he was waiting for food at Glenbrook. Since then, he has done battle with the perils of heat, traffic works (and traffic), and hills.
As people would know, the road from Glenbrook to Hazelbrook is almost all up-hill. It’s also obvious that the heat of the day is roughly from 12 to 2. I really suffered over the section from Faulconbridge to Woodford.
Occasionally I would turn on routing on the GPS for fun, to see if it suggested an alternative to the highway. Once I was directed into the Megalong valley, and once I was told to turn left at the NBN! That must be electoral advice 😉
I arrived at Hazelbrook at about 20 to 4, and have had a shower and am about to lie down for a while. My upper back and shoulders are sore, I have sunburn just below the helmet line, and I rode 93km. Not a bad day’s work.
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I still don’t get the appeal of cycling.
It’s indisputably the fastest/cheapest way to get around in an urban context.
For longer journeys, it’s an order of magnitude faster than walking, though not as fast as motorised transport – it beats (private) motorised transport by an order of magnitude cost-wise (if not several!), though, and is still significantly cheaper than public transport in most instances. Also, in a world of sedentary work and leisure, it beats the gym both in terms of cost and functionality.
There’s also the happy sense of camaraderie among cyclists, both by way of shared suffering, and the smugness of knowing that you’re not sitting in a car burning fossil fuels =^)
I’m sure other people have other reasons, but that’s largely the appeal to me.
All of the above pre-supposes the energy to do it and enjoy doing it. That’s my stumbling block.
My perspective is much the same as James’, but I also like the fact that I’m immersed in the environment – for better or worse – on a ride. I get to hear the bird calls, smell the flowers and trees (and road kill 🙁 ); I like being able to swap a few words with a local as I pass by, rather than being cocooned away.
I also like the sense of accomplishment that I get – knowing I got somewhere and I know every kilometre of the road separating where I was with where I am. The trip doesn’t become an abstract thing that just has to be passed through, but it becomes an integral part of the experience of my holiday; I’m there, in the moment, for the whole trip.
I also don’t “get” the appeal of gardening. That doesn’t mean I don’t get the appeal of it, and see why people might spend hours bent over, in the sun, on the hillside 🙂
I have to say, the immersion in the environment is also a big factor, what Rick said, as is the focus and immediacy of staying alive amidst traffic. Very in-the-moment stuff.
While I understand your point about energy, Kathy, I’ve always found the kind of energy expenditure in car ownership and maintenance to be highly unpleasant, to the point of being insupportable; so, horses for courses, I guess. I might very well think differently in a different environment.
Point taken, Rick, about gardening, although I avoid being in the sun if I possibly can. On Spear Lily Hill I’m working towards a permanent solution for a spot that has been a mess of weeds ever since the cows went, which is enough of an incentive, but I also enjoy the activity and seeing the improvement as I go. There are definitely Lloyd genes at work in my weeding activities. On the hill I’m also targetting my lungs in the specific exercise involved.
James, the trick about car maintenance is to do as little of it as possible, which means owning a newish reliable car, and to not have to have it always shiny. I do like it clean, but I’ve learned to live without that. I get mine professionally polished about once a year. The other aspect is to find a reliable mechanic to do the annual check-up and so prevent problems. I’d hate having a car that wasn’t reliable (with no effort on my part), and I’d probably have a real problem with one in the city. So, yes, horses for courses.