Author: David Allworth

We are not out of the woods yet with the COVID 19 situation in the Central West.  Numerous people are rebooking to ride in the New Year.

But whilst lockdown has meant full brakes on with regards people riding, there are some improvements to look forward to.

• At Goolma roadworks have been completed to give a 1.2m shoulder on the 2.3km section between the village of Goolma and Mebul Road towards Gulgong(see photo above) A definite improvement and we will continue to push for improved shoulders on these short but busier sections of the trail that are so key for linking those hundreds of kilometres of quite roads and tracks together.
• Locals have been developing a few local circuit rides.  Committee member Sharon Nott has finished investigating a nice little 20km circuit ride south out from Dunedoo thence via Fairfield Rd to Golden Highway, follow wide shoulder a short distance west and onto  Lewis Lane to Lawson Park Rd west to Digilah Rd (part of CWC) and back to Dunedoo.  The Dunedoo-Cobbora area provides great range of rural accommodation and some nice rides so you can enjoy the area.  
• More at a desktop level there keen CWC riders in Sydney looking at routes to ride from Sydney to the CWC.  Similarly, Shawn Flannery of PedalVentures continues to refine routes from Kandos to the CWC starting at Mudgee-Gulgong. Some great back roads between Kandos to Mudgee.
• The Committee has written to all local councils seeking permission to attach fingerpost signs to exits of each of the towns and villages. Good responses have been received to date but getting the three councils on the one song sheet will be important so the trail signage has integrity.

Hopefully, we can be back riding the full CWC soon.

Artist Jan Spencer cycled the CWC trail in May 2021 and was inspired. Part of the sale of her CWC focused artworks will raise funds for the trail.

Jan has completed three collages of her trip which have been selected in the MiniSeries Arts Prize at The Corner Store Gallery, 382 Summer St Orange NSW, to be held 15-25 Sept 2021.

If there’s no lockdown it will be a great opportunity to see an exhibition with 35 artists. If there’s a lockdown you can look through the windows, or go online to the website http://www.cornerstoregallery.com/.

Jan is donating $150 to the CWC trail from each collage sold . The three works are of Birriwa Road hill Gulgong to Dundeoo; Crop to hill, Avonside West Road, Dunedoo to Mendooran via Cobbora (see above); and Uamby Road Wellington to Goolma.

Jan uses caran d’ache oil crayons on coloured papers which are torn or scoured so that the edge of the coloured paper plays with the thick dense crayons. These are collaged and glued onto a handmade Japanese or Korean paper and glued onto the art board. When dry the collages are sealed with an archival varnish. 

“When I cycle, camp, travel, walk I draw en plein air into my travel diaries, then work these up into the collages in my studio in Rozelle” Jan said, who was impressed with the help she received from the coummunities she cycled through. .

Below are links to Jan’s work and the Corner Store Gallery studio visit to Jan:

http://www.cornerstoregallery.com/jan-spencer 

http://www.cornerstoregallery.com/blog/2019/2/20/studio-visit-with-jan-spencer 

Jan’s Instagram is @spencerjanjan 

The Corner Store Gallery is curated by Madeline Young.

CWCT are pleased to announce that Ground Effect, a New Zealand  cycling clothing company have generously  sponsored our initial set up costs as a stand alone organisation. A Ground Effect’s Slush Fund grant  has covered costs of a  new web site,  Incorporation and more.

“A huge thanks from the team here at CWC,” said CWCT president Barbara Hickson.

“Please take a look at their clothing,” she said.

GroundEffects slogan is no-nonsense mountain bike and road cycling clothing. Conceived by cycle nuts, refined by the style police and constructed in NZ from hi-performance fabrics.

From feedback to the CWCT Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralwestcyclingtrail/permalink/816008869079197/

the gear they make is and has been very popular with riders on the trail.

The New Zealand cycling scene is an inspiration to us here in Australia. The cycle friendly initiatives of businesses that make  the  Central Otago Rail Trail  tick provide some great

Central West Cycle Trail Riders, We all love cycling on quiet country roads with beautiful scenery like this. Please be respectful of all farm animals, especially ones with young. If they are on the road please slow right down, even stop and allow them to move off quietly. Make certain you do not separate mothers and babies as they may never pair back up..As cute as baby lambs look don’t try to catch them or to take a closeup photo of them. (Written by Ross Mayberry, former farmer, local Mudgee resident and cyclist)