Do you remember your first day at high school? Your first day at a new job? The first day of a Chain Reaction has many similarities, it doesn’t matter if it is your first challenge or your a seasoned Chain Reaction rider. The butterfly wings beating on the wall of your stomach asking will I be able to keep up, have I done enough training? A little apprehension – will my body survive 1,000km? Definitely some nervous energy – evidenced in the noisy chatter, or perhaps the introspective quiet stare into space.
And then the lead car's horn sounds and moves out with our veteran ride director, Tim Chadd at the wheel; shoes click into peddles, gears flick, muscle fibre twitches and we are rolling. Chain Reaction has two key focuses: safety and raising much needed funds to help kids in need.
The Day 1 prologue is all about safety. It is a chance for the riders to get the butterflies out, to familiarise themselves with the bunch and the various techniques employed by our support crew that will keep us safe on the road over the coming week, to test tyres and gears and to stretch the legs.
Today’s ride was a sample of what is to come 60km of flat roads along Adelaide’s beaches, a solid climb to open the legs to Norton Summit which provided our first peak into the famous Adelaide Hills before a fast descent down Greenhill Road back into the city.
The first 95km are in the bag, tomorrow it all gets a little bit more serious!
