Bearing The Soul!

I know I haven't blogged for a while, things with the knee and getting back to work have just left me feeling, well yuk!

I thought in this blog I would open my soul a little and talk about me for a while...lol. No, not like that, I'm not one to blow my own trumpet. Or even party whistle for that matter.

The thing I want to talk about is some issues I have been facing, some for a long time and others more recently.

I have battled depression and anxiety for many years now. I know that it's nothing new, or even that uncommon these days. Most of the, oh shit, twenty five years or longer it hasn't been a biggy. Yes many years ago it was hard to manage, I didn't know what was wrong with me, didn't know who to talk to and so forth.

I suppose talking about it today is a big issue, not so much admitting to suffering with it, but describing it and how it makes me feel. How can you describe something to someone else that you don't understand yourself.

This is why I like riding so much. I, like many others who ride and battle this illness say the same thing. Riding gives a freedom that is rarely possible in ones' mind. It clears the head and takes away the blackness that plagues you.

Riding is something that I have to do. When I don't ride it is restricting, constricting. But motivation is necessary. Sometimes the darkness closes in too much stifling that motivation. I can't help it, it just happens.

But I miss it, it makes me angry, anxious, nervous when I don't get to ride. It builds up and I let it out in other avenues, drinking, binge eating, anger, frustration...

The last eight to nine months have been difficult. With the knee injury it's a case being not able to ride.

You know, I loved my racing, my training, the kilometres under the belt. They kept me sane. Yes, I did loose my love, and the joy of touring was a great renewal. No pressure, no challenges, nothing to do but ride. It was fantastic, and I've spoken about it in detail before. The one thing I haven't spoken about is why it has been difficult.

This is the reason why I hate driving so much. Only my close friends know about this and now I'm ready to spill it to the world. It's not only driving that I hate, I hate our road culture with a passion.

If you have read through my previous blogs you will find that for a large, very large, part of my life I've been a truckie, or truck driver. Many of those years have been spent interstate, long distance and always away from home jobs, constantly on the highways of this great nation. Even a vast majority of the local jobs that I've held have been long hours. Truck driving is not a 9 to 5 job.

Over the years I've seen my fair share of carnage and experienced plenty of close calls. You shrug them off and toughen up. You think you become immune to them and think that they'll never rattle you. But in the end the indisputable happens. The one thing, or the final thing happens that rattles your cage so much you just can't do it, nor deal with it anymore.

Slightly over four years ago, late August 2014 on a Thursday morning early I was heading out of town on a run that would take me through to Biggenden, Munduberra, onto Gladstone and then home. It was typical long day, nothing unusual. I headed out of the depot at around 5.30 am and headed west.

My truck was speed limited to ninety-nine kilometres per hour. This never worried me, I was never in a hurry. I had spent too many years on the road, I wasn't a cowboy who had to speed and be a hero. At my age there's nothing to prove, I had learn't by working my way through the industry from a ripe old age of eighteen.

The morning started normally. I got into work around 5 am, clocked on, checked my deliveries, my load and strapped it all down. Checked my oil and water, tyres etc and allowed my truck to warm up thoroughly before leaving the yard.

My first drop was Biggenden, one hundred kilometres west of Bundaberg. I knew they opened early and I was one to prefer to leave early so I could finish early.

I headed south-west along the Isis Highway, the road that runs from Bundaberg to Childers and all the way through Biggenden to a place called Ban Ban Springs.

Being early I wasn't expecting too much traffic. Most traffic would be the normal back packer transport heading out to certain farms for their day's picking, plantings or general farm hand duties.

I was about twenty kilometres out of town, the morning's rays were just lighting the sky and I cruised out of town without a care in the world...just another day.

As a truck driver of many years, my mirrors were a priority, always checking them for following vehicles, the load you are carrying etc. Through this habit I had noticed a set of headlights a reasonable distance behind me. They didn't seem to make any ground on me, they seemed happy to just sit at the same speed as me just cruising along. Something I liked on the highway.

It wasn't long before I noticed an extra set of headlights behind me at around the same distance as the first. Paying no mind I kept the throttle down, the limiter doing it's job.

Several minutes after that I noticed something in my mirror, the shape of the first headlights had changed from round to square. Thinking nothing of it I just kept driving.

Several kilometres past this, the sun just starting to break over the horizon behind me, I started to pull up a small incline in the road. The truck had bugger all weight on it so it didn't loose any speed up the small rise. The small rise however, was enough to create a reason to change from broken lines to double unbroken lines.

I then noticed the square headlights practically up the arse of my truck. It sat behind me for a brief moment and began to overtake me, over double unbroken lines and up the incline.

As I was in a truck my position was taller and I could begin to see over the rise. To my disbelief another smaller car was heading towards me, driving towards Bundaberg. I looked again and the Ford Falcon wagon that had began to overtake continued in the opposite lane, continuing on it's way past me.

Now as a truck driver with many years up my belt, you know not to slow down. If I brake I could hinder them from braking and getting back in behind me. I kept my speed and moved as far left as I could, to the point that I was in the gravel on the side of the road. I couldn't move any further left as there were culverts, and that meant the chance of rolling if I had hit one.

The Falcon continued as the small silver car continues on it way. Who was going to give first? We eventually reached the crest of the rise and the overtaking Falcon never made any attempt to slow up and run back in behind me. It never made any attempt to speed up and hurry in front of me either, it just continued.

The small silver car, a Ford Focus saw the impending doom that lay before it. The driver attempted to move over but lost control on the roadside's gravel and ended up back in the lane...then THUD!!! It happened, around four feet, or just over a meter from my drivers side window. I felt the impact I was so close.

I was actually bracing myself for one of the vehicles to make contact with the truck sending it's carcass under my drive. That meant, at the speed I was travelling that I was a goner as well. It meant a flip or roll over for sure. That didn't happen, and I was lucky enough to get away with a badly stained pair of underpants.

I pulled over as soon as I was able to get back to the incident. The car with the round headlights following pulled up shortly after and a vehicle following the small silver Focus pulled over as well.

The Focus had come to rest in the centre of the lane it was travelling in. The Falcon wagon that had overtaken me was off to the side of the road. As I got back to the site a gentleman who was a rescues trainer from one of the mines pulled up. He checked the vitals of all involved, the two men travelling towards Bundaberg were dead. The lady driver of the overtaking vehicle had slid out of her car and crying for help. Able to still walk, she reached inside her car, grabbed a cigarette and lit it. Her passenger, still inside the vehicle with a broken leg.

I, and another man controlled traffic as we rang 000 for assistance. I was there for around half an hour before police arrived. We were a way out of town. Not only after that, as I was the primary witness, I had to hang around to give a statement etc.

Eventually I got on my way and thought that I could continue. My employer did offer for me to come home, but I was a truckie, I took another spoonful of concrete and hardened the fuck up and got on with the job. That's just what you do.

I kept reliving the incident throughout the morning thinking I'd be right. But when I got to Biggenden for my first drop I realised just how close it all was. There was windscreen glass in the side of my tray and on top of it. I was that close to it all happening that glass was able to land itself on my truck. I then began to think and think and think, but I still had a long day ahead of me.

Let's now fast forward to four years later...I'm a mess. I still suffer sleep deprivation, I am still haunted by the vision of two innocent men screaming to their deaths. I still cry...

This is the straw that has broken the camel's back. Four years later I hate driving, I hate being on the road in a car and I still see the visions of the incident as vividly as the day they happened.

I continued to drive for the company I was working for for another twelve months after that. They were a good company, looked after me, respected me and were decent people. But I couldn't do it anymore. My increasing anxiety, the anxiety I had worked so hard to control was no longer controllable. I was no longer able to focus on training for racing, actually it was hard to focus on anything.

I began to become reclusive, as much as I loved my friends I just found it hard to mingle. All those years of battling depression and anxiety with success, now I felt shame, guilt, worthlessness all over again.

My mother became ill in September 2015, it was the perfect opportunity to escape. I quit driving and headed off to Grafton to help my mother. I then returned home in January and began to work in the schools as a cleaner.

After twelve months of this I struggled financially and I was offered a job driving again. Thinking all would be ok I took the job, local and delivering milk. It soon became apparent that I was no longer able to drive. Anxiety returned, even suicidal thoughts began to consume me. I would break down into tears for no reason, and the vision of the innocent men began to haunt me once again.

I now have PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I still have trouble driving for any longer than two hours, I still have trouble being in a vehicle as a passenger for any longer than four hours, I still have trouble with traffic, I still have trouble with cars in general, I still can't sleep, I still see the two men that didn't deserve to die, I still feel guilt and shame, and I still cry...

This is why I love my bike...

Cheers all and as always ride safe.

