The ride went uneventfully through the still air of the morning, mist  lingering in the small valleys along the route. Pleasant enough!

After 7 km’s I began the noisy section along the freeway bike lane. Passing the Eviron overpass bridge nothing was out of the ordinary, mind doing it’s wandering and being brought into focus as the next B-Double flew past.

Then the tree jumped out from the edge of the verge. No but nearly. Last week I saw the tree laying low and fully extending out across the north bound bike path and mentioned it to my daughter, so I should of been expecting it. But I had begun to tilt my head low to allow me to see through the clean section of the sunnies to avoid debris, big mistake travelling at 35 km/hr as it didn’t let me see far ahead.

At the very instant of seeing the tree and the knowing there was no way to stop before hitting it, I began to hear a truck coming up fast behind  me. This cut off the only escape route. I was thinking quick enough to not want to bounce under 24 wheels of a semi travelling at 110 km/hr.

So that left the only option ” hit the tree head on”, which I did, still clipped in. So I tested the somersault skills I have been honing on my gravel road riding. Although I have never tried one at this speed it wasn’t totally successful. Both the bike and myself ended up on sprawled out on the other side of the foliage.

More bark of me than the tree. Lucky it was still green and I hit it near the top zone, still far enough away from the truck and end to be both 600 mm high and more around. I scrambled to my feet and move the various parts all moved normally. Painful back, hip and elbow. Checked the elbow nice road grind there no blood. Next checked the bike front and rear wheels still round and true. Derailleur’s still functional. Only sign of damage the right shifter moved a bit and the new bar tape grazed, so it’s still rideable!

What to do next? Make a call? No! Ride the rest of the way? Give it a go! What about the f!@$&#$g tree? Move it off the bike lane? Yes! Moving the tree got the self aggression out and calmed me down to ride “normally “ the rest of the commute.

I didn’t get the time, during the rest of the ride, to dwell on my crash. About 2 kilometres up the road a Lindsay’s Bro’s B-Double did a scare the bike rider by deliberately drifting into the bike lane by about 600mm, close after my earlier experience.  Ah another ride in paradise!

Just after the Chinderah interchange the commuter rider from last week caught me and cruised past with a gid’ay. Didn’t struggle over Sextons Hill but was a little concerned with the Machinery Drive intersection. But it was an unwarranted concern.

A bit of an uncomfortable day at work but that was all and rode the return with relative ease, except I took the bike path up the rise of Sextons just in case I lost it! Another two minor incidents stood out. Getting squezzed into the gutter by a non indicating lane changing delivery van and another Lindsay’s Bro’s B-Double moved into the bike lane again. They must employ  a lot of disillusioned dropkick ute drivers.

Not so small…

The surface has become such that it is noticeably difficult to steer and brake. I’m sure it would  be worse on a treadly, sometime on the weekend I might see if it is the case, if the Southerly change does come through tonight as a gale like the BOM have predicted.

One thing I do know after driving through Uki and Kyogle the upgrade to Cudgera Creek Road IS because of the rally next month. The surface of the road climbing up to Sargents Rd is absolutely terrible, to the point of knocking off the tail pipe on the Matiz. I don’t begrudge the locals on Cudgera Creek getting their road finally! But I do think that it shouldn’t be because some private profiteering is about to take place in their area! No Rally!

Well I set of about 8:15am thinking I would catch Mark near Wattie Bishop Road before heading off toward Cudgera Creek. The arrangements were for Mark to get to my place at 8:30am but I set off anyway… As it turned out I needed to ride the 7km’s to Mark’s and wait for him to finish getting ready, (late night as a designated driver).

We pushed off at the planned SLOWWWW pace south toward Cudgera along the gravel of Round Mountain Road. Of note the surface was noticeably good clear of major potholes and braking corrugations, a very different condition to what we would find on Cudgera Creek Road.

