Great Brisbane Bike Ride

My first cycling event and I had a ball! I found the (35k) ride pretty easy
going and was in my element riding along surrounded by some pretty awesome
looking rigs. Announcement later stated that there appeared to be way more
road bikes than MTBs this year.
The start was a little messed up. I went about 15 mins after the start with
about 1500 people in front of me and around that again or a bit more than
that behind me. The first 5 kms I was most pretty much under brakes and even
off and walking after everything ground to a complete halt. Bike jam! Found
out later that apparently a motorist had clipped one of the police cars and
they pulled the vehicles into the lane they'd blocked off for the event
rather than block another lane. So we all had to wait. :-(
The mechanics reported fixing so many flats for people that they ran out of
tubes and had to start patching! Warnings later for people to put some air
in their tyres next time...
Just 5 or 6 people had busters serious enough to warrant hitching a ride on
the sagged-rider wagon. I had a close call when someone amongst the bunch I
was with missed a gear on a tight bend along the board-walk and came to a
sudden and unexpected stop.
Best of all at the end was discovering that the largest size Bike Week
T-Shirt available was 2XL and it fits! Next year I may be one of those lycra
clad roadies too... ;-)
Next goal: Become a roadie and get in on some bunch rides...

Karen Gallagher...

My first mass ride for some 20 years too ... had two punctures, one as I was
loading the bike, second one just as the start started. Faulty tubes in the
new bike. but I had a great day, though for the first time in my memory I
had to walk a hill, that one by the Green Bridge construction site was too
much for me after the refuelling stop at Graceville, a pretty solid bun and
a very nice mocha flavoured milk.

OzCableguy...

That was a shocker of a hill. I guess that was the one they referred to as
"Heartbreak Hill".

And a very well marshalled event, shame about the huge hold ups on Coro
Drive though