watt price tully's wonderful bike riding adventure:

[watt price tully]

So in Septmebr had a brillant 9 day ride (rest day after 4, rode about 560 km's) min Souhern QLD and Northern NSW

The plan was to train when I got back for "Aroind the bay in a Day" next week raising money for the Smith Family in the process.

I think you can ride: 40, 50, 90, 100, 150, 210 & ? 230 km's

I'm doing the 210 km ride through my local Gym with one of the trainers & 3 others. The plan is to average between 25-30 km's / hour.

However I got the flu & have been out of riding action for 3 weeks apart from a 45 min spin class.

Today the 5 of us rode about 120 kms (my forst ride) to Mornington & back. Great day, ws doing 68km's per hour coming down Olivers Hill Frankston
but now I'm stuffed. More magnesium. Hd a great time & we averaged about 27 km's. One of the riders is the trainsers wife so we all shield her as she is relatively new to distance riding. I was stuffed in the last 10 km or so.

God & I have to do another 100 on top of that next week. I'm so under-prepared. I'm sore (lactic acid & the seats don't get any softer the longer you stay on the bike).

[HAL]

It may take longer than 33 hours.

[think positive]

It would take me about 333 I reckon Hal. Enjoy WPT, sounds like hell to me!

[HAL]

Tell me more about it.

[watt price tully]

Doing some bike riding:


Just paid up for two rides:

1. My (now) annual Queensland Adventure Tour

2 years ago was the Sunshine Hinterland (some hills)
Last year was Southern Queensland & Northern NSW (lots of hills)
This year: Cape Tribulation, Daintree, Atherton Tablelands and finishing in Cairns (I'll miss the first week of the finals)

Summary
7 riding days + 1 rest day
450km total distance (+ long options available)
4550m climbing
8 nights camping
2�9 September

(I'll be doing the long options so extra km's)

https://cycleqld.com.au/ride/itinerary/

2. The second year in a row for me for the "Around the Bay in a Day"

https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/rides-and-events/around-the-bay/

I'm doing the counterclockwise 210km as I did last year with a group of 3-5 riders)

For me none of this is racing. It's for enjoyment and a challenge, at least when I'm struggling up another hill, I keep saying to myself I'm enjoying this, I'm enjoying this. (emphasis on the word struggling as i've put on a few kg's in the wrong places and I'm invariably slow up big hills but effen fast down them - has to some advantage to being overs on the weight-scale)

[stui magpie]

That is some friggin beautiful country you're going to be riding through. That road from Cape Trib down to the Daintree river is brilliant. Never in your life will you see so many different shades of green.

God to see you're going inland from Port Douglas rather than going down the highway to cairns, that highway is narrow and was designed by boy scouts (1 good turn deserves another) so your whole group would get taken out by an irate driver for blocking the road.

If you're able to convince them, an hour or two walking through Mosman Gorge on the ride down to port is well worth it .

Make sure you carry plenty of water. It may only be 29-30 degrees but riding in the open in the sun, you're going to melt like an old fashioned twisties packet in a slow oven

[watt price tully]

[stui magpie]

If you aren't gobsmacked at the ride through the Daintree, I have questions about your soul.

If you're staying in Port, I recommend staying somewhere close to Macrossan St which is the main drag. Easy walk to the beach and all the shops and restaurants.

The Peninsula is my fav, right across the road from the beach, go to sleep to the sound of waves and wake up with the morning sun coming through the balcony doors ( I get the ocean view apartment).

Mantra is a cheaper option, there's 3 choices in the main drag, I've stayed at mantra on the Inlet which is a great location and cheapish, but that ocean view is worth the money IMO at Peninsula. Get up at sunrise, walk or jog along 4 mile beach, have a swim, exercise equipment in the foreshore park if that grabs your fancy, then back for a shower and buffet breakfast

[watt price tully]

[stui magpie]

You don't need a pool, you have the ocean right next to you. Peninsula has a better pool than Mantra Inlet, but you aint gonna get a lap pool anywhere.

I rarely do organised tours, but you can get plenty of brochures at the hotels. My top few things to do up there would be.

Snorkel the reef. I prefer the Reef Sprinter which leaves from the marina. Just goes to the low isles, a lot of the coral got hammered by the cyclone a couple of years ago, but it's only a 2 1/2 hour cruise. 15 minutes out in a speedboat, 2 hours to snorkel around, then back for lunch or arvo tea depending on when you go. If you want to do a full day on the reef, go Wavelength.

Walk Mosman Gorge. You just have to

Hartley's creek croc farm. About half way between Port and Cairns. Spend half a day there easy.

Sunday market (if you're there on a Sunday) down opposite the courthouse hotel is a must do.

The Tin Shed. Get down there around 3:30 weekdays, pull up a pew out the back and watch all the tour boats come back in from the reef. Not bad tucker too. The view of the sunset over the mangroves is special.

Damn, I'm getting nostalgic writing this, if I don't get a job soon I may have to just go up there.

[think positive]

Take a gap year Stu!

And WPT take your camera! Sounds amazing

[stui magpie]

[watt price tully]

[watt price tully]

Howdy. Currently on the rest day after 4 days of riding.

Facts:

505 riders
Oldest is 88
Youngest is 3
Some EBikes
1 unicyclist. ( I can�t effing believe it but there is - no gears & he does the big hills too - I�m still gobsmacked just writing about it)
About 6 tandems and about 6 families with little kids)
About 56% male & 44 % female.
About 200-300 volunteers and crew.
St john Paramedic, 1 Police Officer & a Dr
1 bike mechanic
Massage therapists ($20 for 15 mins)
1 shower truck male / female separated
2 toilet trucks
etc.

We weren�t able to start at Cape Tribulation but started at Mossman instead. Rode 46 to Daintree instead. Went to the Gorge / tour: stunning.

I�ll put in a bit more stuff later but currently in Atherton on our rest day before a big climb through undulating hills with an elevation of over 1.1 km�s.

The third day the local gov�t closed the road for 1 hour while we rode uphill for 6.5-7 km up a winding spectacular road. Those who felt they couldn�t do it were taken up by the Sag Wagon. One rider did it in 20 minutes! I took about 50; a slow steady grind. Serious concern if not awareness was expressed where my hammies met my glutes - both legs. Post the hill realised I put the seat post too high. The ride was from Port Douglas to Mt Molloy. Serious Hills!


The ride from Daintree to Port Douglad was great. It was very very hot. Campsite hadn�t been set up so arrived just on the corner near the surf club, left the bike, stripped to the bike knicks & jumped straight into the magnificent blue sea. Simply marvellous. Went back to the tents, found the suitcase, washed my sweaty clothes, then back to the beach for a few hours.

Glad there is a rest day today. Need it for the big elevation tomorrow. One semi trailer went far too close: skinny road no shoulder & forced me onto gravel ( I think deliberately) someone got his license plates & police gave been advised.

Got a slow flat tyre that made a very tough hill of 13-14% gradient impossibly hard - And I thought it was my lack of fitness to blame! Only realised it was fetting flat afterwards!

Hope everyone on Nicks is well & may the pies beat the Eagles this week. Go Pies

[stui magpie]

I'm trying to follow that.

You started at Mossman and went on the gorge tour (utterly brilliant I agree, I've done it 4 or 5 times), then went north to the Daintree, then headed back south again? Did you cross the river and go through the forest or just got to the river and turned around?