THE MEMBERS’ MAGAZINE - No. 184NOVEMBER 2019 TO JANUARY 2020

COMMUNITY CYCLING NEWS

CYCLE

Annual Tour explores spectacular Eyre Peninsula Rickshaw-riding record breaker

Unley Museum’s wheely great exhibition

COFFIN BAY

COWELL SILOS

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C O N T E N T SFront cover images: The 2019 Annual Tour was a visual treat. These images show the majesty of the area that captivated and delighted our tourists.

CEO and President’s Notes 3

Annual Tour 4

Vale Doug Kitchen 5

Bikes Palya’s next step in Oodnadatta 6

Talented trio leads Gear Up Girl fun 8

Unley Museum’s spotlight on cycling 10

Rickshaw ride into record books 14

M E M B E R S U B M I S S I O N S

Teenager’s adventure in cycling 12

Contributing to CycleHave you something you would like to contribute to Cycle? If so we’d love to hear about it. Please contact the Bike SA office. Email: office@bikesa.asn.au

B I C Y C L E S A O F F I C E53 Carrington Street, Adelaide

Phone (08) 8168 9999Fax (08) 8168 9988

Email office@bikesa.asn.auWeb www.bikesa.asn.au

The office is open seven days a week, 9am to 5pm

C Y C L ECycle is published quarterlyISSN: 2208-3979

D I S C L A I M E RThe views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Bicycle SA. Bicycle SA does not guarantee the accuracy of information published herein

© 2 0 1 9 B I C Y C L E S AOriginal articles in Cycle are copyrighted to Bicycle South Australa Incorporated (Bicycle SA) unless otherwise specified. Non-profit organisations may reproduce articles copyrighted to Bicycle SA, with only minor modification, without the permission of the authors, provided Bicycle SA is sent, as a courtesy and condition, a copy of the publications containing such reproduction.

Articles copyrighted to their authors may not be reproduced without the express authorisation of their authors. Bicycle SA and the original authors reserve the right to take legal action for breach of copyright where these instructions are not complied with.

B I C Y C L E S A E X E C U T I V E T E A MPresident, Maureen MerrickEmail: maureen.merrick@bikesa.asn.auVice President, Nathan PetrusTreasurer, Michael KillmierSecretary, Anne Smith

Members Chris Beauchamp Warwick Cooper Angie Lewis Terry Ryan Nick Spyrou Greg Staker

Unley Museum’s spotlight — page 10

Rickshaw ride into record books — page 14

Gear Up Girl fun — page 8

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C H I E F E X E C U T I V E ’ S N O T E SC H R I S T I A N H A A G

P R E S I D E N T ’ S N O T E SM A U R E E N M E R R I C K

For many of us, spring is the start of the riding season – whether it be riding to work in these

warmer months or just awaking from a winter hibernation to get the body moving again.

And as we do every year, Bike SA provides ample opportunities for some awesome riding with some great people. The Fleurieu Fondo continues to be a “money can’t buy” chance to ride the South Expressway, which will again be closed to cars and to enjoy the beautiful beaches and wineries of McLaren Vale.

As we continue our work to increase female participation in bicycle riding, our Gear Up Girl event provides a safe, inclusive and encouraging environment for girls and women to turn their first pedal – this event has become a lighthouse event for us and is much loved by our regular riders.

And if it’s a smaller group ride you prefer, don’t forget our community Rides Programme, which now boasts more than 2500 free and scheduled rides each year, across all parts of the state.

It is pleasing to see the Adelaide City Council re-engaging with the 40km/h speed limit community discussion. It is a sobering reminder that the fatality rate for a pedestrian or cyclist struck by a vehicle moving at 50km/h is 85 per cent. But this drops to 30 per cent if the vehicle is travelling at 40km/h and just 10 per cent at 30km/h.

There is much evidence that travel times would marginally increase through a 10km/h speed reduction to 40km/h. This must be weighed against the staggering reduction in the risk of fatality/casualty outcomes.

