* Blogger Issues *

Im just noticing that the font and photo quality is different on some of my Bridge2Bridge posts. Not sure why. 

The Blogger website and App are really annoying to use, but I will try and fix them up over the next few days. More photos of the ride to come...

Bridge2Bridge Day 8: Morisset to Sydney - THE END!

There was a nervous buzz when we awoke on the final day. It was the last time we would have to rise in the dark fumbling around for cereal and toast, the last time we would be riding from one strange town to the next and the last time we would need to perch our weary bodies on our steeds of carbon and metal. Mostly, we were just excited to be hours away from completing the journey we had worked so hard for. 

I was up abit earlier than most repairing my flat tyre from the day before. I couldnt be bothered trying to find the bits of glass in the dark so I put my spare tyre on and threw the old worn one in the bin. 

Breakfast eaten, dressed in the B2B jersey (it was a lot warmer in Morisset so no need for a jacket thankfully) and deep heat cream rubbed on my knees. I packe my suitcase for the last time and checked over the bike. 

We travelled 7km back into Morisset town then joined the freeway. The freeway has generous shoulder and the only obstacles to watch for are entering cars from the sliplanes and the various road debris scattered everywhere (bits of truck tyres, car parts, animal parts, rubbish etc). 

Thankfully the traffic heading to Sydney provided a handed tailwind and the gentle downslopes made for a quick and easy ride. There were some uphills but at a much more pleasant grade than some others we had endured. 

Taking the Somersby exit we stopped for tea and cookies and to regroup. We would leave the Freeway and take the old Pacific Motorway (also known as the Scenic Drive) instead. This not only offered less traffic but magnificent views and scenery. And it did not disappoint! We began with a cracking descent winding our way down the valley with the sounds of bellbirds in our ears. It was a damp and cool rainforest scene with barely a car in sight. Our only occasional company were motorbikes enjoying the same climbs and descents we were. Climbing back up a gentle but long grade was actually made enjoyable due to the expanding views of the Mooney Mooney Creek and Hawkesbury River area. It was amazing. I would seriously fly to Sydney just to ride this road back and forth. As the sun rose, more and more cyclists (leg and motor powered) joined us. It is definately a two wheel paradise. The only downside was a brief stop where I had to repair a puncture on my rear tyre this time. 

Passing the beautiful waterside town of Brooklyn and crossing the "Brooklyn Bridge" we climbed back up to Cowan. This climb was one that you could do in your own pace and I found it enjoyable. I didn't have the energy to push hard but it would be great to come back and try again another time. At the top of the climb is the famous pie shop "Pie In The Sky" and we stopped for lunch. I demolished a pepper steak pie, chips,  chocolate brownie, can of coke and a coffee (hey, I earned it!). Feeling pretty full we rode onwards, up and down and up and down until the rainforest changed to suburbs. 

We stopped at Wahroonga to relay the plan to ride into the city. It would busy and noisy and some of our group were nervous about mingling with cars (and rightly so given some of the close encounters I have had). We would stick together riding in twin rows and take the whole lefthand lane with the van following behind us. This proved to work quite well as people would make the connection between the charity sponsorships on the van and our matching jerseys. Only a few idiots yelled out unpleasant things (who abuses someone riding for charity, really?). 

We took it slow and steady not to leave anyone behind. I told Lawrie and Ivor to take the front and traffic side and I rode at the back. This way would could ensure everyone was together and protect them from the traffic. It worked really well. We called out potholes and obstacles and made sure everyone felt safe. 

Eventually the Harbour Bridge poked into view and we cheered with fists in the air. Leaving the main busy streets we Berliner for the northern end of the Bridge. Rolling to a stop we hugged and high fived each other. We had made it! Honoring the tradition, we each had a shot of rum and remembered those we had lost to cancer and those still suffering. Their strength is what kept us going. 

The ride officially over, we walked up onto the bridge and ride over the bikeway taking photos and enjoying the glow of what we had achieved. 

Coming back under the bridge we gathered at Dawes Point where some nice ladies from the Cure for Life Foundation had gathered to cheer us home. Friends and family of some of the riders where there to throw streamers and poppers. Bottles of champagne appeared and we toasted to the adventure over. After what seemed like hours of photos I sat on the grass, looking at my dirty bike, scarred tyres, sore legs and weary muscles. The sun peeked out from behind the Opera House and added to the magical feeling. I had done it. What was once a pipe dream and seemed impossible, was now proven to be achievable. It's true, you can do anything if you really want to. 

Dinner was on the Harbour at a delicious Italian resteraunt and we toasted to Randall and Mark, the organisers of this crazy adventure, and to Graham and Rochelle who were there to support us in our every need all along the way. Without these special people it would not have been possible to do what we did. 

