My favorite solo women bike travelers: Louise Sutherland

"In 1945, aged 19, Louise Sullivan pedalled off to discover New Zealand, then spun her way around the globe, winning hearts along the way."

While cooling my heels at the Auckland YHA last month, I read a short biography by Bronwen Wall, Louise Sullivan Spinning the Globe [Kennett Brothers : Wellington, New Zealand, 2010].

It's hard not to like this free-spirited woman. In 1978, Louise, now aged 52, wearing a knee length skirt, rode her Raleigh bicycle solo on the Trans-Amazonian highway across Brazil.

Louise carried a bottle of nail polish as a trip essential, and it's wonderful to see how often she used this item to befriend people, break down barriers, and get out of trouble.

This book is number 6 in a series called "New Zealand Cycling Legends" at Kennett Brothers

Friendlier Bike Events for Women?

What can be done to make bicycle events friendlier to women? I just read this interesting qualitative study from two Australian academics at Griffith University, who studied female participants on the 2010 nine-day Bicycle Queensland supported ride. I’ve ridden several day and week-long events over the past 10 years, and I’m familiar with being an outlier: solo female rider, perfectly happy to ride at the back of the pack so I can enjoy the journey, not the destination, and not having many other women riders around.

Here’s an academic take on what that might mean.

Fullagar, Simone and Adele Pavlidis, “It’s all about the journey: women and cycling events,” International Journal of Event and Festival Management (2012), Vol. 3, Iss. 2
Abstract here:

To read the full article, email Professor Fullagar

Bike maintenance basics for women

I figured out how to get myself, my bike, and my gear back to Seattle. A lot of sitting around airports (Auckland to Sydney, Sydney to San Francisco, San Francisco to Seattle), and experienced first hand the ups and downs of negotiating airports in a wheelchair.

Since getting back on Feb 28, I've been busy with doctors and kneeling on a scooter to get around without crutches.

As riding is OUT for months until I can put weight back on my left foot once more, and learn to walk with pins in my ankles, I'm making the best of it.

Went to the local outdoors store, and attended a free Bike Basics for Women demostration. I know quite a bit about bike maintenance and basic repairs, but I sure don't know everything.

This was a nice time to spend the evening, learning about lubes and things I should be doing, but haven't.

Sudden end to tramping on Cape Brett

Under the temporary cast I now have bolts and pins on the outer ankle and bolts and wire on the inner ankle. I hope to be discharged tomorrow, and find a way to bumble through a few days at the Auckland YHA, then assistance from shuttle drivers and airport staff.

Not sure how I'll get my bike on the plane home, but fingers crossed.

It's one week exactly since I injured myself.

No riding or walking for at least 6 weeks.

Gosh, what a week it's been. My accident even got a mention in the local newspaper.

Cape Brett Lighthouse

An early morning view of the lighthouse, take from the doorstep of the lighthouse keeper's cottage, now tramping hut.

I spent 2 days here, reading and looking at the ocean, a 23 bed hut to myself.

This will be the last post for a while, as I had an accident on the hike out. I am in Whangarei Hospital with a badly broken left ankle. I still can't quite believe today's events, which included a helicopter evacuation off the trail.

I won't be doing much riding for a while but I am safe and looking forward to having my ankle pinned tomorrow.

I am immensely grateful to my rescuers. New Zealand really is amazing.

Preparing for Departure from Auckland

Had a moment of panic this morning when I tried and failed to get the pedals off.my bike.

The storage room at Auckland International YHA is crammed full of bikes, such a change from when I was first here in early January, so it's a challenge to disassemble and box up anything in here, let alone deal with a mini crisis. Even my fellow cyclist buddy, Les, who happens to be staying here as well, after we rode off in opposite directions from National Park 2 weeks ago, couldn't loosen the devils.

Lucky for me that Mike at the Giant bike store here could torque them loose with his much better allen wrench.

Phew! Was having nightmares of not being able to box up. Guess the road is so rough it dried up all the grease I'd rubbed into the pedal sockets before installing the pedals themselves.

I thought I'd only finger tightened them. Hmm. Note to self: practice more.

Les is off to.catch a.plane home to Vancouver tomorrow.

He's already planning his next bike tour.

I know exactly why. Me too!

NZ has been an experience. But now time for somewhere else.

Tanning without effort

The sun here is brutal, even on overcast days. Here's what my legs with a daily application of sunblock with 25 upf rating look like. My right hand has worn fingerless gloves for 6+ weeks,and the dark band on my wrist is where my uv blocking arm sleeves ride up over my watch, giving me up to 8hrs of burning sun each ride day.

Everyone comments on the sun's intensity.

If you ride in the southern hemisphere, take note.