Westlawn Camp Quality Bike Ride - June 3 - Coffs to Grafton

The aim of the Westlawn Camp Quality ride is to come together to promote safe cycling and to have fun, and at the same time raise awareness and much needed funds for Camp Quality, a charity which helps children who have cancer.

The ride is to be held on Sunday 3rd of June, 2007. The route to be taken will be along the “back road” to Grafton via Coramba, Nana Glen and Glenreagh. This is a total of approximately 100km over the day. It is anticipated that we will be arriving in Grafton at approximately 3pm.

The cost of the ride is either $35 (without the jersey) or $100 (with the jersey) and this will cover:

* Ride shirt valued at $100 (should you choose this option)
* Drinks/refreshments along the way on Sunday and a BBQ dinner at the Grafton racecourse at the conclusion of the ride.
* There will be support vehicles to rest in if needed, with water and fruit in car free of charge.

The maximum number of riders is 50 and all applications need to be in by Monday 23rd April 20007 so that the ride jerseys can be made up.** Apparently that deadline was only if you wanted a jersey.

Riders are encouraged to sell a book of raffle tickets to support Camp Quality. If paying registration fee by cheque please make cheques payable to Westlawn Camp Quality Bike Ride.

** Currently waiting on an update as to whether the ride number of 50 has been filled - check back here over the next few days if you are interested. Will also have a list of Coffs BUG members who have registered so that you can find them and buy a raffle ticket!

If you want an entry form, you could leave a comment here and John could email it to you!

Beginner Rides for women

Sue Webber has been running a Cycling for Women course through the Coffs Coast Community College, and it has inspired her to run some easy rides for women to build up their experience and confidence before joining other rides. If you know someone who is a bit reticent to try the first Sunday of the month BUG ride, or the Community Ride, this could be just the introduction they need.

The ride is free and she has third party insurance to lead the ride.

Sunday May 13 - Easy, flat, short ride just for women. Between 10-15km on quiet roads or cycleways. Develop your skills and confidence with a supportive group of women. Limited places. For time and meeting point phone Sue Webber on 02 6654 7077.

Sue hopes to run a similar ride on the second Sunday of every month.

Saturday Community Rides

While most of us know about the Saturday community rides, here's a separate post for further publicity (and linking purposes!)


The Community Ride is on every Saturday - 6.30 am start at City Centre Square; back no later than 8.00am. The rides are suitable for road, mountain or hybrid bikes All standards are catered for. Coffee at City Centre Cafés upon return.

Riders break into 3 or 4 groups - as a guide -

A Group : Travel around 35-40km at an average speed of around 30kph. You will need a road bike and to be quite fit for this group. This group is for those riders that just like to go fast. The ride can include climbs such as Red Hill.

B Group : Travel around 30km at an average speed of around 26kph. Again a road bike is recommended for this group, but the speed is a far more acceptable level for social interaction. The route will generally be around Sawtell and return.

C Group: Travel around 25km at an average speed of around 20-22kph. This group caters for a wide range of riders, and does include mountain and hybrid bikes as well as road bikes. You will need a reasonable fitness level for this group and a good understanding of gearing and drinking whilst riding.

D Group: Travel around 19km at an average speed of around 16kpm. This group caters for a wide range of riders, and includes the younger riders, together with the newcomers. It is likely, that in coming weeks this group will break into 2 groups along Hogbin Drive, in an endeavour to best cater for all riding levels.


Initiated by Coffs Harbour councillor - Ian Hogbin and supported by Coffs Cycle Club, Coffs Triathlon Club, Coffs BUG & Coffs Harbour City Council.

The Community rides got a bit of a plug in Australian Cyclist - March/April 2007:
http://www.australiancyclist.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=2280

Disclaimer:

These rides are open to the public. All ride leaders are volunteers who generously donate their time to plan and conduct these rides. All persons joining these rides do so as volunteers in all respects and as such accept sole responsibility for any injury howsoever incurred. The appointed ride leaders cannot be held liable in respect of any injury resulting from participants engaging in such ride activity.

If you'd like to be on the mailing list for the Community rides, send an email to Ian and ask to be put on the community rides mailing list:
ian.hogbin(at)hqb.com.au

How about a ride in Canberra in October?

Rotary Scenic Cycle Tour of Canberra - Sunday 14 October 2007

Bike rides for all ages and abilities - family fun and serious challenges.

There is a route for you and your family with great morning teas (two
locations) and sausage sizzle at the finish.

1. Family Ride around the lake: 25 km (easy)
2. Circumnavigate Lake Burley Griffin: 30-48 km (easy+)
3. Lake and Rural Tour: 50-74 km (medium+)
4. Canberra hills and views tour (five peaks): 77-100 km (hard)

All routes signed on bitumen roads and cycle paths.

Five peaks to be ridden or bypassed - Mt Pleasant - 80 m; Mt Ainslie 220 m;
Black Mt - 230 m; Red Hill - 100 m; Mt Stromlo - 160 m.

For more details, visit their website.

'Tour de Cure' in Coffs

Ian Hogbin is riding in the Tour De Cure Charity Bike ride from 28 May, and they come through Coffs on the 31st May, leaving 1st June.

They are putting a lot of work into making the time in Coffs really memorable, and in turn promoting the charity support groups and Cycling, so keep the times free if you can.

On Thursday 31 May, the plan is to have Criterium demonstrations in City Centre at lunch time, a Special show at the Porpoise Pool at 3.30, and a cocktail party on the Jetty at night.

Then on Friday 1 June, a ride from Coffs 7am to breakfast at Sawtell to join in with the Tour De Cure riders, as that group then heads south to Sydney.