Great To Be Getting Around

I have to say what a glorious feeling it is to back on the bike. Maybe not as regular as I would like, but at least several times a week is better than nothing. The knee is getting stronger and as it progresses so will my riding, and distances. I hope to be getting back into one hundred kilometre distances soon.

I'm off doing some fishing this week so I won't get too many rides in. I thought I would take to the chance to head up to Lake Monduran, north of Gn Gin to hunt some barra (barramundi) before I undertake my entrance back into the real world.

Next week I have my last specialists appointment and should get a clearance to go back to work, hence the fishing trip, and then my friends I'll get busy planing some weekend rides away.

I think I am getting re-bitten by the MAMIL bug. I have a deep desire to purchase another road specific bike, don the lycra and get out there on carbon again. I don't have any desire to race, but the road bike before helped drastically with my fitness and weight loss, something that I desperately need.

My weight gain has been significantly out of control over the past eight months since I haven't been riding. I was 132 kg's before I started riding, and with a reasonably short time I was down to around 96 kg's. I flatlined at around 98 kg's which I was happy with and it remained stable. Since the last trip finished in November last year, let's just say that I look like Martin Short in that movie where he had an allergic reaction to a bee sting. I went for a swim in the beach the other day, and when I tried to get out of the ocean Greenpeace turned up and tried to push me back into the water. Too much beer, too much food and too little exercise have taken their toll.

The purpose of the road bike as well, is that I have always had an interest in ultra-cycling. I'm not saying I will, but I'd like to undertake this to a certain degree. before on the old Domane I loved 160 km and 200 km rides. Even a short afternoon blast was at least 60 km's in distance with a 100 plus km ride on the weekend being the norm. So maybe it's time again to pour myself into the lycra once again...

I had to go to Brisbane last week for an appointment. I really enjoyed the ride down there. I headed west from my hotel room in Anne St to St Lucia.My plan was to catch the ferry across to West End from there and ride around the river bank to Kangaroo Point. When I got to St Lucia I missed the ferry and not being sure when the next one would be I decided to ride across the new bridge that runs from St Lucia to Dutton Park.

Once at Duton Park I progressed along the back of Highgate Hill to West End then down through South Brisbane to South Bank. Because of the extra distance, and hills, I cut the ride short not going to Kangaroo Point. So over the Good Will Bridge I went, up Adelaide St back to my room.

After a shower I headed out for some malty, hoppy refreshing beverages. Then it was time for some dinner. Deciding that we'd just go a pizza we headed down to the nearest Woolies and picked up some supplies. On the way back we were way laid at The Pig & Whistle just for a quick pint...well so much for that idea...we weren't just way laid, we were hog tied and hornswaggled by the Guiness...lol

We staggered, umm...I mean headed home a couple of hours later a little jaded. Two country boys in the Big Smoke...lol.

After dinner, yes we did eventually eat, I fell into bed. It was all too soon when that alarm sounded...uurgh!

The driving down and back, and amongst all the traffic took it's toll on me, I'll get into the full story one day, and I certainly was glad to see the safe haven of my humble little abode. Being in the car for so long didn't help with the knee either. It was stiff, swollen and very inflexible...I did get up for a ride on the Friday morning but found it difficult to walk. This persisted until Sunday afternoon so needles to say, "No riding". It was a shame too, as a couple of old friends and I have started getting together and re-visiting the old coffee shop ride on a Saturday morning again. I have been loving these rides as the past eight months has seen me rather secluded and separated as well. I'm trying to work on that, it's not always easy.

Any peeps, I hope you are all well and are enjoying life, until next time...cheers and ride safe out there.

Freedom At Last!

The one thing I have always loved about riding is the freedom that comes with it. Unfortunately due to recent, and not so recent, events that freedom has gone astray. But thankfully those restrictive days are over as I now am able to get out and ride, and ride pain free.

My first ride was on Thursday of this week which also coincided with the beginning of week three recovery from the arthroscopy. It wasn't a hard ride and reasonably flat, but I managed to cover around 27.5 kilometers.

The elation I felt was remarkable. The joy of riding had once again been restored to me. I headed south out of town and did a half of the Clayton's loop, a popular loop among us recreational riders. I merely wanted to go out and test the waters and the good thing about the route I chose was that I could cut my ride short and get home at any given time.

But the knee held up, it didn't hurt and I was pain free all the way. I picked a great day to start back on the bike, the beginning of Magpie season, and a strong south easterly blowing. Magpie season lasts around six weeks at the beginning of spring whilst the birds are nesting. They become aggressive and very territorial at this point, and they have no problem with dive bombing from the heights and clipping your helmet as you ride by, or the odd ear lobe.

Day two I wanted to push the limits a little more. I decided on a ride to the coast and back, 48.5 kilometers in total. I headed out to Burnett Heads, a coastal village on the water's edge. I headed north following the Burnett River then up through the myriad of sugar cane and sweet potato fields that line the way. It's also lightly undulating along this way so it was a good tester.

I then headed up to the Port which is home to our Sugar Terminal. The terminal is where sugar is trucked from the mills, offloaded, then loaded onto ships. From here it was along via the marina around to the ocean front.

I arrived to my turn around point just in time. It was like someone turned on a switch, a fan. Bang! Out of nowhere a strong north easterly began to blow. This, for once worked in my favour. It's not often you get the chance to sail home from the Heads with a tail wind.

I didn't just make it home, but I made it home via my favourite coffee shop, one I hadn't been to in a while. It was well worth the extra little bit on the ride. Well, it is coffee after all.

Day three I met up with a couple of riding buddies that I haven't seen in ages. It was fantastic to catch up with them. This ride was just going to be a light twenty kilometers or so. But Ron on his E-bike and Jodie, although she hasn't ridden much lately, is extremely fit from her running. Well the two of these guys had me working, and especially as the way we went had a couple of longish hills. Well longish for Bundaberg anyway.

We were going to do a little extra through a picturesque estate that we frequent, but honestly my legs weren't in it. I'm still in recovery mode after all.

Making our way back via Fairymead it wasn't long before we found ourselves at that coffee shop again. It seemed to just jump out at us, so what were we to do?

All in all I am happy with the way things are going. So much so that I am seriously thinking of purchasing another road bike. Does this mean I will be re-MAMILised. Well I do have a heap of lycra still, and the Bontager Velocis shoes and Circuit helmet can be easily dusted off. I will have to pour myself into it all, and it won't be pretty...but hey! I do miss the Domane...

At the end of the day I am immensely relieved. For the past eight months I have felt fairly constricted, not much smile on the dial and pretty empty inside. Not anymore, the freedom and exhilaration that comes from riding has returned. It's not about going fast, it's not about challenges, it's just all about the ride.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe. 

Brooks Bar Tape!

Is this the best Touring Bar Tape one can buy?

One thing that I never skimp on besides tyres is bar tape. A good tape is paramount to a good ride. A good tape is more than just looks, it acts as a mini shock absorber, and a good grippy tape helps keep your hands on the bars, especially in wet weather. A good thick tape helps with hand spasms and soreness in the palms. Let's not forget the last thing, a good tape is durable and last long on the bars in all kinds of weather.

I have always been a big Lizard Skin fan and for my road bikes I would never have anything else on. My Domane had Lizard Skin on the bars for the last twelve months pf me owning it. It didn't matter how wet it got from rain, or sweat you were able to keep a good hold of the bars no matter what.

But Lizard Skin leaves a little to be desired for the Kona Sutra Touring Bike. Whilst on the road it excelled, it fell short on long days in the saddle over a mixed terrain, mostly gravel roads and rough dirt tracks.

Ever since then I have been on the search for a tape that will serve my purpose. I have tried a few on the Kona, like I said Lizard Skin, and a LS knock off, Velotape. It is very similar in feel but like a lot of cheaper tapes, stretches much more when applied to the bike. This, depending on the tape isn't always a good thing. The Velotape held up for a while but in the end it began to split, crack and peel.

Then along came Brooks Microfibre Waterproof Tape. I always knew it was there, but had never purchased it. But my time has come and I have to say how happy I am with this tape in the beginning of my new found love affair.

The Brooks Microfibre Waterproof Bar tape is, like I would say all bar tapes are, made in China, not England like their saddles. But don't let that sway you. Once out of the box I knew it would was a good quality tape, it just had that feel.

It is 30 mm wide, 3 mm thick, a synthetic material that is treated with a waterproof treatment. It is quite a stiff tape that does net stretch a great deal. It goes on with minimal stretching involved, much like Lizard Skin. It almost has a new leather feel.

Being a thick tape I thought it might have been a bit of a pain to apply, but I was wrong. This tape went on easily and considering that I have bar end shifters with a cable sticking out of the front of my drops, it was very easy to manipulate around the bar's curvature and hoods. Even around the hoods it did not feel overly thick and tucked in under the covers extremely well .

