The Munda Biddi trail stretches from Mundaring, just outside Perth, to Albany and at just over 1000km is Australia’s longest off road ride. https://mundabiddi.org.au/
The trail can be ridden from either end, but based on our experience, 80% plus riders seem to choose the north to south option. It is suggested that the prevailing winds more commonly make this option preferable, however given that the vast majority of the riding is within forests, the wind direction is less critical than you might think. Mentally, riding south always feels like you are going downhill, so that may be another factor!
Originally two of us, mid 60’s, had planned to do the ride 5 years ago, but Covid intervened, so 5 years later, we are currently 400 km into the ride, having started on September 30. This time of year was always our only option, due to the optimal weather conditions and coinciding with the onset of wildflower season in Southern WA. While you can’t do much about when the rain falls, temperatures in October are generally cooler than Sydney and perfect for riding with overnight minimums as low as 5C and daytime maximums in the low to mid 20s.
It is important to say that if you are considering doing this ride, you will need to have previously ridden, and be comfortable riding basic single track mountain bike tracks as there is a lot, (70-80%) in the first half of the trail at least. The riding is solid and you need to be comfortable riding the equivalent of around 70km on a road ride and backing that up day after day. Elevations average around 500 metres per day, although there are a couple of days double this amount.
Our plan is to ride the full length in about 21 days with 2 or 3 rest/weather days. This is a pretty comfortable schedule as it allows us to get into camp or town shortly after lunch and then have time to look around, rest or to restock. We are carrying both tents and sleeping bags in addition to required clothing and food for the days between towns. It is possible to travel without a tent, however they are a lifesaver at some sites where mosquitos and flies can be prolific and they provide additional warmth when needed. Most people pitch their tent on the supplied platforms inside the hut.
Camps consist of open Colourbond shelters which mostly accommodate 12 people on double height platforms, three people per platform. Water is not a problem, at least at this time of year after substantial rains have replenished supply at camp tanks and streams provide plenty of water along the way.
I should say at this point that there are a number of fitter riders who choose to do the ride with nothing more than 2 bidon’s and a credit card. By travelling ultra light, they are able to skip camps and just stop in town accommodation each night and by doing so they complete the ride in 7 or 8 days. Without a plan B, you would have to be very confident of your ability to complete each day. FYI, the record for the ride is around 60 hours. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb4W5NYRua0
People tackle the MB on an assortment of bikes but the majority choose a mountain bike as the suspension and wider tyres make for a more comfortable experience. Did I mention pea gravel? WA trails are renowned for pea gravel with individual balls ranging in size from about 5-20mm. Often these are on top of a hard packed base and roll under your tyres when cornering. There are other patches where the gravel is in soft sand, so wider tyres call for much better grip. Don’t be put off by this however as once you learn to read the surface conditions after the first day or two, it is not an issue.
Back to bikes, we chose two very different options, a carbon dual suspension mountain biked fitted with NZ designed Aeroe rack and waterproof bags on the read and a handlebar roll bag. The second bike is a flat bar hybrid with 90 mm of front suspension only and fitted with Topeak rear rack and road touring panniers. It also has a front roll and two small fork panniers. This bike is the workhorse and when fully loaded for 3 day stretches between towns has a total weight about 45kg. The bike had previously been used by Geoff Lyons to do the 2000km LEJOG end to end ride in the UK a couple of years ago, so it shows that you can ride almost anything on this trail.
To this point in time both bikes are coping just fine, but clearly each has its strengths and weaknesses. I will write part 2 and talk about the actual ride once we have completed it in 2 weeks.