Western Loop
click on image to enlarge My last GT ride was in early July, the start of our Winter, when the weather is usually cooler, around 10*C / 50*F, and with only a few days of light rain. This makes for reasonable riding weather. Unfortunately, this year we seem to have entered a "wet Winter cycle" with warm water temperatures in the Indian Ocean to the west of Oz, combined with warm water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean to the east of Oz. The result is cold air temperatures combined with abnormally high rainfall. Over the three months of June/July/August, we had more than our total annual rainfall, with only 20% of days being rain free. This ongoing rain event has resulting in widespread flooding events and considerable road damage, and for me, no riding. With the arrival of our Spring in September and the approaching end date of the Grand Tour of 30 September, I was becoming desperate for three consecutive days of sunshine with no rain. Week 1 of Spring passed wi...