Being 3 mm thick it offers a good cushioning between your hands and the bars, soaking up the bumps, and this is what I am after. I don't mind paying a little extra if it works. In the long run good tape works out cheaper as it lasts longer.

The 30 mm wide tape covers the bars easily and there were no issues trying to get it to mould onto itself as it was wrapped around.

I wasn't able to take it for much of a ride as I am still in recovery mode, so I look forward to checking this out more very soon.

You can check it out i more detail here on my You Tube Channel.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.

MES...The Infliction On Today's Society!

There is a lot of contention amongst motorists and the anti-cycling media at present in Australia. I don't think it is isolated to Australia alone, as I here it come up on overseas forums often. That contention, not debate, contention, is over single file versus two abreast.

It all stems from the whole "Bikes don't belong on the road" mentality. I suppose you can call it MES, Motorist Entitlement Syndrome. MES is a disease that attacks the common sense regions of the brain, allowing you to think of what is important, or inconvenient to you. I don't think MES attacks the brain in regards to cyclists alone, but in regards to anyone on the road asides the motorist themself.

It also gives the illusion that you are the best driver on the road. I've never met a bad driver, just ask them, they'll tell you. You begin to know the road rules far better than anyone else, and the rules become what you think they should be, rather than what they actually are. Your driving skills become better than that of an experienced Formula 1 driver (in your own mind) and you have right of way, and passage over everyone else on the road. You begin to get agro and abuse others for the same things that you do wrong on the road, but when you do it it's not wrong.

But unfortunately it becomes far more manifested when a cyclist is added into the mix. The whole motorists versus cyclists debacle is based on the debilitating disease of MES.

Since the introduction of Mandatory Distance Laws (MDL's) several years back this contention has grown. I don't think it has grown in regards to actual manifestations because here in regional Queensland I honestly think things have improved. It does, however appear to be worse in the cities. Sure, you still get your odd dick here, and there is no specific demographic that is worse than the other.

But one of the laws that were introduces with MDL's was for cyclists to ride two abreast, and here we meet with the contention. Unfortunately MES does not allow for the suffering motorist to see reason in this, with the average Mr/Mrs motorists thinking it all about the cyclists. But it's not. Two abreast over single file is far better for cyclists and motorists.

- Two abreast shortens the over taking distance and makes it safer for motorists.

If you have twenty cyclists at an average length of 2.0 meters and a gap of 30 cm's between them that twenty cyclists riding single file become a total length of approximately 45.4 meters. Now allow a 3 meter gap at either end...makes a total length of 51.4 meters
The average width of a cyclist would be around the 50 cm mark, give or take, that's 0.5 of a meter. A cyclist, for safety's sake sits approximately 0.5 - 1.0 meters from the side of the road.
Let's consider road width now, and yes this does vary depending on the road/motorway/highway etc. Let's say that average width of a road way is between 2.7 - 3.5 meters, so if we average that out we can safely say, around the 3 - 3.2 meters.
The average vehicle width would be around 1.5 - 2.6 meters, so let's say 2.0 meters for this exercise.
Now let's take into account that a motorist has to give a minimum of 1 meter in a zone under 60 km/h and 1.5 meters over a 60 km/h speed limit.

If a group of cyclists are riding in single file with the examples I have set, this group would be sitting approximately 1 - 1.5 meters into the road way. Yes, road way, not motor vehicle lane. With the average width of a vehicle being 2 meters and roadway being 3 meters, this would require the motor vehicle to exit largely one lane and enter into the other. Now consider it was on a single lane roadway and that would require the motor vehicle to be largely on the other side of the road in front of possibly oncoming traffic.

All that at an average speed of say, 80 km/h would take a motorist to overtake a group of single file cyclists averaging 25 km/h 11 seconds, at a length of 207 meters. If the same vehicle was to overtake a group of the same twenty cyclist riding two abreast that overtaking distance would be 8 seconds at a length of 171 meters. This is of course allowing for a 3 second gap between overtaking vehicle and cyclists.

Now 3 seconds and 36 meters might not sound much, but when you consider a vehicle may be coming in the opposite direction at 80 km/h, that is a world of difference. That's an average of nine car lengths difference to put it into perspective.

Riding two abreast offers greater safety to the cyclists involved. It offers better visibility and that is an issue that seems to be thrown up in cyclists face all the time. But it doesn't matter how much fluro a cyclist wears, how far out into the lane they ride, the first excuse that comes of a motorists mouth after a collision is, "I didn't see them". But look, we can't take it personally, it is the same excuse for everything, or incident. This is what MES does, it replaces reality and accountability with something else to blame. The simple fact that when driving a motor vehicle it is "your" responsibility to be aware of what's around seems to disappear with MES sufferers.

When it comes to cyclists, two breast, or overtaking them, MES causes the sufferer to believe that it is the slower cyclist that forced them over to the other side of the road and into a dangerous situation. It is for this reason many cyclists choose to ride two abreast or out into the lane (commonly known as taking the lane). We all know how possible for a 10 kilo bike to force a 1.5 tonne vehicle out of their lane, it happens all the time, well for MES sufferers.

MES causes the sufferer to believe that the road is theirs. Roads do not belong to motorists or cyclists, they belong to tax payers. We don't need to enter into this in great detail, we all know the Great Rego Debate, and I don't need to go there.

When we look at it road users have to tackle many issues and dangers throughout the day. Most cyclists ride at an average speed of 25 kn/h or more. Tractors, slashers, farm machinery (many of which are oversized), broken down vehicles, animals are all part of it. I don't know how many times I have overtaken all these on my bike.

Unfortunately MES is spread by the ignorant/arrogant few, many of which are in the media. MES causes one to be self absorbed and centred.

I'm just having a little fun tonight, as we are all road users, and we are all people. We are all entitled to use what we pay for with our taxes. We are all equal and like it or not the motor vehicle is dying a slow and ungraceful death. It will take some years yet, but as cycling and other forms of transport continue to rise in popularity, motorists will have no choice but to accept it.

At the end of the day a cyclist, or group of cyclists may cost a motorist around 30 seconds off their trip, is the angst worth it? Well maybe for those who suffer Motorist Entitlement Syndrome.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.

Arthroscopy Ahoy!

Sitting here now in my hospital bed after all is said and done, what would I do...blog if course. After a long day, and even longer morning it is good to have it all over and done with.

It all started last night with my last meal. No, not on death row, but by lunch time today it sure felt like it. I was suppose to be arriving at the hospital at 6.00 am this morning. But for some reason that changed...to 10.30 am. My fast time was the same cut off at midnight so it made it a longer wait for some grub to fill the pot. I did have an exception, I could have a weak black tea prior to 5.00 am. Who bloody well drinks tea at that time of the morning? And who drinks their tea bloody weak? Everybody knows that it is only coffee which is to be consumed before midday. Anyhoo, needless to say I was a good boy and followed the rules, no tea though.

After my shower with my speacial surgical sponge I made my way up to the hospital, a little anxious, but not too bad. I've been through this before on the left knee, a truckies lament.

After a short wait at the nurse's station I was escorted to my room where they didn't muck about prepping me for the task ahead. Knee shaven, sexy attire and undies donned, I resembles some kind of sexually deviated transexual Frankenstein's Bride, then off they whisked me.

With cannula in my wrist from the anethetist, it was long before the room was turning shady. Should I be worried drugged to the hilt and dresses as I was...lol.

Onto the opperating table and under the large disco light of surgical love the anethitist hit with the final, fatal dose. I can remember him say, "Breath deep, deep breaths", as the nurse gently suffocated me with an oxygen mask, again a little apprehisive...lol. As that was happening I couldn't help but think about fluffy unicorns, and designer guinea pigs...oh wait, different drugs... I couldn't help but think that it seemed to take forever for me to go under. It really wasn't that long, everything was just in slow motion...yes, right drugs...lol.

Next thing you know I was waking in recovery and asking for a steak burger... I was so hungry. So much so that I could've eaten a horse then chased the jockey...and still no coffee!!!

It wasn't long before I was reasonably with it and back in room. The kind nurse bought me a delightful coffee.  I thought it might've been instant, but I was willing to swallow my coffee snoberry pride at this stage. Wonderfully it was from a pod machine... Phew! Crisis averted, coffee fix had and pride still intact. What more could I ask for?

Dinner had, well entre' really, filled the hole somewhat, but the kind nurse has just topped me up with a ham, cheese and tomato sanga, (that's Aussie for sandwich). That's better.

So all is good in Bumtopia tonight. The knee isn't overly painful (I'll re-assess that in the morning) and I am sitting here in bed blogging to my favourite peeps, waiting anxiously with bated breath for my physio visit in the morning. It will be then when the rubber meets the road and the holiday will be over.

