Author: helenhmk

May 2026 – Ride Report from the Rear

Posted on by helenhmk

Ride day was a stunning blue sky day that followed a wet, stormy night. If you had other plans – I hope you managed to enjoy the blue sky May day as much as we did.

It felt like an eon since the March Adelaide Bromptoneering… but here we were again. Based on the number of people who were already at the meeting point it was clear the enthusiasm for the ride was high. The ride summary was delivered by our leader Kym. He really needs to work on delivering more than those ‘We are going on a ride’ statements. Following traditional line-up pictures we were off. Well at least we thought we were until there was a flat… and then someone from the final four jumped in with a pump to get the Brompton ready to roll.

The first part of the route involved winding our way past the new murals near the bike paths near the Port Dock museum and railway station towards Rosewater where we went along the new Rosewater Loop walking/cycling path along a disused rail line. Thankfully the gravel was compact enough not to be a problem – but watch out for road crossings. This was not Canberra (yes only those who have cycled in Canberra will get the reference).

Cycling through Pennington, our destination was St Clair, and the local parks certainly provided connection to different parts of the suburbs. We came across some very character defining public art (Pennington Gardens Reserve – should anyone want to find it again), and more unusual path work which sent us in circles, and a cool short video.

St Clair (yes the old Cheltenham racecourse… much better use of space) has some great paths alongside the wetlands – perfect for running into an additional Brompton rider. Just when everyone was comfortable crusing along the paths and looking at the different housing types we took a 180 and headed back towards Alberton and paused at ‘Any Given Sunday’ for the coffee stop. It’s a fabulous place to stop if you ever in the Alberton area, its just far enough away from the standard cycle way, and probably not a good place to go prior to a footy match at the local oval if your not a Port supporter.

Back on the bikes again after coffee, we weaved through the backstreets, used traffic lights to cross main roads (cause Government’s don’t think about how cyclists and pedestrians move through the burbs), passed the modern developments, criss-crossing Pt River, over to Birkinhead, along Pt Dock and over the new pedestrian and cycle bridge to where the City of Adelaide clipper ship is moored. Surprisingly next to it on the water is one of the new KI Ferries. Plenty of photo opportunities here for boat and Brompton lovers alike. The remainder of the ride was short to Pirate Life through some more historical industrial parts of the port.

The ride was truly a stunner, made better only by those attending and an enjoyable lunch (once it turned up) and a drink or two.

Shout-out to James for securing a nifty looking light blue Brompton and joining your first Adelaide Bromptoneering ride – we hope you’ll come back!

Started: 12 Finished: 13

Bag left behind: 1 – don’t worry it got back to the owner by the end of the day.

Ride Report from the Rear – Canberra Takeover April 2026

Posted on by helenhmk

Canberra is a fabulous place to ride your Brompton. No one will be able to convince me otherwise. I know I had a great time – and it was made more enjoyable by the people who came along for the ride & experience. Weather was perfect, cycling was perfect – what more can one say? Well… just a little bit…

Day 1 – Capital Brewing: 41.51km

Today we were out of the blocks at 7:30am with a short 6.5km ride through established neighbourhoods to the Lyneham Shops for breakfast at one of the many spots before heading back to get ready for the main ride. This ensured everyone knew the location of the shops and could pick up additional supplies for the week. Additionally, it was the coldest morning of the whole week… and the wind chill factor was high.

Today’s main ride started off with the traditional Brompton line up (always good to take up car parking space of people checking-in and out – see below), once the introductions and formalities for the week were over we headed the long way to Capital Brewing. The first part involved following bike & pedestrian paths and lanes through the back streets of North Canberra. It was surprising how many lanes there were… and surprisingly Kym only made one wrong turn. Morning tea was held in a park near Mt Ainslie. The cakes (Anzac cake and Apricot Cake) were generously provided by friends of our on road support Julie – given I ate two pieces, I must have worked up an appetite.

