It was a cold chilly morning that greeted our 6 riders as Whispers pondered over the destination for today’s Cruiser ride.
In attendance were John, Bob, Terry, Slim Jim, myself and of course our ride leader, Whispers.
Having checked the skies for a hint of the predicted rain, Whispers made the judgement call to “head west young men”!! And so it was, Picton selected as the destination of choice. All were in furious agreement.
The route was the usual favourite, from Loftus Oval down the highway to the Helensburgh turn-off then all the way to the Picton Road. Uneventful with little traffic to speak of.
As we approached the Appin turnoff, Whispers decided to take the scenic route through Douglas Park via Broughton Pass. The road through the pass was fairly ordinary, very bumpy with part of the road closed off but still quite manageable. Then to Menangle Road joining up again with Picton Road and into the township where we stopped at the Leaf and Bean Café.
The Leaf and Bean provided a nice sunny table where we all enjoyed a fine coffee, variety of breakfast offerings which seemed to satisfy the group and very pleasant service from the young waitresses.
As I said, it was a bit chilly at 11 degrees and despite my 2 layers of thermals and long johns it was still cold! On went the heated grips and heated seat and it wasn’t long before I settled into a comfortable ride. The others being a little more stoic (apparently) seemed to tolerate the coldness better than I. It gradually warmed to 12 degrees and a delightful 16 by the time we arrived at Picton.
I personally enjoyed the ride very much and thanks to John (Whispers) and the rest of the crew.
Dave Williams
Member 13590 DM72
