On the run

I’m a little embarrassed to confess…

… not only does my road bike have a triple chain ring, but today I had to use it.

It was my first ride back after several years off (and only one short mountain bike earlier this week). It was meant to be the river loop, 35 km, so I rode in to meet Ruth at Bike Obsession, 12 km along Nudgee Road, Kingsford Smith Drive and Breakfast Creek Road. Yep, brave or stupid.

But then we added in the Chelmer loop. And then we rode back over the Eleanor Schonell Bridge to UQ rather than through West End. (And then we had breakfast, which I thoroughly needed, as I’d only had a slice of toast with PB and short black before heading out at the arsecrack of dawn.)

And then, genius that I am, I sought a way to avoid Sandgate Road on the way home that didn’t involve braving the traffic I’d encountered on the way in. So, rather than go through the city and search for a way to the Kedron Brook bike path, which I figured would add an extra 5 km anyway, I headed back through the gardens, over the Goodwill Bridge, out to Kangaroo Point, through Mowbray Park, and out along Wynnum Road. Bike path or on road bike lane pretty much the whole way - win.

I guess I was originally planning on taking Junction Road and Lytton Road, but I vaguely recalled Abby telling me that another route was safer. So I went out to Creek Road and bolted across several lanes of traffic to get into Murarrie Road.

And then, at 70 km into my bike ride, I made a horrendous discovery: Queensport Road. Who the fuck put that there? Thank dog for my triple. At least over bridge you get the rewarding descent…

I made it home, very slowly. First ride done: 81 km. My arse hurts, but not as much as I expected.

• 24 August 2012