The ride was divided into three parts. One was from Hope Valley to Felixstow where the family rode together. The second from Felixstow to City of Adelaide, and the third from City of Adelaide to Hope Valley. For the last two parts, only Kim and I rode together.
Hope Valley to Felixstow
Before embarking on our Torrens Linear Park adventure, we dropped by Kim's old school, Highbury Primary School. He queried the staff about the time capsule when he attended that school. To date, it is still underground and no one could give a definitive answer of when it would be excavated.
The ride from Hope Valley to Felixstow was easy. There were a mixture of old and new signage. In some areas the signage was on the trail and has worn down from traffic and weather.
There were two paths on either side of River Torrens. One could crisscross from one side to the other via numerous timber bridges and roads. Once we were on the path, we didn't have to cross any roads at all. This made it a pleasant ride. The surface was a mixture of concrete and bitumen. So smooth that one could glide on it.
The only issue we had was a boardwalk that had collapsed. The signboard offering alternative route was clear and concise.
We were impressed with Lochiel Park Community Gardens. It formed part of the Lochiel Park green development. It was an encouraging to see a housing development where careful consideration were made with regards to the environment and the dwellings. These were not just houses but homes; where looking after the environment is a lifestyle.
As we meandered along River Torrens, there were plenty of uphills and downhills. The views were pretty and peaceful. The air was clean and the vegetation was green.
Our highlight for this ride was the O-Bahn bus tracks. We could pass the time watching the buses zoom by. Their maximum speed was 100km/hour. The children were looking out for the articulated buses.
Upon arrival to Felixstow, my pa presented the children with ice-creams for their efforts. What a star!
Kim and I entrusted our children to my folks and we continued our bicycle journey onto the city.
Felixstow to Adelaide City
This part of the ride brought back fond memories of riding to the city with my sister's partner, Pedro, when I was in university. I remembered our first ride where we struggled and took absolutely forever up a little hill! We didn't know the terrain very well and were not ready to tackle the undulating parts. In our last ride together, from my parents' house to the corner of North Terrace and Pulteney Street was 21 minutes. A well deserved pats on the backs for us.
For me, riding the bicycle is a gentle reminder for me of Pedro. He passed away in 2012 from brain tumour. He was 38. Thomas, completed a charity bike ride for his Uncle Pedro in 2016. He rode 50km to raise funds for Brain Tumour Alliance Australia.
It was reassuring to see the trail has had many improvements since I rode on it last, such as new boardwalks, playground improvements, and re-vegetation.
There were only two areas that cyclists need to disembark. One was where the boardwalk was narrow and the other was one timber bridge crossing.
The heritage listed Gilberton swing bridge was not present when we rode past. I discovered later that it was being refurbished. What a shame. It would have been immensely satisfying to walk across for old times' sake.
A new feature was a pedestrian bridge between Hackney Road and Adelaide Zoo. This created a link between Botanical Gardens and North Adelaide.
We saw University of Adelaide across River Torrens and rode under the University Footbridge. We nicknamed the bridge, "wobbly bridge", as it used to bounce as we walked across it. I also reminisced those endless days and nights that were spent at the Architecture department. Those were times where relationships were broken and made.
The bike path went under the pedestrian bridge that linked Adelaide Festival Centre with Adelaide Oval. From there, we had a wonderful perspective of the city.
We exited the Torrens Linear Park and rode up and across the pedestrian bridge. Across from War Memorial Drive is Adelaide Oval. In 2014, our family were given a private tour of the Adelaide Oval by our friend, Michael, who was in charge of the project. This was before it was opened to the public. We were very lucky indeed.
We finally reached OzAsia Festival's Lucky Dumpling Market. We had a sample of delicious food.
We shared a table with three Adelaide Metro employees. We had a such a lovely conversation with them. They not only drove the trams, but were involved with O-bahn. One of them had to monitor the CCTVs to ensure vehicles didn't enter the tracks by accident. One incident she witnessed was two Irish tourists driving a long way along the tracks before their van was wedged between them.
Adelaide City to Hope Valley
The sun was setting as we started our journey home. As I was zooming down a hill, my headlights beamed onto a couple of ducks! Lucky for them I had my hydraulic disk brakes. The path was surprising not well lit in most of the parts of the city. It is such a shame as Adelaide is a beautiful city to ride one's bicycle especially along this path.
As we hit the suburbs, some area were well lit, but some were as dark as night. There were a a couple of pedestrians who carried torches with them, but a couple weren't too bright. I was puffed out and dripping in sweat by the end of the ride as it was pretty much uphill for a good duration of time.
Reflection
During our ride in daylight hours, we didn't see many pedestrians or cyclists. We expected to cross paths with retired people walking their dogs, or parents/carers walking their child in prams. We were surprised not to see any commuters either in the evening.
