Waxing Warm

A night loop on the cypress to stretch the legs and test out a bodgie helmet mount for a light. It works so will be thinking of a bit of gravel over the next few weeks at night to avoid the sea breeze and summer tourists...

 

Sorry I should of said the waxing was to do with the moon and the warm was the nights temperature nothing to do with body hair, because i don't even like shaving facial hair there would be no way I could see a reason to expend the energy to delapidate any body part unless it meant less work not more!

Toothpick Required

The bugs were out again this evening! Even got a cane toad hitting my shin in the dark. Only one truck with it's lights on high beam... not one section of the loop seemed to have a tail wind tonight... thems the breaks

Too much digging!

Well, the last few days has seen me only put together some small commutes for computer system repairs and some of the standard training loops. All the earth moving through the sieve by shovel has created a rather stiff upper back and neck. 50kms and longer rides have been light on the ground.

The standing around in the sun with shorts and thongs ( Note: sifting soil ) has also seen the remergence of my photosensitvity, especially my feet and lower legs, but thankfully, the Aloe Vera lotion Joyann discovered has been a godsend in relieving the itch!

This means I just might have to get the longer night rides happening once again this year now that the evenings are getting warmer! I noticed last njigts moon came up very late and was quite bright.

I've only got to shovel another 7 truckloads of the Terranora Red and I will be finished creating the new massive vegie garden and also maybe ward off the stiff neck/back? A little each day is a good recipe!

Solitude Not Quite

Just got back from a cold and sticky pre midnight 20k ride. The chill was very noticable in shorts and t-shirt. The old lubrication on the chain proved annoying as the gear changes were noticably sluggish and riding over 21kms/hr was cold. The wind was a thick light westerly. It was only on the 5km coast road stretch that I saw any other movement 2 cars going the otherway even the overpasses of the freeway were clear of traffic.

Nearly the whole way around the circuit the reflected light from the near full moon allowed me to read the computers readout quite clearly!

What an off the norm week

After last week replacing the crank bearing I decided I might need to actually pull the finger out and do an overall maintenance check. So it really didn't come as any surprise to find that the seam of the rear wheel had decided to crack about 3/4 the way through. So it was off to Cabarita Beach Cycles again to see if Jeff thought it was still safe to ride! It was possible that riding over rough gravel roads might allow the wheel to collapse and cause an accident. So I ordered a new rear wheel.

While waiting for the wheel to arrive (7days) I decided to ride the mountain bike. After just 1 night loop I wasn't that happy with the feel and decided to ride "Old Humphery"  the old Malvern Star from the tip. At the start of the week it was quite fun with just the differences making for new experiences. By the end of the week after 150kms the little ticks, clunks, bumps and clangs started to make for an annoying ride rather than an exciting new experience. By Friday night I could hardly wait for the new wheel to the point where I just, and thats just, rode the loop at a very slow leisurely pace.

The only thing of note this week was a few snakes to avoid and a couple of wallabys scared off beside the road. One night had a pretty cresent moon in a clear stary night with a pleasent slight south breeze blowing, a night to stop occassionally to take in the temperate autumn effect.

Anyway got the wheel fitted today with a new cluster and chain. So to give it a light workout. After the 10k cuircut return trip to Caba in the morning, I couldn't wait until tonight so started of at 4:00pm towards Cudgera Creek thinking of doing a Waba road loop, but the few snakes during the week turned me off this and so I decided to keep it simple and rode over to Burringbah through to Moobal and on to Wooyung then on to Pottsville against a mild head-crosswind to home giving me an loop of 44kms.

So 54kms for the day and 200+ for the week. And only a couple of very light showers during the time in the saddle.

That was quite a different tone to the week. I hope that this sees an end to repairs for the hybrid for a while! Jeff was kind enough to trade labour so it was only a matter of me paying for parts but that so far this year is climbing above $300.00.....

Been Lazy Posting

Thought I should post a couple of entries as I have avoided doing it when there has been little difference in the day-to-day riding I've been doing of late. The trouble is that as time goes by things do seem to fade.....

Well as usual I have been riding after dark. But have also ventured out a few times on short outings during the day... An example of which was yesterday, down to Cabarita Cycles to get the treadly's collapsed crank bearings replaced, Jeff put in sealed ones which should see it last through any more rain the weather decides to throws at us! 

