Noel Wood

21/08/2025

Hi. I'm Noel Wood age 65. Joined the club in 2021 shortly before my wife and I retired up here from Brisbane. I ride mainly with the 33's on Saturdays and for the last two years I have led the Esk Camp and Jam ride.

I've been a cycling enthusiast basically since I was able to ride one. I commuted to teachers' college in the 70s and in those days that was very hairy.

I continued commuting in Brisbane until I retired; about 22 kms per day 3 or 4 times a week for most of that time and have seen cycling conditions improve during that time. Still a long way to go of course.

I started racing bikes in triathlons in the 80s. In those days on a very heavy secondhand chrome alloy bike. I averaged 36 km/hr in a training ride out to Dayboro from Enoggera. Now I have an expensive carbon fibre racing bike and I average about 17 km/hr over much smaller distances. I think the motor is not as good.

I love the friendship and comradery that bike riding gives. I joke to my wife that often it's a toss up on Saturday if we have spent longer riding or at the coffee shop. I have a daughter in England and so every two years I head over there and do a bike ride in Europe. I don't bike pack, rather I bike barge where I stay in a barge at night and cycle in the day or I ride between hotels and have a courier pick up my bags. I've cycled in the Czechia, Netherlands, England, Samoa, France, Thailand and Germany. Here are some pictures from those trips.

Cycling in Holland

Brisbane to Gold Coast ride.

Great Victorian Bike Ride

Walking on lava (from 1911) in Samoa.

You can also see some of my ride along Hadrian's Wall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb2EcTy5uY4

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Noel Wood
noel.wd@gmail.com