Bicycle Network Victoria: Great Escapade New Zealand

The 67-year-old, a veteran of four Great Victorian Bike Rides and two Great Escapades in WA, used to be renowned for wearing farm boots (Rossi's) instead of cycle shoes!

Not any longer. He converted to cycling shoes after learning that they make a rider 30 percent more efficient.

Robert's enthusiasm for Great Rides and their locations is impressive. He and his friends like to check out the host town before the start of a Ride as a way to get to know the place. They begin by visiting the local car sales yard and talking to the salesman, who can usually tell them about the local economy and agriculture.

They also enjoy talking to locals at other towns along the route. “In Augusta this year, a 93-year-old lady was there to welcome the riders! We stopped and had a chat to her,” he said.

Robert has just completed the 2009 Great Escapade in Western Australia. He says it was “terrific”.

“It was well organised, had a good mixture of flat and hilly country. Overall, the camaraderie was good, food was good, the entertainment, excellent, the fellow doing the broadcasting was great. And, the WARBY team was fantastic as usual,” he said.

On the down side, “It was a bit tough after Donnybrook and was freezing in Pemberton.”

Robert trains for his rides in his hometown of Busselton in Western Australia. He says it’s a beautiful place with a great network of cycle paths.

“It’s flat and we do get a bit of wind. I would prefer hills to wind because you can get over a hill but wind if it’s coming straight at you can be relentless.”

There is a very good Over 50s cycle club in Busselton which has 70-odd members who ride on Mondays and Saturdays. The rides are organised to cater to riders’ ability – there are five different grades and 65 different rides around the town. The club goes away three times a year. Later this year, they will be spending a week in Katanning in southern Western Australia.

Robert, who tries to ride twice a week – a total of 100km – started riding seriously when he semi retired in 2004. He was a dairy farmer, but now lives in town and retains an interest in farming.

Robert’s next major cycling adventure will be the GVBR later this year. He will be riding with his friend Brian Wood who has done all the Great Rides with Robert except the most recent Great Escapade.

Robert used to be renowned for wearing farm boots (Rossi's) instead of cycle shoes! He now wears cycling shoes. He says the boots were solid and comfortable, but he was was converted after learning that cycling shoes make a rider 30 percent more efficient.