Chit Chat - Sunday Ride to Bello, 21st March

Despite the offer to start at Coffs Town Square, the majority voted with their wheels and elected to start at Perry's Hill. Driving past our gallant leader, Ian and a couple of intrepid followers, Robert and I arrived at Perry's Hill at about 7.45. We had almost recovered from the previous days multiple flats, torn tyre and bent valve (you heard right, bent valve, not 'bent' rider. There is a recumbent rider website called 'bentrider.com'.


Fearlessly, risking derision from the faster riders, Ian said he had regretted suggesting the average speed for the South Arm Trek was 25kph in front of the assembled throng (about 25 riders). He described 25 kph as being optimistic, even for the fast riders taking the hills into account. Methinks he is a little modest. Ian said everyone was welcome to join. No rider would be left behind.

Thinking ahead all the time, the true members of the Café Latte set thought: "hmm, it's about 16km to Bello via North Bank Rd, and 22km via South Arm Rd with some doozy hills." Our decision was sealed by the impending clouds, and the size of the South Arm group - those who get to the coffee shop first get served first. So, Robert P, Robert G, Jim, Chris and Carolyn opted for North Bank Rd.

Carolyn's decision was also influenced by the fact that she had dragged her trike (with flat tyre) back from Coffs Creek to the Marina the previous day - enough is enough. The experience brought new meaning to "dragged through a bush backwards". Carolyn had just about dried out from riding in the pouring rain when she got the flat, and was not a happy woman. Thank God, the beginner's were happy to go to Macauley's and back on their own - so they were not privy to Carolyn's bad mood following the flat. Robert was off trying resolve his tyre issues. So, he fortunately, escaped this aspect of domestic bliss. After all, it was he who got Carolyn into cycling so it was his fault, wasn't it? Sigh, back to Sunday's ride...

As calculated the Café Latte set arrived at Bello first, and went to the Butter Factory. Unfortunately, the rest of the BUG were at the Swiss Patiss. Why can't they keep up? The Swiss Patiss is closed on Sundays. But, like the true cyclists they are, they foraged successfully and I hear the pies were yummy.

Before lunch, Carolyn ducked out to the loo - no, not to avail herself of the toilet facilities but rather to wash her hands a little more thoroughly than the quick roadside wet grass wash. I hear you thinking "not another flat?" No, it was splash back from cycling through the cow shit on the road. Yup, I've finally found a disadvantage to the recumbent - cow poo can land on your hand. Whammo!

Meanwhile, Jim arrived at the Butter Factory to tell us that Chong, on his carbon-fibre recumbent bike, was one of the early arrivals from the South Arm Group. Go, Chong! How was Hospital Hill on the recumbent? Yee ha ... !

It rained over lunch, and as we started home along North Bank Road, a steamy humidity pervaded Bellingen, as only it can in Bello . Carolyn whizzed past Wally kindly changing Judy's tube. It was Judy's second flat. Carolyn did not stop - between the "flats" yesterday, the humidity and the aforementioned poop, she was running on emotional empty.

Judy then whizzed past Carolyn, asking "how many more hills? enough with the hills!" To which Carolyn replied "Just Perry's". Judy also made the observation that she had never seen anyone change a tube faster than Wally. Wally you rock! Thank you. Judy also resolved to never buy cheap $3 tubes again, and to throw out all the ones she has at home. This was before she got her third flat!

On arrival at the car park, Ian asked Carolyn "Is everyone back? and if there had been any more incidents?"

"No, Martin's not back, he's got leg cramps and might need some help" said Carolyn. Ian looked simultaneously crestfallen and sympathetic.

Carolyn then said "What incident's?" only to have David say: "Harry was lucky - he went A over T but he's OK except for grazes and his helmet." Thank goodness for helmets!

Harry discovered the ambos at Bello ambulance station are very nice - they patched him up and his helmet as well! They knew that a helmet is equivalent to a cyclist's teddy-bear! Our best friend.

Harry has a red mark on his forehead from his helmet, lots of deep nasty grazes on his arm, some under his shirt on his shoulder, and a patched up knee (no stitches needed). He won't be using that helmet again! Take it easy over the next few days, Harry. Wendy reminded Harry that a tetanus shot was advisable within 24 hours if he had not had one in the last 12 months. Thanks, Wendy. Lock jaw would not be much fun for a cyclist as we love to chat.

Fortunately, at this stage Martin could be seen walking his bike up the hill, so he was ok and did not need any further help.

Nurse Wendy suggested we should all carry a 4" crepe bandage. This, and a couple of band-aids are probably all we really need for first-aid where we ride. The crepe bandage is great for a compression bandage if bitten by a snake. Wot? A snake. Yes, folks, cyclists can unwittingly run over a snake and incur its wrath. There was a red bellied black on Hogbin Drive cycle path on Thursday.

The bandage is also useful for immobilising a fracture or shoulder-injury, and can be used as a pad to stem blood loss.

Thorough wound cleaning and attention can wait until you're back at base, and any more than this an ambulance anyway.

Ian has suggested Endura is good for preventing / easing leg cramps. There are other products cyclists use. Everyone has their favourite - have a chat with others and you may find one that helps you. It will not solve everyone's problem, but it might be worth a try before seeking medical advice.

