On Ya Bike! Week 4

It wasn’t the best weather.  The wind howled, the rain swept in from the south west.  The puddles were up to the derailleurs.

Still seven intrepid cyclists turned up to the fourth Seniors’ Month On Ya Bike! ride – Paul’s ride to Barwon Heads.

The wind was so gusty it was decided to shorten the ride.  Coffee at Barwon Heads became coffee at Barwon Edge.  The route was the Waurn Ponds trail, Pigdon’s Road (past Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds Campus), Bellevue Avenue, through Highton shopping centre, the Barwon River trail to Fyansford and back to the Barwon Edge for a well-earned coffee.  After that the cyclists rode back to the Breakwater and South Barwon Reserve.

The rain gear took a beating.  The expensive Ground Effect rain jacket came up trumps.  The much cheaper freezer bags over the socks kept the feet warm and dry.  After pushing the bikes through the mire near Queen’s Park Golf Course (the path is closed for upgrading) mud was the new black.  Some serious bike cleaning was needed when cyclists returned home.

It was wonderful to hear John’s, David’s and Paul’s Round the Bay in a Day stories – bravo!

We’ll all be there for Allan’s Mystery Ride! – the last On Ya Bike! ride for 2013.  The ride starts at Rippleside Park at 9AM next Wednesday, October 30th.  This will be the longest ride of the series – somewhere between 60 and 80km.

Anyone is welcome to join this ride.  Participants need to be reasonable bike fit – able to maintain an on-the-bike average of 20kph.  You also need a roadworthy bike, helmet and some money for our coffee stop.  You don’t have to be a ‘senior’ to participate.

Keep those pedals turning.

(Photographs © John Hagan)