Ten rolled up but the Colonel was crook as Rookwood, so he stayed only long enough for Half-way Dave and Greg (Mr Lucky) to be presented with their nickname plates before going back home to bed. That left nine.
The plan was pretty straightforward. Down to Picton Rd, west to Menangle Rd, up to the foot of Razorback; over the top and down into Picton before heading up Barkers Lodge Rd to Oakdale, followed by the run down to The Oaks. What could possibly go wrong?
So, a snappy briefing, and we got the show on the road – but not before the ride leader had already made three cardinal blunders. Failed to appoint a tail-end Charlie; didn’t count the number of bikes; and cleared out while someone (Mr Unlucky?) was still gassing up. A flying start but rather slap-dash by my own standards. It came back to haunt me later.
Things got a bit strung out along Picton Rd but I’d assumed all were still sufficiently in touch after I’d slowed up a bit to compress the pack. On turning up Menangle Rd the pack looked a bit light but no cause for concern, they’d catch up, wouldn’t they? So, at the roundabout at the foot of Razorback, blunder number four; failed to put down a corner marker. Coming into Picton, it was clear we’d lost some but no idea how many, so a corner marker at Barkers Lodge Rd seemed like a good, if rather belated idea. However, Schafe picked up only one more from this and we were six on the way to Oakdale, where things got a bit chilly. It’s easy to overlook how elevated it is up there – the best part of 500m ASL.
Still not knowing how many I’d lost, we swung into The Oaks to find the bus and two other bikes parked opposite the bakery. And here were Dane, Michael and Martin, well-ensconced at the table. It seems they arrived at the roundabout to go north to Burragorang Road via Cawdor and Mt Hunter, and so arriving at The Oaks well ahead of the pack. Well, as they say in the classics, “All’s well that ends well”. Or maybe “All roads lead to Rome” would also do.
After a leisurely morning tea, we headed out along Montpelier Drive and down into Picton before heading home via Broughton Pass, where a speed camera on the first big sweeper on the way to Appin was the only remarkable aspect of a bog-standard run. At Heathcote, we finished with eight, as, by prior arrangement, Greg M had flicked off to hobnob with the constabulary at Cordeaux Dam. A bit odd to finish with more than we had for most of the outbound leg; but that’s motorcycling for you.
Craig Bernie,
Officer-in-Charge, Lost and Found Department
