t Post ber RegiSPublicationer~d by No NBH2266 Septem . 1987 t 12 SPEED TRI-A The Tri-A features tight racing geometry for quick response, made of Tange DB Chro-Moly tubing and incorporates internal brake and wiring. 600EX throughout, Araya hard anodised rims and Panaracer Tri Sport tyres make this the intelligent choice for the discerning cyclist. 15 SPEED CRESTA A touring to the .end. The Cresta 7s builtwith emphasis on long distance touring. Frame features Tange No.2 and No.5 Cro­ Mo tubing, three biddon holqefS and extra eyelets to accommodate carriers. Drive train is Sugino TRT coupled to the new Suntour Mountech Tri pulley derailleur. Cantilever brakes, 40 spoke rear wheel and rear carrier completes this fine touring bicycle. • - - , Available from leading cycle dealers

REPC:D C:YC:LES Number 44 September/October 1987

Contents 47 MOTOR MOUSE BECOMES SUPER CAT - six day champ 8ic1Jcle Traflel and Columns transport 5 W ARREN SALOMON 42 REFLECTIONS 6 DONHATCHER John Brown looks back 7 JOHNDR UMMOND at his US bike odyssey 12 PRO DEALERS 46 RIGHTSOF ACCESS 10 WRITE ON Every street is a bicycle 15 THE WORLD AWHEEL street 29 PHIL SOMERVILLE 8ic1Jcle clothin9 feature 68 CLASSIFIEDS 21 SUMMER FASHION 69 CALENDAR 1987/88 A four page colour feature Freewheeling is published six times a year in the months of January, 27 THE BIKES OF SUMMER March, May, July, September and Nove mber. ISSN No: 0156 4579 , Editorial and Advertising Offices: Room 57Trades Hall , cnr Dixon & This season's bike Goulburn Sts ., Sydney NS WAustralia. Add ress all co rrespondence 10 : Freewheeling PO Box K26 , Haymar ke1 NS W2000 Austra li a. ranges Telephone (02) 264 8544. Pub lisher /E dito r: Warren Sa lomon. Adm inistration and circ•lation: Ma rilyn Stivey. Layout and assembly: Brell Cheshi re. Advertising Sales: David Turner Telephone (02) 913 1266 or (02) 264 8544. Typesetting:Pavilio n Press Set (02) 211 0252 , Everysize Typearl Services (02) 45 1 2579. Printing: Offset Alp ine Pty Ltd De rby & We th erill Sts , Silverwa1er NSW Ph. (02) 647 !000. Distribution - 49 THE STREETS OF NEW ~gents: Gordon & Gotch P1y Ltd (02) 667 0466 or offices in your state . Subscriptions and bicycle deale r distribution: Freewheeling YORK.Biking in the Big Australia Publications (02) 264 8544. Material in this publication may nol be stored or reproduced in any Apple form with out pe rm ission . Requests for permission should be directed to the Publishe r. Editorial contributions incl uding black and 54 REPCO SYDNEY TO THE while prints or colour transparencies on all aspects of cycl ing are welcomed. Send an enqui ry or write for guidelines. Freewheeting can 'GONG not accept material previously published in other journals . Le1ters from readers for the Write On column are always welcomed. A preview of this year's Copyright © 1987 Freewheeling Austra lia Publications big ride 56 AT ANDEM INTIBET 8ic1Jcle sport An incredible 30 ROCHE WINSTHE TOUR Himalayan journey The 1987 Tour de 62 SOUTH TO KITTY HAWK Cover design by Warren Salomon. Separations by Gibbneys in eastern USA Graphics. Cartoons this page by Ph il Somerville. Freewheeling J If it was any more aerodynamic, it'd need a runway.

The Ricardo Windcheater 12 speed. The sleek, super bike that puts the latest technology within everyone's reach . The sloping down bar and cowhorn handles give the rider a slipstream line that reduces wind resistance and keeps the cyclist in a steady position. The Sh imano Index System offers fast , precise gear changes and the tighter frame ensures responsive handling and fast riding. And it all weighs about 10kg. No wonder it was voted the RCTA 1986/87 Bike of the Year AUSTRALIAN MADE (Under $850) . Aust

HA8711 Warren Salomon Compuls.ion is not the answer.

The first document was one of the money can buy but still he won't wear it most interesting, intriguing and en­ because no one else at his school wears a lightening I have read for some years. bicycle helmet. He would rather walk to The study, conducted by research school than be forced to wear his helmet psychologists Elliott & Shanahan Re­ and does. search, sought to understand the beliefs, In time the current 'problem' group motivations and attitudes of Victorian (adolescents) will simply grow up and high school students on the subject of will be replaced with kids who have al­ helmet use. I don't often admit to actu­ ready been wearing their helmets right ally 'enjoying' reading technical reports through their primary years. As they get but this one is a ripper. older today's teenagers will come across The study finds , among other things, more and more people their age who that teenagers are very conscious about believe that wearing a helmet makes what others think of them. This is often good sense (adult wearing rates are also written- off as peer group pressure but it improving) . is more often based on good sense At this point in time we should be rather than conformity to the pack. For able to see more clearly that wearing a example the Federal Government's helmet doesn't necessarily make the Molly Meldrum poster and TV cam­ rider any safer. It just lessens the injury paign appears to have been a bit of a if and when a crash occurs. And wearing fizzer with the teenagers. They feel that a helmet is not going to lessen the proba­ FIRST started wearing a bicycle "someone" used Molly Meldrum to "get bility of a crash occurring especially if helmet not long after I moved to the to them". They also feel that: "you can't the road conditions are bad. big city some thirteen years ago. In I put someone like that in a helmet". And As the compulsory helmet debate those days a bicycle helmet was the the impression that, "he looks like he is hots-up it is important to realise that the badge of a very serious cyclist and since being paid to do it", or, "that he is only people who are leading this campaign I was seriously involved in velo-politics I doing it for the money", was a common are not bicycle users. They are well­ sported the latest in hi gh impact plastic reaction. meaning people who are concerned with Though I wore my helmet in the city I the welfare of the individual NOT with seldom used it when touring. On long Barry Elliott, the author of the re­ the overall cycling environment. If they trips in th e country I found it hot , heavy port, admits that both the Government are to get their way we could see a mas­ and noisy ; the complete antithesis of the and helmet manufacturers have to be sive diversion of funds from other areas experi ence. I even re­ more persuasive and more tuned-in to such as bicycle education programs, en­ member a ride between Sydney and the attitudes of teenagers if the expen­ gineering works, enforcement of road Brisbane to publicise the Pacific Coast sive publicity campaigns are to have an laws. Bicycle Route. Our group had a lot of effect. The latest TV campaign for Vic­ In this process is well under contact with the local news media so I toria will follow this approach and will way and the government in that state would don my helmet when we got close show cycling as one of many sports and proposes to spend millions of dollars to town only to swap it for a cloth activities where helmet wearing makes next year if its campaign to 'sell' its com­ peaked cap out on the open road. good sense. pulsory helmet legislation to the voters That changed when lighter and better There can be no doubt that the Gov­ goes ahead. It could well prove to be a ventilated helmets came on the market ernment and industry helmet promotion costly campaign because at the end of it but I still find all my helmets noisy. campai"gns of the past five years have all the roads will still be as dangerous as Yes, I said: all my helmets. At present had a remarkable impact on helmet use before. I own about five helmets and they are all in Victoria. In other states results have I don't doubt that the politicians , well used but do you think I can per­ been poor. Helmet use for Victorian bureaucrats and private citizens who are suade my teenage son to wear his . primary school children jumped from initiating the compulsory helmet cam­ During the compilation of the bicycl­ 4.6% in 1983 to 58.2% in 1986 and ac­ paign are concerned about the wellbeing ing he lmet survey for the last issue I cording to the Road Traffic Authority's of the individual cyclist but the remedy read through two very interesting, and same statistics adult commuter usage they propose is only a short term solu­ in some ways, contrasting documents. rates are almost as high . Teenagers are tion . The precious resources needed to The first was An Exploratory Study of resisting and so far only 18.3% of secon­ create a safer overall riding environment High School Students' Reactions to Bicy­ dary school students are regular helmet will disappear if the do-gooders with cle Helmets and the second was a leaked wearers. their good intentions get their way. For government document with the omin­ My son has the lightest, coolest (and the unfortunate cyclists in our cities and ous title of The Introduction of Mandat­ most acceptable to adolescents accord­ towns the road to hell is paved with ory Helmet Use in Victoria. ing to the Elliott study) helmet that good intentions.

Freewheeling S Don Hatcher

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6 Freewheeling John Drummond DREAMER OR PRAGMATIST

HIL Anderson, and Shane Sutton flew the Aussie flag , Palbeit as members of foreign teams, in the latest version of the as it ploughed on its jugger­ naut way through the French coun­ tryside, and through the national con­ sciousness. The French consciousness that is (other continental countries share the enthusiasm but not the passion and outside Europe it is only shared to vary­ ing degrees) . Sport has become gradually nationalised throughout the 20th cen­ tury now, synonymous with modern communication, some sports have as­ sumed international status, like tennis its flagship being Wimbledon. Football has soccer's World Cup, and a gathering of sports produces the biggest promo­ tion of all, the Olympic Games. Cycling, or should I say France, has the Tour de France to which the best road cyclists are invited. But there was very little of it seen on Australian televi­ sion and nothing at all on the national broadcasting service - the ABC. De­ spite a fair amount of local interest en­ gendered by the growing success of En­ glish speaking cyclists, and the entry of a British team with an Australian em­ Whether the French like it or not, the ond and another Irishman is the current phasis through Shane Sutton Australian future is destined to see the "Tour de world number one professional cyclist. television's reporting of the world's France" take on a greater international But that is not all . There has been an largest sporting event is still a abysmal. status, in which the world's greatest enormous growth of interest in British This was a pity considering that this sporting event will travel through other professional cycli ng si nce Alan Ruston , year's tour was the most open and news­ continents and will be contested by the man behind Sport For Television worthy in a decade , having a North teams in which amateurs and profession­ started his Kellogs City Centre Cycling Amer"ican final stage winner and an als will be permitted to race alongs id e Series in which some of the star conti­ Irish winner overall. each other. nental racers are showing a growing in­ Commencing in West Berlin , links terest. Kellogs will again be to the fore were immediately established with Aus­ Dreaming, fanciful perhaps, then con­ sponsoring the revived professional tralia when Nico Verhoeven won the sider this: the internationalisation of (Aug 12-16) which is first stage, Verhoeven being the Dutch cycle racing is reflected by the increasing stimulating tremendous interest. cyclist who won the "Sprint King" com­ success of english speaking participants, And if you are wondering how come petition in the 1984 Commonwealth and the presence of the British (ANC) some riders from the Eastern Bloc na­ Bank Classic. team and the American Seven/Eleven tions , like Poland and Czechoslovakia, Since the French Tour became open to squad in the recent Tour de France. The have been allowed to turn professional , amateur riders in 1983, the race and its last two Tours have been won by english well , it is because of the changed sports presentation - has become increasingly speaking cyclists. American Greg politics since the arrival of Mikhail Gor­ a political platform. In many sports, this Lemond scored in 1986 and Canadian barchev. Don't be surprised to witness a would be considered a retrograde step, won a stage, and of course, complete Russian team , racing profes­ but cycling has been so dominated by its Stephen Roach wore the yellow jersey sionally next season with an Italian western European origins that only the over the finish line this year. Also Lech sponsor. most biased Frenchman would not wel­ Pisecki wore yellow and become front I understand that the Soviet National come the involvement in the sport's page news in Poland. The prestigious coach Alexandre Gusjatnikov is discus­ most prestigious tour of racers from the Tour of fell to the indefatigable sing such an arrangement with the Ita­ Americas and the countries of the East. Irishman, , a Scot is sec- lian Federation.

Freewheeling 7 concluding at the same venue on Satur­ day 6 February, 1988. In between the itinerary will take the worlds top trackmen to Albury on Tuesday 19 , Shepparton Wednesday 20 , Launceston Friday 22 , Melbourne Saturday 23, Adelaide Sunday 24 , Alice Springs Tues­ day 26, Brisbane Friday 29 , Grafton Monday February 1, Newcastle Wednes­ day Feb 3, and Wollongong Friday Feb 5. Promoted by the "Oz Wide" organisa­ tion the series has interesting implica­ tions in an Olympic year. For the lovers of road racing the well established Commonwealth Bank Class­ ic has got the nod from the Bicentennial Authority. Scheduled from October 15 to October 29 the Classic of 1988 prom­ ises to be one of the real highlights of the Bicentennial celebrations. Few sporting events will compare with the dimension of this epic. Backed by large financial and administrative BICENTENNIAL CYCLING support mounted by the experienced (left) and Phil Bates are Promoters Frank visitors to our Bates brothers organisation, the presen­ visionaries well able to handle the Bicentennial Australians and overseas demands of the sport. fair land who will join us in the Bicen­ ters envisage up to 100 top rated world tennial celebrations next year will have cyclists in a 14 day contest involving a the opportunity of attending some pro­ million spectators, and millions more on fessionally promoted . television throughout the world watch­ Two promotions have been officially ing the fight for supremacy through accepted by the Bicentennial Authority three states and the Australian Capital And can you imagine the Tour de Fr­ as celebration sports events. World Territory. ance commencing in London before the Series Cycling will pit Australia against The Bicentenary Commonwealth rnd of the 1980's. As the song says: "Just the World in a 12-off series commencing Bank Cycle Tour measures up big on the you wait and see". in Sydney, Saturday 16th January and horizon of Australian sport.

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8 Freewheeling Write On

FASTER IN THEORY 1. BICYCLE USED FOR WORK ONLY- 3. MY MOTORCYCLE USED FOR WORK As a cyclist, motorcyclist and car driver 19.60 km/h PLUS 10,000 lrnt per year- 29.65 lrnt/h it was with some disbelief that I read the article in issue number 40 entitled Faster Trips to work 460 Trips to work 460 and Safer Than the Automobile. I won­ Distance 12.2 Distance 13.5 dered how this could be when all of the 10,000 Total 5612 Other cars I saw every morning were passing Total 16210 me! As I delved further into the article I 2 chains 20 Fuel 648.4000 was annoyed by the out of hand dismis­ 1 cluster 50 10 sal of motorcycles and amazed at the 3 tyres 45 Oil incredible manipulation of statistics by Tyres 162.1 your intrepid researchers and SA Motor. Maint. cost 115 Rego 104 Having little to do last night I put shirt I/yr 50 Maint. cost 924.5000 some of your figures into my computer Pants I/yr 35 Jacket $300/10 yr 30 and manipulated them some more. I Gloves 2/yr 30 Pants55/10yr + $15/yr 20.5 used my own nett hourly pay rate and Shoes/Helmet 4 yrs 34.25 Gloves $30/4 yr + $20/2 yr 17.5 my own bicycle and a motorcycle for Socks 2/yr 15 Boots $70/5yr 14 these manipulations plus a new Toyota Clothing 164.25 Helmet $ l 50/4yr 37 .5 Corona and a cheaper (commuter's) Bike & Accessories 723 Clothing 119.5 motorcycle for comparison. 3 yr bank loan at Bike 7500 I would like to make some slightly 20% 50% res 161.22 different assumptions than those made Maint. cost 115.00 3 yr bank loan at 20% by Jarrett and Campbell. These are as Clothing 164.25 50% res 1672.50 follows: Total p.a. 440.47 Maint. cost 924.50 1. I don't believe that motorcycles are Total per km .08 Clothing 119.50 any less safe than when ridden Time at 30 kph 187.07 Total p.a. 2716.36 on the roadway, wet or dry. Shower/change 57.50 Total per km .17 2. I don't believe a commuter will pay Hourly net rate 10.55 Time at 60 kph 270.17 for his trip to and from work at the mar­ Hours worked for cost 41.73 ginal tax rate of 43 cents. If a tax rate is Shower/change 19.17 to be decided it should be the initial rate Total hours 286.30 Hourly net rate 10.55 - zero. I have been generous in assum­ Average speed 19.60 Hours worked for cost 257.36 ing my average rate. Total hours 546.69 3. I don't believe that the average per­ 2. MY MOTORCYCLE (1000 cc Moto Average speed 29.65 son will buy a car with money in the Guzzi) USED FOR WORK ONLY bank, depreciate the car at 22.5% and -16.15 km/h then calculate loss of interest at 14 .5%. 4. TOYOTA CORONAS MANUAL $14,000 My commuter traded his three year old Trips to work 460 USED FOR WORK ONLY- 10.98 km/h in and got a personal loan from vehicle Distance 13.5 the bank for the rest at 20%. I have it on Total 6210 Trips to work 460 good authority that he will get at least Distance 13.5 248.4 $7,000 for his three year old Toyota Fuel Other 0 Corona. Oil 10 Total 6210 4. My bicycle travels a lot faster than Tyres 62 .1 Fuel yours. My times to work are actual, how­ Rego 104 372.6 Service ever, and should put the bicycle at a Running cost 424.5 300 Tyres 37.26 greater advantage. Jacket $300/10 yr 30 5. The distance to work is 12.2 km by Pants 55/l0yr + $20/yr 20.5 Running costs 709.86 bicycle and 13.5 km by motor vehicle. Gloves $30/4 yr + $20/2 yr 17.5 Rego 200 6. I have four weeks annual leave and Boots $70/5 yr 14 Insurance 300 ten public holidays leaving me 460 trips Helmet $150/4 yr 37.5 Other costs 500 to and from work in a year. Clothing 119.5 Car 14000 7. I do not feel that your bicycle costs Bike value 7500 3 yr bank loan at 20% were high enough so I have used my own 3 yr bank loan at 20% 50% res 3121.74 expenditures for accessories and appro­ 50% res 1672.36 Running costs 709.86 priate apparel. Running cost 424.50 Other costs 500.00 I have attached tables detailing costs Clothing 119.50 Total p.a. 4331.60 and calculated average speeds using Total p.a. 2216.36 Total per km .70 your formulas. Total per km .36 Time at 40 kph 155 .25 Time at 40 kph 155.25 I would like to suggest that although the Shower/change .00 bicycle is sti ll faster than the car and the Shower/change 19.17 Hourly net rate 10.55 Hourly net rate 10.55 large motorcycle it is only so when used Hours worked for cost 410.39 only for commuting and when commut­ Hours worked for cost 209.98 ing the tax rate should be nil , as you Total hours 384.40 Total hours 565 .64 must first get to work before you can Average speed 16.15 Average speed 10.98 earn your living.

Freewheeling 9 5. TOYOTA CORONA USED FOR WORK 6. 250 cc MOTORCYCLE USED FOR 7. 250 cc MOTORCYCLE USED FOR PLUS 10,000 km PER YEAR- 21.81 km/h WORK ONLY ($2,500)- 22.89 km/h WORK PLUS 10,000 km per year -38.46km/h

Trips to work 460 Distance 13.5 Trips to work 460 Trips to work 460 Other 10000 Distance 13.5 Distance 13.5 Total 16210 6210 Other 10000 Total Fuel 442.0909 Total 16210 Fuel 169.3636 Oil 10 Fuel 972.6 Oil 10 Tyres 162. 1 Service 300 Tyres 62.l Rego 104 Tyres 97.26 Rego 104 Maiht. cost 718.1909 Running costs 1369.86 Running cost 345.4636 Jacket $300/10 yr 30 Rego 200 Jacket $300/10 yr 30 Pants 55/l0yr + $15/yr 20.5 Insurance 300 Pants 55/l0yr + $15/yr 20.5 Gloves $30/4yr + $20/2yr 17.5 Gloves $30/4 yr + $20/2yr 17.5 Boots $70/5yr 14 Other costs 500 14000 Boots $70/4yr 37.5 Helmet $150/4yr 37.5 Car Clothing I 19.5 Clothing 119.5 3 yr bank loan at 20% Bike 2500 3121.74 Bike 2500 50% res loan at 20% 3 yr bank loan at 20% 3 yr bank Running costs 1369.86 557.45 50% res 557.45 50% res Other costs 500.00 Maint. cost 718 .19 Total p.a. 4991.60 Running cost 345.46 Clothing 119.50 Total per km .31 Clothing 119.50 Total p.a. 1395.14 Total p.a. 1022.42 .09 Time at 60 kph 270.17 Total per km km .16 Shower/change .00 Total per Time at 60 kph 270.17 Hourly net rate 10.55 Time at 40 kph 155.25 Shower/change 19.17 Hours worked for cost 472.92 Shower/change 19.17 Hourly net rate 10.55 Hourly net rate 10.55 Hours worked for cost I 32.18 hours 743.09 Total Hours worked for cost 96.87 Total hours 421.51 speed 21.81 Average Average speed 22.89 Average speed 38.46 There is also the consideration that If any Freewheeling reader can help relating to lighting requirements on while I am pedaling to work, and enjoy­ with printed materials or information bicycles, and yet, the unlit cyclist is a ing it, the car is sitting at home in the about this famous race I would be most menace to him/herself as well as to driveway accumulating standing costs. pleased to hear from them. The Robin­ others. A publication such as Freewheel­ Maybe these costs should be added to son's at Cooma are doing their best for ing would only reach a comparatively my bicycle costs. me, as are the Larcombies of Goulburn. small proportion of the number of cyc­ I hope that others may be able to throw lists who actually use the roads, there­ I feel I have manipulated enough fi­ some light on my missing links. fore highlighting the problem through gures for now and it is your turn again. your columns for example would have a Happy computing! But don't let it en­ Jack Hepher very limited effect. However, it seems to croach into your cycling time. Railway Pde Bundanoon NSW 2578 me that if cyclists as a body are to have any credibility in their cry for recogni­ Theo Bekkers CYCLISTS AND THE LAW tion of bicycles as vehicles something BalgoWA has to be done to bring about a higher I was disturbed to read in issue 42 of standard of behaviour on their part. Freewheeling of a recent road use survey GOULBURN TO SYDNEY RACE HISTORY conducted by the Newcastle Cycleways Probably most cyclists do not belong I am in the process of writing the story Movement. According to that survey an to a club or organisation of any kind, but of the Goulburn to Sydney road race but alarming number of cyclists ride at night it would be a step in the right direction if at this stage only pre 1940, amateur and without lights. In fact almost ninety per­ cycling clubs started a campaign within cent of all cyclists observed in the survey professional winners, their handicaps their ranks to encourage a greater level did not have lights fitted to their ma­ and times taken for the course. I also of observance of the road traffic laws. have most of the programmes for the chines. This would not only set an example to 1920's and 30's only require a copy of the others but organised cyclists would at This is a disgraceful state of affairs least be seen to be trying to do the right professional 1920 event and the amateur and it reflects very badly on cyclists as a thing. 1923. group. Cyclists should realize that they cannot have it two ways. It is no good Ron Small and others have come for­ As a cyclist of many years experience clamouring for their rights as road users myself I believe we cannot afford to ward with old newspaper cuttings which on the one hand, and then blatantly dis­ have provided me with stories of most of adopt such a slap happy approach to our regarding the law to such an extent on own safety (as well as that of others) as the events. I have some pre 1906 but the other. need anything on the events up till 1912 the statistics reveal. and badly require something on the 1920 It seems that our Police forces are DCox event. unable or unwilling to enforce the law Brighton SA 5048

