The Queensland sky and some guy
Thanks to my lovely wife who spotted a cheap airfare I hopped over the Tasman this weekend to visit my father on the Gold Coast. The temperature was about double Auckland at 32ºC but with a sea breeze I managed a quick ride on dad's old mountainbike without passing-out.
It just goes to show you don't need a flash bike to have an enjoyable ride, well not on the flat anyway. Once I had scraped the dust off the seat and coaxed some air into the tyres I set off for a quick jaunt around Palm Beach. It's billiard-table flat terrain with a myriad of bridges that cross over the man-made canals. Every road I ventured down had a well defined bike path painted between the parking spaces at the curb and the traffic lane. This was much safer than a typical Auckland bike lane that is squeezed up against the curb where the storm-water grates, nails, broken glass and parked cars hang out.
I felt a bit of a maverick not wearing a helmet but relaxed somewhat after seeing several others flouting the law. A police car even pulled up beside me at the lights and didn't say anything, it must be a common sight.
If I lived there I would buy a beach-cruiser immediately, it would be a no-brainer.
I'm writing this 24 hours later after riding home from work in 12ºC and drizzle. Can't wait to get back over the ditch!
Bike paths everywhere
40lbs of thumb-shift'n steel goodness
2 comments:
Sounds like a perfect place for a cruiser.
I see you have the shirt to prove you're a Surly Man. Nice!
people are building bikes like that again,the old bike has come full circle,retro is in!
Post a Comment