Bike Ride In Orange

My lovely shiny new bike that Mr L’Orange bought me a year and half ago has languished in the shed unused for too long. But that is all about to change, with me finding some new bike buddies who like nothing better than to cycle 30km on a Sunday morning and stop off for coffee along the way.

My lack of bike fitness was apparent from the start, as I hauled my way up numerous hills ( I don’t do hills as a personal rule usually) and on some particularly big mountains I actually thought I was going to keel over and collapse. I was completely ready to start puffing on one of those asthma inhalers and I don’t even have asthma! 

Cycling in Orange (very hilly with bad roads) is very different from Sydney (flat with brand new bike paths and no cars), especially because it is so much colder. Despite wearing more layers than I have ever cycled in before, I was freezing and I forgot to bring gloves so my poor wee fingers went blue with cold. Not quite the relaxing Sunday morning jaunt I was imagining.

This isn't actually me looking good on a bike but the look I would like to go for...

The countryside we rode through was lovely and travelling at a slower pace means you can take in everything rather than flashing past in a car. I was extremely relieved to reach the Borenore Store where we stopped for coffee and I had a fantastic hot chocolate – I can highly recommend this place for Sunday morning refreshments. After 16.5km I was a bit over the hills, my legs ached, my fingers were sore and I didn’t feel much like getting back on the bike so Mr L’Orange came and rescued up.

To my shock, I felt terrible for the rest of the day – those hills really took their toll and I clearly need to do a lot more training. I had to go and lie down and leave Mr L’Orange to do all the DIY projects by himself. So the plan is to build up with a couple of shorter rides each week before embarking on any more long, hill filled routes. 

Bike Ride Directions

If you want to try the same Orange bike ride then you head out of Orange towards the racecourse and then follow Canoblas Rd, when you meet the T junction you need to turn right towards Lake Canoblas and then when you get back on to Cargo Rd turn left and finally turn right towards Borenore and Small Acres Cyder. Once you reach the Borenore store you can either go back the way you came or head out on the Escort Way back into Orange. 

Orange Wine Week 2012

Mr L'Orange and I got our hands on the new Orange Wine Week 2012 brochure yesterday and are very excited about the programme for late October. This year's festival is jam packed with good stuff, the tough job will be selecting just a few events to attend.

The bar has definitely been raised and there is now an excellent range of wine related events throughout the week with a good mix of casual and formal. If you were thinking of making a visit, then leave your children behind and come to Orange for Wine Week which takes place from 20-28 October 2012. 

This year there are guest chef appearances from Tony Bilson, Kate Bracks the Masterchef winner and Peter Kuravita. These events have a matching guest chef price tag so be prepared to spend big, perfectly fine if you can spare the cash or want to do something unique for a special occasion. As DIY consumes almost all of our savings, we are going for the more ‘value for money’ options and my top picks for Orange Wine Week 2012 include:

Burgundian Lunch at the Old Convent with De Salis Wines

Josie Chapman is one of our favourite chefs in Orange and the Old Convent is one of the most lovely venues in the area. So the fact that they are doing a lunch accompanied by De Salis wines (another of our favourites) for the very reasonable price of $50 is a no brainer. Who else wants to join us? On both weekends during Wine Week.

Live DJ and Vietnamese pork rolls at Philip Shaw Wines

Relaxing in the sunshine whilst sipping wine, listening to music and munching on Vietnamese culinary delights sounds like the perfect Sunday to me. At $8 per person, this option is great for groups of friends/family and is pretty casual which in my view is what wine drinking is all about. Taking place both weekends during Wine Week.

Printhie Sparkling Launch at the Byng St Store

As this event is free and just around the corner from our house it immediately caught my eye. We will definitely be popping along to sample the new Printhie sparkling, meet Drew Tuckwell the wine maker and get to see the Byng St Store with its exciting wine bar set up.

BUG Bicycle Ride – 50km around the region 

I think I need to go into training to be able to complete this one, however it is a great way to get more people involved in cycling and to see the region from a new perspective. I would personally recommend using a mountain bike as the roads in Orange are shocking for bumps and potholes. Free event - meeting at the Byng St Store at 10.00am on 28th October.

Night Markets at Robertson’s Park 

Always a good opportunity to try lots of wines in a short space of time without the trouble of driving. Arrive early to avoid disappointment as food runs out and queues get long otherwise. Free event you simply buy what you wish to eat and drink. Taking place from 5.30pm on Friday 26 October.

Hopefully some of these suggestions have tempted you to book in a visit to Orange or get your friends and family up for the weekend for some Orange Wine Week action. 

To see the full brochure of Orange Wine Week events click here. If you are needing accommodation, there is always the Dalton St Studio for the perfect home away from home mini break!