Ever have one of those days where you wake up, and you know you’re going to be sore by the end of the day? I had one of those days just last week. My friend Jens had proposed that he, Mat,  Julie and I all ride to Mt Coolum, climb it, and then ride home. I eagerly accepted thinking it would be a good fitness challenge. After all, I’ve climbed the mountain before and on a separate occasion rode my bike 40km in one day. So this shouldn’t be too bad, right? I should have known better. This is the guy who rode in a 200km bike ride for fun. FOR FUN.

So at 7.30am I found myself in a car following Jens to Mt Coolum to drop off one car along with an esky. The plan was we would ride to the mountain, and the expensive bikes could be locked up in the car while we climbed; the others could just be chained up to a tree. Later, some cool drinks and lunch would be ready and waiting in the esky for us. We arrived, Jens locked up the car and jumped into mine and we made our way back home. Once there, we collected our bikes and also got Mat and Julie. Finally, we set off.

The first stop was to ride to Mudjimba where we would stop for a break and have breakfast at a cafe. Unfortunately, the cycling tracks on the Sunshine Coast are a bit lacking. The normal way by car to get to Mujimba is down the Sunshine Motorway over the Maroochy River Bridge, and then on the David Low Way. With a bike, it’s not so easy. You’re not allowed to ride on the Sunshine Motorway, so we had to ride through Maroochydore along the river until we reached the bridge, where we could ride over it and then down via the bike paths. It added an extra 4km or so to the trip, but in the scope of things that really wasn’t that much over the course of the day. According to Google Maps, this first section of our ride was approximately 12km.

Click for large view

As we rode over the Maroochy bridge, it really hit Mat for the first time that we were out on a proper bike ride. It was the first time he’d ever crossed the bridge other than by a car, and we stopped so he could enjoy the view. I also used it as an opportunity to have a drink break, since I still haven’t gotten around to buying myself a camel back. After a few minutes we kept going and crossed the bridge.

Just after you cross the Maroochy Bridge, the bike track curves down and under the bridge and along a road back to the David Low Way. We opted to take a short cut through a paddock (they have no problem with people walking through since it’s not used for farming) but didn’t factor in all the recent rain we’d had recently. The ground was completely water logged. Both Jens and I were riding bikes with road tyres, which meant they were incredibly narrow. Not something you want to ride off road with, and definitely not something you want to ride in soggy grass. Needless to say, we both got bogged at one point and had to walk our bikes a bit of the way while Mat and Julie rode on ahead. I also had the good fortune of stepping in a puddle, completely drowning my shoe. I was incredibly relieved when the squelching finally stopped as my sock dried out later that day.

We made it out of the paddock, and opted to ride down Ocean Road past Twin Waters Resort, along the conservation park and eventually Mudjima. At first it looked like we weren’t going to be able to find a seat at the cafe we’d been eyeing off, and were just about to ride to Coolum instead (again, psychotic idea) when Jens saw some people get up and leave. He pounced on the table, and we all parked our bikes outside. The cafe was called the Loaded Lizard, and I can honestly say they served one of the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever tasted. Part of the diet I’m on incorporates wholemeal english muffins for breakfast, and I was thrilled when that’s what I found on the plate before me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the super thick bread that usually accompanies the poached eggs, but I just seem to enjoy the muffins more.

We allowed ourselves almost an hour at the cafe just generally relaxing and enoying our food before setting off on the next part of our journey. It wasn’t as far this time, only about 5 – 7kms. The route we took was slightly different to the map below, but the distance works out to be about the same. There’s a bike track which starts at Mudjimba beach, and pretty much hugs the coast line. At one point the track is directly behind all the resorts in the area, in between the resorts and the beach. The track is private, with shade from the surrounding trees. It’s an incredibly beautiful and easy ride.

Click for large view

We arrived at the base of the mountain, put a couple of bikes in the car and chained the others up to a nearby wooden post. After applying sunscreen and a change of shoes for Julie, we started up the mountain.

A few facts on the Mt Coolum climb for you. The walk is approximately 1.6km return, taking you to the top of the 206m high volcanic dome. From the top, you can see the coastline of the Sunshine Coast, from Double Island Point at the North right down to Moreton Island in the south. Turn around and you can see the beautiful hinterland, including the Maroochy River Valley. I didn’t actually discover this next bit of info until I did an internet search for Mt Coolum, and I think it’s worth noting in its entirety merely because I find it quite impressive.

