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 MULTIMEDIA Send links to your shots for inclusion in this box to lynettec at bikefriday dot com PHOTOS PHOTO GALLERY shot by the Galfromdownunder MOVIE CLIPS 4 days of the ABFC Gathering complete movie playlist Movie highlights: An Alternative View two blind stokers on Friday tandems tell their story Colin's Cowcall How we got a herd of cows crossing a field to meet us The Rings of Saturn awesome sighting at Darby's Observatory | blog post Pictured: Australian Sales Expert Peter Berra shows how you make sure the suitcase shuts. Just kidding. |
It's the same low-key format each year - a relaxed four day weekend (formerly two days) at an affordable campground, scenic 30-80km rides, a charity auction dinner and intriguing side expeditions, like this year's excursion to a private observatory to thrill at the planet Saturn up close and personal. Wowee. The location rotates each year between South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, so you can plan where you want to be three years out. This year was New South Wales' turn, destination Cowra. The 115 riders represented all states except the Northern Territory. The tandem turnout was stunning - a record 19 Fridays built for two. |
"The foodies are moving out to the source of produce," said my friend Asma, owner of café Belgenny off Sydney's groovy Oxford Street, a good 5 hours' drive away. I pressed my nose up against the window of a 1-hat (the Aussie equivalent of a Michelin rated) restaurant in Cowra, ate a gourmet pie and "organic spelt licorice" in Canowindra, and sipped fancy soy lattes a la Starbucks – a far cry from the burger-with-the-lot-hold-the-beetroot memories of my childhood trips to the country. A peacekeeping town: Cowra's public identity is that of the "breakout of 1944", where Japanese prisoners of war attempted an escape from a local camp rather than face the dishonor of having been captured. Planted all the way up Binny Creek Drive are cherry trees, each bearing a plaque inscribed with a Japanese and a Caucasian name - those who died in the skirmish. The town boasts a magnificent Japanese Garden, museum and Peace Bell and promotes the values of pacifism, internationalism and an annual Festival of Understanding. All in all a perfect place to stage a peaceful, convivial Bike Friday gathering. |
"Ask Peter whatever you need, he's not here on holiday, he's here to work!" said Margaret. Pete rode The Keast's tikit and if it was tough work he didn't show it. Amazing Fridays. At Friday events you tend to meet fascinating and inspiring characters- largely because the bikes allow more people to do more things. Mandy and Tom from Alaska rented a Sydney-based Wicked Pty Ltd campervan painted loudly with "Free Hugs". Their canary yellow tandem traveler slotted neatly inside, and the whole rig got them plenty of attention all along their route. So do people get free hugs? "They shore do!" said Tom. Offering an alternative view of the tour were blind tandem stokers Pam and Yvonne. "Even a blind person can put these bikes together," shouted Pam from the back of her Tandem Traveler. At the formal dinner she gave us the lowdown on how to toilet train Earl, her stoic black guide dog, on long flights, using "piddle pads" and words like "quick quicks". And how do you tow a dog in a Bike Friday suitcase? "Put up two struts to make an A-frame using the lid of the suitcase, and the dog goes right in there!" Yvonne, an avid tennis player before losing all her sight in a car accident rides tandem with car restoration enthusiast David. The couple amazed onlookers by neatly packing their tandem in the back of their immaculate Austin Healy – what's not to love about a roadster and 'performance that packs'? "After the accident I was looking on the internet for an overseas tandem tour and the tour operator could only offer us a 20 year old tandem. I did more research and came across Bike Friday – and I knew I'd found what I was looking for." See movie clip above, An Alternative View on a Friday. |
"And we're still in love!" said Graham. He showed me the grip shift which had worn through to the plastic sheath underneath from "20,000 km of riding" (see Day 3 movie clip). Darby's Falls Observatory. On a starry, starry Wednesday night we carpooled 22km to a small private observatory with a selection of home built, research-quality telescopes. Dave and Annette chose to ride out and back like mad puppies then again, they DO own the flagship of the Friday custom line, a TwinAir tandem. For $12, we got a fascinating, laser-pointed tour of the planets and constellations overhead, culminating in the piece de resistance: planet Saturn. Despite the many artists' impressions and owning 2001: A Space Odyssey on DVD, nothing prepares you for seeing the real deal with the naked eye. All one's troubles seem momentarily insignificant against that barely imaginable gulf of a distance – perhaps a telescope trained on Saturn can replace a therapist. See the movie clip above. When not stopping the non-existent traffic with roadside yoga poses Colin Freestone handed out leaflets for his upcoming Cycle Indonesia tour. More impressive, he summoned an entire field of cows to the fence with an impressive cow call learned from his uncle. You gotta see that clip in the box above! |
I boasted how I'd rarely had a flat and in the next ten seconds heard a PSSSSHT! Twice. Lesson learned. Here's Stewart gallantly looking for the nth time a tandem tire was catheadbutted. |
"Goes like a rocket," she shouted when her husband Martin and I finally caught her on the Tandem Traveler. "I think I'll have to re-think buying that electric bike … " The tikit was available for sale (discounted, ex duty and ex shipping) and was still unsnared by the end of the weekend. My task while in Australia is to try and ind a tikit agent in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, to complement our only dealer downunder - Epic Cycles in Brisbane. Send suggestions fo Bike Friday-friendly outlets to lynettec at bike friday dot com. I'm also setting up some tikit presentations - here's the one slated for Sydney in late May. I'll let Margaret continue the roundup below. Having attended in 1997, 2003 and 2008, I can say this event is a true Cream Soda blue tradition, thanks to the enthusiasm of Margaret, Bronwyn and ABFC team. Mark it in your calendars for an upcoming year – the Grampians in Victoria for 2009, I do believe … - LC |
 Dear Hanz and Alan and Pita Hope the jet-lag is not too bad Pita. We appreciated all yout help, We had about 115 there at Cowra, perfect weather for the whole time There were 2 blind women and Pam, who has been to ABFC three times, spoke Bron had organised the Thursday night visit to an observatory which was spectacular with no town lights nor clouds to diminish the stars. The auction went well and about $155 was raised from some of the CDs, including The Most Beautiful series, British music, Glen Miller, Three Tenors, David Helfcott, Relaxation, and so on. A dozen eggs went for $15,Clive Laing's 2 pots of honey sold for $65 and $70, a small jar of plumjam for $25, Tour Down Under hat $10, two 2nd hand cycling shirts went When we were seated for dinner early, one of the unobservant riders said to me We hope the other woman's Guide Dog called Phyllis comes next time so There were 22 BF tandems at Cowra. Sunday lunch was in a winery garden with tables under trees and a youth I think we raised about $4500 for Amy Gillett Foundation which was |