I stumbled on a "bicycle shop" while on one of my flâneurs in the City of Adelaide. One can borrow a bicycle for free from here. The City of Adelaide is perfect to ride as it is so flat. Adults and children can ride on pavements. Helmets and locks are included with the free bikes. As long as the borrower returns the bikes by a stipulated time, there is no charge. There are also children sized bikes as well as bicycle child seat. Schemes to encourage cleaner living is very positive for the city.
Hope Valley to Felixstow
Before embarking on our Torrens Linear Park adventure, we dropped by Kim's old school, Highbury Primary School. He queried the staff about the time capsule when he attended that school. To date, it is still underground and no one could give a definitive answer of when it would be excavated.
The ride from Hope Valley to Felixstow was easy. There were a mixture of old and new signage. In some areas the signage was on the trail and has worn down from traffic and weather.
There were two paths on either side of River Torrens. One could crisscross from one side to the other via numerous timber bridges and roads. Once we were on the path, we didn't have to cross any roads at all. This made it a pleasant ride. The surface was a mixture of concrete and bitumen. So smooth that one could glide on it.
The only issue we had was a boardwalk that had collapsed. The signboard offering alternative route was clear and concise.
As we meandered along River Torrens, there were plenty of uphills and downhills. The views were pretty and peaceful. The air was clean and the vegetation was green.
Our highlight for this ride was the O-Bahn bus tracks. We could pass the time watching the buses zoom by. Their maximum speed was 100km/hour. The children were looking out for the articulated buses.
Upon arrival to Felixstow, my pa presented the children with ice-creams for their efforts. What a star!
Kim and I entrusted our children to my folks and we continued our bicycle journey onto the city.
Felixstow to Adelaide City
This part of the ride brought back fond memories of riding to the city with my sister's partner, Pedro, when I was in university. I remembered our first ride where we struggled and took absolutely forever up a little hill! We didn't know the terrain very well and were not ready to tackle the undulating parts. In our last ride together, from my parents' house to the corner of North Terrace and Pulteney Street was 21 minutes. A well deserved pats on the backs for us.
For me, riding the bicycle is a gentle reminder for me of Pedro. He passed away in 2012 from brain tumour. He was 38. Thomas, completed a charity bike ride for his Uncle Pedro in 2016. He rode 50km to raise funds for Brain Tumour Alliance Australia.
It was reassuring to see the trail has had many improvements since I rode on it last, such as new boardwalks, playground improvements, and re-vegetation.
There were only two areas that cyclists need to disembark. One was where the boardwalk was narrow and the other was one timber bridge crossing.
The heritage listed Gilberton swing bridge was not present when we rode past. I discovered later that it was being refurbished. What a shame. It would have been immensely satisfying to walk across for old times' sake.
A new feature was a pedestrian bridge between Hackney Road and Adelaide Zoo. This created a link between Botanical Gardens and North Adelaide.
We saw University of Adelaide across River Torrens and rode under the University Footbridge. We nicknamed the bridge, "wobbly bridge", as it used to bounce as we walked across it. I also reminisced those endless days and nights that were spent at the Architecture department. Those were times where relationships were broken and made.
The bike path went under the pedestrian bridge that linked Adelaide Festival Centre with Adelaide Oval. From there, we had a wonderful perspective of the city.
We exited the Torrens Linear Park and rode up and across the pedestrian bridge. Across from War Memorial Drive is Adelaide Oval. In 2014, our family were given a private tour of the Adelaide Oval by our friend, Michael, who was in charge of the project. This was before it was opened to the public. We were very lucky indeed.
We finally reached OzAsia Festival's Lucky Dumpling Market. We had a sample of delicious food.
We shared a table with three Adelaide Metro employees. We had a such a lovely conversation with them. They not only drove the trams, but were involved with O-bahn. One of them had to monitor the CCTVs to ensure vehicles didn't enter the tracks by accident. One incident she witnessed was two Irish tourists driving a long way along the tracks before their van was wedged between them.
Adelaide City to Hope Valley
The sun was setting as we started our journey home. As I was zooming down a hill, my headlights beamed onto a couple of ducks! Lucky for them I had my hydraulic disk brakes. The path was surprising not well lit in most of the parts of the city. It is such a shame as Adelaide is a beautiful city to ride one's bicycle especially along this path.
As we hit the suburbs, some area were well lit, but some were as dark as night. There were a a couple of pedestrians who carried torches with them, but a couple weren't too bright. I was puffed out and dripping in sweat by the end of the ride as it was pretty much uphill for a good duration of time.
Reflection
During our ride in daylight hours, we didn't see many pedestrians or cyclists. We expected to cross paths with retired people walking their dogs, or parents/carers walking their child in prams. We were surprised not to see any commuters either in the evening.
I stumbled on a "bicycle shop" while on one of my flâneurs in the City of Adelaide. One can borrow a bicycle for free from here. The City of Adelaide is perfect to ride as it is so flat. Adults and children can ride on pavements. Helmets and locks are included with the free bikes. As long as the borrower returns the bikes by a stipulated time, there is no charge. There are also children sized bikes as well as bicycle child seat. Schemes to encourage cleaner living is very positive for the city.
Comments
Post a Comment