Sunday Ride – The Ranges aka Pain Lives Here 15/11

 Sunday Ride – The Ranges aka Pain Lives Here 15/11

Last Sunday was great weather if a little chilly but Otto’s was left with a pile of unsold strudel. It was me and Chris who levered himself out of his sick bed. Shame, Shame, Shame on you boys for drinking, carousing, frolicking and enjoying Robbie Williams.

To atone I expect every to be out for a Ranges ride this Sunday. Weather is possible showers with light winds picking up later in the day. Now given that Friday was possible showers 3mm and we got 14mm I think I won’t get under the table but a weather call is prudent. 

Weather Call 6:30 am

Meet: 7:30 am at the Tower

Route:  Tower, Nortons, Ashton, Basket Range, Forrest Range, Deviation Rd, Greenhill Rd

Coffee at Uraidla

Return negotiated at coffee. 

Sunday Ride 08/11 – Hahndorf Out and Back – Aldo Emerges from Under the Table

 Sunday Ride 08/11 – Hahndorf Out and Back – Aldo Emerges from Under the Table

I have finally crawled out from under the table, blinking in the daylight and clutching the remains of a bottle of red. Last Sunday we had a good ride: the weather stayed clear and we made it home despite consuming a cinnamon scroll the size of my head. That thing was less a pastry and more a spare tyre. For a while I wasn’t sure whether I should eat it or fit it to the bike. Getting home afterwards counts as resistance training.

So, this Sunday we will head to Hahndorf via River Rd in search of coffee and strudel. The plan is out and back, although, in accordance with BG tradition, the return will be decided at coffee once we have assessed the legs. Hopefully the baked goods are more traditionally sized.

Sunday’s forecast for Hahndorf is sunny with a cool start, a maximum of 20 degrees and easterly winds of 15–20 km/h — good strudel weather, with no rain forecast.

Weather Call: 6:30 am – Not needed, but I will schedule one anyway. 

Meet: 8:30 am at the Mt Lofty Bollards – that’s the top of the hill.

Route: Old Mt Barker Rd, Mt Barker Rd, Aldgate Valley Rd, Mylor, River Rd, Hahndorf.

Coffee: Ottos, Hahndorf.

Return: Out and back by default, with the final route decided at coffee.

Bring your hills legs and leave room for strudel. If anyone orders another huge cinnamon scroll, we will need a support vehicle and planning permission. See you Sunday.

Sunday Ride 01/11 – Semaphore via Port Rd – Rinse and Repeat

 Sunday Ride 01/11 – Semaphore via Port Rd – Rinse and Repeat

I have moved the forecasting headquarters under the table again. The bottle of red is now the chief meteorologist, and the cork has been appointed head of long-range predictions. So far, it’s either sunshine or scuba gear.

After three perfect riding days during the week, the forecast websites have resumed their usual 2026 Weekend routine: It will either be great riding weather or very wet. Apparently, a clear forecast would spoil the suspense and give my nervous system a break so that can’t happen. So, I will employ the Mark 1 Eyeball and a Window.

So, we will reverse last week’s planned loop: Port Rd out to Semaphore, then south along the coast to Glenelg and home via Anzac Hwy.

Weather Call: 6:30 am

Meet: 7:30 am in the City, Hindmarsh Square

Route: City, Port Rd, Semaphore. Direction may be reversed at the weather call if the wind is southerly.

Coffee: Semaphore.

Return: Negotiated at Coffee

Bring a jacket and keep an eye on WhatsApp. See you Sunda…..provided the chief meteorologist hasn’t fallen asleep under the table cuddling a nice bottle of basket press

Sunday Ride 25/10 – Semaphore via Anzac Hwy, Return via Port Rd

 Sunday Ride 25/10 – Semaphore via Anzac Hwy, Return via Port Rd

The forecast for Sunday is: “Partly cloudy. Very high chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds southerly 15 to 20 km/h, turning south-westerly 25 to 35 km/h during the morning.” Minimum 11 degrees, maximum 18 degrees, with 1 to 9 mm possible and a 90% chance of rain.