When we look at the number of school zones throughout the CBD and total pedestrian/cyclist populations during the week, a simple question is: “Why would a responsible local authority not reduce speed limits?”. For many years the Unley (since 1999) and Charles Sturt councils have expanded 40km/h zones throughout their region to the delight of a vast majority of residents. More councils are following the trend.

As we have argued to the city council on multiple occasions, a ‘bicycle-friendly’ CBD with quality infrastructure and 40km/h speed limits will be a more economically vibrant one. Supporting research from our US colleagues consistently reinforces the fact that when you design cities for people and not cars, the community and business win.

Sadly, we still inhabit a political ecosystem that is obsessed with making it ‘easier’ to access the city by car – this decades-old argument being that “the more car parks we have the more people will visit the city.” As a great man once said, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different response”.

Let’s not forget that Adelaide city has more car parks per capita than any other in Australia!

We have advocated for many years for 40km/h limits along local government-identified cycling routes and will continue to encourage the city council create a more vibrant, appealing and economically successful city.

Past Presidents, Life Members and a number of members attended the recent funeral of

one of our founding members, also a Club Person of the Year, Past President and Life Member, Douglas Kitchen.

Doug or ‘Big Doug’ as he was affectionately known, spent more than 30 years volunteering for the organisation. He played a significant role during the formative years of the organisation,

and as indicated above, in recognition of this, was honoured with Life Membership in 1993.

On the annual tours he would be found in the luggage truck sorting out the numerous pieces of luggage, at the Grand Slam events, he was always the person looking after the morning refreshments, at the Easter Cycle weekends he would always provide those additional activities and for many years he led rides throughout the metropolitan area. He had an absolute passion for cycling, Bicycle SA and anything to do with bikes.

Whenever he could, Doug would make himself available to assist with whatever was required to be done.

The first signs of ill health emerged for Doug in 2005. Then in 2013 further medical issues intervened and sadly Doug was no longer able to continue volunteering or riding his bike. Apart from his family, these were the two great passions of his life.

Our deepest condolences have been sent to the family.

We are almost at the end of another extremely busy year. I am sure that our volunteers are looking forward to having a break shortly before we recommence with our various events in 2020.

To our volunteers, thank you for all your efforts during the year; whether in the office, bike maintenance, at events, as ride group coordinators, ride leaders or contributors to Cycle, it is all very much appreciated.

To our CEO and staff, who have also been kept very busy throughout the year; thank you for all your work and those additional hours.

As this is our final Cycle publication for the year, on behalf of the Executive Committee – Chris Beauchamp, Warwick Cooper, Angie Lewis, Michael Killmier (Treasurer), Nathan Petrus (Vice President), Terry Ryan, Anne Smith (Secretary), Nick Spyrou and Greg Staker - I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a safe and fulfilling 2020.

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2 0 1 9 A N N U A L T O U R A W I L D W E S T W O N D E R

Quiet country roads, endless spectacular rural and coastal vistas, warm welcomes from

every local community, the culinary delights of a renowned seafood destination and, of course, great company.

What’s not to love?

The 182 participants of Bicycle SA’s 2019 Annual Tour found all that and more as the Tour – supported by 43 dedicated volunteers – guided them on an epic adventure of southern Eyre Peninsula.

The 21-29 September Tour started in Cowell, well-timed to set off a couple of days after a huge, choking dust storm. There was also a bit of rain on Friday and Saturday but conditions improved for the first day of riding on Sunday and the excursion ride to explore beautiful Arno Bay in the afternoon after the Tour’s arrival in Cleve was a big hit.

The push west continued on Monday to Lock where the children at the Lock Area School not only turned out to wave and greet the Tour riders into their town but had already done a fabulous job decorating their bikes for the occasion.

They then invited the Tour riders to come to their school and students and Tour riders all rode back to the Tour’s campsite at the Lock Sporting Club oval, rode a few parade laps around the oval and then judged the best-looking of the children’s vividly decorated bikes.