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We supply • W• 1tock Ill /#ding bnlndl of new bicycJ., We stock the LOT! • W• k-,, •I.,,_~ of ~ori#. • W•MWMcx~tMmOffu/1- PRO BIKE DEALERS rirrw l'ft«Mnia fol' Ill your ,-p,Mr nNdl, • W• build cunom bik•. The Sales and • W•Mlf~~. FRESHWATER BICYCLE IMPORTS • W•,..,,,.• full rw,~of 1986-81,umnwr Hire Specialists 2/21 Resolution Dr q,'C/,1 felhion elothin1- Caringbah NSW 2229 OPEN 7 28 Clovelly Rd., DAYS (02) 526 264 7 Randwick NSW or (02) 523 4428 A WEEK Phone (02) 399 3475 PRO BIKE BEAHBS

PRESTON BIKE CENTRE For your nex t Apollo - Atom - Skyway - Graecross - Shogun - I Silverton - Univega - SCHAFER'S CYCLE WORKS Gitane or Puch Bicycle 145 - 147 Prince St. , ----STOP PREss:---­ Grafton, NSW. Ph. (066) 42 2106 Procaliber Fisher Ricardo, Malvern Star Mountain America's Finest Speedwell, Southern Cross Bike No~ In Stock Univega, Graecross For specialist repairs SALES & SERVICE or Servicing Call - 478 1891 Full range of accessories Full workshop facilities ESTABLISHED 1911 271 Gower St., Preston, Vic 3072 WHEELPOWER -- BERRETTO BICYCLES MQU NJAI N BRISBANE 724 GYMPIE ROAD, BIKES CHERMSIDE 4032 Bushranger $795, Sierra $619 (07) 359 4923 $215 EXPERIENCE THE LUXURY Skyline $350, Ventura AND INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE OF A HAND· Please coll and see our com­ MADE BERRETTO BICYCLE prehensive clothing and shoe RACING, TOURING, TRI- display. ATHALONS, OR JUST SELF INDULGENCE 106 Klngsway, PARTS • ACCESSORIES • Glen Waverley VIC CLOTHING • REPAIRS Phone (03) 560 2178 SEND S.A.E. FOR PRICE LIST ON FRAMES

BRISBANE'S BIGGEST RANGE OF BICYCLES, PARTS, ACCESSORIES & ~ CLOTttlNG THE.FREEDOM * TRIATHLON - RACING-. MACHINE BIKES* MOUNTAIN BIKES * BMX's * DREAM MACHINES uhJ BEST RANGE - BEST VALUE Family-Touring-Triathlon •IGBIK~ Specialist 2938 PACIFIC HWY. Accessories & expert UNDERWOOD, QUEENSLAND repairs. (07) 341 7 444 401 Chapel St, South Yarra "JUST NEAR THE BIG GUN" VIC 3141 Ph: 241 5014 Only 1 2 minutes from the city Freeull,eelin9 SPORTS CENTRE PRO BIKE DEALERS is a new SPEC. IN BICYCLE SPORTS & BOCCE section that highlights the goods .• FERRARI • • BORSARI • PUCH and services of Australia's leading PROFESSIONALS IN bicycle retailers. Bike shop pro­ SALES - SERVICE - PARTS SPECIALIST IN fessionals who want to get their L'WEIGHT - TRIATHLON message across to our 15 000 COMMUTING BICYCLES Australia's NEW & USED - BUY SELL readers should contact our Adver­ EXCHANGE finest BORSARI CYCLES tising Director David Turner on 1NC MI( SPORTS IMPOR TS cycle clothing f.lL'{,OH OISC' OUN' 3474100 ESTASUSHeo,e vRS (02) 913 1266 and find out about 193 LYGON ST. CARLTON our favourable rates.

Freewheeling 13 SUPER TOUGHNESS PROFESSIONAL USE FOR ROAD RACING & RACING IZUMI VI HIGH QUALITY FOR ROAD RACING

IZUMI L HIGH QUALITY FOR TOURING & MOUNTAIN BICYCLE IZUMI COLOR CHAIN BMX COLORS:RED/SILVER, BLUE/SILVER, GOLD/SILVER COBALT/BLACK, ALL NICKEL PLATED.

Contact to: REPCO CYCLE COMPANY Head Office : 25 Hamilton Street, Huntingdale, Vic., 3166 Phone 568 0211 N.S.W. Branch : 16 Street, 2164 Phone: 609 2322 OLD. Branch: 30 Lysaght Street, Acacia Ridge OLD 4110 /4 Freewheeling The World Awheel

The Victorian State -Bicycle Committee Meanwhile, the Standards Associa­ LONDON TO BRIGHTON RIDE had paid for laboratory tests of bicycle tion might adopt the British Standard If you didn't get to this years London to lights currently on the market, and these for bicycle tail lights. It's not very bright, Brighton Ride you will have missed out tests told us about brightnesses and but even so a lot of lights now on sale in on an amazing experience. Warm beam patterns. That's good. But bicycle bike shops wouldn't measure up. If the weather brought out record numbers of lights have to work outside too. Federal Trade Practices Commission riders to pedal the 85 km route. Organis­ On the road, they must withstand vib­ made the British Standard legal here, ers estimate that in the vicinity of 30,000 ration, rain and splashes. Lights should that would at least get the junk lights off Brits and others pedalled the charming fit securely onto bikes with or without the market. roads and back lanes from the big city to carriers, and not be obscured by pan­ the sea. As usual the cyclists turned up niers or other luggage. Lights should be Ron Shepherd in their weirdest and wackiest outfits, theftproof, and should withstand the in­ some to help raise money for the British evitable crash when the bikes fall over. NATIONAL SCHOOLS CYCLING Heart Foundation. Generators should give a bright-enough CHAMPIONSHIPS The picture on this page shows some light - when you are pedalling slowly up­ Following the recent state champion­ of the riders gathering on Ditchling hill, but mustn't blow globes when you ships each of the four category finalists Beacon ready for the final whoosh down are whizzing downhill. And generators in the Safe-n-Sound Schools Champion­ to Brighton. mustn't slip in the rain when you need ships will fly to Sydney on 7 October to them most of all. Until these reliability compete on the Olympic standard velod­ FEDS FAIL TO SEE THE LIGHT and mounting details have been worked rome at Tempe as part of a major track out, we won't be able to specify a stan­ carnival. The state finalists will compete IT COULD be years before we have an dard for the bicycle lights we need. in the following categories: boys under Australian Standard for good bicycle Most cyclists killed at night are hit 16 ; girls under 16 ; boys under 14 ; and lights. Following the BIKESAFE con­ from the rear by motorists, and anything girls under 14. ference in Newcastle in 1986, the Com­ that will make us more easily recognised The four national champs will be pre­ monwealth Minister for Transport, should be tried. With a superbright tail­ sented with Safe-n-Sound trophies and a Peter Morris, accepted the need for a light, a bicycle might be mistaken for a Malvern Star bicycle. bicycle light standard. But so far no Fed­ faster motorbike. Perhaps a yellow The Safe-n-Sound National Schools eral funds have been provided to do the flashing taillight would be better, so that Cycling Championship was re- intro­ necessary testing of lights, a cyclist could be mistaken for a slow duced in May this year and is a revival of In Melbourne last May, the Standards moving street sweeper, or for a big hole the former National Schools Champion­ Association's Bicycle Lighting Commit­ in the road! ship. Up to the national finals all com­ tee met for the first time in nearly two Perhaps every bike should have two petition was conducted on special cus­ years. The committee tried very hard to tail lights, one a set distance above the tom-made turbo rollers incorporating list what is required for good bicycle other, so that motorists could judge how advanced digital equipment designed to lights. But it was impossible to be close we are. It's time for the Federal Of­ test speed and the endurance of the cyc­ specific on some issues simply because fice of Road Safety to fund research into lists by simulating actual cycling condi­ the necessary testing hadn't been done. these ideas without further delay. tions.

Freewheeling 15 The World Awheel

a high FOR the National Association of Australian they are heavily trafficked with CYCLISTS' HANDBOOK Road Authorities (NAASRA) agreed to percentage of heavy vehicles and narrow SOUTH AUSTRALIA produce a bicycle faci lities manual. A traffic lanes in some locations which are The South Australian Touring Cycl ists draft manual has been distributed for undesirable cycling conditions. Recrea­ Association has recently published an approval by all other state road au­ tional cyclists may be free to pioneer eighty page guide booklet to assist cyc­ thorities by the Road Construction longer and quieter routes along back li sts touring in that state. The guide is Authority of Victoria (RCA) for streets, but arterial roads will remain the designed to help visitors gain access to NAASRA. transportation routes for all road users. the best routes and services and has sec­ This NAASRA manual recognises At long last we have a draft manual tions dea ling with a range of related cyclists needs but has a lot of defects that points everyone in th e right direc­ topics. Though it is obviously designed wh en you look at specific problems. It ti on a nd recognises cycli sts are legiti­ to be used in conjunction with the excel­ does not have enough worked examples mate road users. The job now is to get lent full colour SA Cycle Route Maps of how to provide for cyclists at mai n the detail right. the Handbook also offers some tour road intersections or or: freeways and Copies of the draft NAASRA manual are avail­ many of the tables showing bikeway de­ able o n request from: Bicycle Facilities Co-Or­ suggestions of its own. It also contains dinator, Road Construction Authority of Vi ctoria , recomme ndations on trip pla nning, sign criteria are based on obsolete refer­ 60 Denm ark Street, Kew VIC 3101 basic repairs and availability of bicycle ences that ignore basic anthropometric spare parts. South Australia's reputable and ergonomic data. Alan Parker bicycle dealers are also listed. The section on bridges needs greater CHOICE TESTS CITY BIKES The Handbook is sold with a heavy expanding, and the section on widened clear vinyl wallet and will accommodate kerb lanes is most inadequate. This The Australian Consumers Association the Route Maps, travel tickets and other manual is both lacking in practical ad­ in the July edition of its magazine ed mountain tourist information. The handbook was vice and scholarship. However the draft Choice put 15 lower-pric proce­ launched in Adelaide during August by as it stands has one great merit in the bikes to the test. While the testing the Association's patron the Premier, stating in the first few paragraphs about dure did not rely o n any scienti fic point John Bannon. Copies of the book can "Planning for bicycles", the need for method of evaluation it did at least problems be obtained by mail order from SATCA, cyclists to be catered for on main roads. out a number of recurring PO Box 60 Echunga SA 5153 for $4.80 Cycling may occur on most roads and which confront the new bike purchaser. plus $1.05 postage costs. therefore, the construction of a few bicy­ A number of the bicycles purchased for cle facilities particularly in towns and the test were poorly set up and some out important compo­ THE NATIONAL BIKEWAY DESIGN cities will not solve the cyclists's problem even came with of road safety. Planning for the bicycle nents such as reflectors and bell. The MANUAL must concentrate on improving condi­ lesson to be learnt from the Choice test Probably, the only positive outcome of tions on the road as well as providing is that yo u should always buy a bike the Federal government sponsored some appropriately located off-road from a retailer who can provide proper Bikesafe conference in 1986 was the facilities. after sa les service. In addition we think adoption of a Bicycle Federation of Aus­ The specific advantages of arterial that it is good if you can consult a know- tralia proposal that there be a national road travel such as better surface, mainte­ 1edgea ble friend and if possible take bikeway design manual. nance, priority and directness of travel them along with you when yo u make As a direct result of the BFA proposal are appreciated by cyclists. However, your purchase. SPOKES CYCLES 89 Railway St, CORRIMAL, N.S.W. (042) 84 3434

16 Freewheeling The World Awheel

Our last 'How to buy a bike' article LONG BEACH BIKE SHOW appeared in issue 24 and is still available Manufacturers are gearing up in the as a back issue. We will be updating that USA for the worlds largest annual bicy­ information in a forthcoming issue and cle show to be held early next year be­ attempting to give readers more sound tween January 8-10 in the Los Angeles advice on not only selecting a good ma­ area. The Long Beach show is a business chine but dealing with over zealous re­ only exhibition so it is generally the tailers. meeting place of the bicycle industry world-wide. Local distributors attend BIKE EXPO COMES TO SYDNEY the show to meet manufacturers and After three successful years in Mel­ place their orders. Accredited Austral­ bourne Bike Expo the Retail Cycle Trad­ ian bicycle industry professionals wish­ ers Association's industry showcase ing to visit the BDS Expo should contact went on display for three days in August Bill Mattes or Lyn Burke at (203) 853 at the Sydney Showgrounds. The show 0400. was well supported by both the industry (as exhibitors) and the public (as eager CYCLE THE WORLD spectators). Tailwinds Bicycle Touring, a travel com­ The last time Sydneysiders had the pany specialising in cycle tours, has re­ chance to see such a large display of leased their 1987/88 catalogue. Tail­ bicycles and accessories was in 1980 winds began in 1982 with the first trip to when a smaller exhibition was held at China. Recently Tailwinds has added Circular Quay shipping terminal. The another 'first' to its list by organising an 1987 exhibition was easily the largest expedition of over 1000 km between ever seen in NSW and brought together Lhasa in Tibet to Kathmandu in Nepal. every major manufacturer and dis­ Rob Fletcher, the founder of Tail­ tributor. winds will lead their first trip to India For bike enthusiasts Expo was a fan­ which leaves for 23 days in mid-De­ tastic opportunity to catch up with the cember. Tailwinds also organises tours latest technology, fashion and nick­ to Japan. Copies of their catalogue can knacks. be obtained by writing to PO Box 32 O'Connor ACT 2601. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NCM One of Australia's most energetic and SECREST WINS RAAM successful bicycle advocate groups the Nine days, eleven hours and thirty five Newcastle Cycleways Movement celeb­ CITY minutes after leaving San Francisco rated its tenth anniversary recently. In Mike Secrest of Michigan cycled into its ten years it has chalked up an impres­ Washington to win this years ( 6th an­ sive list of achievements which have SLICKERS nual) Race Across America. Secrest fin­ helped make Newcastle a real bike city. ished over two hours ahead of the next Good on you NCM and keep up the fan- rider Mike Trail of Washington state. tastic work. e Kestrel made the 5016 km crossing on a revolutionary Kestrel frame made from Avocet City tyres with the smooth tread a single piece of carbon/Kevlar/boron give you more rubber on the road for round material. The frame is extremely stiff, town use. On busy city streets and in the lightweight and aerodynamic. suburbs you need the maximum traction VELd~ITY Michael Secrest, 34, is a professional that only the smooth tread of the City 1.9 VELO-CITY CONFERENCE can deliver. Avocet City l.9's were cyclist and rode over 1200 km per week developed as a high pressure (80 psi) street From September 22 to 26 this year the in preparation for America's longest tyre to give improved cornering and road Dutch Ministry of Transport, the Munic­ marathon event. He finished in second grip performance even on wet roads. ipality of Groningen and the European place in 1985. This year he raced 34 Cyclists Federation are organising the other competitors including seven Avocet City tyres are available from a third Velo-City Cycling Congress. The women. specialist dealer in your town. Try them theme of this years conference will be today. 'Planning for the Urban Cyclist' and SA BIKE MANUAL delegates from many countries including The South Australia State Bicycle Com­ Australia are expected to attend. mittee has recently produced a loose­ Velo-City is the major international leaf technical manual designed to pro­ gathering of bicycle activists and plan­ vide guidelines for the construction of ners and will be addressed by an impres­ bicycle facilities in that state. The main sive range of speakers. For further de­ emphasis of the manual is on designing tails and application forms write to and carrying out on-road treatments to Engineering for Cyclists Freewheeling PO Box K26 Haymarket enable cyclists to share the road surface NSW2000. The World Awheel

IUIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWIIIUIUUIIIIUUIIIIUIIUUIIIUIIIIIIIUIUIIIIIIIIIDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWIIIIUll!llllmmu111111111111111111 with other vehicles . Segregated bike­ ways are no longer seen as the most ef­ t;2#RR•Zd2R!¥i fective or even the most successful way of reducing bicycle/motor vehicle acci­ dents. Copies of the Guidelines for the Design of Bicycle Facilities can be ob­ to~ tained from the State Bicycle Commit­ tee of SA 33-37 Warwick St Wa lkervill e SA 5081. (08) 269 8173. BARGAIN! OODC41C411(; 19000(; big one-day 85km fun and fitness ride SBS television h ave covered the Com­ monwealth Bank Cycle Classic since 1983 SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER 1987 and sell video tapes of their coverage. Usually individual tapes cost $49.95 each and cycle clothing fashion parades as afternoon to decide the ' Gong Ride but they have decided to clear their stock part of the entertainment laid on for the Champ. If you are. an experienced Trials for the bargain price of $20 each. Both riders at the Wollongong end of the ride. rider and would like to enter the event Beta and VHS formats are available and The· mountain bike observed trials event and test your skills against the National there are limited stocks. To order phone uses a special type of obstacle course Champion contact the Ride organiser at (02) 964 2879 to check stocks first. Send which will be marked out at Flagstaff the Freewheeling office on (02) 264 cheque, money order or bankcard/master­ Point at the Ride's end. 8544. card/visacard to SBS Marketing PO Box Leading the list of invited Trials ex­ During the afternoon fashion parades 0-28 Milsons Point NSW 2061. perts will be the current National will be run on stage at Flagstaff Point. Champion Glen Roche from Mel­ The parades will feature summer gear in 'GONGRID EAC TIVITIES bourne. Glen wi ll compete against an the latest colours and patterns. Food This year's Repco Cycles Sydney to the invited field of experienced riders from and drink will also be on sale. ' Gong Bicycle Ride will feature a de­ Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Flagstaff Point will take on a carnival monstration course Heats will be conducted throughout the atmosphere for this years big ride which

ix and match your patterned cycling tops with riding knicks in a rainbow range offashion colours from Woolys Wheels. Our clothing department is stocked to the hilt with cycling clothing in the latest season colours, patterns and designs. We started the coloured Lycra fashion trend in Australia so come on in and see why we are still streets ahead of the rest. •••Lwa •=••Ls 82 Oxford St Paddington NSW (02) 331 2671 The World Awheel is expected to attract in excess of 3500 fitted with a six-speed SunTour Ultra Six people . Full detail s and entry fo rm freewheel with sprockets ranging between 13 elsewhere in this issue or contact (02) and 32 teeth. His front triple chainwheel set 264 8544. has 40, 53 and 64 teeth chainrings. His total gear range is 25" to a massive lil" John Klose ofYankalilla Cycles in South Aus­ and because of the three-speed Sturmey tralia has a wind problem. On his way to and Archer hub fitted to the rear he ends up with from work each day he encounters high winds an amazing 54 gear ratios. On the road he on Sellicks Hill near Yankalilla and to take ad­ uses a shifting sequence of 19 evenly spaced vantage of this wind ill, both directions he has gears and his top is only usable above 60 km/ fitted one of the widest gearing ranges we h - just the thing for coming down Sellicks have ever_seen fitted to a bicycle. The bike is Hill with a ripping tailwind.

~s~~.-, , ~-~__ THE STRONG SILENT TYPE Off the mountainside and onto the asphalt. Other off-road tyres have isolated lugs posi­ tioned . in the centre of the tread at any speed you can feel the tyres rumble. The Richley Quad l.9 doesn't rumble because the lugs are offset - not in the centre. The crown of the Quad is an endlessly quiet plateau. The lug pattern offers better grip in loose dirt but for the first time trips to and from the wilderness are quiet and smooth. Avocet Richley Quad l.9's are available through specialist bicycle dealers across the country.

Eng ineering for Cyc lists

Freewheeling 19 It not only looks great ...

Aerodynamic air vents Attachment points for optional designed to keep head cool sun protection peak. and comfortable.

-- Ultra-violet light resistant shell \ material to withstand many Terry towelling sweat band./ I \ years under the sun. Removable for washing. Reflective strip for i night riding salety foam. Double layer protection. Tough outer shell lined with expanded polystyrene foam to absorb shock.

it is a great helmetl

COLOURS: WHITE, YELLOW, PINK, RED, BLUE, BLACK. 0 Sleek aerodynamic styling, plus a range of Now there's no reason for risk: you can colours to choose from, means you can now buy comfortably wear the ultimate in safety and still a helmet that is not only a superior safety device look great doing it! ATOM safety helmets come but a fashionable sporting accessory, too. The in your choice of six brilliant colours in the widest ATOM helmet exceeds every rigorous test to pass available range of sizes. You might only need the 2063.2 standard and yet has also managed your safety helmet . .. but that could be the to keep its stylish good looks. time it saves your life. Buy yours now.

