What a great meeting spot Sunday 9am at the Macquarie Arms Hotel in Windsor. Australia’s oldest pub built in 1815.
Bike was unloaded in the carpark thanks to a ‘gentlemen’ waiting with his misses to get in a horse and cart for a breakfast tour around Windsor. I think he felt concerned that a blond 5ft 2 with trailbike and milk crate trying to get bike off. It works everytime!!!
Surprise Surprise TB turned up unexpectedly. I logged on before I left Hornsby to confirm the ride and the last report TB was going soft and not coming. BUT here was with all his bags attached. He so looked like the bag lady!!! I’m sure one bag had his makeup (biggest bag). He even packed the mattress. Not sure what he was going to do with that…. Maybe Krusty needed it.
I now understand why TB has an affiliation with the meeting spot. The convicts use to find a way to entertain themselves by smuggling barrels of illegal rum from the Hawkesbury River into the quarters below through the “Rum Smugglers Tunnels”. We didn’t have time to find the tunnels and the pub was closed so quick rum was out of the question. So after Krusty and TB shared an egg and bacon sandwich we were off.
We tar’ed it to the meeting spot. First time getting the Honda 230L with knobby tyres up to top speed. Realised quickly that I needed to keep it in 5th gear and total throttle to hit max speed. Even doing that wasn’t enough to keep up. But the red beast just kept going.
TB entertained himself by hooking into some road riders doing 150km. Even that didn’t scare the big kangaroo who was grazing on the side of the road. Krusty and I both looked at it with bludging eyes but luckily it was more interested in eating.
We waited, waited, talked, snorted at the meeting spot but after Krusty received txt from Lotsa/MickP plans had changed as MickP lost a pannier and was doubling back.
So we decided to look for Lotsa & MickP. Hit some firetrails and wasn’t long in before we found the guys. After Lotsa shared his snakes and we chewed the fat it was decided we would head to Wollembi and Lotsa & MickP would continue to head West… not sure where…. But they had a GPS!!
On to Wollombi we went. The boys were patient with my speed. Lots of open firetrails. This is where Krusty came unstuck. A drain pipe clipped his front tyre and instead of following the corner to the right he went straight. Only problem was that there was a 30f drop after the lip. Somehow after putting his right leg out to help corner he jarred it but stopped going over the lip (only just). TB was gone. We stopped 50m down the road and Krusty got off and I didn’t realise he was hurt. I just thought he needed to kiss the ground and thank god he didn’t see what was 30ft down the hill. But alas the cry’s of pain came out and the softer side of me came out…. For a minute. TB came back… told Krusty to suck it up, get on his bike and ride….. such a bloke.
So on we went. TB decided to hang behind us…. Not sure why but became evident when I decided to hit a corner that made me go the long way round. I suppose after 12months of riding I’m so new to the do’s and don’ts. Well on this corner I survived a ‘don’t’ … but only just. The corner was tar’ed with some gravel and somehow I lost the front tyre and went straight for a big post and wire fence. Somehow I remembered that “when in doubt throttle it out’ well I did that but the bike bucked and I just held on and not looked at the fence. I think that was one of my nine lives used up. After bit of a fist punch in the air and open the throttle the adrenaline was pumping like a drug. TB had his cheap entertainment for the day.
Onto the pub and downed a rum and coke that didn’t touch the sides. Krusty required lots of TLC (including drugs and alcohol). When you equate TB’s and my TLC support levels…. It was very low…. Krusty wanted to ring home to get more….. we laughed.
After long wait for hamburger we were itching to get going. The Girls Ride Out group had their annual catch up at the pub and provided some eye candy for the guys… well sort of.
We headed for home and enjoyed the two river crossing that gave us some photo opportunities.
Then back to the starting point and thanks to TB the bike was loaded onto the trailer. 300km and still feeling like I could do more.
Its always a good ride if you and the bike are back in one piece and you come away feeling like you’ve learnt something. Thanks to TB and Krusty for a great day that will have me smiling all week.
Photo’s to come.
… unfortunately you will have a few of those occasions to remind you that its not right yet…. will ensure we take lots of photo’s and write a report that makes you feel like you are part of the ride.