I hope to be home by mid to late morning, all things going well. Although with three young daughters at home, another night or four in hospital wouldn't be too bad...lol.

We'll just have to see what tomorrow brings. One thing I am confident of, with tbe knee damage repaired it won't be too long for weekends away to start happening, regular riding and commuting, and for that I can't wait.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride...or wobble...safe out there.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' !

Here I go again... There are many things about bicycle touring that I have found to be nothing more than myths. My last blog I talked on luxuries, and how a little extra weight can make your trip more enjoyable, rather than weight weenying because the extra weight slows you down.

Today I want to chat about tyres and another, I don't know the term for it, myth creeping in. I hear a lot of talk about rolling resistance. I don't know where this originated, maybe Audax or Randoneau riders with bike packing set ups. For touring, really? Rolling resistance! Now I get it on a roadie, rolling resistance is a big thing. Although for the average MAMIL I have to question it.
Honestly, you want to load your bike up with thirty something kilograms of weight then want to worry about rolling resistance???

When it comes to tyres for touring there are only two factors you need be concerned about. 1. Comfort, 2. Durability. Anything else is just woolly fluff and poppy cock.

Comfort is a big thing, and it is well known that the larger the tyre, the more comfortable the ride. Now I'm not talking specifics in regards to diameter. It doesn't make that much difference whether you run 26", 27.5" or 29"/700C rims, although I do think a larger rim size has it's benefits. But the width of your tyre plays a major part.

When I had my Trek Domane 5.2, nothing less than 25 mm tyres went on it. My track bike was different, I only had 23's fitted to it. But, just before I sold the Domane I squeezed 28 mm tyres on it. I didn't think you could make an awesomely comfortable bike any more comfortable. I was wrong, the one size extra in the 28's made such a big difference. I think that if I bought another road bike it would have to be fitted with 32 mm tyres and disc brakes, maybe a new Flying Machine (dream, dream, dream).

There's plenty of scientific proof to show that narrower tyres do not offer significantly less rolling resistance over wider ones. We see this as major players in the sport are increasing tyre sizes. Now of course this is to a point. Tread patterns, TPI (Threads per Inch), tyre compounds all play a part in this. Now, I'd have to think that a 2" wide tyre would offer more rolling resistance than a 32 mm tyre.

But when touring you want comfort, more so than less rolling resistance. Now, it's not just width that plays a part in comfort. Again, it's a combination of width, pattern, TPI and compound.

A mountain bike tread, for instance, may be comfortable on the trail, but can be damn annoying and uncomfortable for long periods on the road. Vibration sets in, and it just shits you off, and they can be hard work to pedal on the tar. A road tyre, although great on the road can be unstable and unforgiving on a trail. So a combination all terrain tyre may offer a better scope.

A higher thread count means the fabric is thinner, more flexible, comfortable, and yes, offers less rolling resistance. The rubber compound on the outside of the tyre is mainly added as a protection for the fabric, and grip. A softer tyre with a 120 TPI is far softer and more compliant than a tyre with 60 TPI. Add that with a softer compound on the outside you have on smick tyre. Well, in the perfect conditions, anyway.

But although a tyre with a higher TPI may be more comfortable, they do have a tendency to be less durable. A 120 TPI tyre is more likely to more easily damaged that say, a 60 TPI tyre.
When I first purchased my pride and joy it came with Clements XPlore MSO's which are a fantastic tyre. So much so that I replaced them with the same brand and specs...or so I thought. It seems that the newer tyres are a 60 TPI tyre compared to original 30 TPI tyres. My first trip on the newbies saw a piece of steel run through the tyre. Well it would've happened anyway, the puncture wasn't the issue. Problem is that it not only punctured the tyre, it sliced it so, that I had to repair it with a patch on the inside. Something I don't think would have happened on the older heavier tyres. This is the conundrum we as bicycle tourers face...comfort or durability.

But this is where size can matter. A wider tyre at a lower TPI can be as, if not more, comfortable than a narrower, more compliant tyre. If I could I would rather have the 30 TPI Clements on the Kona than the 60's simply because I have noticed a big difference in wear rate. Actually, if I could, I would love to squeeze some 2" tyres on it, but they won't fit with the guards on. This is the big reason I chose the Kona Sutra over the Trek 520 and the Wayward Cape York, wider tyres with guards.

This is what you have to work out for yourself, the balance. My recommendations are that you don't go above a 60 TPI tyre unless you are doing strictly asphalt roads that are in good condition, and even then with load etc, well... The heavier tyres are more likely to have a better puncture resistance, and a far less likely to suffer damage from dirt roads, or roadside debris.

Now that I have said this, the last thing you want to do is to go to K-Mart or Big W and buy a cheap $20.00 tyre thinking it will last. Yes, it will be hard compound, and likely to be a low thread count...BUT...you get what you pay for. A cheap tyre like this will offer little comfort, little grip and is likely to start cracking in the walls a little down the road. Tyres and bar tape are two things I will pay extra for. But having said that, there are plenty of bargains out there, and there are plenty of other brands rather than Scwalbe that are perfect for touring. I suggest that you get a decent tyre and go for the largest you can safely fit on your bike. Don't skimp, at the same time don't pay through the roof. Work out what sort of riding you intend to do on your trip and buy accordingly to that.

When touring you're on a holiday, rolling resistance, and other roadie minded thingies, should be the furthermost things from your mind.
Buy for comfort and durability.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.

Investing In Luxury Items

When bike touring, the dogma echoes out that less is best. But is it? Is forsaking some pleasurable luxuries worth a few extra grams saved. Honestly, when you look at it, most weight saving is less than a good morning's dump behind the tree.

I suppose I don't get the whole weight weeny things. Even when I was entrenched in MAMALia a good light carbon bike was good, but I could never justify the few grams of weight saved with carbon tid bits like rims etc. I suppose being a bigger guy, durability always came first. A strong set of aluminium rims that were slightly heavier always trumped an over expensive pair of carbon rims, handlebars etc, that could decay rapidly under my weight and local road conditions.

I think the same way when touring, a steel bike is heavier and more robust. Yes titanium would be wonderful, but really by the time the bike is loaded can the end justify the means...no. I'm like this with my luxuries. When I go away I want to be comfortable. After all it is my legs that are doing the work, nobody elses'. So why should I be told that I should take less? I shouldn't. I hear all the time of how "your bike should be under this weight to tour successfully", cods wallop.

I, like my convictions, never tell anyone what they should or shouldn't take. Yes there are the norms of course, such as bike...duh! But really, what you take is up to, umm, you and you alone. Yes, you will work out over time what works for you. Yes, you will gather the knowledge of what you need and use, verses what you just take for taking's sake.

But luxuries aren't this. You don't take them for the sake of taking them. You bloody well use them and they make your life a hell of a lot more comfortable whilst on the road. So I say #luxuriesonabike...lol.

Some of the stuff I take I have decided to take over time. You all know by now about my knee issues, plus I'm not young anymore, hence Old Bum On a Bike. So things like a folding chair make sense to me. It saves my knees, my arse from sitting on the ground and my bones from the strain of getting up and down all the time. One kilogram is worth it. I used mats to sit on the ground for a while but found a delightful three legged folding chair, with backrest, at Bunnings for $14.95. How could I resist?

Good cookware is another. I like to cook and so I would prefer to have more than just a titanium cup and a micro gas stove. I take two stoves, my Colemans One Peak gas stove along with my Suto multi fuel stove. Why two? well one could die, I could run out of gas, or I may just want to use to stoves when cooking like at home with more than one hotplate. You know, cook a steak in my frypan, whilst cooking the vegies in my pot. In my cookware kit I have three different sized pots and a frypan. My largest pot acts as a good washing up sink, plus bath...see it multi tasks.

That brings me to food. I like to take a range of fresh, tinned and dried food with me. 1. it's cheaper 2. it's tastier. The dehydrated hiking food is quite expensive in comparison, and who wants to live on two minute noodles. Being able to pull up on the side of the road after a day in the saddle, and having the ability to cook up a good meal is heaven to me. A cup of tea, that's my afternoon drink of choice when beer isn't available, whilst a curry or creamy pasta dish is on, just wow.

Electronics are becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity these days. But I like my Garmin, my phone, my cameras (especially now I've upgraded) and accessories, and my tablet. My Garmin, well if it's not on Strava it never happened...lol. My phone is essentially my lifeline and navigational tool. My cameras, rather self explanatory, and my tablet...my little Samsung A8 has done me proud. It is my computer basically. Coupled with a small wireless keyboard, I post, blog, transfer photos to USB drives, and it's much smaller than a laptop. No, it might not do what a laptop does, but with newer apps coming out it is fast catching up.