Others also suggested unrefined sea salt from the health food store (not table salt) for cramps, and eating bananas (they're high in potassium) before / during the ride as a snack. (Thank you to Robert and Rochelle for these).

Lessons learned:
1. Don't buy cheap tubes.
2. Carry a 4" crepe bandage and a few band-aids.
3. Always wear a helmet. Always.
4. Try a sports drink eg. Endura for replacing body salts.
5. The window of opportunity for a tetanus shot is 24 hours. They have currency for about 12 months.
6. Park at the bottom of Perry's Hill in future. We still haven't learned this one - where is it suggested we meet next Sunday? Perry's Hill Lookout.

Thanks must go to Ian Scott, our president, for his leadership today. It mustn't be easy when things go "wrong". For the most part, the rest of us just get to enjoy the ride.

Thanks, Ian.

Carolyn

Thursday BUG riders on a roll!

For quite some time now Jim Ward has been leading a BUG Thursday morning cruise to Sawtell headland and back from Howard Street. The group is growing and lately has had some extra fun.
Firstly Tracey, Webmaster "extraordinaire" recruited the group for a photo shoot for the BUG Website upgrade. The first time they tried it everyone involved had an idea of what would work and so several angles were tried and at the end of it all, none of them worked! However there was enough in one of them for Tracey, or rather the “boss”- daughter Caitlin - (as the graphic designer, the real web designer) to decide on what they needed.

So the next Thursday the ride group headed to Sawtell headland as usual, and then back to Howard Street and then up over Beacon Hill to the jetty for another photo shoot. Mild mannered Tracey was concerned about keeping the group in order and where she really needed them. Enter the groups barking Sergeant Major Dooley who commanded the troops as requested and this time a near perfect shot was obtained – yahoo! I might add that the weather was superb for both shots! No one was very concerned about the detour to the jetty as all enjoyed the great coffee and goodies at Wild Harvest, (formerly The Tide & Pilot).

A pictorial record of "The Photo Shoot" rides can be seen on our BUG Flickr photo album site >> here.

The following week the group wondered what would be the ride highlight, given there was no photo shoot to attend, but they shouldn’t have been concerned, ride leader Jim had things in hand. As he led the group from the airport road onto the cycle way, heading for the headland, he took a wide curve and ended up on the grass beside the cycle way. “No problem” He said to himself. (Anyone who knows Jim can hear him saying that…) and he just moved the steering on this mountain bike slightly to rise up onto the cycle kerb. Sadly the bike had other plans and just keeled sideways and much to every ones’ surprise Jim rolled gracefully off the bike and over and over again and was then back up on his feet and back on the bike before anyone could really take it all in. No damage done to his body, well none that he was admitting to at that point, the ride continued.

Everyone is very thrilled that Carolyn Peddie has joined the group on her new trike. Rob’s been riding with us for a while now and we all wondered how we could lure Carolyn into the fun and get her up to speed quickly. Come the 15th May, Carolyn had been out on a couple of Thursday rides and seemed to be improving with every turn. On this Thursday though, with a strong headwind Carolyn ran out of puff. She struggled and pushed but somehow nothing was working. She and Rob fell further and further behind and eventually Carolyn sent Rob ahead to let the group know she was turning back – she simply wasn’t up to it. After Rob left, she stopped for a while and then on resuming she realised that for the entire ride she had had her handbrake firmly on! Ah Carolyn the traps that are there for beginners! When the main group found her in Howard Street we all laughed our socks of, but where was Rob? We think we were on the airport road when Rob went down the cycleway and completely missed us – he found us eventually and all enjoyed great coffee and laughs.

So there you have it. If you have time for a Thursday morning ride we recommend it. Starting at 7.30am at Howard Street, heading for Sawtell headland and then back over to Wild Harvest most times. The pace is a bit slower, so this is very suited to beginners and we are usually all done by 10am.

The Thursday group adoring Carolyn and her new trike.

Cheryl

A PS. from Tracey:

Thursday 4th June will be another Thursday morning ride hijack! We are entertaining some Bike North visitors in Coffs for three days of riding (Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday), and we are working on showing them as much of the cycling in and around Coffs as possible. (Am using the term 'we' in the royal 'we' sense a bit here... but I hope you'll be able to roll with me on the ride proposals !!)

The plan is to start a bit later (well, doesn't it take till nearly 7.45 to get going from Howard St anyway?!)... and take the "scenic" route to Sawtell via the International Stadium, the highway bike path, and Lyons Rd, ending up as usual on Sawtell Headland - the plan being to arrive at the Sawtell Surf Club by the time it opens at, we think, 9am. (There is scope to meet up at Sawtell for those who don't want to go the longer route.) It seemed kind of appropriate to take the Sydneyites on their "Winter Sun Tour" for coffee overlooking one of our wonderful surf beaches.

On the way back we'll take a detour in to the velodrome for a look/see, and then wander back to the Tide and Pilot Wild Harvest (I had no idea the name had changed!) for an early lunch, before the craziest among us head off to "Do Bruxner"- returning to Coffs via Moonee Beach and the highway... the return trip sounds a bit hairy, but the shoulder is pretty wide all the way from Moonee to Coffs.

(Friday is the Bello loop ride, from Repton, via South Arm road, returning via North Arm Rd.)

