Friday stroll to Woy Woy

The Ride
Gosford to WoyWoy return - 26th April 2010


Bunnies on board: Amanda and Annette
Meeting place: Gosford pool
Distance cycled: Amanda: 24km Annette 33km
Speed: 16 km/h average 45 km/h max
Time riding: 2 hours 20 min
Time it took us all up: 3 hours 30 min
Calories burnt: 1213
Heart rate: 115 average 173 max

With bunny-Amanda still in recovery mode with her ligament-outed back, we met up on this fine Friday morning to ride to Woy Woy and back... We had arranged to meet by the pool at Gosford and I was happily on my way to our meeting place when suddenly out of the blue, I was YELLED at: A guy waiting at the lights on the other side of the road decided to vent his morning anger at me as I road past in the opposite direction... He threw in a few F***-ing for good measure (where one was referring to some idiot and the other was referring to some road...)... Although it wasn't nice to be yelled at, I can see the similarity with the kid in the sandpit yelling "GET OUT OF MY WAY" to the cat up a tree 50m away... There are a few (not many - truly most people on the road are ever so nice) so called motorists who need to take a good look at how they behave on the roads... a tonne of metal is a strange thing to hide in, while directing your anger at people you've never met... Yes... driving can be frustrating - there's roadworks, delays and the general stress of getting to places on time. But if you think about the real risk involved in doing something stupid - and not getting there at all: Is it really worth it??

Anyways, with that little debacle way behind me, I found myself at the pool with time to spare, and waited for bunny Amanda by the fence... Low and behold my surprise when I spot an orange flouro vest zipping around the pathway at the back of the pool! Quick! jump on bike and catch up - silly me, I was waiting in the wrong spot :) I caught up with my fellow rider just by the boat ramp and got to admire her new and very exciting bike! Black Beauty is very flash indeed and oh so suits our fashionista bunny! We set off on our merry way, chattering all the way to the bridge - and beyond... for with her new bike bunny Amanda can come out of the closet and happily embrace her secret love of hills!

We kept up a nice pace along the pathway, there were a few people out walking which we said hi to, my bell had stopped working so I did the loud HI, Hello and SORRY, while Amanda rang her bell double time... The sun was out and it was a fabulous morning to be riding. So fabulous that we were both overcome (as you too would be...) by a compulsion to YODEL & YOHOO riding through the railway tunnel at Point Clare. Meeting Mr Serious biker halfway into the tunnel was such a contrast that we ended up in stitches laughing our heads off... we honestly don't strive for this half-mad image, it just happens... ;)

Once we'd passed Point Claire we zipped out into the bike lane on Brisbane Water road, where we stretched our legs and picked up the pace sitting on about 24km/h all the way into Woy Woy. Ahh the wind in our hair and the water views - just lovely!

Getting to our half-way coffee stop at the Gnostic café had us bumping into a gang of 'senior' bike riders, all out on a Friday adventure. Amanda had properly dismounted to cross the road, whilst I was sort of straddling and trying to walk half-dismounted (bit indecisive there...) and at the same time attempting to smile, wave and say hello to the above-mentioned gang of riders.... It's a wonder I didn't lose my balance completely and fall over! We had our coffee (which was divine) sitting outside with a fabulous view... across the street, where Amanda had spotted this dress she simply just HAD to try on....(the short story to that adventure is that yes the colours were fabulous, but the cut was a disaster... and it all ended with this little voice calling for help from the change cubicle and both of us making a quick exit, leaving the shop girl to fold a pile of bedspreads which I'd been looking at... oh dear!)

Waiting for coffee... 

 

Mad...? oh no not me!

We started on our home-run with all going smoothly. A quick water stop on the side of Brisbane Water road provided a photo opportunity, where I managed to capture that elusive bunny...

 

Catch me if you can!

Water..... ahhh :)

One happy biker bunny

Everything was going ever so smoothly until my phone rang... I'm never good at finding things in my bag (even when off my bike), so to try and get the stupid phone out of the bag before it stopped ringing had me swearing at the phone while emptying my bag on the side of the road... Naturally I didn't find the phone in time and proceeded to tell Amanda what a stupid phone it is, that despite me extending the time it rings for - it still makes sure it stays hidden for those extra couple of rings... However the person who had to listen to my little sermon about phones wasn't Amanda at all, but some innocent bike rider who in the corner of my eye was posing as Amanda... I laughed and said sorry and hopped back on my bike to find Amanda laughing her head off down the road, with her camera ready... 

Phone safely put away and smile back on...

Somehow we managed one last incident just as we were parting ways (I continued up Kariong hill, while Amanda rode down past Adcock park and back to the pool)... Excitedly I was telling Amanda about my very first karate lesson and hopped off my bike to show her one of the moves, I think I asked her to hold her arms up and then I flailed my own arms in something supposed to resemble a 'block'. Who should ride past just as I'm performing the most vicious karate chop on the most innocent bike rider ever...??? The 'senior' gang of bike riders chose the perfect moment to appear out of nowhere! So... with our mad image intact we said our goodbyes and continued on our laughing merry ways.

Happy safe riding all and hope ride soon again!
Annette :)


And...... bunny Amanda has a few lines to add:


Annette has the ride well and truly summed up except I may add that when we sat down for coffee two notable things occurred:

• A vintage stationwagon pulled up next to us and out of the car climbed five old people all in their 70s and 80s having a quick coffee before they went on the ferry to Palm Beach. They were a chatty lot and even told us we had had long enough for our coffee and should jump on our bikes and keep riding – they were all jolly cute
  
• The dress looked absolutely stunning on the model (as always) and I in my delusion state thought it would look just as good on me, so after coffee we mosey on over and I get the dress of the manikin and run into the changing room all excited about such a find. However after trying for a couple of minutes I realized there was no zip so yanked it over my head and squeezed into it – silly really because I had to then try and get it off. Now I was in my trainers and I did have my bike pants on underneath but I looked absolutely hideous, more so than at the Hunter Valley, and that is saying something. I really did look like a homeless person this time. SO after laughing hysterically at myself I had to get Annette to come in and help me get it off because try as I might I really couldn’t get it over my head. After a bit of yanking and fear that I may rip the bloody thing, Annette showed me the trophy dress in her hand all safe and sound. Then the shop assistant showed me a similar patterned dress kinda A line with a biker back top half which looked even worse on me…… so we left the shop dejected but ready for our ride home.

And I also have to add, that when Annette was karate chopping me we weren’t just laughing – we were hysterical to the point that Annette nearly fell off her bike…. All in all another mad adventure with The Terminator!

Amanda :)