I probably take more clothes than I need, but in Australia weather can change quickly. It's like that everywhere I suppose. It's not so bad in Queensland, but the further south you go, cool or hot changes can happen. Here in Central Coastal Queensland we just go from hot to wet.

I like to take my trekking poles with me. They come in handy for the rain as well as a walk. "The rain" you may ask? Yes, they are extremely helpful as a set of tarp poles if rain sets in. My little Outdoor Expedition Falconette 1800 doesn't have much in regards to a large enough vestibule to cook in during bad weather. The tarp lays over the tent and ties to trees, or my trekking poles giving me an awning to sit under.

My tarp...like I said...lol

I have to take my trail runners with me. I probably don't need them given that I wear thongs as much as possible. No, not the thongs you may be thinking of, in Australia we wear our thongs on our feet. You may know them as flip-flops...never, they're thongs. The trail runners are a comfortable winter slipper, good for walking after a day in the saddle which I like to do; and in the case of tackling a rough track I'm not sure of, off come the FLR Bushrangers and on go the New Balance All Terrains.

Coffee is not so much a luxury as it is a necessity. It is not possible to survive life without coffee, yes I am well and truly addicted...so sue me. It's not so much the coffee that is the luxury but more my equipment that I use to produce such a gorgeous nectar. I have to have my Aeropress and my grinder. OK, I'm a fully fledged coffee snob, and I'm proud of it. I can't do instant, instant isn't coffee so notice how I referred to it as just 'instant'. Coffee bags don't do it, although I can suffice on a small over night hike or such, but no way long term. I just love freshly ground and perfectly pressed black coffee, and if I had to leave this gear behind I think I'd rather not go at all...lol.

So this is just some of my luxury items that I take. No, they are not necessary. Yes, they add weight. No, I will not ever leave them behind. They are mine and make my trip far more comfortable than they do restrict my riding ability on the road.

No-one can tell you what to take, or not to take. This is something that you figure out as you go. Yes, advice is good as a guideline only, but at the end of the day a bicycle trip is meant to be a holiday, and holidays are never meant to be miserable.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.

Touring Tools & Spares

In this blog I want to talk about some of the tools and spares I take with me on a trip. Of course this kit may vary depending on the length of trip I take.

We can't take a whole bike shop full of tools and spares with us as we pedal our way to two wheeled utopia. But going without anything is just bicycle touring suicide. Even on a short trip some basics "must" accompany you on your trip. Now, you don't have to break the bank either, just some basics to give you that little bit of assurance as you ride.

There are those who take a whole myriad of parts, and being that they may be travelling to remote or far off distant lands, it could be maybe justified...but really. I've read where people have taken derailleurs, BB's and bearings. But in the end, if you have your bike serviced regularly, and especially before you leave, a lot of these things can be negated.

Things I take are -

Tubes - I always take at least three tubes with me. I had an instance on one trip that I stuffed my tube stem before leaving in the morning. I only had one spare and used it to get me going. I thought, "She'll be right mate". Needless to say, it wasn't. In the middle of the bush, with a a tube that resembled a tea strainer, no amount of patches were going to fix it. Luckily for me I was only fifty kilometres from home and my wife was able to run me out some the next day when the shops were open. Ah, the joy of learning.

A Puncture Repair Kit - along with tubes I always take a repair kit with me. It comes in handy and saves money along the way. I like to carry both types, the compound glue variety along with the self adhesive kind.
When suffering a puncture it's always quicker to just swap tubes. But at night when camped up, I usually pull out the punctured tube and repair it, giving me that extra spare yet again. Compound patches are also handy for repairing tyres. Last trip I got a piece of metal through my front tyre leaving a decent split in it. A patch on the inside with a decent amount of glue and Bob's ya' knob, problem solved.
The self adhesive patches are good, but not for a long time. They're a handy little bit of gear to just patch and go on the run. Compound glue takes some time to set properly and become air sealed. But the self adhesive variety may be a quick fix, but it's a good idea to eventually repair it with a proper patch, as they give way after a while. It might not happen over night, but it will happen.

A Spare Tyre - whether I go for two days, a week or a month I always take a spare tyre along with me. A lot of people may not think this is necessary, but given some of the roads I travel and areas I embark to, I wouldn't go without one. I have never used my spare yet, and I don't consider this a bad thing. It also doesn't mean that I would go without it. After the tube incident, I'm not taking any chances.

Spare Spokes - spokes are not something I take all the time. They are mainly something I take on a longer trip. Usually for a weekend away, if you break a spoke you can make do, especially with disc brakes. Even V-brakes it's easy to get through by just releasing the brakes. But a broken spoke isn't something that want to really endure on a longer trip. One broken spoke can weaken the rest over time.
I've only had one broken spoke whilst travelling. That was on the old Merida and I was on my way home. The only time my Kona has suffered such an injury is when my youngest knocked it over in the shed from it's stand...never mind that little hump that resembles a grave in my back yard...lol.

Spare Chain - again, not something I would take on a short trip, but on a longer one, I think it's a must.

Missing Links - they are a must for me now even on a day ride. I have always had one, even when being a MAMIL roadie, one was in my saddle bag. The only time I didn't have one with me, I broke a bloody chain. So now one, or two, has pride of place always in my bag.

Cassette/Derailleur Hanger - These are things that I would take on an extensive trip.

Tools I take with me are -

Multi Allen Key Set - I have a Park Toll multi allen key set that is compact and has every size I need. It, like many other things live in my saddle bag and is never removed.

Screw Driver - I have a small screw driver that is a flat driver one end, and a phillips on the other. You just swap it around as necessary. It comes in handy for minor adjustments that may be needed along the way.

Tyre Levers - would you ever ride a bike without them.

A Cheap Leatherman Knockoff - this is just a small Leatherman type multi tool. It has the usual pliers, knife bald, screw driver etc. I think it was around three bucks from Supercheap Auto.

Chain Breaker - funny enough I always carry one with me. Rest assured if you break a chain it won't be where it can just be easily replaced with the missing link without taking at least one link out.

Spoke Spanner - not something I take on short trips, but longer trip...definitely.

Small Shifting Spanner - just something that I like to have.

15 mm Open End Spanner - seeing that most nuts on my bike are this size, it comes in handy for everything from pedals to cones.

Cassette Removal Tool/Chain Whip - on a long trip I decide to take this stuff with me. There is always the chance that you do a cassette in. Seeing that cassettes are the best part of $80.00 - $90.00, it's much cheaper if you can just buy the cassette and change it yourself.

Pump - this needs no reasoning.


So guys, these are the things I take with me on a trip. Yes, they vary depending on the trip but essentially remain a staple.
Your kit may vary. Let me know...

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.

Edit :- Along with the above spares I always make the habit of carrying some other essentials. These being insulation and gaffa tape, some cable ties and some spare M5 and M6 allen bolts for racks and cages. Cheers all.

New Gear

So I've been a little busy lately purchasing some new gear. Some of my stuff was old and needed replacing, some was just to add to my kit and some was just to try.

My old li'l Lenovo G50 Laptop was really struggling with all the paces I was putting it through. Plus it was having issues like reading USB drives, SD cards and my much loved Samsung S9.

I'll still keep it, it'll get a service, then come in handy to take away on road trips etc. It's no good for bike trips, the 15" screen is too big to squeeze into a pannier. That's what I have my little Samsung A8 Tablet with wireless keyboard coupled to it.

I ended up purchasing a new desktop with larger monitor this time. An Acer Nitro 50 with HP 27" monitor will help, and has helped, edit videos more efficiently. It's much better looking at a larger screen when it comes to editing. It's not top of the range but is working well thus far. I'm still learning to use it, you know, which way to hold your tongue etc.

Along with the new computer I decided to do an upgrade on my editing software. Up to Power Director 16 from 15. Not alot of difference but appears to help with the larger resolution videos...or maybe it's the computer...lol

One purchase I am so loving and will continue is an upgrade in camera equipment. I am slowly getting there. I still love my Nikon D3100 DSLR but it was far too big to take touring. In the interim I was sufficing with the combination of my then Samsung S7 a little Nikon Coolpix L31. The little L31 was pretty average and especially once a change of zoom was entered.
I have now purchased a new Sony Cybershot DSC HX90V, and I have to say..."Wow. What a little beauty".
Those who know me know that this upgrade has taken some time. I was origiannly looking at the Sony A 5000, but in the end decided that I need two lenses to achieve the zoom I want, especially for stills. I do have my S9 but find the 8 x zoom lens gets a little grainy when maxed out.

The HX90 is perfect for my needs. Extremely compact, no extra lenses and super good in the quality stakes. OK, admittedly it's no RX100, but great quality in my budget range.