2008 Coffs Harbour BUG 100 mile ride!

This is a challenging, fun, social ride for fit, experienced cyclists and a great goal to set for yourself. There are few local opportunities to do a long one day ride like this with a support crew.

It all began last year
· Twelve riders all completed the inaugural 2007 ride enduring 36 degree heat, a thunderstorm and headwinds! They all want to do it again! That was in October. This year we will ride in mid August. An average mid August day should be perfect with a cool start, a sunny day, low humidity and little chance of rain.

If you are interested
· This is a social, non-competitive ride but you need to be able to average at least 23kmh for the day! You need to have done a ride of 100km+ before.

Support & Transport
· There will be vehicles providing support including food for all the stops. We will need volunteers who can provide transport to Brooms Head for bikes and riders or drive vehicles back . If you can help come and enjoy the beach / camping / social experience! Last year’s support crew had such a good time they want to do it again too!

Accommodation
· To get an early start we will camp at Brooms Head (about 2 & 1/4 hours from Coffs Harbour) the night before. Have a beach day on Saturday and camp overnight.

The Route
· Brooms Head - Coffs Harbour in one day!
· Brooms Head – Maclean – Lawrence – Grafton – Glenreagh – Coffs Harbour.
· Total Distance: 100 Miles / 161km

Date: Sunday 17th August 2008

If you want to take on this challenge, provide support or just come for the camping please contact John as soon as possible for full details and so as to allow plenty of time to organise transport and camping/accommodation.

Organiser: John Gray ph: 6655 4898 / 0422333238


More detailed information is available here (pdf file).

Sawtell Ramble

Sunday February 10 2008.

What a beautiful day for a bike ride. Clear sky and a breeze from the SE. My first ride as leader. I was as nervous as a kitten at a dog show. But I knew I was among friends.

Confusion over which cafe to start at was soon sorted out and about a dozen riders had breakfast at Annabells with a discount I found out about later! I couldn't resist the French toast at Split!

The ride started only 10 mins late thanks to John disappearing at 9 am after asking to say a few words before leaving. A few people joined us after a little while bringing the total number to 34. Ian Scott joined me at the front and Max took up the tailgate position on his recumbent. After stopping a few times to allow the tail to catch up we arrived at Garden Mania for a comfort stop. Then on to Lindsays road to the highway underpass and up to Lyons road. Down Lyons road I discover another cycle path that suddenly ends! Back to Sawtell and a well earned coffee and snack.

Everyone made it back in one piece and enjoyed themselves. Thanks to John, Ian and Max for their help and thanks to everyone who come up to me with words of encouragement and appreciation. What a load of great people you meet on a bike. Special congratulations to Greg and the others who are new to cycling and did the 16 km with great effort and in good spirit.

I might even lead another ride one day!

Rob Peddie

Riders join the 100 mile club!

As the sun rose over a sleepy camping ground in Brooms Head, two hours north of Coffs Harbour, 13 cyclists and support crews (of family and other BUG members) were busily preparing their gear for a big day ahead. Originally scheduled for the cooler month of August, but washed out by a week of torrential rain, everyone knew that Sunday October 7th was forecast to be a very warm day.

This was the inaugural Coffs BUG 100 mile ride. (160.934kms).

Ride organiser, John, had briefed the group, which included five support vehicles, the night before. The route, with rest stops, was mapped out, meal/snack catering organised, and agreements made in regard to how the support and sweep vehicles would operate. But this first ever Coffs BUG 100 miler was definitely going to be a learning experience.

The crazy people riders comprised 8 men and 5 women – and the age range was pretty impressive! 12 to 60, with the majority being over 40! Most – John, Jo, April, Cameron and 12 yr old son Brendon, Lucy, David and Ian were on their road bikes (a mixture of flat bar and drops). Marc and Tracey were on their road tandem, and there were two MTBs (Bill and Ian S.) and a hybrid (Sally) in the mix. (Those on road bikes were already thinking those last three deserved a medal before they even started!)

Only Ian H had completed long charity rides previously, and Lucy (in her twenties, we reckon(!), the only other ‘spring chicken’ in the group) was a regular race cyclist; David used to ride seriously but hadn’t done so for a long time. Cameron and Brendon were involved in the Cycle Club, but had never attempted anything this long before. The rest were purely recreational cyclists who had never ridden more than 100km in a day. Most had completed at least one NSW Big Ride, but acknowledged that 160km was almost twice as far than the longest distance they'd ever done in one day.

After a brief delay to fix a flat tyre on Ian S’s bike! – can you believe it, a flat before we even started! - by 6.45am, the lead vehicles were away and the group started their journey. The ride route was spectacular and the initial stage from Brooms Head to Maclean (24km) undulated through farmland and bush. Emus and wallabies were sighted and traffic was extremely light. Cloud cover kept things cool. No sooner had the lead vehicles pulled out the juice and snacks at the riverside stop than the first bikes arrived. Everyone was warmed up and raring to continue.

The designated morning tea stop, Lawrence, was a ‘lazy’ 15km along the edge of Woodford Island, and everyone timed it to cross the Clarence River via the Bluff Point ferry together. Spirits were still high as the riders ‘refuelled’ and then set off again on the 34km stretch to Grafton. Two detours – along Riverbank Road, and then Great Marlow road – avoided the traffic, and provided wonderful farmland scenery against the backdrop of the ‘mighty’ Clarence.

