Have Bicycle, Will Tour

I got my first bicycle in 1965 as a Christmas present. It was a second hand, single-speed Speedwell painted light blue. I rode that bike throughout my teenage years all around my home suburb of Wallsend (Newcastle).

In the early 1970s I've bought my first serious bicycle. The 10 speed bicycle craze had started. I bought myself a Bennett and Wood Oxford "racing bike". It had a 52/42 chainring, 14-28 freewheel, downtube shifters and 27" steel rims. I would ride to and from University on this bike. Around this time started to get serious about cycling, especially as transport. I remember being part of the start-up of the Newcastle Cycleways Movement - attending the very second meeting of the NCM held around the kitchen table in a house in Maryville.

I moved to Wollongong in 1979 for employment. I bought myself Apollo 3 racing bike. At the time I was inspired by reading the first edition of Richard's Bicycle Book which introduced me to the concept of bicycle touring. That sounded fun so I converted the Apollo to a 1x5 speed using the 5 speed touring ratios suggested in that book. My early bicycle tours were around the lower Hunter Valley, the Illawarra and the Southern Highlands, NSW.

Unfortunately the Apollo was stolen but that gave me the opportunity to get my first dedicated touring bicycle - the now iconic Gemini Randonneur. The Gemini served me on many tours including a 6 week trip through Italy. The Gemini stayed with me for the next 25 years both as a touring and commuting bicycle. The bike underwent a good deal of tinkering during this time.

In recent years I built up several touring bikes both from new parts and from using reconditioned old frames. My bikes are distinctly "old school". You'll see them in the tour reports.