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Wouldn't you love to be biking around Australia with a supermodel like this? Thanks to our sponsor
Colibri Sports, Aimee's lookin' fine, sleek and aerodynamic in her Noret jersey. We
practically look like real honest-to-goodness cyclists!
I guess this means the trip is starting soon, which brings us to our next little event...
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knock knock knockin' on kevin's door...
 
This is Elder Andrew Rancie and Elder Isaac Ngawaka, two of the only three visitors to David's domicile this week.
I think we were all glad to have a chat. Aimee tried to score a bible from them, thinking that on a long trip, all that
text packed onto those really thin pages made for smart travel reading. We'd be willing to bet that it's the first time
they've ever asked, "Do you read the bible?" and received the answer: "NO, but I was GONNA!"
Incidentally, the third visitor this week was a Jehovah's Witness named Gary. Is it a bad sign when, mere days before you
begin a 15,000 km bike trip, two different religions come to your door?
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final thoughts...
We thought that since they just finished their bike trip, and we were just about to begin ours, that we'd better get the
scoop from the experienced. These four brave souls may be able to offer us a glimpse of what lies ahead...
What was the biggest challenge to overcome?
Simon: I thought just getting along with each other in a stressful situation was a pretty big
challenge. When you're suddenly with other people for 24 hours a day, you start to learn other's habits and sometimes they
clash with your own.
David: Physically, though, the hill day was the most challenging. Everyone was looking out for
each other, but nobody got written off.
What was the most embarrassing moment of the trip?
Smackers: Had to be Dave reading the story from the men's magazine to the entire campground.
David: I almost had an embarrassing moment. I was cycling next to another guy, chatting away, and
we were coming up behind an enormously fat woman. As we passed her, he said to her, "How'd you like to sleep with me tonight?"
and she said, "Maybe if you're lucky." I asked if he knew her: "Oh yeah, that's my wife." I was so glad I held back from making
a comment about her size. I lucked out.
What advice do you have for cyclists wanting to do this?
Dave: Follow my motto: Just do it. Enjoy yourself.
Smackers: Pack light, especially clothes. Everyone smells as bad as you do.
Simon: Prepare your ass: The only way is to ride more before you start.
David: Make friends with good looking guys, because they make friends with good looking girls.
Do you have any camping tips?
David: Bring a Powerade bottle to bed with you. It'll save you having to leave your tent in the middle of the night. On heavy drinking nights, bring two.
Smackers: And make sure your two-man tent is really a two-man tent.
Hi to Ian, Anna, Peta, Michelle, Craig and Adrienne!
Nice to have met you all!
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why are we being sponsored?
Bikeabout!
click here to see what we're up to!
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We're going to try something a little different this week. Since all we really
did was mope around David's place this week,
(and who wants to read about that?) we thought we'd let the Boys from Bicycle Queensland give you their story.
In case you
missed last week's introduction, David, Simon, Smackers and Dave (the other Dave) just entered
the biggest bike ride of their lives to date. Nine days, 543 kilometers and 800 other cyclists makes for a much more interesting
week than Aim & Kev watching the National Geographic channel, don't you think?
We now join Cycle Queensland, already in progress...
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toilet trouble
|  54km Childers  |
Challenges emerge as we all work to reassemble bikes to be ready for the official start. All goes pretty well though minor
problems emerge as we discover nuts and bolts that have worked loose floating in the bottom of boxes. All get ready with a
good 40mins to spare.
Simon and Smackas decide to use the spare time for a spot of shopping - major objective being the procuring of an inflating
needle for the footy. Directions obtained ("just 3 blocks that way") would have been a whole heap more useful had they
added that each block in Bundaberg is about 10km long! Only moments are left to
get to the official starting point. Lucky that Simon insisted Smackas did not have time for "a quick haircut" at 6 mins to
take-off!
Quiet night in Childers pub, playing pool and making use of the toilet facilities - As we were yet to adjust to the
portable contraptions associated with the camp-site we were sure that the facilities at the pub would be more comfortable.
In hindsight, the sole male toilet in a dark room with no light and no lock proved to be somewhat of a let-down! 'The Other
Dave' led the field by making use of the ladies sit-down facilities which, we're sure, made for some very lucky ladies who
needed to relieve themselves soon after!
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Aim & Kev's Day: Aimee beat Kevin three games to zero at 'Tip It!' |
 The Whole 9 Yards |
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A feeling of discontent was apparent from Smackas who expressed his surprise at the size of the tent that Dave had purchased
on his behalf. To be fair to both parties, we should perhaps just attribute it to a slight breakdown in communication
and a different perception of what a '2-man hiking tent' would be! The tent saga was to continue for another day until
Smackas and Simon reached an amicable agreement and negotiated a tent-swap! Smackas' camping days (and nights!) were much
happier from thereafter!
