Remnants of Oswald :

ahhh, going green again…

Everything’s gone green again after days of rain, courtesy of the leftovers from tropical cyclone Oswald up north. I’m riding around on the pink “turbo” mixte to check out the effects …

wild and moody – at swansea heads

back from the beach

 

alternative header shot, marks point

Feeling mellow, so let’s change the blog header…

Here’s some recent bike miscellany :

loop framed rat-bike, belmont

cecil basks in the previous week’s heat

cecil at stockton

in the tunnel

Happy Riding !

 

 

 

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Adventures with Cecil :

A cool wind change has dropped the temperature – now’s my chance to take CW for a longer ride, to Newcastle and back in a morning. I can only do hermit-like bike restoration for so long before I have to get out and about  in the world :

a bush break at whitebridge

And some fun in the tunnel on the way in :

exiting hyperspace

Newcastle is full of bikes and riders in holiday mode – the young girl’s step-through was a refurbished classic small 10-speed. Very cool.

the yacht club at wickham – bike central ?

 

school holidays means a ride to town – at throsby creek

There’s plenty to see along the harbour : it’s always the same, but different.

the harbour – ever changing

And I’m getting used to that “flip of the toe clip”, but they can still catch me out. You won’t see me wearing those clipless thingys though – at least I can choose my own shoes with these, not some daggy pseudo-runners.

thanks mr christophe

what-the ?

Can anyone tell me what the above eccentric looking quasi-recumbent bike is ? Spotted leaving the tunnel … it may be home made.

whose is that nutcase ?

Tunnel’s so bright I gotta wear shades ! But so cool and breezy heading home.

cecil in the tunnel

The Brooks hammered copper rivets do shine up very nicely after a 3-hour bum polishing ! ( Makes note to do that more often ).

home and shiny

The End

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Community Fun Ride 2012 – Fernleigh Track :

An event forming part of NSW Bike Week, the community fun ride from 9am to 11am this morning was well attended, with hire bikes, live music, a prize draw,  and free coffee/breakfast. There were bike safety checks courtesy of Hadley Cycles.

Bernie, a well known Newcastle cycling advocate had a great range of Dutch and classic bikes on display, and for hire. It was encouraging to see so many young people hiring bikes to enjoy the track on a warm September morning, perhaps to be further inspired to get into cycling.

a pre-ride adjustment

heading off …

for all ages

This aftermarket electric assist converted Gazelle Cabby (below) was very popular – I wonder if Gazelle will do one “in-house” ?

ploughing furrows

family taxi – note the front electro hub

smile !

jazzy vanmoof 3-speed with B68 saddle

an impressive huka (?) cargo bike 

a dutch lekker bike

three classics

Above from the front, the unidentified silver bike had lovely ornate lugwork but was mostly non-original (what a great project!), the second, an original Malvern Star “Roadstar” step-thru, then an original red Repco 10-speed.

Bernie and passenger in the cabby

The park at Whitebridge is roughly the centre and the highest point of the track, and there were rides in both directions from there.

A pleasant morning indeed …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bikespotting at the Darby Street Twilight Festival :

darby street evening

This was a good opportunity to view some of Newcastle’s more interesting bikes and riders:

chained to a post …

they were a kona, a something and a repco

There were plenty of steel framed ten-speeds :

apollo ten speed

a basket … and an alley view

another apollo

a malvern star “triathlete”

a rusty apollo step-through

and again

some likely lads

a more modern jamis

an old ricardo mtb

twilight in darby street

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Balance :

After reading a post on bicycle burnout from the “Lovely Bicycle” blog, I thought about my own commute to work that is some 25-30kms each way. It’s not an easy thing to do two days in a row, so I don’t, and I take it at my own pace, now being in the fifty something-or-other club.

