Cloudy in Cronulla with a Chance of COVID

Given the rapidly evolving situation of the Northern Beaches COVID cluster, Tour de Cure’s NSW State Training Squad announced last night that all Sydney group training rides have been cancelled for now.

We’re encouraged to continue our training in ones or twos instead, which brings me to today’s ride - 35 km from Cronulla to Kurnell and back - with my colleague Mariana.

The Route

Mariana and I met at Cronulla train station, then headed north towards Cronulla Golf Course. There was a short segment of on-road riding before we reached the dedicated cycle lane on Captain Cook Drive, which took us all the way to Kurnell. The cycle lane is clearly marked on the road, and wide enough in most places for Mariana and I to ride side-by-side (“handlebar-to-handlebar”), though there were segments where we had to go single file.

We took a short break at Kurnell Beach, which offers distant views of Sydney Airport across Botany Bay. I could make out the distinctive spiral design of the control tower, and we saw several planes taking off over the bay.

We then headed back towards Cronulla Beach, and finished off the ride with a lap around Cronulla Peninsula. By the time I glimpsed, from a couple hundred metres away, the bright orange entrance signage at Cronulla train station, I was more than ready to get off the bike and and enjoy a nice sit down for my train ride home.

Observations and Learnings

• The most practical thing I learnt today is to always shift to an easier gear prior to stopping. My colleague Jensen had previously mentioned this technique to me, though I did not fully appreciate its importance until I started riding on roads, with its attendant frequent starts and stops. When stopping at traffic lights or pedestrian crossings today, I frequently forgot to downshift, only realising my mistake when the lights turned green and I attempted to get going. Especially when on an incline, it became almost impossible to start pedalling and to build momentum in a smooth and controlled manner. To keep things simple for a beginner, Mariana suggested sticking to easier gears when riding in stop-start traffic.

• Though the road to Kurnell had a separate painted cycle lane, it was not the most pleasant riding experience, since we were essentially alongside traffic going at 70-80 km/h. Every time a big truck passed by - and I counted at least five on our ride, some of them no doubt heading to the nearby desalination plant - we were sprayed with a nasty mix of dust and fumes.

• I need to improve my performance on hills. While I was able to, on the whole, keep up with Mariana’s pace on flats, I fell hopelessly behind on climbs. During Tour de Cure we will be riding in pelotons, with each peloton making up of around 20 riders of similar ability. Mariana explained that while we will be riding at our own pace on hills (at least for the beginner pelotons), you do not want to be the slowest rider. This is because the fastest riders will be able to take a break at the top of the hill as they wait for the stragglers, while the late-comers may be forced to continue straight away without a break, even though they would probably be the ones who need it the most!

COVID, Again

As of the time of writing, Sydney’s Northern Beaches are in lockdown, the rest of Sydney has been asked to stay home where possible, and the NSW Premier has warned residents there may be increased restrictions for greater Sydney announced tomorrow.

Though we have always been allowed out for exercise during lockdown, any limitations placed on group gatherings will likely impact my progress and training, since I’m relying on coaching from others to pick up new skills and proper techniques.

For now, it’s a waiting game.