Ride Report: "A Slice of Banana Pie"

We've had a busy week this week, blogging about our plan to score the ultimate job reporting from the Tour de France for CyclingTips, so today we thought we'd reward ourselves with a Saturday morning bike ride.

Living in Sydney, we're fortunate to have a wide menu of rides open to us. There are enough bike shops, cycling clubs and other groups organising bunch rides that no matter what your cycling ability there's bound to be something out there for you. This morning we decided to join the Bike North bunch on one of their favourite routes: A Slice of Banana Pie.

No fancy Strava art this time, sorry.

The ride started in Turramurra and followed the old Pacific Highway nearly all the way to Brooklyn, stopping for coffee at "Pie in the Sky" (a cafe/bakery popular with cyclists and motorcyclists alike) before returning to Turramurra via Bobbin Head. Since the construction of the M1 motorway the old Pacify Highway doesn't see a lot of car traffic, and with gorgeous views over Muogamarra Nature Reserve the road attracts a lot of two-wheeled visitors.

The Bike North bunch has a tendency to take rather a long coffee break mid-ride, which gave us the perfect opportunity to drop down the hill to the Hawkesbury River and then climb back up to the cafe, leaving just enough time for a quick macchiato before heading off again. Apart from a bit of smoke in the air from the hazard reduction fires burning nearby, conditions were perfect.

Macchiatos at Pie in the Sky - note the technically correct usage of the cycling cap

When you're a cyclist, this is what Saturday mornings are all about. Sometimes you ride further and go harder, other times it's shorter and easier, but when the sun's shining and you're having a post-ride coffee with mates, it's hard not to have a smile on your face.

Until tomorrow, keep pedalling!

Mark&Tom