Inaugural ‘Dragon Fly’ ride report

Hi All

As a relative newbie to ER, I hope it it not presumptuous of me to present a ride report, there being no suitable ER seniors (experience, not age) on the ride….. I have modeled the report on those written by the masters and can only hope I have applied the appropriate level of BS.

As suggested by SatNav, the inaugural ‘Dragon Fly’ wearing ER egg and tomato was run today from Stives to West Head and back again. Conditions were hot and steamy.. hot, humid, whatever, we sweated heaps…It was the hottest (or humid-ess) cycling YHC has had all summer..but its already autumn you say…yes that’s right, but who rides a bike at 2pm in summer!! YHC was joined on the ride by Chris and Sam (naming committee please note lack of suitable pseudonyms), henceforth with referred to as ‘Dragon Riders’ (am I opening myself up for some wise-crack comments here??), and as such abbreviated to “ER-DR”s. All started well in good conditions, traffic was moderate (nothing compared to Miller St on a workday), but still safe, MVR shoulder lanes being what they are… there were expected road-kills, but nothing fresh, and the usual flotsam and jetsam from the surrounding bush interspersed with the occasional car part or tyre.

The run to Terrey Hills was cruisy with YHC leading the charge up the rise to the Thai Restaurant for the last water fill before hurtling down McCarrs Creek Rd. YHC led the way… “follow me I’m right behind you” being a bit of an old woman down the hills, and graciously waved for the ER-DRs to pass and foregoing the embarrassment of being overtaken at top speed. The tarmac to West Head was superb as always – still don’t know which RMS (aka RTA) bureaucrat to thank for that, but sure he/she must have been a cyclist – its undulations taking its toll on young ER-DR Sam (‘young’ because he lowered the average age of the pack to be below 50), with cramps in both legs. Maybe this is the result of his ‘casual’ riding pattern “TNF…..Thursday aNd Fridays” I recall he wrote in one previous post. Hmmm is this a naming opportunity?…may I be so bold (apologies if the answer is “no”).”Mr Casual”. HTFU Sam.

The standard ‘Dragon Fly’ has no rest stop at West Head – we’ve seen that view so many times already – It loops back up the hill (while the legs are still warm) and has the obligatory rest stop at the “LAST TOILET STOP 150m ON RIGHT”. Here we sat among the bush turkeys – boy, are they ugly – and large goanna. All that was lacking was a x-large xx-cold iced coffee on skim with extra ice-cream (full-fat OK)… a coffee flavoured Endura gel had to suffice. The ride back was uneventful, no sign of the tyre-eating pothole that caused my 3 punctures a few weeks ago just before that “nasty little hill” leading into Stives.

The regular ‘Dragon Fly’ runs on Sunday 7:30am to West Head, Akuna Bay, either or both, clockwise, and anti-clockwise. Not all on the same ride! Happy to have a ‘Dragon Fly Larvae’ ride, traveling at Comet speed…I know John (NB. also lacking pseudonym) will also be interested.

Dragon