Have Kids, Will Big Ride

So I guess our family of five constituted one third of the Coffs contingent on this year's Big Ride! (Only two bikes though!) And this year we were 'pros' - having completed the 2006 ride from Holbrook to Binalong. We were a bit unsure about whether to go back again, but the 'retrospect' had set in; I won an entry! - plus we now had a triplet (instead of a tandem + trail-a-bike) which really needed a decent road test. In the end it was too hard to say no, despite our concerns with the rainfall statistics for that time of year on that part of the coast!

We did do it a bit tough last year - so we upped our training this time with a combination of our own family rides, and building up time in the saddle by getting to as many BUG rides and Saturday community rides as the work and (kids') recreation calendar and grumbling children would permit. It all paid off (whoever said training is overrated?!).. and we think we handled this year's ride really well. Our backsides didn't complain, and we rode all the hills. Most days we were riding in the middle of the field. The only time we were even noticed by the COGS riders was the Gloucester to Wingham day when we got 2 flats on the triplet before even getting out of the main street. It wasn't a good feeling being just about last out of town, but we gradually caught up with people (and the attentive COGS rider realised he didn't need to talk us up each hill, and drafted us down the next!)

As the other Coffs riders would have noticed, we certainly weren't the only people there riding with kids on tandems. (There were even two other triplets!) Contrary to what you might expect, the kids coped with it all amazingly. They thrived on the social life with the other kids - every night making a bee-line from dinner to dodge ball games on the oval (where possible), and we would have to drag them off to bed so they could get up at 5 am and do it all over again the next day!

Doing the Ride with the kids probably makes our experience of it somewhat different to the rest of you. Yes, we do get envious of those of you who are able to get up later, packed earlier, and on their bikes before us! (And 7 am photo shoots are just impossible!) We ended up hanging with quite a few of the other dads and kids who ride tandems - both on and off the bikes. Drafting each other in a tandem/triplet train along some of those flats and down the hills is a hoot! Most afternoons we were pressured to go swimming - their idea of the Big Ride is a regional pool tour (and so they aren't so impressed with towns with no pools!) But in hindsight the hydrotherapy isn't such a bad idea... And getting a dip in the ocean a couple of times this year was a bonus as well.

Our grand plans to ride up to Comboyne (via Elands) on the rest day didn't eventuate. Common sense prevailed , the 'peasants' revolted, and so one other dad + kid and us drove up (visiting Ellenborough Falls on the way), and stayed in the great accommodation we had pre-booked. If you ever want to investigate the area for bike riding (apparently there are a lot of great MTB rides around there) we'd recommend the place we stayed - A Country Affair. The owner, Steve, is a keen bike rider and is keen to help in any way, including doing drop offs and pick ups for rides. (They provided freshly baked bread for dinner and breakfast as well!)

The dads drove the cars back to Taree and Wingham the next morning and caught the shuttle bus back up. Despite the kids being disappointed to have missed (winning) Red Faces at camp, we were glad we didn't risk the triplet on the truck. And we got to sleep in a king size bed!

Anyway, we certainly got to experience a range of conditions this year - road, campsites, and weather. The first day I nearly got heatstroke, and the last day - well, 'wet' doesn't seem to describe it adequately! When we were finally on our way home we suggested to the girls that maybe next year Dad and I could do the Big Ride by ourselves. "No way!" came the response. "We want to do it again!"

I think we may have created a monster...

Tracey Schmidt