However when I can, it’s so much nicer than driving even if it does make for a long day, as the views of the harbour are quite stunning on many mornings, and I get to hear birds waking up on the Fernleigh Track while riding with the sound of fallen leaves rustling in my slipstream.

three bikes on the track

quiet outskirts

harbour sunrise

the same morning

and a different one, same place

a bulker glinting

following a fellow cyclist – quite fast enough, thanks

 

the ship “kite” – early morning

 

The ride home is harder as I have to deal with more city traffic, as well as the steepest hills on the last leg, and falling darkness at this time of year. There is a feeling of tired accomplishment on arriving home, without the mental stress of the many traffic light queue stops I face when travelling by car – and how many photos would I have taken from my car ?

 

“kite” leaving that same afternoon

other comings and goings

 

But while my legs may tell me to take a break the next morning, I consider the extra time taken as offsetting the long rides I would have to take on my days off to maintain a level of fitness, and I can do other things like my bike recycling without feeling stressed or frustrated.

Like riding a bike itself, life is all about keeping a balance.

Happy Cycling !

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Single Speed in the Fog :

After two rainy days followed by a clear night on Wednesday we had a thick fog. Not to be missed, if you love doing photography …

i put a tail on this single speed …

he was going quite quickly

my favourite shot of the series

ferry wharf, newcastle

my ten speed commuter cooling down …

from the ferry newcastle looks like venice …

stockton – the other side

Passengers were assured by the conductor that these ferries have excellent radar. Newcastle is possibly the world’s largest coal export port, with many huge bulkers coming and going, as well as the fishing and pleasure craft. A good mornings ride !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Chat at the Lights :

Spotted in Waratah the other day :

“two-wheelers” chatting

Happy Cycling !

 

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My Gazelle Day Off :

Well, I had a medical appointment in Newcastle, so I made the most of it from an early start :

fernleigh track duckpond

Cool morning with a wind chill …

gazelle in fallen flowers – adamstown

And a ferry ride later ..

stockton cemetery

I haven’t been to this cemetery before, and was the only one here today .

hunter river view

From the Stockton cycle path – one of the ever changing views.

cyclist in tunnel

I never tire of chasing odd “lo-lite” shots in here …

back on fernleigh track – i forgot – it’s school holidays …

All in all, a pleasant day stretching the Gazelle’s legs, as it were.

Ride to remember, or ride to forget – just remember to ride.

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Out and About Bikespotting :

Where is everyone ? – it’s not that cold out !

Perhaps they didn’t want to be seen on their bike today because they are having a Monday sickie.

Anyway, there were only a few interesting bikes out, and I had to work hard to find them :

a red trek

a malvern star wisp

my speedwell in “theatre lane”

I travelled quite far today on this single speed bike, and was no more tired than I would be on my geared bikes.

 

safety conscious – do volvo make bikes at all ?

a fisherman’s trike grab-shot-fly-by

an annoying flashing headlight behind me in the tunnel

Yes, that’s my shoulder bottom right …

a bikespotting spotted cat

See Ya !

 

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Laughing in the Rain :

the rain is back …

everything a-wash in a minute !

There must be an old proverb that says “He/she who rides fastest in the rain gets the wettest bum”, or so it seemed, as I was passed by lots of riders with sporty G.T. stripes up their backs today.

I always bless my mudguards on such days, as I tootle merrily along on the wet track…

my trusty speedwell

wetter the better ?

 

Just as in a car – if you go too fast, you can miss things:

today on the harbour

a picture waiting to be taken …

 

I am also grateful for hub/coaster brakes in the rain as the spongy rim brakes do their “zero G” thingy. What luxury – on this bike I have both !

Disc brakes ? Too complicated, leave them on cars, thanks…

a rain-foresty fernleigh track 

Anyway rainy+cloudy+sunny days are often great for landscape photography, even if there aren’t many lovely bikes around.

a friendly dude at the beach

 

three on a misty lens

Is there some kind of message here ?

 

Today was something of a fluoro safety vest day, and don’t those boring things just spoil good bike photos ? The tunnel, however, always has something to offer …

hand in the air

and a dark ghost who walks in the sodium glare

All pics were taken today.

 

 

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