I've gone on a couple of rides with Mark over the last few weeks. One at night up to the top of Cudgera Creek Road Hill, which is where I first started to notice the collapsing crank bearing, though I had no Idea what it was. The bearing was just a little play on the cranks as the peddle went past the top dead center of a cycle, so I will recognise it next time! That ride we checked out Hstings headland and Marks new toy he got for his birthday (a bike computer with altimeter) but it was showing we were at 80 meters above sea level but it can't be more than 12. Needs setting. Anyway that was a quick ride up and back.

On Thursday I went for a ride back over to Bucks Lane in Palmvale to see what it was like riding up the hill at night.   Actually got to see a bit more than that as I met a nice chap who decided to drive swly behind me along the recently tarred section of Palm Vale Road to light my way, Thank-you David!   As it turned out I found out a bit of the history about Bucks Lane and that it is on private property but it would be cool to ride it when I liked. It seems that "Buck" was a local Indian immigrant banana farmer and etc

The ride was rounded off by riding towards Cudgera Creek via the gravel section of Reserve Creek Road. As I passed by the Merrama house I decided to speed down the hill towards the culvert/bridge at the bottom. To my shock I found out the road had become strewn with deep potholes with no route to avoid them, so it was ignore the brakes and just hang on and hope the treadly would find its own way through, over, in, etc Luckily it did, but it was a wake up call!

This sign has been placed on Marine Parade Kingscliff for a while now. It shows the true understanding of the local bicycle community needs by the local Tweed Council and it's staff. Gee it's great to see there is now a Dedicated Bike Path in Kingscliff!



Oh I see this must be another of those signs with a spelling mistake! make Dedicated into Designated and there might be some truth to the wording! There are no dedicated paths! There is only the shared on-road ones with cars etc or the off-road ones with pedestrians that I know about. Let me know if I am wrong!

Early Night

Tonight I thought I would ask Mark if he wanted a night, early evening ride, when I got thee with no warning I had to get him out of the bath! But he decided to give it a go, the first time since he was a teenager (30+y'ago).

On the way there I breezed past a 3 foot red belly near Kanes Rd, no drama except the number of bugs meant you had to keep your mouth tightly shut! Arrived at Marks and he didn't take too long to get ready with no notice.

We cruised of towards Kingscliff with plans to cross Duranbah hill via Eviron and Farrants road. We rode along the Casuarina Bike track swerving to avoid all the rabbits. Mark ran out of time so we cut across the Chindera Sewerage treatment development area and played squish the cane toads all the way to the freeway. The road required jumping two gates but they were ok. Not one complaint but I did manage to step between the rails of a cattle grid after I jumped over one.

After getting back to Mark's I left with the intention of returning back along Watti Bishop Rd. Before I got past the first Flood Indicator on Clothiers Creek Rd I spotted a bike and rider on the side of the road. I asked what he was doing? and was he OK? It turned out he was just setting up a tent on the side of the road! A busy peak hour through road at that and this area was still suffering from inundation. The water was only about 3 meters off the side of the road. As he would not have had a good nights sleep I suggested I lead him to Hastings Point to get a camp spot. He agreed so off we went. It turned out it was his very first stage on his first ever tour he had ridden until he could ride no more. About 70+km down from Southport, and was really loaded up.

Anyway I left him at the camp ground and returned home.

Quick n' Quiet

Just got back from a figure eight loop through Pottsville, out to the top of
Cudgera Creek Rd, back down to Reserve creek Rd out along Kanes Rd and
back home along Round Mountain.

All the while thinking about the head-on car Accident I saw on Kyogle rd last night about 10pm.
I came upon it after most of the emergency crew were starting to
work on extracating the injured. I heard nothing about it in the news today.
Anyway it turned out that during my ride tonight I was only passed by one car though it did produced an empty tinny out
the drivers window.

Quick Midnight Loop

Another ride over some wet roads tonight. 20k loop around Kanes Road. I wa checking/testing the windup "Magic Torch". The wash-up was it is a good torch, but a lousy bike light! The brightness is good but only lasts 10mins before needing to get rewound. It stated 30mins on the info pack, now found to be a fraudulent claim.  So the search continues!

The ride was uneventful with only a short windy rain squall just after I started out easing back to a light mist. So returned home once again covered in road grime, though cool.

Where's all the rain gone?

