Links

Audax Australia
This is the umbrella organisation running long distance cycling events in Australia Their website includes a calendar of events.

Bikejournal
A place where cyclist can keep track of their mileage and any number of other statistics, as well as an attached forum.

Bikeforums
A set of discussion forums covering almost every conceivable cycling related topic.

Cycling Adventurer
The Cycling Adventurer has tossed in the structured life of an urbanite to explore the world by bicycle. A well-written site detailing how he came to cycling, and what he learned along the way.

Crazy Guy on a Bike

Bicycle touring journals from all over the world, including a couple of my own.

Johns Cycles

This is my LBS on the Gold Coast. While they cater more to the racing market, their service, advice and workmanship is the best on the coast.

St Kilda Cycles

Importers of all manner of things hard to find in Australia, including the legendary Schmidt hub dynamo & E6 lights.

Blogs

Bicycle-eye
Wonderings and wanderings out and about in Portland, Oregon, US

The Journey
The journey begins in Perth, Western Australia.

Lance Notstrong
The "other" Lance!

Ms Mittens
The Wired Cat on-line

Iron Gambit
.

Aussie Writer and Cycletourist
A blog chronicling the writing and cycling of a seaside baby boomer.

Up in Alaska
Jill's subarctic journal about ice, bears and distant dreams of the midnight sun.

The Kin Chronicles
Taking mediocrity to a new level of ordinary.

Allez
Riding and running with a vengeance.

London Cycling Diary
Pedalling across the capital since August 2005.

CouchPilot-2-BikePilot (Zin's cycling blog)
Living an adventurous life with Type-2-Diabetes.

The adventures of Crazy Biker Chick
... Including cycling, adventuring, cooking, knitting and ranting.

Redneck Espanol
The two wheeled Spanish redneck.

Treadly and me
"Work is something I do between riding my bicycle".

Crowlie
Womanist philosophy and theology. Cycling, climbing, art, single-motherhood and fire-twirling.

Adrian Fitch's random rambling.
A bit about cycling, a bit about genealogy, a bit about radio but mostly a lot about nothing at all.

Geo's big adventure
The life and times of Geo.

It's about the bike
Musings on the cycling life.

Spinopsys
Various cycling tidbits.

Industry Outsider
A blog about bikes and stuff.

Tweed Coast Treadly
An old man's bicycle riding diary.

A cyclist's life in Tenerife
(Canary Islands).

Bike to work to live to bike
It's never too late to get back on the bike

Stupid Hurts
Just the random scribblings of a guy with a bicycle

I'm not drunk enough for this
Really, I'm not.

BikeHacks
What can I say? Just read it.

Mozam's cycling adventures
A random collection of the things I like to do most, and mostly that is to ride my bikes, bicycles that is... My musings from competitive riding, long distance endurance to puttering around the neighborhood..

More cycling blogs

Blog Directory - Blogged

Powered by Blogger

This site is certified 76% GOOD by the Gematriculator This site is certified 24% EVIL by the Gematriculator

Monday, December 08, 2008

Back to "business"



Yesterday was time to get back to "business" after being out of the country for the last few weeks. Martin and I had decided on a ride to Mebbin National Park, deep in the Tweed Valley. The promised rain during the day didn't really eventuate, and in this part of the world, that means high heat and high humidity. However, while the weather conditions could have been more pleasant, the scenery made up for it. As is becoming customary now, we started off passing through the rainforest of Urliup in the morning on the way South.





After this it was the usual route through Murwillumbah and Uki, with the surrounding mountains and patches of rainforest intertwined with rolling green hills. However, apart from a nasty stretch of road construction to the south of Uki, it was all pretty uneventful. A light shower passed overhead, which seemed to give the clouds hovering around the mountains another boost. Further south we passed a waterfall, before commencing the climb into Mebbin National Park.





Considering my location, it was quite a surprise that it took me so long to originally discover this route. However, now that it's on my map, it's developed into a regular ride. The climb into the National park is quite taxing, being on dirt roads as it is. The moisture managed to keep the dust out of the equation, but our bikes still managed to get into a mess. This park actually shares a boundary with the Border Ranges National Park, and the resulting views to the west are testament to this. Eventually the summit was reached, which left us with a gently downhill ride through the rainforest back toward Uki.



We rejoined the old Tweed Valley route for the return to Uki, and after a lunch stop, it was time for the ride home to finish off the 170km. The route back over Tomewin is shorter, but harder as it contains a bigger climb. This climb would prove my downfall this afternoon, as I tried to attack it in the oppressive conditions. I almost made the attack stick, but I really blew up just before the summit. I suppose there is a lesson to be learned here, to be a little more selective about when the attacks are to be made. It was, however, the final noteworthy climb of the day, so the ride home wasn't overly difficult.

All in all it was another extremely rewarding day. I have to confess to feeling a little spoiled, to come home to this after a holiday. Still, it means I have plenty to keep me occupied over the coming months. Roll on next weekend.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home