Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Messenger Mode


Day 127
Torquay to Geelong (then to Melbourne via train)
Time: 2:52:00
Distance: 38.8 km
Avg Speed: 13.5 kph
Terrain: Flat
Location:

I got my first taste of city riding in San Francisco. I was visiting a friend and we rode what I like to call “messenger style” throughout the streets. What I remember most was being able to get across town faster than any car, train or bus. What I really liked was the fast pace of riding through traffic and split second decisions to keep moving. Hmm, perhaps I’m just an adrenaline junkie…

Today we found ourselves back in Melbourne. We rode to Geelong from Torquay and got on a train back to the city. The end of the line was Southern Cross Station, familiar territory. We had some time to kill before our ferry to Tasmania departed so we stored our gear and set off through downtown on our bikes. I have come to love riding through cities and find myself in full-on “messenger style” every time we hit the urban jungles. I was like a dog with a new haircut without the weight of my panniers. Chris was content to play follow the leader as I traversed my way toward the lunch stop. Our touring rigs aren’t as chic as the single-speed fixies that passed us, but at least we were turning the pedals, hanging it all out there.
We went to the Carlton neighborhood for lunch. A friend back home mentioned that the area was great for Italian food. She was correct as we had a couple of very tasty pizzas followed by our new favorite treat, gelato. I keep thinking we’ll run out of sweet treats to sample but so far we’ve always come up with something new. My mom thinks we look pretty thin in our photos…if she only knew what we were eating everyday.
We’re on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry tonight. We arrive very early tomorrow morning in Devenport and then will ride to Greens Beach to visit some friends. We’re looking forward to another few days of rest after a couple of good weeks of touring in Victoria. We’ll be riding from north to south through Tasmania. They say there are many hills in “Tassie”, but I’m more interested in what the riding is like in Hobart.
So long for now,
LK

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