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Wednesday 8th Feb 2023 - Woodend
by Mark Nicoll Thu Feb 09, 2023 12:39 pm
Midweek Ride – 8th Feb 2023 – Woodend
Ride Leader and Report: Mark Nicoll
Photos: Peter 'The Lens' Barclay
As has been the case the last few years, I scheduled in a ride with an early start for summer, in case the weather is hot, which in the past has been quite popular and well attended. Early start = earlier finish.
So on Wednesday 12 riders turned up on a mild morning, ready to head off into the hills. 3 riders just doing morning tea then home.
A couple of changes since the calendar went out, was that the proposed morning stop was changed from Bacchus Marsh to Ballan due to café closure, and the Grampians Ulysses crew was to meet us in Woodend, riding all the way from Stawell.
Heading off we made our way out via Anakie, Staughton Vale, and then took the scenic Ironbark Road over the ranges coming into Ballan from the South-East.
All good for morning tea, but the group got split up exiting Ballan. As the group headed down the Western Hwy past Pykes Creek, three riders wrongly turned and ended up in Greendale.
A few phone calls and a bit of a long wait, and with the lost souls eventually reunited, we then headed along the old Western Hwy through Myrniong and Pentland Hills, before skirting around Bacchus Marsh heading through Toolern Vale and Gisborne, before a very nice run over Mt Macedon – no traffic and a pleasant 20 degrees.
In Woodend, we went to good old Bourkies Bake House for lunch – one of the best bakeries for sure! We were a half-hour later than scheduled, but no sign of the Grampians crew yet. So we had lunch and waited, and waited, and waited…
A couple of phone calls to John H went unanswered, so we wondered if something had delayed them. After an hour and a half, everyone was refuelled and itching to go, and sure enough as we exited the servo and rode past the Bakery – there they were!
With all of our group sitting on the side of the road, engines running, there was only time for me to stop and quickly check in with John. Seems one of them had a flat tyre, which delayed them quite a bit.
Quick apologies and off we went.
The run after lunch was via Tylden, Daylesford, Spargo Creek, taking some more scenic back roads including Spargo Creek Rd (some scary potholes but mostly in good condition), Springbank Rd and Black Swamp Rd and into Warrenheip for a quick refreshment break. The weather was perfect – sunny, light winds and around 25 degrees.
A couple more departures from here – Raff home to Cressy, and Phil W back to Ballan to try and find his lost aerial!
Last section ridden by the remaining (magnificent) seven haha, via
Lal Lal, Meredith, Steiglitz, finishing at the United in Geringhap.
All up around 350km, with the group all riding well on mostly quiet roads.
Thanks to Rob Van Der Zee for a great job as TEC.
Thanks all for the company!
Ride Leader and Report: Mark Nicoll
Photos: Peter 'The Lens' Barclay
As has been the case the last few years, I scheduled in a ride with an early start for summer, in case the weather is hot, which in the past has been quite popular and well attended. Early start = earlier finish.
So on Wednesday 12 riders turned up on a mild morning, ready to head off into the hills. 3 riders just doing morning tea then home.
A couple of changes since the calendar went out, was that the proposed morning stop was changed from Bacchus Marsh to Ballan due to café closure, and the Grampians Ulysses crew was to meet us in Woodend, riding all the way from Stawell.
Heading off we made our way out via Anakie, Staughton Vale, and then took the scenic Ironbark Road over the ranges coming into Ballan from the South-East.
All good for morning tea, but the group got split up exiting Ballan. As the group headed down the Western Hwy past Pykes Creek, three riders wrongly turned and ended up in Greendale.
A few phone calls and a bit of a long wait, and with the lost souls eventually reunited, we then headed along the old Western Hwy through Myrniong and Pentland Hills, before skirting around Bacchus Marsh heading through Toolern Vale and Gisborne, before a very nice run over Mt Macedon – no traffic and a pleasant 20 degrees.
In Woodend, we went to good old Bourkies Bake House for lunch – one of the best bakeries for sure! We were a half-hour later than scheduled, but no sign of the Grampians crew yet. So we had lunch and waited, and waited, and waited…
A couple of phone calls to John H went unanswered, so we wondered if something had delayed them. After an hour and a half, everyone was refuelled and itching to go, and sure enough as we exited the servo and rode past the Bakery – there they were!
With all of our group sitting on the side of the road, engines running, there was only time for me to stop and quickly check in with John. Seems one of them had a flat tyre, which delayed them quite a bit.
Quick apologies and off we went.
The run after lunch was via Tylden, Daylesford, Spargo Creek, taking some more scenic back roads including Spargo Creek Rd (some scary potholes but mostly in good condition), Springbank Rd and Black Swamp Rd and into Warrenheip for a quick refreshment break. The weather was perfect – sunny, light winds and around 25 degrees.
A couple more departures from here – Raff home to Cressy, and Phil W back to Ballan to try and find his lost aerial!
Last section ridden by the remaining (magnificent) seven haha, via
Lal Lal, Meredith, Steiglitz, finishing at the United in Geringhap.
All up around 350km, with the group all riding well on mostly quiet roads.
Thanks to Rob Van Der Zee for a great job as TEC.
Thanks all for the company!
Mark Nicoll
Jules Pearce, Phil Watters and James Rousseaux like this post
Re: Wednesday 8th Feb 2023 - Woodend
by Jules Pearce Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:27 pm
Great job Mark. Thanks for planning, leading and writing the RR.
Jules Pearce
Mark Nicoll likes this post
A grand day out with never a dull moment.
by Phil Watters Thu Feb 09, 2023 10:54 pm
The weather perfect for the ride and managed to get onto a few roads I hadn't been on before. Great ride Mark. After I headed east on the freeway I quickly got back to where one of my radio aerials had fallen off. I parked well off the road then walked 400m along that side, then back again on the opposite side of the eastbound carriageway. I didn't find my aerial but there were many other bits of bric-a-brac. Soon after I started, a biker waved as if concerned, I gave him the thumbs up. Got back to my bike to find the side stand had sunk into the roadside gravel a bit and as a result I couldn't get it back to the vertical. Despite a lot of grunting, trying to get a piece of wood under the stand, and some cuss words, no progress. It's not easy to stop cars doing 110kph so I didn't try. Another biker finally came along about 45min after I'd arrived there. He pulled over, with a car following. A young bloke who was riding home on the bike he'd just bought, with his father and brother in the car. An easy job to get up and running. Many thanks all around. I carried on to Bacchus Marsh then home down the road from there. All the roadworks now finished. Thought I'd call into JayCar to see about a new aerial. They had nothing that fitted and referred me to Lenday Audio in Moorabool St. By the time I arrived it had closed. Home just after 5.30 and 403km. A very eventful day. Slept well that night.
Phil Watters
Jules Pearce likes this post
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