((/~ ( ~ -~) AUSTRALIAN MADE \ __ --- - Because it is important that a helmet be correctly fitted, ATOM is available only through bicycle shops and sports stores. Enquiries to: ATOM, 75a Burrows Road, Alexandria NSW 2015. (02) 550 1655 and pockets. $30.00; Finest printed Italian lycra available in marly colours. $25.00; Poly/cotton road knicks in blue/black and yellow black (pink/black also jersey with contrasting flash panels and rear pockets. available). Chamois liner. $60.00; Cotton lycra for hot Also available in red, white and jade. $30.00; Nylon 1 in red. Available with cotton/lycra or '87 Fashion lycra knicks summer days matching knicks and midriff in candy stripe fabric cut specially for women. $60.00 set; chamois liner in black, aqua, yellow or fuschia. lections from the Netti 1987 range. Top: cool Mens knicks in cotton lycra with striped side panels. $45.00; Italian nylon lycra 2 colour panel knicks with omfortable cotton lycra knicks, black with $35.00. cotton/lycra or chamois liner. Available in a variety of lack and white striped panel $42.50. European colours. $50.00;· Mens trade name cool cotton/poly S Rear pockets. $30.00; ladies sleeveless blue satin look fleecy lined jersey with long back and road jersey. pockets. $45.00; Blue and yellow with black and Bottom: Triathlon singlet poly/cotton with mesh side singlet in poly/cotton with feature panel. Colour rear white panel knicks $42.50. Cool cotton/poly road panel for extra ventilation in aqua, red and jade. Rear pockets. $29.00; ladies tapered panel knicks also jersey in white, aqua or yellow. Also with long back pockets. $25.00. Nylon lycra triathlon knicks available in purple and jade. $45.00.

Freewheeling 21 ashion from the Le Knicks, flrime and Le Bottom: 11gbts and long'uns in plain colours and Tri ranges distributed by Agencies Sportiff. dazzling combinations. ideal for those cool spring Fashion shirts, traditional shirts from Prime mornings. Le Knicks range in price from $39.00 to F S59.00. le Knicks and Prime jerseys are made from 2 by Le Knicks. Prime jerseys are available '87 Fashion with knicks in Italian, French, German and Aussie colours for the finest Italian lycra with cool cotton/poly material around $55.00. Prime jerseys are made from Italian and mesh side panels on some models. lycra. Le Knicks are available in seven single-colour or five striped colour combinations for S47 .00. Le Tri has got you covered. Lots of different- models, features and colours starting at S36.00.

22 Freewheeling lothing from Cycle Circuit. Kick off the season in the new " Scott Tinley" range of Csports wear for men and women. Running shorts with mix and match tops and singlets and co­ ordinating swimmers for men. (Swimmers are made in durable nylon lycra with a 100% polyester pa d for cycling comfort; quick drying with drawstring waist). Lycra bike shorts for men have double layer polypropelene liner. The poly/cotton tops with cut­ away backs, open mesh sides and pockets in back are cool and comfortable. Lightweight running shorts in 100% cotton have split sides, poly/cotton liner and key pockets - these are the shorts to supercede nylon tricot; Italian lycra Zeus knicks worn by leading triathlete Marc Dragan who also rides Zeus equipment. The imported Zeus shirt is made from ab­ sorbent polyester and the Ferrari shoes have leather uppers and nylon soles; Triathlete ensembles made in quality Italian lycra are available separately in colours and patterns to suit everyone. Gloves are French with lycra or cotton backing and soft leather palms. Euro­ pean trade names.

Bottom: Cycle Grcuit's own range of mix and match Italian lycra tops and knicks add variety and style to your sports wardrobe. Tops have mesh sides, rear pockets and team well with a variety of knicks with chamois towelling cotton or durable lycra inserts.

Freewheeling 23 op left: three selections from the Apollo clothing range. European team jersey in the TGitane coloui:s and Harlequin tops in Apollo colours $39.00. Triathlon singlet $27 .00. Pro knicks $54.00, Contoured knicks $45.00 and anatomical knicks and triathlon knicks in a range of colour com­ binations $45.00.

Right top, centre and bottom: Fashions from Ultima clothing distributed by Elao Bicycles: Summer jerseys in poly/contone a bonded fabric made of synthetic and cotton to wick away body moisture. The lycra knicks all feture multi-paneled design with contoured chamois.

Bot tom: La Concorrena Pro-nix trom The Competition. These superbly cut knicks feature fully contoured multi-panelled design, tie waist, front chamois extension, elasticised leg bands and brilliant red/green logo all in wet look lycra. S-58.99. All prices are rec­ ommended retail only.

24 Freewheeling ROSEBANK gg~g~~~ GIVES YOU AHEAD START IN SAFETY

• The first safety helmet to carry this coveted award

Rosebank Stackhat"' Australia's $10,000 FREE INSURANCE largest selling Helmet. The Rosebank Stackhat is the only When you purchase a Bicycle Safety bicycle safety helmet that will insure Helmet, buy the best head protection the head of any wearer for $10,000 in Australia, the Australian made absolutely FREE. Rosebank Stackhat Safety Helmet with both the coveted is made from the strongest "space Australian Design Award and age" materials available, it has a approved by the Standards strong PBT Polyester Outer Shell Association of Australia. The made from Valox'? with an Expanded Rosebank Stackhat is designed Polystyrene Inner Shell, and the for both children and adults and unique RosebankStackhat Inner provides maximum protection to the Comfort Liner for a real cool, Skull, Temple and Nape of Neck The comfortable ride. Available in 4 sizes Stackhat is not only a real cool design - X Small, Small, Medium and Large in but the 18 ventilation openings and Brilliant White and Safety Yellow from flow through air ducts help keep hot retailers everywhere. heads cooler, and the strong reliable Proudly made in Australia by Nylon Webbing Retention System Rosebank Products Pty Ltd. holds the Stackhat securely in 19-21 Hallam South Road, Hallam position. Phone (03) 703 1000.

RP 1033 ® Rosebank Stackhat Registered Trade Name ® Valox - Registered Trade Mark

Freewhee/ing 25 TX PROFIL I T"I MOST AIRODYNAMIC · TIRI-TYPE ALU/'t\lNIUM RIM IN THI WOLBER TIRES-RIMS WORLD The latest in the PROFIL rim series, TX PROFIL Is . Weight lgl , ,o transposition to the tire mode of the PROFIL 20, Woighl (g) 520-550 550 "" 700C a. high competition tubular rim, designed spe­ 28/32/36 cially in a wind tunnel at the lnstitut A6rotechnique Size 650 !HOO C-27' 700 C ""'""" Hord onodil.:I 60 ~ de Saint Cyr l'Ecole, for mounting on avant-garde Drilling 36/40/-48. Simple eyelets aerodynamic bicycles used by · u... Triolhlon - ltaclno -- and the SYSTEME U team. TX PROFIL therefore Surfoce • Polish • Hord anodized • ~m ond ,nc,one:wm treatment •Sotin • Heat treated SpocificotioN tinrichod olvminiu m- ..,.__ benefits from the same aerodynamic advanta­ combined with outstandingly higher rigidity • Touring ges, Uses Touring . · - - n,n with a total weight of 450 g only. This is the most • Chrome & MognoSium ,,.,,... aerodynamic tire profiled rim ever proposed Spocilicol<>ns enriched aluminium olloy to racing cycl ists. • Fmh wekfinn ~ ! TXPAOFIL

. WeiQht {g) Profi le 700 "'"C • 27' b.. il U·I Ori lh.-.g 32 / 36 • Oovble eyeyief, Hord onod,ied M58 M59 lreotmenl""'°'' Heol Hooted u,.,, T,iothl0t1 • Rocir,o

Ctvome ood Mogne1ium enricMd Specificotion, olumink,m olloy T 430ALPINIANDM S91CYCLINOSPORT • Flo,h welding AND TOURING CYCLISM, THI SAME QUA­ LITY RIQUIRIMINTS ProfM Flash welding is a new state of the art technique for nar­ developed by WOLBER for the T 430, a ri m T430 alpine row tires, and the M 59, a.touring cycling rim. For Trade enquiries these two rims, flash welding is applied to a special aluminium, chrome and magnelluin enriched, heat treated and hard anodized. As 0 100 200 300 400 500 0 ·demonstrated by test results, these processes endow both T 430 ond M 59 with much improved b.~----~ PH : (052) 48 2712, 21 4755 rigidity. IMPORT COMPANY 64-66 RYRIE ST., GEELONG, 3220

Gear up for BICYCLE WEEK '87 October 17-25 Fun events across New South Wales!!

Sydney Newcastle For major events see BINSW event ads October 18 - Ride to Speers Park. elsewhere in this issue plus: October 21 - Ride to Work Breakfast. Ride to Work Day events October 21 in October 25 - Bicycle down from Hornsby, Eastwood and Manly. Dungog. All week - display at Stocklands Mall, Jesmond. Telephone (049) 53 2133. Wollongong October 18 - Brunch Ride, Northern BICYCLE WEEK HOTLINE Cycleway. October 24 The Bike Rally. October 24, 25 - Gosford to Wollongong. Telephone (042) 84 2425. (02) 268 2880

PLUS - Events in Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Cessnock, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Gosford, Grafton, Liverpool, Richmond, Taree and Wagga Wagga. ~ NSW State Bicycle Committee

26 Freewheeling NEW SEASON BICYCLES

The 1987/8 ran9es

A look at what's new in bicycle technology this summer.

by WARREN SALOMON

!CYCLES have come a long way in the ten years since Freewhee­ B lingpublished its first issue. Moun­ tain bikes, 'click' gears and fancy paint Top of the Malvern Star mountain bike ranJ.!e is Repco's time trial machine the Vertex TT is also work are the big features of the brand the Bushranger. A better bike for 1987 /8. A available in a stand ard design Reynolds 531 name ranges this year. In 1977 you were frame. -., lucky to find a bike with alloy wheels on the shop floor; nowadays they are com­ monplace. This season will test predictions of a mountain bike 'take over'. All through winter fat-tyred bikes have sold well and this summer should see this class of ma­ chine dominate the market. Already some dealers are reporting up to forty percent of sales to this class though it does depend on the area. Queenslanders who lead the BMX craze have been slow to discover the delights of the mountain bike but the up-coming National Mountain Bike Championships in Brisbane may alter that. Lightweight road bikes styled for the triathlete continue to sell strongly at the top end of most of the ranges I reviewed. Shimano Biopace chain rings, indexed gears a11d 700c 25 mm wheels are the com­ mon features of the best tri machines. Shimano hc1ve grabbed the lions share of the 'original equipment' market with their and orange. Urk! Thank heavens the with its Reynolds 531 sloping top tube 105 range of componentry and just about crass sixties and seventies have given way frame . every manufacturer had a bike in this cat­ to more tasteful colour schemes though The touring bike category is still rep­ egory. boring grey and black are still over rep­ resented in many of the catalogues and This season there can be no doubt that resented. The contrast head panel trend the models on offer are better equipped indexed gears are here to stay. All the of a few years ago has given way to with mudguards, cantilever brakes and major European parts makers have fol­ graduated two tone colour schemes triple chainwheel sets. The Repco Cresta lowed the Japanese and added 'click' gear though the effect is often ruined by taste­ now has SunTour Accushift indexed gears levers to their catalogues. Even the less decals in colours which clash badly. and an Australian made frame. mighty has its version but it BMX bikes are still in the doldrums as Colour co-ordinated brake cables, is the Japanese equipment which will be the older kids change over to cruisers and handlebar tape, toe straps and even brake seen on the professional racing scene this mountain bikes. The freestyle type bike, lever hoods can vastly improve a bike's designed for trick riding, is still a popular year and next. appearance. My pick of the bunch this Mountain bikes too are now being bike though to a limited group of riders. year is the Repco Olympic 12 in pearles­ equipped with indexed gears. Shimano's Little kid 's bikes still tend to mimic the cent pink and grey with matching decals beautiful Deore XT and SunTour's XC BMX trend and there is little change in and black handlebar tape or the stunning ensembles are standard equipment on top this type of bike other than paint colour Centurion Ironman in magenta and yel­ of the line fat-tyred machines for 1987/8. and decals. low. As present index gears are only available The all-purpose or family bike still on models in excess of $550 though there Funny bikes or time trial machines manages to appeal to enough people for it are a few bargain machines which offer have also appeared in the catalogues in to remain in the catalogues. Five years click gears under that price range. the last few years. This season Malvern ago it was a big seller but is currently Paint work styles have changed over Star has dropped its Team '86 'funny bike being nudged out of the market place by the years. Years ago the rage was purple while Repco has added the Vertex TT the mountain bike and cruiser.

Freewheeling 27 CRANK IT UPI

Below it is the DX-3000 ($799) also fitted with Shimano Biopace chainrings RIDING THE NEW and SlS index gears. The 3000's gears are Z series alloy . The frame is PANASONICS also made from Tange number tubing and it has a Tange mangalloy fork. Both the 4000 and the 3000 have Araya bronze 8ic1Jcfe rel/iews hard-alloy narrow 700c rims. The DX-2000 sells for $699 and has Shimano SIS gears, Tange 900 chrome moly double butted frame and Dia HE 1987 range features Compe 500 alloy side-pull brakes. [t has five models ranging in price from sealed mechanism hubs and silver Araya T $1000 down to $500. The entire narrow 700c modular rims. range is made in Japan which is quite an The most comfortable (though not the achievement considering the rush to fastest) bike in the Panasonic range was At Cranks we Taiwan by most of our major importers in the DX-1000. It has softer frame angles the last three years. It is good to see a real and fork rake and the 27 x 11/4" tyres and specialise in Japanese bike and a close look at the rims give a comfortable ride on all but the innovative quality Panaso·nics will show why that country's roughest city streets. The 1000 has a Tange bike makers are still among the world's 900 chrome moly frame, Dia Compe alloy bikes & accessories. best. Taiwan may have lifted its game but side-pull brakes, Shimano SIS gears and their factories are so overloaded with sealed mechanism alloy hubs. [t sells for Check out our new orders that attention to detail is often $599. range of sport and overlooked. Last but not least is the Sport DX. At Not so with the DX-4000 top of the $499 it offers quality Japanese construc­ mountain bikes 1987 range. This beautiful lightweight has tion and a Tange 900 chrome moly double from Panasonic a Tange number 2 chrome moly tubed butted frame. Its Shimano Z series alloy frame with a strong smooth styled fork derailleurs are controlled by shifters and Shogun - crown . There are many machines equip­ and comfort grips are fitted to the hand­ Japan's top bike ped with Shimano 105 componentry this lebars. year but the 4000 has got to be one of the All Panasonic models are available in a manufacturers. best. At $999 it is priced towards the top full range of sizes and this season will be of that category. available in Victoria as well as NSW. _e_~ 66 Pacific Highway Roseville NSW (02) 411 5116 Panasonic Sport DX Panasonic DX-3000

28 Freewheeling Sidney the cyclist is entering a mysterious maze WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? in search of a long-rumoured treasure. Can you usual route? • There are 8 things wrong with this picture. Study the scene carefully and trace the see if you can find them all.

SOLUTION i. SPOT THE 1. The third balloon from the right being held by the street vendor is a salam 2. The owner of the Venus Love Shop has borrowed a pump that fits a car valve but his current stock of love dolls have presta valves. DIFFERENCE: restaurant has just ordered in his best French . He will be served 3. The man in the Here are two identical pictures of the same . a lightly steamed lug wrench Australian road. Or are they? Sharpen your eyes a 100 % woollen scarf, however the washing instructions 4. The cyclist is wearing and spot the difference! on the label are for Acrylic. of 5. Owing to a clerical error at the city engineer's office the footpath is made pastry instead of asphalt. 6. Three of the ball bearings inside the bicycle's front hub are rusty. I]I] gIJ O ~1111 I l -~-- dog yet is not biting the cyclist, chasing BMJ a cartoon llilll~ 7. The dog in left foreground is a postman or urinating on a tree. v:;;,_ in a I! I 8. The cute little girl eating an ice-cream is misplaced and in fact belongs single-panel gag cartoon in next month's Reader's Digest. ---==-,....,,,~- ~-= - • • -----~ ~ CONNECT THE DOTS: llt . IS. ~ ~ niftiest pencil, join the dots from 1 to 15 Get out your r2. .. and watch a 10 speed steel-framed bike appear before • your eyes! 11. I 1!1 • I]IJ gIJ BilllJ O ~ \ llill 1~l -~-- '·• •'· 'if. • I'!>. 1n ·~~ - 7 . • 2. • -==-,.....,,~ •lt. • -- ~ ~ lo• .__.- ~ •.!>. ·5. • 9 . ~ ~ ANSWER No, you haven't joined the dots in the wrong order. This ANSWER 1954. The bottom is what the bicycle looked like when unloaded from a The top picture is November, . baggage car after being freighted interstate by rail. picture is March, 1987 WHERE'S THE MOTORIST'S HEAD?

ANSWER: Yes!

Freewheeling 29 AFTER A FIFTH TRY STEPHEN ROCHE WINS THE 74th TOUR

8ic1Jcle sport

Link with Commonwealth Bank Classic Forged

by JOHN DRUMMOND

JO Freewheeling RELAND'S Stephen Roche, 28, 40.5 km. It was won by Stephen Roche's This second longest stage of the Tour emerged as a complete cyclist to de­ team from Dutch Del Tongo and followed two days after the longest, I feat Spain's , 27, and 's Panasonic team. tested tired legs with six gradual climbs France's 25 year old Jean Francois Ber­ Overall Piaseci led the Tour from which saw Tour leader Frenchman Char­ nard, in his fifth attempt to win the Guido Bontempi , Roche and Erich ley Mottet send 44th overall placed Mar­ world's premier bike race, the Tour de Maechler. Meanwhile Poland was celeb­ cel Gayant, into attack. But no one took France. rating Piasecki's "yellow jersey". His him seriously, and Gayant, 10th in Paris­ Roche, the second English speaking photograph appeared on the front pages Roubaix, third in the French Champion­ cyclist to win the French Tour in a row, of all the newspapers and he was fea­ ship worked the break hard and finished finished 13th in 1983, 25th in 1984, 3rd tured on all the television and radio pro­ up in yellow. with one stage win in 1985 and 48th car­ grammes. His success was described as Call it tactics or whatever. But su rely rying injury in 1986. "historic". Mottet only meant his team mate Roche won the Tour when he con­ With over $AUS 22,370 in prime ad­ Gayant to improve his team position - verted a 21 second deficit into a 40 sec­ vertising put up by German business the not deprive him of yellow. Such is the ond lead to regain the yellow jersey in third stage to Stuttgart was hectic. With uncertainty of the Tour de France. the 24th time trial stage, and success­ no great champion to impose his author­ On the 12th day of the Tour de Fr­ fully defended his leadership to Paris. ity the early stages were undisciplined as ance, on a day of positive riding by the A good climber, road and the inexperienced threw themselves at top men disaster struck. Rested since expert time trialer, the Irishman, who is finish lines in search of hard cash. The the injury that forced him to abandon married to a French woman , joined a stars were content to save themselves whilst leading the prestigious Tour of select band of five , including greats, for the traumas they knew lay ahead, Spain , was riding himself Belgian, and .Frenchman, just keeping the breaks within retrieving back into top form and the Tour from a , who have won the top capacity. The experienced knew the position of 10 minutes 36 seconds off the double, the Tour de France and the Giro early attackers would pay dearly for lead. Suddenly on the road to Bordeau d'ltalia in the same year. their exuberance throughout the first about 15 riders came down. Kelly was Roche won prizes worth over $A US week. among them and worst off. The doctor 156,600, including a holiday flat in the Thus full attention was riveted on the was quickly along side and assessed him. Pyrenees, a 405 motor car and a race from stage 10, a 82 km time trail Unable to sit upright on his bicycle with diamond studded gold map of France. which saw Irish star Stephen Roche damaged shoulder ligaments the Irish And untold wealth from Criterium ap­ jump 20 places, from 26th to sixth in the coureur was advised to abandon the pearances and endorsements through­ general classification. Tour. Kelly gave up and wept in the out Europe in the coming months. Significant as an omen for the ordeal arms of his team manager. This was his Australian Phil Anderson rode well to ahead six riders abandoned the Tour on 9th Tour. He had ridden eight and finish­ finish the final stage in tenth place to be the 255 km eleventh stage from Poiters ed eight and his best was fourth in 1985. 27th on the overall standings, despite to Chaumell. It was not Kelly's year. being short of competition owing to re­ cent personal and physical trauma.

