Liz Randall's Cycling Blog - a life behind bars

"With ordinary talents and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable"



Monday 25 June 2007

Speed

Ever since I heard the story of an Orienteering friend who got stopped by the police for being over the speed limit on her bike, I've wanted to emulate her. The story goes that the police asked her if she realised how fast she was going and hurriedly covering up her cyclo-computer she denied it...naturally...as you do.

I've not managed it yet, at least not on the bike, but I've been caught speeding many times in the car as the police here are very vigilant; well they are when I'm around. In fact when I took out Australian citizenship I reckoned my application went through very quickly because during the police check they discovered how much money I was donating to the State of Victoria in the form of speeding fines.

I always paid my fines but maybe I am in the minority. My Sunday Age newspaper tells me that the amount owed by defaulters in total is $A1 billion!!! There are unpaid fines of $A100 million from The Burnley tunnel alone and it has only been open ~ 7 years. A-mazing.

My Sunday "steady" ride was an 88km tour de suburbs and the 3 bicycle shops at Black Rock. I doubt I'll do that route midday on a Sunday again; apart from the road works along the 2 major roads I went on I also had to stop at 37 sets of traffic lights...is this a record? At the 34th set of lights I learnt that a standing start out of a steep sided gutter is not a wise move...an embarrassing moment was avoided, but only just.

This ride marked the end of my rest week. I've had fun..enjoyed 2 meals out, a film, 4 beers and 1 margarita, a bag of jelly snakes and another one of peanut M&M's...what a hedonistic life!!! Ah well, back to a disciplined diet and training load......

3 comments:

Lawrence said...

alcohol, lollies, chocolate.. where's the cake??? That's my normal training diet......

Lawrence said...

I have only broken the speed limit once (but no police present :-( ) hammering down the hill into Seville. I let out a whoop and the small group (men) I was with looked at me, so I had to explain. They weren't as impressed as they should have been - they were all speeding away from me at the time.

Liz said...

oh, and a couple of savoury muffins and I forgot to add the dark chocolate tim tam, and , and !