Things to do when your bike's in a box

Last night I packed Sir Gulliver, my touring bike, in a recycled cardboard box begged from the bike store around the corner on Pulteney St. This morning at 10am, the Seven Seas Shipping van came by, relieved me of a couple hundred $, and I consigned the bike for a trip north,and a couple of months in my niece's garage.

I feel sad, it's rainy, and I am bikeless in Adelaide. So I was pleased to see an alert from Adelaide Public Library, announcing that my hold on Kristian Bauer's Ride a Stage of the Tour De France: The Legendary Climbs and How to Ride Them [London : A & C Black, 2011] was waiting for me. As I'm heading out of town for two week's on The Ghan train to Darwin and back, I can't borrow this little gem. So I skimmed it.

It's a well designed, well written and comprehensive manual, offering short route descriptions, supplemented with photos, maps, altitude charts, and sidebars on fun things. It's written by a knowledgeable German road cycling enthusiast,a translation/update of the original German book from 2006. It's blessedly free of marketing and sales hype. I know I could tackle some of these "hills" on trusty Sir Gulliver, and not feel too self conscious. It's the "doing" that's important, not the "being seen to be doing."

Kristian helpfully lists a "quick guide to fun passes," which include the 3 easiest (Col du Hundsruck, Notschrei, Pra-Loup), the 3 most athletically challenging (Col de l'Iseran, Galibier via Telegraphe, Mont Ventoux), and the most beautiful (Port de Pailheres, Col d'Aubisque, Col d'Izoard).

He's so right. This past July I was able to watch as many hours as I could stomach, live, of the Tour De France, for free, on Australian commercial TV, from 10pm to 2am. Needless to say, I stayed up for the full 20 nights, going to bed in the wee hours, and wandering around at the office in a daze the day after. Only a handful of people there were paying attention to the fact that Cadel Evans was going to be the first Aussie to win.

In all those hours, listening mesmerized to Phil Liggett's delightful commentary, 've never really had the opportunity to study just how lovely the French alpine Tour sections are. I was struck by the realization that the Alpes look remarkably similar to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. In past, stronger times, I've ridden two Ride the Rockies weeklong events, I now realize just how lucky I've been so far in choosing great places to ride. So I need to keep on making my own luck.

I immensely enjoyed this year's Tour de France, as the riders went through both Brittany and Normandy, and I saw several of the roads I'd ridden myself, only a year ago. Of course, I was loaded down with a ridiculous amount of gear, and a total novice at road touring, dealing with stupid things like having my back rack fall off the bike, as I'd not tightened the screws adequately,and dealing with all the insanities of life as a solo cyclist on a long road trip. Despite my laughable start, since then, I've ridden my touring bike from the Grand Canyon in Arizona, taken a folding bike around New Zealand, and even had a little time to ride in South Australia.

So, as I take the slow route back home to the USA, I'm planning to travel via New Zealand. I have just bought a flight from the Gold Coast in Queensland, to Auckland, and will hit the NZ road again, me and Sir Gulliver, in the new year.

Something to look forward to. Life hands you lemons, make lemonade, etc.

Ride to Work Day in Adelaide

Yesterday I attended a free breakfast for cyclists happened in Victoria Square, in central Adelaide. I found it ironic that for me, at least, it was, "don't ride to work" day.

There were free bananas, scones and juice, also a silly "ride as slow as you can" event mc'd by the local public radio station. The mayor was there, announcing big plans for more bike infrastructure to come to the city. The local radio commentators in general are non-cyclists, and went off topic fast, asking the various politicans who showed up about completely non-bike related topics, including asking someone's opinion of gay marriage. What relevance that had here, is anyone's guess. I heard the interview later, when I was back home. Made me scratch my head in wonderment.

Later I rode my bike in the Central Business District, and had to scream "heads up" at a woman inching her car forward out of downtown car park, heading straight at me. Just the typically blind motorist you find here. There still is a climate of disrespect "roads are for cars" type thinking here, making it difficult for cyclists. In turn, cyclists here take a number of risks that threaten their own lives, and don't help motorists get on board. Very few announce themselves as they ride past you on a bike trail. There's a lot of ground to cover here if the city is to become, in the mayor's words, the most bike friendly city in the country.

BikeSA is working on a number of good programmes to make the roads more multi modal. Good luck to them. Were I staying here, I'd have gotten involved, but my path lies in a different direction.

I am packing my bike for shipment north later today. If I pack it myself, it's much much cheaper than paying for the shipper to do it for me. They wanted a minimum of $180 for the privilege, and wouldn't let me put the tools, helmets, bags, etc in the box with the bike. With the other belongings I'm sending to Queensland, that would have meant a lot more expense.

Starting Sunday, I'm traveling to the Top End (Darwin) via one of the most famous trains in the world: The Ghan. I'm here, I have time, so I'm giving it a shot.

On the Road Again

The job I moved to Adelaide to take ended last week. Such is life.

I'm boxing up my belongings, ending my lease, shipping what I can, including Sir Gulliver to touring bike to Queensland, where he can live in a friend's garage for a month or so, and going on the road as a backpacker once more.

Despite the fact that I just cancelled my registration for the Tour Down Under day ride in January 2012,I know that Adelaide is pretty good for cyclists. As I won't be here to meet Eddy Merxcyx, or catch a glimpse of Cadel Evans during the Tour, I'm cutting my losses. There are many places to ride, and I won't miss the motoriststs and bus drivers here who straddle the bike lane. Share the Road isn't fully embedded in the car crazy culture here. It will take a few more years I suppose. But it is better.