Although this was the first time this ride had been undertaken, the ride schedule was going pretty much according to plan. Everyone was making great time and still feeling pretty good as they settled into their own pace. A few had a go of being ‘towed’ by the tandem, which was cranking along at quite a pace along the flats (tandem nirvana!) though they had to weigh up the benefits of the tow (= speed!) against the extra effort and concentration required! David was the most determined and skilled at it, sitting on the back wheel of the tandem almost into Glenreagh, where he finally pronounced he could no longer keep up the pace (despite the breaks when the hills slowed the tandem considerably – Note: if you have to draft a tandem up a hill, don’t admit it!)

The weather was warming up as the cloud cover cleared, and it was starting to make an impact. Some actually ran out of water before making it into Grafton for lunch, and though it was only 11am, everyone was starting to really feel the heat as the temperature crept over 30 degrees. The excited chatter of the early morning disappeared as everyone contemplated the serious business of completing the distance in the heat. They knew deep down they’d just done the easy bit; they weren’t quite half way, and the most challenging section of the ride lay ahead. Such a shame it wasn’t the same flat terrain the rest of the way to Coffs!

Good food and plenty of fluids on board, the group moved off again, over the river (under the Bendy Bridge), through South Grafton and onto the Orara Way.

One of the support cars clocked 36 degrees as an outside temperature on this stretch. The heat coming off the bitumen surface was relentless and the lead support crew cheered loudly as the first cyclists arrived at Lanitza, the only service station along the Orara Way, and very handily located around 24km from Grafton. Thank heavens! A number had also dealt with the attack of a breeding magpie - not what you needed slogging up and down some of those hills! Everyone crowded into the shade of the shelter and water poured over heads became the order of the day; and many iceblocks and drinks were purchased from the service station shop. Brendon had been resisting the cold water ‘shower’ treatment, but his parents finally cornered him and gave him no choice. At times he had flagged, but any suggestions of pulling out were always brushed aside, and with a surge, at times he even made a point of leaving his Dad behind! "I'll go my own pace, thanks."

A couple were starting to look bit worse for wear but no one’s mental toughness had deserted them. Hot and tired, perhaps, but no one was interested in giving up. April’s mantra “Just keep pedalling and you’ll get there” applied to everyone. April was as determined as ever. First to leave, and often last in, she didn't care - she knew if she kept going she'd get there.

Afternoon tea was scheduled for Glenreagh, only another 20km away, with the group being greeted by the wonderful scones and hospitality of the local café. Glenreagh meant ‘home territory’ – with a few having incorporated ‘lunch at the Harp & Plough’ into their training rides - so it marked the start of the ‘home run’. Only another 40 k’s to go!

As each cyclist arrived a huge cheer went up. The temperature was still high, but storm clouds were building, along with a head wind, right in the direction of the ride.

When the tandem arrived the welcome cheer died when everyone realised that the Marc had severe cramps in his quads. Getting off the bike was tricky, but eventually he managed, and sank to the ground in pain. He stayed where he landed, and drank, drank, drank. Never has he had so many offers of a massage, and may never again, but it was hard to know what would work. Ultimately what he needed was time to re-hydrate. (He had taken enough in electrolytes, but the heat (and profuse sweating) meant he hadn't taken on enough water for them to work. They were still unable to continue when the main group departed between 2 and 2.30, but he had his eye on the clock, and he wasn’t going to easily give up his goal of finishing the 100 miles while there were still hours of daylight to spare. He gave himself another hour, and sweet-talked Lloyd, driving their support car, into waiting as well.

Meantime others had also suffered a bit from the heat to varying degrees, and the support crew stepped up to the plate, producing ice packs for headaches and dizziness, and whizzed around filling up riders’ bike bottles for them while they weren’t looking!

The storm had continued to build and as the riders hit Nana Glen the sky opened up. Everyone was soaked in seconds and the temperature plummeted. A stop in Coramba saw shirts changed and socks wrung out. A mobile phone went and the news came through that the tandem was back on the road. One of the food vehicles stayed to give them a break in Coramba, however by then they went through at speed, just waving. Now they were moving again they weren't game to stop.

The final section saw that last slog up to Red Hill and then a fantastic sight. Coffs Harbour and a sparkling sea – the jetty finish wasn’t far away. A group of regular Coffs BUG riders awaited this pack of cycle-maniacs at the jetty with watermelon and strawberries. One-by-one the cyclists arrived, elated by their achievement. Eleven riders arrived then there was a wait. Would the tandem make it? The tandem support vehicle came into sight and hearts momentarily fell. But wait – there was no bike on the roof. They were still on the road, intent on making it to the finish (and because Marc had brought the wrong speedo (duh!) they even rang John to check whether they had to do any extra loops to chalk up the ‘official 160.994 km’ - no way did they want to pull up 1 km short!)

So all 13 riders made it to the finish line! Average speeds averaged between 22 kph and 27 kph, with riding times of between 6 – 7.3 hours.

Hugs and photos followed, and certificates were handed out to both riders and support crew to commemorate the event. The support crew received a great ovation, with all riders agreeing that this was one ride that relied on the generosity and backing of family, friends and fellow BUG riders.

