Some heavy monsoonal showers yesterday and the forecast for more of the same today meant an added risk that we just couldn't mitigate. Not that we can't ride in the rain- Dee and I just did a 40 km ride this morning and it rained so hard at times that there was a sting in the drops and visibility was almost like a "white out"- it just seems that some motorists think that the wet roads have this magic ability to give their cars an extra 50 horsepower and give them the driving skills of Michael Schumacher. And this mornng was no different... as we waited for some more cyclists to show up at the LBS before heading out, we could hear the sound of a "hotted up" car spinning its wheels nearby in what was undoubtedly a show of the owner's great skills. It wasn't even 5:30am yet- what possesses someone to do this crap?
The Tour Downunder winds up today and it looks like Allan Davis of Quickstep will be the overall winner with a 25 second lead over Stu O'Grady. Last year's winner, Andre Greipel had been in contention until he collided with a parked police motorcycle during Stage 3. Looks like he's gone for three months.
Looks like the sun is trying to put in an appearance. Might have to dig out my spare shoes and go for another spin...
The Week 315.6 km
January 968.6
2009 968.6
Cheers
Ride safe
BoaB
2 comments:
Yo
Sorry to hear about the Towers ride being cancelled. It's hard to plan anything these days if rain is likely to 'dampen' the mood for riding. I took s long ride in the rain alone really early in the morning on Wednesday - maybe it was because everybody is in a state of shock about the cyclist killed here last week-end, but i found every vehicle very considerate of me; gave me plenty of room; slowed so as not to splash me and just generally looked after me just a little in ways i don't normally feel - or maybe it was just me and my eternal optimism.
We had our memorial ride for Hossam this morning - we left home at 5:15 a.m. to meet up with the ride at 6 from Tobruk Pool in the City to the Trinity Beach roundabout where the truck ran over Hossam last Saturday morning. Media estimated in excess of 300 riders - maybe people will begin to see that cyclists are everywhere and that every motorist knows lots of people on bikes - forget them and us.
This was a Share the Road ride and there was a sense that the motorists shared that sentiment, by and large. It was a very moving experience for everybody involved and who witnessed cyclists en masse like they'd never seen before.
I'll be posting Hossam's details and photo on the Ride of Silence In Memoriam page tomorrow. It is all just so sad.
eric
Hi Eric
I'm glad to hear there was such a large turnout for the memorial ride- it's unfortunate that the events that precipitate these continue to occur with such alarming frequency.
Hopefully the message will get through that we aren't lycra-clad Lance wannabes but we're someone's brother, sister, daughter, son, mother, father.
Cheers-ride safe
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