No problems spinning up the King’s hill or past Quinns or James’. So on to Cudgera Creek Road. By now it was warming up out of the light Southerly breeze under the clear sunny winter sky. On the first flat corner I decided to stop and remove my jacket. Unclipped both peddles and put my foot straight into a dip in the road at the same time accidentally re-clipping my other foot. What transpired was a very slow fall to the surface of the roadway, clipped in! No damage just a few profanities….

Now a decision push on or turn for home. The knees had not suffered from the fall so onward and upward… We continued to spin upwards. At one point coming upon a couple of very young BMX kids trying to develop their skills at jumps against the side of the road embankments. As we approached we watched as one of them didn’t quite lift the front wheel enough to take the jump . Causing he and the bike to come to an abrupt halt. No damage or tears so we continued on.

Just chatting away we reached the turn off to Wabba Road. Here we encountered the owner of the property we sometimes use to access the Mooball Forrest. Gave our thanks for past access and we were told about a group of not so considerate riders passing through her property, to her aggravation, close by her house… not a happy camper!

Well everything was to turn out good. So we re-mounted for the downhill travel. The surface of the road has actually been washed clear of road base in many many places and all that is left is the bull dozed bed rock. Very rough on the bike but also local cars and trucks.

At the top of Kanes Road we parted ways and I made it home at 11:15am.

The only thing I might need to remember to take on the next outing is sunscreen!

Thanks for the good company Mark.

1. The Highway then the Freeway about 26.4kms of very flat and on a scale of 1-10 Danger: Level about a 5 Duration:1.25hrs Distance:26.5km
2. The Highway then the Coast Road mostly flat but many sections with no verge and lots of 80km/hr road rage-ers. Danger: Level 8 Duration:~1hr Distance: 21kms
3. The Tweed Coast Bike Paths as well as adding at least an extra 6kms to the trip it introduces a lot of sharp/blind corners, street crossings,  and badly maintained and or built pavement surfaces which is shared with other bike riders (very few commuters mainly cruisers and bmx/skateboard riders on the way home from school, joggers, dog walkers, site-seeing pedestrians and exercisers as well as “elderly electric goers” ie lots of slower non-concentrating traffic to avoid moving in both directions. The speed through most of a trip along this path is reduced to about 15kms/hr, except for the two wide open sections along the dune front where 25-30km/hr is attainable but with caution as kids have come out of side tracks to and from the beach without looking on many occasions. Danger: level 7 Duration: 1.75hrs Distance:27.4kms

Anyway lots have been happening but just some to do with two wheels.

 Lets start after the ride through the tunnel, so long ago…. the Tweed council has had a bi-annual rubbish throw-out and unusually there was no rain during the period of local residents building-up their piles along the side of the roads through out the Tweed Coast. Being a long time “sifter & sorter” of  these treasure troves. I went for a number of rides looking for particular spare parts. My right hip has been playing up a bit lately and I have been thinking (and hope) a smaller frame might help by causing less pain when I am dismounting.

The piles of “trash”  were sprinkled with a large number of badly maintained chain store low end MTB’s but at one I noticed a medium/low end Royal Royce-Union Aluminum Frame that might fit the bill. It was kitted with badly worn FIS components and A set of very damaged  RSA front forks (bent backwards to an angle that allowed the old owner to reverse them and ride the bike that way!). Anyway I hoisted it over my shoulder and carried it home, riding the 6km without too much trouble or pain. I also found a pre-loved though now neglected Apollo track bike fitted with “Shimano 600″  thoughout, crank, headset, derailleurs, hubs, selectors and brakes. Even though the frame was very rusty from neglect… It’s now taking up some space in the shed… maybe someone might see the beauty of the classic gear… maybe not? but I felt I had to save it from the compactors and the prospect of it becoming just a bit more landfill. If space in the shed becomes an bigger issue with my better half I might have to put it on e-bay for an antique collector to see…

Shit! just lost about 60 lines of drivel after a spellcheck. I cannot be bothered re-typing it and so will post this now. Gawd it happened again! and Again! Now I will need to check out that problem!

OK bugger it was mod_security2