Sunday, March 9, 2008

I am not a morning person!

Early morning is a great time for a bike ride. I work until 10pm, and by the time I ride home, cool down and floss the cat, it's usually well after midnight before I go to bed. This is not conducive to getting up early, but my eldest son has swim training at 8am on Satudays, so we are up and out the door by 7.30 after a quick breakfast.

I'm not the kind to sit around reading the morning paper as the other parents do, so I put the pugsley on the back of the car the night before and get in an hours riding while he's doing laps. It's a shame he doesn't swim for two hours, as I really enjoy this ride, even half asleep. There is little traffic around and it's a bit cooler at this time of the day.

The boat ramp at Takapuna Beach

The other end of Takapuna Beach

This weekend I rode to Devonport. It's a lovely old town on the water, just across the harbour from downtown Auckland. A bit of a tourist trap these days, but it still has a certain charm. The Maori landed there in about 1350AD on their first migration and it's one of New Zealands oldest european settlements too.

Looking toward downtown Auckland from the summit of Mt Victoria

The best part about riding in Devonport (if you like hill climbing), is it has two volcanoes! Mt Victoria and North Head. We call them mountains, but they are only hills really. Hard work riding up on the Pugsley, but you would fly up on a light road bike.
I normally ride up the sealed road, catch my breath and ride back down on the narrow walking trails. Great fun!

7 comments:

Huw said...

What job do you do that finishes at 10pm?

Antoine said...

Shiftwork at a printing company.

Huw said...

Ah. I work shifts too; on tuesday's I can get home at 0200 and be up at 0700 to look after my daughter for the day. That's painful.

Doug said...

What a great view from Mt Victoria!

kylet said...

Oh! I've got a picture from up there... from eight years ago (or 2000, whenever you are reading this)

Antoine said...

Its the best view in Auckland but the harbours not as pretty as Sydney's.

Anonymous said...

I like your bike, but that aside, Mt Victoria! sucks compared to infamous MT FUJI (my mother land)

I have biked Mt Victoria and it pails in significance to the majestic terrain that is the infamous JAPAN we may have lost pearl harbor, but we still have my mother land (MT FUJI)............. TO BE CONTINUED

Regards
Ninja Biker