The mornings have been fairly good although it is getting light later in the day but by 5.30am the sun is creeping over the horizon.Saturday 13 February was no different accept that I decided to ride with the Chevron group who were doing a Hills ride .Tony was not able to ride although he got to the start but he had back soreness from Pilate's and decided to rest it.Was very wise as there are hills in Perth and grinding up even a gradual gradient will hurt.
There were seven in the group and we met up at the Narrows bridge in the middle of Perth. I rode from home and had 14 km on the clock.We set off south on the freeway cycle path and then to Mt Henry via the esplanade and then through Bullsbrook and Ranford road and then Armadale Road before hitting the first climb, a 11km climb on Albany Highway .it is deceptively gradual but it is long and along the wya there is a cross which says " RIP COOKIE" .A little disconcerting when my nickname is cookie.First saw the sign last year whenI rode with the Chevron group in Winter and the dips in the valley were cold and foggy as we wound our way through the forest roads in Araluen.It is both eeire and strangely peaceful.
We grouped again at the turn off to Canning Dam road , the road I took 2 weeks ago on my 10 hour ride.But on this occasion I did not have to ride back to Albany Highway.
Canning dams Road is an undulating road that goes pass the Canning Dam and then on to Araluen , a large Public Park .We had a roller coaster ride and I got to my all time fastest speed downhill at 75kph. It was still warming up so it was great riding weather. There was a puncture along the way and I waited at the end of the turn off to Canning Mills Road .We then rode to Kalamunda where we had coffee and cakes at the Best French Patisserie in Perth.I had a coke and a petit baguette .Just needed the sugar.My computer failed at Kalamunda and I used MapMYTri to work out that I would have done about 120km all up by the time I got back.
After the break , it was hard getting back on the saddle and it was hot.We rode down the zigzag and I should have taken a picture , but the best view of Perth is from the top of Zig Zag .It was a cloudless and clear day with the Perth Skyline 39km away.
We cycled down the zigzag which is a narrow road previously the route of a train line to Kalamunda. from there it was a flat ride to guildford and then on the the cyclepath at Bayswater where I rode home and the Chevron group made their way back to the Narrows Bridge.
I felt very good and no soreness in the legs which was a significant change .It was a good workout , the real test is Sundays race and how my legs will hold up.
View of Perth from the top of the Zig-Zag , Kalamunda
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