Swan Valley Bike Ride of Death

This weekend John planned a nice 'leisurely' bike ride in the swan valley.

ha


First of all, you need to understand that bikes+Chelsea=almost certain tragedy and or death.

One of the last times I rode a bike, I got car doored and knocked out. I eventually got my guts up enough to bike again and started on the road to recovery, but my bike was stolen from me for an entire summer! (Until I found it again attached to a bike lock on campus and the police came and soddered it off for me! *Just to clear this one up, I did not lock her somewhere by accident and forget her, somebody legit stole her and then decided to ride her back onto campus, where I scouted her out and FOUND HER!* After writing many LOST bike posters and calling all the bike shops in town, daily. I WIN BIKE THEIF!) By then, I lived so far away from campus down a scary busy road, that I never did attempt to ride a bike again. I only stared at my beautiful bike longingly and thought about the fun times we could have had together. (I was thinking... afternoons in fields full of sunflowers and butterflies, with a picnic and a flowery dress and cookies, tea, and lots of happiness. Maybe kittens and deer too.)

She was a beautiful rust red with curly handles. Totally hipster, yet also an amazing hand-me-down from my grandparents.

*I dug in my archives and found this odd photograph of Nora and Matthew on my bike in my old basement... I'm not really sure why they are sitting on her, in the basement, at night. Or why I'm taking a long exposure shot of them. Oh well... I'll let those questions slide and show you my magnificent bike!)


As you have probably deduced from the fact that I'm writing this blog post, this bike adventure did not end in death... per say.



In theory, the bike afternoon was a good idea. The Swan Valley is a really beautiful part of Western Australia, and a place I have never been before. It was only a half an hour out of the city by train, and the bike trail was mostly flat. Many wonderfully delicious wines come out of the area... and John decided it would be a great idea to bike the loop and give them a taste. So.. lets do the math again. Bikes+Chelsea+Wine= ?

Take a guess.



Basically for most of the time I was listening to my ipod, biking down the road clinging to the handle bars for my life, singing extremely loud just to dispel any fear I had of smashing into the pavement or possibly ride over a slippery rock or pile of sand and go tumbling into traffic.

Well... It did not end up in death, but after 32 km on an unusually uncomfortable bike... my butt certainly thinks so.

Both John and I still can't sit down. At least you can get pain medication laced with codeine here! (I wanted Excedrin.. you know... the pain medication with caffeine? ... They misunderstood me and got me something better!)

I got comfortable on a bike (except for a couple of freeway stretches with BIG semis zooming past) and didn't fall over, even after 5 different winery tastings, and didn't even see a single snake! Although I did ask almost everybody we met along the trail if they had seen a snake! (Turns out.. not yet. Too early in the season!)



We came home with 6 bottles of wine, extremely painful butts, and the glory of being the 'first ones to do the entire loop,' or so the guy we rented the bikes from said.

For now... I am alive, and perhaps conquered my fear of death by bikes! .... until a car door opens and I go barreling into it... again.

Hopefully the death that occurred on this adventure was the DEATH OF MY FEAR OF BIKES!




Great success