The goal was the Moorong Royal Rehab Centre on Victoria Road Top Ryde (approx 5km from here) where I my veteran racing friend Raymond Potter spends his days so eager to know all about cycling and racing. Ray, Northern Sydney Club, 63 but with a young family had a horrible encounter with a car when training in Olympic park, spent 110days in intensive and is now a quadriplegic.
I put a yellow fluoro markers behind the saddle and one just under the peg. I had my backpack on and a yellow fluoro vest over the lot. Short sleeve with plenty sunscreen, Penny Knicks, Joggers.
Started at 4pm with pushing the machine up the footpath of Corunna Rd and mounted on reasonably quiet North Rd. I dismount on up hills but scootered through the midway roundabout and then took back streets to Lane Cove road which I crossed on foot. Then Buffalo road and then got lost in some side roads and reached Victoria Rd through Beazley St. Then walking-crossing and walking on the footpath to the Rehab Centre where I remounted again to arrive in style just after 4:30. Many cars honked, many shouts and encouraging laughs and one car driver took a photo while slowly overtaking. One driver wanted to know if I had dusted off all cob webs. All but one driver gave me plenty road space.
Ray was delighted and together with another vet friend visitor - Mike Lawson, Manly Club – had a good laugh. At the end I mounted and dismounted two times on the back delivery area which Ray could see from his bed.
The way back was the same route, this time in a/noon peak but no problem. There was bulk rubbish collection and I spotted a seat post skewer (and later went to pick more bicycle goodies from that heap). I arrived home at 6:45, wet from sweat, thirsty but happy. Indeed so happy that I want to do purpose PF rides from now on regularly.