I upgraded my action camera some months ago and have found the Sony HDR AS50 a great little additive to my kit. Yes, I know the whole world screams Go Pro, but not me, and honestly Sony has caught up with, and possibly overtaken the Go Pro, in my opinion.
The AS50, being the base model is a great start up of a fantastic line of action cameras.

I have some new things on the way from Amazon and Wish. As mentioned before I am waiting on a little micro SQ11 action camera. This is no an upgrade but for AUD$12.00 I thought it might make a little inconspicuous helmet cam, or handlebar mounted selfie cam.

Another Wish item is a dead cat for my lavelier mic. I tried to do a cycling vlog the other day but where I had my mic mounted it caught the wind and every other sound except my voice. So, needless to say no cycling vlog. This is a real bummer as I have wanted to start these for a while, and now with my knee operation, I may have missed the boat for a few weeks.

In the Amazon parcels there is, what turned up today, a helmet mounted mirror. I love my little bar mount but when touring loaded, the panniers block my rear vision. The helmet mount may help act a combination mic mount as well.
I also have a new bike horn coming. A Hidream Loud Horn. That should stir up the headphone wearing pedestrians, and the phone gawking motorists..lol

I have a new top tube coming as well. I had a good one that served me well. Unfortunately with the change of phone to the somewhat larger Samsung S9, it was a squeeze. Actually, a squeeze to the point that the stitching tore on the phone sleeve. The one coming to replace it is only a $30.00 one, but has added side pockets, like little panniers. I thought this would be great for camera storage.

I'll do a video on all these when I get all the packages in and do a combined What's In The Box.

Anyway, there's all my updates and upgrades. Keep an eye on my YouTube channel for reviews and reveals, being on crutches I'll have plenty of time to vlog...lol

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.

The Simplest Things In Life!

In my drafts I have had a blog waiting to be posted, ranting about how frustrated I am at the moment. It's not fun not being able to do the things you want, especially the simple things like ride.

Today the drought broke. After weeks of endless pain, the flu (which is still lurking), carcinomas being removed, and just a plain lack of any motivation at all, I finally got out on the bike.

Yes, it is the simple things in life that are often the best...and I know I have no real right to complain as there are many people worse off than me. But I am not associated with them, I am in my own bubble with my own problems.

I had almost forgotten how freeing it is to be on your bike. It is this feeling that has kept me sane, anchored to the real world. My bike has been my solace, my rock, my escape and my reset. Not being able to ride is like a musician not being able to play, a dancer not being able to dance. The worst thing about it all is that it has been avoidable. I have let my passion sit on the shelf collecting dust.

Whilst I am the first to say that I have had my fair share of excuses, and justified ones at that, I have also not pushed the envelope. I have been complacent in letting myself slide, letting rust replace shine, I have become a silt laden stream that once ran crystal clear.

OK, enough of the downer... Like I said it was exuberant to get get out on the pedal powered mistress once again. I have to say I absolutely fell head over heels in love with my Kona once again today. I had forgotten how soft she was, how responsive and how pleasurable. Ahhh! What a mistress.

It was only a short twenty something kilometer ride, and considering how much I haven't ridden I surprised myself. I suppose it's just like riding a bike...lol.

It was a relatively flat ride out of Bundaberg past the airport and onto the Ring Road. I didn't have any particular plan, just a ride with the cameras recording and having a chat as I was pedaling along.

Once on the Ring Road I headed East and was reminded as to how comfortable the Kona was on a rough surface. It is for this I bought her. The steel frame, the 40 mm tyres and the Brooks B17 all worked together to take away the bumps that the side of this road offer up.

I continued down the Ring Road and once at Barolin St I headed towards town. It was a nice change riding up this section of road now with a bike lane. Normally you would compete with the usual hoards of inconsiderate motorists as there was not much shoulder. What shoulder there was was usually broken up or in disrepair.

I was going to head south down Thabeban Rd but feeling good I continued up to Simms Rd and rode down along it's entire length. Once at the end I headed up Elliott Heads Rd and zig-zagged my way up to Coral Isles' Crit Track.

After a lap for old times sake I headed up to the main street and headed back towards home. The main street was quiet being a Sunday evening. Usually when you rise down it you get a few beeps of a horn. I ride down the middle whether motorists like it or nor. The main street's parking arrangement is nose in parking. That means you have cars reversing out into traffic. They don't look for a cyclist so riding close to either side of the lane is a no no. Down the middle all the way...

The twenty two kilometers were coming to a close. A smile on my face, a druggy with his fix, I was a happy soul.

No to clear off some of that rust and let the shine shine through.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.

Torn Medial Meniscus...Ouch!!!

For the past several months I have been trying to get back onto the bike. It seems that no matter how hard I try something keeps raising it's ugly head to get in the way.

I haven't been blogging much as I haven't been riding much, so it appears the squelching of one thing I love effects another, blogging. I've let that happen, no-one else, me and me alone. Since taking up cycling again several years ago, blogging has become as much a part of that joy as the bike itself.

Anyway, I'm planning to stop that...

I have been diagnosed with some relatively serious knee complaints. The first being the medial meniscus on my right knee. Along with that, I have ligament strain, fluid on the knee and significant arthritic degeneration.

Some months ago I noticed knee pain, and after a day on the ride on mower at work, or even a short drive in the car (which wasn't often) significant pain arose. It made it difficult to walk, but appeared to settle over night.

After some weeks of the on and off nature of the pain I ended up in excruciating pain. I had just started to do some relief work at a new school, and the more time went on, the worse the pain became.

Part of my primary job is only a few kilometers away and although I had been able to manage the short ride, it was difficult to say the least.

I have been wanting to do some more exploring on the bike, just day trips, with the odd weekend away thrown in for good measure. But it hasn't seemed to happen. As the knee has settled and I have had the occasional fifteen or so kilometer ride, I just haven't seemed to get things in motion.

The relief job I was doing has now become permanent and being twenty kilometers from home, and being a reasonably flat course, seemed to be the perfect opportunity to ride, vlog and enjoy my pedal powered beauty once again.

Sounds great doesn't it? Well, woe is me, I've ended up with a bloody bad case of man flu, yes man flu...and we all know how bad that can be. Stay with me, I'm painting the picture for you...

Ah well, it's just the flu, I'll get over it in a couple for days and start from there. This friggin' thing has hung around for nigh on three weeks now. Just after starting the new job, I've had to have nearly two weeks off work. OK, it's a little worse than I first thought, it'll end and I'll start from there.

Right, let's get back to the knee. In all this I had been referred to an Orthopedic Specialist by my G.P. Last Friday I met with him and now in a month I will be on the table and under the knife getting the knee seen to. Even though that is great news, and it is, it now seems that I will be off work for six weeks and on crutches for the first two. Along with this, there will be no riding for this six week period, and possibly longer, pending the recovery process. I am not allowed to drive for this period either, which doesn't trouble me in the slightest, as we all know how much I hate that.

So the plan now...just get over this lurgy first, which will hopefully be by the weekend. I am back at work, but only just. Come Sunday I am hoping to go for a light thirty or so kilometers and start on my long time planned cycling vlog. So keep an eye on my YouTube channel for that.

My weight has increased way too much and too fast. That coupled with my past life as a truck driver has taken it's toll on my body. Once the weight was gone, the symptoms were as well.
I had the left knee done many years ago and have no problems since, so this is good news. Other good news is that the right knee will follow suit. It won't be perfect, but will be better. Hey, if can get me back on my bike, and get doing some hiking again, I'm all for it.

More good news is that I have escaped a full knee replacement. Although it is probably necessary, at 55 years of age the Doc wants to hold of on it for a while. He hopes to clean the area up enough to give me another five years at least. It will be inevitable, but the bullet has been dodged temporarily.

Anyway, that is the update. I've decided that just because the cycling is on restricted access doesn't mean the blogging has to be as well. I have plenty of gear I can review, and other shit I can ramble on about if your interested...

Let's leave it there for this one...

Cheers all, and as always, ride safe.

Kinkuna Bush Camping

Man o man I need to get my head back into blogging mode. I'll get there eventually. I am trying to get back on the bike but unfortunately osteo arthritis of the right need is hindering a lot of things, like bike trips and hiking trips I have planned. It's a chore just getting to work for the day.
Any way, let's get to the better stuff.

Kinkuna Beach Camping Area is a section of the Burrum National Park on Queensland's east coast south east of Bundaberg. I had driven through it a few times (four wheel drive only), but had never camped there. This is something that I should have done long ago. The camping sites are only approximately twenty kilometers from my front door, so close.

My plan was to load up the old mountain bike, Frankenstein, with a tag along kiddies trailer full of gear. Taking a lot of my normal gear, I was going to take a three man tent with me, an esky (cooler) and some fishing gear. The larger tent was for just a little extra room, and the esky was to keep some meats, and of course, beers cold.
This wasn't going to be a bike trip parse, but more just a few days away, fishing and just relaxing.

