As at the end of the ride, with 6 members (Sue Spiropoulos, Michael Kennedy, Michael Langdon, Fouad Aswad, Belinda Kerr and myself), DHBC team raised $3060 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, placing us at 60th position (out of 420) amongst all the corporate teams. And as far as I can see, the highest placed cycling club team. Sue was our top fund raiser at $1055. Fantastic job everyone!
http://register.gongride.org.au/?Dulwic ... cycle+Club
So back to the day. The weather was always going to be the variable for the day. With BOM predicting rain, thunderstorm and then clearing showers, I didn't know what to expect. Watching the doppler radar and satellite images, I finally decided to take the Ridley out for the spin. Got up at 5am and geared up but was running late for the meet up with MichaelK. Didn't see him and couldn't get a response on the mobile, I rode on toward St Peters by myself. Arriving at the start at 6:05, there were already a good gathering of cyclists. It didn't take long to find our group and we had our team photo taken right at 6:15, with the start line in the background and the gun going off. Then we joined the starting queue and was on our way.
Like last year, the route was well managed with police at key junctions with clearly marked lanes. The congestion gradually dissipated as we rode toward Brighton Le Sand. Unfortunately, the rain also started at that point, putting a dull mood on everyone. Everyone stayed drenched until close to Waterfall when blue sky returned for a much safer descent down the Waterfall hill. Eventhough, we came across around 5-6 riders being attended to on the side of the road around half way down. For me, the climb out of RNP felt much easier than last year and is definitely easier than our regular club RNP climbs. I guess the training efforts of last 12 months have paid off.
So we rode on and despite some swirling winds, the weather was generally kind to us. MichaelK put in a great effort on his first Gong ride and was keeping up real well. Along the way we bumped into Adrian and Chris but they rode ahead while we took it easy. As we enjoyed the weather, the idea of riding back firmed.
Then it was the finish line which was in a park this year. With the artificial paving over grass, there's no sprinting possible. It was lucky to not slip off the rubber matting. The two Michael and I rode in together to get our little Gong ride badge. And there waiting for us was Fouad, who charged ahead for a sub-3 hour finish.
We rested on the grass, dried out our gears and had lunch. At that time, Eric also showed up. A memorable team photo resulted...
With Fouad the driving force, MichaelL, Eric and myself signed up for the ride back. We followed the Gong ride route until the bike path. With the large number of riders coming in the opposite direction, we went back to the highway for some sanity. The rolling hills and rising temperature was starting to hit us all. We all thanked Fouad for not leading us onto that evil Bulli Pass. After putting up a strong effort, MichaelL decided to take the train at Thirroul, probably a smart move that I should have opted too. So it was left to the three of us. The ride up Lawrence Hargrave Dr toward Stanwell Tops/Otford was a killer for me. The constant gradient gave no rest and I had to stop twice. The fact that my iPod ran out of charge on the return didn't help my uphill efforts either. Eric amazingly was able to push on on his 39-21 despite a cramp earlier. All along the climb, I could hear the descenders coming the other way commenting on those crazy guys riding back... While my chain grinded away due to an utter lack of lubrication. The water tap Fouad led us to at some point after Stanwell Tops was like an oasis in the desert. I douched my head and felt much better. The technique really works!
Fouad parted way after the 7-11 at Sutherland. Eric and I pushed on on our regular Sun Waterfall return route. The ride back from Waterfall felt really strange with the heavier traffic, very different to our early morning rides. Rolling along the Boulevard we were joined by a small bunch of Ride for Cure riders. They took over the pull when we got tired. Everyone on the return ride seemed to know how everyone else felt. By the time Eric and I rode past Tempe, I was too tired to turn for the velodrome, I just wanted to get home for a shower and a lie down. At that stage, my shoulders were aching badly and the sunburns were starting to sting. But surprisingly my bottom felt normal and definitely no saddle neuropathy like last year's ride. I did the final 10km for home after parting with Eric at Marrickville. Got home at 3:45pm knowing that I've achieved another milestone. A big thanks to all my fellow riders for the encouragements. Till next year...
Final ride stats for me,
Total distance: 183.74km (Yep, my first imperial century)
Time: 7 hr 16min
Ave Speed: 25.29km/h
PS. Official team photos will follow when available.
got it