FIRST STAGE ESTABLISHES AUSTRALIAN LINK The 74th staging of the 84 year old Tour de France opened in Berlin , with 23 teams representing 8 countries compris­ ing 207 riders going into a 6.1 km time trail to determine who would wear the yellow jersey on the first stage. That honour went to Dutch prologue specialist, Jelle Nijdam. Best of the pre-race favourites was the performance delivered by ultimate Tour winner Stephen Roche. The first stage of the Tour excursion to the West German capital, a 105 km circuit race saw, not only Nico Ver­ hoeven complete a double for the Dutch team by adding the circuit race to Nij­ dam's prologue success, but also link the race with Australia's equivalent, the "Commonwealth Bank Classic". Nico Verhoeven was the winner of the Sprint King competition in the 1984 Bank Classic. Former amateur world champion Lech Piasecki became the first Polish cyclist to lead the Tour de France when he donned the yellow jersey. His sixth circuit placing, when added to his prologue saw him in yellow by 18 seconds from Verhoeven. Three hours later the riders were con­ testing the Berlin teams time trail over

Freewhee/ing JI It was no different this time only cloud obscured the action from the magic eye of the television camera as Charley Mottet fought desperately to defend his yellow jersey on the terrible climb to the finish at Luz Ardiden. Not only Mottet's heroic ef[orts were lost in the mists , but also the bravery of Stephen Roche, Robert Millar, Pedro Delgado and the young Frenchman Jean-Francois Bernard who Hirniult had said was too young to win this year. That opinion looked to be justified after Ber­ nard had been dropped four minutes off lead on the dreaded Col d'Aubisque, but undeterred, the 25 year old French rider chased like one possessed , regained , and took time out of the yellow jersey before reaching the finish at 2:15 on winner 's Dag-Otto Lauritzen. If ever the mantle of the great Hinault was to settle - surely it would be on this brave French coureur, who despite his youth had already finished the 1986Tour de France in 12th place, and this year finished second in the Paris-Nice Class­ ic. The day was cold and cloudy with the mists swirling through the valleys below as a procession of riders fought their way to the peaks, which were occasion­ ally exposed through pillars of cloud. Two days in the Pyrenees had broken no one of note - but it witnesses a clos­ ing up by the top men. Mottet was still in yellow, Bernard had closed to 1: 13 on Australian cyclist Shane Sutton looks apprehen­ The result - Mottet was now in yellow, Mottet and Roche. Delgado was fourth sive as he waits his tum to be called to the start elevated to second place was Bernard at Millar fifth , Pablo Wilches sixth, in the West Berlin prologue time trial. 1:52, Roche a t 3:23 , while Millar had overall, ann seventh , Alcala e ighth, jumped a huge 30 places to be eighth. Zimmerm ninth and American Hampsten Bruekink, 23 , had a double reason to Herrera celebrate his stage win into Pau, he was tenth. Bastille day celebrations con­ also the best rider aged under 24 in the While s Pyrenean town of Thus while compatriot Stephen Tour competition. tinued in the famou team managers and leaders Roche basked in the sun shine from his 'Aussie' Shane Sutton abandoned the Lourdes; until late at night with implica­ off-lead sixth position on reaching Bor­ race before the hills began and Phil An­ wrestled Luz-Ardiden stage. deaux, Sean Kelly, the world's number derson and Allan Peiper slipped down tions of the nearby most of the subsequent plans one professional was in a 'slough of de­ the general classification. But spondency' at the gateway to the were thwarted by the torrential rain which flooded roads on the 164 km fif­ Pyrenees. AS ALWAYS-THE MOUNTAINS DECIDE Stage 13 from Bayonne to Pau 219 km teenth stage from Tarbes to Blagnac, of moderate climbing witnessed a The first days of the Tour might well turning what should have been a predict­ gathering momentum that portended have been headline stuff at the time con­ able stage into a nightmare, particularly the ordeal ahead. si dering the West Berlin start and the for Stephen Roche, Jean-Francois Ber­ A four man break was first to enter amount of the prime advertisi ng at nard and Scotland's Robert Millar. Pau headed by Eric Breukink of H ol­ stake , but nobody concerned with the They missed a train of 29 riders led land. Colombian climber 1987 Tour de France would deny that the away ny "Jorg" Muller. On the end of had attacked on the moderate Col de real r ace revolved around the great the break, they were dropped when two Soudet and took with him the French mountain climbs. The 166 km between Colombians couldn't hold their place in heir to Bernard Hinnault's throne Jean Pau and Luz Ardiden was the route of the line. · Bernard, Mexican Raul Alcala, Omar the magic names that comprise the huge Although none of them lost position Hernandez, Fabian Fuchs , Pelo Ruiz cols of the Pyrenean mountain chain in the general classification they did lose Cabestany and Panasonic's E ric and the French . Tour history had valuable time they had worked so hard Breukink. been written here time and time again to gain on the previous stage to Luz-Ar­ On a rise into the city centre finish as, over the years that have elapsed diden. Breukink was the first to jump and since led a really extraor­ Stage winners were West German crossed the finish line 6 seconds clear of dinary band of adventurers from town to Ralf Goiz from Frenchman Leclercq Bernard and a small group containing town over distances that would appall and Irishman Martin Earley. Roche , Charley Mottet and Scot, most of the current 'giants of the road'. While team managers raved and Robert Millar all of whom had rode well Those fearful mountain passes have ranted because their best plans had on the first day to the devastating climbs borne witness to acts of strength and come undone , the riders concerned of the Pyrenees. courage which almost defy description. were philosophical saying: "It's the same

32 Freewheeling Bernard; as other Tours. There is the rain , the Left to right: France's , winner second overall Jean-Francois cross winds, the crashes, the deceit and of the Womens Tour de France in '86 and '87. Carrera, supporting third-placed his trophy as Sprint Panasonic support­ always the mountains have the final say. Nico Verhoeven receiving Stephen Roche and king in the 1984 Commonwealth Bank Cycle Systems It's the Tour de France." ing fifth-placed Robert Millar. Classic. Predictably France's new "Hinault" is their main Stage 16 from Blagnac to Millau of U held the yellow jersey with Jean-Francois Bernard all smiles after his great also led 216 km was notable for its nine kilo hope Charly Mottet and they ride up the fearsome Mont Ventoux. with eight men , climb of 800 odd metres above the river the team classification to five Tarn in the south west corner of France. whilst three teams were reduced On the slope of the climb Regis Clere of men. to the France, 135 on the general classifica­ Rested up the riders returned for British tion, 75 minutes off lead, had been al­ scene of a dream that died Simpson on lowed to escape into a strong cross wind. and English team manager Phil Grif­ world champion cyclist Tom in 1967. It Although the peloton mounted a late fiths , decided the flat section would suit the slopes of Mont Ventoux but was· in­ chase Clere won the stage after an his top sprinter Malcolm Elliott, so he had been avoided since, this year as an heroic 190 km lone ride. went after the primes and possibly a cluded on the itinerary Carpentras to Meanwhile, the local bar's television stage win. individual time trail from over a dis­ showed a tactical battle taking place in Elliott eventually got away with Phil the summit, a 6500 ft climb the main peloton aimed at wrestling the Anderson, and Jose-Luis tance of 36.5 km. the world road yellow jersey from Charly Mottet. In a Navarro. Elliott looked good after 16 Simpson had won , he left Marseilles sprint finish for second spot and valu­ days and 2,900 kilos in the world's championship in 1965 intention of able bonus points Raul Alcala took the toughest bike race. After being re­ on July 13th, 1967 , with the prize of all , the line clear of Bernard, Roche, Hampsten trieved Elliott was to be sixth at stage winning the greatest ad he died on the and Delgado in that order. The chase end to Holland's winner Van Poppel. Tour de France, inste mountain among was successful but Nottet still retained The ANC-Halfords English team were slopes of this dreaded of crickets chirp­ yellow, only with a reduced lead of 1 the third best on the stage. the dirge of thousands minute 11 seconds. When team managers assessed the ing in the excessive heat. for a cool day The position of the English speaking position that night it revealed a nothing Every rider was hoping entering the conte nders is indicative of their com­ gained or lost situation in the general for they secretly feared destroying petitiveness :- class. But some things had changed in torture chamber for the soul slopes. Even the 35 Anderson (Aust) at 23:45 ; 53 Earley the Sprint and King of the Mountain climb up the barren was afraid of Ven­ (Ire) ; 53 Timmis (Eng) ; 80 Boyer competitions. Irishman Martin Early great Eddy Merckx moun­ (USA) ; 101 Kiefel (USA) ; 104 Palov was the main beneficiary in the catch toux. It was one of the toughest the Tour (Eng) ; 131 Yates (Eng); 114 Elliott competition and Herrera was leading tains to climb. That was why return! (Eng) ; 129 Pierce(USA); 131 Bauer Alcala by 13 points in KOM. organisers decided to 14 kilometres after (Canada); 133 Peiper (Aust); 150 Swart It was raining at Avignon as the Tour The road is fl at for Going through the (Eng) ; 151 Phinney (USA) ; 156 Kim­ riders rested after 17 stages and 2,917 leaving Carpentras. 300 metres mage (Ire). kilometres since July 1. They had 1,247 village of Bedoin, s ome up a stag­ Stage 17 - Milliau to Avignon. The kilometres to go before reaching the above sea level, the climb rises A gradual ascent at 239 km to Avignon is divided by a slow finish in Paris but before reaching that gering 1600 metres. the bare rocks and gradual category climb before a sharp citadel of cycling the army of brave cyc­ first , then out among of the ascent to the stage finish prior to plung­ lists had to stamp on the pedals to reach stone, where the orange colour the dry heat ing into the hot sultry valley of the the 1,500 metre plateau at Villard-de­ extinct volcano mixes with crickets to Herault region. With 140 kilometres of Lands . Before them three successive and the incessant noise of the . virtually flat terrain , it represents just days of climbing the Alpine giants of create a frightful atmosphere re­ the right type of course for the off-lead L'Alpe-d'Huez, the Col du Galibier, La -Ventoux lived up to its hideous and climbers and sprinters to redress the Plagne and the Col de Joux-Plane. cord. There were plenty of surprises Mottet, race situation. Therefore it was no surprise Since the Berlin start, 43 men had disappointments. Charly yellow jersey when Colombian Luis Herrerra at­ abandoned the race. Out of the 23 leader for a week, lost his Bernard, tacked Mexican Raoul Alcala who was teams, only three still had a full compli­ to trial winner Jean-Francois of French leading in the King of the Mountains, ment of nine men - Toshiba supporting in a ride that had thousands

Freewheeling JJ cycling fans on the roadside , and mil­ annexed by one of these riders with hind Jean-Francois Bernard to be 40 lions more watching the drama on televi­ Roche being the favourite and Herrera seconds ahead of Pedro Delgado on the sion , jumping, shouting and cheering the outsider. general classification. with joy. A Frenchman had tamed the That assumption was to prove correct. When greeted on the winner's podium mountain and remember in France cycl­ But not before Roche and Delgado had by Irish Prime Minister Charles ing is more than a sport - it is a passion. risked their lives in some fearless as­ Haughey, who flew to Paris to welcome Bernard, the man nominated to wear cents and descents in the cols of the the country's latest hero that margin was the mantle of Hinault had beaten ace Alps, from which Delgado emerged in s ti II 40 seconds. climber and winner of the Tour of Spain, yellow by 21 seconds as the Tour entered Women\ Tour de France Colombian Luis Herrera for the 18th its decisive time trial. Jeannie Longo of France, won the stage by 1 min 39 sec,, Delgado by 1 :51 The drama began when Roche and his Women's Tour de France, beating her Parra by 2:4 and Roche by 2:19. loyal team mate Schepers went after arch rival Maria Canins of Italy who had General classification had now Delgado who had broken from the pelo­ won the race for the past two years. changed with Jean-Francois Bernard in ton, in an endeavour to extend his lead. When Roche emerged from his chase yellow; Roche at 2:34 off lead, Mottet at L Jeannie Longo (France) 27:33:36 2:47, Delgado at 3:56, Herrera at 8:15, through the mountains successfully con­ 2. Maria Canins (Italy) at 2:52 Millar at 9:43, Parra at 11:15 , Wliches at trived to contain the Tour leader to an 3. Ute Enzenauer (West ) at 12:14 12:1 , Hampsten at 12:40 and Zimmer­ achievable objective in the vital time 4. Tamara Poliakova (USSR) mann at 14:26. trial, he looked as if his next stop would be a funeral parlour rather than the vic­ Australia's Elizabeth Hepple, Robyn Stage 19, a climbing stage of 185 tory rostrum. Battison , Donna Rae and Kathleen kilometres from Valreas to Villard de Fearing physical and mental collapse Shannon all finished in Paris. Queen of Lans in the French Alps, saw Irishman the Tour doctor ordered that the brave the Mountains: Maria Canins (Italy) 154 Stephen Roche over the line by 3 sec­ Irishman be given oxygen and taken to points; Jeannie Longo (France) 131 pts; onds from Pedro Delgado. hospital for observation. Ute Enzenauer (West Germany) 97 Overall Roche now led the race with The riders in the Tour de France know points. Charles Mottet of France at 41 seconds, the true mea•ning of pain, and if there Delgado at 1:19 and Jean-Francois Ber­ was ever any doubt about Roche's recov­ nard, who had punctured at a crucial ery rate it was removed when he ap­ stage of the race, fourth at 1:39. Luis peared on the starting ramp next morn­ Herrera of Colombia was next at 6:47 ing at Dijon looking jaded but not confi­ and Australian Allan iper had retired dent. from the contest. Roche won the 1987 Tour de France, It was conceded that outside of a mira­ there and then , when he pedalled to cle the 1987 Tour de France would be second place 1 minute 44 seconds be-

TOUR DE FRANCE 1987 RESULTS We're Standard Equipment Because of Our Standards General Classification Sprints

(135 finishers in Paris) L Duclos-Lassalle 249 pts L Stephen Roche (Ireland), Carrera 115:27:42 2. Van Poppel 178 pls 2. Delgado, PDM at 40 seconds 3. Clere 142 pls 3. Bernard, Toshiba al 2:13 4. Earley 100 pls 4. Mottet, Systeme-U al 6:40 5. Van Vile! 70 pls. 5. Herrera, Cafe de Colombia al 9:32 6. Parra, Cafe de Colombia al 16:53 7. Flgnon, Systeme-U al 18:24 Combine 8. Fuele, BH at 18:33 9. Alcala, 7-Eleven al 21:49 L Bernard 72 pls 10. Lejarelta, Caja Rural at 26:13 2. Flgnon 70 pls 19. Millar, (Scotland) Panasonic al 50:33 3. Roche 69 pls 27. Anderson (Aust.), Panasonic at 1:20:43 4. Herrera 6 pls 70 Timmis (England), ANC al 2:19:21 5. Fuerie 65 pts 94 Elliott (England), ANC at 2:48:39 103. Palov (England), ANC al 2:59:04 133.Gallopin (England), ANC al 4:03:13

Team Mountains L Systeme-U 346:44:2 2. Cafe de Colombia 347:22:2 L Herrera 452 pts 3. BH 347:40:4 2. Fuerie 314 pls 4. Fagor 347:51:56 3. Alcala 277 pts 5. Toshiba 348:12:56 4. Delgado 224 pls 2L ANC-Halfords 354:18:20 5. Parra 180 pls

Points Young Riders L Van Poppel 263 pls L Alcala _/ 2. Breukink /.,"-~ 2. Roche 247 pts ~ -~-' 3. Delgado 228 pls 3. Sanders ·fi!; .. . ' 4. Bernard 201 pls 4. Skibby ... 5. Lieckens 195 pls 5. Sanchis Distributed by Leisure Bikes PO Box 1026 North Richmond VIC 3121 (03) 861 6771 Trade enquiries only

34 Freewheeling

..

~ '

""'> - DANNYCIARK MOTOR MOUSE BECOMES SUPER CAT OF SIX-DAY RACING

8ic1Jcle sport

by WARREN BEAUMONT

Freewheeling 39 own in Tasmania, cycling com­ mentator's call champion cyclist Danny Clark 'Motormouse'. The diminutive champion crouched in the saddle has always rode the perfect race and his dazzling performances often drew huge crowds to the Tasmanian track car­ ST IVES nivals. He was riding off the scratch mark at 17, and won a silver medal in the 4,000 BICYCLE CENTRE metres pursuit at 1970 at age 18. From there he went on to win silver in the 1972 Munich Olympics time trial 237 Mona Vale Road, St Ives and won every major race on the track in Australia. He became known as Australia's best ever handicap rider and cycling pursuits were comparing him Ph: 449 8289 with all-round cycling greats like Sid Pat­ terson, Cecil Walker and Alf Goullet. Danny Clark finds it hard to separate Proud to be sponsor of Werner the many great performances that have brought him acclaim from cycling judges. (Wally) Wohlrab, Australia's best But he nominated his two World titles, the 1977 Burnie Wheel, his Golden Mile MTB rider win, and some very special 6-day rides as his best ever. There's no doubt that Clark has turned on some of the greatest track rides ever seen in the classic Tasmanian • 1985-86 Australian Champ wheelraces. • 1986 Victorian Champ In the I 977 Burnie Wheelrace race • 1987 NSW Champ leaders Craig Price and Eric Bishop had what appeared to be an unbridgeable gap at the final lap. Journalist Neil Kearny "Wally" Wohlrab rides and recommends described the finish in Tasmania's Greatest Sportsmen: "As the bell rang with a frightening urgency, Clark surged his bike even faster. Into the last bend he was still 40 metres behind . . . all eyes focussed on Clark as 12,000 roars crescendoed. In the last few pedal turns Clark zoomed past Price and Bishop for Bikes the most sensational cycling victory seen John KITCHEN Mountain in Tasmania." During the European track racing * Werner Wohlrab Replica season Danny lives in , with his Australian wife Christine and MTB available for order· NOW their two children. He often returns to Tasmania in the off-season and will Price $1550.00 return to compete during peak season los­ ing thousands of dollars for the joy of rac­ (Now you've got no excuse to come second) ing on his home circuits at Launceston and the North-West Coast. Danny Clark is now the No. I six-day We stock MT Racing, Centurion, Repco, Haro cyclist in the world but he admits "It is and Diamond Back bikes very hard and staying at the top is much more difficult than climbing to the top". His favourite track is Munich and in Ger­ JOHN KITCHEN HAS NOW RECEIVED HIS many the pairing of Clark with Dietrich 753 LICENCE Thurau is a big drawcard. Clark is very popular with cycling fans in West Ger­ ORDERS BEING TAKEN NOW! many, Denmark and Belgium where he is known as something of a showman by the fans but is much admired also for his OTALLY HAD MADE QUALITY ROAD RACING, TOURING AND MOUNTAIN BIKES-T aggressive style of racing. ,-,,· ··"' EXCLUSIVE TO: ,J, F~ f ~ ST IVES BICYCLE CENTRE ~;::,;~ This year, European journaiists and ~M.,,.,...::: 237 Mona Vale Rd., St Ives NSW 2075 (02) 449 8289 ;; ,::. ,E race directors gave Danny Clark the --:.,,::,~.,$" A BICYCLE IS ONLY AS GOOD AS IT IS ASSEMBLED -<>,:.::,'.;,;:- ultimate compliment by voting him and as the best two all-round

40 Freewheeling cyclists ever to race in Europe. Sercu was road racing events in Europe and the pressed interest in helping young riders the World's greatest-ever six-day cyclist U.K. Stefano Fiori's tally is 29 wins in reach their full potential - especially at with 88 wins credited to him. Clark found European and UK road criteriums. (See World class level for events like the Sercu to be his most formidable opponent Stefan's article Australasian Cycling World Championship and the Olympic on the six-day circuit until his retirement March 1987). Clark has ridden in 148 six­ Games. He is very interested in getting in­ 5 years ago - since then Danny feels he day races, next best record by an volved in coaching at the AIS in a part­ has no peer in six-day racing. Australian is 108. His 42 wins better the time or full-time category. previous record set by Reg McNamara Danny Clark is a great cycling champio Clark has his first six-day win in with 19. During the 1986/87 winter and a great ambassador for Australia and Sydney in 1974 with another Tasmanian season he has won 9 out of 15 six-day deserves to get proper recognition in star Frank Atkins. In the 1974 win Clark , a World record. (When I interview­ Australia while still racing at his peak. and Atkins rode three sessions a day and races ed Danny in early 1987 he had won 8 out Just like the great all-round champions of battled 105 F degree heat to win through. still then a World record). the 1910-1930's era such as namesake Now the Tasmanian superstar has record­ of 11, Perhaps Clark may be the last of that Jackie "Rocket" Clark, Reg McNamara, ed 42 six-day victories on the European special breed of all round-track champion Cecil Walker and Alf Goullet, Danny circuit to be placed 4th on the all-time cycling fans and the public have Clark the champion of the 1970-1980's winners list. In front of Clark are Sercu, that become so used to in the past. But before era, deserves a place in the Australian Rene Pijnen with 66 wins, and can be lost, Clark has ex- Sport Hall of Fame. with 65 wins. It looks an impossible task his expertise for Clark to overtake Post as he will be 36 this August. Danny Clark believes he can stay at the top for another 2-4 years but feels he is now getting mentally tired of the grind GERARD AND of the track circuit. "I can only wait until next year to see if the motivation is still there". The recognition he receives in Europe is a boost but somehow this does ALAN AGREE not compensate for a lack of recognition in Australia. Mitsuboshi make the world's best racing and Together with Don Allen, Clark won triathlon tyres. 15 six-day races, still the best-ever perfor­ mance by an Australian team. Now Dan­ ny has found an ally in Britain's and together they have won 8 sixes. "I have won 8 races with Tony and if paired more often we can be the best team ever. But it will take 2-4 years to do that and I don't know when I shall call it a day". Even though Danny Clark dominated the 1986/87 season winning 9 out of 15 sixes, he is often paired with a rider of much lesser variety. I asked Danny if he could recommend the track racing circuit and lifestyle to young Australian professional cyclists. "Yes, for young track riders to come to Belgium it's hard, but if you have some ability and stick it out you will make it to the top". However, it has been a tough existence for Danny and his wife making their livelihood from the hard grind of track racing in a foreign country. But Clark accepts this as a reality of life, "It's financially, but it's a lot very rewarding GERARD DONNELLY ALAN DIPPLE harder mentally and physically than peo­ Most successful ple realise". Current Australian Australian long course 50 km point score Danny Clark turned pro in 1974 and triathlcte champion now is in his 13th year as a professional cyclist. Highlights of Danny's amazing career include: his two World champion­ ships in the (I 980 & I 981), four European Omnium championships (1977/78 & 1984/85), three European Motor-Paced titles (1983/84/85), and the European Madison championship in 1979. Clark has shown his versatility by be­ ing a consistent winner of criterium and

