My first road bike ride in some months. There realy isn't anywhere to hide on a road bike. I can get lazy on the mountain bike as it is so familiar but when you get a 10% grade for a couple of K's on a road bike you are just there to haul. And haul I did! I am not unimpressed with the ride as there was just over 1000m of elevation gain and all of the roads I traveled were quite hilly with a few steep pinches of over 12%.
My humble opinion is that road riding is THE best way to get base fitness efficiently. If you throw hills into the mix it really pushes the cardiovascular system. Today I showed myself just how much fitness I have lost and just how hard I will need to work to get back to anything like the level I want. That said, it was a top ride today.
I left home and headed over what has been affectionately dubbed "The Teaser". Settlement Road is not that long or that steep but it really tells you how your day will pan out. If you struggle up Settlement, then any climbs after that will probably suck. Usually I would head up Mount Nebo after doing this climb but today I was keen to try the new road around the back of Coot-tha along Gap Creek Road. My plan then was to head up Waterworks Road and over Simpsons Road and then up Coot-tha.

Training face on..... I look serious don't I.

Once I got there it was a blast down the front side and over to the Western Freeway bike way and around to Mogill Road. That road really sucks. The traffic was pretty ordinary but Gap Creek Road made up for it in spades. It's special cruising along the road in amongst the trees and the traffic calming adds a bit of fun as you rip down the descents. have a drink, spin the legs over and all that is left is the reverse side of Settlement Road. The side from the Gap is twisty with a passing lane for cars which means that they try and fly over the hill with scant regard for cyclists. Most times I just hold my breath and count to ten. It's easier that way.
I even let out a little whoop of joy as I blasted down the other side and up to Samford Road. I was nearly home and I hadn't thrown up! A  cold ginger beer waited for me and some salty chips just topped it off. Yep, I'm happy.