Reset — Back to Regular Phantom Rides
6 April 2024Life as a Phantom reruns to normal now that the Tour is over and the bodies are rested — Easter was a great time for many of us to refresh (bike-free for some of us).
What does normal look like for a Phantom Ride? Well, at this time of year it looks like *dark*, as we set off on our Otago Peninsula loop before dawn!
This means it’s headlights and taillights on high, with the road ahead navigated by memory and torch beam (no street lights on most of the loop). The photo with the update is at Pukehiki, just past the summit of Highcliff Road, close to Larnach Castle.
The early start gives us the joy of sunrise (around 8am today) and glorious views thereafter — the Highcliff/Portobello loop was rated as one of the top 10 urban bike rides *in the world* by Lonely Planet, so it is never boring or lacking scenery.
It’s back to town via the bays on the low road, with the lure of coffee and cheese rolls a strong motivator by this time, with the legs starting to get a little weary.
And the end-of-ride coffee is great at Salt, the Phantoms’ favourite cafe, and clearly the best in the known universe.
We’re there by 9am, just as the vibe is building at St Clair with dog walkers, surfers and folks out for a stroll and a coffee. It was nice enough to pull together a Phantom table out on the pavement today, but as the winter months approach we’ll need to retreat indoors to thaw out instead.
It’s nice to be home and back to our normal ride, but with great memories of the Tour…