’s put in front of you?
The visual symbol for the grading system is an espresso cup. Reynolds logic? The harder the tour, the more coffee shots you will need to complete it. From the relatively fit one cup “cappuccino” who can handle 30-50 kilometres of steady hills that are less than 750 metres in length, with an altitude gain of up to 500 metres, to the Due and Tre espresso, the grading system seems to take no prisoners. It culminates with the Master’s level, Quattro expressi (4 cups).
The Quattro cups belong to an Epic level cyclist who wants to push his or her physical limits during 4-8 hours in the saddle. The trip is fast-paced for an extended period of time on this tour and covers 100–160 km with an altitude gain of 1500-4000 metres.
For those who dare, the Epic Strzelecki Tour is slated for November 2021 and starts at AU $10,750. Which includes world-class adventure cycling, unique historical itineraries, lodging, fine gastronomy and cultural immersion.
Strzelecki Bike Tour Highlights – November 2021
- Cycle across the Great Dividing Range from the Pacific Ocean to the Southern Ocean.
- Tackle Australia’s most iconic climbs.
- Ride through the Capital to Parliament House.
- Wind through the alpine wilderness within the Snowy Mountains.
- Bike Australia’s highest road.
- Climb Mt. Kosciuszko and enjoy the 360-degree views on top of Australia.
- Explore country towns and meet local characters.
On tour cyclists can not only ride on some of the greatest roads in the world but visit landmarks, nature sites and cultural icons.