Met Craig from Brisbane who joined our group from then on. Craig was travelling alone and had made quite a few contacts
with other cyclists (girls even!) and was therefore a valuable asset to the team!
The 70km ride was made all the more enjoyable by a slight tumble from 'The Other Dave' who was having trouble
adjusting to the toe-clips of his new bike.
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Aim & Kev's Day: We went to the grocery store, because we were almost out of milk! |
 Malice |
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Finally Smackas got the haircut that he'd been after since Day 1! Ignoring his team-mates advice for a No. 1 or 2 clipper
job, he nonetheless came back looking pretty light on top!
A day of small rolling hills made for an enjoyable 50km ride to Maryborough. Craig joined our camp formation that evening
but was a little taken aback (along with all other campers within earshot of the immediate area!) by 'The Other Dave'
reading 'articles' aloud from a 'men's magazine' that he'd brought along for bed-time 'reading'. Unfortunately, the alcohol level
in his blood must have impaired his hearing, causing him to read not only loud enough for our tents to hear, but many others
surrounding us. We generally found it a little easier to procure
a campsite from this night on as other campers seemed happy to do their own reading.
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Aim & Kev's Day: Aimee invents recipe for 'Dumb Fudge!' |
Double Dose of Stallone |
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The day we were all waiting for! The 70km ride gave those from the flat-lands a little idea of what we were to encounter in
terms of hills, but our efforts were aided by the promise of resort accommodation awaiting us for two nights at Noosa!
All expectations were exceeded - big beds, clean sheets, showers with water pressure and real toilets!
The swimming pool, spa, videos, etc. were incidental little bonuses, but the greatest joy was to be found in the little things!
Party night in Noosa was a hoot! Beers aplenty at the Noosa Surf Club. Big night with all the cyclists getting together and
going pretty hard. David surprised us all, himself included, by venturing onto the dance floor! (Something that doesn't
happen every day! More like three times in 15 years!)
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Aim & Kev's Day: Kevin talks to his mom and dad on the phone! |
Lois & Clark Reruns |
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hill with this!
| 79kmMaleny |
A day that redefined hills for us; 80km of bloody huge hills! Long and steep, there was little respite for the second half
of the ride as we hit the hills. All members managed to climb (with a few little stops along the way) with not a lot of
energy to spare!
A fairly quiet night followed at the Maleny pub. 'The Other Dave' may have perhaps overindulged slightly as he
awoke the next morning, still dressed, in a tent in a very sad state. The usually huge and erect structure of Dave's was
pretty much flat as a pancake and it was a miracle of human endurance (and perhaps of drunken stupors!) that he
made it through the night without suffocating.
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Aim & Kev's Day: We get a visit from Elder Rancie and Elder Ngawaka! |
Caddyshack II |
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speed kills
|  85km Redcliffe  |
Footy isn't big up here, but being homegrown Victorian boys we wanted to watch the Essendon semi-final. It was a hard time
finding a pub willing to show it, but finally, we did. It was the type of place where you hope like hell the patrons won't
approach you for a conversation.
It wasn't the best setting: we couldn't hear the TV, and any excitement was ruined by a couple of 'twisted drugged-up old moles'
at the jukebox, playing everything from Wham to Meatloaf, even doing the act where one person sings the 'let me sleep on it'
part and the other one sings the 'I gotta know right now!' part.
We decided our best bet was to dominate the pool table, since it was right next to the TV. Smackas idea was to make the
games go as slowly as possible, and then he sunk 5 balls on the break!
The weather that night was a torrential downpour, proving that God could have ruined the event had He wanted to.
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Aim & Kev's Day: We do some yardwork at David's house since it's so nice out. Then it rained! |
Yellow Submarine |
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A very easy 40km this morning, trundling into Brisbane pretty-much as one big group. Huge feelings of satisfaction as we
sailed past the finish line to raptuous applause.
After 590km we again chose to demonstrate our extreme levels of fitness and skills with a quick game of football
on the adjoining oval. Attempting a manouvre best reserved for a man perhaps 20 years his junior, David went down like a sack
of potatoes clutching an injured knee. After finally realising that it was a genuine injury, we stopped laughing and rushed
to his assistance, discovering that he really was out of action! The only saving grace was that it had happened after the
trip was over... only a half-hour's drive from home!
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Aim & Kev's Day: The boys are home! The girls came over! We planted a garden! |
The Osbournes |
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Photos* and writing for the Cycle Queensland trip provided generously by Simon Vivian, a.k.a. Bachelor #2.
*Except Thursday's photo, taken from Cycle Queensland website.
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bonk:
(n.) energy break. Cycling term refering to a brief stop and a snack. Therefore, if your cycling buddy asks if you'd like to
pull off the road for a quick bonk, don't be insulted.
two tents
story time
beauty rest
medic!
where's wally wombat?
