28/7 It was so cold it ...

This morning was so cold it froze the water in my drink bottle! I couldn't believe it and I couldn't stop laughing. Filled the bottle with tap water at 6am, arrived at work 7am and found a big chunk of ice in it!

I did know it was cold, but I wasn't cold myself, snug and warm in all my layers, gloves and beanie.

The ride was beautiful. I wished I could take a photo on Barton Hwy but there just wasn't enough light. I rode the long way along the city side of LBG for a change and took some photos. You can't see the sunrise from that side, but it was still pretty.

A beautiful frosty morning

Only -3 and a lovely morning to ride. As you can see, just before sunrise and the crescent moon still visible. Went a slightly different way to get these shots, took a bit longer, but probably worth it.

No bunnies today (sad emoticon if I had one), but did enjoy the ride. Just past Randwick Road on Barton Hwy there was mist across the horse paddocks which was beautiful. Coming along the lake also lovely.

Roadworks on National Circuit, not quite so lovely, but really can't say it bothered me, just went a little more cautiously with all the traffic pushed into the left hand gutter where I am -- lucky there was not too much traffic!

Monday 25/7 - Singing in the rain, while cycling in the rain

Singing in the rain, whilst cycling in the rain, oh what a feeling, I'm happy again! Well, not necessarily happy again, I was fairly happy to begin with. But I had this song in my head as I rode down Northbourne Avenue with the rain gently falling down around me. Only thing bugging me was the rain on my glasses--had to keep wiping them to see through them. Almost need windscreen wipers!

No pics today, despite being only 10 minutes before sunrise when I arrived at work it was dark as dark.

-4 but with the promise of Spring!

A wonderful ride. A brisk -4 but somehow a very special morning. See the spiderweb covered in frost, the glorious sunrise and the promise of spring with the pink blossoms by the golf course.

Friday 23/7 And they say the windiest month is yet to come!

Windy! 22kmph from the south made for a slow tiring ride. I don't feel that crash hot anyway and I don't know if I made a mistake taking anti-histamine to dry me up, don't exactly feel any better, but maybe as the day goes on.

One good thing, the wind should blow me home!

A grey, windy, nondescript day. Didn't bother with photos, just focussed my energies on arriving at work.

They say August is traditionally the windiest month. Oh dear, how much worse can the wind get! At least its not cold as well, 5-6 degrees.

Another flat tyre!

Yes another one -- rear again too. Felt a bit sluggish going home last night and wasn't sure why. Got to the garage, hmm tyre feels a little low. Did some things in the house, took the garbage out and went back to the garage to check the bike. Definitely a flat, flat as a tack.

I was most impressed with my tyre changing skill. Managed it all within less than 10 minutes -- woohoo!! Felt very proud. Even got it back on around the derailleur. Then stood the bike upright again and hooked the brakes back up. Oh dear, the brakes are so tight the wheel won't even turn.

Fiddled and fiddled but the best I could do was a sluggish wheel. Moves, but not free-spinning.

Today is bike maintenance day anyway, booked in last week. Rather than ride, it is in the back of my car. I will ask them to show me how the brakes work.

But, overall, I was impressed with my improved tyre changing ability, and should the brakes have hooked back up as they should when I clipped them up, I would have been perfect. Oh well, something new to learn.

Another day

Another day, another ride. Quite a normal ride. Started in fairly heavy fog but gone by Northbourne. A -3 morning so I'm sure there will be a frost. the only different thing today was wearing my heart rate monitor. I have all the figures, just don't know what to do with them! Found though that I am almost scared of the heart rate monitor. my heart races just when I put it on! Anyway I discovered I spent 61% of my ride in Zone 3, is that good? My heart rate recovery I measured down at the lake. From 138 to 113. Pretty good I suppose. 409 kCal burned. Does that allow me a hot chocolate?

-4 and Beautiful!

Oh what a beautiful morning. Pics are out of order but the moon setting to the west over Gungaderra Grasslands and then cycling through a beautiful nautical twilight, then civil twilight by the lake, truly beautiful. Kept cosy and warm despite -4.5 degrees. A wonderful way to start the day!

No wind! It's finally gone!

At last the wind has died down and basically gone! Hooray! The ride home tonight won't be as bad! The trip this morning definitely slower. But then there were several reasons for that. The thick fog along Gungahlin Drive and Barton Highway I had to watch that white line so carefully, visibility was almost zero -- also needed de-fog for my glasses. Then I detoured to check out Skate in the City. Wow, the smallest ice rink ever, but I think the novelty factor would be great. It would be crowded and small but when else will I get to skate in Garema Place. Funny Sefton was always considered the daggy roller rink for being outdoors when the cool places were Kingsgrove, Bankstown etc indoor rinks. Now this outdoor skating rink is the big thing!

