Family and Bicycles
Inspiration and Support
To plan and do a tour as long as Against The Wind has to suit the family situation. Our kids are grown up, working and making their own way in the world. My parents are over 90 years old, and still living independently. They do have some health problems which concerns me. "Should I stay in case I am needed?" is a question I ask myself often, but I know that if I am needed, I can jump on a bus or plane and be home reasonably fast.
My wife Jane is understanding enough to let me do this slightly eccentric tour. If all goes well, she will meet me at tour end and we will return east by the Indian-Pacific Railway. We've done long cycle tours together, so she knows what they are like. And what I am like.
All our three kids cycle commute, and son Joe has recently tried his first cycle tour. My nephew Kiel is already an accomplished cycle tourer and may yet join the Against The Wind ride.
In other words, I am very lucky to have the family I do.
That said, doing this Against The Wind ride will be a step out of my comfort zone. I don’t really want to be away from family and home for several weeks, however like I did back in 1979 (see the next page of this journal), there seems to be an internal drive to keep pushing forward.
Why I seek hard challenges, rather than simply accept a more comfortable life a 60-something like I could choose is a minor mystery. Who knows why? I just feel the need to do a longish cycle tour before I get too much older. I’ll do my best not to stop riding until the tour is done.
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The photo also means a lot to me because my mother indirectly sparked the idea for this forthcoming attempt to ride to Perth; and I also remember that bike in its final years.
4 years ago
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It will be interesting to see if this Against The Wind tour on a bicycle is more of a metaphor about moving forward, or just moving.
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