Today was to be Rob Lord’s (Seagull) ride to Windsor but due to a trip to Sutherland Hospital to get some rewiring down he unfortunately couldn’t make it so I said I would fill in.
I didn’t know where Rob was intending to go so at the start time as Colonel was the only other rider, I asked if he minded if I changed destination to Samuel Gee’s at Balaclava. No worries, as long as we ride was his reply.
As we were leaving from Menai, we took Heathcote Road to join the OPH then Appin Road and passed through Douglas Park onto Menagle Road. From here it was onto Picton Road, and we crossed the old bridge in Prince Street and into Thirlmere. We then took the back road into Tahmoor following three other riders who were obviously heading the same way as they also turned onto Rockford Road.
About three quarters of the way along the second bike of the trio (a cruiser) lost his top box. The last bike stopped but there was no response from either the cruiser or the leader, so I sped up to catch the cruiser. Once I got close to my flashing lights and the horn did nothing to stop him and in fact it seemed he was speeding up so I couldn’t pass. Eventually it was safe to ride alongside him and I tapped my top box, and he immediately knew something for him was amiss. Next step was to let the leader know but he too wasn’t interested in stopping for my flashing lights or horn. We were through the roundabout and over the railway bridge in Lupton before I could pull up alongside him and eventually, he stopped, and I was able to tell him about his mate.
You must wonder why he didn’t notice something was amiss after the cruiser stopped and I was then directly behind him. A check in his mirrors and he would clearly see my bike was not a cruiser.
After this episode we continued on to Remembrance Drive, through the Y towns and Alpine before taking the freeway and into Balaclava. Just before the Y towns, to our astonishment, we were both overtaken on yellow unbroken lines by a highly skilled green P plater.
Following a lovely morning tea, we headed home via Old South Road, then Range Road and onto Tourist Drive to connect with the Illawarra Highway for a ride down Macquarie Pass where we encountered some Sunday drivers out early. Once down the pass we headed through Marshall Mount and Avondale linking into Fowlers Road at Dapto and the Freeway for the final leg home via the OPH.
A great day’s riding.
Hope to catch you on a ride soon.
Ride Report By: Keith (Gorilla) Moyle