Following the contour of the mountain we took the side entrance to Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve. The terrain changed from smooth roads and paths to gravel, which required more concentration given the high proportion of rocks. Before long we were at the back of the Australian War Memorial. Once the bikes were locked up, we made a brief stop for an hour to look inside and inspect the new ANZAC Galleries. We were back on our bikes and headed down and back up Anzac Parade with a view toward Parliament House, passing many memorials. There was the obligatory photo stop before we took to the back streets, winding between the houses, then Defence Force buildings (we didn’t stop to join in the lunch time pilates behind the secured fence), before heading around Lake Burley Griffin. By this time hunger pains were starting to creep in – wondering ‘how much further ’til lunch’. We were nearly at Capital Brewing when a person emerged from a local community garden with their Brompton – and was astonished to see 12 other Bromptons in the wild. We invited her to come on the rides during the week, and she confirmed we didn’t have far to go for lunch. Like all good breweries it had a food truck on the inside. Thankfully the service was quick and the food tasty.

We rode back through the Jerrabomberra Wetlands and Kingston. A few people stopped off to look at the National Library and National Art Gallery as we passed, while the rest returned to our respective cabins at the Alivio Tourist Park. Alivio is delightfully located surrounded by native trees and with a view of Black Mountain and the Telstra Tower. The down side is when there are 2 kms to go it is all up hill (boo-hoo)! The compensation is that when you leave towards the city there is a fabulous downhill.

Dinner in the evening was butter chicken in the Camp Kitchen (thanks Caroline), finished off with a very delightful apple pie and ice cream (thanks Anthony!). There was enough food to go round and the lucky ones took left overs of the apple pie for breakfast.

Riders start – 13 : Riders at end – 10

Day 2 – Embassies: 47.39km

Today’s ride was designed based on a request from Mary. There was an early morning route update for those who didn’t want to cycle up Red Hill. After the early morning line up we were headed down hill through the city. We made a brief stop to collect coffee filters (yes, we brought ones which were too small and spilt coffee) and coffee beans before crossing Lake Burley Griffin. We briefly stopped at the British High Commission for culturally appropriate Brompton photos and dominoes (lets face it – we knew it was going to happen at some stage, and thankfully my bike was not the cause!).

This part of ride went past soooo many embassies! It was a great opportunity to see the different architectural approaches reflecting their country. Apparently, Australia is the only country where this done. For more information check out the If You’re Listening Podcast (15 minute listen). With this part of the ride, I was going so slow looking at the different buildings and, true to the title of this report, constantly at the rear! There is no doubt that the embassies are best observed by cycling. You would not see nearly as much by car or walking. Here is some of the things I observed:

  • Gloria Jeans coffee truck outside the German Embassy
  • USA looked like a fenced off bowls club with added security (just don’t stay too long looking at the building)
  • site of Russian Embassy needs a little work (will it ever get built..??)
  • Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands both had fabulous roof lines
  • France still had the poster up promoting the Olympics (.. it was 2024 I think the sign can be removed)
  • Finland & Estonia share a site – one side with no fence!
  • Do not, repeat do not spend too much time outside of the Iran or Israel Embassy – I was slow and thankfully we were not moved on (there were hills!)

Traversing through the suburbs, we made a stop at the Australian Mint for morning tea (more fabulous cake .. yummmo) and a quick tour of the mint. We continued through suburbs of Deakin and Hughes before stopping at a food truck at Eddison Park for Momo’s (see the photos for the steamed goat momos). This was a delightful stop under the trees.. and enough crates for everyone! At this point of couple of the group decided to go around Red Hill and meet up with the main bunch after we had been the top. It was a little steep…. prior to the last significant up we briefly stoped in front of a large building associated with Saudi Arabia.. couldn’t tell if it was an embassy or a house, but it did have a Didi car out the font – who knows! While regaining our energy we had a sugar hit of jellies before the brief climb to the top. Looking out over Canberra on a blue sky day was perfect – what an achievement, and we all enjoyed a TimTam in honour of Andrew’s birthday. From here we headed back down around Parliament House (from the rear) back to Alivo.

