Minutes later, I am in the brightly-lit area near to the main buildings
of the water sports centre. Here I slow down, aware that the tarmac
has many sudden sharp bumps in it, and recessed grates. I pass across
the wide concrete area in front of the boat houses, and I'm back on the
road that laps the lake. I then do another complete lap, passing only
one jogger and a bemused bicyclist, before working my way back up the
ramp and over the ballast patch towards the river bank.
Apart from dismounting for the sailing club gate, I guesstimate I have
done about 10 kilometres without a dismount. I am starting to notice
the seat, and my feet are tingling from prolonged pressure against the
pedals, I scrunch my toes, and adjust my position. Nearly the end of
the ride now. The river is to my right, the sailing club ahead, and to
my left, a few blokes from the rugby club are training on the field
under lights.
I reach the end of the grit path, and the start of the mown grass. My
torch is anadequate, I am tired, and the ground looks like a gey-black
blur ahead of me. The slick tyre loses traction as soon as I leave the
path, and I UPD, the unicycle landing heavily. My brief but expressive
profanity attracts faux-shocked comment from the rugby players.
The seat post has twisted round in the fall. I carry the uni as far as
the gate, then brace the wheel while I knock the seat straight with the
heel of my hand. (Who needs tools?) The next freemount is scrappy and
I wave my arms, and nearly end up off the path and into the long wet
grass (neither as long nor indeed as wet as the river on the other
side, though) before I regain control and ride steadily back up the
riverbank, turn left and make my way back up past the skateboard ramps
to where I've parked the car.
The computer shows only 6.04 miles covered in 57:31. That surprises
me. Two laps of the lake should be around 10 km. Add a bit for the
river bank, and I would have thought I'd done 12 km or so. However,
6.04 miles is only 9.7 km. The maximum speed is shown as a respectable
11 mph (given that I never hurried at all) but the average is a
disappointing 6 mph, presumably explained for by the extra time spent
on the trickier sections.
But hey, the figures don't matter. It was a damn' good ride. This is
a great sport.
--
Mikefule
"The good life is the life inspired by love and informed by knowledge."
Russell
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