A huge thanks to BUG regulars Jim, Jan & Henry, Lloyd, and new BUG members Cheryl and Debbie, who drove up to Brooms Head and/or camped and drove support vehicles for no other reason than to be a part of it all. (And to those who assembled at the Finish to cheer the riders in. )Thank you, too, to the ‘other halves’ – Irene, Judyanne, and Erica, who, while they might have been there because of their madcap spouses, threw themselves enthusiastically into the task of helping all the riders. Lastly the parents also appreciated the efforts of their various ‘offspring’ – Maddy, Cait, Ali, Brooke, and Zoe – who while they appeared to have a good time together (particularly when we’re talking Glenreagh and scones and blueberry pancakes, and leaning out the window taking photos) were also sent off on various errands to accommodate their crazy parents.

The only shame about the damp end to the ride after all that heat was that the group dispersed quickly as most were wet and the temperature had now plummeted to 19 degrees.

So a very successful inaugural 100 mile ride was completed. Plans are already underway for the 2008 event. Rumour has it that some of the support crew are considering whether, by then, they might actually be riding the trail and having others doing the support. Incredibly, the riders – still on an endorphin high, perhaps - are already talking about doing it again next year.

Looks like we’ve created a monster!


Cheryl Dooley/Tracey Schmidt

[Photos are currently displayed here - will link a few into the above report shortly! Think there are a few more to come from other sources, so keep checking back.)

Woodford Island Ride - Sunday 9th September

(Bloody Hell, what happened to September??)

Fourteen enthusiastic cyclists met at the park area in front of the Brushgrove Hotel for a gentle ride around Woodford Island. The weather was superb, clear skies and temperature in the mid to high twenties.

We headed off along South School Arm Road heading in a clockwise direction around the island. As there were a couple of new riders with us, we kept the pace down to a nice easy 20-22 Kms/Hr, just what you need for a quiet Sunday morning.

Everyone took the two hills on the island in their stride. Not sure of the elevation but I guess 20 metres maximum!.

After assuring everyone before the ride that the roads are very quiet, everyone living on the island must have decided to drive into Maclean as there was almost a constant stream of traffic. While we where having a rest and drink stop under a nice shady tree, two cyclists wearing Woodford Island Cycle Club jerseys rode past. I was totally unaware there was a cycle club on the island, we obviously need to make contact.

After about 1 hour we reached the half way point, Macfarlane Bridge across the south arm of the Clarence river leading into Maclean. This is the one part of this ride I had reservations about. This bridge is very narrow with timber decking although it does have a bitumen seal on top which turned out to be OK, not the cyclist’s nightmare most timber bridges are!

As our designated lunch stop was the Ferry Park café on the Pacific Highway, there was no choice but to cross the bridge. We all bunched up on the south side of the bridge waiting for an opportune time to start crossing when a large truck with a load of sugar cane started to cross. As he was only traveling at about 5 Ks/Hour, everyone thought Great! Lets tail gate him!

Only problem, after about 10 metres he found top gear and left us for dead! We got across the bridge OK but then had our next traffic problem, turning right into Cameron street. Again, everyone in Maclean decided they needed to drive somewhere at this exact time!

After navigating the intersection with losing anyone, we finally made it to Ferry Park for lunch and coffee. As an aside, Ferry Park is the only place open in Maclean on Sunday! There are a couple of very nice cafes in town but they do not open on Sunday; even the pub and RSL club don't have food on Sunday!

Having fueled up, we headed back to Macfarlan bridge ready for the next nail biting experience. Obviously every car owner in Maclean had got to where they wanted to go, as there was almost zero traffic this time.

We continued in a clockwise direction around the island. At the Bluff Pt/Lawrence ferry we made a slight detour across to Lawrence. Mark Riley suggested we stop at the local museum set up in the old transmitter building of ABC station 2NR. What a brilliant idea, I had no idea this place existed. Lots of old valve radio equipment and other stuff from the radio station plus lot’s of old photos and memorabilia form the area. And all for free!! Although I can report we all made a contribution to their donations box.

Henry had an unfortunate experience with a tic whilst parking his bike under a tree at the museum. Luckily he discovered it before it could bury itself into his skin

Back across the ferry and we continued south along Lawrence road. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful and soon we where back at Brushgrove. I almost ran over a green tree snake crossing the road outside the Brushgrove pub. I stopped in the road and was frantically waving to everyone to be careful. One of our riders who shall remain nameless but has the initials BG and is married to Bob, must have though I was indicating the end of the ride. She merrily waved back and continued riding and almost ran over the poor snake. It got such a fright, it took off and sought shelter in one of the pub’s roadside signs.

Three of our newer riders, Wendy, Debbie and Ann were over the moon as 45 Kms was the longest they had ridden in a day before. From the feedback I have since received, everyone enjoyed the day. This certainly the ideal beginner’s ride, a nice easy 45 Kms, no hills to speak off and magnificent scenery all the way, sugar cane on one side of the road, the river on the other. The only downside(!) is it is an hour and a half drive north.


Ian Scott, Ride Leader

[photos being uploaded in due course... ie. asap... meantime they are all up at our Coffs BUG Flickr site.]

