THE Coach is right...

I am a fair weather cyclist.  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/annemiekvanderkuil/740838929/in/set-72157594584784175/

That's not me!

No cycling last weekend due to the chilly, wet weather.  The hills will always be there so I'll have to do even more hill seeking next weekend.  I have borrowed a gym membership for three weeks so I might??? try an indoor cycling session this week. 

Don't think I'll be enjoying a reward ride with THE Coach in the near future.

Hill seekers

 

Lake Burley Griffin was sparkling during our weekend in Canberra. 

Perfect weather for cycling as the temperature hovered around 17 C during the middle of the day with no wind.  The autumn leaves were still putting on a glorious show of colour against the clearest blue sky.  The only downside for the whole weekend was experienced by THE Coach. 

Yes, that's THE Coach changing not one, but two flat tyres, one per day.  Two rides in Canberra - about 45kms over the weekend - not so far, especially not in comparison to those cycling bloggers from New York, but at least we found some hills, thanks to Tim. 

We also found a gem of a cafe on the terrace of the National Library where we enjoyed lunch on Sunday. Thanks Sue and Tim for a great weekend of chatting, eating and cycling.  We'll be back before you know it.

Made our final payment for the cycling trip and have received the train tickets from Paris to Souillac.  There's no backing out now so I must keep hill seeking this week.

No cycling this week...

as I was distracted by a fabulous wedding,

Mother's day breakfast

My mum and her girls.

and Mother's day lunch.

THE Coach and his mum. A rare photo of a smiling coach.

This is rapidly becoming the blog of staying off my bike!
Yikes.
"Luckily, tomorrow is another day," my mantra to THE Coach.

Misty morning ride

THE Coach was happy today as he was riding in fine company.  Gerard and Annie joined Phillip and THE Coach on a speedy ride to La Pa.  The misty morning didn't phase them a bit.  As they pedaled off into the soft, white morning, I dragged myself out of bed for my one and only ride this week.  

I met Gen and Bill at Centennial Park so we could ride a few hills before the cafe stop.  Only 18kms today but the Hill Coach was encouraging, and even made a positive report to THE Coach, over coffee at Phillip's favourite Buzy Bee cafe.  (No raisin toast this morning as I was tempted by banana bread - a mistake- will return to the usual next week.)

The mist had cleared by the time the two teams met up.  As you can see below, THE Coach looked positively chipper after his ride without his trainee. 

 Best get back on my bike this week, as I was bluntly reminded that it's less than two months till we climb the hills of the Dordogne. 

No cycling, but lots of eating, drinking and shopping

 in Melbourne for the ANZAC day long weekend, where more than once I wished that I had my bike. 

A great weekend in a beautiful city.  Thanks Lucy for the local knowledge. 
THE Coach has been keeping very quiet about my failure to ride last week.  The lull before the storm perhaps?

Visit Oatley Park for...

beautiful views of the water,

empty roads for cyclists

and long steady hills that make Bill, THE Hill Taskmaster, very happy.  He loves to ride the Oatley Park hills and has been doing so for years.  

Three rides this week, two of the usual Five Dock circuit and one with Gen and Bill at Oatley Park.  I've taken Catherine's warning about preparing for the hills in the Dordogne seriously, so persuaded THE Coach to drive over to Mortdale with our bikes to cycle with Bill and Gen on their regular morning ride.
My goodness they will be in good shape for the Dordogne.  After our ride of four times round the Oatley Park circuit, THE Coach insisted that we make the most of the beautiful day by riding on to Como for a look at the railway bridge.

Someone else mentioned coffee, so I found some energy reserves and managed to pedal across the railway bridge to a lovely little cafe by the water at Como.

It was a strenuously rewarding ride, all 28 kms.  I'm going to ignore THE Hill Taskmaster's parting comment that really "It was only a 14km ride today because the other 14 kms were coasting downhill".
Even though I rode again this morning, my legs are still feeling those Oatley Park hills, a day later!  Oh dear, I know what THE Coach will say...

Cyclists everywhere

Yesterday THE Coach and I set out on a 40 km ride with Bill and Gen to The Armory Cafe at Newington on the edge of Olympic Park.  I guess it was a surprise reward ride.  THE Coach rode with us for the entire distance, and we stopped for coffee and raisin toast - well that was my order, so it appeared to meet the criteria of a reward ride. 

It was a perfect day for cycling- we weren't alone in our thinking.  Homebush was crawling with cyclists of all descriptions.

Although the ride is mostly through the suburban back streets of Five Dock, Abbotsford, Concord and Rhodes, it is quite varied as the on road cyclepath also winds through streets of factories and runs along the river - in parts it is quite picturesque. 

When we finished Gen and Bill stopped in for a cuppa to "talk cycling in France".  We poured over travel guides and maps as we began to make more detailed plans for the cycling leg of our trip.
Since I blogged a few weeks ago, some blog readers have requested our itinerary.  We are using the cycling company Cyclomundo and so far they've been great.  We've planned a self-guided group tour of the Dordogne and Lot districts.
Day 1Arrive in Souillac and transfer to stay overnight in Sarlat.
Day 2 Cycle from Sarlat to Montignac (25kms)
Day 3 Cycle from Montignac to Les Eyzies (26kms)
Day 4 Cycle from LesEyzies to Monpazier (40kms)
Day5 Cycle from Monpazier to Sarlat (53 kms)
Day 6 Cycle Sarlat environs.
Day 7 Cycle from Sarlat to Rocamadour (54 Kms)
Day 8 Cycle from Rocamadour to Labastide-Murat (30 kms)
Day 9 Cycle from Labastide-Murat to Vers (28Kms)
Day 10 Cycle from Vers to Cahors (15km)
Day 11 Train from Cahors to Paris.

We'd love any and all suggestions for 'must see' spots in this southern part of the Dordogne.  Thanks to Anne for the email with details about caves worth a look and to Catherine for tips about unmissable lunch stops.
ALL suggestions will be greeted with delight.