Saturday’ ride. Where to begin? There is so much to say.
Epic. That is the only superlative that comes to mind. The weather was perfect. Sunny and warm with little wind. The roads were the best I have ridden. Scenic. Undulating. Quiet. And, smooth with no potholes or cracks to be wary of.
My son and I rode the Sunshine Coast. 120 km of road that I can only describe as epic, beautiful, safe, fast, amazing, inspiring … We left the house at 6:30 am to catch a 7:20 am ferry to the Sunshine Coast and were on our bikes by 8:00 am. There are 2 ways of travelling the coast. Highway 101 that connects the Langdale ferry terminal on the south end with the Earl’s Cove terminal in the north. This is a major route with considerable traffic, particularly in the summer months but it has wide shoulders. And then there are the lower roads, roads that service the shoreline properties. These are the roads we cycled. They are scenic, undulating and in excellent shape.
We completed 120 km maintaining a 25-40 kph pace most of the time. There were a lot of climbs. Some long and difficult. And, there were numerous descents where we reached speeds of 65 kph or more on the wide, safe roads.
The best part of the ride is that I shared the experience with my son. He is half my age and much stronger. I can keep up with him on the flats and descents but he is a natural climber where he can easily leave me behind. But he didn’t. He stayed with me or, at least within sight, so I wouldn’t get discouraged.
My son and I have shared several epic rides together. The West Maui Loop. The Sea To Sky highway. The local mountain climbs, Marine Drive and now, the Sunshine Coast. It’s special for a father to share moments like this with his son. Cycling has been an integral part of my life since before he was born and, to be able to share a ride like this with him at this stage, is remarkable.
We were home by 7:00 pm and my son (did you hear that) prepared dinner – fresh sole, prawns and a green salad with a beer. It really doesn’t get any better than that.
PedalWORKS 
Awesome man, you’re a lucky guy.
Your turn will come.