Freewheeling 41 REFLECTIONS ON A TRANSCONTINENTAL JOURNEY Epic journelJS

by JOHN BROWN

WO miniature scotch bottles we pedalled 5000 kilometres averaging share a prized position in my 122 km/day. It wasn't a race ; it was a T home. The whisky has been re­ holiday. The mood of the day deter­ placed by contents more precious to me. mined how far we would travel. One day One bottle is labeled "Pacific" and the we rode only seven kilometres and other "Atlantic". They are symbolic stayed by a beautiful canyon lake. book-ends of a great adventure that On another occasion we rode 320 km Freewheeling has presented in its last (200 miles) in 17 hours. Anyone locked five issues. An epic journey of two into a nine-to-five lifestyle would be months by bicycle from San Francisco, enthralled by this flexible schedule California to Jeckyl Island, Georgia. where the exception is the rule. Yet our It is difficult to believe that so much toughest day was not the 320 km ride could happen in 54 days ( 41 on the bicy­ but a 70 km short cut across a desert trail cle and 13 of refreshing detours). In all to the Grand Canyon. We may have

42 Freewheeling saved over 200 km on the bitumen but Our thirteen days of detouring en­ a moment';s hesitation before we ac­ what a traumatic ride. The so-called riched our experience and injected ba­ cepted this Texas stranger's offer. What a short-cut took all day; we eased our lance into the adventure. Side trips loss if we had been in a hurry and bikes over gibbers, spun- out in sand along the way to seek out the deeper couldn't spare a couple of days. Over a drifts and attended to two dozen punc­ nature of a country transform a bicycle dozen America n homes made us wel­ tures, courtesy of wind swept prickle tour into a pedalling holiday. We en­ come and treated our travelling circus as bushes. joyed five wonderful detours within our family. Arizona wasn't all dust and prickles. coast to coast adventure. Some were At the Grand Canyon. we met two It also provided our easiest ride; 50 planned and some impromptu. Louisiana women who invited us to call kilometres freewheeling from the south When your itinerary is flexible you in to visit them in New Orleans. A mere rim of the Grand Canyon to Cameron can capitalise on opportunities. One 150 km detour was all that was required on the plains below. It was late after­ morning we had hardly spun our wheels so Mike and I made the effort. The noon and we were glad of the quick exit when some Texas hospitality came our Southern Jazz Festival and the atmos­ as the temperature increased from a way. For the next two days we were ski­ phere of the New Orleans Mardi Gras shuddering -6 degrees to a bearable +4 ing a vast canyon lake and taken in as made the trip unforgettable. degrees centigrade in 70 minutes. guests at a private ski lodge. Although I had one·unfulfilled goal while in the The Grand Canyon at 2600 metres oil prices were down at this time this oil USA . I wanted to see a real live road was the highest point on our route. We man's hospitality was top dollar. I recall runner. I'm a fan of the famous Road zipped into our tents on a crisp clear night to wake with everything covered by 3 centimetres of snow. It was then that I vowed to always sleep with a water bottle in the high country (not a hot GERARD AND water bottle but a bike bidon to provide unfrozen drinking water for breakfast. The lowest point on our route was -96 metres at Badwater in Death Valley. We ALAN stood on the salt pan and gazed up to the sea level sign up on the canyon wall. Our bikes and bodies tolerated all extremes. Out toughest hill was a steep DISAGREE 5 hour ascent in the Sierras to Glenville in eastern California. After a couple of -~When Mitsuboshi tyres hours the green hills , sprinkled with n ~-~ are unavailable to them __ yellow Californian poppies, disap­ peared with us into the clouds and visi­ ~4 1·_:-, they can't agree on who bility became restricted to the next _~ I should use them. bend. We had hoped the next bend .. would be the summit but after every ------foggy bend another climb awaited. The Sierra mountains continued to tease us for thirty kilometres. That night we were the guests of the Jamesons who have the best hot show­ ers in America. In contrast our coldest and quickest bath was a brisk + 1 degree C in the snow fed Merced River in Yose­ mite National Park. I shudder just think­ ing about it. Likewise Las Vegas was refreshing but in a different way. For three days we hadn't showered and had lived on rice and vegetables. Vegas not only provided a cultural distraction but our best bar­ gain of the trip. We lingered at the motel awhile, cleaned up and hit the town. For $2.47 US (note the lucky numbers) we ate ten courses of the best smorgasbord Gerard Donnelly . :\bn Dippk imaginable. Besieged ✓ :\ngn At the end of a full night's gambling I . . 1· t riathlon 1st we broke-even , something of an / rae111g eye C ._ achievement for a bunch of amateurs. Few have left the Nevada oasis and de­ o • rived better value. Admittedly we did ·O pay for the Follies and gave the motel a : u considerable tip. Vegas was refreshing into the bargain. But after twenty four I\JITSUBOSHI TVIW:S hours in the city that never sleeps we were content to return to the basics of fresh air, exercise and a bowl of humble T~ de enquiries g~ (03 ) 568 0066 carbohydrates.

Freewheeling 43 why hi s eye was constantly weeping he fo und to his horror that the right lens of his prescription glasses was missing. We we nt through the motions of retracing our path knowing the situation was hopeless. Yet five kilometres away shin­ ing through the tussocks on the right shoulder of the road was the irreplace­ able lens. Our tight-knit group was always con­ cerned for each other's welfare. After taking a photo in Death Valley I stressed my back wheel while pulling my loaded bike back to the vertical. No spoke span­ ner could fix this sprung wheel. This 'Jo n Brown's American odyssey time the joke was on me. After a coupl e of hours we realised the s ituation was out of our immediate control. As the Runner and Coyote cartoons. Coyotes I problem affected the whole team we all saw, but road runners, never! With every laughed at the dilemma without anyone other American dream fulfilled I don't gettin g too upset. I decided to hitch a mind going to the movies for this one. ride back to civilisation and buy a new But there was certainly no need to go wheel. to the movies to see impressive scenery. The Golden Gate Bridge, Yosemite, Late in the afternoon a co uple in a Grand Canyon, Painted Desert and Mis­ mobil e home came upon us . On the sissippi River were unforge ttable and front bulbar of their vehicle sat a bicycle Death Valley had me enthralled. This a lot like mine. What a coincidence! The expansive vall ey is flanked by the most fr iendl y travellers were pleased to help. colourful mountains. The place appears Richard Taw exchanged his back wheel to be moving as the colours change with for mine with a $US 100 travellers the hours and the eerie canyons reach cheque thrown in. Later he even posted out to you. When you're standing one me the change after repairing my wheel. hundred metres below sea level and Some of the most unfo rgettable look to the snow capped peaks 4,500 Americans we encountered, like Stan , metres above, you feel insignificant yet rode on bicycles. T hi s 59 year old left important, for you are the only one home fifteen years ago on hi s loaded there. At night the northern stars invade bicycle. He has never returned. He pre­ the vall ey, the quietness makes you fe rred to keep on the move and live with think and the wind whispers its wisdom. hi s pet cat. I remember Stan not for hi s I saw no death in Death Va ll ey: I felt trek from Argentina to Canada but for something alive and strong. his unconventional philosophy. He was Four days at Yosemite, s now skiing, obviously well educated and we met him bushwalking a nd camping were too in the middle of nowhere riding along short. This glacial carved paradise with the more spontaneous events. It is odd with hi s cat sitting in a handlebar bas­ its waterfalls, forests, trails a nd wildli fe how the most memorable aspects of the ket. was worth the airfare on its own. Where trip are not associated with a deep sense Our time with Stan was short but else do waterfalls leap over 1000 metre of achievement but more so with the meeting this elderly man pedalling his precipices, walking trails weave through frivolities along the way. 110 kg load was a hi ghli ght of the tour. carpets of pine needles a nd deer, My Aussie mate Michael unwittingly Stan's attitude is best expressed in two coyotes, sq uirrels and trout pl ay unper­ provided many e nte rtaining incidents. memorable quotes: " Don't expect to­ turbed by your presence. We were all conscious of balancing the morrow to be better than today" and "I Even the most vivid photo of the weight of the panniers with a little more want to keep moving and cycle the Grand Canyon doesn't do it justice. The weight toward the rear. Additional loose Americas without going on the same difference is when you are there you items like a drying towel , discarded road twice" . experience the third dime nsion. This jumper or loaf of bread were often 'Greatest Earth on Show' as it is called is draped over the rear bags a nd held Although my philosophy differed too vast to comprehend by observation. down by elastic straps. At one stage from Stan's he was the most memorable Looking wasn't enough so we took an­ Michael's bread bag worked loose and character I met o n the coast to coast other detour and backpacked in . Our started swingi ng precariously close to ride. He had an impact that endured. calf muscles were stiff and sore after the the back wheel. As the plastic stretched Likewise the four of us had a great im­ four hour walk but the five days camp­ the inevitable explosion of the bread pact on each o the r. I learnt so much ing by the Havasu River and its sparkl­ crumb bomb almost threw him off his from Mike, Kevin a nd Frosty. With a ing waterfalls refreshed our spirits. bike. As it happened I was the rider at horticulturist, teacher, medical techni­ There is nothing like a few days walking risk ; my hysterical laughter had me a ll cia n and furniture removalist there were to stretch the legs and make you appreci­ over the road. I've never heard a louder some inte restin g campfire discussions. ate the invention of the wheel. I highly blowout nor louder curse as Mike disap­ Disregarding the variety of personalities recommend this way of breaking a bike peared ahead of a cloud of crumbs. and talent we were all cyclists with a tour if you have the time. Sometimes Mike was lucky. Early one degree of experience and I certainly feel It is strange but when I recall the high­ New Mexico morning Mike was com­ richer from being pa rt of the coast to lights of our journey I usually remember pl aining of a sore eye. When he checked coast cycl ing team. •

,U Freewheeling IN THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF Australian PLAYBOY NELSON VAILS, the US national sprint cycling champion, learnt to ride on the streets of perhaps the most traffic congested city in the world. His friends nicknamed him Cheetah for his speed and competitive drive. When working as a bike messenger, irate urban drivers called him less flattering names for his hell-bent style.

In the September issue of Australian PLAYBOY VAILS reveals his two-wheel survival techniques for the asphalt jungles of the world. It's valuable information no Australian urban cyclist should miss!

OUT NOW RIGHTS OF ACCESS

Bicl)cle facilities

The battle for access to our safest roads continues

by ALAN PARKER

N the last ten years cyclists have the South Australian Highways Depart­ been banned from most new major ment which has enabled bicycl~ safety to I bridges and freeways in Australia be built into the state road construction and have been condemned to travel bureaucracy. many kilometres out of their way on The basic problem elsewhere is that roads that are unsafe. It is appalling that State Bicycle Committee's concern ten years after the release of the themselves only with what is acceptable Geelong Bikeplan, which recom­ to the roads bureaucracy. To date cyc­ mended the practical technique of wide­ lists have been the losers and have been ning kerb lanes to give cyclists more maneuvered into supporting plans and room, that there are less than half of one programs that serve the careers of traffic percent of main roads with widened engineering bureaucrats more than the kerb lanes. needs of cyclists . The loss of cyclists access to major bridges such as the Westgate bridge in To give a concrete example from Vic­ Melbourne and the Gateway bridge in toria: The much praised Melbourne Brisbane is far more damaging than any­ Bike Plan was relevant when it was writ­ thing else and is not compensated by any ten in 1981 but in 1987 is in need of revi­ of the improvements governments have sion. Next to nothing has been done to made in other areas. All over Australia implement it's recommendations on bicycle users have about 700 km of off­ main roads. The road engineering part road paths shared with joggers and of the plan is now five years out of date pedestrians, some bicycle education and there is no provision in the 1987-88 programs in the schools and a few bicy­ financial year to reassess cyclists needs, cle route maps. These gains do not out­ or to show how some freeway break­ weigh the losses and there is a legitimate down lanes could be used to create a cause for complaint about the State viable bicycle arterial nP.twork . Bicycle Committees of NSW and Vic­ In a recent brief given to consultants toria and the Queensland Bicycle Advis­ to prepare a bikeway design manual for ory Committee who have all failed to Victoria there was no proper statement effectively represent cyclists interests to of what the consµltants should be doing the appropriate highway authorities. on main roads. The manual when it is For many years the majority of bureauc­ finally produced will probably fail to rats on the so called State Bicycle Com­ show the practical means available to mittees have been undermining cyclists make main roads safer. rights of access, and their right to have After an P. ventful seven years as a bicycle safe features built into main member of the State Bicycle Committee roads. One exception is Malcolm of Victoria which included my resigna­ Heard, the Chairman of the South Aus­ tion on two separate occasions in protest tralian Bicycle Committee. He has at official lies and deceit, I acquired an brought about significant change within inside view of the bureaucratic art of

46 Freewheellng 3-5 AFTER 3·5 3.5 3.5 o · mm More space on the road for bicyclists WIDEN THE KERBSIDE LANE

Widened kerbside lane· 01114 metre wide-4-lane arterial road. The ratios on 6 and 8 lane roads would be very similar. Right: The dangerous and inconvenient route cyclists presently have to travel to link the excellent cycle routes beside Port Phillip Bay. Bicycle access via the Westgate bridge would eliminate this ••••••••••••· LONGWAY ROUND deadly detou~ making nothing happen. The hidden tees must be or have been experienced problem. What they want to do is to . value judgement behind the non-cyclist and active bicycle users. In this regard compel all bike riders to wear helmets. bureaucrats pretence of looking after some 50 percent of all the members of Unfortunately, instead of Federal co­ cyclists is that we should not be on the existing State Bicycle Committees ordination and support for cyclists rights roads at all. would need to be removed and replaced issues it looks like bicyclists could be hit What I learned is one of the basic by responsible bicycle users. with compulsory helmet legislation in­ working rules of the bureaucracy is that As well it is vital that the Sir Hum­ stead. Ten years ago the Federal govern­ they don't interfere with one anothers phrey Applebys not be allowed to neut­ ment was doing nothing for cyclists . interests; they support their own de­ ralise these committees. This can only More recently it conducted bicycle acci­ partmental interests against whatever be safeguarded if the chairpersons of all dent studies and provided $40 million government happens to be in power. State Bicycle Committees are bicycle for employing people to build bicycle So the problem with State Bicycle users with a mandate from the Minister paths and shared footways, but that pro­ Committee's is that they are supposed to to report on cyclists needs. gram is now at the end and there is no advise the Minister about what cyclists The chairperson should be given the on-going funding for bikeways. Worse need, but that advice is resented by the power to act independently of the gov­ still, there is no proper co-ordination of senior mandarins who regard them­ ernment agencies represented on the State activities. selves as the only source of advice. State Bicycle Committee and report Over the next decade there is a lot In time the mandarins, the senior de­ directly to a Minister. Officers of Trans­ that can be done to preserve cyclists' partmental heads, neutralise that com­ port authorities serving on these com­ rights of access, to improve the road mittee and this is why there is no way a mittees must be told by the Minister that behaviour of all road users and to im­ State Bicycle Committee will ever fight their function is to give impartial advice prove th_e riding environment. As a for cyclists rights of access - they can't. and not to merely act as the mouthpiece start, is it really too much to ask the This is the way the game is played be­ of an authority. government to give us two full-time -na 0 cause the spirit of the Yes, Minister At a Federal level the bureaucracy is tional bicycle co-ordinators. One co­ character, Sir Humphrey Appleby, stalks even worse, because it operates behind ordinator to be a senior engineer/~yclist the corridors of power. This then is the closed doors. There is no National Bicy­ and the other with experience and train­ real meaning of the Westminster tradi­ cle Committee so you can only guess at ing in the behavioural sciences, educa­ tion and it is alive and well in Australia the Federal bureaucracy's hidden tion or the media. The last Federal today. agenda. Federal mandarins like Federal Transport Minister was so ' house The only way around this intolerable politicians, now recognise that more trained' by the Sir Humphrey's of Can­ situation is for bicycle users to insist that adults than children ride bikes but their berra it's a good thing he has moved on. the responsible minister requires that all response is immature as they see cyclists Maybe the new Minister, Senator bureaucrats on State Bicycle Commit- as a problem instead of as a solution to a Gareth Evans will be able to help us .

EQUAL ACCESS IS SAFER The emergency lane is four times safer for cyclists than a nbrmal arterial road California has recently opened its freeways to cyclists

A POSSIBLE CROSS SECTION AWAY FROM INTERSECTIONS . c. 0,P

Freewheeling 41 Racing Brake

WEINMANN presents the ultimate new style racing brake No. 570: • modern and elegant design • a new brake arm profile, forged by a special process guarantees excellent rigidity & stability giving outstanding braking performance • new, easy to handle quick-release mechanism ~ ,.. 'Wl!!:ii , ~~...... ,._... ___ .. with safety lock ~ ~ . . ==' • self centring bolt !!:ila ,.,,. .. A ~ ~ -- .,... r ...... ""11111111111 • wheel guides '1&, , ...... ' Wa...J ~ • • ~i~~~~ard or recessed W r.& ..illllll'-1111111. ""-."111111- • reach 43 to 57mm ~ r.11a. \ \ '#' ~ ~~ ~ • unit construction system .. ' •~·- ~ permitsindividual . 9 assembly from the basic .-r£. - 1-~,. model to the top racing - - I-~ liadbrake • 1 • E:q,: ~ c,~~,T Na{lonal Oistnbuton of Oualtiy Cyc/Jilg b Tna!h/on Equlf)menr P.O. Box 6 20 Mona Vale NSW 2103 Sydney: (02) 997 8777 Brisbane: (07) 8 44 1906 Melbourne: 1052) 63 2821 Perth: !09) 364 2266

gear up for---- - Sydney Spring Cycle Sunday 25 October An easy 35km ride from Sydney to Parramatta, stopping for morning tea at the beautiful Lane Cove River Park. Join the thousands for this year's event! Participants will be sent an information kit, a sticker and voucher Mail your entry form and cheque to: The Bicycle Institute of NSW for morning tea. Live music, refresh­ GPO Box 272, Sydney 2001 ments and bush dancing will be waiting For inquiries, phone 212 5628 for us at Parramatta Park.

ENTRY FORM Disclaimer: I/we, the undersigned, hereby PLEASE NOTE : The minimum age for cyclists Name: ... . waive any claim which I/we might otherwise have participating is 12 years, unless accompanied by on the organisers of the Sydney Spring Cycle an adult. Please list details of all participants. Address: arising out of any injury, damage or loss sus­ Additional entry forms are available from the tained in the course of my entry or participation in BINSWoffice. the said events. If entrant/sis under 18 years of Postcode age, signature of parent/s or guardian/s is also ENTRY FEE: $4.00 per person. $3.00 per per• required . son for BINSW members or groups of three or Telephone: more. Signature: ...... A BICYCLE WEEK EVENT ------SPONSORED BY THE NSW STATE BICYCLE COMMITTEE-----

48 Freewheeling THE STREETS OF NEW YORK

CitlJ C1Jclin9 America's largest city is a buzz to ride. by HARRY BARBER

'You didn't ride your bike in New York One of New York's intrepid and aggressive did you?' 'I certainly did. New York is a bicycle couriers mixes- it with the yellow cabs in great place to cycle.' peak hour traffic. You can ride over the 1.3km span of the Yerrazano Narrows Bridge, the se­ the cyclists using 60th Street. In 1980 cond longest in the world, or rattle over they counted 6,829 and last year they log­ the boardwalk, down by the sea, at Con­ ged 9,733 riders. Each year around ey island with its funfairs and roller 20,000 people join the Five Bora Bike coasters. You can ride in the noise and Ride and spend the day riding through semi-darkness of the roads underneath Manhattan, the Bronx, , Queens the elevated railways or be out on the and Straten Island. b1kepath through the seabird sanctuary The most obvious group of cyclists are near Kennedy Airport. One moment you the couriers. Dressed in racing shorts and can be negotiating the narrow streets of bright tops, some riding with a whistle in Little Italy looking for Marlon Brando their mouths and a set of headphones and his friends in dark suits and the next over their ears, they flash up and down moment wafting up the canyon of the centre of town. They deliver Madison Avenue heading for the Empire documents and parcels and, as well as State Building, or the trees of Central regular danger money, they collect a Park. New York is a great place to cycle. bonus if the delivery is made in record I wasn 't the only one riding a bicycle. time. With overtime they can make a Between 1980 and 1986 the number of couple of hundred dollars a week. are the delivery bikes stack­ cyclists has i:isen 43%. One day every Then there the restaurants. Give them August the Traffic Department counts ed up outside

Freewheeling 49 a call and the rider comes whizzing round corner of 5th Avenue and 57th Street bike and parking lanes on the roads. to your apartment with a carrier basket each year. On a good day there are so There is now a special New York City full of the food of your choice. many pedestrians that everyone ignores iaw that allows a cyclist to use a one-way Weekends is bicycle-display time. Im­ the 'Don't walk' signs and a continuous street the wrong way if the road is more maculately kitted out cyclists on river of people blocks the road. than 40 feet wide. and Olmo bikes, all Campag of course, - The third option is public transport. lazily around the parks and 56% of commuters use public transport. drift The city bridges are being repaired and foreshores, chatting and watching the 500 million travel by bus each year, but a rebuilt and bicycle access is being includ­ sparkle in the sun. I asked a billion use the subways. Only heavy­ titanium ed in the design. Larry Riley is rightly what sort of lock they had for their metal fans enjoy it though. Noise levels cyclist proud of the Brooklyn Bridge path. A few obviously-desirable bike. 'I don't', they underground often reach I 05 decibels years ago pedestrians had to go up and said 'I only let go of it when I get back to and in some places get up to 115 which is down several flights of stairs, now a my apartment.' on the threshold of feeling the sound or shared path of concrete-and-decking It's not hard to see why the bicycle is what you'd hear just before going ramps links Manhattan and Brooklyn flourishing in New York. There are ob­ through a band saw. across the famous and beautiful bridge. vious disadvantages with the other ways ' There are now 2 to 2.5 million bikes in of getting around. New York with a population around 9 Cars are not ideal, they are very dif­ million. The boom year for sales national­ Years ago the cycle and pedestrian ficult to park. But the car driver's big fear ly was I 973, up from 9 million the year track was removed from the Queensboro is gridlock. Gridlock begins when a driver before to 15 .2 million. Since then there bridge but it is now being put back. While can't get a place on the other side of the has been a more subtle change. In 1969 rebuilding goes on, the pedestrians and lights and is left blocking the interesec­ 12% of all bicycles were bought for adult cyclists are shuttled across the river in a tion. If enough people do this in both use, last year the figure was 50%. van with a trailer. directions then no one can move forward The increase in adult bicycle use in the or backwards. It takes hours to untangle United States is reflected in the traffic As the numbers of cyclits rose, so did the mess. One month, in an effort to solve planning. These days the Mayor and the the number of accidents. Bicycle educa­ the problem, the police handed out I, 787 Police Commissioner are both pro-bike tion and enforcement became an issue in subway tokens to good drivers and 3,037 but in the bad old days, according to 1980 when cyclists killed three spillback tickets to the others. Larry Riley, the Bicycle Coordinator for pedestrians. An education program was The footpaths are as jammed as the the City, officials were afraid to en­ set up in schools either as part of the roads, especially at Christmas, as courage cycling as they feared it would curriculum or as a separate subject. This pedestrians bank up in front of shop win­ bankrupt the subways. effort was backed up by TV and radio dows and doors. A pedestrian count The city has reconstructed a bike path spots and presentations to schools by full­ estimates that 5 million people pass the that was built in 1895 and started to paint time bicycle educators.

