Rafael

Being a milestone ride as it was bound to be, I wanted to do one special to mark the occasion accordingly & few can be as memorable as Beach Rd is. The main milestone for me personally, is the fact that this ride marked my 26th week in row, which means that for the last 6 consecutive months I have been riding every single week not interrupting the streak at all; that, I have to say, is some achievement & my body is VERY aware of it. Combined with the workout I'm doing on weekdays, not only have I built muscular mass all over, losing most of the fat I was carrying before, I am also a bit worn out & frankly even fatigued, despite the enthusiasm & eagerness of doing it not diminishing at all. Another important event happening this weekend, is the F1 Grand Prix race here in Melbourne. There are a lot of people out & about & it's good to see them especially in areas like St Kilda beach, which is a popular tourist destination & a lot of beautiful people hang out around there... Also, the weather conditions were optimal to do that ride since it was sunny but not very hot & breezy but not excessively windy & I wanted to ride along there for a few weeks now; so it all came together & I finally did it! As for the ride itself, I used the same principle I did last time there, which was to pedal steadily, not pushing it hard saving energy for the long haul. It all went fine until about half way coming back... I got really REALLY tired & I could hardly pedal anymore. I had to stop, sat on a bench for a while, did some leg stretching & that's when I noticed my arms & back were crying out for stretching as well. After soaking up the seabreeze, thinking I wasn't going to make it to the car, I pulled myself together & starting pedaling at a slow pace always trying to keep it steady & later, I was even able to speed up little by little. I stopped a few times to take photos of the city, from that perspective it looks fascinating. Although in the end I manage to finish the ride, I'm not so sure I will be going there any time soon. My body is evidently not in capacity to undertake such long challenges anymore...

To ride this week & continue my streak, it had to be today because the forecast was dire for the weekend & I definitely wanted to keep the streak going since I'm so close to the 6-month mark. So being right next to the Park it was an obvious choice to do it there but I also wanted to do something I hadn't done before so some sections of the ride I had never done anticlockwise before, namely the first & the last 2km of it. The orange outfit of the trees has faded into a light yellow but the uniformity of it all persists & it doesn't stop amazing me. It was also pleasant to see some kangaroos along the way although they were very scattered around, never saw a mob or even a family together. Not a single rabbit showed up today which is very rare for this area. What I found this time around was this small patch of forest that looks & feels like a magical place taken out of a fairy tail or mystic story; that's where I got the photos of the screaming tree in this set. I truly stood in awe beholding it for some 10 minutes there & even though it's dead, I thought it's one of the most beautiful if not THE most beautiful tree I've ever seen...! It must have put a spell on me because after that, when I got to Gellibrand Hill, I was treated to a picture-perfect view of the city with some white as snow clouds above it that made it look stunning, best view I've ever gotten from the CBD from that spot!

Today I could've easily passed the ride up, but I'm nearing the 6 months on my streak so I felt compound to do it. I decided that a short ride would be enough, especially considering that the temperature was in the 30s, albeit low 30s but still, hot enough to burn me out & make me conk out; so exploring the nearby Reservoir Park, which opened recently was almost an obvious choice. I knew from the start that it was going to be a short ride but it was much shorter than I thought. The area where visitors are allowed is very small although, it has to be said: charming & welcoming! I consider this park to be great for a walk with friends, ideal for romancing or maybe a family picnic. The track was so short I did it twice but on a normal ride I could've done it 10 times,,, It was so short that I took the long way home to extend the ride a little longer but I didn't want to do anything "epic" not only to avoid the strong sun rays but also because all the workout I've been doing has got me a little worn down...

