Afie: I'd say as much as 25% of the black stuff but more as much out of choice for one reason or the other, like not wanting to ride through muddy goop. Also I'd dare say all the little bits of tar that you get in and out of the little towns you go through would add up. I'm busilly looking at ways to link up or shorten some of the tar sections I did have though. Some of it is avoidable, some of it isn't or at least not worth it...
hardly any cars once I left Canberra proper like and got to newcastle way. You were playing in traffic a little bit at either end. I need a better route out of Canberra; construction and other things made trying to follow the BNT around there a bit crappy. Also I hear there's possibilities to get much more dirt and single track all the way into Nobby's Beach at newcastle. Rumour and speculation so far on that one though I fear :/
P-Wizzy: no unfortunately. Actually I should follow up with Eric about that. C'est la vie, his back log was a bit too much. The freeload worked ok though. Just not as good as a proper seat and frame bag though I think. Playing with my ghetto handle bar has made me realise I might get a carousel bag for the front now though (sorry Eric
so in some ways glad I got to play with it in anger over a week before ordering anything on that front.
BNT from Canberra to Taralga was straight forward. Some pretty sections like over the Gundaroo ridge line but on the whole routine. From taralga to Lithgow was nice, some great sections through Mt Werong and Vulcan/Jenolan State forest way. A horror section in the middle of the Jenolan SF that I think has a perfectly fine and acceptable alternate that I don't understand isn't used. Lithgow to Glen davis is incredible. If you were to do one part of the trip I did, do that! Up through Glen Alice trail is pretty, but a little hard core (hike a bike up 4-500m's of vert for an hour). The reward is some amazing views and a few great sections once it joins up with army road. It's all mostly very rideable apart from a few hike-a-bikes. You could almost cross it between CBR and Lithgow. After Jenolan it got a bit messy... There were occasional BNT signs and arrows along the route, typically I found when I least needed them! They're reflective at night too which is handy when you've under estimated the terrain...
You can tell it's set up for horses though with detours into campgrounds which wouldn't ordinarily make sense etc... But for hte most part, pleasant riding really!
Cheers
Spoonie
