Saw a note in one of the western bike user groups about a ride that included riding back down the M4 cycleway. So I looked around and found some references to it. I rode to Redfern and hoped on a train to Rhodes at 9 30am not busy as usual. I rode from Rhodes (boom boom) through Olympic Park and onto thr cycleway. First three kms were acceptable shared path until I got to duck river. Then the trail became quite interesting as it weeved under the giant pillars of the M4. Then my back tire popped. I realised that I had only packed my spare tire and not my pump or repair kit. I was on my old flat bar racer. As there was a rider going by every 10 minutes, I Jimmied open the tire with my keys and a flat stick. I got my spare tire on (thanks Bike Wise for the lessons). On que a really friendly guy came along with the world’s smallest racing bike pump and we took it in turns pumping. I made it to Parramatta station on my 30psi. Lessons pack pump, help fellow cyclist. Attend bike maintenance course. Have phone to work out where station is. I liked the M4 cycleway. It could make a different return trail for Parramatta Olympic Park.

See the post on the Parramatta page >>