Back on the bike

During the last week I have at long last got out on the mountain bike and am now enjoying the freedom and sometime solitude that comes with it.  It is surprising how the feel of the landscape is transformed once you are beyond audible range and out of sight of the station hum.  I'll have to be honest and say here that Davis Station isn't exactly an architectural triumph and instead resembles something more like the pieces of plastic that I used to play with as a kid.  It hasn't earned the name "Lego Land" for nothing I guess, but like Lego, Davis is functional, it serves a purpose and thankfully can't get stuck in your windpipe!

I'd have to say that getting out on the sea ice for a ride has been the highlight so far and was quite possibly the most fun I've ever had on a bike.  We ended up riding only 15 km or so, but it felt much further by the end of the evening.  The patches of snow on the ice made it feel more like a hill climb at times, I don't think I've ever had to get out of the saddle and crunch the granny gear when riding along a flat surface (maybe I haven't been riding enough).  The majority of the riding however was slick and fast and surprisingly stable (except when attempting wheelies).  I suspect only the Huskies could've given the bike a run for its money in terms of experiencing the landscape, a far cry from the current noisy weapon of choice, the quad bike.  I wouldn't like to carry an extra 100 kg of equipment on the back of a mountain bike though (although I reckon I could fashion a sled towing system somehow... ).

 There seems to be a trend down here that any one who is having too much fun must be doing the wrong thing, which is justifiably the case sometimes, so we were a little worried when the Station Leader sat us down afterwards for a talking to.  Okay, so everyone fell through a tide crack and went over the handlebars at least once, but there were no broken bones (this time).  No need to worry there though, instead of taking the bikes away he wanted to give us more.  Apparently they're not as dangerous as quad bikes, unless I'm riding them that is.