For dinner we headed out to Verity Lane, like a food hall but with better vibe featuring food from different cultures. Dinner was enjoyed with Paris who moderates the Canberra by Bike and Canberra Brompton Club Facebook pages. Afterwards, a few of us managed to get the last tiramisu for desert before a fast cold ride back up the hill.

Riders start – 13 : riders at end – 13

Day 3 – Parliamentary Triangle: 56.52km

There was an another early morning route change. Kym combined the dinner ride with the main ride which made more sense given that everyone was planning to go to dinner. Today, Emma joined us with her P Line and cool water bottle holder! She is a Canberra Brompton local who saw our post on the Canberra Brompton Club Facebook page. Unlike the previous two days, we headed left towards Aranda Bushland Nature reserve, where we briefly stopped for some a photos overlooking a horse paddock. We continued on for a short while then we came to a fork in the road. We divided into two groups. One going up to the National Arboretum and the another avoiding the hill and enjoying a longer morning tea stop.

Nine of us (including Emma) took the high road. We decided to follow the local recommendation rather than the planned route and go up via Forest Drive to get to the Dairy Farmers lookout. It was steep, but the view was oh so worthy! It was a real delight as the colours of autumn were shining in the morning light throughout the Arboretum. At the top we enjoyed a some fruit jellies (thanks Andrew & Lizzie), took photos of the Bromptons and the view. The majority of us went down via the switch-back path, (you’ll have to take a look at our Strava activity to be impressed) which was really fun before going on to join the rest of the group for fresh home made scones with jam and cream at morning tea at Weston Park, next door to the Governor General.

After a decent rest it was back on the bikes as we followed the path around Lake Burley Griffin until Commonwealth Place. We said farewell to Emma and enjoyed a two hour break to visit any of the cultural buildings in the area. Kym and I decided to go to the Portrait Gallery for lunch, as did almost everyone else. I enjoyed a fresh poke bowl while sitting outside. The gallery were mid exhibition change over – but it was good to see the 2023 Matildas moving image portrait of the team (enjoying comfy chair for a good 15 minutes) in addition to the John Brack x Noel McKenna exhibition.

After the break we were back on the Bromptons and heading towards Parliament House for a brief stop and line up of the bikes. From here we headed through the Parliamentary gardens (who knew there was adult fitness equipment there?) at the side, and around the hill through to Manuka and looping up to the bridge and along the water front towards the National Museum of Australia. We stopped here for afternoon tea where we enjoyed the last of scones. By this time it was near 4:30pm, and some went on to a bike shop in Braddon to return a seat (its a long story – if you see Ian ask him). The rest of us took the planned route through ANU back towards Braddon to Bent Spoke for dinner.

Paris (from the day previous) had lined up an interview on a commercial radio station to talk about the Adelaide Bromptoneering Canberra takeover. This took place at around 5:30, and we managed to make to dinner location well before the scheduled time (even though there were road works and limited places to lock the bikes). Additionally, I was glad no-one knew which radio station it was on, to avoid anyone from the group listening. Dinner was very enjoyable! Despite it being cold, some of us decided to grab an ice cream from Messina before heading back,

Riders at start – 14 (picked up extra rider at the beginning): riders at end (dinner) -13

Day 4 – C7C9 Peripherique – 52.94km

We started off with the usual route and headed through Braddon and CBR central. Made a brief stop in Duntroon enabling Andrew, Tin and David to head up to Mount Pleasant while the rest of us headed onto the morning tea stop at the Mount Majura Nature Reserve. The cycling path there was very scenic, with wide open fields with views of the hills (an unnamed building we assumed ASIO) with horses and cows. At the reserve Rique, who we met on Monday near the community garden, decided to join us for the day on her Bromtpon which had been converted to electric. The morning tea spot was just lovely under some trees in a forrest reserve. From here we headed up towards a gentle hill before a very enjoyable downhill into Gungahlin.

