Ian
Payne – CBR919RR (leader) Frank
Schuette – Valadero (2nd)
Wet and a low attendance, pretty normal for
my rides of late! Not that I have a complex but the figures speak for
themselves:
August - Nagambie, 4 riders &
wet.
September - Johns Hill Lookout,
5 riders and wet.
October -
Pig & Whistle, 4 riders, cold and wet.
November
- Gembrook, 4 riders and wet.
Bit of a trend here. In fact Rhys thought we
could dispense with the Weather Bureau’s prediction every time I led a ride as
it would always be wet. In fact the next ride I lead will be planned for a
drought area so at least some good will come out of it!
Back to the ride. Ben and Rhys were keen for
a ride as both had not been out for a few weeks. Frank, on his second ride with
us and living in Monbulk, was used to the inclement weather.
After waiting till about
We proceeded along the usual “good” roads to
Harkaway and Beaconsfield Upper, then down to the Highway before heading north
to Pakenham Upper, Cockatoo and Yellingbo. From here it was into “market garden
territory” as we traversed through Wandin East and Silvan South. I find this
area a little intimidating, especially in wet weather, as farm vehicles drag so
much dirt and soil out onto the road, which in turn ends up as slippery mud. But,
surprisingly, today it was not much of a problem.
We continued on to Monbulk, Kallista, Menzies
Creek and Emerald where a much-needed break was taken. Over a leisurely lunch
we talked of many things. Having observed that the rain had NOT stopped, not
even eased up, it was time to call an end to this nonsense. So, with Frank
heading to his nearby home, Ben, Rhys and I backtracked over some of the
morning’s roads until we dispersed and went our own way home.
Thanks to those who came along. Perhaps we
can repeat this ride in its entirety sometime in the “DRY” future.
Ian
Payne (Honda CBR919RR)
(Note:
I did this whole ride on one tank, home to home, hitting reserve at 271 km.
That is fuel economy around 19.5 km/litre. Normally on a Club ride I would
expect to hit reserve around 210-220 km and closer to 15 km/litre.. I worked
out our average speed was something like 67 km/h. The pain, the pain ... Ed.)
Comprehending
Engineers - Take One
**********************************
Two engineering students were walking across
campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?"
The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a
beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took
off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want." The second engineer nodded approvingly,
"Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."