Days Like This

Someone (I think it was that Fat Cyclist dude) once wrote about how to explain the love of riding to your friends. He reasoned with them like this... imagine you have an incredible sports car... and imagine a breathtaking piece of road to drive it on... then imagine being able to drive that road flat out, as fast as you like without fear of hurting anyone else or being pulled over by the cops. I'm sure you get the metaphors... mountain biking is this rush!

Well, sadly this morning I had other things to attend to (yes, sorry, aside from the trail day which had to be binned), but this arvo got out on a ride in Royal National Park and had one of those moments. Well, actually, it was more like 6 minutes of pure bliss that encapsulates the above theory and more.

I had this plan to go down to the RNP after a visit to the airport (sort of the same place when you're on the LNS)... having plugged a 50Km loop into the Edge off I went. Glorious day it was too and was having a great time. Aside from having to detour down the highway at one point (and the usual fools this involves contact with) things were going well. The kays were slipping by nicely, legs feeling good. Had already visited some nice sniggle further south (thanks to Kiwiboy for the last tour), but about 45Km in came to the best bit (see pic) and in we go.

Being late in the ride was truly warmed up and feeling really good. This sniggle has always felt nice, but today it was just unreal - fast and flowing, some great berms have built up and everything was just clicking. Nailed every corner, dodged every branch, powered down every straight - a dream ride!

Felt like being in a scene from 'Return of the Jedi' (you know - when they are riding Speed Bikes through the forests of Endor... don't worry - I had to look that up! ) blasting through a tunnel of trees at a zillion miles an hour. Well, it felt like that - looking into the GPS data shows it was actually more like 20-30Ks, but it's how a ride feels that counts, right? Scummers will tell you the speed of their rides is a buzz, but riding like this mere centimetres from bush either side and above has got that caper beat for sure!

Sadly there's only 2Km or so of this stuff, but wow - what an intense few minutes. And as for the rest of the ride - well, it too was fun, but just not as rave-worthy as this. Just awesome, awesome stuff!

Wow! I like bikes... or can't you tell!?