Back to my ride. After checking out the ice rink I got caught on Northbourne Avenue behind a racing bike, woman all decked out professionally albeit with a pannier. Well, talk about slow, up around Vernon Circle was pathetic and then Commonwealth Avenue down to the bridge sitting about 10kmph less than normal. I wasn't game to overtake. When I finally did, I was happy again.

A cold, foggy and frosty morning, but all in all a lovely time to be out riding.

And the winner is...

And the winner is ... me! A personal best time of 45:14. Okay so a tail wind helps and I'm not competing against anyone and an average speed of 26kmph is not going to win any world or olympic records, but I am impressed!

I really must make a conscious effort to improve my speeds. To do this I need to do more reading on increasing cardiovascular fitness and use my heart rate monitor to maximise my efforts.

An enjoyable ride. No point stopping for photos on a nondescript grey, cloudy day.

A Warmer Day

Yes, it really was warmer ... if you call 2 degrees warm! I was snug, not in my warmest of warm clothes and felt great cycling this morning. The wind is still there resulting in a quick 45:44 trip. Probably a record. My previous record was 44 mins and that was only to EA 800m further on to here.

Love seeing the rabbits as usual. I just wish they wouldn't hop away. The Andrew and the girls would love to see them too but I don't think any have the motivation to ride so far so early just to see them.


Not many bootcampers this morning. They have probably all gone home by 7am. But regardless of how many were down by the lake, I get a new joy every day at seeing how beautiful it is. What a lovely city I live in and how blessed I am to be enjoying it, the fresh air, the joy of feeling the wind in my face. Of having the health and strength to ride the 20km. I am truly blessed.

A later start

A lovely morning and as you can see reasonably daylight, actually civil twilight. A big change. What a difference leaving half an hour later can make! It's school holidays and barely anyone will be in the office. The workload is light, so why arrive early? I stayed in bed until 5.15am! Didn't need to make lunches, still did some tidying in the kitchen though, but also had time to watch tv before leaving.

An absolutely glorious morning on the bike. Love my ride!

Another foggy and frosty morning

Another cold, foggy and frosty morning but great to be back on the bike after gale force winds all week.

Fingers started a little cold but warmed up, toes were great until I got off the bike at work. The rest of me was perfectly warm and toasty. It only got to -4 instead of the predicted -6.

I felt like I was in the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts this morning with the lights our along LBG near the library. The bare overhead trees, the fog ... it was great to ride through.

The fog was very heavy at Gungahlin but by Northbourne Avenue it was fairly clear. Along the lake more fog, so thick you could barely make out the glow that is the Carillion. No sign of sunrise at all today.

Lovely to be riding again!

Rain

I was slack today and took the car. It was raining all night (10mm overnight) and I was lying in bed listening to it - a lovely sound - and decided the car would be a good option. Now I am regretting it. Perhaps I should have just put the raincoat on and ridden. What a whoos I am.

The biggest problem is drying my clothes at work. At EA I had a heater I could use to help dry wet knicks and socks. (Top half keeps dry with my raincoat) Here there is nothing, not even a place to hang things. Putting on wet clothes at the end of the day to go home would be awful. I need to find some solution -- can you dry clothes in the microwave?

A new adventure - Sunday 3 July 2011

What a wonderful ride this morning. I've always wanted to ride around Lake Gininderra and this morning I did. Just a pity it wasn't sunny so the photos would look better, but I had a great time! A really easy ride, the only hard part was in Nicholls, coming up the hill from the lake.

Had an excellent ride and can't wait to do it again, either alone or with Norwin, Erin or Kathryn (or all of them).

Saturday 2 July 2011

Big frost this morning. It's hard to see, but this chair was totally covered in white frost.

Just a short ride around Gungahlin Lake and Nicholls bike tracks, but enjoyable none the less.

Happy New Financial Year!

Happy new financial year and lets save lots of money by cycle commuting.

After yesterday's disappointment, my bike is fixed and I enjoyed the cold air coming to work. It was -5.5 at 5.30 this morning but I rugged up and didn't feel cold at all. The air must be very dry as my glasses didn't fog up either.

Lots of dogs in Nicholls today alongside the G golf course. Had to stop once to let them off the bridge. The second bridge I slowed right down and only passed once off the bridge.

Apart from that still too dark to take decent photos, but a pleasant ride. Felt slow along Northbourne but my overall time of 50:22 really isn't that bad.