C for Cycling

lindamaycurry

I must admit I’m not a great cyclist.  Flat, straight bike tracks are my ideal.  I hate roads with cars, hills, narrow bridges, spirals, people walking in front of me and out of control children on bikes.  I can’t stand up on my pedals and I do fall off occasionally.  That said I still love to go for a bike ride.  There is a lovely bike track from Wollongong to Bulli which follows the beaches and the ocean baths, but it can be very crowded, especially on weekends.  We recently discovered a bike track which partly circumnavigates Lake Illawarra and ends at a delicious coffee shop.  Best of all it is usually deserted.

On the Wollongong to Bulli bike track

However we do most of our bike riding when travelling in the caravan.  In 2009 we bought two folding bicycles at Aldi and surprisingly they are still in good working order, fourteen years later.  

The folding bikes near Mon Repos, Queensland

Most of the towns where we camp have their own cycle tracks but when we stopped at Tumbarumba we decided to do something different.  There is a rail trail to Rosewood which is twenty-one kilometres long.  As there were some hills, especially at the start, we hired e-bikes for the first time. The temperature rose to 30 degrees Celsius so we were glad to have help from the batteries.  Finally reaching Rosewood we were gasping for a cold drink, a coffee and some cake but a blackout in the area meant that there was nothing open.  We had to make do with our bottles of luke-warm water, muesli bars and an apple. The twenty-one kilometres home again was a breeze on e-bikes and the scenery of cows, hills and farms was good for the soul.

Our bike rides when travelling overseas have added a new dimension to our experience. Turning left across traffic in Hue, Vietnam with heart in mouth, riding along the outer wall of Xian in China (and crashing into my husband’s bike), experiencing Berlin (and hitting a kerb where again, I fell off), exploring the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, riding through vineyards and pretty villages in the south of France (where I found myself locked in the toilet at our lunch stop), and exploring the rice fields of rural Japan, were all memorable experiences.

Cycling in Japan

The closest I have felt to sheer terror had to be the 46 km (28 mile) bike ride down Mt Haleakala, a dormant volcano of 3,048 metres (10,056 feet) on the island of Maui in Hawaii.  It was mostly downhill which sounds a piece of cake, but it is a very windy, twisty road as you might imagine. They put the inexperienced riders like me towards the front and the bigger, more experienced men like John at the back.  The pressure was on to keep up the pace of 29 to 40 kph (18 to 25 mph)  when my instinct was to brake, brake, brake! If we crossed over the centre line of the road we were told we would be put in the back of the truck.  At the halfway point the front person gave up and retreated to the vehicle. We posed for some silly photographs which made it look like I was enjoying myself!  

Posing for the camera in Hawaii

I was ignominiously placed at the front to be “coached” down the mountain. We arrived at the sea at Pa’ia and sat on the beach to calm down. It was one of those experiences that is better viewed in retrospect. I’m so glad I did it!

Cycling is something adults can do with their children and their grandchildren. From tiny bikes with training wheels ours all graduated to full sized adult bikes. When they were small the grandchildren would pedal short distances from one children’s play area to the next. Now we can’t keep up.

Off on a bike ride with a grandchild

19 thoughts on “C for Cycling”

  1. I am like you Linda, l hate traffic, steep hills (up ir down), dogs, out of control children, fun runs (northern Illawarra track) and people walkin slowly in front. But l still love my biking. See you on the track.

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  3. Loved this. I too far prefer riding on level ground and ending up somewhere where one can have something good to eat and drink. Not falling off is always a plus, too! The sheer terror was wholly justified—aaaaargh!

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  6. We bought E bikes last year. Hubby goes out but I’ve yet to venture past just looking at it. I think I’m afraid of falling and breaking something. I will not ride in the streets with cars so not sure where I will ride. Maybe this year I’ll venture out but as I’m 70 I’m feeling afraid to try now.

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    1. Are there any bike tracks near where you live? I know how you feel about riding with cars. They don’t always keep their distance and I know a few people who have come off second best.

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  9. I think cycling keeps us young…to a point. When we crash, the recovery may take a long time! I don’t enjoy riding on roads with traffic, either. Mostly I mountain bike on trails. Bike paths are great when traveling. We’ve done at least 4 bike-and-boat trips in Europe, which is an awesome way to see the countries.

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