The lunch stop was Cypher Brewing (if only we had called ahead we might of got a discount – and seniors menu should be operating now). Nevertheless, the Thursday special of burger and beer was the perfect after all the hills. Afterwards, the route winded through the suburbs and connecting bike paths past Lake Ginninderra (who knew there were sooo many lakes in Canberra) where we made a brief stop by a nepalese food truck for a break and afternoon tea. We were only were 8km from our accomodation, so it was a nice short ride back home through the grounds of Australian Institute of Sport, where we saw a number of kangaroos – thankfully not too near us.

We rode to dinner at a Filipino restaurant called Lolo and Lola (13km round trip). As Chief food organiser for the evening Caroline decided all the dishes and we shared the food amongst the group – and it was super tasty. If you are ever in Canberra its worth a stop.

Riders at start – 11 (picked up an extra and finished after afternoon tea stop): riders at finish – 11

Day 5 – C5C4 – Southern Explorer – 61.90km

Our last day – and the longest. Yet another route update, this time Kym decided to merge the breakfast ride with the main ride as most people were planning to do both. It was an early 8am start so we could visit the bakery within the School of Art and Design building of the Australian National University. There were a lot more people on the path heading to work/uni. The bakery is run by French people – no wonder the croissant was fabulously flakey. If you are ever in Canberra between Monday – Friday you need to go to Saviour French – oh it’s perfect. From here it was a very short uphill ride to the Australian National Botanical Gardens. Andrew and Tin left us to complete the final Takeover challenge of climbing Black Mountain while the rest of us parked our bikes and wandered around the garden enjoying the banksias.

I’m not going to talk about the bike parking discussion a number of us had with a staff member from the botanical gardens. Let’s just say the bike parking is not as obvious to everyone who visits the gardens. Leaving the gardens behind we went back and followed Lake Burley Griffin for a bit before heading south through Weston Creek and onto Kambah Village for lunch. The majority of us stopped at L’epi Artisan Bakery for some of their baked goods, and pick up a jar of jam. Ian managed to pick up a Basque cheesecake for the evenings dinner to celebrate Margaret’s Birthday. Michelle left 30 minutes early, to get ahead of the group. The route after lunch was generally downhill, again around another lake, before the route took us back towards the centre of Canberra. There was one more brief afternoon tea stop near Woden, before we did the last 17km of the official Canberra Takeover. The route back took us along bike paths next to rivers, through parks, back past Lake Burley Griffin and over the bridge where we stopped for a photo with the National Library of Australia in the background. By this time the battery in my phone had been used up, so Kym was left to take the photos. We headed back through the centre of town towards Alivio – where we found out Michelle beat us back by 15 minutes.

Riders start-13 : riders end: 12

Upon returning, there was a quick flurry of changing and packing bags for some who were heading out on the evening plane back to Adelaide. While the rest of us either drove or cycled to dinner to celebrate Margaret’s birthday and a fantastic week of cycling in Canberra. A few brave souls did venture out for the dawn service at 5:30am some by bike and some by warm car!

If you didn’t come, hopefully this report might convince you to take your Brompton with you next time you visit Canberra! All of the routes will remain on bromptoneering.blog to help you with your planning.

Many thanks to everyone who came along for the ride. Regardless of whether you brought your own Brompton or you rode a friend’s, I hope you enjoyed the overall experience as much as I did. I certainly want to take my Brompton back to Canberra next autumn!

Helen K

March 2026 – Ride Report from the Rear

Posted on by helenhmk

The forecast was for a sunny 28 degree day.. and it certainly did not let anyone down. We arrived super early (30 minutes)… and everyone slowly started to arrive and line up their bikes. After the obligatory photo…ride overview by Kym (feel like I missed it) we headed off. 

We headed through Dover Gardens and Seacliff Park zig- zagging our way through residential streets, across Seacombe road and towards the hills. Thankfully the route provided enough momentum to get us up and across the hills (and down) crossing Brighton Road at pedestrian lights.

