Don't Ride Bicycles in Heatwaves.

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I didn't ride my bicycle much last year, something to do with being away for at least 5 months and somewhat losing momentum on the whole 200km/month initiative.

Well, it's a new year and time to get back on the bike.

Because I'm clever, I chose the hottest day of a heatwave for my inaugural 2026 ride, a whopping 12ish km from Unley back to our new house sit at West Hindmarsh. A bare two minutes and I took to the footpath on the understanding that its meagre shade would protect me from the shimmering heat that radiated from the road.  By the time 5 minutes had passed I was standing in a convenient sprinkler, casting dignity to the winds and getting myself thoroughly soaked.  

Within 10 more minutes I was on the hunt for another sprinkler and there I was, sprinkler-hopping along the pathway to home, alternating sogginess and dessication with fleeting moments of evaporative cool in the middle.

At 10km the Brickworks Shopping Centre popped up and I wobbled thankfully into the air conditioning and cast myself apon the mercies of the biggest and coldest bubble tea that I could find.  Thirty minutes of airconditioning gave me the strength for the final 2km to home and here's the moral of the story: don't be silly enough to go out riding at midday in a heat wave.

Of course South Australia doesn't stay hot for very long and in a day or two I was off on another ride  with no necessity for sprinklers or bubble teas.

Up the median strip of Port Road, 

and along my old friend the Outer Harbour Greenway.

Out at Port Adelaide the whole Fish Market Shed was missing, bulldozed in pursuit of development and boring modern accommodation blocks.

Noooo!

Out at Semaphore sunlight sparkled on the wide white beach and early crabbers tried their luck at the end of the jetty.


From Semaphore it was all suburban cycling which didn't warrant photos.  Home I went only to jump in the car and come right back to Port Adelaide with my son and daughter-in-law on a quest for gluten-free donuts.  I should have stayed there and had a coffe and let them come to me.

A flower to finish.



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