ANOTHER QUALITY TYRE FROM I.R.C.

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SO Freewheeling Reagan economists diverted the money from this project but now, after a gap of three years, a new pedestrian and bicycle safety program is being prepared. The current emphasis is on enforce­ ment. 'The public perception is that there are no bikes that obey the law', said Larry Riley. The highway police were trained and then sent out in pairs to catch cyclists breaking the law. In 1985 about I 00 tickets were written for bicycle violations but in 1986 up until the middle of October the police had written 15,000, 10,960 in one month! The campaign is having an effect, more cyclists stop for red lights and 94% now go the correct way along the road. 1 talked to one cyclist who had been booked twice in one day, once for going the wrong way down a one-way street and once for breaking a red light. He had to pay $80. The riders who are caught often say they don't have any identification. But when the police put the bike in the boot and take bike and rider down to the sta­ tion it's amazing how many remember which pocket it's in. The state, not the Demand the best. city, issues the ticket and keys the infor­ mation into their motor vehicle licence MICHELIN and registration computer. If the ticket isn't paid then the licence can be suspend­ ed or registration renewal denied. However, New York is not the ideal cycling city. It gets frighteningly cold in winter and, in some parts of town, car ex­ haust levels are double the Federal stan­ dard of 9 parts per million. Theft is a problem; many people secure their bikes with two U-locks. This is not always enough, the hot-bike dealers have found that the locks can be snapped in a certain way. The cunning bicycle owner has to go to a plumbers shop and buy a T-shaped piece of pipe to protect their in­ vulnerable lock. Then there are the potholes, 94,147 of them. The growing season for potholes is spring. During the warm days, water on the road runs into the cracks and then ex­ pands at night when the temperature drops below freezing. In 1985 the city payed out more than $6m for pothole­ related accidents. The inspectors have ·three sizes: A, B and C. 'C' is more than a Let foot across and probably stands for 'cur­ tains'. 'B', I suspect, stands for bloody big Christie Cycles bump on a bicycle. 'A' would be the put you in the sound you make when you it the smallest size. picture But as Jong as a pothole doesn't knock you out of the saddle, and your bike is •• Before you set out on your next bicycle adventure talk to Ian or Richard • there when you come back, the streets of the touring and tandem experts at Christie Cycles. With over 2S years 1 New York - all 10,000 km of them - I cumulative bicycle touring experience I are an exciting and evocative place to 1 cycle. I ~yc1!s ~:~n:;~e;o:~~d;:::d: w~~~:~~ f i Ei@~{t ~ if I day ride or the adventure of a ~ 5 5 5 'i := - 5 ~ = Bicycle information from Larry Riley, Bicycle I lifetime. So come in and experience I Co-ordinator New York City Traffic Depart­ I the friendly helpful service that only a THE TOURING AND TANDEM EXPERTS I ment. recognised export in the field can 85 Burwood Rd Hawthorn VIC 3122 I General Traffic Statistics from the New York I deliver. Phone (03) 818 4011 Times. ·------·Free wheeling SI NEW GENERATION AIBs. ARE YOU READY? Innovative design, top quality componentry and precision engineering make Malvern Star's new generation A.T.Bs. nothing short of powerhouses on wheels. If you're ready for the total cycling experience, see these magnificent Malvern Star machines at any of the specialist bicycle dealers listed opposite soon.

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[;]0(t]fj(t][l[j [9000(1 Australia's big one-day 85km fun and fitness ride SUNDAY22 NOVEMBER 1987

54 Freewheeling very year in late November considered a late entry but you are more thousands of people mount their certain to get rail seats if you register in Ebicycles and pedal down the mag­ this manner. nificient coast road to Wollongong as Prizes part of the big Repco sydney to the This year all entrants who enter prior to 'Gong Bicycle Ride. This years ride will the day of the ride will be eligible to take place on Sunday November 22 and enter the lucky draw to win a fantastic off from Belmore Park adjacent will push Repco Sierra IS-speed mountain bike. NOTE, PLEASE PRINT to Central Railway Sation at 8 am. Just complete the special section on the year the ride will terminate at CLEARLY THIS IS YOUR This entry form and you will be automatically MAILING LABEL Flagstaff Pt, Wollongong. Food will be placed in the lucky draw for the Repco available. Bicycle clothing fashion Sierra. The winning ticket will be drawn parades and a mountain bike Observed at Flagstff Point during the afternoon's ••••••••••••••••• Trials demonstration course will keep activities and the winner notified. Full • • riders entertained throughout the day. details will also appear in the • Entrants first. name/ surname • The 'Gong Ride is well supported with January /February edition of Freewheel­ Entrants address • vehicle crews to attend to mechanical ing magazine. • breakdowns and help you out in the Once again we will be awarding cash • Entrants locality / Postcode • emergency. • event of an •------prizes to the best team of four riders and Leaving Sydney at 8 am on Sunday bike gear to the runners-up. The Lord I Entrants contact phone number business hours = morning through the southern suburbs Mayor of Wollongong's prize for the is easy going and in no time Royal Na­ best decked out individual rider will be tional Park is reached. At Audley we •••••••••••••••••Use one per penon, photocopy additional Corms supplemented with a new award for the or phone (02) 264 8544 f1:1r more. provide you with morning tea consisting best decorated bike. I enclose the following amount u entry payment of a generous chunk of fruit cake and and /or rail-bus Cares, lanch etc. cups of tea, coffee or cordial. Return travel arrangements D Ride fee Adult $10.00 when you You will need to pre-order your lunch Rail travel must be booked D Ride fee Child (under 16)/Student/ so that we can organise our catering in enter as train space will be strictly Pensioner $8.00 advance. There are shops along the limited. State Rail is getting into the spirit D Lunch $4.00 route but as the lunch stop is in a remote of the ride this year and have accepted D Rail Adult $5.00 part of the National Park you will have to the challenge to transport up to 1,600 D Rail Concession $3.00 ride on further if you don't pre-order. riders and their bikes back from D Early Bird Shuttle $8.00 The lunch pack costs $4.00 and in­ Wollongong to Central throughout the Preferred departure time cludes a wholemeal roll with filling, a afternoon and up to 300 riders from piece of fruit, a bite sized piece of Wollongong in the morning. Because of vegetable, snack pack of dried fruit and our large numbers and the need to plan Concession number required. a Tetra Pack of fruit juice. ahead you won't be able to travel the 11- D Ride T-shirt $10.00 The ride fee entitles you to a fully il­ lawarra line on the day unless you have D Shirt Size lustrated guide - a great souvenir of the one of our special rail passes. Space is Total enclosed ____ event, morning tea at Audley, com­ strictly limited on the trains so make sure memorative cloth patch, achievement you book when you enter. Crecllt Card Authorlaatloe certificate plus heaps of well organised Early Bird Bus. Our first train departs Tick one box only support. Your fee also covers additional Wollongong at 4.15pm. For faster riders expenses such as a National Park ser­ we will be operating a bus/truck shut­ llrD ~ I I I j EXPIRY DATE vice and postal handling charges. Your tle service between nagstaff Point and Sutherland earlier in the aftemoon. The entry package will be posted to you and CARDHOLDERS NAME PLJ':ASE PRINT should reach you one to two weeks after shuttle departure times are 1pm and is to you send in your form. Our mailout 3pm and each departure limited 100 riders (and bikes). CARD NUMBER begins on the 1st of October. The shuttle service costs $8.00 per Entries must be posted and returned to person (including bike) and tickets will SIGNATURE the Freewheeling mailing address no be sold on a first come basis only with All entrant. 11Dder 16 mut be accompanied by an later than the first postal delivery follow­ mail order entries. Please nominate adalt and provide the name of thia adalt and the ing November 8th. We will begin your preferred departure time on the •lgnatme of your parent or gnardlan below. posting from October 1, so the earlier entry form if you request tickets on the I certify that I am the parent/gnardian of the entrant shuttle. wbo I• 11Dder 16 year• of age and that he/•he ha• my you get your entry in the earlier you will permi•• ion to participate In the Repco Sydney to .tho receive your materials. 'Gong Bike Ride and will be accompanied by an You may also enter and collect your Official Ride Shirt adalt guide and rider ID from the following You may offer the official ride shirt on bicycle retailers. Sydney city Clarence the entry form for pick up on the day. Signature of parent/ guardian. Street Cyclery; Sydney East, Woolys The shirts will be printed single colour Wheels, Paddington; Sydney Inner on quality cotton chinese style garment. WIN A REPCO SIERRA MOUNTAIN BIKE West, Inner City Cycles Glebe; Outer Send your money with your entry to pick Complete the following if you want to be entered in West, Blacktown Bicycle Centre; up on the day. We strongly advise that the lucky drawn to win a Repco Sierra IS-speed moun­ Sydney North Shore, Cranks Bike Shop you pre order as un-ordered stock on tain bike. Roseville; Sydney Southern suburbs the day will be limited and always sell~ Rockdale cycles; Wollongong, Spear­ out. Sizes available: S M L XL. Cost Name man Cycles; Corrimal, Spokes Cycles. $10.00. Entries close on November 8. After Address that date you may only register and pick Refunds I up your riders kit personally at the No refunds can be made after the close 1 1 Freewheeling office in the city. This is of entries on November 8th. I Business hours phone contact. Repco Sydney to the Gong Bicycle Ride I Freewheeling magazine I PO Box K26 Baymarket NSW 2000 ATANDEM IN TIBET

BiclJcle tourin9

Cycling on the top of the world

by Michael Foster

56 Freewheeling VEN major expeditions start in a and in the middle of the night we were The four rugged Tibetans there soon banal kind of way and ours was invaded by a tour group whose bus had dragged us in, and immediately settled E no exception. Cycling out of narrowly escaped being crushed by a us in places of honour around the huge Kathmandu in 27 degree heat, weighed terrifying landslide. wood-burning stove. They stripped off down by three weeks supplies and cold Next morning not even four-wheel our dripping clothes, replacing them weather gear we felt slightly embarras­ dive vehicles could leave town. We had with wa(m if rather grubby sheepskins. sed in case anyone should ask us where decided to carry on at all costs, and in a Bowls of hot butter tea were poured, we were going. steady drizzle we carried our bike and and although this was quite rancid we Our plan was to cycle by tandem from belongings over the broken terrain. A drank unflinchingly - anything to get Nepal to Lhasa in Ti bet, which after small crowd of stranded backpackers warm again. Our clothes steamed centuries of isolation had at last opened gathered to see us off. "What drives around the chimney as we tried to intro­ its gates to individual travellers. Ahead you?", someone shouted - perhaps we duce ourselves to our hosts. of us lay a journey of 1,000 km crossing were intrepid after all! Rosemary had studied Tibetan for the 5 ,000 metre passes through the From Zhangmu the road climbs 2,000 past three months, and this proved re­ Himalayas, the highest mountain range m up a steep and narrow gorge to ally useful as to our great relief we learnt in the world. Nyalam, 30 km away. In hot and steamy that Nyalam was less than an hour away. Before long we met the first in a series Kathmandu we had resolved that even if As parting gifts we delved into our bags of cyclists on mountain bikes coming the we had to push all the way we could to find photographs of the Dalai Lama. opposite (ie. more sensible, more down­ complete this stretch in a day - but As these were presented the Tibetans hill) way, and all seemed a little sur­ foolishly we hadn't made any allowance immediately held them to their breasts, prised, to say the least, to see a tandem for the weather. kissed the pictures, then pressed them to with thin road tyres tackling the The rain that at 2,000 m was a tropical their foreheads in a great display of rever­ treacherous dirt tracks of Tibet. drizzle, felt cold and biting at 4,000 m; ence for their exiled spiritual leader. Until this point we had been travelling we were soon completely saturated and At last we found Nyalam, tucked be­ on a sealed road, but as this finally pe­ very miserable. Visibility was so poor tween two valleys - one continuing on to tered out the bike signalled its disap­ that we almost failed to see the tents of a Lhasa, the other leading to the base­ proval by getting its first puncture since road workers camp, the only habitation camp of snow-capped Mount Gosain­ leaving England seven months before. we had passed all day. kund , towering 4,000 m above us. The tyre was split irreparably, but as we carried five spares we felt rather uncon­ cerned, until we discovered that despite all our careful preparations we had for­ gotten to buy extra patches. This was to turn into a real headache later in the NAGUS/ journey. Starting from a mere 800 metres the journey really was going to be 'uphill all FRAME PUMPS. the way', for over the first 120 km we had to climb 4,000 m. Since leaving Kathmandu the valleys -NEXT TO PERFECT. had become narrower, and the villages smaller, and we began to see quite a lot ~~rang, lightvyeight, versatile and highly of wildlife . including a 1.5 m iguana. efficient, Nagus1 frame pumps, with inter­ "Wonder what it eats?" said Rosemary. changeable, direct on connectors for both "Cyclists," I replied, as we pedalled on schrader and trench valves, are the necessary at a quicker rate. accessory for all cyclists. At the Nepali customs point we watched groups of porters with smug­ gled Chinese goods take to the hills in order to avoid the customs check. After HIGH PERFORMANCE. some debate ; (the 'stoker' being Tested against a full range of frame exhausted), we decided to push on to pumps by Bicycling Magazine, Nagusi made the Chinese border town . The road had "the most effective use of intake air of any narrowed to a gorge, and zigzagged up pump"; and delivered better measureable to where we could see the settlement of perfor0ance than did more expensive, less Zhangmu clinging to the mountainside, versatile pumps. catching the last vestige of the monsoon rams. LOW COST. Dark and rain overtook us as we stum­ . You won't find a better performing, bled into town , and after some enquiries lighter frame pump for anything like we found a mission hut dormitory in Nagusi's price, so check out the superb which to spend the night. We were Nagusi range at your specialist bicycle elated and exhausted and fell asleep dealer today and see the Nagusi difference. scarcely believing that we were in Tibet at last. Our dreams however were inter­ rupted by a deep rumbling, almost as though the mountain was collapsing,

On the road to Gyantse on the barren Tibetan plateau Michael fords a freezing stream.

Freewheeling S1 Though small , Nyalam had two distinct altitude sickness became a distinct possi­ of 'foreign devils' ; perhaps remember­ halves; the Chinese development along bility, and we were often forced to stop ing times past when helping foreigners the road consisted of simple functional and draw breath. was punishable by death. buildings housing the Chinese popula­ The rain continued unabated, but tion stationed here, and the very muddy after having rested and acclimatized a Still , the landscape was stunning; we Tibetan area of traditional flat-roofed little, we decided that rain or no rain we had passed out of the tropical rain-belt; white-washed houses, bright awnings must press on. In any case, little food lush abundant foliage giving way to arid fluttering above each trapezoid window. was available in Nyalam , and we had plains where everything must struggle to We found a small 'hotel' , and cold and begun eating our way into our precious survive. The transition seemed magical, completely exhausted were more than supplies. and we began to sense the isolation and grateful for our mud-floored room . remoteness which had kept Tibet 'intact' for so long. Under a clear sky, the road less steep We were a little apprehensive about The air was damp and acrid, and we than before and we were able to cover camping as we had no idea how the Tibe­ were soon forced to begin the long and almost 40 km by nightfall. We had tans would react. Before long two boys uncomfortable business of drying out scarcely passed a dozen people all day descended on us demanding food , a per­ our waterlogged clothes by wearing and those we had seen , although not formance which was repeated every them in our sleeping bags. From now on exactly unfriendly, were still rather wary time we camped, and which we learned to dread. Requests for food were not purred by excessive hunger it seemed, but from a desire to vary the diet from tsampa, ground roasted barley, which together with butter tea provides almost the only food for most Tibetans.

The effects of altitude were apparent next day as we moved towards our first pass of 5,000 m (17 ,000 ft), and we looked hopefully at each new ridge as THE NAME OF QUALITY, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WANT THE BEST being perhaps the last. Though we had read every bit of information we could find , and quizzed anybody who had come from Lhasa to Kathmandu , no one could give us an accurate idea of where the top pass lay - in a four wheel drive a few kilometres either way made no difference, but to us it was an eternity. The last few hours seemed never-end­ ing and we began to feel rather light­ headed , stopping every few hundred metres, gasping in great gulps of air.

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58 Freewheeling astery, the A t long last we rounded a bend and ourselves kept us going. Thus absorbed, out to explore the main mon of Glory. saw the cairns and brightly coloured over the next few days we climbed our Tashilumpo or Heap rough the heavy prayer flags left by pilgrims over many highest pass of 5,200 m , although not As we passed th d into another years to mark the tops of passes. Soon much helped by a severe storm of giant leather door we steppe ed and thick with we were photographing each other in hail and snow two kilometres before the world, the ai r cloud butter lamps burn­ front of these, amazed that we had summit. incense; hundreds of im age; the made it. Our descent into Lhatse was a won­ ing before every effigy and the monks, and Looking back we could see the derful contrast. The rich farmland was repetitive chanting of mbal and Himalayas marching across the horizon golden in the fu ll bloom of harvest and the unnerving clash of cy eway of fro m Everest to Gosainkund , magnifi­ the afternoon light was quite perfect for drum. Every room and passag was fill ed cently clear against the deep blue sky. photography. The sky that was deep the labyrinth-l ike monastery ing in a We were transfixed. Ahead of us lay the blue on the horizon became darker blue with people s lowly mov cious) direc­ Tibetan plateau, wi ld and windswept, overhead. clockwise (the most auspi wheels a nd telling changing constantly in the sun and Time passed and we knew that tion, twirling prayer shadow. Our rapture , however, was Shigatse, Tibet's second largest town, beads. way of the short-li ved when a puncture tyre had to could not be far away. By now we Every room and passage was fi lled with be repaired just a hundred metres looked forward to 'civilisation' , and for labyrinth-li ke monastery a cl ockwise beyond the summit in the freezing wind us life here was fascinating. We soon set people slowly moving in whic h h ad seemed so exhil arating only minutes before.

