Awakening to the sounds of an English dawn chorus as one does, YHC opened the shutters on the garret tower to survey the landscape in the valley and assess what kind of ride to enjoy…alas even when rubbing the sleep out of the eyes there was no view to peruse. Blanket of fog..or in aviation parlance “Socked in”.

The Subi transfer to Fox Valley was uneventful, however it was still weaving through the B-doubles, ( where do they come from and why do they insist on rumbling through Dural at 6am ??? ) nice though that in the fog they still maintain a crazy 70kph although YHC was controversially maintaining the speedlimit through the dips and enjoyed hearing heated application of exhaust brakes and squeaking discs as they decelerate to tailgate me until the bottom of the dip then are left chugging up the other side..( win ) …

There was a small but perfectly formed peloton on the traps at Rowland St , Saint Nav unfluffed, YHC and “Onya” wove to the front of the traffic turning onto the Pacific parkway, and then wove through the gridlock to Pymble which was clear and onto the OTP..

Pea Soup served with ham this morning, Ham being a descriptive of Chippo’s attire..Teddy and open toed heels with cherry pillbox hat..looked ready to attend a day at the races. A few fewer ERs on the OTP this morning, flashing away on time without setting eyes on Barry, where is he when the weather turns..probably took a wrong turn at Chatswood..nothing like that would happen if he took the second best way.

Moisture in microcosm, much more amenable that sturm und drang, boasts of those who braved the 6pm commute, they described this clammy ride as luxury, “dreamed” of conditions as pleasant as these on that hell of the north return. Well apart from the fog it was perfect conditions for a commute into town..all quickly realised that eyewear was optional, mine went back in the backpack at Roseville. Visibility was variable, but better without accumulating moisture on the glasses. One phenomenon which YHC has noticed is that ER bus timetables are remarkably consistent..hell and high water seem to make zero impression on arrival times at the B&T..even punctures do not seem to interrupt Andy Schleck’s sprint to the forecourt for 7:30. This morning all went swimmingly up to Crow’s Nest, then with a block of flats it appeared the peloton would be delayed..until Drastic called for a “safety “ split, and therefore released a pressure valve through which most escaped ( Saint Nav of course changed two wheels and repumped in a record 10 minutes, ensuring he was left without a chair over coffee..no good deed remains unpunished as they say .)

Superlative commute though as ERs started accumulating over coffee, Fluffers, Epping and assorted latecomers..stories got taller as volume got louder, although duration was curtailed due to temperature.

Return bouts booked, the usual suspects on the usual lineout..

Have a good one all.

BT

6 out of the traps at St Ives. The last time I saw mist like that was in some dubious night club where you couldn’t see arms length in front of you. Fortunately the visibility was better on todays Fluffer, but not much.

As we waited to see the Fluffettes enter through the mist we were left with an air of dissapointment. Flash’s comment put as sensitively as ever ‘where’s the Fluffettes!!’. The implication of this was that he doesn’t actually like riding with a bunch of blokes. After promises of don’t worry Laura will join us later, Bernadette in Manly he seemed to calm.

2 mins late starting as we were waiting for Greg to adjust himself and SatNav to turn up. Checking the phone SatNav said he couldn’t get the zip off his ‘Onesy’ undone so he was staying in bed and waiting for Mrs Satnav to wake up to help – poor excuse. Don’t let me start any malicious rumours but one of the hardest men of the North has changed into one of the softest…………

Into the mist, like Gorilla’s dissappearing into the trees (Flash that one is for you). We had Scott (Matt’s Dad – where were you Matt!), B2, Greg, Falsh and Mark. What we didn’t know was Norman was 3 mins late – remember we left 2 mins late so that means she ended up chasing us in the mist all the way to Manly where she eventually caught up. Definitely a HWOTN. Impressive.

No Laura – high levels of precipitation meant alternative arrangements had to be made for her. No Cristina either – after an impressive climbing show on Sunday she is busy resting but has become an Honary Fluffette.

