To Work

This is the route I usually take to work , from Carine to the Mitchell Freeway bike path and on via Osborne Park to work in West Perth.

It is normally ridden at quite a brisk pace - due to my penchant for setting off late - which is not all bad since it gets the heart pumping.

It's not a long ride - 14.8km, nor is it taxing since it is mostly flat aside from an exhilarating downhill into Gwelup - on which I have achieved 51.4kmh one morning when I pushed the bike ( and myself )a bit and probably had quite a big load in the panniers to help me downhill.

The initial downhill next to to the house is more of a hindrance than a help as on a cold morning I'd rather get the blood flowing with a burst of energy up a hill or at least flat than get the chill wind in in my face without any countering warmth from pumping the pedals.

But the discomfort soon dissapears once I hit the Carine Open space. The fellow early morning masochists including dogwalkers ( some in shorts...! ) trot along providing entertainment and obstacles and weaving amongst them while trying to ring the bell with gloved hands proves a challenge.

As I ride past Gwelup and through the Erindale Road underpass I pass the little old Italian lady wheeling her grocery cart toward the supermarket and the man carrying a box of lettuce from his plot to a market ( it sometimes occurs to me that I should introduce them and they can cut out the middle man and save themselves a trek but I digress ) .

Then the Karrinyup road crossing where 4x4's jockey for position at the traffic lights , daring me to cross in front of them and get flattened - I wait impatiently for a green light and cross with eyes in the side of my helmet.

A little while later I cross the Freeway on the pedestrian overpass and ride past the Stirling council administration building , then over the bridge to Osborne Park and beyond where truck and trailers, cement trucks and modified hummers and cyclists compete in uneven competition for the road. Luckily its a wide road and the only part of the journey that is not undertaken on the bike path.

Soon after Lake Monger appears and I have to veer past joggers with ipods ( no point in ringing a bell at someone with white earplugs on ) and , in summer, admire the black swans in their thousands on the lake, with the occasional migrating turtle to add a speedbump to the path.

I arrive at work with 10-15 minutes to spare, lock the bike up in the cage , run up to the showers and catch a 3 minute shower then dress hurriedly and try to appear calm, unruffled and rested while conducting the 9am meeting. Sometimes this may not be a convincing performance - the sweat beads break out on my brow and tissues are proffered by workmates while stage whispers are made about getting out of bed 10 minutes earlier - none of which makes the slightest impression - if I did , I'd just ride slower.

I like to keep the average speed at about 27kmh but I suspect it goes over 30kmh when I am running late. This is good exercise and keeps me from needing the gym which never feels like a natural environment to me for excercise.