1. Tell us a bit about yourself
We came to Australia from Hong Kong in 1996, before that we lived in Honkers since 1980. Australia seemed like an country we should try out before going back to the old country i.e. UK. But like most plans it was subject to change and now we think of ourselves very much as Australians. I have one son and of course Señora Conejo who is a potter. I dispense sage advice to anyone who wants to pay me, I used to know a lot about IT technical matters, but not now…
2. What got you into cycling?
I was brought up in an outer suburb of London. The nearest swimming pools were an hour away and there were big distances between friends. Therefore, cycling was an essential way of getting around. There was some racing at Crystal Palace and Brands Hatch. We had wonderful road riding close by as we were on the edge of beautiful Kentish rolling hills. But when motorised transport became an option the bikes were dropped immediately. I didn’t get back into cycling until we lived in Hong Kong, see below. When I came to Sydney I worked for the ASX and began riding into work on a route very similar to the one we use today. I had a city car park so I only used to do it one way and it was a big deal to ride there and back in a day.
I enjoy riding in different places as it helps you explore the area much quicker. Our best holidays are when we tour on bikes. The other year we did Girona one hour north of Barcelona which was sensational.
The Conejos having just finished their ride around the Girona region of Spain- highly recommended
El Conejo in the Spanish hotel where Lance and his mates trained and took performance enhancing stuff. I wonder if the hotel owner has rearrange the display cabinet?
3. How did you come to join the Easy Riders?
I had just returned from working in Santiago Chile. I started going down my old route into the city and HB told me about this group who meet at Gordon three mornings a week at 6:45, it seemed like my style of riding. Then there was this bloke Drastic who was riding in and back every day…. I thought he was crazy, I still have not done 5 days in a row but live in hope.
4. Tell us about your bikes.
My first bike was given to me when I was about 7, it was a girls bike. I think my parents didn’t have much money in those days and they bought me a second hand one. When I found it in the house on my birthday I couldn’t believe it was mine I was overwhelmed and excited. Secretly I wished I could pull the sloping tube into the horizontal position. I did a lot of trail riding but the front forks broke when I took a bump too quickly. My next one was a new Gamages thing with rod breaks, no gears of course.
In my teens the bikes evolved until I had a double clanger and five gears on the back (Campagnolo of course). The wheels were tubeless or tubs as we called them. I could push it along at a fair clip however, and a normal ride was up to Lewisham which had two serious bike shops to spend our money on.
In the mid to late 80s my wife and I bought a matching set of these new Mountain bike things, matt black frames with no decals. They were sold as top of the line models with 501 tubing (531 being considered way too weak for the pounding) 24 inch wheels triple bio-pace chain sets, but no suspension and no index gears – thems were the days. We rode these bikes around the New Territories in Hong Kong, it was very genteel cycling however and we took them back to the UK to use when we were there.
The motley crew who were doing the Tassie Trail ride with me in 2001 (interesting to see I was wearing red and yellow even back then…)
Now I have the Azzurri carbon thing with Ultegra, which I like although it is getting a bit old (like its owner). I have a Merida mountain bike which I bought many years ago to do the Tasmanian Trail (see the pic), its not very high spec. but is sort of okay for off roading around Snives. Señora Conejo has a hybrid thing which she likes but doesn’t use much these days. By far and away our most expensive bike is my son’s downhill Giant thingy, four or five grand top spec at the time….Of course he does not use it these days (anyone want to buy and good downhill bike?
5. If you could ride anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I enjoyed riding in and around the Andes and foot hills of Santiago in Chile. The ski resorts are close by and a typical summer ride ride is to head up into the mountains. The first village is called Farelleones. There is a 30 k climb to the base of the mountain and then a set of 40 switch backs to get to the top. My objective when in Chile was to get to Farelleones, but I never made it. I reached Curva 20 (actually 2kms short of the top) but the road started going vertical and I was stuffed. My assignment in Chile ended sooner than I would have liked and never got another chance to try it. I would love to go back with a lighter bike, compact chain set and better prepared to knock it off and also do a couple of the other hills in the area.
6. Tell us a riding story.
When in Hong Kong I had seen this country park trail across the New Territory hills, it did not allow traffic and looked an ideal cycling track. I lived on the Island in Happy Valley right on the race track. The Jockey Club also has a Country Club on the Hong Kong boarder which was run by a mate of mine and close to the trail’s end. I thought I might find this trail and surprise my mate.
I set off from Happy Valley one Friday evening on the aforementioned mountain bike, writing a brief note to my wife. I took a circuitous route through Central to the Western Car Ferry (I don’t think it operates now) and crossed the harbour to Kowloon. Riding through Kowloon on a Friday night was very dangerous and I was looking to how I might circumvent the traffic. I came across this elevated highway that was still under construction and decided to try that. It was empty and fantastic, I was riding above the traffic and completely safe and it went on for miles. It did have the odd problem in that there were missing sections of road a meter or more apart. Fortunately the workers had laid connecting planks so that they could get from one road section to another. Using these I was able do the full length of the elevated highway. Madness really…
After coming down from the elevated road section I eventually found the trail I was looking for, it went up to a reservoir and through the hills. Whilst the city traffic had been one issue, hacking along through a country park in the dead of night on ones lonesome was another matter. Weird sounds and no one about and no one actually knew where I was. Although the trail was sealed I performed an unintentional dismount when hurtling down a steep slope, fortunately I only sustained minor scratches. The trail came out close to the Shek Kong RAF base and I found an open café although it was now two in the morning. Refreshed with a couple of beers and injuries cleaned I made my way through the back of Fanling Golf Course and into the Country Club. It was now three in the morning and I did not have the heart to wake my mate so went to sleep by the swimming pool.
Señora Conejo was not impressed with my little adventure and I needed to stay in the naughty corner for some weeks after that. Later on, when the elevated highway had opened I would drive along it and it always brought on a smile remembering the night ride.
7. Do you have any advice for the riders at the back of the ER peloton?
Come and say g’day you will usually find me there. Cycling is funny in that the fitness seems to come relatively quickly so you will no doubt be pushing out up front very quickly.
8. Lastly, tell us something we don’t know about you.
I think I have said enough already, but another Hong Kong story is that I built a 31 foot trimaran on the 16th floor roof of our apartment block. That’s another interesting tale, but perhaps for another day.