They were predicting 27 degrees and sunshine yesterday and I had a new front tyre that needed a good running-in. So, after taking care of a few domestic responsibilities, I hopped on the mighty VFR and headed out. With my club’s annual Snowy Ride coming up at the end of November it was also an opportunity to try on my leathers and see if they still fitted. They’re funny, sometimes they are too small and sometimes they are too big – I didn’t know leather did that. 🙂 I should wear them when riding more often but they are especially suitable when doing multi-day tours. Rather than having to take a number of changes of clothes, wearing leathers each day, as well as being good for all the safety-related reasons, also means a very much more streamlined packing process.
So I was pleased to find that they fitted well, possibly even better than they did last time I wore them. The weather was excellent, cool in the morning and very pleasant through the rest of the day. Riding in the middle of the week also has distinct advantages in terms of emptier roads and more enjoyment. I made it to Grey Gum Cafe in about the usual three hours (including a pit stop at Wilberforce). Last time I did the Putty I had an awful run with the enjoyable parts of the road being cluttered with cars, caravans and trucks. Every time I got to one of the “good” spots, I found that my run was stymied. Not so yesterday. The road was virtually deserted, I probably only had a couple of vehicles going my way between the fuel stop and the cafe, a great opportunity to run-in the new tyre and enjoy the ride.
As usual, lunch was enjoyable, passing some time with John and Kim before heading south on the way home. I try to always ride without a deadline in mind but I hadn’t helped my cause yesterday by leaving a little later than planned and looking unlikely to pick up my wife from work at 1630. However, the traffic and the conditions worked to my advantage (for a change) and I rolled in to my driveway at about 1610. By the time I got changed and hopped in the car I was going to just miss the appointment but a mere 10 minutes late was pretty acceptable, I thought.
It was one of those days where everything went well, the only issue being the bugs that required four separate stops to clean the visor.
I had a lazy Saturday today watching the MotoGp practice and qualifying sessions. For everyone who complains about the weather at Phillip Island I always say that I have been there for the last 6 Januaries and the weather has always been superb. Well, I’d have fallen flat on my face if I’d have said that today. The weather today was positively putrid, barely getting into double figures on the Celsius scale, blighted by gale force winds and howling rain right throughout the day. But rather than being consistent, the rain was patchy and totally unpredictable. If ever there was a case of “four seasons in a day”, Phillip Island produced it today. Tomorrow should be engrossing to say the least.
Might have the chance to get away for a couple of days in the Minibago this week (fingers crossed. Apart from that, still some work to do in the garage and in the shed to “finally” clean up the long-running debacle that is my local storage. I can’t wait to get it done.
Till next time.