I am a bit of a traditionalist, even though I have only been with the club a short while. The King Street pick up is essential in my book or a least a single, central meeting point somewhere in town is. Initially I would have been completely lost without it. As embarrassing as it is, I didn’t even know where Yarra Glen or Hallam even was…..Growing up in the wild west just doesn’t teach these skills. Anyway the central pick up once again proved valuable with Mark and this new ZX9R finding it with relative ease. For those of you who have not met him yet he rang asking about the club after reading about it on the internet and has now been on several rides. These are the things newer members probably appreciate more than those who are heavily involved with the club. So there we were myself, Ian and Mark off to Whittlesea.

At Whittlesea we picked up several more members and off we were to Wallan, Romsey and Lancefield. These are nice easy roads, which flow well and are well suited to leisurely rides. From Lancefield it was a quick sprint up to Woodend and the cross. The lookout from up here is worth the trip with a bronzed compass informing all of where things are and what distances. Thankfully it wasn’t too busy as it can be like the Vic Market on a Sunday morning at times.

However cold it was. The sky was clear but the air had a chill in it which meant riding fast was more uncomfortable than normal. Lunch was at Trentham where Geoff was absolutely positive you could not buy petrol, to the extent that he would buy lunch for Ben and myself if a petrol station could be found. Ben was confident and it takes someone who knows their stuff to argue with him on the details of these small towns. It is fair to say his knowledge of servos ain’t too bad. Anyway this story just proves that there is such a thing as a free lunch, as there was a servo in the town of Trentham.

From Trentham it’s southward via Blackwood and Greendale on to Ballan. The ride day was cold but the previous day it had snowed in Ballan. I know this because the pre ride was done on the Saturday from the comfort of a car, a wise decision as it turned out. Roads out this way tend to be straight and flat so these have to be endured before the better parts can be enjoyed. Some of the better parts included that steep and winding road around Mt Wallace, the club rides regularly. This time however we were coming at it in the other direction, it is a road probably best enjoyed to ride up rather than down as those tight corners are on you in no time.

It was now on to Bacchus Marsh followed by Diggers Rest. Easy roads to travel and good roads for those who prefer leisurely rides or taking a pillion. The ride concluded short after Bulla, which was the next town. Thankfully there were no incidents to report. Thank you to those who participated.