In spite of my shoulder, I managed to start bike commuting, moving to 5 days/week in August, after a such a tentative start back in July. I worked out a great route along the Torrens Linear Park, and my temper improved immensely once I was back in the bike saddle. Gosh, I'd missed riding. I also discovered the ride up "Old Norton Summit Road" to the Scenic Hotel. It's a steep winding road, giving a view of Morialta Conservation Park, some vineyards, a cherry orchard, and the chance to be attacked by nesting magpies.

I rode up there last Sunday. "Maggie" ignored me on the slog up, but I felt the tell tale feathery flutter, sort of little dancing bird feet touching me on my left shoulder as I was rocketing down the winding mountain road. This is a rite of spring cycling around here. I didn't need a helmet embellished with plastic spikes, or even a set of printed human eyes from a "Swoop Off Kit" [http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/plants-and-animals/native-plants-and-animals/problem-wildlife/swooping-birds/swoop-off-kit]

You can't make this stuff up.

September is Spring in Adelaide

Woman on her bike has been off line for a while, as she figures out how to manage living in a new city. Having a busted shoulder since April hasn't really helped. I stopped riding, because my shoulder hurt. It still hurts. So I've gone back to bike commuting. Last week was the first 5 days in a row I've done in months. My shoulder still hurts like heck, but my spirits are 100 per cent improved. I'm in for months of physio therapy, so I decided I may as well ride.

I've figured out a safe route to work where I won't get sideswiped by Adelaide Metro busses, and where I can manoeuvre relatively smoothly up the super narrow curb cuts built as an afterthought into the sidewalks around here. These cuts in footpath are theoretically built for wheelchairs, but I can tell you that a wheelchair user would have one hell of a time using them, as they're too steep sided.

My route to work is about the same number of kilometres I was covering by bus, and doesn't involve bus drivers who drive in the vomit inducing jerky stop/start manner that flings passengers who try to stand up too early straight into the windscreen. I also have learned that a lot of the bus riders on my normal route to work really really need to stop peeing their pants and take a shower more often. I'd forgotten how, in car-centric Australia, it's somewhat low class to use public transport.

I hook into the Torrens Linear path, which toodles along the Torrens river, winding through pretty trees, and a phalanx of huge magpies, which I know will soon start attacking me as an intruder, as spring is nesting season, and these little beauties are super-territorial. Perhaps I will be painting my helmet to have a set of evil eyes on the lid to scare the buggers off.

I've also figured out a place to keep my bike, inside the building, with access to a locker and a shower.

It's been a matter of trial and error, plenty of the latter, but I've done this all before, and, because I know it's worth it, I just stuck with it, and will keep on going until it's perfect.

I just realised that it's coming up to the 10 year anniversary of when I first started bike commuting year round. My oh my, what a lot has happened in the past 10 years.

First steps in assessing the local bike scene

Riding my bike hasn't been an option for the last two months, but I've been scanning the local scene and figuring out where I can ride, once the PT says it's ok to get back in the saddle.

The local newspaper is The Adelaide Advertiser. What's nice about South Australia is that road biking gets newspaper coverage, like every other sport around here. Adelaide hosts the January Tour Down Under, so it takes competitive cycling very seriously. I've noted plenty of commuters riding M-F here, usually on limited gears "sit up and begs" and low end mountain bikes. Weather is a bit chilly in the mornings, but by 9am, it's like a warm Seattle day, so I find it funny how everyone is wearing scarves and overcoats as they ride around. On the weekends the flash set comes out to play. Lots of Giant carbon bikes, Specialized, and various European brands. Also a few super cool dude fixies about. I've seen only one type of folding bike, Dahon, and they're pretty scarce.

There are bike lanes in the city, not as wide as I'm used to, and I've seen a couple of close rider v bus encounters, and cyclists choosing (or forced?) to ride in high speed rush hour traffic. These things warn me about the state of the locals re "share the road," which basically isn't as advanced as I'm used to in Seattle. I am forewarned. It won't stop me riding, but cause me to adjust my road behavior to match.

I picked up a copy of the Advertiser's latest rides book (there are several) at the newspaper's retail sales desk on Waymouth St. I also quizzed a cyclist at the coffee shop at Mt Lofty visitor's centre last monday, where I went for a hike on the Queen's Birthday public holiday. Hard to missall the riders slogging up hill to the summit. Looks like I found one of the good training rides for the locals. When my shoulder can take it, I'll ditch the bus ride to Mt Lofty and ride with them.

Back in the saddle in South Australia

Woman on her bike has been busy moving to try out a new job in a new country. Riding's been on hiatus, due to the challenges of such an endeavor, along with living with a torn rotator cuff in the left shoulder.

When the physio therapist says: OK, she's be joining BikeSA and checking out a few of their weekend rides.

On March 30, I attended a webinar hosted by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, APBP, "Women Can Change the World through Cycling."

To see presentations from five knowledgeable women involved in “normalizing” cycling as a transportation option for US women, read it here.

This isn't about bike chic, i.e., how fashionable it is to ride bikes these days. It's about getting more women out there, sharing the road, and using their bikes to commute to work, pick up their kids, run errands, have fun, get healthy, do their bit for environmental sustainability.

Inspiring stuff!