It has been a number of years since I have been bike riding.  A few months ago, I thought about our five bikes sitting unused in our shed and decided its time….

We got them serviced, bought a bike rack for my mother’s car and we were set to take our  bikes up to the Central Coast.  My sister-in-law laughed when I told her our plans “I can’t imagine you on a bike Sarah”!

When our two older children hit adolescence it was very hard to do anything as a family and have five happy campers.  There was much angst and scritching and scratching.  One weekend we went to Canberra for a “happy family weekend”.  The weather was cold and  bleak and there was much moodiness, arguing and racing hormones.  We hired bikes to ride around the lake and it was like a magic button had been pressed.  There was laughter, joy and happiness for one blissful hour, I wanted to replay it, even though my fingers were blue and numb.

That was in 2001 and we came home and became a biking family.  We bought mountain bikes, helmets, bike racks for the back and top of the car to transport five bikes.  Since then our children have grown older and the appeal of cycling with parents has diminished and my health put the thought of bike riding on the back burner, until now.

Unfortunately, our helmets didn’t come with us to my Mum’s place but we abandoned caution and went riding anyway.  Bad mistake. I was cycling beside a wooden retaining wall, wobbled and my head collided with the wall, leaving me with a massively bruised head – I had trouble eating and opening my mouth for about ten days.  I wondered perhaps whether my sister-in-law was right after all.  No more cycling until we collect our helmets, which we did a few days later.

Since then, we have cycled often – every time the weather permits, the weather has been dreadful, so the cycleways are muddy and puddly and messy but it is fun.  We come home filthy and wet but the views of water have been splendid.  The Central Coast has some fantastic cycle ways that follow the water – Brisbane Water and Lake Tuggerah – the soft wintry light is beautiful.