More photos and thoughts to come, once I am back home. Thanks everyone. 

Bridge2Bridge Day 7: Scone to Morisset

Just when we thought that we had left the cold weather behind us, Scone gave us one last burst. We woke to 3 degrees and fog everywhere! Again I put on all my warm riding gear (which by this stage was pretty salty/sweaty but at least I was warm). 

The others left slightly earlier to get a head start and Lawrie, Ivor and I powered on thru the early morning sunlight. It was a mix of flat land and rolling hills which didn't help my sore knee. Just as it would warm up, we would fly downhill for a minute and everything would freeze again. We passed a few of the slower riders and caught the main group of 4 about 20km out. I let my two breakaway companions go and decided to stay with the medium pace group until my knee was feeling better. From the previous days, once the sun was up and we had done 50kms or so, the pain would subside and I could push hard once again. 

I organised the group into a pace line mainly to help us maintain a good speed without tiring anyone out, but it also gave them something to concentrate on instead of the distance ahead. 

I made sure that we didn't stop long at the first rest stop so that our muscles wouldn't get too cold. We kept up a good pace going past Muswellbrook and Lake Liddell. Morning tea was scheduled for Singleton about 45km from Scone. The group fell apart abit leading into Singleton due to some big hills but we all ended up at a nice cafe safe and sound.  We sat in the sun warming up and enjoyed coffee and breads. It was peak hour in Singleton and we watched the locals going about their business.

Well rested and fed, we outlined the plan to get to Morisset. On paper, today was a pretty taxing 145km day so we needed to ensure no one was left behind. 

From Singleton we would ride straight to the small town of Braxton for a drinks break. Here we would leave the New England Hwy and head into Cessnock along Wine Country Drive. We seperated into our groups again and set off.

With my knee feeling warmed up and better, I rejoined the fast team and sped towards Braxton. Quickly restocking on lollies and water, we headed into the Hunter Valley wine country. I had been in this area only a few months ago with Bianca (nearby in Lovedale and Polkobin) and knew the roads weren't that flash and traffic could be high. It also wasn't very flat. 

The rolling hills were at least offset by beautiful views of vineyards and homesteads but we couldn't enjoy the views very much. As we neared Cessnock town, traffic was pretty heavy and (for the first time on the trip) we started getting aggressive abuse from some drivers. We were honked at, yelled at and swerved at in the last few kilometres. I bit my tongue and refrained from acknowledging any of it, mainly as we were representing Bridge2Bridge and the cause was more important to me than what these idiots thought of cyclists. We rolled into a small park in the heart of Cessnock for lunch. A journalist from the Cessnock paper was there to meet us and took some group photos. She was sympathetic to the aggressive vehicle behaviour and warned us to be careful on the last leg to Morisset. 

To try and reduce our inconvenience on drivers we left seperately in small groups about 15mins apart. The fast group was the first to leave as we could let them know of any potential problems ahead. 

We headed east on Lake Rd then onto Leggetts Drive towards Freeman's Waterhole. Freeman's Waterhole is situated on the otherside of a ridge so Leggetts Drive was a lumpy ride with taxing climbs. A fast and furious descent into Freeman's  Waterhole led us under the Freeway and onto Freeman's Drive. This is where our problems began. The road shoulder on Freeman's Drive began pretty wide but soon reduced to 30cm then into a white line before disappearing altogether. This combined with heavy traffic was a dangerous situation. On one major hill we had no choice but to keep riding in harms way as cars did 90km/hr cms from my elbow. It was terrifying (and I am pretty used to traffic by now). There was no way the less experienced riders would make it thru safely. I let Lawrie and Ivor go while I rang the support van and told them to avoid Freeman's Dr and take the Freeway instead (a longer but safer option). 

I regrouped with the other two further down the road (we also were chased by a dog somewhere in between) and pushed towards Morisset. Unknown to me, we had already ridden past 145km (my bike computer had malfunctioned on Day 5 and I didn't bother taking it from there on) - we had miscalculated the distances to Morisset. 

We were on our last legs when I finally spotted the familiar Morisset roundabout and rolled up Dora Street. Then I felt my front tyre get soft and looked down to see it quickly going flat. No, not now! We were only a handful of KMs from the motel. I remembered that there was a bike shop on Dora Street and luckily they were still open. They helped me out with a pump which got the tyre inflated enough for me to blast the last 5km to the motel. 

In the end, it was a 170km journey from Scone - about 35km longer than we expected. We were shattered. 

The others rolled in an hour later completely spent and looking terrible. We knew that if we felt bad (given the training we had done) then these guys would be exhausted. 

