Return to Under The Radar

I love it when a plan comes together, or when a plan turns into an even better plan…

I had agreed to watch a film at my friend Owen’s place, and when we were arranging the time to meet up he said he was pretty keen to head out to Pallarenda again for a mountain bike ride, followed by a swim in the sea to cool off before he would have to head off to work (he works shifts, and was starting late evening).

I was pretty keen on this plan too, so after the film finished we drove out to Pallarenda and jumped on the bikes. It was so hot and humid, even at 5.30pm when we got started. It’s pretty unpleasant to cycle – or do any kind of activity – in those conditions, but that’s just the way it is in a tropical northern summer…

I tried to get a few photos of the track as I was going along, but with the sun already getting lower and big storm clouds in the sky, the little compact water/dust/shock proof camera I had brought along struggled to get decent pictures:

Although my cycle fitness has improved over the last year, and I was riding better than last time (the first time) I tried UTR, Owen was still way fitter than me. Thankfully he stopped frequently to let me catch up, sometimes moving off again when I was in range, and sometimes stopping for a breather and a quick chat before starting riding once more.

Despite my greatly improved endurance fitness, I still struggle to produce the bursts of energy needed to properly tackle some of the uphill obstacles. I frequently lack the power required to get over them and end up either sliding off backwards or falling off sideways… with Owen waiting for me, he often gets to have a good chuckle at my failures!

Another thing I still struggle with is tight bends. I lack the confidence in my cornering ability so I often go too slowly and slide down gravelly burmed sides into the middle of the bend. Or I don’t turn enough and spill out of the outside of the turn. I know that part of the problem is that I don’t look far enough ahead or around the bend enough, but I think that there is more going on as well, and I definitely ought to work on this specific issue a bit more.

One of the hairpin bends I struggled with

Thankfully a really nice flowing section of track comes up and I get to roll over the obstacles, nip round the little bends, whizz past the large overhanging rocks and generally really enjoy the ride. It’s a great feeling, and I wish I could photograph myself looking alright for a change, but I don’t have an extra arm so this can’t happen.

Of course all good things come to an end. We get to a section where Owen makes me go first – he knows I pedal harder with him behind me and he is worrying about time, also he wants to see if he can give me any helpful pointers about my riding technique (he thinks I still don’t look at the track far enough ahead to choose the right line. I think he is probably right, but that also I don’t always know what the right line is anyway, even if I can see it!)

Trying for an action shot on gravely singletrack. Just a little bit of camera shake there!

We follow some firm and rocky track, then a longer section of gravel track before returning to firmer rockier ground again. Eventually I am defeated by a series of rocky obstacles dotted along an ascending piece of track. I don’t have the momentum to roll over them well as I’m starting to flag from keeping a faster pace, and as I try to pedal over one obstacle my pedal clangs into the rock and I lose the bike sideways. Owen gives me credit for giving it a good go though, and I let him take back the lead so I’m not making this section awkward for him. A quick breather, and I do make it over the rest of the rocks though.

Some rocky ups

Further along and Owen wants a brief breather too. We stop for a very short time though, as he is conscious of fading light and looming work, and wants to get a swim in as well if we can.

It feels like we've pedalled much further than 6.1kms

I think this is reasonable and I do my best to keep up with him, I don’t do too badly although I definitely lack grace and style! I can also feel my energy levels fading, I haven’t eaten much over the last few days and I can really feel the lack of fuel in my system.

Eventually we pop out at the Lagoon Trail, where we take the fire track (a smoother, wider track that vehicles can use) to get back to the road as it’s getting too dark to cycle the single track safely. We pass the salt flats, the dark thunder clouds looming above contrast starkly with the translucent glow of the flat, parchment-coloured ground below. It looks eerie, like we have popped out of the track onto another planet. I think it would make a great photo, but my camera thinks otherwise in the dim light. I guess the fact that I was trying to get a photo while still riding didn’t help, but I didn’t want to hold us up just for snaps.

It’s not long before we are cycling in the dark, ominous rumbles of thunder providing a soundtrack to our ride. A few kilometres further, back at the road, it’s too late for Owen to fit in a swim before work and I feel pretty terrible about that, although I couldn’t have gone any faster. The film was a bit longer than he thought and I rode more slowly than he had hoped, and the result was that we ran out of time.

I cheekily think that I might go for a swim anyway, but soon after arriving at The Strand the threatening storm actually arrives. The thunder is the loudest I have ever heard, and the lightening is spectacular. The tropical downpour sends everyone running for cover, and I feel a bit chilly for the first time in ages so no longer fancy a swim. I guess you can’t have everything, but at least I did better than last time :)