40.62km / 1:55:08 / 267m / 12.0°C
Had a call from the #PassBox people earlier in the week asking if I was available for another two weeks of data collection for them – I’d seen an SMS earlier and not responded, getting a bit fed up with the whole “close passing” business in Australia. As far as I can tell all the states now have laws requiring a legal minimum passing distance, but there’s been no education, nobody much pays any attention to it, and there’s almost zero enforcement, meanwhile people pat themselves on the back that the law exists and conduct endless surveys & studies. Anyway, was in a better mood when called so I’d said yes, and this morning made my way over to West Melbourne to have the kit fitted to the AWOL.
Two Garmin cameras – front and back – and a custom ultrasonic rangefinder box, each with a GPS so location & time can be synched up for the data. Each time so far I’ve been told they’ll send me a hilights reel of my footage, each time that hasn’t happened, maybe this time!
Very windy on the way in to the city along Gardiners creek, lots of people rugged up in winter coats taking dogs for walks. Making my way through the CBD always a challenge, I never go there so rely on Google maps, everywhere seemed to be building works and bollards, the piece de resistance being Google trying to send me north up Elizabeth street, which is most definitely closed off for some kind of construction. Attempting to continue on and taking the next street had maps trying to send me left, left, left and back up Elizabeth! Finally it got the idea that I wasn’t going that way and directed me … straight through the Queen Victoria markets on a Saturday morning! All very entertaining, but definitely not the quickest roads to ride along
Heading home I tried the other option, straight through the city on Swanston street and down St Kilda road using the new separated bike lanes … or as much of them as I could, given that a few places are blocked off for the ubiquitous construction projects, especially around the metro train station sites
Then it was up the length of Inkerman street, probably lots of closer-than-necessary traffic for the ‘box to measure, interesting bits of detours around Caulfield for yet more construction work, then Carnegie, Murrumbeena and home – calling in for a coffee and croissant in Carnegie
Overcast clouds, 11°C, Feels like 10°C, Humidity 61%, Wind 4m/s from ENE - by Klimat.app
My 1270th day in a row riding a bike; the last 6 days of 2019, my and all of 2021, 2022 and 2023 so far…
Garmin / Strava / ridewithgps
