So it was 06:00. I opened my eyes from a peaceful slumber, looked to the east and was blinded..
WooooHooo. Blue sky..Day off...
So what are ya gunno do?
Well it's been pretty wet around here of late and it looks like that just might continue.
Summer 'round here is usually wet, but that is usually due to afternoon storms NOT drizzle followed by torrential downpours.
Last time I rode my bike it was in the rain, gloves are usully left to air dry in the shed. That usually works, not this time..
As my daughter would say "EEEEwwwwww". I don't usually say that but this time was an exception.
No time to organise, just wash the gloves, gear up and go, make it up as I go along. The gloves can dry on the bike. Lap of the pond sounds good, lot's of different types of roads, Slab, B roads, Dirt roads, country folk.
Check the weather forecast again, slap myself a few times just in case I was still asleep dreaming all this, check the weather again..Should be dry until 3PM.... Cool bananas.
Off I go. Check the scenery again at the top of the hill, south looks good I'll go that way.
Down the back roads to Tahmoor, Finally got to see Thirlmere, wasn't missing much.
Decided to stop in a bit of forest that somehow survived the onslaught of civilization down that way just to listen and soak it all in.
Off I went, did some slab as fast as I could get away with, got cold in summer as the bike ascended into the high country, with no real visible clues, being a freeway that is what they are all about, killing the passion and real world experiences, tried out the side mounted radiator on my left hand, I wonder if you can get single sided grip heaters?
Followed an Ford XB coupe going backwards at 120Km'h, As a young bloke I once dreamed of owning one, now they are usually sitting in museums or rusted hulks going backwards on trailers. Another reminder to act now or the your dreams will do the same. Maybe that was the freeway talking, too much time to think maybe.
Arrived at Goulbourn, dumped 9L in the tank and took off for Crookwell. Goulbourn is nice but it gets a bit busy on a Sunday and just takes up time waiting. Listened to the "testing one T-T-Twwwoooo" as some folksy types set up the PA system and then watched the market stalls being set up.
Off into the high country to check out the wind management and high speed cornering. All good.
Stopped to take a pic of the Pejah dam, the source of a lot of photo opportunities in the 2007 drought.
Funny, no media personalities to be seen these days.
Goulbourn got the 80 million dollar pipeline though. The media spin worked. More politicians got to wear hard hats.
Road to Crookwell
Got to Crookwell, A group of Harleys at one end, with the mandatory skull masks, trying to make up for some form of inadequacy.
On the other end the Italian princesses all lined up. Too hip for the straights, too straight for the hips. The standard dilemma of adventure bikes.
Princesses posing..Looks like the Jet engine look is back..
My bike was looking pretty clean at the time, how embarrassment.
I parked and grabbed a coffee. It was warming up nicely now, a few puffy clouds starting to form, That's more like it. Standard summer weather for a change. It was looking a bit serious to the north. I have always gone that way but this time I thought fuggit, I'll just "go west old man". A new road to discover, I'll just have to get wet later.
So off down the road to Boorowa which is a native word for "A little dusty run down hole near Young". Well that's what it meant in the 70's anyway. No one went that way, but this is now.
With that I headed off down the road, Within a few kilometers saw sports bikes, tourers, BMW two up doing the BMW wave (Why do they do it that way? Is it in the safety manual or something? I was thinking.), I thought this road was half dirt, but that usually means no sports bikes.
Turns out it was all sealed and reasonable fun, Fast sweepers, surprise tight bends just to keep you on your toes, large vistas and a surface even a Ducati could love. I didn't see any though, maybe I have spent too long on ADv style bikes.
Stopped for some pics and gave a few people heart attacks. Waved em on. Sorry people just little ol' me.
They're everywhere..
Got to Booroowa, the first appearance as you came into town were "A little dusty run down hole near Young" but on the last turn of the convoluted path into town a pleasant surprise. Someone has tried to make a difference.
Talked to a local lady, hand weaving her art outside her shop in the fresh air under a tree. My god woman, you might breath in some nature if you keep doing that. Got the goss' on the place from an ex-Sydney siders perspective.
She explained how backward some of them were, "like they are stuck in the 50's" as a father changed his childs nappy behind her. She then went on to talk about how that is contrasted with all the new modern stuff that they do these days, futures grain trading, GPS navigated farming, soil Ph analysis, nutrient sampling, No till farming, weather prediction software, as this guy on his bike started up and went past.
A real traveler by the look of it. Good to see.
Great talk and insight, and left chuckling to myself.
The weather was circling and I decided I might see if I can get away with a dry ride for a change.
Headed back to Crookwell, dumped 10 Litres in the tank, and headed to Taralga to get some "Gravel on clay" experience under my belt. It was like that two years ago, so I didn't expect much has changed around here. Found the gravel and proceed to have a lot of fun. Way better now. The bike just invites, almost dares you to go faster. Great fun. Got to try out all the new trickery as well. Great fun. I suppose physics will rear it's head at some point but the bike does well telling you when that head is about to rear.
Along Goulbourn Oberon Rd.
Few stains on the road here..
Arriving at Oberon I finally had some mobile access, advised that I made a little detour and I would be home a bit later than expected...as you do.
Had another beverage, figured that I was now surrounded and there was no getting away from another drenching.
First sign of trouble just outside Oberon..
Got a better look just outside Hartley, took a few pics.
The road was dry by now and I figured there was 50/50 chance of arriving home undrenched.
It worked this time. Put away the dusty bike, which actually suits it, and had a good relax grinning in front of the TV.
If you feel like heading out west from Goulburn, that road which they call Narrawa Rd from Crookwell, isn't half bad. Put it on the list of possibilities.