On Tuesday the adventure turned to the south towards Cummins and then on for two nights at spectacular Coffin Bay. Riders raved about the beauty of Coffin Bay National Park and their time in the town was spent taking advantage of the swag of excursion opportunities on offer.

The Tour’s final destination of Port Lincoln then loomed large on the horizon and once again the fine food and drink of the region, the peerless hospitality of the locals and the relaxing environment treated the Tour riders to an unforgettable conclusion to their adventure. Dinner and dancing on the final night served as a fitting farewell to friends old and new.

Bicycle SA extends its most sincere gratitude to the

district councils of Franklin Harbour, Cleve, Elliston, Lower Eyre Peninsula, the City of Port Lincoln and all their communities for their fantastic support and hospitality throughout our nine-day stay on the wonderful Eyre Peninsula.

“A lot of the participants had never been to the Eyre Peninsula and did not know what to expect from the experience,” Bicycle SA Events Manager Russell Miatke said. “They were surprised and delighted by natural beauty of the whole area we rode through.

“The last time we ventured so far west for an Annual Tour was in 1994. It’s fair to say that many people are hoping we don’t leave it so long until the next time we return.”

ANNUAL TOUR – BY THE NUMBERS

182 The number of riders, 94 were men and 88 were women

43 The number of volunteer support staff

64 The median age of the riders

524 The maximum number of kilometres ridden by anyone who took all the longest options available

1 The number of riders from the Northern Territory who took part

62 The number of Victorians who took part, the most of all the states and territories

17 The age, in years, of the youngest rider, Harry

81 The age of our most senior participant, Jim A.

11,440 The total age of all our Annual Tour participants

Morning tea time

View from Stamford Hill

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V A L E

D O U G L A S K I T C H E N

9.6 .1938 –

27 .8 .2019

Douglas was born on the 9th of June 1938 in Stockport, England. He was the second son of Ellen and Sidney Kitchen. He grew up in Stockport and together with his three brothers, was educated at the Hollywood School for Boys. He also had a sister.

At 14 years of age he acquired a paper round and his savings went towards the purchase of his first bike. Thus commenced his lifelong cycling journey and love of bikes. With his friend Ken, they began cycling all over England.

Douglas commenced work as an upholsterer until an injury resulted in the loss of his left eye.

He married Diana in March 1962. In 1967, together with their two sons, Martin and Neil, the family immigrated to Australia. They then had two daughters, Lee-Anne and Julie. They initially lived in Beverley, then Hillcrest and finally settled in Oakden.

While in England, Douglas worked for Cadbury Chocolates which he continued to do in Adelaide.

Until his retirement in 2003, Douglas was later employed as a truck driver, delivering a variety of small goods all over the metropolitan area.

Then in his spare time at the weekends he would be out cycling and/or volunteering. He was an avid follower of the Tour de France and was always out watching the stages of the Tour Down Under each year.

Douglas was one of the founding members of Bicycle SA, then known as the South Australian Touring Cyclists’ Association, when it was established in 1982. Together with Diana, they were very active members, with Douglas fondly being known as ‘Big Doug’.

Douglas received the inaugural Club Person of the Year Award in 1991 and in 1998 - 1990 he was elected President. In recognition of his enormous contribution to the organisation, Douglas was awarded Honorary Life Membership in 1993.

Sadly, the death of Diana occurred in 1989, after 27 years of marriage. This did not deter Douglas from his beloved cycling.

In 1995 Douglas met Heather, and two years later in 1997 they were married. Between them, they had eight children then went on to have 11 grandchildren and two great grand-children.

In 2006 Douglas was diagnosed with cancer and then a number of other health issues developed. When he suffered a stroke in 2013, and became unable to drive a vehicle, sadly Douglas could no longer enjoy fishing, riding his bike or continuing to volunteer in the various cycling activities which were the raison d’etre of his life. However, he was still able to enjoy being taken for a drive and the weekly visits to his local Men’s Shed.

He will be sadly missed by all his friends and family.

