Sightings.

[master6]

A group of about a dozen, from Shell Harbour in NSW, found pedaling up Grasstree Hill toward Hobart this morning. They have done Launceston, Campbelltown, Swansea, down the east coast, and finishing in Hobart. The seemed impressed with Tasmanian weather. Nice to have had a brief chat with a couple of them.

Jeff Orange Socks

[RonK]

Any sightings of Dave Lewis?

[GregLR]

...The purpose of this thread is simply to pander to my intrigue about touring...

No doubt you've learnt a lot already about cycletouring and touring bikes from posts to this thread and by talking to cycletourists you've seen on the road (my partner & I have also toured through your area on a trip up the east coast, a couple of years ago). Anyway, I thought I'd post this link from the site of the UK Cyclists' Touring Club that gives a brief sketch of what they consider constitutes a 'touring bike' with links to separate pieces on 'trekking bike' and 'expedition tourer'. http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3510 There's also a 12-page CTC information sheet in Word entitled "Get into Cycletouring" but it's only available to CTC members (i've been a member for 20 years). PM me if you'd like me to forward you a copy of that. Needless to say, there's plenty of other material on the internet on this subject.

Greg

[Saro28]

Hello fellow tourers/cyclists
thread hijack

I'll be arriving in Hobart later tomorrow for a sojurne up the east coast and departing from Devo' on 17th March. I'm riding an old and rusty Shogun with black ortilebs and my mate is on the shiny Trek with Yellow Ortilebs. Give a shout out or a toot as ya go by or stop me for a chat if the opportunities there.

Anyone from Launceston, Invermay? Twas born there and haven't been back for 30 yrs or so. Kindergarten and 1st year at Invermay PS ( 1967- 68?). I'm really excited to be going home after so long. As a kid I'd go out with relo's on the weekend following the road riders on their races and the Velodrome was another place to play.

Anyway, hope to say gidday to some locals and family too.
041seven 678four11, I'll off this forum for much of the trip.
Andy

[J Quinton]

A couple of years ago I rode from Perth to Geraldton after they opened the coastal road from Lancelin to Cervantes. Stayed a few days in Gero before getting a lift back with my brother in law.

As we headed in to midland on the great northern hwy we passed a old man fully loaded on a touring bike doing about 10km an hour. I thought I might catch up to him as I was being dropped off in Herne Hill. Just before Reid Hwy I did catch up to him.

He was 71. Blind in one eye. Riding a $400 hybrid. Wearing safety glasses from a road house. Leather skinned from a life time of sailing and this trip too, which took him from Darwin to Perth. It was his second attempt after going the opposite direction the year before and pulling up stumps in Port Hedland. He modified his bike to harness a 8 litre poly pipe long the top tube.

Happened to catch him on his final day and he was contemplating catching the train to Perth from Midland after a bad experience on Great Eastern Hwy 20 years earlier. Fear not, I said, I'll pilot you in to the city along the quiet roads and along the river. So through Guildford, Bassendean, Maylands and East Perth we rode. He was so happy to have a pilot, because he could switch off and not think. Was probably the busiest day in his entire trip, which took him 4 months to the day.

I have ridden from Perth to Melbourne, via Port Lincoln. And last year did 4000km around the UK. In late June I'll ride from Darwin to Perth, thanks to the inspiration of a young 71 yr old I ran in to one day.

[WarrenH]

... an old man fully loaded on a touring bike doing about 10km an hour ... He was 71.

I'm sure he saw more of the country than those who tour with black line syndrome ... and is 71 considered to be old nowadays? I'd better not ask if 10kph is considered slow ... I though that 10kph was quick.

If you've been thinking 71 is old, try adding a few decades to that 71 ... http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11175 ... group.aspx

Warren.

[J Quinton]

Settle down. 71 is older than 7. The point is there are a million 50 yr olds out there who don't go on adventures because they think they are too old.

[WarrenH]

Settle down.

Me settle down? I didn't submit the patronizing post about the elderly chap? Or it is you who is 7? ... otherwise, what you have just written in your last post is word salad ... and how did the 50 years old get involved? That one has come from way out of left field. Now you are making assumptions about 50 year olds being past it?

I think it is well past your bed time, sonny.

Warren.

[master6]

Settle down. 71 is older than 7.

Correct. The importance of this fact has escaped me.

[il padrone]

I'm over 50. I take no offence

(I thought J Quinton was admiring of the 71 year old guy and envious, not patronising)

[Aushiker]

I'm over 50. I take no offence

(I thought J Quinton was admiring of the 71 year old guy and envious, not patronising)

Same here and a nice story J Quinton. Thanks for sharing.

Andrew

[Aushiker]

Have had two sightings in the last few days:

(1) A guy from Holland. He is riding a Schwinn World Traveller from Tasmania back to Holland. He had taken a break from riding at Cairns and was crewing on a sailing boat through to Darwin then on to Indonesia and Singapore where he intended to get back to riding, hoping to make it home around May next year. He had a few days off in Darwin so was riding Litchfield National Park.

(2) Meet two Italians and one Spanish guy from the same club at Adelaide River. They are riding road bikes pulling BOB style type of trailers (two of them) from Darwin to Adelaide. One of the bikes had 23 or 25 mm tyres on it ... didn't check the others out that closely. Had to communicate as my Italian/Spanish is non-existence and their English is much the same Moving quickly I suspect.

Andrew

[Meditator]

I am happy to have sightings anywhere. If I could arrange it, I would keep a watch on all cycle tourists from a satelite

How many cycle tourists are on the roads of Australia on this very day?

We tried to have a discussion along these lines some time ago on another websites. It seems impossible to even make a half way decent estimate. We are just spread too thin. But no one knows how thin.

[John Lewis]

We get a lot of cycle tourists through here.
Saw one this morning. He was heading out of town, north on Albany Highway, fully loaded with front and rear panniers, handlebar bag and a load on the rack.

I was headed into town for an appointment so didn't get a chance to find out any details.
John

[Mike Ayling]

SWMBO and I elected to use one of our two free Victorian Seniors tickets for a day trip to Drouin on Monday. (I understand that NSW Seniors get a much better deal on free transport than us Mexicans!)

A bloke boarded at Flinders Street Railway (not "train") Station ( I dislike these Americanisms creeping into our language!) with a tourer with four panniers and a load on the rear rack. I said g'day and established that he was riding from wherever the train currently terminates through the hills to Canberra and on to Brisbane. had had some tourist maps but was undecided about his actual route.
He lives in Cairns.

Mike