Lancefield
Pub Lunch Saturday 2nd
May 2009
|
Ron
Johnson (leader) |
Honda
VFR800 |
Ben
Warden |
Honda
CBR954 |
|
Renzo
Cunico |
Ducati
916 |
Ha Du (2nd) |
Honda
CBR600 |
|
John
Rousseaux & Kate Stewart (rear rider) |
Honda
CBR1000 |
|
5 bikes, 6 people |
|
At the pub: |
|
|
|
|
Bill Wee
and Raihanah Sharifah |
Geoff and
Val Jones |
Dave Ward |
11 people |
The last time John and I tried to get to Whittlesea, we got lost and,
much to our dismay, missed the start of the ride. Then
chased what seemed to be a mythical ride to Trentham where we eventually met up
with the ride for a late lunch stop. This
time we decided to play it safe by sticking to the main roads, and arrived
without incident.
We were greeted by a very small contingent of three regular members and
a new rider Ha riding a CBR600. I think it was her second time riding with the
club.
Ron was to lead this ride on his brand new bike that he was running in.
It had done less than 1000 kms so he planned to take it nice and easy. Of
course that would mean his mirrors would be full of Ben and Renzo’s headlights.
John volunteered to be the rear rider, a role he
thinks will keep him from losing his license.
The ride started the usual way through Kinglake West to Flowerdale. I
suggested to John that we hang back a bit and give the ride time to get along
so that we could enjoy the Flowerdale sweepers, but I should have realised that
was futile when we caught up to the ride before we even started up the hill. So
I just took the opportunity to sit back and study the bushfire ravaged landscape
while we cruised.
At the top of the hill, as two lanes merge into one, a small hatchback tried
to push up on our left and squeeze in between Ha, who was stuck behind a large
truck, and us. The crazy driver pushed his car up so close to me that I felt compelled
to put my hand on his mirror and fold it to his door so it didn’t hit me! This guy almost drove into our bike which was
clearly in front of him at the time. I wonder if this guy had any idea of the
risk to our lives he posed if he actually hit us with his car!?!? Maybe
something had clouded his perception. Whatever the reason, he was dangerous.
Ben and Renzo were dutifully waiting for us at the Strath Creek turnoff
just after the Flowerdale pub. No sign of Ron, who no doubt would have been
finding it hard to keep his new steed reined in on such a speedy road. Ben and
Renzo would mark every corner on this leg to Broadford. Luckily there weren’t
many. I was quite happy to be taking the Broadford road slowly as the last time
John and I did this stretch it made me rather nauseous. For some reason I
detest hairpins, either up or down hills, and once the nauseous feeling starts,
it seems to stay with me for a while. Sometimes being a pillion is just plain
awful, but mostly it is alright.
We stopped at Broadford and chatted for quite some time. Broadford is a very strung out town with the public conveniences at the
base of the hill and the only café that serves soy coffee at the other end of
the town. I walked the full length of the street during our extended stop and I
was still the first one to be geared up waiting for the ride to recommence.
Obviously scintillating conversation was entertaining all.
Ben offered to relieve John and myself of rear riding duties for the
next leg, to give John the opportunity to have a zoom. However, just out of
Broadford we found ourselves amidst a cycle race. Pushies everywhere, both
coming towards us and traveling the same direction. The cyclists appeared to think
they owned the road, as they were racing and possibly not thinking about other
road users. Passing large groups spread across these narrow bitumen strips
required great care and not too much speed.
Eventually we left the pushies behind and zipped across to Pyalong. With
Renzo and John corner marking the turn onto the Pyalong bypass and Ben rear
rider, it left Ha in front for the short stretch to the next turn.
Unfortunately Ha didn’t notice Ron sitting at the Lancefield turn off and kept
on going. John and I quickly rounded her up just over the hill and we all made
our way back to the missed corner. I guess Ron must have thought this process
would take longer than it did, as he wasn’t quite ready when we returned.
Anyway… with all assembled and back on bikes, we headed off past the rocky
outcrops along the speedy sweepers towards Lancefield, our lunch destination.
Bill and Raihanah from
The staff at the pub seemed pleased to see us, as any trade is welcome
in these small struggling towns. Our group of eight swelled to eleven with the
arrival of Geoff Jones and his wife Val, closely followed by Dave Ward, who had
ridden Bronwyn’s bike up via the highway. It was great to see them make the
effort to meet us for lunch.
After lunch Ben left the ride so John and I resumed rear riding duties.
Dave chose to head home via the highway, and the remainder of us followed Ron
to the break up point at Whittlesea along some less traveled roads via Romsey
and Wallan. Ron deserves a big thanks for scouting out
and leading the ride. It turned out to be a good day without any incidents. It
was a nice way to spend a Saturday and blow the cobwebs off the bike in
readiness for John to attend the
And yes… He went along without me as a pillion and had a marvelous time,
without losing his license!
Kate Stewart