H E A T H E R K I T C H E N A N D F A M I L Y

Mick

Happy riders feasting in Coffin Bay

A spectacular ocean vista

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The Bikes Palya team is understandably proud of the fun pump track that it built in Oodnadatta

with the invaluable help of Nick Bowman from Destination Trails that we presented in our last edition of Cycle.

Now the team is marching forward from that success, supporting the establishment of a walking and cycling club in Oodnadatta that came about during a community meeting about the track and how to use it to achieve broader community engagement.

The local community has also responded warmly since the pump track’s arrival.

Bobby, the local constable, said that since the track had been installed in July more kids were riding and wearing helmets, and that use of the track was still increasing.

Jason, a young adult from a nearby station said that he’d used the track several times and that “other station kids will use it once they’ve seen it”.

Eloise, a nurse at the health clinic said when the track was being built there was a lot of excitement, everyone was taking photos and wanted to be involved. “Bikes Palya is a great program for the whole community. The kids look forward to it every holidays and adults come together around the track to watch the kids ride. Few services come to Oodnadatta, especially ones with fun programs,” she said.

Among the infrastructure that will underpin the walking and cycling club will be three bright yellow bikes from the Ofo bike-hire scheme that shut down in Adelaide last year. Since then

they had been stored by Bike SA before Dunjiba Council had them trucked up to be put to good use in the Far North.

The track was built in accordance with a Dunjiba Community plan to develop the main street for recreation purposes. It also links together aims to encourage cycling and walking in and around the community.

There are two walking loops on which Bikes Palya consulted on the design and which they encouraged to also open them up to cycling.

Points of interest have been marked but the trails remain to be developed. One goal of the walking and cycling club is to visit these points of interest and teach the culture and history of Oodnadatta to local youth as well as to visitors.

B I K E S P A L Y A W A L K I N G A N D C Y C L I N G I N O O D N A D A T T A

Is the guy nuts, or a bloody genius?You’ll need to read this book to decide for yourself. Kris Larsen,dedicated car hater, finds himself on the wrong side of fifty with his body unwilling to ride a conventional bicycle. So he builds himself a comfortable recumbent bike out of scrap from the dump, and resolves to fulfil his old dream-to ride his machine across Australia on dirt from ocean to ocean. From Darwin down theGibb River Road, Tanami Highway and Oodnadatta track, Kris delves into forgottenhistory of overland cycling, and digs up amazing stories of adventure, endurance andshowmanship, contrasting them with an unflattering portrayal of the iconic explorers.Kris Larsen tells it as it is, that’s why he publishes, prints and binds his own books.I only have 8 copies of “Bicycle Dreaming” at $48 each which includes postage and handling. Contact me on hunta46@bigpond.com

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Nominations are now open for members with the skills and interest in standing for the Executive of Bicycle SA. We request that nominations are made on the nomination forms available at the office or from the website: www.bikesa.asn.au

We would like the nominations to reach the office by Monday 25 November to allow for ballot papers and information to be prepared for the meeting.

Please indicate which positions you will be standing for and enclose a short profile of yourself (maximum of 200 words please) and a portrait photograph. We will publish this on the Web during the week leading up to the AGM and it will also be distributed on the evening of the meeting.

Information about the roles and expectations of Executive Committee members will be forwarded to you on receipt of your nomination. This does not indicate that you have been selected but provides you with the opportunity to decide if you are able to accept your role and responsibilities.

The information is available by contacting the office on 8168 9999.