Hit B&T at 7.40. Another on time arrival. Special mention for Gregg – he had an outstanding cycle this morning and was really pushing it with no calling for any ease ups. He will regret this later as he is slumped on his desk by mid morning but I am expecting a bagful of Strava records from Greg. Well done. I was concerned he didn’t make it to the B&T but assumed he was working in North Sydney. This was confirmed. He is safe if not tired.

Thanks for a great ride – no colours means no Mavis

Big Goaders

A short while ago, Mrs B2 found a post on a friends FaceBook page with a photo of “us”.  Mrs B2, who was hitherto unaware on my ride on the Fluffer this morn, rings to ask “What were you doing on MVR at 5:30 this morning?”.  (This goes a long way to explain the phantom photographer hiding in the bushes outside Flower Power this morning.)
Mrs B2’s friend wants to claim Private Eye fees!

B2.

Recheduled to this Sunday 05 May 2013.   I’ve just got wind that my niece is having a brithday party (one year old) in New Lambton, Newcastle.  if we all wear the away kit (black and red) then I recon we can dust the fairy bread before we are rumbled !

Leaving Turramurra Cycles 04:30 North via Ettalong, The Entrance, Fernleigh Track and into Newcastle. ETA 10:30

Returning . 11:30  via Fernleigh Track, Wyong, Bumble Hill, Peats Ridge, Home. ETA Wahroonga 17:30.  I reasearched the cafes last Sunday and theres a corker at Yarramalong http://www.yarramalongvalley.com.au/yarramalong_dining/yarramalong_store_and_cafe.html  at base of Bumble Hill (I am working my way through the smoothies). Plenty of refuelling/re-watering opportunities along the way.

300km roundtrip , but plenty of opportunity to join the Barry if (when) legs give out.

Expected pace around 26-27kph

P.S. Ended up being 320km, pace was 26.3, I now know that the Garmin can last for 14:30 . Got dark as I came over Peats Ridge, all the way through mt White and Brooklyn was like peering down a small tunnel of ligh cast by my light on lowest bean possible to conserver power. Great relief to join civilisation and the neon glow of Hornsby. Roast lamb and Red wine went down VERY well.

For your reading pleasure please find a ride report for BamBam’s inaugural MTB fluffer, from the alternative Horatio perspective:

4:40 am: ALARM!!

4:50 am: drove to Gordon station. Blue Heeler (bike) packed in Baby Swede (that’s the car – don’t ask).

5:10 am: departed Gordon and rode to some park somewhere in Snives where the Cascade trail starts.

5:27 am: gobbled down breakfast of peanut butter and honey poppy seed bagel (the evil wheat)

5:30 onwards: at rear of group of about 7 all of who had proper MTBs and/or knew how to ride them. It’s rocky, muddy, steep and my new 300 lumen front light keeps getting shaken loose and shining right in my face. The group disappears into the ether and I am left navigating with a tiny head torch.

5:50 am: climb up and out of cascades and head through G-d-knows-where to some park eventually to emerge near some pipeline which is very muddy, slippery and steep in parts. The local kids have kindly made some jumps which (because it’s still pretty dark) only come into view just before you hit them

6:15 ish: emerge from Pipeline and go along road for a while until we get into a proper “technical” section. Clearly the first two off road bits haven’t been technical enough. This involves going around, over and through many large puddles, luckily they are filled with mud and not blood.

6:40 ish: emerge around the Wakehurst parkway somewhere. Our ride leader, the aforementioned BamBam declares we are running way too early. I then spend the rest of the ride joking that as the identified “slowest rider” I really could have afforded a breather somewhere along the way, as the ride pace is OAFATSR (only as fast as the slowest rider). I can tell this joke is wearing thin by about Mosman.

6:50 onwards: the rest of the ride is what I would call pleasant, having some really fast descents down to the spit bridge. My crappy old hybrid really came into it’s own here, it’s 700c wheels and 3-4kg weight “advantage” helping me keep up with BamBam on his 29ers. Of course this advantage was soon lost on the ascent through Mosman and Cremorne. Eventually I lost the lead peleton of 4 riders who could obviously smell coffee and dropped back to await the ride leader who had now taken up the role of “lantern rouge”

7:20 am: arrived at cafe and had a wide selection of seats (they are usually all filled by the time I get there) Awaited the 30 or so riders who had toddled in along the road like sensible people.