Cheers
Graham
WooooHooo. Blue sky..Day off...
So what are ya gunno do?
Well it's been pretty wet around here of late and it looks like that just might continue.
Summer 'round here is usually wet, but that is usually due to afternoon storms NOT drizzle followed by torrential downpours.
Last time I rode my bike it was in the rain, gloves are usully left to air dry in the shed. That usually works, not this time..
As my daughter would say "EEEEwwwwww". I don't usually say that but this time was an exception.
No time to organise, just wash the gloves, gear up and go, make it up as I go along. The gloves can dry on the bike. Lap of the pond sounds good, lot's of different types of roads, Slab, B roads, Dirt roads, country folk.
Check the weather forecast again, slap myself a few times just in case I was still asleep dreaming all this, check the weather again..Should be dry until 3PM.... Cool bananas.
Off I go. Check the scenery again at the top of the hill, south looks good I'll go that way.
Down the back roads to Tahmoor, Finally got to see Thirlmere, wasn't missing much.
Decided to stop in a bit of forest that somehow survived the onslaught of civilization down that way just to listen and soak it all in.
Off I went, did some slab as fast as I could get away with, got cold in summer as the bike ascended into the high country, with no real visible clues, being a freeway that is what they are all about, killing the passion and real world experiences, tried out the side mounted radiator on my left hand, I wonder if you can get single sided grip heaters?
Followed an Ford XB coupe going backwards at 120Km'h, As a young bloke I once dreamed of owning one, now they are usually sitting in museums or rusted hulks going backwards on trailers. Another reminder to act now or the your dreams will do the same. Maybe that was the freeway talking, too much time to think maybe.
Arrived at Goulbourn, dumped 9L in the tank and took off for Crookwell. Goulbourn is nice but it gets a bit busy on a Sunday and just takes up time waiting. Listened to the "testing one T-T-Twwwoooo" as some folksy types set up the PA system and then watched the market stalls being set up.
Off into the high country to check out the wind management and high speed cornering. All good.
Stopped to take a pic of the Pejah dam, the source of a lot of photo opportunities in the 2007 drought.
Funny, no media personalities to be seen these days.
Goulbourn got the 80 million dollar pipeline though. The media spin worked. More politicians got to wear hard hats.
Road to Crookwell
Got to Crookwell, A group of Harleys at one end, with the mandatory skull masks, trying to make up for some form of inadequacy.
On the other end the Italian princesses all lined up. Too hip for the straights, too straight for the hips. The standard dilemma of adventure bikes.
Princesses posing..Looks like the Jet engine look is back..
My bike was looking pretty clean at the time, how embarrassment.
I parked and grabbed a coffee. It was warming up nicely now, a few puffy clouds starting to form, That's more like it. Standard summer weather for a change. It was looking a bit serious to the north. I have always gone that way but this time I thought fuggit, I'll just "go west old man". A new road to discover, I'll just have to get wet later.
So off down the road to Boorowa which is a native word for "A little dusty run down hole near Young". Well that's what it meant in the 70's anyway. No one went that way, but this is now.
With that I headed off down the road, Within a few kilometers saw sports bikes, tourers, BMW two up doing the BMW wave (Why do they do it that way? Is it in the safety manual or something? I was thinking.), I thought this road was half dirt, but that usually means no sports bikes.
Turns out it was all sealed and reasonable fun, Fast sweepers, surprise tight bends just to keep you on your toes, large vistas and a surface even a Ducati could love. I didn't see any though, maybe I have spent too long on ADv style bikes.
Stopped for some pics and gave a few people heart attacks. Waved em on. Sorry people just little ol' me.
They're everywhere..
Got to Booroowa, the first appearance as you came into town were "A little dusty run down hole near Young" but on the last turn of the convoluted path into town a pleasant surprise. Someone has tried to make a difference.
Talked to a local lady, hand weaving her art outside her shop in the fresh air under a tree. My god woman, you might breath in some nature if you keep doing that. Got the goss' on the place from an ex-Sydney siders perspective.
She explained how backward some of them were, "like they are stuck in the 50's" as a father changed his childs nappy behind her. She then went on to talk about how that is contrasted with all the new modern stuff that they do these days, futures grain trading, GPS navigated farming, soil Ph analysis, nutrient sampling, No till farming, weather prediction software, as this guy on his bike started up and went past.
A real traveler by the look of it. Good to see.
Great talk and insight, and left chuckling to myself.
The weather was circling and I decided I might see if I can get away with a dry ride for a change.
Headed back to Crookwell, dumped 10 Litres in the tank, and headed to Taralga to get some "Gravel on clay" experience under my belt. It was like that two years ago, so I didn't expect much has changed around here. Found the gravel and proceed to have a lot of fun. Way better now. The bike just invites, almost dares you to go faster. Great fun. Got to try out all the new trickery as well. Great fun. I suppose physics will rear it's head at some point but the bike does well telling you when that head is about to rear.
Along Goulbourn Oberon Rd.
Few stains on the road here..
Arriving at Oberon I finally had some mobile access, advised that I made a little detour and I would be home a bit later than expected...as you do.
Had another beverage, figured that I was now surrounded and there was no getting away from another drenching.
First sign of trouble just outside Oberon..
Got a better look just outside Hartley, took a few pics.
The road was dry by now and I figured there was 50/50 chance of arriving home undrenched.
It worked this time. Put away the dusty bike, which actually suits it, and had a good relax grinning in front of the TV.
If you feel like heading out west from Goulburn, that road which they call Narrawa Rd from Crookwell, isn't half bad. Put it on the list of possibilities.
Cheers
Graham
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