So, this year remains true to form: perfect for riding when we are all at work, then err.. ordinary  when Sunday arrives.

Normally this forecast would send me directly under the table with a good bottle of red, but on this occasion, I would have to move from my sick bed just to get under the table. That seems unnecessarily strenuous, so we will set a weather call and as per normal let the mark 1 eyeball make the final decision.

Weather Call: 6:30 am

Meet: 7:30 am in the City, Hindmarsh Square

Route: City, Anzac Hwy, Military Rd, Esplanade to Semaphore. (May be modified for Wind)

Coffee: Semaphore.

Return: Port Rd back to the City.

Bring a jacket and keep an eye on WhatsApp. See you Sunday, assuming the weather gods and my immune system both cooperate.

Sunday Ride 18/10 – Easy Beach Ride Requested: Outer Harbor via Port Rd, Return via Glenelg

 Sunday Ride 18/10 – Easy Beach Ride Requested: Outer Harbor via Port Rd, Return via Glenelg

We have had a request for an Easy Ride due to illness and injury. As always, we aim to please. 

So, this Sunday we will keep things civilised with a flat beach ride to Outer Harbor via Port Rd before returning along the coast through Glenelg.

Meet: 7:30 am in the City, Hindmarsh Square

Route: City, Port Rd, Victoria Rd, Esplanade and Outer Harbor.

Coffee: Semaphore or that place in the back of Glenelg, bakery selected by consensus and sausage roll quality.

Return: Back along the coast via Semaphore, Military Rd and Seaview Rd to Glenelg.

Home: Anzac Hwy back to the City.

No hills, no heroics and no excuses. 

Bring your easy legs. See you Sunday.

Sunday Ride 11/10 – Beach Ride via the New Mike Turtur Bikeway

The forecast for Sunday looks mostly sunny and warm, around 28 degrees, with a northerly breeze and only a very small chance of rain in the morning. That sounds like good beach-ride weather, although the wind may have opinions of its own.  Bike tracks are usually a BG thing only when someone has missed a turn at the front and needs to ride home in shame. However, the new Mike Turtur Bikeway is apparently official and as it has bypassed 4 sets of lights we will check it out. Always support some cycling infrstructure.

Weather Call: 6:30 am

Meet: 7:30 am in the City, Hindmarsh Square

Route: City, Anzac Hwy, then enter the Mike Turtur Bikeway near the tram tracks on Greenhill Rd. 

We will follow the tram corridor toward Glenelg and try the newly opened elevated sections over South, Marion, Cross and Morphett Roads before continuing the normal ride through to Semaphore

Coffee: Semaphore, depending on the wind, legs and pastry availability.

Return: Decided at coffee, with Port Rd the default as the wind is NNW.

Note: The coast to vines bikeway now goes all the way down to the Victory hotel…..beer run?? 

Sunday Ride 04/10 – The Ranges – October Long Weekend Special Stage

 Sunday Ride 04/10 – The Ranges – October Long Weekend Special Stage 

The October long weekend is here and, as has become the standard in recent years, Sunday’s ride will be the Ranges so short enough to do other stuff on Sunday. The forecast looks about as friendly as we could reasonably ask for: “Partly cloudy, around 18 degrees, light winds and only a very small chance of rain.” That sounds like Hills weather.

Daylight-saving reminder number one: the clocks go forward one-hour early Sunday morning, from 2:00 am to 3:00 am, so we lose an hour of sleep.

So in an effort to be kind we will start at 7:45 am.

Meet: 7:45 am at the Tower Hotel

Route: Tower, Norton Summit, Ashton, Basket Range, Forrest Range, Deviation Rd and Greenhill Rd.

Coffee and the obligatory pastry product at Uraidla.

