I know that, in his more recent days, Bill Cosby has forever blotted his character and I’m really sorry about that because he was a truly funny comedian. Back in the days when some American comedians actually knew how to do comedy and could make you laugh without their routines being filled with insults, political comment and smut, Cosby could have you doubled over with commentary about any subject at all. To me, the true genius of comedy is to be able to make the mundane funny.
Noah (and I hope you listened to the clip), was my first exposure to Cosby’s comedy and I was hooked immediately. Just irreverent enough to be polite but hilarious, he walked the line beautifully.
But, what does this have to do with me apart from it being the reminiscing of a senile old buffer? Plenty, actually.
Here I am in my driveway yesterday morning, all ready to head off for my adventure to Toowoomba and elsewhere. The morning was cold, around 14 degrees but I was well rugged up and made good time to my first fuel stop at Wilberforce. The temperature dropped as I headed up the Putty and was around 12 as I topped the hill at Colo Heights. It was gloomy and not promising-looking and, as I headed through the village I caught my first few spots of rain. The further north I went, the heavier the rain became and, by the time I hit GGC it was well and truly set in. Pondering the vicissitudes of life over a BER and a coffee, I seriously considered turning back and trading in the bike for the warmer, but less fun, Minibago.
But this alternative was strongly argued against by the message I had received on Monday from one of my readers which said that the weather in Queensland was super, mid-20’s and ideal for riding. So I decided to press on.
It was as my CRRC buddy said, “character building” The Putty is a challenging road in the dry, much more so in the wet. But it didn’t take long for me to develop some considerable confidence in the brand new Pirelli Angel that was fitted last week. Wow, do they hang on! At the top of the Ten Mile I paused for the obligatory photo though the result was a far different one that what it usually is.
And it remained that way for the rest of the day, another 300km of rain and more rain. Oddly enough, I had started to enjoy the challenge by this stage, but navigating through towns when the rain would flow down the INSIDE of the visor and my glasses would fog up was trying. Over the top of the range at Murrurundi, the temperature dropped to 10 degrees and that, combined with the wet, was a little trying as well. I filled up with fuel at Scone but it was all starting to be a bit much by that stage and the last stretch into Tamworth was more survival mode than riding. It was dark by the time I arrived and a hot shower and some dry clothes sure helped.
Sadly, the weather forecast for today is more of the same so my cunning plan of leaving home a day early “in case” has turned out to be a stroke of genius. I’ll stay at my friends’ house today and head off tomorrow when the weather is going to be sunny and dry.
500kms yesterday in very ordinary conditions, a good sleep last night and a warm, friendly and dry house in which to wait out the rain. All part of the rich tapestry of life.