After a shower I phoned my Aunty and headed over their place for dinner. Nan came with us too and we chatted about the ride and my experiences so far. They could see how tired I was so they dropped me back at the motel by 8pm. I introduced them to the group and they relayed how much of an inspiration the riders were for sticking to the challenge.  I waved farewell and went back to the room where I promptly passed out on the bed. 

Bridge2Bridge Day 6: Tamworth to Scone

After the really cold days we had, the morning in Tamworth was pretty good. It was still under 10 degrees but nowhere near as windy. Everyone has gotten used to the morning routine of waking up, grabbing breakfast, bike checks and rolling out by 6:30am.

We set off thru the rolling plains outside Tamworth leaving the New England Highway temporarily and heading towards Quinimbi. The road was pretty much flat and weaved it's way between all the lumps and bumps in the landscape. It was the perfect start to the day. Before we knew it, we had punched out 40km and barely broken a sweat. 

After a rest stop we motored towards this tiny town called Werris Creek where we enjoyed coffee and some banana bread. They obviously don't see cyclists much as everyone stared at us on the way thru and we had to keep explaining what the matching jerseys and can were all about. 

From there it was a long flat ride back to the New England Highway before climbing up to the crest of the range. The climb wasn't too bad (about 2km long and 4%, kicking up to 7% at the top) and my knee had warmed up enough for me to have a good crack at the climb. I finished right on Lawries tail and I was pretty pleased to be able to stick to him all the way up. A fast and furious descent down the range had us roll to a stop at the Murrurundi School where we were scheduled to meet and greet the kids. 

They put on a wonderful feast for us - fresh fruit, scones, sandwiches, soft drinks, cakes...it was a dream lunch stop! The school is actually the 4th oldest school in NSW and they had some heritage listed trees surrounding the building which date back 150 years ago. They have some of the original buildings still in use as a library and art room. Amazing! 

We introduced ourselves to the kids and told them abit about why we were doing the ride and our goal. They listened intently and even offered their own stories of how they were affected by brain cancer in their families. It was really nice to talk with them. We didn't have much time but I did my usual Q&A session on bikes and was told that "I have the awesomest bike I have ever seen" by one little boy. Funny stuff!

Waving farewell, we started the 40km journey to Scone. It was mainly flat with some downhills but the headwinds were insane. There was one steep hill that I needed to pedal hard DOWN or I would've come to a standstill such was the headwind. I had set off last from the school and put my cycling legs to good use by catching and passing the other 7 riders along the way. I didn't manage to catch Lawrie and Ivor but I still made it to the motel with 45mins to spare in front of the others. Dinner at the local Golden Fleece pub was excellent - I inhaled a massive chicken parmy with chips and veges, washed down with some cold beer. True cyclists recovery food! 

Bridge2Bridge Day 5: Armidale to Tamworth

Well Armidale lived up to its reputation and we had a cold, cold, cold start to the day. The thermometer read 5 degrees and chill factor was 2.5 degrees! Brrrrrr!

Armidale is in a valley which means two things: fog would fill up the valley and we would be climbin up out of the fog. 

We travelled about 20kms thru thick cold fog. Visibility was down to 20m and I was thankful for bringing my bright Leyzne front light and super bright rear light. Eventually we rolled into Uralla where we all rushed into Trina's Cafe for coffee, tea and fruit toast. It was a warm oasis. 

After procrastinating for half an hour, we set off once again. The fog had cleared by now but the air was still chilly. We took the time for photos at Thunderbolts Rock (Splits Rock). Captain Thunderbolt the bush ranger would use this high vantage point to spot travelers and coaches along the highway...and promptly rob them. 

The landscape was full of grazing fields and sheeps galore. They would look up as we neared and run alongside us. It's pretty dry out here this time of year and the land is a beautiful mix of browns and reds. 

We moved thru undulating terrain before a series of long downhills which was most welcome. We would climb a little more up to the edge of the Moonbi hills. Personally, I had been waiting for this point becuase it signaled a steep 6km descent into the town of Moonbi. As a confident descender, I volunteered to go down first. It was fast and furious descent with my speedo showing speeds  up to 70km/hr! All good fun. The best part is that you barely need to pedal into Moonbi as the momentum takes you there. 

Lunch in Moonbi beside the big chicken statue finished, we set off for the easy 20km ride into Tamworth. After saving our energy for most of the day, it was nice to ease into the finish line. 

I was glad to take it easy today as my left knee was still giving me some pain. I could still put some power down on the flats but the hills were difficult. It's feeling abit better so I am hopeful that it will be okay for the next few days. We have two big days ahead (both over 140km) so I need my good legs back!