Sociable Saturday and the Not Smart tourer.

July 24, 2021

Esk to Toogooolawah

You'd think two smart people, university educated and generally observant, would notice when one of their panniers made a break for freedom 6km into a 23km ride, wouldn't you? You'd think that at some stage as they ambled along, taking turns in front and behind; stopping and having snacks; chatting at length with other trail users, that one of them would have a light bulb moment and go "Hey! Our eight panniers have become seven! What has gone wrong?"

Nope.

Let's go back to the beginning.

Rain poured down in the night. Our two smart people packed everything up sopping wet because they had a short day to Toogooolawah and would dry it all out there.

It's a sad day when you have to wring out the towel before you use it.

The day was perfect for cycling, with lots of fun along the way. The pannier leapt for freedom at the first bicycle grid and the not-smart rider pedalled on, blissfully unaware that she no longer carried her sleeping mat and bedding and her chances of having a very uncomfortable night had just greatly increased.

Traffic on the rail trail was busy, it being a Saturday and all. The trail users were many and varied:

Cop2 and Cop2 were out on the job, patrolling for rogue motorbikes and talking to people who hadn't yet realised that they had lost a pannier.

NZ2 and NZ2 were weight weenies who gave lots of advice on light(er) touring. "We rode the Tour de Aotearoa up mountain ranges, through blizzards, across wild rivers, carrying only a toothbrush, half a chux, and two peanuts!" Seriously, some of the advice was good.

"We're the Three Not-Stooges just out for a day ride. She's not done a lot of riding. We tell her when to change gears."

Social chit chat was interrupted by this creek, the sides of which were covered in greasy mud: it took both not-smart people to push the bikes one at time up the far side. Then they watched in envy as unloaded mountain bikers powered through, spraying mud hither and thither and not having to push at all.

Our two smart-challenged people rolled into Toogoolawah at lunchtime, congratulating themselves on having the opportunity for a relaxing afternoon lolling about in camp. They counted their panniers and discovered a deficit. Oh No! Panic ensued, and possibly some reciprocal recrimination, before the Three Not-Stooges arrived and said "Oh yes! We saw that bag. It's somewhere along the trail, back towards Esk."

Which was helpful, but not much because of the 23km of possibility that it implied. Then one of the Not-Stooges mentioned that the cycling bus was parked outside the town toilets so the recently pannier-less Not-Smart rang Out There Cycling and within short order a seat was booked on the bus back to Esk, with drop off at the suspect creek crossing arranged. While waiting for the bus the Not-Smart handed her phone number out to many people, the only criteria being that they had a bike, were heading down the trail to Esk, and would ring the Not-Smart if they saw the AWOL pannier.

Driver Dave was a very nice man. "Is that it?" he asked. A black dot hung on a fence in the distance. "Yes!" Dave slammed on brakes and the Not-Smart jumped off, much to the consternation of the other people on the bus, who didn't know the sorry story. "If you're at Esk at 4:15" said dear driver Dave, "I'll take you back to Toogoolawah"

So the Not-Smart picked up her pannier and rode to Esk and cooled her heels in the park until 4:15 while the not-smart husband lolled around camp in Toogoolawah, watching sky divers and generally relaxing. By the time the Not-Smart was dropped off at the Showgrounds (thank you Driver Dave!) he had dried out all the wet stuff, so off they went to the old-fashioned movies in the Toogoolawah Town Hall.

Business class gets fancy chairs. The poor people up the front get the old fashioned canvas sling chairs which are great for nostalgia and really bad for posture.

Then they went back to camp, and the Not-Smart was very happy to have a bed in which to sleep.

Oh, I almost forgot:

Bovine of the day. Also technically not a cow.

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Today's ride: 20 km (12 miles)
Total: 299 km (186 miles)

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Scott AndersonNice that you got it back! We had our own not-smart episode in Spain years ago, and weren’t as lucky as you. Even not-smarter, we lost the one with our passports and had to abort the tour.
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3 years ago

Titanium PenguinTo Scott AndersonYes, we were very fortunate. Many people commented that they'd seen it and I eventually spoke to the family who picked it up and hung it on the fence. They debated taking it to the police but decided to leave it on the assumption (rightly!) that someone would come looking for it. And I'm so glad for the shuttle bus: I'm not cycling fit yet and the extra 36km down and back to get it would have cooked me.
I'm sorry about your experience in Spain: I hope it is now far enough in the past to have become a good story and nothing more.
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3 years ago