E awoke to a cold dawn , for until the sun shone directly so . ..you're after. .. Woverhead there was no warmth in the steep narrow valleys, and we soon range, Look, Ross Hi-Tech, Corsa learnt that if we wanted to leave the tent Biopace, suntour, before mid-day we must make camp Record , Oakley, Nagaoka, 600EX SIS, Minoura, where the su n could reach us. Although Sugino, OGK, Blackburn, Vittoria, Benotto, the road was flatter now its conditi on superbe Pro, Dia-compe, Aztec , Silca, Spence, did not improve , and was a series of ruts, corrugations and deep gravel. campagnolo, Ambrosio, Cyclone 700, Vlug, Araya, S.R., Castelli, Many Tibetans we met had never seen DT competition, Mavic, Books, Ashhi, a bicycle before, and despite the Fiamme, lscaselle, Shimano, MSS, xc 9000, Chinese takeover seemed oblivious of Mathauser, Barrett, Roto, Tour '86, Sedis, Wolber, any world but their own. , xc-sport, Dura Ace, Troxel, In the past religion was the most pow­ Clothing, Piping Hot erful force in a Tibetan's life , religion campitello, Giramondo, Vitus, Clement, Panasonic, and life were inseparable. With origins Tacx, Winner Pro, Triomphe, Karrimor, Apollo, dating back to the earliest times, Tibe­ , Bolle, Reynolds, Columbus, Sprint, Rex, tan Buddhism has a complex mixture of Belle deities , the land being once dominated Accushift 3000 & 5000, Proatb, XT Deore, Cinelli, by thousands of monasteries. Thorough­ Kusuki , Nitto, Bierecci, Delta, M.S.R., Brancale, ly awe-inspiring in terms of atmosphere, Winning, Tomaselli, Specialized, ruins Kryptonite, locati on and size, many riow lie in Berec, following the C hinese Cultural Revolu­ Panaracer, Magturbo, Cobra, wonderlight, tion of the 1960's, but the devoutness of Byka, Union Halogen, , Saiko, cat-Eve, most Tibetans is beyond question. Triflow, Hite-Rite, superlube Grease, Mirrycle, Our useless map showed no villages at , Eclipse, campro, caribee, Ukai, Sherpa, settle­ Esge al l, but there were many small Primus, zafal, ments just off the road, and we could Showa, Victory, Keywin, Pro-Ace, see prayer flags fl uttering from the roof­ F.1.R., Italia, San Marco, Rolls, Avocet, Turbo, tops and hear people in the fields sing­ Brookes, Adidas, Sidi, Binda, Christophe, I.R.C., ing as they harvested their barley. Every­ Ground control, Weinmann, one waved as we passed by, calling us to Richetti, Mutsuboshi, come and share their butter tea. At dusk Merlin, Ritchey, Michelin, Solar II, Shogun, Matex we cam ped next to a swift and noisy Fitness Monitor or Wilderness Panniers or to the ford , and lay in 'bed' listening Gore-Tex Rainwear. sound of horses' hooves and harness bells as the vill agers made their way home, and watchi ng the last light of day AT THE BEST PRICES IN THE COUNTRY . on the gli stening peak of Everest. By now we had changed our concept of ti me a nd realized that we could no HILLMAN, THE PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE PEOPLE. lo nger operate on daily schedules. We (Est. 1938) would reach Lhasa when we got there, 46 Grantham St, west Brunswick Vic. 3055 and not a moment sooner. Distances meant nothing. Phone: (03) 380 9685 - 2 lines. Although we were often cold , afraid FAX <03) 388 118 and hungry the beauty of each new day, plus the bar of chocolate we allowed

Freewheeling S9 puncture repairer (the most auspicious) direction , twirling ornaments are heavy and complex. dust cl eaned off, a inside one of prayer wheels and telling beads. Women of the towns, who consider sewed a piece of leather the locals we On the hillside behind theTashilumpo themselves far more sophisticated wear our split tyres, and like tube to cut up and is a pilgrims' circuit, the way lined with woollen robes or ch ubas, their plaited bought an old inner prayer flags and prayer wheels sending hair coiled up on top with strands of silk . use for patches. was a little am­ their invocations skyward. Many of the A striped apron or pangden is always The 98 km to Gyantse found us fording a Tibetans here were nomads on a once­ worn, and ornaments of amber, coral or bitious, and darkness freezing river, the bridge hav­ in-a-1 ifetime pilgrimage to the holy turquoise. knee deep for repair. Any­ places of their religion. The devout Most men still dress in the traditional ing apparently removed by this stage. made prostrations marking the entire way too, wearing heavy skins and thick thing seemed plausible were com­ route (J km) by the length of their felt boots no matter how hot the day. The last fifteen kilometres by a bodies. The handsome Khampas from Eastern pleted by moonlight, accompanied singing loudly to The swelling crowds gave us good op­ Tibet never cut their hair, and the thick Tibetan on his bicycle at bay. He was portunity to observe their costumes and red tassels with which they fasten their keep the evil spirits anyone to travel jewelry, a remarkably colourful sight. plaits are very dramatic. happy enough to have if, on our double bicycle, we The nomad women wea r floor-length Too soon it was time to leave, but not with, even far removed from the s pirits fur-lined robes with bright borders dis­ before giving some attention to the tan­ were not _ tinguishing their various tribes, and hair dem ; a chain was replaced, the thick themselves! It was now the end of September, and though the re were still blue skies and sunshine the nights were getting colder, and we had two more high passes before INTRODUCING Lhasa. The next was to be the most tel­ ling of the e ntire trip, so steep in places that it often took our combined strength SUperLube® to push the tandem on. Our reserves of energy were running low and it was an incredible relief, two days later, to reach A UNIQUE, LONG LASTING, the top, and a much longed for glimpse PENETRANT LUBRICANT FOR of the beautiful Namenatso or Turquoise Lake. The unpolluted water produced BETTER BICYCLE MAINTENANCE. breathtaking reflections of the surround­ ing mountains, as ya k herds grazed in • EASY TO APPLY, NON-STAINING SYNTHETIC COMPOUND WITH TEFLON. peaceful oblivion. • SUPERIOR LUBRICATION; LESS FRICTION Here we had a brief encounter with a ANO WEAR . cycling tour group who were being dri­ • PREVENTS RUST ANO CORROSION AND e top of each pass in order to DIRT ANO WATER. ven to th REPELS wonde red • SUPERIOR ADHESION; DOES NOT DRIP cycle downhill sections; we OR RUN. why we hadn't thought of this. The • WONT DISPERSE OR BREAKDOWN; STANDS weather was certainly on the turn, and UP TO EXTREMES OF TEMPERATURE AND WATER . we were lucky to get our tent pitched • HIGHLY EFFECTIVE ON GEAR DRIVES, before a wild blizzard swept across the BEARINGS, CHAINS, LOCKS ETC. lake, turning the surrounding hills . • COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER LUBRICANTS white, and dramatically outlining the switchback road up from the lake to our final pass . When we e)ientually reached the top we could see;the Tsangpo river lying below us. The long and chilly descent brought us to our first paved road since leaving Nepal , but still the Lhasa valley seemed endless. Our food supplies were very low, and we were finding it hard to keep warm . All day the wind blew hard against us , determined to keep us from the 'Forbidden City' to the last. It was 310g the hardest day of all, but at the end we caught sight of the Potala Palace way off in the distance. We had imagined this moment for so long. Twenty-six days after leaving Kathmandu we pedalled into Lhasa. Passing the Potala we were overtaken by In an American evaluation involving 4 leading brands, SUPER LUBE AVA i LA B LE 1N ; 8 5g (3oz) TUBES. received "most first place rankings " and showed a "clea r su periority" 127g (4 .5oz) & 310g (11 oz) AEROSO L CANS three fat tourists on hired Chinese AVAILABLE FROM YOUR SPECIALIST BICYCLE DEALER clunker bikes. It really was time to stop.

PHONE FOR YOUR NEAREST STOCKIST Footnote: Funnily enough, in retrospect, we never worried about our bike holding up. Distributed by VICTOR IA : 99 Derby Road , Sunshine, Vic. 3020. Tel. : !03) 3 11 0611 N.S.W.: 24 William Street, La1chhardt 2040. Tel. . (02) 560 8877 Apart from punctures we had no problems at STH. AUST.: 40 Stepney Street, Stepney 5069. Tel .: (081 42 493 1 G LD. : 246a Evans Road, Salisbury 41 07. Tel.: 107) 277 8622 all, which considering the awful conditions is inson Avenue, Belmont 6 104. Tel.: (09) 478 2222 WEST . AUST .: 82 Rob little short of a miracle, and all credit to its maker, Claud Butler

60 Freewheeling el the challen g ·------rake up

The 12th annual Green Valley Twin Century Green Valley offers you as a choice of courses - 50, 100, 150 or 200 km , meandering through the country lanes of the rural Nepean Val­ Twin Century ley. Breathe the fresh air and have fun as you achieve your goal. This is an event for cyclists of all levels of ability. Participants will be mailed an information kit and a commemorative patch. Drink sta­ Sunday, 18 October, 1987 tions will be provided along the course.

r------ENTRYFORM------. PLEASE NOTE: The minimum age for cyclists Disclaimer: I/we, the undersigned, hereby participating is 12 years, unless accompanied by waive any claim which I/we might otherwise have Cen­ an adult. Please list details of all participants. on the organisers of the Green Valley Twin arising out of any injury, damage or loss sus- ' Additional entry forms are available from the tury tained in the course of my entry or participation in BINSW office. the said events. If entrant/s is under 18 years of or guardian/s is also Name: ...... age, signature of parent/s required . Address: ...... 8 ignature: ......

Postcode ENTRY FEE: $4.00 per person. $3.00 per per­ son for BINSW members or groups of three or c::•N~:~~: :ii~i~iii~~i~EE~l~~1LE COMMITTEJ ._. AHELMET FOR EVERYHEAD If everybody was the same, own individual styles. You are racers , colors. sizes and features . There's things would be a lot less hectic at tourers . joy riders . You are speed a look. a function , a price for Bell. We could put out one generic demons and slow-pokes; triathletes everyone. helmet. And call it a day. The way and weekend sightseers. You have Don't let one-brand most helmet companies do it. One different cycling needs. tastes, and helmets cramp your style. style, one price , one size, fits all. budgets. Exercise your freedom of choice. Too bad if you don't like the col or. At Bell we give you the And take your pick from the But we'd be bored out of our Choice. Six ANSI-rated ------fullest line of bicycle gourds putting out a one-dimensional styles to choose from helmets in the world. product. Luckily, all cyclists were in a startling array of At Bell variety not created equal. You rid e different is the ride of life. ways for different reasons. In your WHENEVER YOU RIDE .. 1L4

Freewheellng 6/

/3ic1Jcle tratJef

A nostalgic journey through eastern America

by JOE MARTIN n the end, the money came through. I That was until my stomach thought had suggested to the bank manager my throat was cut and I was called to a Ithat, in these days of modern com­ stop by a restaurant which specialised in munications, there was no real excuse for peanut dishes at a place called Surry. the tardiness I had to suffer and perhaps They had 'everythung' except Bjelke. In­ there was something wrong with the effi­ stead they had a seemingly endless supply ciency of the bank. Or was it just his par­ of waitresses, all blonde and look-alike as ticular branch? And so the money came though someone had discovered cloning through and I could go. in these parts. So I sat there longer than necessary As I walked down the wooden steps of and looked at my road map for inspira­ the bank, a pair of friendly looking bank tion. couriers came up towards me, armed with That was it! Into North Carolina, sawn-off shotguns, so I tried to look across to the coast and down on into Kit­ friendly and sidled past them. It could ty Hawk. After all I had worked in civil have been in the Wild West but we were aviation all my life and it was only fitting only three miles from Williamsburg with that I should make pilgrimmage to the all its tourist attractions, takeaway food home of the Wright brothers. It was only stops and the rest of modern day a few hundred kilometres away. Americana. Something to skite about when I got back Now I was ready to go and fill in the re­ to work. maining couple of weeks until my crowd So I followed the road on down south, caught up with me and I could catch the into the plantation areas where stuff grew plane back home to Australia. right up to the edges of the road and the horizon was only the width of the I had thought of seeing some more bitumen ahead of me. country, when my money came. Perhaps I passed a clearing with a spotlessly up around Westpoint and down through white church nestling back from the road. Gloucester. Anyways, that's what I had A group of "coal black mamas" were suggested to Susan and Gerry who had departing from some church gathering or befriended me in the first few days after other, and I enthused over the simple, arriving at Camp Chickahominay at the splendid scene. That was until I was run end of the cross America trip. off the road by one of the CB mamas who But my bike was pointing South so I set overtook me screeching "get off the road, off South in the opposite direction. Pro­ "whitey" and I experienced a taste of bably be back tomorrow, anyway, so I racism, negro style. wouldn't bother to report to the camp Further down the road 1 came to people. They were used to me shooting another clearing which was there to through when I stayed overnight with house the local store so I dropped in to Gerry, so I wouldn't be missed. buy. It was like any other isolated store I I kept heading South and came to the had come across, crossing the States, but James River, mainly because it was in the variety and quality of the goods seem­ that direction, and caught a ferry across ed sub-standard. Outside were a number and kept heading south. of negro youths who were eyeing my bike

Freewheellng 63 and holding some sort of conference, so I intention of pressing my luck but turned The interview set me back on schedule walked out with the nonchalance which I left on to Highway 460 which ran almost and, to make matters worse, I collected use to hide my nervousness and went and straight for 30 miles towards Suffolk my first puncture shortly after leaving the fished my map from the saddle bag. The where I hoped to find a motel and spend newspaper office. I was faced with the youths took up strategic positions sur­ the night. prospect of leaving myself short of spare rounding me so I asked the nearest how While shopping in the local super­ tyres and having to do repairs on the far on down south was the next town. market I was found by a reporter from roadside or returning to camp. I hate "About 30 miles" he said so I said that the local newspaper and he wanted me to mending punctures but, then, I hate turn­ was good and I could make it before dark. call in and give a story which, as usual, ing back. I think our wariness was mutual for it is was never published. So I went on and an old bloke in a not unusual for motorists in that part of In fact, they seemed very ho-hum at garage on the outskirts of Suffolk told me the world to travel with a hand gun in the the mention of the Bicentennial celebra­ a short cut to North Carolina but I miss­ glove box. tions that got me over there in the first ed the turn off and continued down the I headed down south. I was in place, a not very uncommon reaction, I highway marked on my map. Southampton County where Nat Turner had found. It was easy to get the impres­ It took me through the Great Dismal led an uprising of slaves in 1831 killing sion, in some localities, that the War of Swamp but I didn't recognise it for what off 55 "whiteys" (thus anticipating the Independence was some sort of bad hap­ it was. The highway was well kept with but I had no Civil War by about 30 years) pening. the grass edges mowed, on both sides of the road, for miles. There was a lot of water around and I remember vaguely wondering about the rainfall in the area but today was steamy hot and dry so it didn't occupy much thought. As the sun got higher and the miles grew longer, I yielded to a temptation to sleep awhile in some shade on those nice grassy banks but, somehow, I couldn't settle down. I had a feeling that the atten­ tion I was receiving from passing motorists was unusual so I went looking for some refreshment. I don't know whether the Great Dismal Swamp is peopled with alligators or ananconda~, but it is prone to burn off its accumula­ tion of marsh gas, from time to time. _ I found a store in a clearing on the left hand side of the road a bit further on. The store keeper was a dismal swamp lady and she was talking to a swampy looking customer. I asked for a cup of coffee. "It is too hot to make coffee" she said, "you will have to pick something from the drink cabinet" and went on talking to the other bloke. About the different varieties and merits of the local rat­ tlesnakes, would you believe? Ordinarily I would have been interested but my tongue was sticking to my throat so I got a drink and departed. I didn't stick around to see if the rattlesnakes were of the legged type or not. By this time, I was well into North Carolina. I had passed a sign back hours ago, which said so but I was blase about crossing state lines by this time and didn't feel any pangs of excitement. A few hours further on and after a number of twists and turns in direction, I came to a place named Camden where I stopped to refuel. I met a local clwlitary inner eity eyeles as I sprawled against the shady side of the shop. ~~'()'<­ "Where you-all from?" he said. (,t-"\ ..\; "Australia" said I going into my recent­ BICYCLE BUILDING SPECIALISTS ~~~"~ ly acquired Defensive Mentality Mode \\. • ALL REPAIRS • CUSTOM BUILT BIKES • "'.. for it was this opening gambit which v,.~~-- • BRAZING • TOURING SPECIALISTS • preceded a conversation I had with a ..1:,1;1t~s ·- BICYCLE HIRE • MAIL ORDER local in a town in Kentucky. There it had been made plain that strangers weren't 31 GLEBE POINT RD , GLEBE (02) 660 6605 "\t~- . welcome and I was advised to "git".

64 Freewheeling "ls that a place in the English Growing tired, one by one, the frogs one can see along the coast in Australia Channel?" he said. gave up the chorus and the noise subsid­ but these seemed to be more "No", I answered, "what makes you ed. Or were they being devoured, one by weatherbeaten - no doubt they were. think that?" one, by snakes? Of course, the Wright brothers never "Well", he said, "you don't talk exactly But it was soon dawn and I set off flew at Kitty Hawk - they flew at Kill like an Englishman and you're not without backward glance down the Coin­ Devil Hill. A few miles further on and American or Canadian, so I thought you juck Sound to Point Harbour. I found a slightly, if its possible, further away from might come from near England". motel off the road, catering for fishermen the shore. There is a hill there and a · I explained that Australia was in the and yachties, where I had breakfast, I memorial centre which shows America's Southern Hemisphere almost opposite then crossed the long causeway across the contribution to aviati9n. In fact, one has England but he sadly admitted that "he Sound to Kitty Hawk. a choice of attractions-. Very few , like me ain't had much learning" and couldn't It was a dull bleak sort of day. A week I imagine, have ridden their bike up to the understand the proposition. He owned later the area was evacuated in anticipa­ monument on top of Kill Devil Hill from the store, the house and garage so was do­ tion of a looming hurricane but, today; where the brothers did there gliding ex­ ing alrigh t. the weather was only bleak to match the periments. The normal approach is by car to the nearby car park and short walk to I headed for the coast, it was towards appearance of the houses and buildings the top but not me. Not being normal, I mid-afternoon. Past Belcros to Barco which made up the settlement of Kitty a foot track and rode the bike up in where I turned right and headed down Hawk. It reminded me of those towns chose South once more. Only time was running out and I was starting to think about pro­ pping. There was some sort of storm 11 brewing up ahead and the map didn't 0n the road I vvant a show much to encourage me. There was some sort ·bridge and a store t that~ light, cool at a place shown as Coinjock and I hel discovered that I could get lots of goodies (including Fosters beer) and a fisherman's and c ~.... o,table. hut, for the night. I vvear a The bridge was a lifting bridge for, That's vvhy whilst I was there, it was raised to let an army tender through which I Safety Rider." photographed. In turn, I was photograph­ ed from the tender by someone with a telephoto lens but, fair exchange. I later found out that the whole set-up had been taken over by the Army so perhaps I shouldn't have been using a camera. No one seemed concerned. The fisherman's hut was situated right under some high-tension power lines but not to worry. And there was wall to wall carpet (of sorts) with fridge, real bed and mod cons all only a stone's throw from the famous Intra-coastal waterway which goes right up the Eastern coastline of USA. I should have gotten a good night's sleep - especially with the tin of Fosters and some tucker from the local store, but it was not to be. Lying in bed with those power lines over my head and lightning, which could only be described continuously lumines­ cent crackling through the room, I found it difficult to settle down but the storm subsided and eventually, the frogs started. something prompted me to switch on the light and there were frogs hopping across the carpet by my bedside. This might also be accommodated but the thought arose, where there are frogs there are snakes. Cottonmouths no doubt, or perhaps one Dean Woods of those rattling types that "step-and­ AUSTRALIANOLYMP/CGOLDMEDALLIST ~- fetch-it" was talking about back along the road. Growing tired, one by one, the frogs gave up the chorus and the noise subsid­ """""'"., ~ AVA>CA8" saoM vou, "'""'" "cvm oe,cea ed. Or were they being devoured, one by one, by snakes?

Freewheeling 6S bottom gear with the singles scrabbling in but I looked in vain for Kingsford Smith one, by this time old and tattered, but his the gravel for traction, but I made it. Ac­ or any other foreigners that may have which reads "Grist Mill Country Store, tually, I didn't know about the conven­ had a hand in it. Barco N.C." was a goodun (and clean tional track until I got to the top. On the way home I stopped at a store too). You can go to the actual flight area in a place called Barco. I bought a tin of Mrs Grist Mill came and talked. She where the first three flights were made beer but the lady said I couldn't open it was a school teacher and wanted to come before the uncooled, home made, engine until I had left the premises - 'twas the to Australia. It was a good session, all in conked out. The first hop was really just a law. Well, I looked at the front door and all, but I had to push on to Elizabeth City hiccup, almost a figment of imagination, reckoned I'd make it OK, but reading my for the night and I couldn't afford to get but the third one went the length of a mind, she told me that the premises ex­ too merry. backyard easily. tended a couple of hundred yards down They reckoned it would be worth my - One can peer into a reconstruction of the road. I still think I could have made it while to go via Currintuck, but I had run their w orkshop and living quarters they OK but she suggested that it was time her out of adventure and wanted home. had built on the area, or, one can walk old man had his midday canner and I "You can sleep in a fi sherman's cottage with suitable awe, through the hall of could join him in the back store, which I at Currintuck" they said "they will look fa me w hich shows all those Americans did. And we drank our beers, his and after you" but the vibrations were poor. that m ade fly ing possible. They did in­ mine. We swapped tee shirts too - mine Perhaps they would but the thought of clude Bleriot in the gallery of portraits was a Vic Cross Country Running Club a night in a motel appealed more and so off I rode resplendent in my nice clean tee shirt. Next day, everywhere I turned, there was England. Town names borrowed like we had borrowed ours, only more so. The early settlers must have been very homesick in that part of the USA for I passed through Suffolk, Portsmouth, The Isle of Wight and even Scotland on my way back to Williamsburg. I stopped at Benns Church and visited St. Luke's, one of the oldest churches in the USA. Built sometime in the 17th Cen­ tury, it has been restored and re­ consecrated. The Sunday worship had finished and I could roam at will through the church and churchyard. My wandering wheels took me out and on through the Sunday traffic past Smithfield w.here the pigs are fed peanuts and their hams smoked in hickory to pro­ duce Virginia Ham to delight the gourmets. Past the atomic power plant across the river from Newport News (and the scrutiny from a police patrol car that seemed unduly interested in me) back on to a quieter road to Surry via Bacon's Castle where young Nat Bacon con­ fronted the Governor with a rebellion in 1676. Not bad going really seeing that the settlement had only been going 70 years - things must have been crook. My peanut popping restaurant was be­ ing gorged by Sunday diners, so I had to across the James to a The Repco Sierra ATB is superbly board a ferry back constructed from 4130 Chromoly restaurant I knew of on highway 614. steel. The 70° head and seat tube I got back to camp late on that Sunday angle 1s designed to give you optimum afternoon; I had been gone since Thurs­ handling for both on or off road day. cycling. I was surprised at the welcoming com­ There are braze-ons for every need, Inspect the SIERRA now at your mittee I saw gathered at the camp. Then I 1nclud1ng carriers, b1ddon and local bicycle dealer. remembered that I had been invited to mudquards dinner with Gerry and Susan on the Saturday night. I was AWOL. ALL-TERRAIN Gerry and Susan were in the group BICYCLE along with some Bikecentennial officials, camp ranger and a State trooper and in fa.et, not only was I AWOL, I was unof­ ficially (not documented) missing; perhaps in Gloucester. C:YC:LES "What is wrong with Gloucester"? I asked and the trooper said they lose peo­ ple in Gloucester.

