Meet the BUGs

Cathie

A dedicated member from our Maryborough branch, Cathie rides with anyone. Hervey Bay or Howard branch rides on Saturday, Maryborough on Sunday, midweek rides and management meetings to boot. Often found talking with or without microphone. As such, Cathie is well suited and best known in some circles as our current "River to River" event coordinator. A great annual event that takes a heap of organising - it just keeps on getting better. Go Cathie!

Mark

Mark has been the webmaster over the past few years (see History page) so shoulders the blame for anything offensive, libelous, threatening, distasteful, hopelessly inadequate or just plain wrong on this website in spite of his best efforts for which we are truly thankful anyway.

In cycling terms Mark has had the leading edge on all of the present BUG's- his dad was a pro cyclist and all Mark's siblings rode bicycles when young. Mark's family all ride bikes now (ably maintained by his nibs) and most rides you can pick his family by the number of bikes.

Mark's biggest claim to fame is his ability to find old bikes for a song at the local recycling depot and restore them to excellent condition- his present road bike cost $3 at the depot! Who said cycling was expensive????

Dave Mc

Determined to make the most of middle years with a vengeance- reworking the "growing old gracefully" to read "growing old disgracefully- slowly!" (can't go anywhere in a hurry on a pushbike)! Dave bought a hybrid bike after a midlife conversion touring the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail in 2002. Now he multi-day tours at every opportunity- and drives people nuts talking about touring too!!

Kirsti

Kirsti joined our BUG 18 months ago although it seems like she has been with us forever. Another migrant from 'down south' (nearly everyone up here came from somewhere south), Kirsti's meetings and dinner parties have become legendary. Her added ability to get this loose BUG rabble together for a major cycling event is also inspiring. After all, anyone who has a Queensland Education business card with the title 'Executive Director' with the added experience of dealing with delinquents, must be ably suited to the task.

A returnee to riding, she can now often be seen on her Cannondale hybrid directing our cyclists with clipboard at the ready - we had to take away her cat-o-nine-tails!

Sally

I got my first bike when Dad bought a second hand one and he painted it secretly while he was milking the cows. It was blue ( my sister was given a green one). I was about 10 and I learnt to ride by coasting down a hill - my parents never taught me to ride or drive. It was weeks before I actually sat on the seat.

The bike had no gears but I then rode many miles starting always with the first 3 or so kms of gravel. I used to ride the Pukeo Loop (Wairarapa NZ) which was the road the bus took to school and followed the Ruamahanga river. The Loop started on the main road and ended up further down at the primary school called Kahutara school and it would have been at least 20-30 km. It was also an isolated area and I was gone for hours but no-one ever came to look for me . I do remember how wonderfully quiet it was when I stopped.I have no idea what happened to the bike becasue I left home at 17 and Mum and Dad shifted a while later and I wasn't there.

My next bike was the bike I ride now when Dave convinced me to join the BUGs. For health and friendships I got my act together and joined though I couldn't even make it to the rock wall on my first ride. It wasn't till the Bring a buddy day that Brian came very reluctantly but Dave and I overcame all his objections and he came and has loved it ever since.

Being aware of our age and the stresses of life we ride for ourselves to improve our fitness and we have found the added bonus of new friends who constantly encourage and support us. Since we joined we have taken our bikes on camping trips and enjoy the sights and sounds much more than we used to.

Brian

As a nine year old youngster I had a pushbike like all kids of my age. One day that August I was cycling down to meet my best mate who was returning from the town centre. As I saw him approach I executed a u turn and was cleaned up by an oncoming car. I suffered multiple injuries from that accident.

The accident turned out to be a blessing in disguise though as from the x-rays taken to ascertain the extent of his injuries the doctors discovered that there was a tuberculosis shadow on my lungs. Twelve months of intensive treatment fixed all the problems including six weeks enforced stay in a “health camp”. I recall being forced to eat lumpy porridge each morning for breakfast. (From this I developed an intense dislike for porridge and I have not touched the stuff since!)

I joined the BUG group at the behest of my mate Dave and now I thoroughly enjoy it and I hope to obtain reasonable fitness soon so that I can keep up with the “roadies” on the Saturday morning rides. I have enjoyed the fellowship of the BUG and I see the group as a great opportunity for myself and my wife Sally to get fit together and enjoy the company of a new group of acquaintances. This year we hope to be able to travel with the group on more of their organized rides out of the district. Maybe Cycle Queensland could be a possibility?