By Annie Samain-Bright ........
In honour of my Mum, Joan Samain, she was my biggest supporter in cycling, and always the first to donate to any charity I rode for. It was due to her alone I took up road bike riding.
I would ride to her house on my mountain bike for visits and conversation always went something like this. “Why are you riding a man’s bike? When I went touring with your Dad I had a proper ladies bike, why don’t you let me buy you a proper bike?”
Well I didn’t let her buy me a proper bike, and she was over the moon the day I turned up on one, although, she still thought it looked a little masculine, since its cross bar was still a tad too high.
I have fond memories of riding to visit her, she would be sitting outside on her seat waiting to open the gate to let me in. She would look over my bike fondly, tell me she thought the cross bar was a little high, and ensure I stood it out of the sun in a safe place.
She would always tell me of her days touring with my father and how they would sleep rough in old barns. It was the only time she ever admitted to me she may have got up to some mischief back in those days. Joan and my father Des toured extensively through southern England with their Cyclist Touring Club through the years of 1949 and 1950. Photos here are from various tours, and are taken in Essex, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and Surrey. They even had a tandem at one time unfortunately I’ve never seen a photo of that one. Unfortunately, she never got back to bike riding, having 6 children, losing Dad at a young age and then living most of her later years in hilly Nambour, she opted for swimming instead.
I know Mum would have loved to have been able to go riding with me and she would have loved following our journey on facebook, as she did when we rode the length of New Zealand.
In honour of my Mum, Joan Samain, she was my biggest supporter in cycling, and always the first to donate to any charity I rode for. It was due to her alone I took up road bike riding.
I would ride to her house on my mountain bike for visits and conversation always went something like this. “Why are you riding a man’s bike? When I went touring with your Dad I had a proper ladies bike, why don’t you let me buy you a proper bike?”
Well I didn’t let her buy me a proper bike, and she was over the moon the day I turned up on one, although, she still thought it looked a little masculine, since its cross bar was still a tad too high.
I have fond memories of riding to visit her, she would be sitting outside on her seat waiting to open the gate to let me in. She would look over my bike fondly, tell me she thought the cross bar was a little high, and ensure I stood it out of the sun in a safe place.
She would always tell me of her days touring with my father and how they would sleep rough in old barns. It was the only time she ever admitted to me she may have got up to some mischief back in those days. Joan and my father Des toured extensively through southern England with their Cyclist Touring Club through the years of 1949 and 1950. Photos here are from various tours, and are taken in Essex, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and Surrey. They even had a tandem at one time unfortunately I’ve never seen a photo of that one. Unfortunately, she never got back to bike riding, having 6 children, losing Dad at a young age and then living most of her later years in hilly Nambour, she opted for swimming instead.
I know Mum would have loved to have been able to go riding with me and she would have loved following our journey on facebook, as she did when we rode the length of New Zealand.
8th May 2016
Amarillo, Tx to Shamrock, Tx
146.5 kms - 91 miles
Up = 516m - Down = 924m
Amarillo, Tx to Shamrock, Tx
146.5 kms - 91 miles
Up = 516m - Down = 924m