Amy's Ride 2013

Amy's Ride is probably one of my favorite community rides in Adelaide, and so it would take a fair bit for me to miss it.  So far, Miss V and I have taken part in every Amy's ride held in Adelaide, which is a record I'd like to continue if possible! This year we had the added incentive of having met Mary and Denis Safe at Bike SA's Annual Tour.  Hearing their enthusiasm for the event I think added just that little bit extra to the event for me. 

Team Aquaterra at the first Amy's Ride in 2009.

Both Miss V and myself were definitely not 100% health wise which was a little bit of a concern, especially with the fairly strong headwinds expected throughout the day. In the back of my mind, was the thought that maybe opting for one of the shorter routes might be the smarter option, though at the same time I was itching to have another ride of Old Willunga Hill.

I had chosen to wear my brand new stealthy PACC kit, which in my opinion looks awesome.

Before the start we met up with Brett and Karen, and then bumped into some of the Smudge Monkees. Something that I've found more and more is that having been involved in Adelaide Cyclists, and then later PACC, is that I'm almost guaranteed to bump into someone I know at these events. Very cool, and a far cry from the isolated feeling that used to feel.

Woo.. Stealthy! (photo c/ Smudge Monkees)

So with the start announced we gently rolled towards the start line to begin our ride with the pushbike song blasting over the loudspeakers. For those wishing to relive the experience, here you go.

As is usual, Miss V and I rolled along together until the base of the first climb, at which point we parted ways, to regroup later on. This time I was joined by Brett, though I soon dropped him as I dodged and weaved through the hundreds of riders who covered the entire width of the Southern Expressway. On reaching the top of the climb I backed right off and went into cruise mode, once again aware of the large number of riders for whom spatial awareness wasn't their strong point. 

Part way down I noticed the familiar figure of Brett up ahead. I was somewhat surprised by this given I never noticed him pass me!  On reaching the end of the Southern Expressway we stopped to wait for Miss V. It was here that we got to hear the whinging and crying of some of Adelaide's motorists as a result of the riders being given priority on the exit of the expressway. Well done SAPOL for keeping these losers in their place. Given the family nature of the event, the language of some of these drivers was fairly disgraceful. Once Miss V had caught up  I waved goodbye to one particularly vocal and abusive motorist as the police officer waved us through :)

The next section is usually pretty nice with some lovely seaside scenery and low traffic. The headwind was still there, but I think our surroundings might have negated some of the pain that it was inflicting. Brett, Miss V and I went through this section pretty smoothly, maybe as a result of being fairly familiar with the roads since the snapper point Cyclosportif course uses a similar route.

Miss V enjoying the ride along the coast. 

After a while, the course turns inland, to head towards Old Willunga Hill. Almost every time we've ridden this course, this has been the least favourite section. The roads are fairly bumpy so riding along here tends to be fairly energy sapping. This time however, things were different. I think we were in luck and the winds helped us out a bit. However it happened, things seemed to roll along fairly nicely here for once. Miss V was starting to look a bit tired, so I was wondering whether she'd be up for going up Willunga Hill.

While rolling along towards the Willunga rest stop, we bumped into Denis Safe, and so we had a bit of a chat with him. I can't imagine the inner strength that both Dennis and Mary must have when they attend these events. I know the impact reminders of the sudden loss of my dad have on me, and yet when they attend these events there's no escaping the memory of the loss of their daughter. Truly inspiring people.

On reaching the Willunga stop, Miss V and I had to make a choice; whether to ride up Willunga or not. Both of us were feeling a bit second hand by now, on account of our respective colds. I had decided that I'd come this far, and that I'd tackle Willunga, even if I just pootle along up there. To my surprise Miss V said that she was going to give it a crack too. Tough girl that Miss V :)

So with Brett in tow, the three of us rolled to the base of Old Willunga Hill. Being Brett's first time up Willunga, I was keen to see how he went. As per usual, we took the climb at our own respective paces, planning to meet up at the top. Knowing that I was unwell I had no intention of trying to beat my PB time, so with that I just kept the pedals rolling over and enjoyed the ride up there. Oddly, I found myself passing people, especially near the top where there seemed to be a lot of people huffing and puffing. On reaching the top I waited for both Brett and Miss V to make an appearance. (Later on I was to find that I'd beaten my PB, which I'm pretty stoked about!) I was curious to see who would appear at the top first out of those two. I know Miss V's climbing has improved enormously, but I suspected her cold would hold her back a little. On the other hand, while I could see that Brett's a strong rider on the flats I hadn't ridden often enough to see how he goes up hills. So I waited...
 

Old Willunga Hill Profile.

Cresting the hill first was Brett!  nice work!  Not too long after Miss V rode into view, not too far off her own PB. Neither looked too wiped out from the effort which was a good sign since there was still about 40 km left to go.

