Let's kick off with a look back at the past two weeks. You'll all have these accounts on email so it's really just for the record that I'm posting them here but I have added a little map at the end. The map tool is great but it's American so all distances are in miles. I will lovingly convert distances to kms beneath the map.
Ride Number 1: 29th July 2012
Attendees: 2... Cate and Cara
Well it may have been a little on the small side but our riding group of two (me and Cate) had a beautiful ride into South Bank yesterday morning.
Cruising at a leisurely 15kms an hour (estimation), the sun sparkled off the water. There was a bit of a chill on the hands but the rest of me was nice and warm. We had a coffee at Steam and a bit of a chin-wag before heading back along South Bank via the tai chi class which was in full swing. We had passed the class on the way in but I had been too fixated on getting a coffee that I hadn't even noticed it going on. Cate had futher business near the Goma so that was where we parted. I then flew along riverside drive or at least thought I was flying along until I was passed effortlessly by someone in lycra who wasn't even pedalling. Got to the top of the hill whilst pretending to not be out of breath and made it home via Celia's where I mouthed "lightweight" in her general direction. Home by 9.15.
A glorious start to the day!
That's 8.93kms.
That's 8.93kms.
* * *
Ride Number 2: 5th August 2012
Attendees: 3... Cate, Michelle and Cara.
It was a chilly start and we were wearing lots of layers. Katina had emailed me with a warning about the marathon that was happening along the roads that we had planned to ride but I didn't open my email until just now. D'oh! Thanks anyway, Katina!
The run was in full swing as we rode along Hill End Terrace so we ended up taking the cross-country route along the river using the footpath and the grass. As we approached the Kurilpa bridge we were cheered on by a support crew that must have been lacking runners to cheer on. Then for the bridge incline. Cate was less than optimistic she'd make it but proved in true "you can do it" style that she in fact could do it and sailed across with aplomb. It was about three quarters of the way across that I realised I hadn't fully thought through my plan which was to get onto the northern riverside bikeway. There is no obvious access once you get off the Kurilpa Bridge - you end up going into the city. Then Michelle found a little lane through the law courts and a stairway down to North Quay. From there we just crossed the roads and went down the slope which led onto the bikeway. Woohoo! We felt like rally drivers... but with bikes... and at a nice sensible pace.
It was an effortless ride then along the flat bikeway to the Goodwill Bridge which was absolutely packed with people. We managed to weave our way through before the hard slog of finding a suitable coffee establishment. On the way, we stopped at the bike repair station to get fully pumped (see attached link for photos) and settled on the bakery on Little Stanley Street for our coffee, watching the designers at the market there set up. By which time we were all nice and warm.
The ride home was much smoother. The runners were further apart so we could stick to the road and get some speed up. It's glorious along the river there with the sun glinting off the water and the rowers gliding past. Cate left us at Victoria Street to head home. The runners we were passing now were not so serious and looked pretty exhausted. As Michelle and I rode passed there were a some words of encouragement exchanged. We even got a "Hi Girls". Michelle nearly took out another cyclist on the junction of Montague Road which was also fun.
And here's a map of the route we took....
yes that's actually 13.4 kms which is even more than when I mapped it with Google Earth so well done us.
Next week: South Bank via Go-Between Bridge, Goodwill Bridge and that volkswagon coffee van that parks near the wheel of Brisbane.
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