M A U R E E N M E R R I C K O A M President

On behalf of the Executive Committee

Audrey Stewart & Kay Finn at one of Oodnadatta’s point of interest markers

BIKES PALYA 2019 BY THE NUMBERS

450 A total of 450 youths were engaged through our program.

4/11 Four out of the 11 SA Health “healthy towns challenge” grants announced have included Bikes Palya as an external partner

10/16 We were active in 10 regions and delivered 16 weeks of programming

4/4 Four communities receiving four holiday visits per year

We expanded the focus on the APY lands to Far North (Oodnadatta and Leigh Creek) and Far West (Ceduna and Yalata) regions

50 Bikes Palya supplied 50 bikes to top up existing and establish new bike programs

We ran inter-school competitions, incentivising school attendance and engagement with cycling and healthy choices and facilitated inter-community bike competition at the APY annual sports carnival

6 We supported bike loan schemes in six communities, providing access to bikes year-round.

1 With Destination Trails, we built one professional pump track for local kids and visitors to Oodnadatta to use

We helped Dunjiba Council to establish a free public bike hire and weekly walking and cycling club in Oodnadatta

Positions available:

President Secretary Three ordinary Executive members

Each of these elected positions will be for two years

Is the guy nuts, or a bloody genius?You’ll need to read this book to decide for yourself. Kris Larsen,dedicated car hater, finds himself on the wrong side of fifty with his body unwilling to ride a conventional bicycle. So he builds himself a comfortable recumbent bike out of scrap from the dump, and resolves to fulfil his old dream-to ride his machine across Australia on dirt from ocean to ocean. From Darwin down theGibb River Road, Tanami Highway and Oodnadatta track, Kris delves into forgottenhistory of overland cycling, and digs up amazing stories of adventure, endurance andshowmanship, contrasting them with an unflattering portrayal of the iconic explorers.Kris Larsen tells it as it is, that’s why he publishes, prints and binds his own books.I only have 8 copies of “Bicycle Dreaming” at $48 each which includes postage and handling. Contact me on hunta46@bigpond.com

BICYCLE SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC -

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

6pm Thursday,

28 November

53 Carrington Street, Adelaide

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T A L E N T E D T R I O L E A D S G E A R U P G I R L F U N

Bicycle SA’s three ambassadors for Gear Up Girl 2019 are women of varied backgrounds

and skills.

But what they share is a passion for cycling, for safety on our roads and for encouraging women to achieve their best in whatever they pursue.

These are traits that make Bike SA proud to count track cycling national representative Kristina Clonan, retired lawyer turned cycling coach Margaret Boylan and school cycling instructor and long-distance riding enthusiast Sharlene Harding as our representatives for such an important event.

Gear Up Girl, on Sunday, 24 November, is South Australia’s biggest female-only cycling event and as such has a pivotal role in encouraging more women to ride, prioritising cycling safety on our roads and showing just how much fun it is to get out on two wheels with your friends.

Kristina, a Queenslander now honing her sprint speed at the Adelaide Super-Drome, is new to

Kristina Clonan Sharlene Harding (left) and Margaret Boylan

This bunch is having fun as they power through the beach ride

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T A L E N T E D T R I O L E A D S G E A R U P G I R L F U N

Gear Up Girl but is committed to the safety and participation messages at its heart.

“The more people we get riding the stronger our road safety message becomes so encouraging women to love cycling like this ride does is exactly the kind of thing I want to support,” she said.

Margaret and Sharlene have both ridden Gear Up Girl many times and both are thrilled to have seen the positive impact that the event and riding in general have had on the women who have joined them.

“Rides like Gear Up Girl give novice riders a great sense of accomplishment,” Sharlene said. “A lot of women have said to us: ‘I could do rides like that by myself now. I know how to link up all these trails and head out to ride for as long as I want.’”

Margaret said she “feels ecstatic” when she sees women gain that sense of achievement.

“Particularly the mums who bring their children to

the event. They’re being role models for their kids and so are not showing the concerns they have in their own abilities. When they realise what they can do it’s like fireworks going off,” she said.

Margaret is particularly concerned with proper preparation for any new challenge. That’s why the ambassadors will be holding a free Tips and Skills ride on Sunday, 10 November for anyone to gain extra confidence in a relaxed, supported atmosphere before they line up for Gear Up Girl.

