A guest article by Maximilian Semsch
E-bikes, Pedelecs, electromobility. If you look around the bicycle industry in recent years, there is now only one big topic that everyone is talking about.
But I didn't just want to talk about it, I wanted to try it out myself. And so in 2012 I set off for Australia to circumnavigate the entire continent. 16,000 km from Sydney to Sydney.
Of course, I was always asked why such a young man - I was 28 at the time - was riding a bike for such "old people". For many people, a Pedelec is still the precursor to a walker.
I like trying out new things and I wanted to know whether an e-bike can even survive such a long journey and whether riding a pedelec still has something to do with cycling or whether it is really true, as many people always say, that you might as well ride a moped.
On January 1st, 2012 , after more than a year and a half of preparation, we set off in front of the city's landmark, the Sydney Opera House. We cycled around the entire continent clockwise with the goal of arriving back at the same place six months later. I wasn't alone on the fifth continent, though. My partner Marion and cameraman Frank from Berlin were with me. The two of them made the trip in a support vehicle, as neither of them felt like getting on their bikes in temperatures of over 40 degrees. E-bike, support vehicle - this isn't a normal bike trip! That's right, what we did here was an experiment to find out what e-bikes can do.
I also had a second, identical Pedelec with me, with the aim of inviting guests over again and again to introduce other people to the topic of electric mobility. For the first two weeks, and 1000 km to Melbourne, I was alone on the bike.
From Melbourne, Ray from England accompanied us for six weeks and over 5000 km to Perth. Australia is about the size of Europe, but has just 20 million inhabitants. Almost 90% of them live in the country's big cities. In other words, Australia is big and empty. We got our first taste of what it's like when we drove from Adelaide to Perth. In the south of the country, we crossed the Nullarbor Plain. It was 1200 km and there were seven petrol stations in between. No shade, temperatures of around 40 degrees, flying and a landscape that doesn't change for hundreds of kilometers. Even with electric support, that wasn't always easy and we often had to push ourselves to the limit.
From Perth we drove 2500 km north along the west coast. Probably one of the loneliest areas in Australia. Very few people live here because there is little rainfall, the soil is infertile, it is hot, dry, dusty and empty. Who would want to live there?
Often it was up to 350 km from one gas station to the next, and there was absolutely nothing in between. When I then got a headwind, I was extremely frustrated. Looking back, I must say that I was riding in the wrong direction. For me, riding around Australia clockwise meant a constant headwind for over 7,000 km. It's not a gentle breeze like we have here, but the wind is at hurricane speeds, and despite having an e-bike, I couldn't get anywhere in places.
At these moments, cyclists came towards me who were riding in the other direction, so they had a tailwind. Then there stood this 60-year-old man in front of me. A normal bike, 45 kilos of luggage, and he raved that this was the best bike trip he had ever done. He rode at an average speed of 35 km/h and managed up to 250 km a day, and without any effort, as he himself said. I, on the other hand, was happy if I managed 15 km/h, and if my speedometer showed 150 km at the end of the day, then I had come a long way.
Not only the wind, but also the temperatures in the north of Australia were brutal in places. For three weeks it was so hot and humid and it didn't cool down at night that sleeping in a tent was torture. It was like trying to sleep in a sauna.
Despite all adversities, Australia is a beautiful and fascinating continent. 80% of the flora and fauna can be found nowhere else on earth. I was particularly fascinated by the proximity to wild animals. Seeing kangaroos or emus from just a few meters away is not uncommon in Down Under. But the most poisonous and deadly animals also live in Australia. A fact that made my grandmother's forehead frown. Looking back, however, there were only a few encounters with deadly animals. In seven months, I saw just six snakes and didn't photograph a single one because the animals were more afraid of me than the other way around and immediately fled.
The only life-threatening situation was for people, and only when they were behind the wheel. Firstly, cyclists are a rarity in Australian traffic and not very popular. I have been insulted, given the middle finger, or pelted with milkshakes. Secondly, there are so-called road trains in the outback. These are trucks with up to four trailers and almost 70 metres long that race through Australia at a speed of 100 km/h. Even on a straight stretch, the truck can veer in a snake-like motion and the fourth trailer can swerve more than a metre to the left and right. For me, these were the most dangerous moments of the tour.
Of course, it is very important to have good equipment on such a long journey. I was travelling in Australia with a Haibike EQ trekking bike with a Bosch Classic+ mid-engine. With a touring bike, I pay particular attention to ensuring that all parts are designed to last. For example, I opted for a stepless hub gear from Nu-Vinci, as the wear is significantly lower than with a derailleur gear. In addition, sturdy luggage racks that can withstand high loads are essential. I have been riding with Tubus luggage racks for years and am very happy with them. Waterproof panniers are also particularly important so that the sensitive photo equipment is not damaged.
The most frequently asked question about the trip is of course how we recharged the bike battery. We had three spare batteries per bike. Whenever we found a power outlet, we used it. Often there was no power supply for days, so we bought a large, powerful solar cell and mounted it on the roof of the car. Depending on the amount of sunlight, we were able to recharge up to four batteries per day.
Another question I'm often asked is: What all broke and how often did you have to replace the motor? Our breakdown statistics are more than manageable. Both bikes have rolled a total of 26,000 km on Australian roads, and we had a total of seven flat tires, one broken spoke, a defective chain tensioner, changed the chain twice on each bike and the tires once after the tread had worn out after 8,000 km. And that was all. We didn't have any other technical problems. So just normal wear and tear that would have happened with any other bike. Don't forget that the trip was in 2012, and e-bikes have now advanced four years. The battery range has increased significantly, there are new motors and hundreds of new models.
I can only recommend that anyone who has never sat on an e-bike try it out for themselves and form their own opinion. If you don't know exactly what you need or what you should buy, the liquid-life team is available both on site and by phone and will be happy to help you get your dream bike.
Last but not least, we have to answer the initial question of whether I even rode a bike with electric support. All I can say is: Absolutely! I lost six kilos in seven months in Australia. Before and after the trip, I was at the Technical University of Munich to document my fitness level before and after the trip in an endurance test. I was many times fitter after the trip, had better endurance, stamina and muscles than before the trip.
For me, it's about to start again. I'll be travelling through Germany on an e-bike for almost five months starting on May 1st, because up until now I've seen almost nothing of my own country.
You can find more information about my projects and me at: www.what-a-trip.de
Best regards,
Your Maximilian Semsch
About Maximilian Semsch:
For more than 10 years, the multiple award-winning travel photographer and filmmaker has been traveling the world with his camera and prefers to travel by bike to get to know the country and its people better. When he is not traveling, he lives with his wife in Munich and works full-time as a photographer, speaker and filmmaker.