The riders will leave Sawtell at 8.30 for Port Macquarie, allowing the Community Riders to get back to Coffs around 9am.

www.tourdecure.com.au

What a great place to cycle! VIETNAM!

Three wonderful weeks of pedalling along quiet roads through rice paddies being planted in the North and harvested in the South, and little villages. The villages were a hive of activity. The Vietnamese seem to grow, reap, prepare and eat an amazing (to us) array of food. The whole country is a "Garden of Eden". We ate like Kings and as cheap as chips. When stopping to take a photo of these activiites, we soon found ourselves inside the house laughing with the people. Never once did we feel intrusive or threatened by these happy people.

Such an old history too! Sightseeing was also included, cycling sometimes to see temples, pagodas, citadels, all over a thousand years old. Our guide was such a funny fellow who was proud of his country and people (nothing was too much trouble to him) and he made the history come alive.

Our bikes were new 21 speed Giant mountain bikes and we were supported by a back-up truck (come-mechanic) and an AC mini-bus. Cold bottled water was supplied constantly and yoghurt and bananas after each ride. Our hotels were in the centre of the cities and were all 4 1/2 star standard (with Western toilets) That's good news for some!

Do we recommend this trip? Definitely YES! Put it on your list of things to do.

Barbara and Bob Gray
TRAVELINDOCHINA small group journeys Cycling Vietnam 19 days

[These are just a handful of the 491 terrific photos on the cd that Bob and Barb passed on to use! What to choose?!!! Bob and Barb if there are any others you'd like included let us know the photo number and we'll add them!]

From Big Ride to "Great Escapade"

Bike Vic have announced next years "Big Ride" for NSW. http://www.bv.com.au/great-rides/30589/ Well, they haven't announced the route or region yet, but, yes... it will be run as a NSW Great Escapade.

You can register on that site to get email updates.

Tracey S.

Experiences of a ‘first timer’ on the Big Ride 2007

April at the top of a hill! (That's why she's smiling!)

Yes all that hard work paid off. Thanks to those guys who encouraged me during the training rides!

I was surprised by the discipline that I had developed in the training rides.

I must say that it was a little daunting on the first day riding in exceptional heat in the afternoon to Tuncurry and lack of food in Taree. And the second day awaking to water in my tent and a wet ride for a while. However I overcame any symptoms of heat stroke and a flooded tent and ate a hearty breakfast and pedalled on regardless. As one of my trainers said ‘just keep pedalling’.

I found the daily routine easy to follow: get up, pack, eat and drink, wash dishes, ride bike, stop and drink, stop and eat, stop and drink and so on.

Early morning dew - Gloucester?

Oh nearly forgot to include the daily visits to the memorable mobile toilets and showers - that was an experience. I kept a lookout for Kenny the famous ‘toiletter’ but missed him. I was hoping to share my dunny experiences with him.

Each day had a different challenge that included different weather conditions, different road base and length of ride and undulations.

I fell of my bike only once which was an achievement as I had been having a few mishaps of late whilst learning the ‘cleats, get your foot out quickly before you stop’ routine. I saw a few people come off the same way usually from stopping suddenly and I felt every thump as they went down. Which gave me even more resolve not let this happen to me again. Besides my rear is running out of pink space!

The dialogue along the way with all those cyclists pedalling their hearts out was encouraging. We laughed a lot at ourselves as we took turns overtaking, we panted and puffed over the bumps wondering why are we doing this. But at the end of day I had achieved what I set out to do, reach the next town and enjoy my achievement.

Each night I met up with new and old friends and chatted about our days’ experiences over a nice cool drink from the Bago wineries. Enjoyed good food and entertainment in the marquee and listened to the ‘pet talks’ from various guests. The funniest night was red faces where riders disguised themselves with outrageous clothing and wit.

I danced on the last night with a ‘professional dancer’ (actually Mark who dances with Trish a few times a week as a pastime) to celebrate the almost completed ride.

Early hours of the last night the rain hit us and it was relentless. We were flooded and muddied, wet and dripping and ready to jump in the sweep bus.
But no we had toughened up and went with the ‘flow ‘so to speak.

After bailing out my tent and packing my wet belongings into my wet bags I went off for breakfast. Enjoyed un-toasted crumpets and cold tea for breakfast whilst standing under a dripping awning with a thousand other people and laughed about how we were going to get out bikes out of the quagmire and onto the road for the final 30km ride to Taree.

BUT we did it and arrived in Taree, mud spattered, to see our cars sitting in another quagmire. Not deterred I put my bike in the car and collected my bags, set plastic bags on my drivers seat and set my mind to find a nice dry motel with a laundry and room service.

Fortunately I did not get bogged in the mud and was able to smoothly ride out of Taree and headed for Forster. The proprietor of the motel did give me strange looks when I arrived wet and muddy and asking for a laundry and room service but once I had explained where I had been etc he was most helpful.

Would I do it again YES?

April van Bladel

Most of the Coffs BUG crowd.

Deluxe? Camping at Wingham.

More Big Ride Photos

Nine Coffs Riders made it to the 7 am photo shoot rendezvous at Timbertown.
(Photo by Jo.)

It was a tad wet in Coopernook on Sunday morning after a night of rain.
(Photo by Jo.)

The Schmidts back on the bikes on their way downtown at Port Macquarie to look for a laundry service, a big bowl of beer battered chips, and a swim in the surf.
(Photo by Jo.)

First campsite at Tuncurry - where there wasn't enough room to camp inside the flags!
(photo by Caitlin)



"Altogether now.. let's pack up! - Bending... now!"
Pulling up camp at Port Macquarie.
(Photo by Caitlin)

If anyone has any photos to add, please email them to
trace(at)exemail(dot)com(dot)au - I will keep adding to this post !

Tracey