Coffs Harbour BUG 100 Mile Ride

Brooms Head – Maclean – Lawrence – Grafton –
Glenreagh – Coffs Harbour.
Total Distance: 100 Miles / 161km
Sunday 26th August ,
7th October 2007
Leader: John Gray ph: 6655 4898 / 0422333238

This information sheet assumes you are already aware of the basics about this ride. If not please find out more by going to :-
http://coffsbug.blogspot.com/2007/07/100-miles-in-one-day.html
Some of that information is repeated here.

Who should attempt this ride? You need to have done a ride of 100km previously and be able to average at least 20kmh for the day. If you fall behind on the ride plan (see below) a support vehicle will pick you up.

You need to ensure your fitness is at a peak before the ride. A suggested training ride is the CHBUG ride from Nambucca Heads to Bowraville on Sunday 19th August.

Make sure your bike is in good working order!

Food is extremely important: for this weekend it’s fuel. You must have a substantial meal the night before, a proper breakfast and “refuel” at all stops along the way.
There are these eating out options at Brooms Head: The Pacific Star Chinese restaurant at the Brooms Head Bowling club provides lunch, dinner and take-aways. The Snakky fast food take-away right at the beach in the caravan park is open for lunch and Julia says she will open up from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm just for us. There is also a general store open from 8-6 daily which claims to sell gourmet pizzas! There are of course BBQ facilities and you could always bring your own cooking gear.

Food during the ride: I suggest that we could put in an amount of money for food purchases by support vehicles ahead of our arrival at stops. If we could have the makings of sandwiches ready for us to attack on arrival at the stop we won’t risk getting behind schedule because we are waiting in shops for service. At Glenreagh there is a place that could do scones for afternoon tea if we phoned ahead. Decide what you think is going to suit you and we will finalise this on the Saturday afternoon.

Water of course is also very important. It may be a hot, dry day. There should be water available at each of the stops and the support vehicles will carry water too. If you have two water bottles you might choose to have one in a support vehicle to lighten your bike load.
The following is the advice from Bicycle Victoria: Eat and drink small amounts regularly. Drink every 10-15 minutes and eat every 20-30 minutes. Don't consume large meals whilst cycling. Bananas, apples, sultanas, dried apricots, fruitcake, sandwiches, vanilla slices and meat pies keep the legs turning! Too much fluid can increase your chance of developing hyponatremia or depleted salt levels in the blood. Good fluids are water, Gatorade, milkshakes and vegetable juice.

Think safety throughout the whole ride. You will of course make sure you are wearing highly visible clothing. Traffic should be light but for most of the route the road lacks a road shoulder. Be prepared to form a single file when cars approach. Stay alert during the last part of the ride when tiredness and increased traffic become risk factors.

A long day in the sun means skin protection is important. Pack that sunscreen.

Taking your mobile phone will aid communication. Exchange numbers before the ride.

Most people have already resolved matters concerning transport and accommodation. Let me know if you need assistance or information regarding this.

We appear to have six vehicles that can provide support during the ride.
Travelling time to Brooms Head via the Pacific Highway is about 2 & 1/4 hours from Coffs Harbour. Turn left off the highway at Maclean sign and then turn right to Brooms Head after about 1km.

Should the weather be bad that weekend we would postpone the ride. We want to be able to enjoy the experience - we don't have to be heroes.

Please sign the sign on sheet on the day of the ride. The usual disclaimer applies to this ride. Joining Bicycle NSW will give you insurance cover.

Ring me, John Gray, on 6655 4898 or 04 22 333 238 if you need any more information. If anyone else expresses an interest in the ride it is important that they contact me beforehand.

THE RIDE PLAN -distances and approximate timetable working on a 20kmh minimum average cycling speed. It would be great to all ride together but it may be more realistic to expect that there will be a faster and a slower group. Perhaps slower riders could depart a little earlier. Join up again at the stops and come together again at the finish.

Early Sunday (6:30 am) hit the road. Brooms Head – Maclean 24km [24] Maclean – Lawrence (via the ferry) 15km [39] Includes a slight detour in Maclean

Morning Tea at Lawrence beside river 8:30am – 9:00am Lawrence – Grafton 34km [73] via Riverbank road –avoids trafficLunch at Grafton beside river 10:30am – 11:30amGrafton – Glenreagh 47km [120] Cross bridge via cycleway –avoids traffic

Afternoon Tea at Glenreagh 2:00pm – 2:30pm Glenreagh – Nana Glen 11km [131]Nana Glen – Coramba 11km [142]Coramba– Coffs Harbour (Jetty) 19km [161]
Arrive at Jetty 4:30pm Congratulations!

John Gray Coffs Harbour Bicycle UG ph: 6655 4898 / 0422333238

This basic ride / camping checklist might be useful. Suggested is an overnight bag for camping gear plus a daypack for things you might want to access during the day but which would be carried in a support car. Take the bare minimum you need on the bike. Have everything as ready as possible the night before.

