After a long break with holidays and work interstate I was looking forward to getting another “easy” ride done before I tackled some harder rides again. The reason for the softly-softly approach was that this was only my second ride back after another big break – my arm.

So I was running little late after having enjoyed a bit of a sleep in when I got up and hooked up my home built virgin trailer (I hadn’t used it yet) then I began to enjoy the early Sunday morning traffic with CD/MP3 belting out the tunes. I was looking overhead and beginning to get concerned at the bleak pea soup sky.

After a quick stop for fuel and a lightning fast trip through the black spur I arrived to find Phil Randall CRM250, Peter Ross RMX250, John Theisz TE510 and realized that adding me would only make 4 riders. Another thin I noticed was that the sky had cleared considerably in the trip over the spur, as it often does.

Although this day was listed as a level 1/2 I knew this day was going to be fast ! We seemed to do all of the tracks in the triangle in the first hour. We probably even did some twice. Having had our phil (pun intened) of this we then we went over the other side to Narbethong and put in some good K’s over there as well. Phil has been running this ride for a few years now and can now link up endless quality trails.

In particular there was a long downhill that just kept on going for ages. I had let Peter and John go ahead because of the dust. The dust was beginning to make the ride dangerous in places as you would be catching someone then all of a sudden they would go through some fine stuff and there would a curtain of it that you could not see more than a metre or so.

We ducked into Buxton for lunch all whinging about the heat and we really enjoyed the airconditioning in the servo. So much so that Peter and I almost simultaneously said – how far back to the cars. Phils reply…..WUSSES.

After venturing back outside and the 34 degree heat Phil agreed that the cars and back home was a good idea so we got back to the cars a little after 1 after having done 100km and had lunch. I don’t think I’ve ever been on one of Phils rides and done so many K’s in so short a timespan. We all had a great time and will be back next month.

The late Sunday arvo traffic is never good and today was no exception. Why people think it is OK to do 80 in a 100 zone then speed up to 100 when the overtaking lane comes up is beyond me. It seems that some people’s idea of fun is to intentionally frustrate people. If I was annoyed when I got to cold stream with those #%$ the when I got to onto Chirnside Park shops at Maroondah Highway I was ropable. I found two people (P platers)driving side by side doing 60 km/h in an 80 zone. I managed to get past and pulled in front of one of them (now traveling at 80..) and slowed down to 60 as I then timed my run at the lights to leave one of them stuck on a red. Yep – Don’t get mad – get even.

And don’t go riding if it’s too hot !


Report by
Paul Smith
AMTRA Club Captain