Thinking back to today’s ride
whilst sipping on my Pure Blonde beer, I had a really great time, but man, I’m
tired now. So much so
that I’m kinda struggling with this article. I could feel it towards the end while I was
riding along, and I knew that I’d be feeling it even more tomorrow. The new back protector digging in to the back
of my neck didn’t help either. Me thinks
me may have to take it back and see if they’ll exchange it for an even smaller
one. The day started out with some
promising wet roads and looming clouds, but alas, being unreliable
Now that you’ve finished the
Tara Bulga article, here’s more newbie feedback, this
time from Tim, who’d been riding various dirt and road bikes for about 20
years. Tim really enjoyed the ride with
the group today, and got to see some roads that he hadn’t been on before. I think I might have heard him say that he’d
definitely be back again … or maybe I imagined it just then because I’m so
brain dead. I guess we’ll soon see. Oh, and if you’ve already read the Tara Bulga
article and this still doesn’t make sense or there appear to be some untruths,
it could well be because I’m too tired to be bothered to make it all make sense
now. Whatever possessed me to offer to
write this one? Lucky Mark’s doing one
too.
Anyway,
on with the article.
There seemed to be an unusual lot of locals and tourists out in the
country today, either kicking the footy back and forth across the road we rode
along, doing burn offs, herding sheep, walking their dogs, hitch hiking and
just plain hiking, and riding bicycles and motorbikes. I thought one family in particular, by the
side of the road just before Creswick, were being rather friendly when the
father waved, but found out later that he was actually motioning with his hand
for us to slow down. Wow, I’m tired.
I’m going to tell the next bit
in points because it’ll require less brain activity. Point 1:
We pulled over in Creswick. I
felt compelled to explain the wear and tear of my left hand handle grip because
of everyone’s disbelief over the condition of it. Point 2:
Ben and Paul debated how much it should be debated before we agreed on a
setting for the clutch lever position.
Point 3: I was still getting used
to the new clutch lever setting and stalled it at the lights in Ballarat—how
embarrassment! Point 4: Geoff’s going to see if he’s got a spare set
of hand grips that aren’t quite as used as my current ones.
Now I’m going to skip huge bits
and go straight to the dirt/clay road. I can’t even remember where it was. Man, did I do some major, major, MAJOR whoopsies. By some stroke of luck, I didn’t end up lying
beside my bike on the dirt and gravel. I slowed right down when I saw the clay
road up ahead, but then when I was on it, I made the mistake of thinking that
it was easy (because, at such a slow speed, it was) and sped up. That was the first mistake. Then I kept looking at the mounds of gravel
by the side of the road and kept telling myself “Don’t go on it, whatever you
do, do NOT go on it”, so what do I jolly well do? Evidently, that was mistake number two, not
intentional, of course. No way was I
going to apply the brakes while I wobbled insanely on the mound. I’m sure it would have been extremely
entertaining to watch from behind. All I
could do was ease off the acceleration and ride it out; curse everything I
could possibly think of whilst trying to steer it back on to the flat surface
without falling—I came pretty damn close—and not to mention, desperately trying
to balance the bike at the same time. If
I hadn’t made it back on to the flat dirt surface when I did, it would have
been lie down time for me and the 600. I couldn’t help thinking though, when
I’d recovered and made it back onto nice grippy
asphalt again, that I wouldn’t mind a bit more dirt and clay—just not mounds of
it.
Belated point 5: We readjusted my chain in Werribee.
I’m beat. Thanks Geoff for the fabulous variations in
the roads. Mark, you are the grousest rear rider! You sat so far behind me that you made me
feel like I was going really fast J You’re the best!
I do believe I’ve done my duty
and filled my quota for this month, so you won’t be reading anything from me
for a little while—unless, of course, you didn’t read the Tara Bulga article
first, in which case, that’ll be the next thing.
Ciao.
Ha Du
Editors note:
Geoff Jones dropped off the promised handgrips and Ha and I fitted the clutch
side grip using a trick Marty Thompson reminded me of: pump compressed air into
the resisting grip to create a pocket of air allowing it to slide on easily. No
messy lubricants or excessive force required. Seconds work. Brilliant.