After a slow start, the riding is getting more regular and we are more and more familiar with the whole deal. We really look forward to our rides and it's really important to make sure we structure a day on the weekend to go for a decent ride.
So it was quite frustrating when after trying to arrange to catch up with my Auntie on Saturday for the first time in 15-ish years, that she was too busy and it had to be postponed to Sunday lunch (which meant cutting into our riding time).
19-08-07 Ride 4 - A decent ride with a late start
Dist 33.70km
Trip Time 01:58:40
Av Speed 17.00kph
Max Speed 50.50kph
It's a late start after family commitments but at least I was able to get mum to bring her overlocker over to take up the length of my leg warmers. After Polka Dot Lisa sewed velcro onto my knicks and leg warmers, the leg warmers sit pretty low on my thighs which makes them about 200mm too long at the ankle. Ah the fun of customising gear to fit my ample frame...
We start off doing the same route as our first big ride the weekend before, along the Capital City path to Docklands and then on to Middle Park. Along the way I am again leading the way when we get to a nice steep drop in the path just before a uphill, and this time I am determined to beat Polka Dot Lisa to the top of a hill. I head down hill as fast as I dare, doing just over 50kph.
As I'm zooming down the path through parkland, it occurs to me that if an animal were to dart out in front of me, I would be toast. Funny, I used to do this and more when I was younger without a doubt to my safety, LOL.
OK- the hill. As per usual I start to slow down on the hill but I'm determined to beat Polka Dot Lisa over the top and for the first time since we started riding, I beat her and I raise a fist in the air in triumph! I know my victory is mostly from my ability to go down hill faster than Polka Dot Lisa, but I'll take it all the same!
Onwards we travel under the City Link Freeway and I really hate this bit for some reason. I don't know why- the path condition is good, there is minimal traffic on it and its pretty flat. 
Anyhoo, at one stage Lisa passes me and she has a good speed going. In a moment of foolhardiness, I take inspiration from my green jacket and sprint past Polka Dot Lisa just like Robbie McEwan did on stage one of the 2007 Tour. I even commentate myself out loud and as I speed ahead I sit up and give the McEwan pointing to myself salute. I'm oh sooo funny!
The only thing about these shenanigans is that it really takes it out of me and I wasn't really feeling that great to start with. Note to self- do what Cadel does and ride my own pace.
Eventually we make our way to Docklands and we stop for a break and drink. Sitting watching the tourists wandering around, we are both feeling a bit crappy and lacking in energy. I had a really hard week so thats my excuse.
We decided to ride around Albert Park so we cross the Yarra River and work our way through the back streets to Albert Park. We stop and take some photos of each other while riding and we continue to lap our way around the lake. At one stage, a car has stopped ahead of us in the middle of the road for no apparent reason. As I come up alongside him I see several black swans slowly waddling across the road. Very cute.
Polka Dot Lisa tells me there was a section of road back a bit that had some really nice shadows across it that would make a great arty cycling photo, so we double back to get some photos. Along the way we kept going straight in the cycle lane that runs to the right of the left turn lane. With Polka Dot Lisa ahead of me, I was aware of a car coming up behind me but did the car wait several seconds for me to clear the left turn lane? Nooo... The black Porsche 4WD speed around us both and cut straight across in front of Polka Dot Lisa. What a freakin' hero!
After turning around, Polka Dot Lisa went ahead to find a spot to take my photo from but she indicated to me to stop where she was. So I rode down to her and as I came to a stop on the side of the road, I was far too casual with my clip pedals and.. OH NO... CRASH! I hit the road pretty hard on my LHS and somehow managed to roll over, lifting the bike with my clipped in feet to end up on my RHS. Go figure how I did that?!
I untangle myself and check myself and the bike for damage.
Bike- fine.
Clothing- fine.
Body- skinned and bruised my elbow, bruised shin and somehow took a knock to the head.
Ego- Damaged badly.
The sun is getting low in the sky and I'm feeling a bit shaken up from the fall so we head home via St Kilda Rd, up through Swanston St past Melb Uni where we encounter the Copenhagen bike lanes for the first time. The lanes work well, except for the intersection where the intersecting road on the left is blocked off by workmen so where do they put the sign to warn drivers? Right across the bike lane, forcing us out and straight into the path of the cars. Brilliant!
The rest of the ride was incident free and we cross the 100km total k's traveled so that is a mile stone for us. Although we only did 33km this ride, we had less breaks and our average speed was our best yet.
We are on track!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Time to hit the road
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3 comments:
Good onya guys. Top effort. Having only been back into cycling myself for the past 14 months I know exactly what you're both going through (Hills, cars, crashes etc ). The more you do it, the more addictive it becomes. Stick with it and in no time you will look back and see positive results, not only with fitness but also a healthier outlook on life.
Cheers ;)
P.S. Say g'day at the BBC ride this saturday.
I have "done a Robbie" dozens of times with my friends. I NEVER stops being funny... at least that's what I think.
dad said
good on you both for doing getting out cycling,
last time i fell off i cracked my pelvis ouch, trying to ride without hands, heard the doc say i was an idiot! did you see auntie bea?
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