Catweazle

Very close! To that mystical metric century, and I wasn't even trying. I did pass a couple of milestones, though, and here's how it happened.



The local 'Sunday Afternoon Cyclists' group had a planned ride of "about 70km" that I'd been readying my self for, and as the departure point for that ride was just over the river a bit and I was awake early anyways, I decided to ride from home. The Longford Hall, where riders were to assemble, was I thought about 5 or 6 kilometres from home, I was later to measure it at actually 8 kilometres, and my meanderings about around town and along the canal going out there saw me with 10km behind me by the time I got to the assembling group.

It wasn't long before the group was ready to head off. The route for the ride was to head out along the main road between Sale and Seaspray and up '3GI hill', turning off beyond it down Giffard Road and then taking a meandering route before rejoining the Sale-Seaspray road just before town. The ride out was to be about 30km, and after a lunch break the ride back was to take a more roundabout route of about 40km. That was a good plan in theory, because around these parts you can usually depend on a reasonably calm day, with onshore sea breezes picking up in the afternoon. Unfortunately the wind came up quite fresh, and it was blowing the wrong direction so the plan was changed not long into the ride. We'd take the long way out and the short way back.


Putting the excellent advice my 50+ friends here have been giving me into practice, I spun my way up 3GI hill without a care in the world, and afterwards found myself comfortably enjoying the company of the lead group of riders the whole way to Seaspray. The wind was across but still behind us for a good bit of the way, and directly behind us for a couple of very enjoyable stretches. Quite comfortable indeed, and I was having no problems taking off near the rear of the group after a rest break and then catching the leaders a short way on. That's me in the blue shirt.




Seaspray is a nice spot for a picnic lunch, and whilst enjoying the company of the good folk out riding I received compliments about my riding, and a few murmurings about me being soon ready to join some of the more demanding rides people make around here through the week. With a chuckly, I pointed out that I expected the ride back would be a different story, and that I'd likely be back to my rightful place at the rear of the group when we were riding into the wind. Prophetic words!

Another 'tweak' to the route was decided. An extra few kilomtres along the Sale-Seaspray Road would add a little bit of distance to the trip, but protect the group from the wind a bit better. It'd entail a stretch of about 7km directly into the wind, but other than that there'd be more protection from trees and shrubs along the way. Plan was for the stronger riders to have a longer break immediately prior to that stretch, to allow the back markers to go ahead and have the group rejoin at the end of it.

Along that 'into the wind' stretch I was a bit ambitious. I joined Ken, the designated lead rider for the day, to help create a wind shelter for the riders behind. I expected that'd blow me out a bit, but not as much as it did. Along the next stretch I soon found myself dropping back, and shortly after this photo was taken was back in my rightful place - the bloke keeping the sagwagon company!



Not long afterwards, as I watched the group up ahead disappear around yet another corner I pulled over. Didn't have the legs, right at that moment, to reach the next rest stop a couple of kilometres or so further on. I declined a ride, grabbed out the energy drink I had secreted in my bag, and had my rest stop right there! When I again rejoined the group a few minutes later I slowed down to let Ken know I was fine, and he smilingly said to keep going, he'd get the group started again and they'd catch me a bit further along. With a downhill stretch and a couple of shortish but flat straights ahead before more climbing, one of the stronger lady riders swung out to join me and keep me company, as did a young fellow who'd spent the entire ride looking like he'd be happier exploring side tracks and then catching the group afterwards.

The stronger riders in the group had again passed me by the time we pulled up for the next brief stop when we again rejoined the Sale-Seaspray road, but they hadn't been stopped long by the time I pulled in. From there, with 3GI hill and then a nice downhill ride between us and the end of the ride, riders were free to travel their own pace for the completion of the ride. After heading off with the lead group I dropped back a couple of gears more than I need for the hill, to give company and encouragement to a lady who like me was riding a hybrid bike with fatter wheels, and who was by then struggling. Down the hill and back to the assembly point, and I finished about the middle of the group



After checking the cycle 'pooter and doing some quick mental calculations, I declined a couple of kind offers for a lift back into town and a cuppa. The miles had mounted up, and I'd realised that if I cut through the wetlands preserve and then rode around the outskirts of town I'd be able to notch up that 'metric century' people speak of. But that was a forlorn hope, I'm afraid. By the time I reched the turn-off I knew I was shot, and didn't have the legs to complete that particular journey. Straight through town instead, back home and my day had taken me 93 kilometres. So close yet so far!



But hey! Do the conversions and that gives me my first "half century" ride by a good margin, as well as exceeding the "ride your age" by close to a couple of miles. The metric century will come soon enough

momof4greatkids

93K is so close, and a very good effort. You should be proud.

Bravo!

w2brdbkr

If you ride until your legs feel like jelly, then that is a good ride. The next time you will be able to blow right by the metric century.

The Smokester

Sounds like good fun. Those look like good bicycling roads. It won't be long now before you can easily demolish a metric Century.

maddmaxx 

Congratulations Catweazle. You have come a very long distance in a short time.

Bill Kapaun

You Tasmanian Devil! Great job!
Maybe it's best, since you still have an obtainable goal. Whenever you achieve a milestone, there's always "what's next"? Some times, you want "what's next" to be reasonably obtainable.

Catweazle

The 'goal' I've set for myself is, come September when we'll be heading off for a week up at the lake, I'll be packing the 4X4 truck, leaving it for Mrs. CW to bring up, and setting off a day or so earlier on the bike to travel some variant of this route:

https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Sale-Lake-Tyers

Detour around a bit to take in some of the sights and maybe travel portions of the rail trails in that region, and it'd easy enough be a 'Century ride'. When time comes I'll most certainly be choosing a day when there's no easterly wind blowing.

doctor j

Great ride report, Catweazle, and congratulations on your mileage, or kilometerage as the case may be.

stapfam

Check the computer settings- They can easily be 10% out so if you haven't set it up properly- you could have done the Metric- Or failed dismally with only 85 Kms.

Great ride and sounds with a bit more training- you will be staying with that group comfortably

Well done.

Mojo Slim

Nice going. You have discovered the value of pacing yourself a bit. While generally a slower rider in a group of experienced cyclists, I find I am always there at the end of a long ride and darn close to the same time as many of those who sprinted out first.

Catweazle

Good point, stapfam, but that's already been done, to my satisfaction anyway. I did the checking once I started venturing out on rides of 30 to 40km or more, and it's proved accurate in relation to maps of routes I've taken. Very, very close to what other riders on that trip were reading as well. They were only, at worst, reading a kilometre or two either way different, and I believe I'd need to get it professionally measured/calibrated to get it any better than I have it, if that's even possible.