There we were sharing a place on the world scene in Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s hectic six day itinerary last week. 

Just a few hours after jetting in on the RAAF’s VIP flight the seemingly tireless PM was on his bicycle and leading a pack of pollies into Lithgow on the penultimate stage of a long distance charity ride.

The fact that the Pollie Pedal was to end its Saturday session with a public afternoon tea in Lithgow was no secret.

In fact it had been widely advertised together with the fact that minister for Social Services Kevin Andrews would be the leader of the lycra clad pedalling pollies. What had been kept secret to everyone except a few confidantes and those who put two and two together and managed to come up with a speculative four was that the Prime Minister was keen to join the party if he managed to get back from his whirlwind round of international commitments in time.

The PM jetted back in on Friday; on Saturday and he was into his pink lycra and heading down the Castlereagh Highway with more than 40 colleagues who had set out from Moree earlier in the week on a fund raising marathon from Moree to Penrith.

The media had been briefed only that morning of the development and the word quickly went out on social media.

There was a heavy security presence in and around the showground with the police Dignitary Protection Unit, uniformed officers, police motorcycle escorts and no doubt other agencies keeping a low profile.

But any concerns that political opponents might allow their views to over ride good manners and spoil the party did not eventuate and the cyclists in general and the PM in particular received an enthusiastic welcome from a large crowd.

If the PM was seriously jet lagged he managed to hide it well and happily mixed with the crowd, refusing no requests for photos for the family album and spending quite some time chatting with members of the Lithgow City Band.

He quipped that it was appropriate the band was playing ‘Count Your Blessings’ when the saddle weary cyclists rode in. 

He said the riders had been told that the route between Mudgee and Lithgow had a ‘a few undulations’.

It was difficult to regard Cherry Tree Hill or Invincible Hill as ‘undulations’. 

They might be regarded as undulations for anyone with a turbocharged six cylinder motor in front of them but not for pedal power, the PM said.

As the cyclists and support team settled in for a well catered afternoon tea the PM appeared relaxed and no doubt enjoying a brief respite from the demands of a government leader’s week.

He sensed he was among friends during the welcome by mayor Maree Statham.

Not an embarrassing question to be heard anywhere — but then Joe Hockey was not among the cyclists.

But such lulls in the turmoil of political life are of necessity all too brief and before leaving town it was back to business.

The PM changed from his lycras into a workday suit and held a press conference for a large contingent of national media, all anxious to hear what he had to say about the announcement earlier in the day of restrictions on dole payments for anyone involved in either direct or indirect involvement in jihardist activity.

Just another day in peddling politics and pedalling politicians.