QBIC Executive Director David Tape recently completed a 320 kilometre ride for Supporting Chemotherapy in Cooloola (SCIC).
When it comes to cycling, you’re either on the bus or off the bus.
QBIC Executive Director David Tape is definitely on the bus, metaphorically, following his recent completion of a 320 kilometre ride for charity.
The 53-year-old novice cyclist says the ride from Murgon to Tin Can Bay for Supporting Chemotherapy in Cooloola raised more than $16,000, $10,000 of which was donated by the bus community.
“It was excellent,” Tape says.
“All up we were averaging about 80 kilometres a day.”
Nine cyclists started the ride on May 4, but after four gruelling days of pedalling, Tape was one of only six to finish.
“Seeing the sign that said welcome to Tin Can Bay, I felt like getting off the bike and kissing it,” he says.
Tape says he was proud to finish the ride, but more proud to have done it, against all bets, without crashing, unlike a fellow cyclist who reportedly crashed on the first day of riding.
“When he fell off, everyone couldn’t work out why I jumped of my bike and was running around like Rocky, but it was because I wasn’t the first one to fall off my bike,” he says.
“Once I got past the jubilation of it being him and not me, I went to have a look to see if he was ok. But I had to do the obligatory dance.”
The same cyclist reportedly fell off again on day three of the ride, consolidating Tape’s standing as not the worst cyclist on the trip.
“That really made my day, because I thought even if I fall off once he has got me two one,” Tape says.
“I was pretty happy with that.”
Tape says he was inspired to take part in the ride, despite not owning a bike, after hearing about it from a QBIC member in remission from bowel cancer.
With
the build-up of lactic acid
now subsided and a near-new bike sitting under his veranda, Tape says he is already considering doing the ride again next year.
“Yes, I already put my hand up for it,” Tape says.