I ride my age again

I was hoping today would become a "long ride day" because I hadn't been keeping a good schedule and had just 2 days to make up 123km.  It was also going to be exciting because there was a mail package with clipless pedals and riding shoes waiting for me at the post office. 

Keen to get underway I arrived at my regular kick off point at 8am which was to early for the post office. So,  I just rode an 18km loop to full in time.  The loop would take us past the PO. Ok,  underway and I was feeling good with just a little tenderness in my right wrist.  I trusted that this would fade as I warmed up.  The weather was pretty ideal,  calm but with rain clouds mustering.  They held of for most of the ride and actually produced perfect riding conditions.  Huh!

With a long day planned my main aim was to pace myself, or hold myself back. The first 10km  flew by and I was again happy that I'd returned to riding my Jamis Coda Sport instead of my Kona Wo fatbike.  I enjoy riding the Kona, but it was slow and for this month I need to carve out some km's. 

At the 9km mark I hit Tucker Park Paterson for a refreshment break. Relieved,  I rode past the PO which was now open and headed for my start point to pick up my car and tools to fit the pedals.  The way back was a little busy and the local quarry trucks were a continual anxiety-inducing hazard. Between heavy vertical traffic on shoulderless country roads and skin cancer (ex surfer), Covid doesn't stand a chance of getting me. I did see an echidna by the road north of P but it was suitably fearful of the traffic and looked like it was heading back into the bush  

Otherwise the truck shuffle was uneventful and Strava was paused at 17.9km. Phil the Post Master reported that offer a hundred parcels had just landed and he happily grabbed mine and handed it over because it was large and he was running out of spaces.  The Pushys logo had me excited,  but I consciously restrained myself from getting to excited until everything was fitted up and working.  In Tucker Park again, I chose ac picnic table away from families at the children's play area and got my new toys out.  Pedals were there,  and shoes.  That's a start. Now I knew one pedal was left hand thread,  but Google didn't say which,  just that you undo opposite pedal rotation. I fished a 15mm  spanner from my kit as a dad and toddler went past on a little bike with training wheels.  Keep it up,  I silently urged. The pedals were fitted  up remarkably quickly. 

Fitting the cleats,  something Id never done,  was ok with the instructions.  Shoes fit and then with a resounding click, I was ready to continue my ride.  Water bottle topped up, taillight on, Strava resumed,  podcast play on podcast, buds in, helmet on.  Happy as a clam I fiddled about trying to engage my non-dominant left  foot.  Back on the main road,  I felt quicker already,  but I needed to force myself to not become distracted and weave into the lane.  Light traffic,  but quarry trucks! At Pitnacree, about 40km  mark  I took a country lane towards Morpeth and began to nibble on muesli bars and banana.  

At Morpeth village I got stuff for lunch,  yoghurt pouches,  bananas,  Gatorade and muesli bars.  I ate these in the park by the historic timber bridge over the Hunter River.  The picnic tables were full so I picked a soft piece of grass to test my ass and chow down. My son had been trying to call, apparently my bees had swarmed and then returned home.  More swarms! I need to pick a different month for a 500km  charity ride.  

A pair of cyclists rider into town on flash road bikes,  but ignored me.  One was sitting of centre; newbie. A moment later one of them, pushing two bikes entered the park and still managed to not see me.  I noticed they both had flat pedals.  Huh! A little later Side  Saddle arrived,  masked up,  carrying coffee and nodded jovially. I dumped my rubbish and headed over the bridge, before taking a right through Hinton and then Wallalong.  

This month's riding had revealed a long downhill option to avoid rolly polly Butterwick Rd, and I'm no fool.  I tucked up, after a pee stop at the top of c Wallalong hill,  my hands and butt were good, so I kept going through Woodville passing up the coffee cubby.  Huh! This lovely backroad is subject to flooding (read flat), and most traffic is slow and local.  I'd been a regular here of late, so perhaps they are getting to know me. Certainly the maggies are, swish cackle times three. A woman picnicking with three others yelled a caution about the birds.  I suggested ""they don't east much" which raised a chortle as another swish and cackle responded by my head. A second birdhad a crack soon after,  she was a regular,  this being my fourth run in with her.  But I feared her not nor wished her any harm, she was just being a good mum. Ride on. 

Finally,  back to Paterson to pick up the truck.  I turned of Strava for a total of 62.9km for the day.  My longest day yet.  Everything had gone sweetly; my package arrived arrived,  the SPD system was successfully installed and seems to help a lot, our monthly mileage total of 439km is within striking distance of my goal for tomorrow night and my right knee had no soreness thanks the first time thanks to Shimano. Ride on!