Before the winter sets in it was time for another road trip so last weekend was it. Nothing too adventurous about the route, mostly familiar roads but filled with enjoyment anyway. We decided to light out later in the morning to avoid what had become an unseasonably cold snap. This would necessitate an overnight stay and completion of the trip on the Sunday but the arrangement provided a better opportunity than usual of stopping and smelling the roses, figuratively at least.
It was pretty chilly across the tops and on the early part of the Putty Road, however. I was only wearing my mid-season gloves and I still haven’t fitted my toasties but it didn’t worry me that much. The ride was also an opportunity to do some research on camping places for when we head north in the Minibago. and several possibilities were noted. Traffic through Penrith and Windsor was very bad, made worse by it being Saturday morning and soccer mums and numerous outbreaks of road works. Lunch at the Grey Gum as usual but it was a little quiet. One thing that I have noted of late is that the bike demographic at GG seems to have swung considerably in favour of adventure bikes rather than the predominantly sports bike fraternity of a few years ago. The fact that most seem to be very shiny and clean says something but I am not sure what.
Extensive work leading up to and through the Ten Mile means that the road north of GG is now of hugely improved quality and enjoyment. Add to this a complete absence of traffic till the third last corner of the section meant that we were able to enjoy it like we have not had the opportunity of doing for some time. New tyres adds to the confidence factor and also improves enjoyment. My last few runs have highlighted the fact that trusting the bike and the tyres has suddenly made the road a lot less daunting. Corners that were mildly concerning now seem to be just corners and the fact that one is not waiting for the road to bite gives you the opportunity to bite back so to speak. I don’t believe that I will ever master the Ten Mile but I am confident that it won’t master me. Saturday’s run was by far the most satisfying ride that I have ever had there.
A straight line hero in a 4WD was quickly dispatched straight after and we pressed on towards Cessnock. All day we had been riding under a very threatening sky and it wasn’t surprising that, as we entered Pokolbin, a heavy shower of rain made its appearance. Press on and hope it clears is always the best policy and, by the time we had cleared the city, the rain had stopped although the road remained wet and a little “skaty” for the rest of the afternoon.
In the morning we set out again, retracing our steps back as far as Pokolbin (yes, I know we didn’t need to do that) and breakfast at one of our favourite eateries (yes, we did remember to pay this time) Out to Broke, again clear roads, cloudy skies and slightly slippy conditions. Left at Broke and south along the Wollombi Road. I haven’t ridden Wollombi for about three years and the roadworks that I can remember from last time have considerably improved the enjoyment. The pub was crammed with bikes but we pressed on, taking advantage of the lack of traffic.
Care was needed as the road conditions varied wildly between very wet to almost dry and every shade in between. Nevertheless we carved the road up in confident style. I have made it clear on many occasions that riding on wet roads is one of my least favourite scenarios but the confidence from Saturday’s effort was still high and I again determined to trust the bike and the tyres and enjoy the experience. When we pulled up at Jerry’s at Kulnura for brunch I got off the bike convinced that I had ridden the best that I had ever done in my whole riding career. I kept the corner speeds up and even had the back end sliding a bit and it hadn’t daunted me at all. Coffee and a piece of cheesecake had rarely tasted as good.
The surrounding crowd of enthusiastic bikers and their interesting bikes makes Jerry’s a must-see place if you are doing the Wollombi. Some lovely two strokers were on display as well as the usual mixture of sports bikes, classic Kawasakis and even some scooters. Our short rest stop eventually became something a little more extensive.
Eventually we suited up and hit the road to Central Mangrove and on to Wiseman’s Ferry. I haven’t ridden this stretch for over three years at which time I was highly critical of the appalling road surface and the ridiculous and arbitrary speed limits. The speed limits remain and they are still as stupid and, though the road has been re-tarred throughout almost its entire length, it is still as rough and unfriendly as it has ever been. Someone should inform the local council that simply resealing over the existing surface without addressing the potholes, wash-aways, subsidence and broken edges does nothing to improve the road at all. If they are at all interested in promoting the area as a tourist road/destination, this is NOT the way to go about it.
I was pleased to note that two ferries were operating, one in each direction so we didn’t have to wait at all. A quick sprint up the mountain and down past Riverside Oaks (interrupted by a couple of morons on Harleys whose ambitions exceeded their abilities) and we hit the Windsor traffic about ten miles out of Pitt Town and crawled the rest of the way to Windsor. Once again the traffic in Windsor was dreadful but we persevered through and on to Penrith and down the Mulgoa Road for afternoon tea at Peppercorn. The weather had been equally threatening all day and we had fingers, toes and all other appendages crossed that we would complete the last leg before the nasties set in.
And we were able to do so, dropping down out of the mist at Mount Keira and onto the F6 for a quick scamper home. As has been so often the case of late, no sooner was the bike safely tucked away than the weather broke and it started belting down.
Fun? Of course. Instructive? Always. As I say so often, if you are not actively working on refining your riding craft every time you ride then you are not riding well. I was delighted with how I was able to ride under some pretty marginal road conditions on some roads that I have not traversed for quite some time. And that has to be a plus.
Roll on the next road trip.
sanoptic says
Hi Phil,
Enjoyed the read!
‘ if you are not actively working on refining your riding craft every time you ride then you are not riding well.’
Very true Phil. I don’t ride much these days due to continuing illness but last weekend i rode with my wife on pillion on a shortish 200k round trip. Not having ridden for almost a year i was extremely rusty with bad gear changes ,not looking far enough ahead & bad road positioning. I never felt i was a danger of crashing but i did feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Hopefully once i start riding more regularly it will all come to me.
Stay safe!
Joe
Phil Hall says
Good news, mate. I can identify with the “rusty” coment. It’s been three years since I started riding again after the accidnet and I still feel a bit rusty. But, as I said, I feel that, overall, I’m riding better than ever so there’s hope for you too. Hope you continue to improve.