2013 and in the spirit.

Well we're into 2013 already and if the supermarts are anything to go by Easter must be just around the corner. During a shopping escapade (food and essentials only) in the early days of the new year I couldn't believe my eyes, there was a display of hot cross buns or should I say half a display as

it was patently obvious that people were buying them.

 

 

Renae's contribution to Christmas 2012

 

Happy New Year everyone and lets make it a safe one. I trust everyone had a good Christmas, were able to meet up with friends and relations, catch up on all the gossip and over eat and drink, at least that is what I did and have the extra kilos to show for it. It's a bit of a shock to hop on the scales and we all know how hard it is to take those extra kilos off again. However, if you're into cycling and you live in a sub-tropical location, then it's no big deal, you just sweat it out. As I sit at my computer, the inside humidity shows 80% and our temperature is forecast to hover between 38 and 40 degrees Centigrade to-day, so eat your hearts out if you are living on the other side of the world and the thermometer is hovering around the minus mark or lower.

 

My brother in law posing with Tripod and my Scotty

 

This is what the road should have been like.

My brother in law brought his new Cannondale Lefty with him over the Christmas period and we decided to go for a nice sedate ride on a back country road between the towns of Clifton and Allora on the Darling Downs of Queensland. We had travelled this road once before and although we knew it to be dirt and rough in places we didn't quite envisage the situation we found ourselves in. It poured rain the night before which turned the road into a quagmire and before long we found ourselves pushing through 15 to 20cm  of black soil mud. Riding in black mud can be quite difficult, particularly if you are shod with the wrong rubber. For a start, it is difficult to find traction and secondly, the mud tends to build up on the tyre making the bike infinitely heavier and even more difficult to pedal. We found we had to stop, find a piece of grassy ground and scrape the tyres clean and of course, this procedure had to be undertaken a number of times before we were through the bog. Unfortunately I neglected to take a photo of the boggy patch. The above photo depicts different parts of the same road in good weather.

Although the first quarter of the trip was a hard slog it gradually became better and over all we managed to have an enjoyable ride. It was a different story when we arrived home and had to wash all the mud off but I guess that's the joy of riding.

 

Would I recommend this ride? absolutely, it's all part of the fun of riding on back country roads where the scenery is a mosaic of ploughed fields, green pastures, domestic and occasionally wild animals not to mention the clean air breathed, a cacophony of sounds unfamiliar to city dwellers and just playing a part in the laid back lifestyle which is country life.

 

I just love this form of cycling and can't wait to locate new trails with our beloved 'Peddling Pathfinders' and share these adventures with my readers. I also hope to inspire some of the older riders who haven't been on a bike for many years so that they too find a new lease of life and join the Peddle Revolution which is taking over the world.....viva la revolution!

 

 

 

 

Millions of dollars have been spent  in this country and in particular in Queensland by past State and local governments on the many trails built for the enjoyment of both walkers and cyclists and all I ever hear and read are brickbats being thrown at the government and I think it is about time to throw the odd bouquet as well. Being a trail blazer, the groups I ride with predominantly use trails and dedicated cycle lanes whilst cycling in the city and all I can say is we are very lucky to have such a widespread system of trails through our park lands, forests and by the sea but, if the masses remain apathetic and don't use these facilities, we are in danger of having nothing further done. On the more positive side, there are a number of shared pathways running between Cleveland and Point Talburpin, in the Redlands, Queensland and of which I, my wife and friends have been riding regularly for years that have seen the numbers using this facility rise exponentially. It is my belief that one day in the not too distant future, the traffic on these trails will rival those of Europe.

 

A message to our councillors and members of parliament............the money spent so far has not been wasted and there are a lot of families out there who say thank you and we hope that you continue to foster this joint facility with timely upgrades and maintenance.

We have a lot of rides programmed for this year including the week long ride in the Hawkes Bay area of New Zealand, so keep tuned and I'll keep you up with the buzz  as we ride along.

Cheers and safe riding,,



Jimmy bee