In a week in which finally we've had some rain -albeit for only one day- after many, TOO MANY dry ones & a few days with temperatures in the mid 20s, it was a real pressure to ride. The grasslands in the background of the freestanding bike photos I shot, are there just to compare its condition with the shots I took short of a couple of months ago: this summer has been relentless & cruel! The bicycle gear is still not kicking in as soon as I shift it so on my way out I decided to pop in the shop where they did the service to have it checked; a guy who seemed to be more expert in that matter fiddled with it & at first, it looked like it had improved. However, as I went along, it proved to be pie in the sky. The only reason I crossed the bridge above the Western Ring Road was to take the photo to show how busy the freeway was; traffic was slow but at least it was moving. Once in Woodlands Park, I saw a kangaroo in the distance on his own soon after I entered it but then no more; then a couple of rabbits in the warrens I always check went riding pass & then, for a long while: nothing! Later, when I got to the lanky forrest, an old couple of kangaroos crossed my path ahead but I saw them late because I was admiring the orange uniform the trees are wearing these days, it's gorgeous! Nearing the end, just before getting to the cricket training grounds, a whole mob was feasting on the long yet dried grass of the area which put my mind at ease. Although this track is not very long, its hilly terrain makes it tough to navigate so when I got home I almost conk out...

With a temperature of 25dC, on a beautiful summer day, with absolutely not a cloud in the sky, I had to ride but it had to be in the area because my car was being serviced. Six or Seven weeks ago a intended to do this ride but had to cut it short through Westmeadows; this time I kept going to the bridge that joins the trails more "naturally": with no detours, no shortcuts & no street riding. This summer has been ruthless, with temperatures over the 40s & hardly any rain to account for it, the grasses are all dry making fauna go out of their way to get their feed & in turn, exposing themselves to more danger personified by road traffic... At the beginning of the ride a dead rabbit in the middle of the road just a couple of hundred metres from my house made for a rude awakening to this reality! I did not see a single kangaroo today which made me wonder where they'd be; what I saw instead, something I had never ever noticed before, is how the lanky gum trees of the Woodlands Park are peeling off their bark, kind of like snakes changing skin. Everywhere you look you'd see these brand new smooth orange tree trunks as if they're all showing off their new leggings... I was not aware these trees do that & seeing them all together do it in unisone like a pack or herd of animals following a lead was to me a beautiful sight to behold (hence the photos).

Today I wanted to enjoy the ride being adventurous while exploring new trails even though I was I bit anxious about it for reasons unbeknown to me. Starting at the Boeing Reserve, I rode the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail all the way to Dynon rd. I was looking for the new Dynon Passover which I missed the last time I went around that area but this time I knew where to look. From there I went to the CBD so I could come back to the Dixon Veloway via the Docklands; I hadn't cycled around the city since Covid so it felt good to be back... Taking the veloway the opposite direction I did a few weeks ago, led me to the Merry Creek & Maribyrnong Trails on my way back to the car. Since I had it serviced the gears on my bike are not engaging instantaneously so I stop at the store & they fiddled with them for a while. I hope they are better now...

With clear skies & the temperature on 28 degrees, it was a good day to cycle, especially this weekend when it's going to hit the 40s, an impossible task to take on any other day. Although I have ridden along this trail before, today I focused on my surroundings, landscapes & possible photo backgrounds. It's actually beautiful along that section of the Maribyrnong River, I don't think the photos do it justice... I'm in such good shape these days with all the workout I'm doing, I could've kept going for another while keeping in mind how many ups & downs we come across, unlike the rides along the bay trails in the weeks before it.

