Windsor

Date: Fri 21 May
Distance:        103.27
Time: 5hrs 12m
Max Speed: 51.2km
Av Speed: 19.90km

Parramatta - Windsor Map

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I started out just before 7.00am in very ominous looking weather. I took my fluoro showerproof and my raincoat so my bag was pretty tight. I really struggled in the beginning for some reason. It felt like my brakes were jammed on...which they weren’t. My legs were just tired. So I decided to stop at the little corner shop that’s been there forever on the cnr of Pembroke and Norfolk Rds Epping. I got a caffeinated coffee and a Freddo frog which I stowed away for later and felt much better!

So back onto the M2, which apart from being able to go faster and not having to stop at lights is a terrifying experience. The semi trailers roar up behind you and as they pass they suck you towards them and then spit you back again when they pass. I thought as I was traveling on the M2 that there was no way I was returning on it. I would continue on the Parramatta - Windsor cycleway to Parramatta and back through Ryde to home. I did however manage to cycle at 51km/h along here though which was fun.

 I happily left the M2 at the Abbot rd exit and joined the cycleway towards Windsor. It is part of the T-way here which I’ve never heard of before, but it looks likes it’s a dedicated bus route. From here on the cycleway follows Old Windsor Road all the way to Windsor. It’s a good route but you have to stop at each intersection and there’s lots of them so it’s hard to keep a good pace. What I did notice, or should probably say didn’t notice was people using this cycle way either on bike or foot. There was a total of about 4 bikes, one of which I had to yell at because she was looking dreamingly at the horses and wandering all over the path and was going to ride straight into me. Imagine that. Four people on the path all day and there’s a head on!

It was a really good sight to see the pub on the cnr of Old Windsor Road and Pitt town Road as I always associated that along with the froggy Pub in Windsor itself as leaving Sydney and then I would generally fall asleep. It felt like a real achievement to have made it under my own steam.
I rode down to the river and ate a bit of the food I brought and then went back into town and stopped at Vault 146 and sat outside in the sunshine which was divine had a coffee and Turkish Toast. It was really enjoyable. I was sitting next to an old lady and I assume her daughter. The lady asked me if I’d ridden far and that she likes to see people on bikes. She told me that she used to race road bikes when she was younger. I asked her how long ago and she replied that she’s now 92 and it was when she was 16! I said that bikes would’ve changed a fair bit since then and would’ve been a lot harder to ride. She said they certainly have and spinning her finger in a circle said “we had none of those things” indicating to the gears “and only back pedal brakes” she went on to tell me she had a medal somewhere at home.

Had to leave to try and return for school pick up, so off I went. On the way back I was buffeted by a fair bit of wind so it made the trip back a bit tiring. I was also observing the billowing grey mass I was riding towards and wondered whether I was going to get saturated. I realised that if I had any chance of picking up Tam I had to return via the M2 after all, so back on I went. For some reason I wasn’t as terrified as the journey out but it still wasn’t pleasant. Some parts had been graded too which made riding pretty unpleasant. Another unpleasant part is having to cross to the new shoulder when there’s an exit - especially double lane exits. Once I passed under Pennant Hills Road the ground was wet the whole way back, yet fortunately I wasn’t rained on.

Anyhoo, I made it and exited at Delhi Rd and rang Graeme to say I thought I was going to make it, but he said he would pick him up anyway. Very grateful as I didn’t fancy having to walk home on my increasingly weary legs. So I sat down, had a popper and opened the Freddo from earlier...Mmmmm chocolate. Then with renewed energy back in my saddle started the final hill back to Longueville Road. Took it slowly as me and my knees would have preferred the trip finish at 90kms. Glided thankfully past school and onto home.

Climbed the stairs went “woohoo” and then collapsed onto the lounge.

Where to next.....