21.4.17 If something goes a little wrong

well you can go ahead and bring it on

cause if you knock knock me over

i will get back up again

So the thing that went a little wrong? Actually nothing new... I have been cycling with a slightly bent disc on the front brake, probably since I bagged the bike and flew it home from Christchurch. Just feels like you are cycling with the brakes on... which you are for a tenth of each rotation.

So with 70 ish kilometres to do today, I am off for some effortless cycling. Was it the general downhillness of today's route; or fixing the brake problem; or my amazingly improved fitness; or the deadline "Featherstone by Four"; or better weather? Today's average speed was 17km/hr instead of 13.2!!!

The first hour or so goes along in the usual fashion... ooh... sunny day photo...whoa.. that's even better... look at that tree. ..wow... a bulldozer, just like Dad's. Must get a photo for Ricardo. Getting hot... take sleeves off. Check map. Put map away. Get map out again to check gradient.

I am enjoying this whole glorious road... sealed, sunny and downhill!!!

These toetoe standing still... not a breath of wind. When the local council wanted to commemorate their war dead, they very pragmatically decided to spend their money on a much needed bridge, an avenue of Oaks and a small monument. You can go there at 5:30 on Tuesday the 25th, for a dawn parade.

I hope they have a few more people than I saw there.

So having "Shared our hour of victory on the sunlit hill" I pedaled off. It was about now I came to the alarming conclusion that if I really was going to be in Featherstone by 4pm, then I would seriously have to stop stopping. Well as soon as you make a plan to not stop, photos pop up everywhere. .. the sunlit white horse, against dark macrocarpa trees, topped by that amazing blue; pink toetoe bushes,my favourite; startled sheep, moments before they bumble away; lush vibrant greens merging into purply hills; splendid golden leaves against that marvelous sky.... I didn't stop, and quickly the kilometres started adding up. I got in the rhythm, spinning easily along. Oh the joy of cycling. A slurp from my bottle. .. can I unwrap a bounty bar on the go? Sure can. The sun smiled, the pedals hummed, the odo gloated over its newly acquired ks until about 8 km out of Martinborough the fun fizzled... Just like that. Stop.

The day was still gorgeous, but I needed fuel... a boysenberry pastry, a banana,some nuts and chips later and I am off again. Martinborough was also resplendent in its ANZAC regalia, although for me it was just a toilet, pie and tea stop.

Nice toilets. From there it was abit of a slog into Featherstone. A tiny place with a hard to find railway station... then the easy way into Wellington. .. by train.