The Weekly Rider - Dave Edwards
Dave Edwards is the Weekly Rider! Regular Aussie battler, making his way through life with grit and tenacity. That and with a large mouth and lots of tattoos... We talk to Dave about why he loves to ride.
Words and Images - Dave Edwards
Name: Dave Edwards
Lives: Radelaide, SA
Dream Bike: Titanium Baum - Cause they are harder than a coffin nail.
Favourite local ride: Sprigg Road. In it's full length it's 2.6km at 6%, with half on bitumen, and half on gravel. Being that it's just the other side of Mt Lofty summit, it is very close to the city, yet you are riding through vineyards, sheep paddocks and tall gum forest. It's always quiet for traffic, and is simply a beautiful place to ride.
My current cycling goal is: To ride over 1,000km in a single ride. Stopping is allowed, but no sleeping. Self supported, just climb on your bike and ride. I can't afford to go do Trans Con or Trans Am (which I would bloody LOVE to do), so this is the next best thing I can think of to do, as I can do it at home. Got a couple of mates keen as well...
When I am on the bike I... Think constantly about what I want to eat when I finish, which usually ends up being disappointing, as my food fantasies are somewhat more obscure than the contents of my fridge when I get home. On my last major ride I wanted Beef Stroganoff for the last 4 hours straight, I could smell it I wanted it that badly. When I did have dinner, it was Tuna Mornay, which whilst lovely, and I was very thankful to my wife for making it, just wasn't the same. One day, and this day may never come, I will dream, and live, a food fantasy from a long ride...
Share a cycling memory: In June I did an Everesting on a city hire bike in Melbourne with Rich Kemp and Jason English. It was incredibly hard, man I had to go really deep into the pain cave to ride that day. I look back now at a photo that was taken at sunset, around 22 hours into the attempt, and I remember thinking at that time that there was no way I could continue. I was sitting in the gutter, having my umpteenth serve of caffeine, with glazed eyes blankly staring at the ground. My legs hurt, my arms hurt, my soul hurt. At that moment I was confident that this challenge was too big, and I set a deal with myself to keep riding until I couldn't turn the pedals any more. 1 lap at a time, 1 street lamp at a time, break it down into little bits and ride until you can't. I finished that ride. When I look at that photo I know that I rode 9 hours more. From the point where I knew I couldn't finish, I rode 9 hours more and I did finish. It's memories like this that I hold onto, to help push through times when things seem too hard to continue.
I love to ride because... Freedom and community. Freedom in that riding will take you wherever you want to go, any road, any route, any day, any distance, you choose where you want to go, and you go. Community because riders are generally pretty tops people. Take Hells 500 and everesting for example. Every time I've done one, strangers have turned up out of nowehere and brought food, or ridden in solidarity with me. This isn't a local bunchie, these aren't my old mates, these are just people that see you doing something tops and want to come and support you. The cycling community is choc-a-block full of the topsest people.
La Velocita. Reviews.
As we are well into winter everyone is asking me about lights, however, I think you should be riding with front and rear lights all year round, no matter what time of day or night, terrain, country or city, bike paths or roads.