Mt Macedon Sunday 3^rd August, 2008

Ian Payne (leader)	Honda CBR1000	Randal Leacock	Kawasaki ZX9
Richard Marek	Honda CBR1100XX	Mick Canny	Kawasaki ZX9
Nic Jacka (rear rider)	Honda CBR600	Cameron Stevens	Yamaha FZ6
Ken Goederee	Honda CBR1000	Cliff Peters	Suzuki GSXR1000
Dave Ward	Honda CBR600	Mark Rigsby	Suzuki GSXR1000
Paul Southwell	Honda CBR1000	Chris Pointon	Suzuki GSXR1000
Mark Welland (1^st ride)	Honda CB1300	Misho Zrakic/ Pina Garasi	Suzuki GSXR750
Ben Warden	Honda CBR954	Denis Lindemann	Honda CBR600
Henry Wright (4^th ride)	Honda Spada 250		17 bikes, 18 people

Well, it’s blah-blah time again... and it’s my turn; how does this happen? The ride is breaking up at the end of the day and I get landed with the job; only a gentleman’s desperate plea on bended knee persuades me.

No rain on takeoff - excellent! Not too chilly as well, but the hardcores are not to be fooled… we’ve suffered in the past few rides and we’re prepared. I recently re-acquired my waterproof Spidi jacket which I had optimistically given away in summertime to a pillioning friend (who wasn’t using it) and now it’s doing the intended job quite nicely for me.

Very smart-looking waterproof RST gear is protecting Cameron, Cliff and Ken ever so handsomely from the winter elements. New Sidi boots for Cliff finally, after too much water kept coming in from holes in his old Sidis; some Gaerne boots are on their way from Italy for me and they better be waterproof after having experienced much wetness from the Falco “water resistant (NOT) boots that I purchased a few years ago. Ben has the usual “duct-taped” plastic overpants but no thermal bib… hmm… bit risky, me thinks.

A few anti-fog visor stick-ons are making an appearance (Cameron, Randall, Misho and myself) and they’re doing a good job of increasing visibility – purchased from the most knowledgeable and entertaining Lou from Metro Honda, Ringwood.

Off we go, finding our way into the forested twisties of Chum Creek Road. On to Toolangi for some speedy, but cautious fun, as parts of the roads were still damp from winter rain. We pick up speed on the dryer open roads of Glenburn and Flowerdale and stop in Broadford for our first break. I quickly proceed to my favourite coffee-maker for the best cafe-latte I’ve ever had 20 kilometres outside of Carlton. Very nice.

Soon we head off again towards Mt Macedon and it’s in this part of the ride you can feel the temperature drop. As we head up the mountain we are subjected to the visually atmospheric, but dangerous foggy conditions. Riding behind the ride-leader (Ian Payne) gives me time to observe and appreciate his smooth and careful leadership style, which as usual, leads us all safely to our destination – the top of Mt Macedon where some photography takes place in front of the huge cross on top of the mountain. Not knowing what the cross represents, I tell Misho a short, politically incorrect version of the “Jesus dying on the cross” story, but I’ve since found out it is actually a memorial to those who died in World War 1.

Feeling very hungry and very eager to escape the brain-freezing sensation of the cold mountain-top air, we all head down to Woodend for a bakery lunch; then off again, via Trentham, Blackwood, Greendale, Myrniong, Bacchus Marsh and finally breaking up at Diggers Rest. Plenty of happy and satisfied faces.

As the last-minute designated reporter for the day, I quickly solicited some comments from our members which summarised for them the day’s ride: “Excellent!” – delivered in that unmistakable Kiwi accent by Randal; “Fully shick!” – Dave Ward, in Sydney Road style; “F…..g cold” – Ken’s wintertime mantra; “Wunderbar” – stated with German precision by Mr Lindemann; “Bloody marvellous” enunciated with a very upper-class English accent by Paul Southwell; “Haven’t got a clue… I was at the front all day.” – il Presidente (mamma mia!) and Misho - “I WANT TO RIDE SOME MORE!” Yes, yes Misho, I know, it’s never enough (it’s like a kid who can’t get enough chocolate cake, only much, much worse) but more riding coming next Sunday, and the Sunday after and the Sunday after that... but alas, Sunday is always too far away for an MSR hardcore.

Pina Garasi