Today finally saw an afternoon of semi-clear skies.

The lowland flats around the Tweed Coast are slowly beginning to emerge from the mire induced by the daily rain fall of the last three weeks (which has included the much advertised flooding). With the emergence of dry(ish) land the smell( foul stench!! ) of the drowned and rotting vegetation is becoming quite overpowering in places such as Clothiers Creek Rd and Watti Bishop.

I've been managing to get a few short night rides in over the last few days. The first couple of rides in the wet this year saw me get myself a saddle sore (ingrown hair riding in wet chamois ?) which has slowly begun to heal ith the aid of anti-biotics. So I have been out of luck in trying to get in some consistent longer times in the saddle.

Mark called around on Sat. and we organised a flat ride along the Old Sand Mine Wooyong<->Ocean shores road next Saturday, using my old MTB (though it probably wont be required its use will save getting sand in every nook and cranny of my main bike). It has been about 15yrs since I travelled that stretch of gravel/sand so it will be interesting. We will probably be buzzed by offroad motorbike riders.

xmas or excess

Nothing really worth recording of late, with all the short night rides I've been doing.

But the night riding can be a little boring when riding over the same ground, as your available field of view is really restricted. You do tend to rely more on your hearing though. 

The ride on Xmas Eve' was pleasant punctuated by a short sharp downpour. The ride included a greeting from a solo reveller staggering along through Pottsville clutching a long neck in each hand. The greeting, though anticipated, consisted of an inebriated "Wadch where ya ridin' ya @#$  arse$#**(^!" and after i  had passed the sound of breaking glass behind me. And that was only at 8:00pm! I was right to take an early ride that night.

Midnight Brown

Towards the end of last-nights cruise, looping through Duranbah and Clothiers Creek, I got off the bike for a nature call at the intersection of Wattie Bishop and Round Mountain Roads. Getting back into the saddle I slowly rounded the corner and stretched across the road 2 meters in front of me was a 4 foot brown snake lit up by my lights. Jambing the brakes on set my heart racing. I quietly waited for it to decide where it was going to head off to. It waved its head around sensing the new state of affairs. Then it began to slowly turn away from the light and  move to the edge of the road. When it had got off the bitumen I quickly mounted and peddled by it as quickly as possible.

It was to give me a uneasy time for the rest of the ride along Kanes Road and back up-to Hastings Point. I was continually swinging the handle bars from side to side round corners to try to see the whole road ahead. I really must get better lighting if I am to continue to ride at night!  At least I got in some small hills and 65km.

Quiet Km's

Over the last couple of nights I have managed to clock up 92 km of very pleasant dawdling along at about 20-25 km/hr. The traffic has been very sparse and only one peasant driver left the high beam on as they approached me along Cudgera Creek Road when I was returning from my gravel traverse. I only rode about 5km's along the gravel as I had not taken a spare or repair kit with me and didn't feel like a 20k walk home if i did get myself a puncture. The wind is notable by it's absence and the cool night air allows the perspiration to evaporate and cool you without getting chilled. I must take some clear safety glasses on my next outing as the bugs can get a bit tiresome. I cant complain, at least I am getting in a few hours riding, seeing as I still can not ride during the day for the moment.

Stranger Things

Well of late I have not made many entries. So many reasons the storms mean more urgent work, the trip to Sydney to see my 89 year old mum for her birthday etc... now I find out after 50 years of living in the sun I am allergic to over exposure... Raised welts and an itch that drives you mad. So the doc says stay out of the sun for two weeks.... It looks like I am going to have to get hold of some really good lighting and then start riding at night, with some luck maybe it will just go away (i'll have to wait and see) I even thought of moving to Tassie but maybe that's a little too extreme.

Clear Night

Just went outside in the balmy evening (how quaint) and looked towards the dark night sky. It's been a while but tonight the sky is crystal clear, not even a pale ring around the Waxing Crescent (increasing quarter) Moon. There is the slightest hint of a westerly breeze whispering through the nearby tree's branches and leaves keeping the temperature above 22 C but unusually no other sounds- no ocean, no cars or any sounds of the usual night life. Just peace and quiet. A sign of more of the same to come I suppose before the onset of the late Spring afternoon and evening thunderstorms with all the associated night life of mosquitoes, beetles, crickets and of course the onslaught of the bogon moths and the creatures that eat them.