Tasmanian Cycling Heroes

Mick and his Hetchins are off to Europe next Tuesday, he is riding an Audax Permanent called the Tour de France, a 4,800km circuit around France. Being an Audax ride there is a time limit, in fact for this one there is two, you can choose to ride that distance in a maximum of 30 days (minimum 160km per day) or 60 days (min 80kms per day).
Mick is tacking the 60 day option and if you think that is not hard core enough bear in mind that he is in his early 70’s.

There is more – Mick was one of the inaugural Audax UK members, has ridden the PBP twice in the late 70’s early 80’s, was part of a team that established one of the longest permanents in Europe the “Trafalgar to Trafalgar’ Trafalgar Square in London to Cape Trafalgar near Gibraltar. 3,200km with a max time limit of 16 days (minimum 200km per day). And these exploits are just the beginning of the stories he can relate once you get him talking bikes, which isn’t hard.

Tomorrow will be his 300th consecutive day of riding his Hetchins. His Hetchins was built for him in 1979 and is just a classic, original Hetchins are such collectors items they have been counterfeited.

And there is more. He is so keen to keep up his tally of consecutive days riding that on his way to Europe he has a day long lay over in Sydney. He will be rebuilding his bike, putting his box and other luggage in storage for the day and going off for a ride before heading back for his international flight.