Well, kinda sorta. I ride regularly around Albert Park Lake, currently being transformed into the
Formula One circuit for the race in March. I used to ride exclusively on the gravel running/bike
track but since Lakeside Drive, the roughly north-south road that forms the eastern part of the
race track, passes very close to the lake proper, that part of the track is now largely covered
by grandstands and what have you, the resulting zig-zag being perhaps suitable for mountain bikes
and not much else. I accordingly have been riding along Lakeside Drive itself, and incidentally
been having a bit of fun with the fools who try to block it off to all traffic from 7pm onwards
even though there's no reason to do so until the complete road closure beginning March 1 (the
race is March 7).
The other night I was a bit earlier than usual and arrived just as the maintenance crew were
finishing off putting the big, plastic barriers across the road. Normally by about half-past seven
at least one of them has been shifted by a cyclist so bikes can get through, this being the only
obstacle to completing a lap of the lake, but as I said I was early. So, I went left off the bitumen
about a hundred metres before the roadblock, just after the rowing club, rode past it until I came
to a gap in the concrete fencing, hooked back through it, onto the grass and headed for the road.
From a distance I heard cries of "Excuse me! Excuse me!" but I resolutely ignored them, chortling
inside because their ute was on the far side of the roadblock from where I was and no council worker
was going to run after me, particularly since there's no actual reason I shouldn't ride on the road
apart from the organisers' arrogance and stupidity. The metal chain having been removed from the
small wooden posts that line the road, it was trivial for me to lift my bike over the bunting in its
place and ride off towards South Melbourne.
When you get to the South Melbourne end you have two choices how you come back around. You can get
back on the gravel running/bike path around about the soccer stadium and complete the lap as normal,
or you can stay on the bitumen, following the road which is to be the main straight and adjacent
bits. As it happens you don't have to follow that road all the way, once you get past the car park
and the swimming centre, just before the huge grandstands start, there's a service road just off to
the left which runs behind where the pits will be and hooks up again with the road/race track up the
far end of the circuit. When I take the bitumen route I take this service road.
As it happens, about halfway along the service road there is now a big, orange metal contraption
with one of those oversized "LED" displays (I know they're not really LEDs but you know what I mean)
and a speed limit sign. Somewhere there's also a laser or a radar, and that's where I got caught
speeding. You see, the limit is 10kph and the first time I went through I got a big "22". I was just
a tad disappointed but it was my second lap and I don't pretend to be super fit or anything so I
wasn't pushing as hard as I probably should have. Anyway, the other night I remembered my "22" and
pushed a bit harder and got a "26", with which I was well pleased. The hard-core racers are probably
thinking this is all a bit pathetic but I ride a hybrid, with not only the expected differences in
gearing, but also, since I live in St Kilda, with enough locks and chains to sink a battleship, so I
reckon my laps count for more than theirs.
So, if you're in the area sometime in the next couple of weeks, why not ride up this service road
and see what your speed is.
--
"The central problem with the concept of the 'Axis of Evil' is that it involves an assumption that
the US is the 'fulcrum of virtue'." Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia