Despite a little rain being predicted, I was pleasantly surprised to see only three riders turn up today—Bruce, Kevin, and me. It just goes to show that you can never really relate the weather to the number of riders.
We waited until 9:05 AM, but no one else turned up. I volunteered to be the ride leader. The BOM site predicted rain along the coast, and it was overcast, so we planned to head inland and go to The Oaks.
Off we went. The plan was to go along OPH, Picton Rd, Douglas Park, and then to The Oaks. We got as far as Helensburgh when the rain came down—not enough to get really wet, but enough to make the road slippery. Bruce mentioned that his tyres were worn and that he felt uncomfortable riding in these conditions. I consulted the riders, and it was agreed to go to Lime Leaf Café in Helensburgh instead, for safety reasons.
It turned out to be a great decision, as the food and coffee were excellent. Weather-wise, it cleared up, and there was no rain for the rest of the day. Hint: If you go to the café, just don’t ask the waitress about the stud in her bottom lip—she got a bit shiy.
We stayed at the café for about an hour, discussing all manner of topics—it was a great conversation (including lip studs). After the café, we all went home via different routes. I took the NP route. It was a fantastic ride—no cars to be seen and lovely dry roads.
Sometimes, it’s not the ride but the company. Thanks, guys.
Cheers, Greg Melville (Lucky)
