Baby Tooth - my first ever metric ton

Stage 1: Home to Burringbar Servo

Started off with the usual run along Kanes Road through to Cudgera Creek Road. When I reached the end of the asphalt "surprise, surprise" the council had finished its restore of the road, the surface was very smooth gravel all the way up to the top at Wabba Road turnoff, all the loose stones had been rolled into the dampened clay which only two days ago was loose stones and dust. The trip up was a pleasure as there was no need to pick your line or hold your breath after a vehicle has passed, though of course as is usual, no-one went past in either direction on the ascent or the descent. During this part of the ride I realised that I had forgotten to apply any sunscreen before I left. I also had none with me, (Doh! all prepared!) and if I was going to attempt the 100 I was going to need some. So at the Burringbar Servo I popped in and bought the last tube of sunscreen on the shelf at an inflated small rural general store price, (they are selling up to move to Frazier Island), applied it and got back on the bike ready for the Burringbar range

Stage 2: Burringbar Servo to Uki

This was just as easy as the Cudgera Creek assault, though the traffic was quite heavy. I managed to stay away from the granny. The only surprise was the slow descent as the North wind was trying it's best to blow me back over the range to Burringbar. I didn't even need to brake to take the Stokers turnoff!. As it turned out the wind was still a headwind but at a reduced strength through to Uki.

The hill over to Uki seems very mellow, but for me there was a sting in the tail, there seems to be a few false flats and the last kick right at the top meant I was "forced" to drop into my granny gear I had over peddled on the last few rises and had not ridden this road before ( I have driven it quite a few times, though, so I should have not needed an excuse). The wind on the descent meant I did not get to break my "land speed record" only got up to ~65km/hr . I needed water desperately now, the ascent, the sun shining and the very warm north wind was drying me out, so headed to the main street "Uki Cafe", for a bottle of water and coffee, not sure why I got a coffee, maybe for a sit down on a broad seat and rest while I drank it. So I got back on the bike after a 20min coffee break. I am starting to feel that my "but" is getting a little chaffed at this time, even with the new Netti shorts maybe it's the temperature?

Stage3: Uki to Nunderi

Getting back on the Elwood, with a refilled water bottle was no biggie. I then proceeded to peddle straight into the Northerly, luckily the valley is partially protected from it until you reach the sugar cane fields outside Murwillumbah. Glancing at all the weed floating in the river I noticed what i thought was a long neck tortoise on a log sticking out though the water weed choked surface. It needed a second glance to confirm that it was a tortoise after all with a shell about 250mm diameter sunning itself. It's winter hibernation is obviously over. All from at least 60 meters away. Not bad for an old "fella" who needs glasses to see clearly.

This small brush with nature started a few thought steams, one was that I had only noticed (sight and scent) a few cases of road kill so far, much less than I normally see, but that is not to say they were not there! The other thought, "Where were all the magpies?", there had not one swooping incident so far.

Towards the end of this windy leg I started to pine for the hills I had left behind so I decided to take the Clothiers Creek Road/Farrants Hill Road route to Kingscliff to do the small job I had booked in for today, even though it might of made the 100km a little short and so it might require some side tracks to make the distance up. Ah well, worry about that when the time comes and I know more accurately.

Stage 4: Nunderi to Kingscliff

Finally getting through Mur'bah, I travelled down the Tweed Valley Way toward the Condong Sugar mill, once again against the wind after the relief of the little inclines through Mur'bah, the strong smell of the crush being brewed into molasses struck my nostrils quite a distance before I reached the mill, once again because of the constant Northerly. As I travelled up Clothiers Creek Road nature called and I pulled over near the creek and ducked into a cane paddock to relieve myself, need to know information. Here I removed my shoes because my left foot seemed to be cooking and let my toes breath for 10 minutes or so. Then put the socks and shoes on looking for a spot without "farmers friends". Now to hit the Nunderi climb, and near schools out time, I will need to watch out for the "crazy mum's" trying to get home before the kids. A lot of cars on this road today. Also there were quite a lot of dead native animals, more noticeable with their absence on the earlier legs, possums in a pile looked very much like a dumping though. The bandicoot freshly killed as was the echidna.

Made it up to Farrants without the help of granny but did notice the legs were not what they were when I started out this morning.... I hope I will be able to complete the 100km.

