LaPa / Riding Alone / Paranoia

So I reenacted the LaPa ride my husband took me on and it went fine.  I was bit nervous about missing the turnoffs but my husband's tips were very good.

(Image via www.virtualtourist.com)

Instructions for LaPa (La Perouse) Ride:

1. Ride along Anzac Parade
2. For Long Bay / Little Bay
1. Turn left at the playing fields.
2. Follow the playing fields around the left to Long Bay.
3. Take the leftmost option at every turn until you are back on Anzac.
3. Follow Anzac Parade.
4. Take the left to La Perouse.
5. For the Golf Clubhouse
1. At the wooden signs, turn left to go to the Golf Clubhouse and follow the road.
2. At the roundabout, take the middle road up to the Clubhouse.
3. Follow the carpark through and the road back around.  Watch the speedbumps coming back.
4. Turn left back onto the Anzac Parade - onto La Perouse.
6. Follow Anzac Parade to La Perouse and around the one way carpark loop and take the right through the roundabout to get back on Anzac Parade.
7. The Breakwater (note the road is a little crunchy down here - rough - but good time trial type riding)
1. Instead of turning right onto Anzac, keep going on Bunnerong Rd.
2. Take it all the way through until you see some industrial offices on the left - turn left onto Military Rd.  (Watch for trucks on weekdays)
3. Turn left at the roundabout.  (Watch for trucks coming out).
4. Take Prince of Wales Drive down to the end, go around the roundabout and go all the way back.
8. Turn left onto Anzac Parade and return.

Why I love cycling

In other news, I realise one of the reasons I love cycling so much is because I do it alone.

I mean, I guess it *is* more fun to ride with friends.

However, riding alone is much more preferable (to me) than sitting on a bus with strangers listening to their random conversations / interactions or being in a fitness class and having to awkwardly acknowledge other people.

(Image via zulatakana)

I'm glad I got a ride in this Christmas morning before the rain started.

I took it easier - did 2 laps of the golf course & La Pa instead of doing the Mons & Torrington climbs.  I wanted to do the Breakwater, but on entrance to Military Rd, there seemed too many big trucks moving around so I decided to turn around and head back.

Which was lucky because it started raining as I was heading back, so it seems I timed it just right!

The weird thing was, I was feeling worse this morning (hence why I chose to cut out the climbs), but my Strava stats showed that I did better than yesterday.

Pessimism / Paranoia

As I was riding up to the golf course, I was wondering what would happen if I had an accident whilst riding alone.  Worst case scenario, a car hits me and I go flying into the foliage.  What if the driver drives away?  We recently had a friend who was rear ended by a car who's driver is now denying that she hit him, so I know there are various characters out there.

I guess my road id bracelet (with my husband's contact details) is working on the assumption that:

1. Someone sees me have an accident.
2. Someone wants to help me.

I guess the easiest way is to not ride alone and make sure someone knows that I'm going and what route I'm taking.

There's new technology, for example, ICEDOT.

(image via www.icedot.com.au)

The crash sensor is $179 and you attach it to your helmet.  Then you create a profile with your details.  When the crash sensor experiences traumatic impact, it will contact your emergency contacts with your gps coordinates.

To be honest, thinking logically about it, it would be pretty hard for me to have an accident and not be found, as I'm riding pretty major roads in quite busy areas.

SOOO, it's just me being a little bit extreme in my worrying.

ANYWAY, I hope everyone had a nice Christmas Day!

(image via dept26.blogspot.com.au)