Sunday, July 4, 2010

Back on the bike

After a cycling hiatus as a result of my ITB syndrome, this past weekend saw my first brevet in a month, with the successful and healthy conclusion of the the Three Ws 200k. The w's being Winter, Wisemans ferry and Windsor.

It was a lovely winters day and a great route that explored some new ground for me. A big highlight was the river road between Wisemans Ferry and Sackville, following along the banks of the Hawkesbury River. Really lovely riding with great vistas over the river and some really interesting sandstone outcrops that made my old rock climber's heart skip a beat or two.

The day was greatly improved by the company of Barry M who was similarly returning from a layoff and was content to amble along at a moderate pace and tell great stories of brevets in Malaysia and trusted in my navigation (only 3 extra kilometres!).

We finished at 6.30pm in Hornsby having enjoyed a great day out on the bike. My knee was great, and thanks to the cross training I'm now feeling stronger and could have ridden further if required - though the other contact points have obviously softened up during the layoff.

Today I took the Rivendell for a coastal spin with a special friend and the legs though tired, weren't damaged.

I have learn't a great deal since failing on the Border 600, have become physically and mentally stronger, have a better bike fit and a greatly improved technique.

The rest of the cycling year is looking great from here and I am looking forward to riding the Dog Trap again next weekend.

Mileage in Kilometres = 4342