Share The Road Tour 2010

I will take some time (I promise) to write a more thorough report about the 6 days of riding soon...
but in the meantime, I just need to say t-h-a-n-k-s to all the riders and organisers involved with the Amy Gillett 2010 Share The Road Tour.

An incredible week, with many memorable moments; and it was super to share this experience with lots of like-minded people while helping deliver the message of better road safety and awareness; for both cyclists and motorists.

In particular, I need to mention how honored I was to meet Mary Safe, Amy's mother, who has devoted her life to educating young people on safer cycling and safer driving.  Awesome work.

Amy Gillett Share The Road Tour - Sydney!

Starts tomorrow!!!
http://www.sharetheroadtour.com.au/

Noosa and only ONE week to go!

So after a very adventurous race at Glen Innes to Inverell, the annual Noosa Cycling GP was on again.
See race report by Ange McClure here:
http://www.sweetascycling.com.au/sweetascycling/news/61-what-a-team-what-a-daywhat-a-result

Quite happily, I was just a spectator for the Noosa event...
but I have to say a huge c-o-n-g-r-a-t-u-l-a-t-i-o-n-s to Nikki on her awesome 5th place during the women's criterium on Saturday afternoon.

Those of you who know Nikki already, also know that she has really put all of her body and mind and heart into her training this year, and is finally coming up with some well-deserved results!!!

You can read her report here:
http://nikolina-cycling.blogspot.com/2010/11/2010-noosa-grand-prix.html

And as for me,
well it is only one week to go to the Amy Gillett Foundation's Share the Road Tour...
yep...
we will each be riding 800km with 8000m of climbing in 6 days.
I will try to update my blog while riding (pending internet access), but otherwise I will be sure to give you all a report on my return to Qld!
http://www.sharetheroadtour.com.au/archives/77

Grafton eve

Saturday October 23rd... if you are a keen cyclist, you may have had this date in your diary for many months already... and now... well... Grafton-Inverell is THIS weekend!

This will be my second year racing in the women's event; this time as part of the Bundaberg Sugar/Sweet As Team, rather than as a solo rider as I did last year.  So long as the weather holds out (no hail nor sleet, and no evil headwinds nor snow thanks), it should be another interesting day of racing.  A strong field of girls will be lining up.

A good friend of mine gave me some motivational quote cards this week to help inspire me for my next set of races/rides/training and beyond (... thank you so much, they do help!) -
and I found this one particularly relevant for this weekend.
"There is only one thing for us to do,
and that is to do our level best
right where we are,
every day of our lives".

During this taper week, I also had the privilege of a 'guided cycling tour' of some parts of the Sunshine Coast hinterland which I (surprisingly) never knew existed until now... including some helpful short cuts!!!

Embarrassingly it seems I was taking the 'long way around' in a few instances!  One of my next goals is to learn more about where to ride on the Sunny Coast.

This weekend also marks the only "TWO weeks to go" point to the AGF's "Share The Road" 800km Tour.
Yep... this is another hint...  please donate... please. :)
https://www.registernow.com.au/agf/Donate.aspx?F=342

Thanks for your support...

While I seem to be doing a lot of my training in the rainy weather lately,

it is probably a good time to say thanks to all my sponsors and supporters so far for the Amy Gillett Foundation's Share The Road Tour in early November.

In particular...
Cadence Cycling

Body 4 Life Massage

Velo Bicycles

Robert Bird Group (Brisbane and Sydney offices)

and North Coast Veterinary Specialists (special thanks to our business manager Janelle, and our main receptionist Jayne!).

... And yep this is just another reminder that if you haven't already donated, please do so.  Even the smallest of donations will help!
https://www.registernow.com.au/agf/Donate.aspx?F=342

Melbourne, Ballarat & Geelong

All 3 places in 5 days... a quick trip but so worthwhile.

I have never managed to spend much time in Melbourne, so I spent the first two days as a real "tourist"...

taking some photos of course...
there were so many bikes...

& coffee shops & bookstores...

trams & buses...

tall buildings, both old & new.

Thanks to both Cycling Tips, and Pro-Motion Bikes (in Ormond)... as they made finding a good fast bunch ride in Melbourne so much easier!

Just as Wade had described (www.cyclingtipsblog.com/melbourne-rides), on a grey overcast morning, suddenly there were lots of cyclists at the corner of North Rd and Nepean Way, and away they rode at 6am sharp (not 5.59 or 6.02, but exactly 6.00)... Although I did not personally know even one person in the bunch, they all made me feel strangely welcome... after all, I was just another bike-riding, lycra-wearing person with a white front light and a flashing red rear light, braving another cold Victorian morning.

And to finish the friday ride, I was also greeted by the swans of Albert Park.  :)
Brighton and St Kilda in Melbourne, I found is oddly enough not that different from Brighton and Sandgate in Brisbane... both seaside areas that cyclists inhabit in the early mornings.

Then the adventure in Ballarat began...
only 1 week earlier, I had been advised that I was fortunate enough to get a start in the women's Herald Sun Cycling Classic.  What an experience it was.

Thanks also to Jarrod Partridge for some of these racing photos.

And I now have a bidon that I will never wash...

A short trip back to Melbourne via Geelong, and then suddenly I was home again.  Almost like a daydream.  And it was a pretty cool daydream at that. (And thanks for the company Nikki!)