8:00 am: peeled my arse of the chair and crawled off.

Conclusion: a nice change of scenery from the regular OTP

A great run in. Thanks BamBam for leading it and as the identified “slowest rider” in the OAFATSR paced ride thanks for waiting numerous times.

Cheers, Horatio

A big thanks to SatNav, Drastique, Admin, Both B1’s and many more for the fantastic help that they gave either leading groups or playing the role of ‘Lantern Rouge’ at the back of the pack. Between us all we got 45 safely through the Fluffer Classic without any real incidents beyond a minor mechanical (Quarter will need a new hub!!!).

What a fantastic ride. If you were in the second group you would have had a very easy climb up the Mona Vale Road whilst Sir Lunchalot and Ravi effectively ‘did their knitting and had a good old chat’. Once they separated the momentum picked up. To think that we could ride 45km and get two groups to meet up in Manly for a photo shows how good it was.

The line of egg and tomato’s was fantastic. Great to see so many new faces.

To think that 45 people rolled out of bed ridiculously early to ride with their mates shows what a great group this is.

If only I had sent a few more emails I may have got a bigger turnout.

Thanks to all who rode. A great event and I hope a fantastic introduction to one of the ER rides.

The Fluffer occurs every Tuesday and Thursday – Start time 5.15am from St Ives. I will be back at the starting post on Thursday morning waiting to see if anyone will turn up!!!!

Please thank all your friends for attending. They are welcome anytime – Priority clearly given to the Fluffettes within the group. What a wonderful bunch to wake up with! (Fluffettes – please forgive me……)

Enjoy your day. On behalf of your boss – No Sleeping……….

Big Goaders

25-30 on the pedals at Gordon this morning, with nary a wet weather jacket on show. Talk was of anticipation of riding in daylight again next week when the clocks go back, albeit with the trade-off that the 6pm return journey will then be in darkness for the next 5 months. An incident free journey to Chatswood complete with text book re-group at Roseville and the usual suspects collected on the way, had most of us feeling that this would be a “vanilla” commute to the city. Alas a quick look skywards told another story, with deeply ominous grey clouds gathered ahead.

A few spots of rain on Archer had a number of us pull over to retrieve wet weather paraphernalia from backpacks, to the background call of “it’s just a light shower” from someone more in touch with themselves than the weather forecast. And then the skies opened! What a downpour- I can’t remember a wetter inbound commute for years, complete with quickly blocked drains and water 6-8 inches deep (that new drain and gutter on Observatory Hill? Fail.) Stopping to don the wet weather gear turned out to be an exercise in futility, as nothing could stay dry in this deluge but it rained so hard that it was actually quite exhilarating, with a number of calls of woohooo (ok I did it at the lights at Crows Nest, but most of you were thinking it I’m sure)!

Aaaaahhhhhhhhh! (1)The collective sound as the first slurp of hot coffee hit the back of the throat at the B&T, followed by self-congratulatory comments about how hard we really were. “If I wasn’t an accountant I could have been in the SAS you know” No, you couldn’t. Not many (none) stayed for seconds as far as I could see, for as hard as we may well be, most wanted to rush off for a hot shower.

Aaaaahhhhhh! (2) The collective sound of 25-30 ER’s hitting the hot showers just after 8am, and that tingle on the skin that confirms a significant change in body temperature.

It was at this point that I looked at my backpack hanging in the shower room and genuinely marvelled at how dry it had remained with only the $3.50 ER backpack cover from Guangzouw to protect it in such a downpour. Unfortunately looks can be deceiving and upon retrieving my underwear from said backpack to get dressed found them to be soaked at the bottom of the pack! Rain cover good for the wet stuff coming downwards, not so good for the wet stuff coming upwards off the back wheel.

Have a dry day all, see all of you HMAWOTN on the return tonight.

DT

Shocked into consciousness in the predawn ( dead of night ) by England’s finest dawn chorus recorded in high def and featuring the warbles and trills of birds that can sing although nothing that can compare to the belly laugh you get from the locals. YHC was still not quite ready to roll at the appointed hour so instigated plan b which involves driving to Fox valley rd and piling out in time to meet the true hard men of the north.