The ride along Range Road is not really one of my most favoured roads. The scenery is really pretty, but the roads are rough making them a bit tiring to ride over. Along the way this time I amused myself by pointing out to Brett that he'd have the pleasure of riding this road during the Sportif season. At the end of the Range Road stretch is the sensational descent down Wickhams hill. I've seen a few crashes along here, so I usually take it fairly sedately. So with that, I yelled out to Brett to be careful and I made my way down the hill. Being on my new bike, I'm a little bit nervous diving into corners since I haven't really spent as much time as I would like to on the Pinarello. It handles fantastically well, but I guess it just handles differently to my Giant which I've put so many kilometres on. Hopefully in time I'll be able to ride as confidently on the Pinarello as I do on the Giant! With that said and done, apparently I descended Wickhams Hill faster than I ever had, beating my PB by about half a minute. Maybe this new bike is just plain faster! :D

Miss V clearly enjoying the ride on Range Road.

Brett making a break for it!!

After Wickhams Hill, we regrouped and  continued on our way. During this section I think the effects of our colds were beginning to show with both Miss V and I starting to slow a bit. We were very grateful to have Brett sit on the front and pilot us to the finish!

We eventually rolled into the Maclaren Vale visitors centre, some five hours after starting, plonking ourselves on the lawn and enjoying a chicken wrap for lunch. While sitting there enjoying the sun Mary Safe came over from her AGF stand to ask how we were doing, and how we found the ride. I think she was a little thrilled to find that even after all this time the event had first timers (ie Brett and Karen) taking part.

As with previous years, a fantastic event put on by Bike SA which has ride options for everyone.

Strava data

Finish line photos from Epsom Road. How good does the PACC stealth kit look?

Nutella Bob	Spiky Bob
CLP	Miss V

Bike SA Annual Tour - Day 7

Kingscote to Penneshaw - 26th October 2013

Our last day of the tour! 60 km to cover to get to Penneshaw and hop on the ferry.

Overnight the temperature seemed to plummet and leave us freezing in our tent bringing back memories of Outback Odyssey. Fortunately our sleeping bags were more than up to the task.

We were fairly organised this morning, getting most things sorted before breakfast. After breakfast, we pulled down the tent, signed out and we were on our way. The route for today was a fairly easy one for the most part, though we were well aware of a steep climb within the last few kilometres.

Unfortunately for Brett the day started off poorly with a puncture before leaving the camp site. Suspect Gatorskins wouldn't have punctured like that..   just sayin' is all.

For most of the day our pace was fairly relaxed. I think both Miss V and I are both feeling a bit unwell, so the aim was to get to the end and enjoy the ride. There were a few faster bits that we took advantage of and we did have a few tag onto our paceline, but we weren't really pushing the pace as we had done in previous days.

Our first and only rest stop came at the bottom of Prospect Hill. While enjoying fruit cake and tea we could look far and wide over the landscape as well as watch other riders on the road below arriving.  Some were choosing to climb to the top of Prospect Hill which I imagine would have delivered awesome views, but both Miss V and I were happy enough enjoying the view from a more sensible height (plus the thought of climbing that many stairs didn't exactly thrill us).

View from the base of Prospect Hill

Looking up towards Prospect Hill,
Miss V looking to take photos

My loyal steed Black Betty who got me through the tour.

Eventually, we departed our morning tea stop to take on the final leg of our adventure. Our pace was still fairly relaxed and we knew that we're be in Penneshaw with buckets of time to spare, so there was a pretty good feeling amongst the riders around us knowing that, barring any major catastrophe, they'd make it to the end of the tour.

We approached the final climb of the day knowing that it would probably hurt a bit. A number of people (including Miss V and Karen) sounded like they had resigned themselves to walking it.  Things were probably made worse by being able to see the road snaking up the hill before us well before we hit it. As is the norm, Miss V told me to take off and meet her at the top. I pushed a bit up there, figuring that after this effort there was no more required. I got up there fairly comfortably and set about finding a place to wait. While rolling along I got swooped twice by a magpie..  first time on this trip! I eventually found a nice shady spot sans magpies and waited for Miss V to crest the rise. I didn't have to wait that long before I saw her familiar figure pop into view. She had a bit smile on her face as she told me that she hadn't stopped..  awesome effort.

From the top of the hill it was nothing more than a couple of kilometres of rolling into Penneshaw. Almost immediately on arrival the bikes were loaded into the truck, ready for transport.

View before riding into Penneshaw

Miss V just before Penneshaw

We all said our goodbyes to the various people whose company we'd enjoyed over the last week and then went to a local cafe to wait for our ferry.  A fairly smooth ferry ride and we were back to the mainland, ready to return to normal programming.

Happy faces - the end of this cycling adventure.

And with that, the Bike SA Annual Tour is done for 2013. Being the first of these that we have done, it's difficult to compare with what has gone previously. The closest I have to compare is the Outback Odyssey Mini Mawson that we did earlier in the year. I think I enjoyed this event much more because simply because my body didn't decide to fall apart on me! 

All things considered I'd say that the event as a whole was enjoyable and very well planned and organised. Full credit to the Bike SA staff for making things run so smoothly, and a massive thank you to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout. 

Congratulations to Brett and Karen, who originally suggested that we join them on this trip, for completing the journey with us. Congratulations also to the lovely Miss V for finishing the tour alongside me, and riding so strongly each and every day, even if the pace was pushing her a little.

Thanks for reading! :) 

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