After several attempts to load the tiny trailer with the mountain of gear I had, I decided to wuss out and get my wife to drive me out. Ok, ok, this was fine, it was just to get away anyway.

With this decision made I opted to ditch the tent and sleeping mat etc, and take one of the new swags I had purchased. The swag was an Adventure Kings Big Daddy Deluxe that I bought from The Four Wheel Drive Super Center some months prior. It is a double swag that had never been used, and had only ever been set up once for purpose of weathering/seasoning. This became the perfect opportunity to check it out.

Well with the swag strapped to the roof racks and the boot full, off I set. Heading South East from Bundaberg it wasn't long before we hit the turn off. Once at the entrance to park the road turned into it's sandy entrance. I didn't worry about airing down the tyres, as the entrance only has sandy patches along it's driveway.

Closer to the camping sites the track becomes sand again. Although soft on top it was still relatively hard packed underneath, so high range was sufficient. I had no intentions of beach driving this time. This section is a popular four wheel drive mecca, but as it was a week day, there was hardly anyone in sight, the perfect place to camp.

It didn't take long to find a suitable spot and get set up, virtually on the beach itself. With the calm Westerly wind the water was like glass. After setting up I drove my wife the five kilometers back to the main entrance. She was a bit nervous about the sandy patches. Walking back to the camp site a young couple picked me up and dropped me back and with the night air setting in, it was time to look at getting a camp fire prepared. One thing I decided to take was my BBQ cook/grill plate that had never been used, a great idea considering my first night's thick and juicy sirloin.

The sun started to set, the fire lit, and the slight westerly breeze changed to a north easterly gust. Cooking my steak was a little difficult as the wind kept blowing any form of heat out from under my plate. I rectified this the following morning after a fish with some old bricks and logs that I found lying around.
It was time to just settle back, eat some dinner and enjoy a cold beer.

The fire nice and amply helped the serenity sink in. The strong gusts eased, a good hot coffee and it was nearly time for bed in the new swag. The great thing about the double swag is that the canvas entrance flaps can be rolled back, exposing the millions of stars that sit above me. Who needs five star accommodation when one can have a million stars. With the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline it didn't take long to wander off to the land of Nod.
Although it wasn't cold it did cool off through the night, but pulling the sleeping bag up over my ears fixed this.

The sun's rays the following morning wee brutal to say the least. Let me say that I didn't sleep in. With only the midgie mesh of the swag separating me from the outside world, the sun's brightness started stabbing me at first light as it appeared over the horizon.
That was ok though, up early and the fishing rods that had been set the night before were in hand and I was off to the beach. It was a beautifully calm day, no wind at all meant the water was like glass. Ideal for throwing out some some soft plastics in the hope for a tasty morsel...

Ah well, no luck, so it was back up the shallow dune to start breakfast. The fireplace reconstructed, the fire lit, bacon and eggs were on the barbie plate and the coffee was hot and being consumed.

It was now Thursday, the day after Anzac Day, the camping area still relatively deserted the beach was virtually all mine, and mine alone. There's just something that is so ahhh when camping like this. I suppose that's why I like bicycle touring so  much, as well as remote camping...the solitude.

Kinkuna is truly a magnificent place, and I still can't believe that I haven't been camping here before...especially so close to home. The sad thing is because it's a National Park I can't take my four-legged dish licker with  me. Wilson would have loved it, although he is a big sook when it comes to waves, or water in general really.

After breaky I grabbed the new Sony Action Camera, a HDR AS50 to try out as a vlogging camera, and headed north up the beach. The warm, but not hot, sun and a gentle westerly now forming made it perfect. I don't know for how long I walked, I didn't keep track of time, time is irrelevant in situations such as these. By the way, the little Sony preformed well.

I got back to my campsite and sat. The water was way out at low tide and I saw a nice channel forming out along the beach. It was time to try the lighter gear. Down the beach I headed with my old and favourite Shimano combo. A plastic popper on top and calm water was just perfect. But perfect doesn't always help you catch fish. In the end a small flathead was hooked and seeing size matters, it lived too grow a little larger. I really don't care about catching anything. Fishing to me is like cycling, it's just about the getting out there and clearing the mind.

Another day was on the close and the fire was lit again, and a beer was enjoyed. There is something about a fire that soothes the soul and help you forget and knees the mind still and quiet. The sun setting, the stars lighting up the sky one by one, why would you want to be anywhere else?
A slight breeze, the crackling of the fire and the crashing of the waves on the beach was a recipe of beauty, all combining to give life that little extra meaning. Soon it was time for bed.

On the morning of the first day the swag had it's fair share of sand inside that had worked it's way in. Even though I shook it out, there had seem to be another compilation of the stuff this night as well. I went to bed and laid there flicking the grains this way and that to try and get some comfort. Again the swag flaps were rolled up with only the midgie (no-see-um) mesh protecting me from what elements may be.
After a couple of strong gusts of wind I realised what was causing it. It wasn't me walking it in as I first thought. It appears that midgie mesh is midgie (sandfly) proof, but not sand proof. With the leaving of the flaps open, it was apparent that it was left open to blow in the sand.
Up I got, unzipped everything, pulled out sleeping bag and mattress and shook it all of again. After returning everything to it's rightful place I closed the flaps down. You know what? It worked like a charm. With the wind coming from the south-west again I was able to suffice with the rear flap closed. It was a little cooler this night, so no worries about over heating.

The morning seemed to come too quickly after a good night's sleep. This morning wasn't as kind. The wind had moved around the the south-east and had cause a decent chop on the water. I did try a little fishing, but as I was only using light gear it was difficult casting into the wing. I switched gear and wend for my larger rod, and heavier tackle. It didn't help me much, as I always say, "I don't even catch a cold when I go fishing"...lol.

It was a time to kick back and just relax. I went for another walk, ate some, drank some, went for another walk...repeat. It's great when you go like this, no plan, no have to's, no need to's, just you and the moment at hand. I enjoyed the simpleness of my camping kit as well, the swag, minimum gear, a fire pit and a plate to sit over it. No need for massive cleaning up duties, just set and forget.

I met a nice young couple that were doing the rounds. The one thing I had forgotten was a roll of toilet paper, and we all know there's nothing worse than cacky-tacky bum...think about it...
Anyway, back to the nice young couple, they were nice enough to leave me a full roll of toilet paper, and that my friends was badly needed at the time...phew, crisis averted.

After they left the afternoon was setting in. It was Friday by now, so the obvious weekenders were arriving. Whilst the majority were steady paced, quiet and thoughtful of others, the weekend also brought out the morons who don't give a shit. It was sweet justice seeing a couple of utes that were tearing up the track get bogged as soon as they hit the beach...as the tide was rolling in. It was a case, it seemed, of all the gear and no idea.

It settled as dark drew closer, and yet again I had a blazing fire, snags and patties on the plate and was sitting back enjoying a cold ale and the serenity all over again. This was my last night so I stayed up later than usual. It's a tradition of mine. On the last night of every camp I sit up later (although I was out of beer) enjoying a beverage and stoking the fire higher than usual.
Unfortunately, segments of my evening serenity were blind sided by late arrivals and the morons I suffered earlier driving out with driving lights and spot lights blazing, not only to the night, but into my friggin' camp site as well. I went to bed around 11.00 p.m. and even after lights out there were still people arriving and driving about...not happy Jan. I get a little touchy when my serenity is messes with. Although I should have expected this, it's just that I am used to camping in places where this no, or little else is around. I drew ten deep breaths and ended up asleep never to be disturbed again.

The morning came and I awoke, to yet again, the sound of four-wheel-drives arriving and running up the beach. Hey, don't get me wrong, I love four-wheel-drives, I have one. I just don't always like the drivers behind the wheel. Yes, grumpy old bum this morning, I hadn't had my coffee yet.

The morning dragged on, I chatted with a lot more people as I was packing up somewhat. My wife was coming out to pick me up this morning and I wanted to be a little prepared. Although I have to admit, I wasn't in a hurry. Morons and all, I wasn't in a hurry to leave.

My wife arrived just before lunch and the kids hit the beach as quickly as they hit the ground...running. Some bar-b-queable goodies were brought out, so a lunch time barby fire was lit as we packed the rest of my gear.

In the end an inevitable, unavoidable, but reluctant end came to my weekend (or should I say) my mid-week away. It was a remarkable place so close to home, and although it appears to be better mid-week than weekend, I still have to say it'd be a great place to visit again.

I will be back...

Cheers all, and as always, ride safe.

Same Ol' Same Ol'

Nothing much has been happening in the Old Bumosphere of joy at late. The front and side yards are finally done. The rear yard is...well...a work still in progress. It's half done if that is any consolation.