We followed an old bike route which led us through Seacliff Primary School. Except like all good routes there was an actual fence, and the gate was 50 meters to the left of the path. The local Bromptoneers who were obviously familiar with the territory decided to take a short cut via Sherlock Road avoiding the incline meeting up again before we stopped briefly at Tjibruke Monument look out. However, the spot is better known for its Northern scenic view across the Adelaide Coastline (thanks for the tip Alison).. and also perfect for photos with the Bromptons.

From here it was downhill, past the caravan park and onto the foreshore path and road through Brighton. If you’ve ridden here before you know the joy when cycling at the right speed and you have a car patiently driving behind you just waiting with enough width to over take. Being at the back we managed nearly a couple of KM before being overtaken … ah the joy. We soon left behind the beach and headed through the back streets, the North Brighton cemetery (obligatory photo and finding an extra rider) before crossing Brighton road and stopping at Summertown Studio.

Surprisingly we met up with a few other Bromptoneers who were running a little late (time issues and forgetting a helmet – we’ve all done it). Summertown Studio managed very well to feed us with coffee and cake in good time enabling 19 Bromptoneers to head off with sufficient fuel.

Making our way through residential streets and pedestrian crossings we found our way finally to the Sturt Linear Park (nothing picturesque about a concreted drain).There was the expected issue with crossing Marion Road.. and those at the back were lucky to have a traffic gap to meet up with the sensible front group who crossed at the lights

As we continued along the path the view improved with native woodlands and wetlands until we reached the very ugly traffic lights near Marion Road and Southern expressway intersection. After waiting patiently (it felt like eternity) for four sets of lights we managed to be on  the right path zig zagging again back to Patrtitti Wines where we made it back to enjoy drinks and food from Sooki la la food truck.    

It was a great ride.. and not one wrong turn – well done Kym! 

Thanks to everyone who came out for the ride – and if you didn’t hopefully we’ll catch you at the next Adelaide Bromptoneering ride at 11am, 17 May. 

Bromptoneers started: 15

bromptoneers finished 19 – wow great turn out!

Ride report from the rear – Jeff’s Ride

Posted on by helenhmk

It’s Fringe time in Adelaide, and so it must be time for Jeff’s ride. You never know what you will experience on a Fringe ride – and this was no exception. Starting on the corner of East and South Terrace, following the traditional briefing, and photos we headed through the parklands. We passed a group with a loud dj, set-up near the adult climbing structure (its fringe after-all), and headed towards the traffic lights crossing Greenhill Road to Porter Street. Navigating the back streets of Unley Council area through the side streets and lanes (nearly missed a turn…), crossing Goodwood road destination the Goodwood Theatre building.

The Goodwood Theatre always has an interesting range of plays, and an onsite bar which can be visited even if not seeing a play. We parked our folded Brompton’s (thank-you site manager) and had a quick drink while catching up on everyone’s latest cycling adventures. Fitting with the cycling theme there is play on titled Cadel: lungs on legs (link is to the review).. and if you are free on 17 March feel free to grab some tickets and join us.

Back on the Brompton’s we avoided the traffic and quickly took a side street from the theatre, made our way through one of the new tram underpasses, and cycled along the path behind the Showgrounds, under the Greenhill Road/Anzac highway intersection to head long Anzac Highway towards the entrance of the West Terrace cemetery. The gates are usually closed from 7pm… but we were aware there are a number of Fringe events taking place within the grounds (don’t look they are all booked out).. and so thankfully we were waved through by the security guard (who is going to stop 13 Bromptoneers?). At the back of the group, where the interesting conversations occur, we were talking about cemeteries and their use – reflecting some people would find cycling/walking through uncomfortable. Its an interesting thought given 100-200 years ago people would use them as public spaces to walk through and promenade, given the lack of public spaces within society.

