This topic contains 148 replies, has 0 voices, and was last updated by 
-
Anonymous
AnonymousI can’t view the video?
We all know TB is just too quick for us mere mortals. However, what does it say for his skills if after 35 years of riding he can even be challenged by someone who had their first ride of an enduro bike 5 months ago?
Hoe long shall we give him to bite do you reckon Squirrel?
Anonymous
AnonymousTrailboss wrote:
Quote:Moto mate.After all our time on the weekend, taking you into my home, fixing your bike friday night, driving you to the ride location, showing some great tracks, site history etc. Taking you my families place, booking you into 5 star accommodation, organising dinner and drinks saturday nite, getting my sister to drop you back, taking you to yet more great tracks and historic sites, driving you to the hospital, waiting for you, unloading your bike and washing it.
WHY WHY did you feel the need to attack me after the squirrel said something that wasn’t true anyway
Squirrel said “racing TB and out of your league hey Moto.”
Why attack me?? :blush: :S :blush: :S :blush: :S :blush: :S
:pinch: :pinch:
TB
Just keeping up the banter mate, you know I love you really
AnonymousTiny just dropped in home and had a bruise worth showing
He said it doesnt hurt but the ribs do
TB
Anonymous
AnonymousI feel used, I think it was wasted on you, Tiny reckons its the best ride he has ever been on, and you well!
AnonymousDay 2 Ride Report
The Morning started with me hearing TB clattering around in his great big bedroom at what must have been 5:30am. Despite the noise from what I can only assume was an Crocodile wrestling contest I tried to relax myself in preparation for the days ride ahead.
After covering 350Km’s on day 1 I was expecting the same again. Not much after I had returned to napping on my pull-out sofa bed that was almost as comfortable as lying on the rocks and tree roots in my tent at the Christmas party Boulder knocks on the front door to our apartment and TB gets up to let him in.
We were scheduled for brekkie at 8:00am but as Boulder arrives everywhere significantly early he was romping around our room at 7:15am! I dragged my arse out of bed and got changed ready for brekkie. In the spare time we had we wound the 3 turns of preload off my rear shock in an attempt to help my front end issues out. Other than the new tyres it was the only thing that was changed before making my suspension so much worse. I later found out that it made a big difference and totally removed the headshake and some of the ‘loose’ front end problems.
We smashed breakfast down, paid up for our rooms and got kitted up. Shortly after we left the winery and burnt our way back into Orange. After a series of turnoffs down some country lanes we hopped into some awesome singletrack in a pine forest. I really enjoyed the ST as it was very flowy and a bit faster than most of the stuff at the Wattie’s which I found to my liking.
Progressing on we headed out to Ophir as TB wanted to show me some mine shafts. After hitting up a few K’s of firetrail and dirt road we arrived a picturesque creek crossing and dismounted for the short walk to the mine. Turns out that the mine shaft you can walk down was 23m long and was used as a service tunnel for some of the shafts above. Ophir was the first place in Australia to mine payable gold all the way back in 1851. TB even reckons that the Gold used for the medals at the Sydney Olympics came from this very mine
After a little mix up with directions we got on our way making tacks back towards Hillend. I had no idea where we were but had fun cruising up front with TB in what was apparently the old stomping ground for the Grabbham brothers when they were growing up. We were all maintaining a good steady pace and munching up the Ks until we arrived back at Hillend.
The intention was to fuel up there and head on. Unfortunately we just headed on as they were out of fuel. Not surprising really as the local 95RON fuel was a positive steal at $1.88 a litre!
It was 38Km’s back to Sofala which took us through more twisty dirt and bitchumen roads. The descent down towards Sofala is slippery as hell and cornering becomes very interesting, even at low speeds. As something to amuse myself I decided to play silly buggers and ride past TB a few times in different riding positions. None of which had impressed him very much so I decided to pull my pants down and ride past with my arse hanging out! I thought it was funny even if no-one else did. We had a quick stop for a leak and a photo shoot whilst Tiny and Boulder headed into Sofala. Once we caught back up we stopped for a quick snack break just outside of town. It was interesting to note that the population in Sofala in the Gold boom around 1870 was more than 22,000, when today there was just over 200. I can’t imagine where all the other people would have lived.
