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J & R (both 3) have been riding in the box bike since they were babies. They're rugged up for a wintery ride.
R & J are buckled into shoulder harnesses and we're off down the footpath to join the roadway.
The box bike is unusually noisy at the moment. Our spokes are not correctly inserted and it's quite the job to fix..
The painted bikelane is only 20cm wider than the box bike. There's not enough space for other bikes to overtake us without moving into the car lane.
The bikelane is now 30cm narrower than us. Less if you don't include the gutter. There's no point trying to ride within it..
The bikelane ends at the curb. Temporary fencing is in place from last night's full closure of the area. All paths were closed without notification.
A digger is continuing to build a temporary gravel path.
We have to continue over grass at this point because it's the most direct option available.
Encountering cars and heavy machinery is nothing new in Victoria Park. Walkers and bikers are just expected to put up with this.
The gravel path is too steeply banked for us. We have to bump over the grass a bit more.
We connect with an access road built for the Clipsal 500 car race. It's out of our way but it's smooth and wide.
Starting to rain now..
We turn along another access path, unsealed. It takes us back in the direction we want to go.
By now we'd usually be across Victoria Park.
We go over grass again as the gravel path is too steep for us to mount.
Which brings us onto the Clipsal track, a perfect, smooth and inviolable surface that is used 4 days a year..
For the first time we join the gravel path. After only 2 days it's rutted and worn. Will it survive Winter?
Now we're onto the only bit of the sealed path still open to the public.
Apply for permission to cross Fullarton Road.
It's always a long wait.
There's a tiny bike signal directly in front of us.
The bike signal stays green for 5 seconds. That's enough time to get half across the road before cars get a green signal.
There's no bikelane here so you ride directly into parked cars.
Ah, bikelane. I feel safer already..
This bikelane is also a door zone, loading area & wide parking bay. It's a council worksite currently.
The bikelane stops to fit a roundabout. Traffic calming often squeezes out bikes. We take to the footpath.
Footpath users also have to go around the roundabout.
S's bike is the pink one. She'll ride home with us later.
Damp but happy J & R climb from the box bike. In a few minutes we do the same ride again in the other direction.