The following is a bit of a Beach Rd riders fantasy come true...
Arrived at Beach Rd in Hampton for the mornings tootle to work, to be greeted by road closures and barriers and blokes in flouro jackets thinking they were important. (And they probably are.)
"No worries" I thought, "Just hop the road to the bike path and head on my merry way". But as I was hopping cross Beach Rd a little demon on my shoulder said.. "go on AB... you know you want to... go on..."
So I did...
Didn’t jump that last barrier, but turned the sloop north and started cycling towards town on the Comm-elth game time trial course!
Nice smooth car-compressed bitumen, barriers keeping off the pedestrians/dogs, no cars screaming in from side streets, no car doors being flung open in my face, traffic lights sealed off so red just meant GO BOY GO. Ahh.... true cycling nirvana!!
Now I will admit that each games official I saw I was positive would tell me to "get off the track you turkey" (though it was more than 2 hours before the race start) but none did.. all the way until St Kilda and Catani gardens (about 13 kilometres)... and even then it seemed they only barked cos I was about to collide with the start gate for the event.
And in true Comm-elth games style, I got my PB for riding to work (bit over 45 minutes) at over 27km/h av speed. Ok, to a common or garden variety $3000 road bike rider, let alone a true comm-elth games participant, that might seem like going slower than a hamstrung snail, but on my mountain bike with wide slick commuting tyres, carrying full tool kits, half a litre of water and a rider who could afford to lose a kg or three, I reckon it was pretty good.
And it kept me on the streets.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Sunday, March 19, 2006
go baby go...
Speed. Its addictive.
The labour day weekend saw us heading down Sandy Point way - former home of the world speed sailing record (damn those Frenchies taking it away :-) ). I was hangin out the hope for a front beach day on a promised northerly, and a good old fashioned wave sail. (I still say the Cup weekend 2005 SHQ wave sail comp - which i wasnt actually entered into(!) - was still the best wave sailing fun i have had; including in W.A.)
Well the more you wish for it the less it happens, or so it seems. The northerly never came and for a while there it was loking like a windless weekend, when finally, Sunday night, the easterly started to pick up and it was all gun go for an inlet sail. Not too bad... but it was late and we really only got in a 1 hour sail before dark. And when i say dark i mean DARK - Wally was packing up under the glare of my headlights. Thank ford for the fish and chips when we got home (note to self: bringing non windsurfers is always a good thing - they eat earlier!).
Monday we awoke to here 40-50 knots and rain being blown in under the doors. Mmmm.... that spells sleep in to me. And mozzie kill - bloody things kept me awake half the night and the other half i was scratching myself crazy. But midday the wind and rain eased a little so it was down to the inlet again. West sou'west 20-25knots. Bwilliant. Pulled out the GPS and after getting some guy on the beach to show us how the blessed thing worked, headed out for some traditional Sandy balls out speedin'. 6.5 and the old Fanatic bee... Dialed myself in and started doing some runs and gradually worked out what worked best for me. (Basically hanging on tight and praying...).
But the amazing part of the day was when mistress P took over the GPS and my gear (how she was able to hang onto the 6.5 I dont know - but she made it look easy) and flew across and down the inlet. 27.4 knots. Wow... "another run babe?" back we went to the start of the course and she took off... and i almost mean literally. She was FLYING! I was jaw agaped. that was quick... She had a beaming smile alternating with "sheesh i'm knackered fom that" look. Ripped out the GPS and... "no satellite".. WHAT THE?? No recording.
"How about one more run?"
"I'm knackered!"
"AWwww come on..."
She agreed for one more. Back to the start and then off she went. A little spin out early, a bit of an odd line, back to the other side.
"That wasnt as quick..." she said
"Lets just see anyway.."
Out came the GPS..
29.6 knots! (55km/h fo the unitiated).
Bloody hell!
As Joel later pointed out that would have won her the speed comp on the bay! (winner had 29.3 knots).
Shes a quick one is that Mistress P.
The labour day weekend saw us heading down Sandy Point way - former home of the world speed sailing record (damn those Frenchies taking it away :-) ). I was hangin out the hope for a front beach day on a promised northerly, and a good old fashioned wave sail. (I still say the Cup weekend 2005 SHQ wave sail comp - which i wasnt actually entered into(!) - was still the best wave sailing fun i have had; including in W.A.)
Well the more you wish for it the less it happens, or so it seems. The northerly never came and for a while there it was loking like a windless weekend, when finally, Sunday night, the easterly started to pick up and it was all gun go for an inlet sail. Not too bad... but it was late and we really only got in a 1 hour sail before dark. And when i say dark i mean DARK - Wally was packing up under the glare of my headlights. Thank ford for the fish and chips when we got home (note to self: bringing non windsurfers is always a good thing - they eat earlier!).
Monday we awoke to here 40-50 knots and rain being blown in under the doors. Mmmm.... that spells sleep in to me. And mozzie kill - bloody things kept me awake half the night and the other half i was scratching myself crazy. But midday the wind and rain eased a little so it was down to the inlet again. West sou'west 20-25knots. Bwilliant. Pulled out the GPS and after getting some guy on the beach to show us how the blessed thing worked, headed out for some traditional Sandy balls out speedin'. 6.5 and the old Fanatic bee... Dialed myself in and started doing some runs and gradually worked out what worked best for me. (Basically hanging on tight and praying...).
But the amazing part of the day was when mistress P took over the GPS and my gear (how she was able to hang onto the 6.5 I dont know - but she made it look easy) and flew across and down the inlet. 27.4 knots. Wow... "another run babe?" back we went to the start of the course and she took off... and i almost mean literally. She was FLYING! I was jaw agaped. that was quick... She had a beaming smile alternating with "sheesh i'm knackered fom that" look. Ripped out the GPS and... "no satellite".. WHAT THE?? No recording.
"How about one more run?"
"I'm knackered!"
"AWwww come on..."
She agreed for one more. Back to the start and then off she went. A little spin out early, a bit of an odd line, back to the other side.
"That wasnt as quick..." she said
"Lets just see anyway.."
Out came the GPS..
29.6 knots! (55km/h fo the unitiated).
Bloody hell!
As Joel later pointed out that would have won her the speed comp on the bay! (winner had 29.3 knots).
Shes a quick one is that Mistress P.
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