MyZigo... the first 200km...

Seems like it didn't take very long but the Zigo has already made it to the 200km mark in just over a month (that doesn't even include trips it's made as a pram)

The bike has slotted into full time commuting duty and with the pod attachment it's getting fairly regular trips to kindy and the park.

Firstly the most impressive aspect is the service from Zigo. I had an issue with the locking mechanism last week and even though I'd bought the bike second hand AND it's out of warranty they still shipped me a replacement free of charge within a week.

As a bike, it's not the speediest thing around, probably topping out at about 24km/h flat out on the pedals. Having said that I'm actually quite glad that it's a slower paced machine. On commuting duty it means I can quite happily ride to work fully dressed in work gear and arrive without needing a change. On a roady there is alway a temptation (for me) to try and chase down that next rider. On the Zigo I'm just happy to cruise along and enjoy the ride. Also being more like a folding bike geometry the lower centre of gravity loaded up with panniers makes handling a breeze.

In full Bike/Pram combo mode it's a head turner. It's pretty rare for me to be riding it somewhere without getting a comment. Mostly I'm asked where I got it and how they get one (Hoffy Cycles Bike shop is the place to go if you're in Queensland). The kids love it... well mostly... the littlest one (10mo) still isn't the biggest fan of helmets or seatbelts so it's often an effort to get her in but on the trip she is usually either giggling with excitement.... or asleep. It's got enough storage up in the pram that I can keep snacks and blankets etc for ready access and with the panniers I can load it up with enough stuff for a picnic and changes of clothes for water park adventures.

Really it's been the perfect solution, being able to have someone push the pram to kindy and have someone else do the pickup run on the bike on their way home. The changeover only takes a few minutes and works seamlessly.

The only negative things I can really say about it are that when riding the bike separately, the mechanism that controls the brakes from ChildPod mode is a bit noisy on the bumps when you're riding the bike alone and the child pod is just slightly wider than our other double pram meaning there are a couple of doorways it won't quite fit through. They are pretty small negatives in an otherwise fantastic package.

If you're looking for a way to transport two kids around and don't like the idea of a trailer this is definitely the solution to go with.

The Zigo... a week in..

After being in search of a cargo bike for a while, we decided that the fixed cargo solutions were going to be good for weekends but not so good during the week. So we started looking at some of the bike/pram solutions and discovered a new one for sale (still boxed) on eBay for almost half the RRP.


So after a successful bid and a not so short trip to Esk to pick it up, a very excited little boy helped me unpack it and build the b(ike p)ram.

Since then it's managed a few short trips to the park or coffee as a the bike pram. It takes a little bit of getting used to riding a trike vs a 2 wheeler, the lack of leaning on the corners made me a bit uneasy the first couple of times. One that is sorted out it's quite fun to ride and being able to keep an eye on the kids is really easy. Obviously I mounted the garmin and some clip-ins to it from the outset.

With the addition of the Zigo though I also scored a stand alone commuter bike which has meant the other commuters have had to go. It's in a similar vein to the townie with the high seating position but the gearing (obviously for when you have the child pod onboard). While it's not quick (topping out at about 24km/h pedalling at about 110rpm) it makes a perfect bike for commuting already dressed for work. Even if I got the rush of blood to chase down that roadie (which may have happened more than once or twice riding the fixie) it's not remotely possible so I just kick back and roll through to work.

I might have lost some hipster cred losing the fixie and commuting on the Zigo, but so far it's the perfect combo for child transport and commuting duty.

Riding for a cause (Smiling for Smiddy)

A friend of mine has been bugging me to do this ride for a while now and this year I decided to give it a shot and register... In what was probably good luck all the registrations for the full Smiddy challenge were taken so I decided to sign up for the "shorter" 570km ride in June.
And whilst it's shorter, the 570km is in 3 days so it's still going to be 3 days of pain.

The Midi Smiddy enters its third year in 2012, challenging 50 cyclists to an unforgettable long weekend.  The three-day, 570km cycle heads west to Toowoomba and Warwick before returning to Brisbane.

The major beneficiary is Mater Foundation where funds support research into melanoma and prostate cancer as well as complementary therapies for cancer patients.

I owe Ness big time for it... not only because I'm away for 3 days over a long weekend but also because of all the time in training leading up to it. This weekend alone I was out for about 200km worth of riding indluding the Coot-tha Challenge (on a side note I was pretty with my time and result up the hill dropping 30secs off my previous best).

So... this is basically to ask for donations. The aim for each rider is to raise $1,500 for the cause and I'd love some support. If you can/would like to help out just follow this link.

Thanks to some very generous donations I'm almost 1/3 of the way already (and I only signed up last week).

Training for a ride?? When did this happen

The weekend gone saw me go on a training ride for the Brissie to the Bay event. This is a first for me... I'm not a big one for training... I guess some where along the way I became a cyclist and this is the sort of thing they do.

It was kinda fun having never cycled that far before, the ride next weekend should be a bit of fun!

I managed to reach my goal so after a call from MS Events I've doubled my current total to see if I could make it before the weekend.... (you can donate here if you feel so inclined)

My Top 5 Brisbane CBD Gluten Free Lunches

As I wandered off for lunch yesterday that it's often hard to find good places for lunch if you're looking for something with a little less gluten. I've been working in the Brisbane CBD for a few weeks now and I've stumbled across a few so I thought I'd make a list of my favourite place to grab a bite in the city during the week.

Cool Beans & Baguettes - Brisbane Square

This is my first choice for a lunch out in the city, they have a great selection of premade gluten free sandwiches (that you can get toasted) for $6.50. They come in a pair and have a range of different fillings each day. They also have a great selection of GF cakes and slices and will make Coffee's with Lactose free milk

Fav Lunch: Chicken Caeser Sandwich - $6.50

Fav Snack: Peanut Caramel Slice - $4.50

Alen's Espresso

These guys are really close and make fabulous coffee. They usually have a couple of Gluten free options on for the day and have a great selection of cakes and nibbles. Be prepared for a little wait though, their coffee is so good there is usually a line out the door to get one.

Fav Lunch: Breakfast Quiche

Fav Snack: Caramel Cheesecake

Extract Espresso Bar

It's a bit hard to find tucked away on Adelaide st but these guys have a great selection of the Gluten Free Topless Tarts and will often have bread to make up sandwiches with.

Fav Lunch: Spinach Risotto

Fav Snack: Lemon Polenta Cake

Spoon Deli (Festival Towers)

I haven't been down this end of town for ages but this used to be a good staple for my weekday lunches, they have lots of the sol breads in stock and lots of biscuit selections

Fav Lunch: chickpea fritter W coriander and yoghurt $8.50

Fav Snack: Gingerbread man

And my fast food option Nandos

This one is for when I'm feeling like a 'bad' lunch, a trip to nandos is on order, their menu has a list of all the items with Gluten in them (the opposite to everyone else).

Fav Lunch: Chicken Steak

Fav Snack: Spicy Rice