CYCLING
bicycle!
helmet
water bottle
sunscreen
computer
pump
toolbag
spare tube
repair kit
tyre levers
tools
oil
bike lock
lights?
CAMPING
pack/bag
tent
airbed
sleeping bag
pillow
torch
plate
bowl
knife
fork
spoon
mug
teatowel
food

CLOTHING
ride shirts
cycling shorts
cycling shoes
cycling gloves
raincoat

shirts
shorts
socks
underwear
long pants
jumper
hat
shoes walking
thongs
towel
swimmers

OTHER
toothbrush
toothpaste
razor
soap
first aid

glasses
sunglasses
camera
mobile phone
snacks
wallet
sunscreen

100 MILES IN ONE DAY!!!!

FULL DETAILS:

Okay! The idea is now a plan with a date set too!

The date is 26 August 2007.

The end of August is usually when we get the first warmer spring weather. The climate statistics indicate we can expect low humidity, a maximum temperature of about 23 degrees in Grafton, a one in seven chance of rain and a high chance of a sunny day.

It is also pre-daylight saving time so it will be easier to make an early start. The sun will rise at 6:15am. The sun will set at 5:25pm.

Should the weather be bad that weekend we would postpone it. We want to be able to enjoy the experience - we don't have to be heroes.

The plan of course is to ride Brooms Head - Maclean - Lawrence - Grafton - Glenreagh - Coffs Harbour. In one day! And yes, that is 100 MILES! 160km!

This route seems ideal for a “century” attempt as it has very few serious hills. The Maclean – Grafton section is totally flat. Traffic should be light but for most of the route the road lacks a road shoulder. Be prepared to form a single file when cars approach. Of course you will make sure you are wearing highly visible clothing. We will have some vehicles providing support. They will take all your gear and will be able to assist if any riders are unable to continue.

To get an early start we would camp at Brooms Head the night before. So we will drive to Brooms Head near Maclean on Saturday (or Friday if you like) and have a beach day and camp overnight. Brooms Head is a great place to camp. Cabins or tent sites are available.

[ You might like to check this website ]

Travelling time to Brooms Head from Coffs Harbour is maybe 2 & 1/4 hours via the Pacific Highway. Turn left off the highway at Maclean sign and then turn right to Brooms Head after about 1km.

At this stage we appear to have four vehicles with non-riders who can provide transport to Brooms Head for bikes and riders. We may need more non-rider drivers. Non-riders are welcome to come for the beach / camping / social experience.

THE RIDE PLAN -distances and approximate timetable:

Early Sunday (6:30 am) hit the road.
Brooms Head – Maclean 24km [24]
Maclean – Lawrence (via the ferry) 15km [39]
Morning Tea at Lawrence beside river 8:30am – 9:00am
Lawrence – Grafton 33km [72]
Lunch at Grafton beside river 10:30am – 11:30am
Grafton – Glenreagh 48km [120]
Afternoon Tea at Glenreagh 2:00pm – 2:30pm
Glenreagh – Nana Glen 11km [131]
Nana Glen – Coramba 11km [142]
Coramba– Coffs Harbour (Jetty) 19km [161*]
Arrive at Jetty 4:30pm –cheers, beers, pizza, ice-cream, certificates!
*Apparently 100 miles = 160.9344 km so you will have to do an extra kilometre!

Who should attempt this ride? Provided you are experienced and fit this ride is an achievable challenge. Can you meet these criteria?
· You need to have done a ride of 100km before (that’s km not miles).
· You need to be able to average at least 20kmh for the day. On the Maclean – Grafton leg we would have a higher average. The day is planned assuming an average of 20kmh. Anything slower would make the day too long and tiring. An average of only 18kmh would add almost a whole hour to the riding time.
· You need to do as many hard rides as you can (up to 80km+) in the month leading up to the ride. Suggested rides are the CHBUG ride from Nambucca Heads to Bowraville on Sunday 19th August and DUBBUG ride from Urunga to Bellingen (South Arm Road/North Bank Road) on Sunday 12th August. I suggest we also follow up the Saturday morning community rides with an extra ride starting from the Coffs City Square and tackling rides such as Bruxner Park Road.

Ring me on 6655 4898 or 04 22 333 238 if you want to take on this challenge, provide support or just come for the camping. We need to book camping so don’t delay.

John Gray 5 / 7 / 2007

Bush mechanics!

You can learn something new about bikes every time you ride with a group, and yesterday's BUG ride to Nana Glen was no exception!

[Firstly I learnt - when I dropped my chain at the top of the Big Banana hill - after we opted to do the extended ride from Home Base, and up Bruxner - that white handle bar tape is a bad idea! But that is not what this post is about!]

Cable ties! aka Zip ties'! Throw a pack into your bike tool kit! Now!

So the Schmidt family set out for the BUG ride, riding with Dale and Garry from HomeBase, and meeting up with the rest of the riders at the Bruxner Park saddle. We had our triplet with, as usual, Marc and our two younger girls riding that - and me, minus the eldest daughter (out because of netball commitments) on my single road bike.

With the BUG we headed out along Central Bucca road, and then left onto Bucca Road towards Nana Glen, with Dale leading, and Neil bringing up the rear. Despite the wind, the conditions were really quite pleasant, and the Bruxner Park to Bucca road was great as usual, and fairly protected from the southerly. The clouds disappeared - the traffic along Bucca Rd wasn't very heavy at all, and we were about 4-5 km out of Nana Glen and looking forward to lunch at the Kookaburra Kafe.