Clear skies meant the temperature has normalised to a seasonal 15C which now feels like 10C due to thinning blood and being spoiled by a late blast of summer. Perfect weather to roll into town.

A gentlemanly transfer to Gordon led by a gentleman, Teflon making the early running and arriving at the stroke of 6:30. Trained observers of the traffic would notice that tonnage was back to its normal but manners were still on holiday, the chief offender YHC was aware of was a Postal juggernaut undecided as to the lane so using half of ours.

Gordon launch was filling fast, it seems the good seats were already filled, but plenty of space along the path and up the road, and well wrapped in the latest winter fashions, not quite time to break the seal on the Rapha jacket bag, but like an advent calendar it won’t be long now. Chit chat pace was the preferred option this morning, BOF on time, plenty of gossip time as YHC slipped from caning the front to lantern rouge, no slips, slops or slaps to report, all seemed to enjoy the 4 day format for a weekend, time to ride , socialise, catch up on sleep, lawn mowing.. all the pleasures of life and now the second best way to start the day.

A red letter day today… It has been a long time coming, and not for everyone but by the grace of the fat controller most of the bunch managed to turn onto Archer Street and then not have to put a foot down until the Mowbray road..the last time this happened the moon was blue and the captain was on the ride. ( Our fearless leader was on the ride today but was inspecting fluffers and flutterers , ensuring they arrived unshaken or stirred )

Regrouped at Tindale to count more than 25 riders, mean rather than average, soon to be a critical ( well not too critical ) mass..

SUP etiquette was observed, with plenty of hazard calling and safety being well managed, the more the merrier, and the merrier the more important it is to make that section “easy” and safe..

A simmer up the Burlington burn, to roll through to the SHB in very good time, more green lights and fewer buses please, but no complaints with today’s serve..and a beautiful harbour crossing in the first hour of daylight..no need to be canned in a car or jammed in train..you could call me biased but today was not a day to be missed.

And of course the B&T pulled out all stoppers and poured for the masses in double quick time..33 on a loose count milling about the courtyard scaring away the other customers..

Daylight saving is rapidly drawing to a close, making the return ride in daylight something to be savoured, YHC will be slipping the surly bonds of the city on the OTP 5:15 but there are many more to choose from: Flamby, PWR, gaining in popularity of late, tickets all still on sale.

Have a great day all

BT

Another perfect morning for a ride to the office, whoever dialed in the 21C, clear sky, north easterly breeze and sunrise just as we arrive at the SHB …do it again soon..cannot complain about anything. With news to hand re Herb and missing a bend into Akuna, we are all sending best wishes for a speedy recovery, and hope the bike is alright. Looks like the crash cart idea will need to double up as ranks are thinning too rapidly for words..

The OTP was obviously the second best way to start the day, but with more than 20 in the bunch it was not impacted by all the other options. ( welcoming Christian from the Central Coast for an inaugural ride in..) The start in stages, filtering between traffic, and rolling the hills of death with several keen car drivers, Brownie made the departure in the knick of time, being on time, Bullet however made a superb catch a la Bucky, seeing the Gordon launch site with tumbrels blowing in the wind..and pedalling like a demon to make up the 2 minutes 45 seconds deficite.

Once everyone was back in ER mode as opposed to race mode, progress was once more pleasantly punctuated with banter and repartee..YHC was regaled by Norman but jokes about cupcakes being made from the evil wheat went way over my head..sorry Stormin.

Pondering the reasons to ride as one does, joy has to be one of the biggies..and enjoying the commute is way up there..we do enjoy our rides. ( contrast to the car bound who have stress levels far in excess of ours,  which is why it makes no sense to engage in “rage”..especially on the bike)

Coffee today was a highlight, once the chapters had all arrived..Futters, Fluffers, and sundries..30 plus ER jerseys on view ..a gift of confectionary was distributed among the many, apparently only five cupcakes were made but there was enough to go around..I waited for the fish to be delivered but alas not to be had…only one person left the table unfed..

Return rides as advertised, be ready for Easter only after your debrief at the GG..none of this leave early malarky.

Have a great day all
BT