KBUG on Tour – 2025

Kiama BUG

Pelican and cycle wheelThis year’s Kiama BUG Cycling Tour will visit the NSW Central Coast and Newcastle during the week commencing 12th May 2025.

There will be three days of riding….

  • Tuesday 13th May: Tuggerah Lake Loop (54 km)
  • Wednesday 14th May: Fernleigh Newcastle Track (55 km)
  • Thursday 15th May: Lake Budgewoi Loop (35 km)

Our base for the trip will be the Norah Head Holiday Park. The Norah Head Holiday Park offers a wide range of accommodation.

More information about each of the rides is available in the Ride Information document below. (This document will be updated as planning progresses.)

All rides will be on paved surfaces.

You will need to organise your own accommodation, staying in the area from Monday 12th May, to be ready to roll on the Tuesday morning, when we will be leaving the Norah Head Holiday Park at 8:00 am. 

To assist in the organisation for the trip, please register at the link below, before Wednesday 30th April.

More discussion and planning will no doubt take place on our regular rides over the coming weeks.

2024 Kiama BUG Christmas Do

Kiama BUG

Santa cyclingIt’s going to be a Kiama BUG kinda Christmas….

  • Where: Oak Flats Bowling Club
  • When: Wednesday 11th December, from 6:00 pm. 
  • Cost: $25 per person
  • Menu: Antipasto platters, followed by mixed hot entree platters and Pizzas
  • Drinks: From the bar

There are two steps to follow if you will be attending the 2024 Christmas dinner….

Step 1 – Transfer $25 pp to the Kiama BUG bank account….

  • Account name: Kiama Bicycle User Group Inc
  • BSB: 032-689
  • Account No: 135138
  • ‘To’ Description: Include your name, followed by the code CD24 (eg F Nurk CD24)

Step 2 – Let the caterers know you will be there….. Click/tap on the Kiama BUG Christmas wheel below to go to the RSVP form – before Tuesday 3rd December...

RSVP wheel

RSVP

 

Back Roads – South Burnett Rail Trail

Kiama BUG

ABC BackroadsWhen Queensland’s South Burnett rail line closed after a century of servicing communities in the region, it seemed the beginning of the end. But ABC Back Roads presenter Lisa Millar (who grew up in the area) discovers new life and prosperity is coming down the same corridor in the form of cyclists, tourists and runners.

The Rail Trail is bringing thousands of people to the region, as well as uniting the locals in the towns along the trail – running, walking, cycling and even riding horses along the trail. Last year 32,000 people passed one of the Rail Trail measuring points at Kingaroy!

Watch the ABC Back Roads ‘South Burnett Rail Trail’ episode >>>

(Note: You will need to login to the ABC to watch – alternatively, you can stream it on your TV.)

Lap of Oz in 30 days – on a bike!

Kiama BUG

A cyclist from New South Wales is on the last stretch to completing a full lap riding around Australia. Lachlan Morton made his final stop in Sydney on Friday and is now on track to set a new world record, when he reaches the finish line in his hometown of Port Macquarie today.

Improve saddle comfort (especially for the girls!)

cycling, Health, Safety, ,

Saddle sorenessCycling has a reputation for being a literal pain in the arse.

Saddle soreness, pain or discomfort from the pressure of the seat of the bike, affects many cyclists: from the everyday to the elite.

“It’s a problem for everyone, because you’re putting a lot of pressure on a pretty soft part of the body,” says Chris Steffanoni, a professional bike fitter based in the regional Victorian town of Gisborne.

Steffanoni says while anyone can experience saddle-related problems, they are more common in females.

Read the full story at the ABC >>>

Big Bike Film Night

Kiama BUG

The Big Bike Film Night will be presented at the Gala Cinema Warrawong on Tuesday 13th August, with a collection of the world’s best cycling short movies.  

The 2024 collection is geared to inspire, with a breathtaking range of short cycling films that celebrate the fun, adventure, and inspiration that cycling enables – showcasing 2.5 hours of bike films that has everything a cycle-centric audience could want. 

Check out the trailer….

Thanks to prize sponsors, presenting partner Ng? Haerenga Great Rides of New Zealand, you could win an epic cycling holiday in New Zealand for two, with Cycle Journeys, on the scenically stunning Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail Great Ride when you buy a ticket to attend a screening of The Big Bike Film Night Australia. T’s and C’s apply.

Learn more and purchase tickets >>>

Bowral Classic 2024

cycling, Kiama BUG, Special events

Bowral Classic cyclistThe award-winning Bowral Classic returns to the stunning Southern Highlands of NSW on the 20th October 2024 – right on our doorstep!

Since the inaugural event in 2016, the Bowral Classic has become a staple fixture in the national cycling calendar. The three road cycling courses all showcase the most beautiful scenery you can experience on two wheels – there is something for cycling enthusiasts of all levels…

  • 150 km Maxi Classic – A thrilling ride through some of the most breathtaking scenery you can experience on two wheels.
  • 120 km Challenge Classic – A challenging course seeing riders pass through the beautiful quaint towns of the Southern Highlands.
  • 85 km Rouleurs Classic – Strap in for a solid ride through rolling hills and picturesque Highlands villages.

Register a team of 4 or more before 15th September to receive an additional team discount.

 

Devils Cardigan 2024

cycling, Health

Cyclist on a gravel roadWhere would you choose to go for a ride on a country road in Australia in the middle of Winter?

Tasmania of course!

The 2024 National Gravel Championships, competing for the Devil’s Cardigan, were held around Derby, in north east Tasmania, over the past weekend. Two courses – 52 km and 106 km, all on gravel roads.

Gravel racing prizes aren’t known for being extravagant, and the Devils Cardigan event is no exception. Forget the shiny trophy with the name of the latest victor proudly engraved on a plaque – that won’t keep you warm as the post-race celebrations rage on through the cold Tasmanian winter’s night…..

The rider who claims the top step of the race podium is awarded a hand-made wooly cardigan with the name of each winner sewn onto it, along with a sack of Tasmanian potatoes, which will no doubt help fuel future rides.

Race Across America

Kiama BUG

Cyclist in the snowFeeling a bit weary after today’s ride? As you recline on the recovery lounge, spare a thought for Aussie Allan Jefferson, who is currently riding in the Race Across America (RAAM).

Regarded as the world’s toughest bike race, the 2024 edition of the RAAM started on June 11. Spanning 12 states and covering over 5000km, 2022 RAAM winner Allan Jefferson of Townsville in North Queensland is now over half way in this gruelling event.

Aiming to beat his race-winning time of 10 days and 15 minutes, Jefferson, is pedaling around 500 km per day, averaging 20 hours a day in the saddle. (That’s not much sleeping, eating or resting time!)

He will climb 55,000 metres over the 10 day journey!

Bikes vs rail: Multimillion-dollar cycle tourism plan divides locals

cycling, Kiama BUG, Rail Trails

Guyra stationAn old railway corridor in northern NSW is set to be turned into a multimillion-dollar bike and walking path to attract high-spending tourists amid furious debate across regional NSW over what to do with disused railway lines.

At a heated meeting last Monday night, Armidale Regional Council voted 6-4 to proceed with plans to build the first part of a 103-kilometre “rail trail” between Armidale and Glen Innes, using the old Great Northern Railway corridor.

The full rail trail, once built, would run along the spine of the New England mountain range and would be one of the most elevated cycling paths in Australia.

But not everyone is happy….