A broken spoke still awaits repair on the Sutra, which I hope to get to attend to tomorrow. I'm thinking of videoing this one as a kind of home fix it.

Even though I am, by no means, a professional bike mechanic, I do do a lot of repairs and maintenance myself. I think it is important as a cyclist to be able to accomplish basic repairs on your own, especially if you are touring.

Most of my servicing and repairs such as replacing cassettes, chains, brakes along with derailleur adjustments are all part of my process. I have a good friend who is a bike mechanic for the rest. His name is Jack and he runs a business called, of all names...Dr Bike. He has always done a fantastic job for me, and has always been reasonable on price. No, no mates rates, I don't expect it, he just does a good affordable job for everyone. He mainly does a thorough check over for me prior to a trip, or just a good look over whenever. Hey, I'm far from perfect...it never hurts to get a second, more professional set of eyes every now and then.

But, again, I do most of it myself. It doesn't hurt and I encourage all to do it. Play around with your bike, it's ok, you won't break it. Practice indexing your deraileurs and lock outs. Throw them out a little and adjust them back in...practice makes perfect.

Chains are easy...when a chain has had it, replace it. Basic bike tools are worth jack shit...that's Aussie for "not much". You don't have to go and buy the most expensive tools out there. I purchased a kit for well under a hundred smakas (no, us Aussies DO NOT USE THE TERM dallarydoos...that is a Simpsons, and a Simpson's thing only...lol, along with bewildered tourists who have no idea of reality)...let us digress a little shall we...

A little lesson in Aussie currency

$1 = a buck, or a dollar funny enough, or along with a $2 coin, yes we gave $1 and $2 coins...they are simply goldies...um, because they're gold.
$5 = a fiver, pretty simple huh?
$10 = a bluey or blue swimmer, they're blue. Just for the record a blue swimmer is a crab.
$20 = a lobster, because they're red.
$50 = a pineapple, or a nifty. Pineapple because they are yellow, nifty, well, rhymes with fifty.
$100 = now here's the disparity...they whre called a grey ghost...yes "grey" we use real gooder English here in Bumtopia. They were called this because they were grey in colour. Now they are green...who knows...and who cares...lol.
It wasn't only because they ere grey they were called a grey ghost. It was also because of 1. they were reasonably rare, especially for low income households, but also 2. they were harder to cash than a cheque...

So ok, we've dispersed the dollarydoo bullshit, let's get back on track. Oh, that's right, there was no real track to be on...lol.

Home or self bike maintenance...that's right. Look it's a really good thing to get into. It saves you money, and it saves you on the road if necessary.

I'm also going to be doing something kinda funny, dumb, silly...I don't know the real term to use...But I'm going to be doing a three or four day camping trip soon. I plan to head down to Kinkuna. Kinkuna is a stretch of beach that falls within the boundary of a National Park, Kinkuna National Park, near where I live. It's only twenty kilometers away, so not far.

So why silly? I won't be taking the Sutra. What, no Sutra??? I'l be taking the Frankenstein mountain bike. I call it Frankenstein because it's a bitza. A bitza is an Aussie term usually used to describe a mut dog of no pedigree, a dog that has bits of this, and bits of that.

The MTB is a Merida, I know that. But when I acquired it, it was a 26" MTB. At the same time I got this, I also got another Merida for my daughter that was a 27.5". How I acquired these bikes was when I sold my Domane road bike. I had a friend who I cycled and raced with. His son, who happens to be an awesome rider by the way, needed a new bike, a bigger bike.
When I advertised the Domane he contacted me, knowing full well how how meticulous I was of my precious carbon limb, yes limb. We did a trade, cash plus bikes. Fair enough I suppose. I was more looking for the cash, but what can I say, I'm a nice guy...lol.

Now, after riding the Merida ??? MTB for a while it was a bit small. The other of 27.5" persuasion for my daughter was a tad big. So I swapped some shit. I squeezed the 27.5" rims onto the 26" frame, and visa versa. After some adjustment and rim trueing...not sure how true..lol I made larger rimes fit with some 2.2" tyres.

After squeezing them on, I realised in the first instance that they couldn't go on with the original Alivio 3 speed front derailleur. Now this bike bike comes with 3 speed front running gear, but the outer chain ring had been removed...it was a mountain bike after all. So to make it fit I had a Sora front derailluer that I mounted onto it. Hey, it ain't pretty, but it works and it fits...lol. So now you know about Frankenstein, my darkest secret.

So anywhooo, Frankenstein will be the mode of transport, along with one of the kiddie tag-a-longs that I have. I purchased two of these from a local tender center for around $45.00 each. I got these because we plan to do some family trips. One to carry the gear and one to carry Boof, Wilson our four legged dish licker.

So heading out I want to take an Esky, yes Esky. That's a cooler for those who aren't Aussie. You see we have of a habit of calling things here by the name of those who originally introduced it to us. i.e. Esky because that was our first Australian made cooler here. Just like Breville, our first Australian made electric jaffle iron...you get my gist. So, the Esky, I might want to smuggle in a few amber carbohydrates in...lol.

I also plan on taking some fishing gear. I haven't fished for ages, not that I even catch a cold when I fish, but like cycling, it is rather relaxing.

I suppose also it will also show that you don't need a shit load (that's "a lot") of expensive gear, or have to travel a sqizillion kilometers to have a great bike tour.

So watch out on my YouTube channel for the Me & Frankenstein Getaway. Shit I've even named it already...lol.

Well cheers guys, and as always, ride safe.

P.S. Keep and ear out for something new. I plan to start a Podcast, I've been told I have the perfect head for radio. Seeing that I am an Old Bum On A Bike, it will be my "Talking Out My Arse" (Ass for those who don't speak real English..lol) Podcast. Old Bum On A Bike - Talking Out My Arse has a good ring to it...lol. It will be me, just gabbling on about shit really :-D

Cheers guys.

Head Space.

Christmas has well and truly come and gone, the New Year is well...almost half way through, a new job that has been started and so much still to do around the house, it is hard to get my head in the game for planning any adventures.

My blogging, which I love, has taken a back seat for past...jeez how many months? I suppose we all need a break to regroup and refresh, and furthermore it is so hard to get back into a motivated state of mind...just getting started is the hardest thing.

Motivation has gone AWOL for the past six months and the bike has sat idle in the shed with the exception of commuting the short distance to and from work...and here it is Easter holidays.

The weight that I had lost has returned with a vengeance after a dismal past six months. Knee pains, ankle pains, back pains are all become the norm once again. Too many beers, way too  much unhealthy living and a lack of pedal motion has all worked together to drag me back into the pit of obesity, all 121.5 kg's of it. Not bad considering I was done at my peak of 96 kg's, and even after giving up on the racing I was happily hovering around the 100 kg's.

To be honest I just haven't been bothered. I have found myself watching YouTube rather than doing stuff to take footage to post to it.

But that is changing as of this weekend. I have a short trip to take away but after that...BANG!!!!! I am into it once again. There is so much I want to accomplish this year and I'm off to a bad start I know, but I've always been one to cram study the night before an exam...lol.

But Konnie (my Kona Sutra) needs some tlc and attention, and the old Merida MTB is past due for a dust off. So this blog is no longer just about cycling, it's about taking my badly neglected life back. Hopefully it will assist with the motivation I lack at present...hang on, just wait a tick whilst I grab another beer... What? The weekend isn't over yet...lol.

There were several things I was planning for this year but unfortunately work has disturbed my social life, and they will sit in prime position on the mantle waiting for when the time is right. So I will get back into trips shortly, just relatively local, as I have four days every week to get out there.
Like I have always said, "Being married with children and bills to pay the long trips aren't always a reality".

I have so much to see around here that I could video and blog about. Bundaberg is beautiful part of the world.

On a further note, I am also setting up the old Pajero for some up and coming family trips. I have an old trailer that I intend on building up as a camper trailer, and along with some swags, these trips shouldn't be too far away. Of course, at least the old Merida MTB will be strapped to the roof as I have to take the opportunity to cycle in unusual places that we intend to set up camp. These should be a lot of fun.

Four-wheel-driving and bush camping is something that I have always loved. So the Paj will be set up a little more appropriately, whilst the old trailer will be set up to carry our large fridge, gear and kitchen etc. I have the plan in my head, I just have to establish it into reality. Plus, like I said, some of the places we intend to travel will make some awesome bike riding.

So it was just a short blog today mainly to get be seated behind the keyboard again, and it feels good.

To those who have followed this blog, and to those who read it when posted...thank you, I appreciate it. I apologise for the absence.

So no it's just a matter of loosing weight and getting my fitness back once again. I'm looking forward to what the near future has and can't wait to tackle it head on.

Cheers guys, and ride safe.