Return: Negotiated at coffee, with Norton Summit the sensible default.

Daylight-saving reminder number two: set an alarm of a clock that updates automatically on Saturday night.

It should be a good morning to shakeout and earn a long-weekend sausage roll.

Final reminder: daylight saving starts overnight, the clocks go forward, and the ride rolls from the Tower at 7:45 am new time. Do not arrive an hour late and then blame the Garmin.

See you Sunday. 

I am Spartacus Nigel

Sunday Ride 27/09 – Outer Harbor via Anzac Hwy, Semaphore Coffee

Sunday looks like a good opportunity for a long, flat beach ride as we need to start to gradually ramp up as we head out of winter. So, we will head to Outer Harbor via Anzac Hwy and then roll back to Semaphore for coffee. 

The forecast for Sunday is mostly cloudy and cool 16 degrees, with a moderate south-easterly breeze.

Meet: 7:30 am in the City, Hindmarsh Square

Route: City, Anzac Hwy, Seaview Rd, Military Rd, Esplanade, Outer Harbor, then back along the coast to Semaphore.

Coffee: Semaphore

Home: We will pick the route at coffee, depending on the wind, legs and appetite for extra kilometres.

Tour Down Under Update: The 2027 stages are now published and there are only participation rides, so there is no confirmed community ride to build our week around. That means we will start planning our own BG TDU rides. The Thursday Lobethal-to-Campbelltown stage, Saturday’s Willunga Hill pilgrimage and Sunday’s Norwood-to-Stirling finale all look like obvious candidates, but we will get the maps out and work through viewing points, beer, coffee, lunch, more beer, snacks, beer and maybe escape routes before making anything official.

Bring spring legs and your best TDU ideas. See you Sunday.

Sunday Ride 13/09 – Outer Harbor via Anzac Hwy return via Port Rd – Aldo is Back Under the Table

The BOM has been consulted, along with the usual collection of weather oracles, and Sunday looks like spring has decided to be difficult again. While Spring has put the Magpies on a war footing and it will be a balmy 20 degrees there is a chance showers in the Morning. This means a Weather call, Hills are unwise and I should not have cancelled the Virgin sacrifices.

So, we will repeat last week’s beach ride but push it out to Outer Harbor. 

Weather Call: 6:30 am

Meet: 7:30 am in the City, Hindmarsh Square

Route: City, Anzac Hwy, Military Rd, Seaview Rd, Esplanade to Outer Harbor.

Coffee: Semaphore

Return: Victoria Parade or Esplanade depending upon wind, then Port Rd back to the City.

Bring a jacket and spring legs.

If you need me, I will be back under the table where all truly accurate weather forecasting is done with a bottle of red. See you Sunday.

Sunday Ride 07/09 – Easy Beach Ride to Welcome Back Nina and Warren

The weather for Sunday looks like spring has finally found the right file: mostly sunny, around 17 degrees, light south-easterly winds and only a token chance of rain but a significant change of Magpie Attack.

Saturday, by contrast, looks wet and wild, so Sunday is clearly the pick for anyone who prefers cycling to being pressure-washed. 39-60kph winds great going downwind not so much any other direction.

Given Nina and Warren are back from the west after a few months of rigorous cross-training involving camping, drinking, fishing and the odd short walk, according to Stava, we will keep this one civilised with an easy beach ride. The only heroics unless should involve a second coffee.

Weather Call: 6:30 am (Prudent given Saturday)

Meet: 7:30 am in the City, Hindmarsh Square

Route: City, Anzac Hwy, Military Rd, Seaview Rd, Esplanade to Semaphore.

Coffee: Semaphore

Return: Decided at coffee, with Port Rd the default if the wind behaves itself.

I was considering swinging by Hallett Cove to see if Brian’s house was still on its foundations. Reef the sails and baton down the hatches we will see you Sunday when it calms down. Bring spring legs or fishing stories.