The legs became more noticeably weaker as I travelled past Duranbah Primary school, I had free spun when the gear change was a bit sloppy when I dropped down a gear. I lost all power until I reached the crest and as it turned out would never get it back unless I climbed out of the saddle from here on and all the rest of the way to Kingscliff. I hoped I would gain some respite at the job I was to do and grab back some of the my lost hill climbing ability, as there are few hills after Kingscliff and the wind will be from my tail it might just give me the edge to finish the ride.

Stage 5: Kingscliff to Pottsville

Arriving in Kingscliff once again saw me finishing the last of my water bottle which I had refilled at Uki. One of the agents was walking out to pick up his lunch and I asked him if he would bring back a water bottle for me. He said OK! and I passed him the cash and started to perform my tasks. Unusually, I was not perspiring, the wind on what was mainly a descent from the school had dried me out and my mild dehydration was saving everyone around me.

He returned just as I was finishing up and so I decanted the water and prepared to get back on the bike. Swinging my leg over the saddle and placing my but on it was a bit of a shock, the chaffing was very noticeable.

The trip through Salt and Casuarina was very uneventful, although a couple of workers were riding their bikes home from Salt, without helmets and in their work clothes, riding less than a meter away completely ignoring me. I felt a little sad really that they fear human contact with strangers!

Riding into Cabba' was the only traffic incident on the trip. Just past the pedestrian crossing there is a sign indicating that U-Turns are not permitted. A car directly in front of me saw a break in the traffic as they approached the end of the median strip and swung the steering wheel as they applied the brakes to do just that perform a U-Turn. I managed to zig-zag past them but still loudly gasped a four letter expletive that turned a few heads. My HRM went ballistic. No harm done! Just another driver breaking the road laws, what else is new. Edit: I just remember another other scary incident on the ride. Between Uki and Murwillumbah a Hills Transport semi-trailer decided that it could slip past me sharing my lane through a tight 80km/h tight section the blow-by rocked me a bit. Lucky it wasn't a b-double!

As I rode up the last mini hill my legs went rubbery and I had to actually turn flat-on to the incline to get into my granny 1-1 otherwise it would of had to of been a dead stop, which is very reminiscent of a long ago past, luckily I had decided to take the parallel side road over the headland in front of Charlie Ferrick's house. The rest of the trip to the Outlaws was totally uneventful, although I still needed 2.5km to have ridden 100k at Potty (I thought Joy-ann had the Wagon and I doubted after I had had afternoon tea that I would of been able to sit back on the saddle with the sit bones complaining so much when I got off) so I rode around the suburban streets until it ticked over.

Clean-up: Potty to Home.

I was wrong about the car Joy-ann had brought, it was my Matiz so it was back on the bike and weakly pedal the 8km home, with much of it standing off the saddle. All against a weakening North wind and the sun setting behind the hills of Koala Beach for the very much desired hot shower and a huge mug of soda-water with a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice, my favourite drink.

These two images are of the wind during the ride as reported by the BOM



Here is the Route - a plan view and elevation

Distance: 108km and some meters

Duration: 6hours 50mins (including breaks ~60mins)

HR avg: 135

I will possibly update any after effects that might arise.

If you think this is all a little over the top just think back, if you still can, to your first metric ton!

Update: Well Saturday morning showed itself but didn't seem that much different to usual, although, I was a little more thirsty when I awoke and I hadn't need a middle of the night call of nature.

This will hopefully lead to the goal of a 3day bike trip planned to culminate in Copmanhurst to see my father by bicycle, that is, before he dies, he's 87 now and always in and out of Grafton and Lismore hospital. I've sussed out the route on Google Maps and what will be required is a very hilly +90km leg from here through Mur'bah, Uki and possibly Blue Knob on and over to Kyogle, the second leg is a shorter sub 80km flatish ride down to Casino, then the last long 95km of rolling hills leg on the Summerland Way through Whiporie and Junction Hill turning off to Whiteman Creek, a total by car of 250km. This "I CAN ACHIEVE", and with the need for northerly tail winds it must be a Spring Ride, before the temperature in these regions get into the high 30's but after the winter South Westerlies have finished, I think I will need a Camel-Pack for this trip, hopefully for fathers day. I somehow think another 12mths will pass before I am ready! Dang'it!