What it is that I love about bicycles.

The name of my blog is girl+bike and I have been posting on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook under this name for a while.

My previous blog was also called girl+bike (have a look at my old posts here).

I thought I would share with you why I love bicycles and cycling so much and how they have been a part of my life over the past 12 or so years.

I have many bicycles. Different types of bikes for different types of riding, or just because. It's a common phrase touted by bicycle addicts, but it sums up my predicament perfectly, that the optimum number of bicycles is always 'n + 1', where 'n' = the number of bicycles that you currently own. Do I have a favourite bike? Yes, a few of them are favourites for different reasons. I don't ride any of them nearly as much as I'd like, but it doesn't mean I love them any less.

I ride for different reasons. Nowadays, it's mostly for transport or for fun. My love for bikes and cycling as an adult began when I was at university. I decided to try cycling as a cheaper form of transport when fuel prices began to rise in the early 2000s. But I soon found that I was challenging myself, trying to beat my times each day. So when my Dad suggested I try a race (a road time trial), I thought why not?

This first race led to club racing and I started training most days of the week. During this time, a friend roped me into an off-road ride, where I rode a borrowed mountain bike, and I was hooked! I also participated in a round of AIS talent identification testing for track sprint cycling. This was in the early 2000s, when Australia's top sprinter Michelle Ferris was winding up her career and the Meares sisters were still juniors. From this testing, I was shortlisted from the pool of 276 women into the top 30, but just missed out on being one of the 26 selected. This was, however, just enough to make me want to give track cycling a go. I discovered it was a great thrill, and was taken up by a coach and a given a more specific training regime. Initially I trained as an endurance rider, which is events like the individual pursuit, scratch races and points races. It soon became clear that I was better suited to sprinting. A change of coach and new gym routine - including squatting some big weights - improved my strength and speed on the track. I ended up with lots of PBs and a silver medal at NSW state championships, and later a couple of state titles in South Australia, and a sense of surprise that my uni commuting had led to this.

These days, I am content with pedalling as a way of getting around; with blasts through the bush on my mountain bike; and planning the perfect bike for the Alice Springs conditions.

I love seeing the joy and freedom that cycling can bring both here and around the world. I love the role that cycling has played in women becoming independent throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s. I love the aesthetics of a beautifully designed bicycle and the craftsmanship of a well-built bike.

I love...do you?

Easter hiking in Central Australia

The sun rises over Mt Sonder from the Redbank Gorge ridgetop campground. Very windy night camping. We arrived in the dark so morning gave us a chance to get our bearings.

One of the many sweeping views on the 8km hike up Mt Sonder. (And 8km down again!)

Kitchen / dining room at Rocky Bar Gap - overnight hike from Redbank Gorge to Glen Helen.

View back at Mt Sonder after leaving Rocky Bar Gap. Looks like absolute wilderness. It was.

Me on top of the Rocky Bar lookout. This was after 5km of uphill hiking with our packs. Then we were in for 4km of steep descending. I felt like one of those donkeys on a Greek island.

My feet. Inside those hiking boots are some fairly nasty blisters brewing. Note to self: Always wear in your hiking boots properly. Think they're worn in? It's not enough. 

Languid view from the Davenport Creek where we spent a little while lazing on the riverbed.

Our final night was spent within coo-ee of Glen Helen, camping in the Finke River. I love riverbed camping. We found just enough sand to make for a perfect spot. 

Stuff! My pack was 60L, with a 3L hydration bladder plus a couple of extra litres hanging off the outside in Nalgene bottles. From the first night's camp, we had to carry enough water for the second day and second night. Luckily the third day's walk was only very short.

So there you have it. We've now hiked stages 11 and 12 of the Larapinta Trail. There are ten more stages to go...and plenty of time. 

[All photos taken with my Nikon 1 v1]

It's all cricket.

Never in my life did I ever think I'd play cricket in a tournament. The beauty of living in a place like Alice Springs is that you often find yourself doing things you wouldn't get to do if you lived in a larger town or city.

This summer, I've been playing cricket in an actual team. It's so much fun! It's a women's competition and there are four teams and it is really friendly and encouraging.

This week, I'm playing in a work team for the national Indigenous cricket carnival, the Imparja Cup.

My bowling is occasionally surprising and generally unpredictable, I'm getting a little better at batting (but secretly think I could become quite reasonable at batting), but I love fielding. If you knew me growing up you'll have probably laughed at my throwing ability (my siblings in particular! x) but these days, thanks to owning two kelpies, my throwing's not too bad!

Most of all it's the team vibe that has me hooked.

There, I said it. I'm a little bit hooked on cricket.

Just don't ask me to watch it on TV.

Back on (the) track.

This week, I ticked off one of my resolutions, which was to get back on my track bike. Riding on a velodrome is one of my favourite forms of cycling; even after stopping and starting a couple of times of the past ten years, it's still as exhilarating as the first time I tried it out.

I live in Alice Springs, a town of less than 30,000 people but endowed with quite remarkable sporting facilities. The velodrome is one such venue. It's a 333-metre concrete track with 37 degree bankings, and has been known as one of the fastest outdoor tracks in the southern hemisphere - most likely due to the warm, dry air.

Jumping on my bike, I felt a little apprehensive; it had been a couple of years since I last rode the fixed-wheel, brakeless bicycle required for track cycling. I hugged the inner apron for my first couple of laps, sizing up the steepness of the curves. My most recent lot of track was on an indoor, timber velodrome, with 45-degree slippery bankings, which required a reasonable momentum to stay upright and not slide down the boards (speaking from experience, ahem...).

I soon discovered that the concrete surface was a lot more grippy than I expected, and sheepishly rolled up onto the track itself and pedalled around to get a feel for it.

It made me remember what it is that I love about track - now, and back when I was training and racing more seriously. It's cycling at its purest. The energy you expel through the pedals is immediately transferred into speed. The bikes are simple. Zipping around the bends and swooping down onto the sprint line is a thrill.

I think I probably felt a lot faster than I looked, and my fitness has a lot to be desired, but I'll be going back for more. I'm hooked on track. (Again).

Resolutions. How am I going? (Part 1)

Back at the beginning of this month, I put together some resolutions, as you tend to do at the beginning of each year. They were based around being healthy and happy, but I made sure they were 'SMART' goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound).

Now that it's the last day of January, I thought I'd kick start this blog by letting you know what my resolutions are, and how I'm going with them.

FITNESS > (including less fatness!) Aim to get race fit again on the track bike. Join the gym and go 3-5 times a week.
Well, I've got my track bike ready to go and I've arranged to meet some other girls for a training session next week - my first time on the outdoor velodrome here in Alice Springs. Looking forward to it! As for the gym, I am in the process of finding out about what arrangements my workplace h with the gyms here. That's a task for next week! I've also been mountain biking with my partner and some friends every Wednesday morning and using a FitBit to track how many steps/distance I'm walking each day. Do I feel a little fitter? I'd like to think so!

TRAVEL > plan and book a holiday, preferably overseas, involving a hike/trek.
We had an appointment with a travel agent today to talk about our initial holiday plans for later in the year, which is exciting! I realised over Christmas that the two-week break we had was the longest time either of us have had off work in years. For me, six years! More about our holiday plans in future postings...

FOOD > eat fresher, make more interesting meals, share good food with friends more often. Cook more.
This one is easy. We've had some great meals so far this year, not necessarily because they were fancy, but shared with good company. I was treated by a lovely friend to a long lunch of tapas and wine, there have been meals with family, and birthdays (mine and my partner's). I'm planning a dinner party once it gets a bit cooler, maybe with a Moroccan theme.

Part 2 to follow.