Life is Getting Busy

I didn't get round to riding my new bike until Saturday morning due to some heavy rain and other commitments but I did make several decisions are a result of owning it.

First I located the web page for the Australian Bike Friday Club (ABFC from now on).   The first thing I saw was a picture of the club's founder,  Margaret Day. (Note I have given Margaret her full name as it is clearly posted on the club's web page.)

I first met Margaret back in 1992 when we were both members of the South Australian  Touring Cyclist's Association (SATCA).  We both went on a tour of Tasmania in 1993 and became good friends.  She and her husband, Graham were the first people to import Bike Fridays into South Australia.  In fact they had them specially built, picked them up in the States,  rode across America, flew to Europe to attend a Bicycle Conference in Denmark,  cycled across Europe to Austria then flew home.  They were very second-hand Bike Fridays when they demonstrated them at the club meeting.

After my accident I had contacted Margaret about getting a Bike Friday but as I mentioned in my previous blog  my Margaret became seriously ill so I took no action at that time.

The ABFC page also talked about a gathering in Grafton NSW   to be held from the 31st march to 3rd April this year but unfortunately registration had closed on  February 1st.

I emailed Margaret letting her know about my Margaret's death and my subsequent decision to buy a Bike Friday Pocket Expedition.  I also asked about joining the ABFC  Within an hour I received a reply, or rather three replies.  In the first Margaret and Graham passed on their sympathy for my Margaret's death and reminded me that they had met when I lead a SATCA breakfast ride around Adelaide.  We ate our breakfast on the little park opposite our house.  We all used our house's toilets for a comfort break and my Margaret accepted the invasion of twenty sweaty cyclist disturbing her Saturday morning lie in.  I went on many breakfast rides with Margaret and Graham as she was the organiser.

The second reply told me about the ABFC and its get together.  The final said that she had arranged for me to make a late registration and they would love me to attend.

I decided that I would as it would enable me to meet old friends and give me an easy way back into cycle camping.  I sent of my registration check and began to sort out my camping gear.  My sleeping bag and mattress were OK but the tent had not been looked at since my Margaret retrieved it from my last camp site following my accident back in 2000.  The fabric had become brittle - it was 20 years old!.  I managed to buy a similar tent from Macpac Australia, a Macpac Microlight. This is a one person tent and is incredibly light.  It arrived yesterday.

I also looked at the ABFC Facebook Page  and there my old frien Jenny Currie was a member and she had bought a Pocket Companion last November.   Jenny was the founder of the Sunshine Coast Bicycle Touring Club (SCBTC) and I was camping with her and other members the day before my accident.  The last time I saw Jenny was when she came to visit me in hospital after the accident..

I sent Jenny, who has married another clum member since we last met, an email.  She replied the next day and we arrange for us to meet on Sunday morning for coffee and a chat.  She and her husband, Ray, had just returned fro a bicycle tour of New Zeakand.  On Sunday I rode up Gyndier Drive to the Sunrise Road where Jenny and Ray met met and took me the The Orange Cafe where we sat for a couple of hours catching up on things.  We are going to meet one evening soon and have pizza at the same cafe.

I actually got out for a good ride on the new bike on Saturday morning when I did a 33kmkm circuit from Tewantin to Cooroy via Sunrise Road and the Eumundi Range Road.  This is a very hilly ride and I was happy to average 17km an hour.  In the past I have averaged about 22km but that was 11 years ago and I had two good legs.  I also did the same loop yesterday at about the same speed.  I think that I am strong enough to go an a 35km ride with SCBTC on Saturday morning.

I did an extra MOW delivery on Friday and have been going to my computer club on Wednesdays so life has been quite busy.