After last week I had to cut this ride short, I was determined to get it in full before schools & chaotic traffic get back to normal. Being a coastal trail, it snakes in all directions no matter which way it is approached & with such a windy day the only certain factor was that at some point it was going to affect my ride. On the way in, it was on & off, never bad enough to make me feel like I wouldn't be able to cope with it. Instead, on the way back there were long sections where I met with the winds head on, hitting me hard, slowing me down & wearing me off. It was so strong that along Altona Beach I got sandblasted as I rode past it. Battering me so much that I even got to a point where I was eying up a spot to take a long break to recover my energy; I also even considered giving up altogether. Fortunately, I pushed through all the way back to the car. In fact, when I got to the point where I dismounted the bike last week, 5ks from my car, the winds cease their pounding me & I proved that I still had gas in the tank being able to accelerate & ride at a good pace. This was due to the build up area with lots of trees along the way that stop the wind in its tracks. The fauna you see in this environment consists mainly of birds -if not exclusively- so I have to mention that at some point I found a young chick dead on the trail so on my way back I paid my respects, pick him up & put him where there was dense bush for an honorable resting place... that was the black spot of the ride, I did it with a heavy heart...

Adventure, Reconnaissance & Odyssey, this ride had it all! This is one of those rides that I used to do a lot back in the days when I'd ride 3 or 4 times a week but I hadn't come back here for more than 12 years, so I was longing for it lately. Today I felt daring enough to undertake it so I ventured. It didn't start well: when I was packing the bike in the car I found the front well was flat so I inflated it to see if there was an obvious puncture in it. Since I didn't find anything unusual I packed & drove to Williamstown to reconnect with my old rides. I hadn't been in that area for many years, possibly since I last rode there so even driving I didn't find my way easily. Once there, I noticed the tyre had lost some air already so I decided to take a short ride while checking on the wheel constantly not to get stranded in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, I took the pump with me so I inflated the tyre once more before starting. The anxiety I was feeling before going there quickly gave way to familiarity & confidence, I recognized all sections of the trail quickly, nothing seemed foreign. For the first few kilometres the tyre looked fine. That ended when I got to the Altona Yacht Club; there & then I realised I needed to head back urgently or I wouldn't be able to make it back to the car... at some point I began to sit straight in the bike, hardly touching the handlebar not to put any weight on the front wheel because its deflation had become so obvious, I could hear it, especially when taking a turn which is when it takes its heaviest load. Sure enough, 4.9k to get to my car, I had to dismount it altogether or else risk damaging the rim. So I jog with the bicycle by my side for some good 2 & a half ks; then I stopped to take some photos, drink some water & rest. The last 2ks I walked the bike at a good pace to get to the car. Along the drive back home, I decided to stopped at the shop where I had it serviced just last weekend because I thought they had to do something with it, after all, when I took it there a puncture was never part of the reasons. Because it was only 10 minutes before they'd close the shop, they just changed the tube with no charge for me instead of finding out where the puncture was. And that's how good & bad my day was: it wasn't the best but it could've been a lot worse! One thing's for sure: I will go back to the Williamstown Foreshore Trail (WFT) to properly do it all the way I know & beyond if possible.

January 1st, a brand new year! I wanted to start it with a bang taking a ride I hadn’t done for a while (1 year & 7 months). I also assumed that many people leaving town would make the traffic, both cars & foot, a lot lighter; this assumption would prove to be wrong in both cases, the weather was too good for people to let go… it was fairly windy though & it made the first leg of my journey a little tougher. I paced myself through not to burn all my energy at once. That was a wise decision that took me all the way to Mordialloc, a destination I hadn’t been able to reach in my previous two attempts. The head winds hardly let me move at times but I patiently pedalled my way through constantly, almost without stopping on the way in but never pushing it hard. That is until some 5k to Mordialloc this old man passed me without much effort; at that point I felt I would make it anyway so I pressed hard on the pedals, feeling strong I passed & left him behind & soon after I was in Mordialloc. For some reason the app stopped registering there but luckily I stopped to check & noticed on time to resume so I only lost a couple of hundred meters. The way back was a lot easier with the tailwinds only favouring me which in turn, gave me the chance to stop a few times to take photos & soak up the ocean breeze. Only at the very end, for the last kilometre or two, the wind turned against me again but with the finish line on sight, I just pushed through. With 60 kilometres ridden, this has been my longest ride for a long time; incidentally, it was also a 60-kilometre drive to & from my starting point