Playing with the big kids!

After reading about the North Road Ride for quite a long time on the BV forum and even in RIDE magazine, it all sounded pretty intimidating. Stories of leadouts, breakaways, sprints and riding in bunches of 120 riders at 50+kph all sounded pretty hard core to me and it scared the pants off me.

But as I’ve progressed and gotten faster and faster, slowly the stories began to sound less and less insane. After reading that the Monday ride (the recovery ride) was run at a pace I knew I could ride, I figured I’d throw my hat into the ring and go play with the big kids!

After asking some people I know who do the NRR what to expect I psyched myself up to take it on for a Monday. Lisa was too chicken to do it so it was just me riding down there.

Riding down Chapel St and watching people come out of night clubs was an odd experience. Don't these people work? Down Nepean Hwy the power was out so a lot of it was spent riding in pitch black. Gah.. I REALLY must get a better headlight. Bit spooky at times.

Got to the BP at 5.35am after allowing way too much time to get down there. Had a guy on a Bianchi turn up not long after so we shot the breeze for a while and I listen to him drop the F word about 10 zillion times in each sentence.

Finally everyone rolled up inc Freckle. Caught up with her and met a few other BVers I know. Everyone asked where PDL was. I said she was soft and that I was sent ahead as a crash test dummy.

I decided to just sit in the back half of the pack to get a feel for it but we got split at a set of lights. Being the first one to catch the lights I called out “Stopping” only to be buzzed either side buy a few who didn't want to stop. They scared the crap outta me to be honest as they flew past out of the saddle either side at the same time sprinting!

Anyway, the split bunch hammered along at 46-50kph to get back on the back of the front group and just as we caught them- another set of lights! DOH! Green light and another race to bridge the gap and I took a stint on the front, however I wasn’t strong enough to hold the pace (48kph) up the slight incline and was soon passed by most pack as I ran out of steam.

We caught back to the front group again and cruised through to mordi with no stress. At one stage, a lot of riders cut through to Beach Rd via a shortcut. What’s with that? I don't get it... am I missing something here?

Back up Beach Rd the pace was between 32 and 42 the whole way (mostly low-mid 30's). It was easy to keep up, but I just wish I knew someone around me as I rode the entire trip back without saying a word (except for the usual "STOPPING").

Through Brighton there was another traffic light split and I set the pace for the split group back onto the front group again. THAT felt good.

Looking over across the bay, I saw the fog (or was it rain) moving in towards us and decided to not stop at Cafe Racer and keep going home to beat the weather. I waved good bye to Dillatante and Freckle and continued into the city via St Kilda road where a guy on a rattly MTB was sitting on my wheel busting his guts to follow me. I didn't realise I had a wheel sucker at first and thought my bike had developed a bad rattle. It was driving me nuts trying to figure out where the sound was coming from! LOL

Met up with Keely at the top of Collins and rode with her till when 50mts from my apartment, where I picked up a flat rear. Good timing!

Here is a map for the NRR route-
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/North-Road-Ride13425

Playing with the big kids!