Sunday Ride - 65 kms around Canberra

The forecast was for 35 degrees today so Steve Baker and I decided to keep the distance shortish so we could finish before the heat became unbearable.  Riding from Charnwood I met up with Steve along the Lake Ginninderra bike path.  Gee my legs did not want to cooperate today.  Luckily Steve was happy with a relaxed ride.  Plus my Mclachlan's gearing wasn't working well despite stopping a few times to adjust the barrel on the rear derailleur. It really needs a rebuild and I am waiting for my new Trek cyclocross bike before I do that.  But maybe I will need to do it sooner as the Trek isn't going to arrive before early April.  

Well the route today was certainly scenic.  We rode along bike paths through Gunghalian and up along Gundaroo Drive.  To think that only a few years ago this was all farmland.  Now it is all new housing development.  Plus no more dirt road to the NSW border.  That's a mixed blessing as it's definitely a nicer surface.  But the cost is a little more traffic.  Then we cut across to Sutton along East Tallengandra Lane and along the service road next to the Barton Highway into Dickson.  Just before we dropped into Dickson I snapped these two photos of the road and of Steve looking resplendent on his Cannondale Cyclocross bike.

The well known Italian climber Stefano Bakerelli. 

We had iced coffee and cinnamon toast at a cafe before riding the bike paths home.  I said goodbye to Steve on lake Ginninderra and arrived home just on 11 am. The heat was certainly starting to bite as I climbed the short hill home.  Another hour out there and it would have been a bit arduous.