42km hell-bunny ride :)

Amanda-bunny's account of our 42km loop around Brisbane waters :)

Oh my good god! What the hell was I thinking when I mapped this ride out! Cars are strange creatures - they make you feel as if every road is flat - cars are now officially the masters of illusion, forget magicians and politicians! In my mind as I mapped this ride I came across one hill, the one coming past St Huberts Island, but the reality was somewhat different!!!!!!!!!!! More on those hills later.


I must admit that the thought of riding with Annette (who is now the master of all cyclists) no longer scared me as I knew that she graciously waited at the top of every hill and rode to my level. But when I found out that Lou was coming I did panic a tad as I know that these two are invincible as they can cycle up Charles Kay...


We met at Bikeworx at Erina at 9:30, but the two gang members were already there laughing and getting the bike pants ready for a trial. Lou looked like Pippi Long Stocking with her cute little plaits and Annette looked like a pro bikey chick!


Our new bike mechanic Jason, told us we were like a bunch of giggling school girls and that made us worse. I will be popping in to see him regularly as he pumped my tyres, fitted my helmut and attached some new handle grips for me and adjusted my gears! After about $700 and nearly an hour later we headed off on our merry way to start what was to become a living nightmare.


Everything was going swimmingly for the first five minutes until Annette got swooped by a magpie. Fearing for our lives we started pedalling very fast to the comforting screeches of Annette "It's alright they like blue helmuts" I had a red one on and 3 seconds later was swooped for the first time in my life - quite scary I may add.


We made it to Woy Woy and through Woy Woy with no major mishaps until we hit Stairway to Hell. This is where I accuse cars of being masters of illusion. I have driven this road so many times and thought there was only steep hill - REALITY CHECK - there are about 5!!! on Empire Drive (of which I cheated on one, or was it two, of them - poor Annette and Lou were at the top cheering me on and I had to tell them that I had walked half of it when they weren't looking.


Just when I thought I was safe from the hills, we turned onto Avoca Drive which had another 3 to go - of which I walked up one and a half - again lagging behind and swearing at how stupid I could have been to map out such a ride!


Thank god for the bike shorts though or I would not be walking today - padding like a gorillas arse but well worth the look!


Lou made it back and rushed off to see Oskar receive an award and Annette and I trundled into a cafe and collapsed over a strong Capaccino and Flat white asking Sunni for an ambulance home.
With brain on a temporary holiday my conversation skills fell into a loop: "Annette the fish tacos are really good here, ... oh but you don't eat fish do you? ... (gazing around to see if coffees are arriving) ... Oh you know the fish tacos here are gorgeous! oh that's right, you don't eat fish... (followed by another gaze out into emptiness) ... Ahh the fish tacos they do here are really good..." This is where I'm interrupted by a laughing bunny Annette who points out I'm going around in circles :)



There was no room for hysterics as we headed our separate ways to the school pick up and then straight home to bed with a cup of tea.


My pants had now become my best friend, but I had to go the movies so I begrudgingly took them off and showered and prepared for my evening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amanda :)