Christmas Eve social ride

[oka]

I'm going for a ride on monday 24th. starting early. Prob. 100km+.
Anyone keen?

[Between the Tape...]

Where have you got in mind Russ?

[oka]

prob. southish. turpintine rd, wool rd, vincentia, husky (swim?) then back home. temp supposed to be bloody hot. planning on early start. real early (lights).

[TC]

So Russ just to clarify is this going to be mainly a road ride or is there some off road stuff like the last epic down that way.

[oka]

dirt stuff for sure. looking Yalwal rd, deans gap/powerlines to braidwood rd then thru turpy rd maybe blackbutt range rd then somehow get over to the bay for a swim. sort of making it up on the fly.
I'm still keen on leaving home between 4 and 5 AM. 32deg prdicted for tomorrow. I want to beat the heat. i'll be riding over Flat rock bridge on Yalwal rd so that could be a meeting place for riders coming from different directions. 5 am at the bridge.

[TC]

Ok I'm in. I'll shoot for 5am at Flatrock Dam. My mobile if you need to call me. 0434386391
It'll be a good test for the Lefty.

[Between the Tape...]

Too early for me guys...have fun. ;D

[Lewy]

I can't make it but here is a suggestion on how to get to husky.

[oka]

Cheers Lewy. Will prob. use that route.

[TC]

Hey Russ,
Thanks for letting me tag along this morning, thoroughly enjoyable ride. Bike went great and the distance, 78km, at the moment for me was just right.
Merry Xmas

[oka]

Things weren't looking good when at my front gate at 4am it was already 22 deg. Fearing the temp would climb rapidly once the sun came up spurred me on to get this ride over asap.
I arrived at the designated ride start at 4.50am and shed a layer. I spotted lights flickering through the bush and soon after Tony appeared on the half front end Cannondale.

With the temp still at 22 riding was comfy as we motored along Yalwal Rd. The down hill blast past Bamarang Dam was refreshing but the memory was soon lost with the climb up to the power lines.


Watching the sun rise.

With the clock now showing 5.40am a stop was made for a snack and a photo but we were hurried by the now present and bloody annoying flys.
The buzz of overhead HV kept us company for a while until we peeled off and returned to Yalwal Rd. The temp had dropped a degree as we ploughed through powder on a recently graded Deans Gap Rd.

Popping out onto Braidwood Rd a quick left, right had us freewheeling down Turpy Rd. Choking on the dust of one too many cars the turn off into Hell Hole Trail was missed necessitating a small back track. This is a great undulating track with varying vegetation and leads to the confusing Hell Hole Fire Trail.
More cruizy freewheeling led us to Parma Fire Trail and a steep drop down over a dry creek crossing with a pinchy climb back out.
The future direction of this ride was discussed at a rest stop near the intersection of Blackbutt Range Rd and the Hwy.
The temp was still low due to the cloud cover as we decided to forgo the Husky part of this ride and follow the power lines north as far as we could before 'buzzing the bitumen' up to Comberton Grange Rd. It was then a familiar pedal along Western Rd to Worrigee where Tony peeled off for home and I continued into town.
Now 9am and the sun out from behind the clouds the temp on the Garmin showed 32. It was a hot and slow ride back up Illaroo Rd to home.
I set out on this ride to do 100+ km. By not going to Husky I thought I might fall short but right at my front gate the odo clicked 100.1km.

Thanks Tony for the company and thanks to the weather gods for keeping the temps low for the majority of this ride.

Merry Christmas to all.