The Tips and Skills ride will leave from BICI Café, 259 Hutt St at 9am on 10 November and spend its time on quiet backstreets and separated bike paths, building riding skills and confidence while also leaving time to discuss appropriate clothing, equipment, nutrition or any other questions to ease a novice’s nerves. Numbers are limited and bookings are essential. To register for the Tips and Skills ride, go to www.eventbrite.com.au/d/australia--adelaide/gear-up-girl

“That supportive atmosphere is crucial to what we are trying to achieve in giving more women the confidence to enjoy the fun and all the health and wellbeing benefits of cycling,” Margaret said. “We look out for each other, look after each other and learn from each other.

“But the beauty of Gear Up Girl is that it’s not just any other weekend ride. It’s an event and it has a real sense of occasion, with riders brightly coloured and decked out in fun outfits.

“Motorists see us out there together and many give us a wave and a smile. But more than that, them seeing us creates a positive presence and gives more and more women the confidence to come out and ride.”

Entries are now open for Gear Up Girl. To enter or for more information, go to www.bikesa.asn.au/gearupgirl

An enthusiastic bunch heads out for the 2018 Gear Up Girl ride

All smiles at last year’s Gear Up Girl ride

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Unley Museum is geared up for a summer of cycle celebration as it presents a three-month

exhibition of all things cycling.

On Ya Bike, which was launched on October 31, uses information, images and artefacts that tell the story of the history of the bicycle, internationally and in Australia. It includes racing history, information about riding in Unley and South Australia now, interactive exhibits such as a generator bicycle that shows you how much power you can grind out, an Unley bike game, information about how bikes work, new technology and much more.

For Unley Museum curator, Karen Paris, the inspiration for the exhibition – which she has been developing for almost a year - was somewhat of a personal journey.

“I started riding a bike last year and I realised how interested people are in bikes and cycling,”

Karen said. “The other part of my reasoning for this exhibit is I am very much about health and sustainability and this is another way of getting that word out. If we can get more people riding, that is a great outcome.

“So, the exhibit is about history and social consciousness but it’s also about fun. People who like to come in and muck around with interactive stuff will have plenty to do.”

As well as the modern items like digital touch screens, the latest hi-tech bikes, an interview with elite international track sprinter Stephanie Morton OAM and bike-related artwork by Jimmy Dodd, there will be exhibits tracing the very beginnings of the bicycle.

“We look at the history of the invention of the bicycle, from the early 1400s and the primitive forerunner to what we recognise as modern-era bikes to the 1780s when the first item we know of as a bicycle emerged,” Karen said.

“We also look at how bikes came to Australia and how we latched on to them. Also, the history of racing, both internationally and in Australia, including the Tour Down Under.”

The many historic pictures date back as far as the 1870s and among the many bikes will be some from as early as the 1920s although, at our print deadline, Karen was still trying to secure a penny farthing for the exhibit.

“As we developed this exhibition, I was most surprised by how the penny farthing bikes came about,” Karen said. “Mostly by the fact that they made these bikes with huge wheels because they were easier to ride and less bumpy than the velocipedes of the era which had smaller wheels.”

The exhibition at Unley Museum, 80 Edmund Ave, Unley, runs until 6 February, 2020. Entry to the museum is free and it is open Sunday from 2pm to 5pm, Monday to Wednesday 10am-4pm and Thursdays 10am-6pm.

H I S T O R I C E X H I B I T ’ S S P O T L I G H T O N C Y C L I N G

Bicycle postman in Everard Park, circa 1950s

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Cyclists on Unley Oval 1938

Tim Hughes on a tricycle, circa 1920Unley Museum Curator Karen Paris

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M E M B E R S T O R I E S

W H A T B I K E A D V E N T U R E S D I D Y O U H A V E W H E N Y O U W E R E 1 9 ?B Y M A R T Y N A M E S

Most of us must have ridden bikes since we were teenagers, but where did YOU go to at

that age?

As I lived in the English countryside, approximately halfway between Oxford and Cambridge, this was my riding area. From the age of 14 to 19, I must have ridden down every country road between these two cities that lie 130km apart, this being further than Williamstown to Strathalbyn, and this was north to south and east to west. In addition, with school friends I rode to Land’s End from home, some 540km each way. We did that three times and also covered East Anglia, all of the South Coast and the Isle of Wight.

