MOSMAN Park charity cyclist Rob Towner says tackling the Kimberley’s 700km Gibb River Road on a mountain bike is safer than riding through Peppermint Grove.
“I reckon it’s safer than riding around this town, apart from the occasional wild bull,” Mr Towner said.
During five days from May 15, he and four others including Claremont’s David McAuliffe (50) will join about 700 other competitors in the 10th annual Gibb River Road Mountain Bike Challenge.
So safe is the route, apart from the occasional snake and puncture, the cyclists in his Flametrees Wines team are happy to reject any implication they may be devout adventure cyclists or members of lycra-clad, early-morning pelotons.
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READ NOW“We do it because in Perth we wouldn’t even go on the bitumen – we’d go on the footpaths,” Mr Towner said. Founded in Broome, the annual ride will raise money for charities including the Telethon Type One Diabetes Family Centre in Stirling.
The Flametrees team have raised about $350,000 during previous Gibb River Road Challenges, and they want to gather about $50,000 this year.
A Telethon Type One Diabetes Family Centre lunch will be held at Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Peppermint Grove on April 1.