66 Freewheeling Put the world at your feet go exploring Victoria in 1HE CALTEX ~~ • DE STAWELL TO MELBOURNE, DEC 5th-13th 1987 HIGHLIGHTS: Halls Gap - Grampians Two nights at historic Port Fairy. Live Bands. It's on again! The 4th Annual "Explore Victoria" Bike Ride! 9 free wheeling days! We take you to Stawell and you pedal back to Melbourne via Hamilton, Port Fairy, Warrnambool, Port Campbell, Colac and Geelong. Organizers take care of everything - all meals, live entertainment, transportation of your camping gear, free T-Shirt plus full medical and mechanical support! TOT AL COST $187 (Concessions available for group bookings) REGISTRATION Special arrangements for N.S.W. and A.C.T. cyclists. Lombard WRITE FOR OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM TO: CAL TEX BIKE RIDE, LOT 5, VI DOTTO COURT, PEARCEDALE, VIC. 3912 PHONE (059) 78 6000

Freewheeling 67 ~•1.-1FY STOPS FLATS THE SIMPLE, LOW COST ANSWER TO FLAT PROBLEMS

•EASY AND FAST INSTALLATION

FEATURES • Mr. Tufty protects tubes from rim cuts, broken glass, all .HOSHI kinds of thorns ... even small nails. • Saves tires from having to be replaced when small cuts Quality spokes and nipples appear on top of tire. · • Helps prevent rim cuts from tire buckling when loss of from Japan air occurs. • Adds to bicycle safety. Gives bicycle a smooth, stable HOSHI INDUSTRIES CO. LTD. ride No. 1-40 Minarto 2 - Chome, • Independent laboratory tested and proven. Izumisa110 City Osaka Japan Whole sale s tockists: Hantrade. Sydney, Melbourne, Trade enqulrlu: Repco Cycle Company Melbourne Sydney Brisbane Bri sba ne.

68 Freewheeling Classifieds National Calendar

TOUR MATES Tour Mates is a FREE service to readers wishing to find companions for bicycle trips and holidays. Though Tour Mates is a free service there is a charge of thirty cents per word for any long entries exceeding the 30 word limit. Club secretarieS:, race directors and event or­ ganisers: help us to publicise your event by send­ DECEMBER Person wanted for December cycle tour from Perth ing details to us early. If you are planning a ride in Friday 4 to Sunday 6. First Australian Masters to Brisbane via Snowy Mountains. Join me on any section the coming twelve month period you should send of the tour. Contact Eduard Heinisch, 32 Glebe St, Games The venue for the Masters Garnes cycling events your notice to Freewhee/ing National Bike Events will be Launceston Tasmania. The Games are for veteran Alberton SA 5014. (08) 47 6534. Calendar now. We publish advance notice of all Companion(s) wanted for a ride from Brisbane to competitors ( + 35 yrs) in seven age groupings. Road race bicycle events both competitive and non com• distance approximately the same as the 1986 Veterans Sydney via the Pacific Highway in early November. 7 days petitive but because of our publication lead­ and 150 km per day. Motel accommodation. Please World Championship. Track events - scratch races and times we need your copy at least two months in points score events for all age categories. For an entry phone Ken Taylor on (02) 449 9069. advance. Please note: we must have your event Cycling companion wanted Nullarbor crossing. form contact The Australian Masters Games, PO Box details in writing. Send your copy to PO Box K26 587 Glenorchy TAS 7010 or call (002) 74 0750. Melbourne to Perth. Easy going ( 100-150 km per day) Haymarket NSW 2000 or phone it through on Depart before end of '87. Phone Al on (03)714 8584. (02) 264 8544. Companion(s) wanted for leisurely tour starting July 1988, Cooktown to Lune River. Please write to Rob Wadsworth, Margate TAS, 7153 or phone (002) 672 443 COMPETITIVE EVENTS Cycling in China World Bike Riders would like to 1988 contact other bikers interested in cycling from Peking to 1987 JANUARY Canton in China. No definite plans. Contact Mira Albrect, Str 22, 655 Bad Kreuznach, West Germany. SEPTEMBER Bicentennial World Series A spectacular series of track carnivals featuring the top Australian amateurs ACCOMMODATION 8 to I 5. Boags Tour of Tasmania. Contact the ACF for details. competing against 16 of the world's finest in an exciting Would you like to meet other bicycle tourists Saturday 19 and Sunday 20. Australian Veteran prelude to the '88 Olympics. Saturday 16 January, when you tour? If so, join the Cyclists' Accommo­ Championships. Held at the Perry Sydney; Tuesday 9, Lavington; Wednesday 20, Sheppar­ dation Directory. This is a list of cycl ists who are Lakes Stadium, Perth. Prize money $4000. All age ton; Friday 22, Launceston; Saturday 23, Melbourne; prepared to exchange simple hospitality in their home divisions. Contact Race Director Stan Fennell (09) 342 Sunday 24, Adelaide; Tuesday 26, Alice Springs; Friday 29, for similar hospitality in other cyclists' homes. Write to 4352. Brisbane; Monday I February, Grafton; Wednesday 3, Bicycle Australia, PO Box K499 Haymarket 2000 giving Saturday 26. Harvey to Armadale Veterans Newcastle; Friday 5, Wollongong; Saturday 6, Sydney. your name, address phone and your location, eg 10km Classic. 112 km Group handicap with prize money of For full details watch this magazine closer to the event. NE Ballarat PO. A donation to cover postage and $4050. Contact Race Director Stan Fennell (09) 342 Promoted by Ozwide Sports Promotions (02) 570 3855. photocopying would also be appreciated. 4352. Saturday 26. Pinjarra to Armadale Veterans OCTOBER HIRE Handicap. 60 km for older riders only (approx 60 plus). 16 - 29. Commonwealth Bank Bicentennial Cycle Rent-a-Cycle Tasmania 10-speed low gearing, all Prize money $500. Contact Race Director Stan Fennell Classic One hundred and twenty cyclists will ride frame sizes, ladies and gents. Completely equipped for (09) 342 4352. between Brisbane and Melbourne via Sydney and touring. Postal bookings accepted. Seven years hiring Canberra on the world's biggest amateur cycling race. experience. Brochure, rates, your questions. 36 Thistle OCTOBER Watch this magazine for details, preview and colour St Launceston, Tasmania Phone (003) 44 9779 Sunday 4. Repco Cycles Australian Professional coverage. Promoted by Ozwide Sports Promotions (02) 570 3855. Road Championships. Sandown Raceway Melbourne TRAVEL & TOURS starting at 8 am with the Young Pro title 100 km (under CLUB CONTACTS Bicycle Tour Services We do what you want to do: 23 years); Senior title 200 km starts at 11 am. The Repco rentals, itineraries, accommodation, tours and all cyclists Melbourne Trade Picnic will be held in conjunction with The Australian Cycling Federation and the state services. Write or call now for free brochure: PO Box the titles plus a mass ive 'roadworthy test' on all makes of cycling federations will direct you to a club in 11 -296 Auckland 5, New Zealand. Phone 591 961. Telex bicycles. Be there its free. your area if you want to get involved in bicycle NZ60235 "Lidsail ". Wednesday 7. Australian Schools Cycling Cham­ road or track racing. Phone numbers and con­ pionship. Sponsored this year by Safe 'n' Sound the final tacts for each state are: NSW Margaret Balmer will take place in Sydney at the Tempe velodrome as part (02) 27 2977; VIC George Nelson (03) 328 4391; of a major race meeting. Contact Jim Halloran of the QLD Mike Victor (07) 390 1489; WA Mike Poyner ACF on (02) 241 1870 for details. (09) 384 4130; SA Jean Cook (08) 255 1639;TASJoy I 0th Grafton to lnverell. Australia's classic one-day Bestwick (003) 31 2712; NT Shirley Davis (089) road race. Contact the ACF for details. 208 798. 18 - 29. Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic. This Riders wishing to take out a professional licence year the big Tour goes to the Victorian Border. Brisbane should contact the National Secretary of the to Albury/Wadonga via Sydney. Contact the ACF for de­ Australian Professional Cycling Council, Reg ,BOGONG JACKA'DVENTURES. tails. Marriner, PO Box 120 North Geelong VIC 3215. Sunday 18 . Charlton Triathlon. 8 km run, 32 km Cyclln1 holidays In Kenic North-East Victoria vis­ ride, 5 km paddle held in this town 254 km NW of iting National Trust gold towns, Rutherglen & Milawa Melbourne. For details contact Michael Allford (054) 911 wineries, Ned Kelly country, historic hotels & fine re­ 822 staurant dining. PO Box 209, Wangantta VIC 3677 Tele­ Friday 23 - Sunday 25. Sydney International NON COMPETITIVE EVENTS phone (057) 212564 Indoor BMX Classic. Organised by the NSW BMX Association. BMX riders from between 4 and 50 yrs and ... f avdashc Mps toC/Hna.,,J~, six countries wi ll compete in this big indoor carnival held 1987 at the State Sports Centre at Homebush. Trophies for c.anacxa /1/tw ZeaJMd, s cofla;,o. ., SEPTEMBER , , ' g_ 02. I top riders in over 26 individual classes. For further information contact Don Selby (02) 546 6111 or (02) 520 Saturday 19 to Monday 27. The Snowy Mountains ICI7-.../ ' PO Hox i? 7988 Connor /\(, I ?601 Trail. A Bicycle Australia supported tour of the high l Mn.dJ )() Sunday 25. Leisure Coast Criteriums. Held at BI CV C L E TOUR ING Pll (Ob?I •1

Freewheeling 69 Long Week• Friday 25 - Monday 28. Wongan Hills Saturday 14. VIC 600 km Randonee. Visit Melbourne Autumn Daytour (the MAD ride. valley in the end. Bus and bike trailer to this delightful Victoria's venerated holiday playground on this south Organised by the Melbourne Bicycle Touring Club. 100 Day rides from a base camp West Australian wheat belt. coast tour. The RandonneP. starts at the Dandenong km and 45 km courses; Saturday 16 Melbourne City capacity in an area seldom seen by cycle tourers. Trailer Police station at 8 am and goes to Wonthaggi, Sale and Bicycle Parade. Come and join in. Criterium race and a Martin Bunny limited to the early participants. Contact return. Contact Tim Laugher (03) 527 8581. high- tech show are also included in the (09) 330 3659. Sunday IS . Six hour time trial. Try yourself against activities which will run throughout the week in the City Audax Ride. Friday 25 - Monday 28. I 000 km the clock and last year's best of 182 km on a moderately Square; Sunday 17 3KZ Bike-a-thon. A 25 km morn­ ultra marathon Audax WA"s big ride. For the confirmed flat course in West Australia. Contact Rob Masterman ing fun ride along Port Phillip Bay to end on the banks of 400 and 600 km randonneur who has graduated from the (09) 399 3071. the Yarra near the city. For full details and entry forms for 5278. Audax. Contact Bob Stockman (09) 293 Sunday 22. The sixth annual Repco Sydney to the all events contact Bicycle Victoria (the new name for the 'Gong Bicycle Ride, Australia's big one-day fun and Bicycle Institute) (03) 650 2550. OCTOBER fitness ride between Sydney's Belmore Park and Belmore Friday 22 to Sunday 24. SA Festival of Cycling. A in the City of Wollongong. 85 kilometres of well Saturday 3 to Sunday 11. Bicycle SA '87 Triangle Basin bicycle rally to be held in the beautiful Adelaide hills. fun complete with fashion parades and a Tour. A of South Australia"s south west supported Three days of activities centred on a good camping bike observed trials demo course at Flagstaff region with the State"s premier touring group. Some mountain ground with alternate accommodation also available. Wollongong. Entry forms at Repco bike dealers meals, refreshments and entertainment provided. Point, Day rides, displays, exhibitions and nightly entertainment from September onwards or elsewhere in this issue. Exclusive tour, plenty of fun. plenty of cycling. Camping provided for riders of all ages. Bring the kids and your and other accommodation. Emergency back-up support friends. Watch Freewheeling for details or contact (08) DECEMBER provided. Contact (08) 272 6406 or (08) 388 8331. 3888331. Southern Saturday 3 to Monday 5. The fourth annual Four Saturday S to Sunday 13 . The Caltex Bike Ride. Saturday 23 to Sunday May I. The -day or nine-day ride Rivers Ride. Bicycle Australia's tour of the Hunter Nine days of cycling fun through Victoria's western Cross Trail in Victoria. A three Cross Trail northwards Valley region. Sag wagon for luggage, evening meals and districts visiting the Grampian, and riding part of the along Bicycle Australia's Southern 27 2186 for details. breakfast provided and hall accommodation. Contact Great Ocean Road. Contact (03) 818 4800 or (059) 78 from Melbourne. Contact (046) (046) 27 2186 for details. 6000. Saturday 17 to Sunday 25. NSW Bicycle Week A JUNE State. full week of activities for bike riders across the 1988 Wednesday I. Bicycle Australia in '88. This date ages. Full program Mass rides, safety clinics and fun for all marks the commencement of Bicycle Australia's major of this magazine. JANUARY and entry details in future issues rides programme for the Bicentennial year to celebrate Australia Op• Saturday 17 to Sunday 18. Audax Sunday 3 to Saturday 9. New England Riverside the first century of cycling in this country. Riders may of three to five and perman All Day Trial. Form teams Meander. A mostly down-hill summer-time trip from ride all or part of the 10,400 km route around the coast where you join in this twenty four-hour team Randonee Armidale on the New England plateau NSW to Kempsey from Cape York to Perth. Contact Bicycle Australia for to suit pick the route distance and even start time on the coastal plain then via Crescent Head to Port details on (046) 27 2186. yourself. The event finishes in Sydney on Sunday after­ Macquarie and Wauchope. Short daily distances, sag noon. Prizes and trophies are awarded. Contact Terry wagon support. Contact Bicycle Australia (046) 27 2186. OCTOBER Gross (03) 898 629 or Russell Moore (02) 600 1125. Saturday 23 - Sunday 24. Bicycle Australia An­ I to Monday 3. The fifth Four Rivers Saturday 18, Sunday II. Green Valley Twin Cen­ nual Conference. Held in the Campbelltown area Saturday Australia's tour of the Hunter Valley tury, This popular annual event now in its twelfth year SW of Sydney. Day rides interspersed with the Ride. Bicycle . Sag wagon for luggage, evening meals and offers 50, 100, ISO and 200 km courses. For full details AGM on Saturday evening. For details contact region provided and hall accommodation. Contact contact (02) 608 1125 or (02) 212 5628. (046) 27 2186. breakfast Sunday 25 Bicycle Down From Dungog. A pleasant (046) 27 2186 for details. day tour in the Hunter Valley area of NSW organised by MARCH the Newcastle Cycleways Movement as part of NSW NOVEMBER (049) 52 4403. Saturday 5 to Monday 7. Strezelecki Ranges of Bicycle Week. Contact Charles Coin Suncfay~0. The seventh annual Repco Sydney to easy 35 km Eastern Victoria, A 135 km ride on the Australia Day Sunday 25. Sydney Spring Cycle. An the 'Gong Bicycle Ride. Australia's big one-day fun and Institute of NSW. long weekend. Easy daily distances and superb views. ride hosted annually by the Bicycle fitness ride between Sydney's Belmore Park and Belmore Cove Contact Bicycle Australia (046) 27 2186 Ride starts in the city and follows a route via Lane City of Wollongong. 85 kilometres of well Sunday 6. Hills CycleThe Lions Club of West Pennant Basin in the National Park to finish at Parramatta Park. Entertain­ complete with entertainment. Entry Hills will be organising this day ride in aid of the Diabetic supported fun ment provided. Morning tea free. Contact the Bicycle shops during September and from this Association of NSW. 30, 50 and 100 km routes will take forms from bike Institute on (02) 212 5628. magazine. A family in areas of historic interest and natural beauty. Lots of Sunday 25. Camden Charity Cyclethon. Saturday 26 to Sunday 11 December. The Big west of Sydney prizes. Entry fees: $8.00 individual, $20.00 family. Riders day ride in the Camden area south Bicentennial Bike Ride. This year to celebrate the with a family who raise $.12 or more sponsorship money pay no fee. commencing at Onslow Park and finishing Bicentenary cyclists will ride en mass from Melbourne to the ride Contact Ron Jamieson (02) 872 3000 for entry forms. picnic. Organised by the Camden Rotary Club . Organised by the people who bring Saturday 12 to Sunday 27. Bike Week 88 Albany Sydney. Full support will raise funds for Rotary's Polio Plus campaign. Entries 818 4800 or by the Youth Hostels you the Caltex Bike Ride. Enquiries (03) and enquiries from cycle shops or by contacting Ian to Perth Tour. Jointly organised Association of WA (059) 78 6000. McKenzie (046) 66 8070 or (046) 66 8155. Association and the Cycle Touring - 130 km per day and Saturday 31 - Sunday I. York (WA) Family Week­ this 800 km tour will average 60 route through superb CLUB CONTACTS end.Day rides from a country hostel for CTAWA trace the pioneers' coastal for riders and bikes to bicycling fami lies only. Contact Martin Bunny (09) 330 hardwood forests. Bus portage These clubs regularly run rides in their cities and other fixed 3659. Albany and staying at Youth Hostels and welcome new comers. Some even publish tour­ self sufficient and Satu, .Jay 31 to Sunday November 8 . Snowy accommodation. Riders will need to be ing calendars listing forthcoming rides. Contact details Mountains Trail. A loop ride from Cooma NSW be members of YHA or the CTAWA. For full them for details. (09) 459 4178. following Bicycle Australia's Snowy Mountains Trail. 340 contact the tour leader Geoff Creighton Armidale Community Cyclists (067) 72 8951. Audax Wombat's km. Contact Bicycle Australia (046) 27 2186. Sunday 27. Mulga Bill's Walaroo and Australia (03) 435 4437 (02) 608 1125. Bathurst Bike Centenary. A day ride around the Hawkesbury Bicycle Touring Group (063) 31 9459. Bicycle Australia NOVEMBER NSW area. 70 or 100 km courses. Part of the Bicenten­ (046) 27 2186 (after 9pm). Brisbane Bicycle Touring nial Bicycling Program. Contact Paul Hulbert (02) 212 Association (07) 369 9326. Brisbane Mountain Bike A two hundred Sunday I. Murray Valley 200. 5628 or (045) 76 1396. riders interested in forming a club should contact Mike roads. Starting in the kilometre ride on mostly quiet or Kelli on (07) 359 1244. Canberra Pedal Power ACT the River Murray beautiful Adelaide Hills, then following APRIL (062) 49 7167. Geelong Bicycle Touring Club (052) 96 Mannum. A short course is between Murray Bridge and 234. lllawarra Touring Cyclists' Club (042) 83 6524. and enjoy the social Friday I to Monday 4. Bicycle Victoria Bicycle also available. Rated hard. Come Melbourne Bicycle Touring Club (03) 818 4011. Mel­ and route maps pro­ Rally. A four-day rally held over Easter in central atmosphere. Some refreshments bourne eastern suburbs • Knox Bicycle Touring Club South Australian Touring Victorian town of Castlemaine. Lots of day rides, a vided. This event is part of the (03) 754 4069. Eastern Bicycle Touring Club (03) 762 contact Peter display of antique cycles and indoor activities are Cyclists Grand Slam Series. For full details 7928. Victorian Pedal Clubs provide fun and training (08) 271 6367. planned. For details contact Bicycle Victoria (03) 650 Hunt (08) 384 2921 or Rod Austin in bike handling skills for children of bicycle riding age. This ride is or­ 2550. Saturday 7. The Hard Hundred Call for information on a club near you: (03) 337 6399. ng Club (Melbourne) Friday I to Monday 4. The Second Canberra ganised by the Knox Bicycle Touri Newcastle Cycleways Movement (049) 46 8298. Saturday following Mel­ Monaro Explorer. A 256 km vehicle supported loop and held annually on the first Bicycle Institute of New South Wales (02) 212 5628. east of Melbourne. ride from Gou Iburn NSW through Canberra and the bourne Cup Day in the hills to the South Australian Touring Cyclists Association (08) at Bayswater and Monaro region. Contact Bicycle Australia (046) 27 2186. The 100 mile tour will commence 272 6406 (08) 388 8331. Sydney region bicycling clubs and return. A 100 km Friday I to Monday 4. Tour of the Southern High­ travel to the Upper Yarra Dam can be contacted through the Bicycle Institute of NSW around at the SO lands. The classic Bicycle Australia ride for self sufficient tour will follow the same route but turn (02) 212 S'628. Tandem Club of Australia (03) 241 4453. be awarded to all finishers. riders. Leader supplied and group catering organised. km point. Cloth badges will Cycle Touring Association of West Australia (09) 330 support will be Penrith NSW to Bundanoon via the Southern Cross Trail Refreshments and full emergency 3659. Darwin Huffers & Puffers (089) 81 2141. Wagga Ian and return to Campbelltown via Robertson. Local hall provided. For full details and entry forms contact Group (069) 21 6787. Vintage Cycle accommodation. Bicycle Touring Pengelly on (03) 728 3180. . . clubs Vintage Cycl~ Club of Victoria (03) 527 5759 Saturday 7, Sunday 8. Audax NSW 300/400/600 Contact Bicycle Australia (046) 27 2186 Bicentennial Southern Veterans (Sydney Vintage Cycle Club) (02) 587 km ride. Mt Victoria, Cowra, Yass, Mittagong, Sydney. Saturday 10 to Sunday 17. Victoria's : Sunday 10 8017. Contact (02) 608 1125 or (02) 630 2977. Bike Week Big events planned include

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