One of the best parts of living in the Cooloola Coast is the variety of people who pop up with wonderful stories, interesting pasts and contribute to the fabric of the region.
Groups are formed due to shared interests and friendships formed through art, craft, volunteering, or sport.
One such group is the Tin Can Bay Treadlies who are a bunch of great men and women, all with a story, who get together on Wednesdays and the weekends to share their love of bike riding.
Many members of the Treadlies are also members of the Tin Can Bay Yacht Club with 80-year-old Alan Jones also volunteering at Sailability which helps people with disability enjoy sailing.
They now have a bike-rack worthy of the of mention, tucked away at the Yacht Club so their bikes are looked after while they enjoy a well-deserved Saturday morning breakfast on the water and a great coffee.
June Grimmett started The Treadlies 11 years ago, initially with just members of the yacht club who also enjoyed riding and it grew from there.
“I just do up a six-month calendar of weekend rides and send it out and a weekly email saying when and where we are meeting, and we pick up people along the route depending on where they live. These are local, Tin Can Bay – Cooloola Cove rides.
Alan’s Wednesday rides take them to Rainbow Beach when it is not school holidays and include rides from Kin Kin to Boreen Point and Cooran to Pomona, taking different routes riding about 50 kms.
They use both road bikes and mountain bikes. June said the mountain bike rides often take in rail trails with the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail being a favourite. The Murgon to Kingaroy rail trail is another. The rail trail rides are usually three-day mid-week affairs.“
She said a few of the group enter the Toowoomba Rotary Club charity ride each year. Of the rides on offer, they choose the 85km ride from Toowoomba to Helidon.
“Our most recent mountain bike trip saw ten of us go to Kalpowar near Monto which is the newest rail trail opened in October and is hilly with six tunnels and is just beautiful.”
“ For one of our rail trail trips, we stayed in the campgrounds at Toogoolawah and rode to Moore and back the first day and then Coominya to Fernvale and back the second day.
“We have also based ourselves in the campgrounds in Esk, Yarraman and Murgon.“
She said the club is not an elitist group and is open to anyone who likes to ride a pushbike.
“It is good riding in other people’s company, and I enjoy it and it keeps me fit.”
The original concept was to ride as far as you like but meet at the café at the end at a particular time.
“We start our weekend rides at 6am or 6.30am opposite the Tin Can Bay Country Club and end up at the Yacht Club at 8-8.30 and you can join in whenever it suits.“
If you want to join in call June on 0428 849 136
