The "Awesome Eight" minus one (with Jurgen still sunbathing at Sandy Point) took off from Emerald Library en route to Upper Beac and beyond on a warming up Thurs ride. Kirsten was a welcome addition after her recent covid experience although it soon became apparent that long covid includes not only impaired smell but also impaired hearing as she breezed past our first proposed turn off point ! Back together again we journied through the back blocks of Emerald to Upper Beach re assembling on the downhill section of Salisbury Rd .. well most of us did except for Pete as head down bum up he flew past the group (admittedly hiding in the bushes) and proceeded to find his way down towards Tomuc Valley near Pakenham. While we luxuriated at Bellevue Orchard Cafe in Officer over 2-3 coffees (they've done a great job in updating facilities) Pete battled his way back to join us (mumbling something like I wish I'd gone fishing) adding nearly 10kms to his ride total !
With the option of a relatively straight forward ride back up Officer Rd Mike instead took the group trail riding through Beaconsfield and then up Payne Rd notorious for its near vertical last 100 metre section. With the dry roads full of dust we battled our way back towards Upper Beac up a succession of increasingly steep pinches that had most of us now beginning to struggle. I summited the last pinch in a semi delirious state to see what i thought was either a very large road kill or a strangely placed bicycle parking rack. It was in fact Kirsten who still feeling the after effects of Covid had taken to having a little snoozy right in the middle of the unmade road
With nearly everyone starting to grumble (except Werner who was loving it) we eventually made our way back home in various states of disrepair where i achieved in the enviable record of breaking the less than 4km an hour barrier along the way. Fun .... hmmm let me think
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