In 1964, my mate was at St Andrews University in Scotland and I was a student with the de Havilland Aircraft Company and together we sought to do something different that year. What we did was to cross the Channel and arrive in Calais after midnight, having ridden the 200km from home. One good thing about biking was that there was no need to make a booking on the ferries as there is always space. We had a sixpenny Shell map showing the major roads and no plan as we had already struck out beyond anything before and much more than any of our school friends or, indeed, their parents. We also decided to camp so it was one to carry the tent and the other, the poles.

So where did we actually go? It took a quick spin of an old French 100 Franc coin to decide. No, we were not rich, as France had devalued that coin years before and it was used as one new Franc and worth one thirteenth of one pound. I reckon the coin must have landed edgeways up as we went straight on, not left or right. This trip nearly did not happen as I was waiting for my passport to arrive at the end of a postal strike and I had wasted

a week already of my four weeks off and so we didn’t even start until midday that Monday. With passport in hand though, off we went. We both had reasonable bikes. Mine was a Viking Severn Valley, a good-quality sports racer that was an imitation of those used by the Great Britain racing team … well, nearly. It had five speeds and double chain rings with the lowest gear being 42 by 22. These days we would choose to use triples and end up with 22 by 32 as the lowest gear but we were tough then or just plain pig-headed.

So where did we go? The only place we recognised was some town called Luxembourg where pop music was broadcast from to Britain in the ’50s and ’60s – no commercial radio then and all pre-Radio One. Our journey also nearly finished when we rode through Calais on the way out and turned left at a major crossroad to find ourselves face-on to opposing traffic. That made us think but we avoided death and next time we remembered to swing a bit wider! In all my later trips by car I should say that I have never made that mistake again. Now, one reason I thought it was a good idea to be travelling with my mate was that he had passed his A level (University entry level) in French, rather well whereas I had managed to fail my attempt at the lower level two years before and never bothered to try again. The usefulness of school French was brought home on the second day when we went to buy bread and I realised that my mate did not actually have very much conversational French and not much better than mine. We muddled through and by the end of the journey could actually converse pretty well – simple French though.

It took us over two days to reach Luxembourg via Arras and nobody had told us about the Ardennes Forest in the way – I now always sympathise with riders racing through there. Then it was south

via Nancy down to Strasbourg and through the Vosges Mountains in Alsace to Mulhouse, lying across the Rhine River from Germany’s Black Forest. Basle in Switzerland was next and through part of the Jura Mountains passing Neuchatel to Lake Geneva. Along here we could see real mountains of the Bernese Oberland. Imagine the pair of us, two young riders reaching Geneva with its fountain and all its wealth. Shopping was interesting too as there were so many items we had never heard of, such as yoghurt (!) and we felt as though we had come from a Third World country! One consolation was that beer was universal and riding all day did create a thirst. We did pass the Nestlé chocolate factory too.

It had taken us nine days to ride from home but every day we did get stronger and thought nothing of pedalling all day in the rain and the hills – read mountains. After Geneva we just rode southwards towards Annecy, Chambery and then Grenoble in the foothills of the Alps and eventually reached the River Rhone again, having first crossed it in Geneva. We crossed at Valance and carried straight on west and ahead of us was the unknown Massif Central, the great central high plateau range in France. We had not anticipated so many hills and the weather was atrocious – in July! The first night, having climbed up a 45km-long hill, we stopped and camped at the side of the road in terrible rain. Everything was soaking wet by the morning so we carried on rather more slowly and passed through an amazing place called Le Puy-en-Valey where there is a very high volcanic plug with a monastery at the top. Good luck to the monks climbing that!

