Getting psyched up to ride again!
We have had a bit of a lay off with the bike riding, but things are starting to happen again. Time to resurrect the blog, I thought.
Biggest news since the Big Ride is that we have been 'accumulating' more tandems! I said to Marc that perhaps he could give up his job, and we could import tandems and tandem-associated bike paraphernalia from the US. I was only half joking!
Sadly, there is really not much happening with tandems in Australia - well not compared with in the US - and thus, not much choice, particularly, once you have read up on tandem quality, etc, and decide that you'd really like to buy a good one. (I can't claim the researching guernsey here.. that is all Marc's cup of tea! - as is the tandem "shopping".)
A few months back he saw a Santana road tandem on eBay - in the US. To cut a long story short, he got it. It wasn't without its hassles, particularly when the guy selling it put up out of date information about the cost of freighting it to Australia.
In the end, and after a few bordering-on-heated email exchanges, Marc organised it all from this end. The freight itself didn't cost that much.. it was the taxes at this end that bumped up the end price.
But, with a drive up to Brisbane to collect it, we are now the proud owners of a Santana... *said almost in reverent, hushed tones*.
Of course, noone in Australia really has any clue as to its quality!
It is also quite a few years old, so might be considered a bit of an antique by serious Santana tandemers in the US, but to us it is magic on wheels.
We have only actually ridden it any distance twice.
When we headed down to Newcastle in July (for netball, and family commitments) I ended up having to put it on the roof of the car myself - as it turned out Marc had to work down that away, so it made more sense for him to meet us there. Between the weather, and netball watching and removalist/unpacking duties, we were able to take it for a 30km spin around Swansea.
And 2 weekends ago, we dragged our sorry backsides out of bed at 6.00 am on a Sunday morning (this is akin to a miracle for me..) - met up with a road bike riding friend, and did a 44km return ride down the highway, up through some banana farms, and back along a more 'country' road (and a bit more highway.) She hummed along on the flat, and was positively awesome down the hills. As with any tandem, it's a bit tougher up the hills, but we did ok.
Unfortunately I didn't think to take the camera on either ride, which is a bit slacko of me!
We have yet to master me being able to stand.. I am not used to the narrow handlebars.. having never really ever ridden a road bike in my life!
Anyway...
more about that later, and I will try to sort out a photo to post here... with more updates on yet another tandem purchase, and our plans to do the Sydney to Gong ride on the first weekend in November!
Biggest news since the Big Ride is that we have been 'accumulating' more tandems! I said to Marc that perhaps he could give up his job, and we could import tandems and tandem-associated bike paraphernalia from the US. I was only half joking!
Sadly, there is really not much happening with tandems in Australia - well not compared with in the US - and thus, not much choice, particularly, once you have read up on tandem quality, etc, and decide that you'd really like to buy a good one. (I can't claim the researching guernsey here.. that is all Marc's cup of tea! - as is the tandem "shopping".)
A few months back he saw a Santana road tandem on eBay - in the US. To cut a long story short, he got it. It wasn't without its hassles, particularly when the guy selling it put up out of date information about the cost of freighting it to Australia.
In the end, and after a few bordering-on-heated email exchanges, Marc organised it all from this end. The freight itself didn't cost that much.. it was the taxes at this end that bumped up the end price.
But, with a drive up to Brisbane to collect it, we are now the proud owners of a Santana... *said almost in reverent, hushed tones*.
Of course, noone in Australia really has any clue as to its quality!
It is also quite a few years old, so might be considered a bit of an antique by serious Santana tandemers in the US, but to us it is magic on wheels.
We have only actually ridden it any distance twice.
When we headed down to Newcastle in July (for netball, and family commitments) I ended up having to put it on the roof of the car myself - as it turned out Marc had to work down that away, so it made more sense for him to meet us there. Between the weather, and netball watching and removalist/unpacking duties, we were able to take it for a 30km spin around Swansea.
And 2 weekends ago, we dragged our sorry backsides out of bed at 6.00 am on a Sunday morning (this is akin to a miracle for me..) - met up with a road bike riding friend, and did a 44km return ride down the highway, up through some banana farms, and back along a more 'country' road (and a bit more highway.) She hummed along on the flat, and was positively awesome down the hills. As with any tandem, it's a bit tougher up the hills, but we did ok.
Unfortunately I didn't think to take the camera on either ride, which is a bit slacko of me!
We have yet to master me being able to stand.. I am not used to the narrow handlebars.. having never really ever ridden a road bike in my life!
Anyway...
more about that later, and I will try to sort out a photo to post here... with more updates on yet another tandem purchase, and our plans to do the Sydney to Gong ride on the first weekend in November!
posted by Tracey at 11:34 am
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