Once we had Boulders DRZ bump started again (problems with his starter motor not engaging) we made our way through Sofala to continue our journey back home. As we headed through town TB rides past and hits my kill switch (again) and I’m left lagging behind trying to get my bike going again, just as I do, and in front of all the locals in the pub who are sat outside, Tiny rides past and does the same thing. Bastards!
It gets a bit sketchy here with me for the names of places, but the riding and scenery was nothing but awesome all the way back. After another 80 odd K’s from Sofala and a couple of litres of fuel from Boulder (acting as the mothership) as me and TB had run out, we were back on our way.
Arriving at our last stop (I can’t remember the name of the place) we decide to stop and get some lunch. After throwing some fuel into the bikes, we head into the servo and order some food. I only had a portion of chips which I think TB and Tiny ate most of when I noticed the cheap looking properties for sale on the notice board. I get up and wonder over to have a look and after a couple of seconds hear laughing and giggling get much louder from our table behind me.
I went and sat back down and saw TB and Tiny almost in tears. Knowing that you only laugh like that when you have licked a chip and put it back in the pile I asked who had done it and Tiny fessed up taking said chip back out of the bowl. Although now that I think of it he could have just taken another chip!
We needed to press on and TB decided he was going to wear his snazzy clear fox rain jacket. Being the only one with a jacket (with sleeves anyway) he was looking very smug with himself. I decided to don the ‘love you one time’ disposable poncho and we headed off into the rain. It rained for all of 54 seconds after we had left and then the sun came out again. Typical.
We head out riding a great tack following alomg next to the railway line. Feeling a little like Steve McQueen in the Great Escape I decide I will give the Kato some extra beans and give TB a run for his money. A few K’s later, whilst looking for the entrance to the single track we had to pull over so TB could take his lovely jacket off. Apparently it doesn’t let heat out very well
It didn’t seem very long before we were back in the realms of Clarence/Zig Zag and back up the trails I remember the ride starting on. I particularly liked this section of the ride as it has some good hills and excellent sections of fast, flowy twin trail that you can really have a ball on. By this time my muscles were pretty tired from the weekend of riding and I found myself alternating between a gentle cruise, mid-paced carving and all out attack mode. I am very keen to go back to those trails again and explore more of Clarence.
The last section of the ride is the fire trail back to Zig Zag car park where me and TB were again riding side by side taking it easy. We did have a couple of corners where we decided to have a go but the KTM had the legs over the DRZ and I could have quickly pulled away on the faster sections. I know TB was wishing he had his own bike at this point.
None the less we maintained a steady speed going into the last couple of corners. As we approached a sweeping downhill right hander me and TB both started to turn in. I noticed the turn was also off camber and holding my speed on the outside I got a bit of washout from the front wheel. Applying the back brake to try and bring the bike back round wasn’t the right thing to do in the circumstance and the end result was me straightening the bike up with both brakes on, and not slowing down much.
I head into the bush in a spot where I’d really rather not be before hitting a rock and crashing my bike. TB will have to you fill you in on the account of the fact of the two of us he was the only one awake to witness it, I had decided to go to sleep :p
I was in a bush all tangled up wondering how the faaark I’m going to get out. Boulder, Tiny and TB and trying to get my bike off my legs and pull me out of the bush. Realising that the bone on bone scraping feeling I was getting when moving the thumb wasn’t good I wanted to get back to the car as quickly as possible before the adrenalin wore off. Luckily it was only a couple of hundred metres away.
In all we rode 580 something K’s and I throw it all away on literally the last corner! Back at the car and TB assumes charge noticing that I have gone white, dizzy and need to lie down on the ground. All the boys pitch in and get stuff packed up and on the trailer before we say our goodbyes and head off in TB’s car to Katoomba hospital.
You guys pretty much know the rest about my thumb so I won’t bore you with that. I do have to say however a big thanks to TB who was extremely helpful in helping get me sorted out and looking after my bike.
I also found it quite amusing that we had spoken to at least 3 site members on the phone before we even got to the hospital and TB had called the rest whilst I was in seeing the doctor!
In all I had an excellent weekend and can’t wait to do another one. Tiny, TB and Boulder are all top blokes and it was great having a beer and laugh with them all weekend.
Certainly a trip to remember.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.