We continued through the parklands, near Adelaide High school, and crossed at the lights. Kym had once again tried to line up the ride with the great cycling lanes on Waymouth Street. At the last moment he remembered that there were no lights to cross West Terrace from the parklands. So, we ended up crossing into Currie Street, and down the back lane… which landed us into a dead end. This gave an opportunity to set up lights.. and lose the main group. Ah… thankfully I was grateful for having the map so we were not lost for long as we found our way to Light Square where everyone else was gathered outside a tent that was blocking the advertised route. Back in the heart of ADL we weaved through the side streets and crowds to get to Currie Street where bikes were parked to view and experience some free art. As they say.. what happens on the Fringe ride stays on the Fringe ride – unless at a later stage you ask Steve and he will gladly tell you about his experience ‘viewing fringe art’.

Leaving the art behind, we weaved our way around the streets and Festival Plaza to the Courtyard of Curiosities for some food. As it’s a fringe venue, you get to hear the announcements requesting people to queue up with their tickets, and there were certainly some interesting shows being featured. As previously stated, what happens on a Fringe ride, stays on the Fringe ride. Last stop was Ovo for an icecream on Ebenezer Place .. which involved dodging people and the nightmarket.

Who is Jeff? Back in 2024 we received a random message from Jeff Stolzer stating he was in Adelaide for the Fringe… and had his Brompton and was anyone interested in a ride… and just like that the tradition began. We know that one day Jeff will return to ADL, and until then we’ll continue to do a ride around Fringe venues in his honour.

Ride distance: approximately 17km

Brompton Riders at start: 13 ;

Brompton Riders at Ice cream : 9

January – Progressive Dinner, Ride report from the rear

Posted on by helenhmk

The temperature was around 29c. A perfect January evening for a progressive dinner. The starting point was approx 3/4 into my ride home from work – so I considered that to be the perfect starting point. The ride started on the corner of East and South Terrace with 11 riders. At the outset there was not much information shared about the three destinations. We headed off single file along the brown path through the southern parklands dodging the joggers, dog walkers and workers trudging home. We quickly came upon our first stop: Chacha bar.

We received a warm welcome from Leyna at ChaCha-bar. The Bromptons were either locked up outside or parked on the inside (just the way we prefer). We then settled in for the appetisers. Everyone bought their own drink. We shared a range of snacks from spring rolls, Chacha KFC, mushroom boat and broccoli (ah great to have healthy options). We heard a lot about the car-stacking parking facilities for the residents of the building – but we decided parking would never be a problem given we all have Bromptons! Lizzie and Andrew joined us at ChaCha Bar – after making a significant contribution to science. We would have liked to stay longer to sample the Katsu prawn sandwich. But, it’s always important to leave something to go back for.

We were quickly back on our Bromptons weaving through the back-streets of Adelaide, and then we headed north west through the West Terrace Cemetery and the parklands. By this stage, there was a lot of guessing where Kym was leading us, and the options were decreasing after each significant main road. “Oh… maybe he is taking us towards North Adelaide”… “or it could be Norwood… you never know with Kym”, and then… if we don’t turn left here it has to be Bowden”. Bowden it was! We stopped at Bobibao, a Taiwanese restaurant. The restaurant has been here for as long as we can remember – and it has a nice casual atmosphere, and lots of seating outside.

The sun was starting to set. Everyone was full… but there is always room for ice cream! We all ensured our lights were on (who would cycle at dusk without lights – you never know who you will pass on the road!). We headed back through the parklands towards the Festival Centre (dodging the temporary fencing), behind Government House, Adelaide University, a little dip through the undercroft carpark to North Terrace, up Frome Street to Ebenezer Place to OVO for gelato. The gelato was perfect for the warm evening… and it was a perfect end to a loop ride. From this point a few Bromptoneers wound their way home, and the rest headed back to the starting spot through the East Parklands.

