Life, seriously. Settle down. Please. I love you and all, you're wonderful, but please, chill. This week has included fourteen hour days at the office, lots of family time, massively pressing deadlines, huge projects, my very good friend and colleague is away. My "Facebook status" has changed from "single" to "in a reltionship.
I've gotten to know all the cleaners at my office really well; both the morning shift people, and the night shift people.
This blog is dedicated to my commuting ride. It's all the bike time I've gotten this week really; and as I do a lot of commuting on my bicycles, it deserves an honourable mention.
Today I cycled my 15km trip from work to home in 26 mins. I was on my road bike, and got a sweet run with the traffic lights on the down-side of the hill.
I threw my leg over "The defiant" (my road bike) at 7.20pm, and unlocked my front door at 7.46pm. The ride starts with a warm up jaunt through the city walk. I roll along, weaving the bike between the thin spread of pedestrians strolling amongst the shops.
In the distance I spied a green turning arrow onto Northborne Ave Canberra.
"I want that green light"
I tucked down onto the drops and pulled on the cranks, slipping up three gears in a thumping alpine shift.
"I'm going to take that green light"
I tucked the bicycle into a tight right turn, counting the cranks, right foot up, left foot down.
The light changed to Amber as I exited the intersection.
Okay Canberra, it's on like donkey kong.
I keep the gear and cadence up. rolling to the next intersection, taking the green light. I turn left at the next block onto Barry drive. I tuck the bike tight into the corner, counting the cranks, left foot up, knee tucked to the frame.
I pull the bike up straight, digging and pulling the cranks up, slipping up another chain ring. I overtake a bus past the next intersection, turn my head to the left to watch the slip-lane, then slide the bike across back to the bike lane.
I settle in for the hill; as Barry drive skirts the edge of black mountain. I ease back three gears as I hit the base of the hill.
I grudgingly ease back one more as I hit the bicycle green paint and the second portion of the hill. My legs are burning with lactic acid. I shout at myself in japanese. I shout at myself in english. "COME ON! PULL THOSE CRANKS! HAVE ANOTHER GEAR!! PEDAL BITCH!"
I tuck down to the drops and drag my aching legs against the gears. I look down. Big chain ring. Half way down the rear chain rings. Hang on?.... I'm pulling a massive gear on this hill! yeah!
I hit the rise, and coasted for a moment, taking in a ragged breath. The wheels picked up speed as I gained momentum down the hill.
I stood up in the cleats for a quick calf stretch, then tucked down again, quickly slipping the gears up to the top gear. I brace my hands clear of the gears and brakes as I hit the bottom of the hill, taking the weight out of the seat and onto my quads. I tuck upwards as the bike bounces over the uneven drain-hat and gravel at the base of the hill, then I slide the bike across the concrete drain and onto the bike lane.
I slip down two quick gears, and settle in for the long slow slope up to Hayden drive. I'm listening to "adagio for strings" .... only it's the DJ Tiesto remix.
A large LED sign flashes at the side of the road. "SLOW DOWN" it instructs. "3 demerit points, $277" it intones. "Worth every bloody penny" I think. I force myself up a gear, and dig my legs into the cranks. Pass the green sign. No more up hill.
I spy the green bike light in the distance. I want the green light. I pile on three gears, and tuck down. 200 meters out from the intersection, the light changes to amber. I'm not going to get the light.
While waiting for the light to change I re-shuffle my ipod. "sickness" by disturbed.
The light changes to green and I push off, beating a suburu imprezza across the intersection. (not the WRX)
I nail the bike down the hill, the bike cruising in top gear. The wind breathing through my helmet. I round the corner for the last hill before coulter drive. My legs burn with fatigue. My eyes burn with fatigue. I breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. More shouting at myself in japanese, and the occasional bit of english. I lift my tail out of the seat and push the bike over the crest of the last hill. I turn my neck to the right and check my blind spot. Three lanes clear. I scoot across, and take the right turning lane. Red Light.
I stop at the light, and take off my polar fleece tucking it into my back pack. I indicate with my right arm for the turn, feeling the cool evening wind blowing over my skin.
The light turns green. I tuck down on the drops and drag the bike through the intersection. as I round the coner, check the slip-lane and slide across to the bike lane I spy something. Flashing red light. Another bike. I knuckle down to the drops and drag the bike forwards as hard as I can. I want to overtake that bike.
as I pass the cyclist, I do a double take... It's Andre! The nice man who rescued me my first week in Canberra when I had a flat tyre!
Andre is this guy, whom I only know as Andre, who drove me and my bicylcle home one time when I had a flat tyre. I was suck on Belconnen way with a 8km walk home (in my socks) The lift home with my wounded bike meant that I was able to make it to Kung Fu class that night. I slowed down, and pedalled alongside Andre to say Hi.
We passed the general cyclist chit chat, and challenged each other along the last 1km of bike lane before I turned down my street.
I eased back on the pdeals, turned into my driveway. I looked down at the clock on my handlebars. 7.46pm.
I love riding.
