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Foreword

Two of my fondest moments cycling in Australia are two of my most challenging rides: riding west to east over the Nullarbor Plain from Norseman to Ceduna in Western Australia, and south to north on the Telegraph Track to Cape York in Queensland’s far north. Achievements aside — and, likewise, appreciation for the beautiful surrounds — my satisfaction came from knowing I had followed a route so rich in cycling history.

Riding across both routes conjured recollections of an era that, until recently, had not received the recognition it deserves. It was an era that began in the 1890s when intrepid souls, who became known as ‘overlanders’, set off into the unknown of inland Australia. On bikes laden with a swag, dried meat and water — as well as a rifle and ammunition for hunting and protection — they rode with only camel pad tracks and a rising and setting sun to guide them.

Arthur Richardson, the first to cycle across the Nullarbor Plain in 1896 and then 13,100 kilometres around Australia in 1889–90, was foremost in my mind as I rode the Plain during the 2017 and 2018 Indian Pacific Wheel Race, a 5,471-kilometre solo unsupported ride from Fremantle to Sydney via Port Augusta, Adelaide, Geelong, Melbourne, the Victorian Alps, Kosciusko National Park, Canberra, the Southern Highlands and Wollongong.

While riding on bitumen towards the next roadhouse and glancing at the vast expanse, I wondered how Richardson endured so many unknowns. From navigating his way through the exposed sandy terrain, to attaining his food and water supplies, and having to find a safe location to stop and set up camp.

That feeling was similar when I rode a mountain bike through the bush, the sand and the humidity of the wasp-stricken Telegraph Track on the Versent TourXOz 2019, a 650-kilometre charity tour for mental health. Amid the frustration of many falls, I couldn’t help but question how the hell Francis Birtles was able to ride the 350-kilometre track in 1918 during a 900-kilometre journey to ‘The Cape’.

It is remarkable that Australia can provide cyclists with such links between the challenging rides of today and yesteryear, and there are many, many more routes that are just as rich in history.

Australia is a vast continent blessed with myriad roads, trails and tracks that are also aligned with the history of the overlanding cyclists. In Dan Oakman’s Wild Ride, these cycling routes wonderfully come back to life. Dan not only delves into the feats and personalities of the iconic figures of Richardson and Birtles, but also into a swag of riders from the 1890s to today, from the likes of the pioneering Sarah Maddock, Joe Murif, Joe Pearson and Eddie ‘Ted’ Reichenbach, to Sir Hubert Opperman, Shirley Duncan, Wendy Law and Ernie Old, and to more contemporary adventurers like Kate Leeming, Sam Johnson, Tom Richards and Tegan Streeter.

Thanks to their daring and determination to ride where others had not, a plethora of bike adventures with historic significance still await today’s adventurer. Today, these roads, tracks and trails allow cyclists to reconnect with their legacy. And with this great collection of ripping yarns, Dan pays tribute to Australia’s ‘wild riders’.

Rupert Guinness, sports writer and author. His books include Overlander: One Man’s Epic Ride Across Australia and Power of the Pedal: The Story of Australian Cycling.