It was a great night for a ride, and something a little different from what we usually do on the Sunday rides. Additionally, there was a new Bromptoneer who came along for the ride, and shared with us his experiences and joy in cycling his Brompton overseas. Always good to meet new Bromptoneers!

After the ride, I always think to myself “Today’s ride was great – I should do the write within the next day or two so I don’t forget it…”. But the combination of heat, work and general busyness means that sometimes it is forgotten, and then I guiltily remember again. Hope you enjoyed my imperfect ride report.

Bromptoneers: 11 started; 11 finished at ice-cream stop – but they weren’t the same 11!

Distance: 17km approximately.

December Ride Report from the Rear

Posted on by helenhmk

This month’s ride started at the Brickmakers Arms (new Christmas tradition..?). The weather was destined to be around 23 slightly overcast with potential rain, much cooler than the 30 degrees of the previous day. The Brompton line-up grew larger the closer it got to starting time. As if on cue – rain was thrown down at 11am for at least 2 minutes, scattering everyone to the nearby tree or pub walkway. The 16 Brompton Bike line up shows the variety of ‘Christmas’ inspiration themes. Once the ride briefing was over (and Christmas track selected) we were off… winding our way through Brompton & Bowden towards the path away from the city along the River Torrens.

The cycle path was pretty cruisey, with not too many pedestrians, dogs, or joggers for a Sunday. This was nice for a change! I felt that the group was fairly stretched out, but then suddenly we come to an unexpected quick stop in Underdale. It became apparent that Kym had experienced a sudden chain malfunction, which after some assistance was resolved and we were back on the road within five minutes. Leaving the River Torrens behind we weaved our way through the back streets of Underdale and Torrensville, and a few minor pedestrian crossings to get to Love On Cafe.

It was a great little stop! Perfect for the size of the group, which increased by 1 with Tin joining (the benefits of publishing the route in advance). The coffee arrived relatively fast… and the muffins were homemade (great to see baking on premises).

Before the ride it was suggested one of the prizes would be given to the fastest Brompton unfold – if there were people who wanted to compete. Thankfully there were four individuals prepared to take on the challenge (Peter, Richard, Andrew, and Tin) held alongside the cafe. The winner was Richard with a time of 9.98 seconds – impressive! Well done all!

After this entertainment, we got back on the bikes looping back through Mile End, crossing James Congdon Drive at the new pedestrian crossing, before traversing the parklands round the River Torrens, past Adelaide Oval and slightly uphill to North Adelaide. Of course there were back lanes, with only one wrong turn (Kym must of been enjoying the ride too much), before we headed back to Brompton.

There was a brief stop and photo opportunity at Walter Burley Griffin’s Incinerator (yes, the same person who designed Canberra). While there was the traditional Brompton bike photo – it was great to take one with everyone and their Brompton’s. At this point it was announced that Vanessa had won the best dressed outfit and bike. Vanessa really went all out with a complete Christmas theme outfit of a red reindeer skirt and jumper, bag with Christmas decorations and finished with silver shoes, a true top effort! Special mentions – Alison who dressed as the Grinch; Margaret with the Christmas Stockings across the front of the Brompton Bag; both Fei and Daniel with the Hello Kitty themed decorations (kawaii!); and Richard with the colour themed clothing and bow tie – perfectly fitting the theme of Brompton Cycling. After this it was a short ride back to the Brickmakers Arms, where the prizes provided by Brompton Australia and Treadly Cycles were distributed, prior to enjoying a festive lunch. Below highlights the variety of food enjoyed..

Given its the end of the year, Kym and I would like to thank everyone who comes out on the Brompton rides throughout the year. Whether you’ve been to one, or many – we really thank you for coming. You make Adelaide Bromptoneering what it is… otherwise it’s just me and Kym out for yet another bike ride around Adelaide.

We hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas with their family and friends.. and we will get to ride together in 2026.

