I wish I hadn't done that

Alright, so there is one thing about long-distance cycling that I don't like, but I'll come to that later. Yesterday was a surprisingly pleasant one for this time of year temperature wise (12-28 degrees C), so I figured it was time for century number 23 of 2005. I hadn't been through Numinbah Valley for a while (at least by my standards), so I figured it was time to go again. As usual, the scenery was spectacular...





... but that isn't the thing I regret. There are still scents in the air in some places from the flower season...





... but that isn't the thing I regret. I took a detour over the Condong Range, before doubling back along the Pilgrims Road. Along the way I discovered a pall of smoke that I had to avoid...



... but that isn't the thing I regret. Another detour out of the John Hogan rainforest, this time on Cranney's Road, not a long one, but enough to give me my imperial century. Some comfortable climbing, with great views from the top...



... But this is definitely not the thing I regret.

So what do I regret? I regret that I missed a bit while applying sunscreen. I regret that this bit was on my legs, which I normally only have to cover once over because they tend not to sweat very much. I regret that they are still sore today, and may be so tomorrow. On the other hand, all the vitriol and abuse that I've had to deal with while riding in recent weeks was replaced by constant politeness yesterday. It actually reached a point where it was sometimes incovenient to wave back as I was pushing into the final headwind, such was the number of friendly waves I received yesterday. Perhaps the red glow from my legs managed to intimidate people. Ohhhh the power!