Lessons learnt June 9, 2009

I headed out to meet the usual crew for the weekly womens ride. This week, we went to ride Pineapple track (a walking track at all times except when booked officially through the Dunedin City Council).

Some lessons learnt about winter night-riding:

1. Check the weather forecast, track conditions, and pack a windproof jacket. Especially when heading up to where there’s frost/ice on the tracks at almost 700m above sea-level and the strong, gusty north-easterlies are super-chilly..

2. Don’t ride to the meeting point when it involves an hour of uphill.. especially after racing the day before.

3. Don’t offer to tail-end charlie when you’re only wearing a merino singlet and a “warm-up” jacket.. Brrrrrrrrrrr!! No chance to warm up and no chance to stop and put something warmer on.

4. Louis Garneau windtex gloves are NOT as good as one would think in such conditions. My fingers were thoroughly frozen..

5. Living in a valley called North East Valley is an absolute b*tch to ride home in when the northeasterly is blowing right through. I was riding home in my small chain-ring on the flat.

Scotty threw me in the shower when I got home. Needless to say I was in a pretty grumpy mood! Time to stay off the bike for a couple of days to get my riding mojo back methinks.