For those who have read our blog you will know we have all taken up bike riding. We went bike shopping and come out with three mountain bikes. Yay!!! We then joined a bike group which get together every week for a 45 km ride and after riding for a couple of months we found out there's a two day bike ride to Victor Harbor and back.

And yes we did decide to go.

So last week at 10 o'clock Dude, Little Ma and my self set out with a group of 19 others from Blackwood.
The first 25 km was mostly up hills with a little bit of rain and hail. So we thought it couldn't get worse.
Yeah right!!!
The WIND.
The last 50 km was the worst. A quote from Dude " You know it's bad when you have to peddle down hill". Luckily we did have three support cars and Little Ma had a short rest for part of the way and I myself took a ride for the last 15 km while the other two continued. After 100 km and 8 hours, 19 tired riders arrived at the hotel at 6 pm. After a short shower and a filling meal the three of us hit the hay at 7:30 for a well deserved rest.
Breakfast was at seven for an 8 o'clock start. Luckily the sun was making an appearance and the wind had died down.
I'm happy to say we did not need the support car for the journey home. After 80 km and lots of cafes we all arrived at Noarlunga trainstation at 3 pm. The final destination for the ride.
From there we took the train to the local station and rode the last few k's home. After lots of tea and chocolate we have all recovered and am very surprised to say we all feel quite good all things considering.
Till next time MnM : )

I thought I was going on a holiday to Victor. No, it was a bike ride to Victor. Totally different thing all together! What was I thinking! What's worse I was usually last and apart from MnM and Dude everyone was between 10 & 40 years OLDER than me. AARRGGHH. It did cross my mind - are my kids trying to get their inheritance a little early?
Huggs Little Ma

Biking

Hee Hee . I got a new bike.
That's the other reason I haven't blogged. The computer doesn't fit in my back pack. Dude wanted to do more riding so off we went . After 25kms and a hefty hail storm we came home , bedraggled but triumphant .
This is a pic of us returning. I'm not smiling - it' a grimace!

I thought, Wow! 25KMs! I'm fantastic. so fantastic that when Dude said lets go a Group Ride , I thought no worries. Famous last thoughts.


I turned up on my old ' bike with a basket' 'cos our better one had a puncture. Surrounded by the older generation in Lycra , my 'bike with a basket' stood out. It's brakes didn't work well, the gears didn't shift and I was lagging behind puffing. Not a pretty sight. Luckily I was able to stop at Bike SA and get to borrow one for the day.

Now most who know me , also know that I hate driving around. Imagine how surprised I was to get to Morialta Falls on a bike. I avoid driving that far! Anything over 5 kms needs a packed lunch. By the end of the day we must have ridden over 50 kms. I swapped the bikes back and had to ride home on the 'bike with a basket'. Never again. I didn't think I was going to get home. The last 5 kms I had to help my legs by pushing on my knees. Leave me here Dude! Save yourself! But I did make it .

Since then I've been trying to buy a bike. 3 months and 3 times I've gone and come home empty handed. Why was it so hard! There is so much choice and it's not as simple as price. There are mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrids which I was informed are not good to use off road. I'd go in thinking yep this is the bike I want only to find out that it's not the bike I want!! There's different tyres, different brakes , lights etc etc etc arrghghh

But Today was the day!
This is it! Oh and Mnm's arrived a few days later. My next thing to save for is a little trailer so I can use it for shopping.

Mine's the pinky one.( not my favourite colour, but who cares) Mnm's has a larger frame and is a lovely frosty, bluey, greeny colour.
The best advise to choose which bike, was in the Australian Cyclist Magazine (one of the early 2008 editions) where they compared 6 different bikes. Really good. I could understand most of what they said.

But best of all I fitted some straps in MnM's tyres to help stop 3-cornered jack punctures. I feel right smug.
(Until the brakes go wonky and I'm deperately trolling the internet for advise on You tube ! Oh and by the way to those doing films on Youtube - FILM WHAT YOU ARE DOING - It's so frustrating to hear " Oh and you do this and that and..." but I can't see what you're doing. If I knew what you were doing , I wouldn't be watching the ruddy You tube, would I??!!!
Enough ranting.

Now it just needs a little basket to finish it off, don't you think : )


Huggs Little Ma

PS I am knitting really ,truly but I'm also frogging lots so there isn't too much to show.