I wish this photo...

...could properly show you how heavy this rain is.

This would be hard...

...if it was really calm and sunny. In a headwind and relentless cold rain, it's kinda ridiculous.

Today's plan of 160kms to Bateman's Bay was not met. After delaying this morning's start from 7:30 to 9:30 while we waited for a mythical break in the rain, and then spending too long in Nowra looking through opshops for clothes to wear while ours pointlessly dried in a laundromat, we were desperately behind schedule when we regrouped in Ulladulla.

After a cookie and a coffee we rolled out with the intent to knock off the last 55km and reach Bateman's by 8pm, but when we stopped by a bike store to buy the third raincoat of the ride and had the shop guy tell us the road there was suicide at this time of night, we felt the temp drop another couple of degrees and a unanimous 'fuck it' was heard.

Day Two - 116.56kms.

Nice day for a ride...

...to the pits of hell.

Sydney - Kiama 128.52

It's not a furniture store...

...if it doesn't have a 1:1 scale Velociraptor out front.

Good morning for a ride...

...to Melbourne.

HTFU day 2

Swim, ride, eat....one more sleep till the long journey home.

Ride was nearly over before it began for me. Arrived in Sydney around 11am and headed straight to Glebe Markets for breakfast. After hanging out there for a couple of hours I make my way back to the hotel, anxious to unpack my bike and set it up. 3pm and I'm in my room pulling apart Cecil's expert packing job. Everything looks good, except the skewer for my front Shamal is nowhere to be seen. Stress ensues. I double check all the packaging and then call Cecil: they're sure it was packed and can't find it in the workshop, but it is nowhere to be seen. Not-very-long story cut even shorter, Cecil Walker's excellent run of service continues. They call Clarence St Cyclery and buy a new one for me, and I'm down there with it in my hands all before their 4pm closing time. Phew. Fucking nice one.

Bike's ready, I'm tired as shit, let's do this.

HTFU day 1

First day in Sydney, waiting for the rest of the crew to arrive.

Sydney to Melbourne

For the next week, this blog is going to change 'theme'.

Tomorrow morning I'm flying to Sydney with 6 friends, and Sunday morning we're going to jump on our bicycles and ride back to Melbourne. So, instead of the typical fare you're used to, it'll be pretty much just be photos of shit I see along the way. Hills, dead animals, bikes and dicks drawn onto sleeping people with a sharpie.

If you don't give a shit about any of that stuff, come back in 7 days and my regular programming will resume.

If you do give a shit about that stuff, great! As an extra special treat for you, I've invited my good friend Jay 'Sweet Tits' Dougrey to post to the blog as well! Jay's pretty fucking flash and has one of those iPhone4s, so as well as photos he's going to upload videos of the ride.

And before I sign off and fly out, I have to say a huge thanks to Tim and Max at Cecil Walker Fitzroy for their help. My bike decided to shit itself yesterday and if weren't for them I very well wouldn't be going at all. Good dudes.

Here's a shitty map I made a few months ago roughly detailing the ride.



xoxo

What the fuck do I know about the Blues?

Seasick Steve - Dog House Music

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - Bridges

I first heard this album on vinyl at a very nice Fijian lady's house in Panmure, Auckland. I was mildly drunk on white whine and she made me a very nice dinner.

Later that night, I hit her record player with a wooden Tuatara and smashed her bedroom window with my back.

Good memories.



Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - Bridges

ALTAMONT