Marc suddenly realised he had a scraping noise coming from the front wheel of the triplet. He looked down to see the tyre bulging out over the rim! Eep! We stopped, released some air, repositioned it, and pumped it up again. 100m down the road it was doing it again. Not good.

We waved everyone on, but Garry and Neil stayed to help. Time to take the wheel off to investigate.. Not good. The bead on the wall of the tyre was actually shredded at one point and the wall of the tyre was overly flexible - as if it had stretched as well. Given that you usually need tyre levers to prise a bike tyre off the rim, it was pretty obvious that something was wrong! When the air was let out of the tube, the tyre was that loose it could slip right off the rim!

What a hassle. Options? Marc and girls sit on the side of the road while I rode (by myself) 25 km back to Coffs for the car. Walk to Nana Glen? (Quite a way on foot.) Or try to fix it enough to get us to Nana Glen (and lunch), and then do the car retrieval.

Marc is usually pretty good at coming up with temporary (at least) repairs in the field, but it was Garry who had the cable tie idea. "I've heard about using cable ties for this sort of thing..!!" he said enthusiastically. "Don't suppose you have any?"

Only a bag full of them! Thankfully despite the rush we were in that morning (and so forgetting to put in his penknife), Marc had thrown a bag of cable ties in the pannier bag.

At first they put the ties just around the damaged part, but a quick test showed that the tyre was then prone to busting out the other side of the wheel.

So. More cable ties. All around! At first we thought we had nothing to cut off the ends of the ties (forgotten penknife, forgotten first aid kit, Dale sent on ahead with the BUG first aid kit...) Suddenly Neil remembered he had one of those safety knife type cutters in his tool kit!

So this fix got the bike the last 5 km into Nana Glen, albeit slowly, with the front brake disconnected, and the tyres a bit squishy because we weren't game to pump them too much.

So the moral to the story? Carrying a spare tyre would be the ultimate (but the bulk! the weight!) At the very least, don't leave home without some cable ties, or a bush mechanic, or both!

The group leaving Kafe Kookaburra - minus one-way riders
Chris, Henry, and the Schmidts!

Tracey Schmidt

Proposed Armidale/Coffs BUG weekend.

Coffs Harbour BUG are inviting Armidale BUG riders to a weekend of warmth and fun on the ‘Coast’ in July’ 2007.

The date for the weekend is as follows: Friday 27th July through to Sunday 29th July.

Accommodation: Armidale BUG members are invited to stay with Coffs BUG riders who are happy to offer hospitality in their homes. Alternatively there is plenty of accommodation around Sawtell.

Suggested Agenda

Friday night: As most riders will not arrive in Coffs until later in the evening we thought they may wish to just rest up ready for Saturday’s busy schedule.

Saturday: Community ride from Coffs City centre. These rides are run by the local cycling clubs and city council.

Start time 6.30am. The rides are graded into 4 groups and generally take us around the cycle ways of Coffs heading south to Toormina/Sawtell and back via the Jetty to the city square.

We usually are back in the city by 8.00am where we can indulge in breakfast etc. There are a number of cafes open in the square that offer a choice of breakfasts and make good coffee.

After breakfast Coffs BUG plan to show the visitors around other parts of Coffs via some cycle paths and the Jetty area and on to Park Beach and perhaps ride up to Bruxner Park.

The afternoon is free.

Saturday evening a trip to Sunny Sawtell for alfresco dinning at Barrels restaurant. Barrels cater for most diets and are reasonably priced. Dress is casual. Our local cinema is just a few doors down from Barrel’s so there may be an option to see a movie.

Sunday: Bush ride on forest roads and trails in the Bongil Bongil National Park.

Meet at the old Raleigh Service Station on the Old Pacific Highway at 10.00am.
You will need a mountain bike for this ride, as there is mainly gravel and dirt with some bitumen. There are some steep sections but great downhills. Some of us did this ride in preparation for the Big Ride. Great scenery!

April is ride leader but as she is sloooow (hill slug), especially on her mountain bike, John will actually lead, while April cruises at the rear.

Back in good time for the drive back to Armidale.

The above weekend itinerary is only a suggestion. The Sunday ride is a scheduled BUG ride.

EasyRide

We have started a new regular BUG ride. You should notice on the Calendar page and in Cycling Central an entry that reads like this:-

Every Thursday -EasyRide 13-20 km; Slow pace; Mostly off-road cyclepaths/possibly some on road with light traffic. Contact: John 6655 4898. Meet 7:30 at Howard Street (racecourse). Very easy flat ride for inexperienced cyclists on Hogbin Drive Cycleway with optional extra distance for those wanting to do more.

You are probably aware that there are new cyclists around that need to build up their confidence and their strength on flat easy rides as they find our first Sunday of the month rides a little difficult.

So the Midweek EasyRide is designed to cater for them. The basic ride is just up and back on the Hogbin Drive Cycleway. For those who want a little more they can do some "add-on" bits before, during or after. We have discovered that the coffee is good at the university too!

So please come along if you can and nurture these riders and support the ride leaders. If we have enough leaders we can maintain this as a weekly ride. The ride will usually finish by 9am including coffee. Sometimes riders may then decide they want to do more -if they haven't got to rush off to work!

If you know any new riders who could join us encourage them to do so.
Tell them they will soon get the bug with the BUG!

John

Bug Bikes.. Arrawarra - March 4