Attended: 17 Bromptoneers + 1 extra at lunch

November Ride Report from the Rear

Posted on by helenhmk

The November ride returned the heart of the city. It was a longer but fairly cruisy ride along some of Adelaide’s well known cycling routes. Venturing around road works, track works and suburban wetlands. In total we rode 24.8km with a slight vertical climb of 48m – barely noticeable.

As the photos show, it was a blue sky day and the temp was headed to around 32c. Thankfully the route was largely flat. Following the ride briefing, we headed North taking Grote Street towards the West Parklands towards the loop path around James Coglin Drive towards South Road.

Despite testing the ride just a couple days before, due to the changing nature of the South Road roadworks, we managed to make some quick on the spot decisions enabling everyone to be in the right spot at the right time. Phew… always a sigh of relief. Cycling down the West Side Bikeway towards Glenelg was at an enjoyable relaxed pace. There were only pedestrians and their furry companions for traffic, and crossing minor roads.

The next challenge was navigating around, and crossing the tram works, and heading to the morning tea stop. It was great to join up with Andrew and Lizzie with their cargo bike (made better with a Brompton in the cargo bay), just before the Oaklands Wetland and Reserve.

The morning tea break was fabulous. Huge thanks to Gail and Lizzie for bringing cake and Gail for the additional biscuits, which certainly fed everyone’s appetite up to that point. Top marks to Andrew for bringing along his camping stop and coffee making facilities – that is definitely next level commitment, and great use of camping supplies. There was the obligatory Brompton bike photo set-up on the bridge before we all headed back towards the city.

Leaving the wetlands behind we followed the cycle path alongside the train line towards town. While it’s quite a direct route, it certainly encourages speed. This was something Gail noticed, remarking everyone had increased their speed after the break. While the temperature was on the rise we stopped briefly Woodlands Train station. A few months back they had finished the art which is incorporated into the access tunnels and on the station itself. I think a few passengers on the train were relieved that 15 Brompton’s were not getting on board!

We sped towards the lunch destination at Silver Brewing – and everyone who stayed was pleased to be inside enjoying the air conditioning. Once we all managed to order some food (thanks to Margaret and Ian for ordering early enabling the rest of us to order the food we wanted instead of the mandated platters)… and drinks (yes the brewery was somehow a brewery with no beer of its own!!!).. We were all able to look back and say we enjoyed the ride.

The Adelaide Brompton rides are largely a mix of planing which involve testing routes, finding suitable relaxed food locations for mid-large groups… and a bit of luck. This ride certainly relied heavily on luck – and great company, so thanks to all who came out.

Attending: 15 Bromptoneers + 1 cargo bike

Winter is coming to Tokyo

Posted on by helenhmk

While the forecast for the next week in Tokyo highlights the cooler temps are beginning to set in… Our last Monday in Tokyo was a high of 20 degrees. It was pleasantly sunny and warm.

We finished packing (arugh… always painful because it takes a long time), went for a walk, and enjoyed a lovely lunch with our friends in Hibya Midtown. Oh.. the chocolate mousse!!

From there we thought about seeing a view of Mt Fuji from Bunkyo Council but it was closed for renovations for the 12-15 months. In the end we headed to our favourite local garden Koishikawa Korakuen. The autumn leaves were stunning.

We were able to enjoy one last coffee, before heading to the airport, with one of our long time Japanese friends.

Overall… was it a great trip… yes, loved it as always. We really value the friends we’ve made in Japan over the years (both Brompton and non cycling friends), and you’ve made our experiences in Japan richer – thank you… and hopefully we will see you next year 🙌

People often ask.. what’s the best time to come… autumn, it’s really the best season in Japan.

Croissants

Posted on by helenhmk

On the ride back to the port on Awaji island, we stopped at SaVa Bakery. Thankfully it was after the highest elevation point.. so we had definitely earned our stop.

It was great that it was open on Sunday morning… fabulous! While my reaction may of been ride impacted… the croissant itself was flaky, and butter, airy and and oh so perfect. If I lived on the island I would cycle here… better tasting than most places in Adelaide.

Screenshot