For the next three nights we took the easy way out and managed to persuade farmers to allow us to sleep in their barns. We were banned from cooking in case of fire but were fed by the farmers’

French Alps near Grenoble

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M E M B E R S T O R I E S

wives. I reckon they thought we were either adventurous or stupid! We were most grateful though. On the way north and homewards, we rode through Clement Ferrand, home to Michelin tyres, through Vichy of fizzy water fame and passed by Fontainebleu then on through Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower due to getting lost. So much for getting the photograph there… North of Paris we stopped near Beauvais at the crash site of the R101 British airship of the early 1930s, virtually on its maiden flight, on its way to India – a triumph of incompetent public service mismanagement.

We arrived back at the Calais ferry terminal late in the evening just 17 riding days after we had left. At the terminal, following a quick trip to the wash room, we returned to our bikes to find a man and his son inspecting them. He said they’d been as far as Paris on their summer holiday. My companion told him rather unkindly that we had passed through Paris the previous afternoon which did not go down too well, so once we got off the boat in Dover, at three in the morning, we made certain that all the cars had cleared Customs to prevent any run-ins (read run-over)! One useful tip from the Customs man was that one Belgium half franc was exactly the same size as a sixpence – perfect for the food slot machines in overnight petrol stations – coin in the slot fuel for cars and riders!

After a further 200km our trek would be over. Image 19-year-olds riding over Tower Bridge and through the city of London – I repeated this on

other occasions but the first time is something else…

Over the 18 days we had averaged 160km each day, making a total of 2900km and about 8500 metres of climbing. We had spent just one pound a day on

food and expenses (beer) and with the ferry fares, 23 pounds each – things were cheaper then! What did we learn by this journey was to plan better next time and aim higher … Swiss Alps, here we come. And we did.

The Jet d’Eau Fountain in Geneva

Le Puy-en-Velay

14

N I G E L B A R K E R S M A S H E S R I C K S H A W R I D I N G W O R L D R E C O R D

Just three days after Adelaide cycling superstar Rohan Dennis defended his elite men’s time

trial world championship in England in September, another South Australian rode into the record books right here in our own back yard.

On Saturday, 28 September, 52-year-old university lecturer Nigel Barker pushed himself to the limit around the Victoria Park criterium circuit to smash the hour world record on … a rickshaw!

Nigel, an endurance enthusiast, loves cycling and wanted to achieve a world record. He thought of location-based record attempts like riding around a Fijian island the fastest but the officials at Guinness World Records wanted him to try something that could be done anywhere.

“So I sat down looking at anything related to cycling in the Guinness Book of World Records and I found rickshaws,” Nigel said. “When I started telling people about it, everybody laughed. I liked the idea of doing the record attempt and entertaining people while also showing people how much fun cycling can be, so a rickshaw it was.”

Nigel applied for the record attempt in January, bought the rickshaw in April and spent four months adapting from endurance riding to the high intensity of a one-hour attack.

He did so to great effect because – cheered on by his wife Liz and an enthusiastic band of supporters - he not only beat the existing world mark of 10km, he almost doubled it by covering 17.7km in the hour! That doesn’t sound like a lot in an hour until you learn that the rickshaw weighs a whopping 85kg!

“The last 15 minutes were really quite tough. I started to hurt a lot then,” Nigel said. “I had aimed for 20km but I’m really very happy with what I

achieved. I would’ve been satisfied with anything more than 13km.”

There was no question that Nigel had smashed the previous record but such is the rigour of the Guinness vetting procedures that he expected to wait at least two weeks for his achievement to be ratified and his status as a world record-holder confirmed.

Don’t expect, however, that this will be a one-off for highly motivated Nigel.

“It started me thinking and now I’m researching about chasing the record for crossing the English

Channel in a pedal boat. I’m seriously thinking about giving that a go.”

His drive to chase more records betrays a particular mindset and follows his desire at age 37 to run just one marathon. That quickly morphed into him spending the next four years running two marathons a year to have completed one in every state and territory in Australia.

He also cycled across the United States in 2017, has ridden from Adelaide to Melbourne, Cairns to the Gold Coast, the Gold Coast to Sydney, London to the south of France and Amsterdam to Paris.

15

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