Ecologically, Mount Coolum is one of the most important square kilometres in Australia. The diversity of plant life within such a confined area is unequalled. The site has been intensely studied and over 700 plant types are now documented. This includes 590 flowering plants, 49 ferns and over 100 species of the lesser plants such as mosses, liverworts, lichens etc. By way of comparison, there are only 1400 species in all of Great Britain. Deserving particular note is the fact that the 49 ferns belong to 20 distinct families, some 40% of all fern families living on earth today. Psilotum Nudum, evolutionary the world’s most primitive plant, is common. Two recently discovered species of trees are found nowhere else, and the area in general is unique in that numerous species find the limit of their distribution, be it in northern or southern, on Mount Coolum.

Source: www.coolum.com.au

Last time we climbed Mt Coolum, I wasn’t very fit at all. After climbing the mountain this time, it became immediately obvious to me just how much my fitness has improved. We had already ridden our bikes 20km, and yet when I climbed the mountain I didn’t feel puffed or breathless at any stage. We did stop a couple of times on the way up, but that was because the others wanted a break, or wanted to stop and enjoy the view.

The climb was as busy as ever, and there were a few times when we had to stop and let people pass to come down, or those travelling faster to let them go ahead. Don’t get me wrong though, it doesn’t feel like you’re constantly dealing with people on the track. You’re not, it’s incredibly easy to find alone time. Even at the top, there’s so many places for you to stand and enjoy the view without feeling crowded. It’s still very much a mountain that is designed for all climbers, and it’s only as challenging as you make it. The difficulty level increases with the amount of speed. We chose to sit down and have a drink in one spot off to the side, where we were joined by a man and his child. He had an accent which I was unable to pick, but he was curious about the surroundings. We spent the time pointing out the various landmarks and rivers, for which he was highly grateful.

Eventually we made our way down (stopping at one point for Jens to pose like he was falling off the side of the mountain), and still full from morning tea decided we would pack the food and eat it at the beach. We unlocked our bikes, and went to grab the ones from the car when we realised that Jens’ bike had a flat tyre. Julie had a repair kit, but unfortunately the glue had been all used up. It was pure luck that we had chosen to drive the car there just for security purposes, as it now proved to be our saviour in getting home! Still determined to have lunch at the beach, Julie, Mat and I all rode to the beach while Jens drove to the bottle shop to pick up some drinks and a new puncture repair kit. We stopped at one spot where Julie went down to have a look, and informed us it was actually a topless beach! Mat half wanted to stay there (gee, wonder why) but in the end agreed to keep riding further to a spot where he wouldn’t have to take his bike on the beach.

We ended up stopping at Marcoola, and ate our lunch while Mat repaired the bike as best as he could. Julie decided that it was best if she drove the car and the bike home to save anyone having to return later to pick up the car, and at the same time not putting any pressure on the repaired tyre. We all knew the REAL reason though was because she was tired haha. We packed up the leftovers from lunch and threw out our rubbish, then agreed we’d meet back in Maroochydore at a cafe for an afternoon coffee.

It was at this point where Mat really started to struggle with the ride. His butt was really sore from his hard bike seat, and he was incredibly fatigued. His bike really isn’t build for road riding, and it had taken its toll on him. Not to mention that he isn’t a fitness buff, he doesn’t go for runs or do any workouts, so this was quite a shock to his system. We took it easy and rode at his pace, so our ride home took a lot longer than our ride there, but he was grateful that we weren’t pushing him. We had a coffee in Cotton Tree, then rode home and showered before collapsing on the couch.

I wasn’t too bad, more tired than anything else. I had a bit of muscle soreness around the tops of my knees where I hadn’t been able to get a good stretch into my quads. By the next afternoon I was totally fine and couldn’t feel any effects at all. Mat, on the other hand, was in total agony. Only hours after the ride ended he fell asleep on the couch. When he woke up, he tried to move and yelled out in pain. Pretty much his entire backside was stiff and sore, centering around his ass. I know for certain he will be buying a new bike seat before he attempts another ride with us!

I’ve got another bike ride coming up in a few weeks with members of the family, and we’ll be looking to take them on the same route from Mujimba through to Coolum. It’s a nice flat easy ride, and incredibly beautiful. There’s cafe’s to stop at, and plenty of places to stop for a picnic. I just know it will suite my family right down to the ground. Though, I’m not so sure Mat will be quite willing to join us on the ride. I think I’ll nominate him for the support vehicle duties, namely delivering a picnic lunch to us when we want it. Perfect!

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