TRAMPS: Gormandale - Rosedale 02 June

A solid attendance of around 20 riders assembled at Gormandale for a relatively easy ride.
The weather prediction was right in that the showers, if any, were expected to come early. As it turned out they came and went prior to the start. I was slightly concerned by the selection of Richard 1 as ride leader as his recovery was still in progress. It turned out that my fears were groundless as his pace was quite solid and initially he even had the group spread out somewhat. The first leg to Rosedale was actually the shorter of the two halves and we arrived at lunch prior to midday.
Conditions at lunch were rather cool despite the fine conditions. Support man, Darryl, attempted to warm us up with some hot rock from the support vehicle. He was not successful in this but his fine selection of cakes was far more appreciated. While at lunch we managed to attract a couple of young ladies to join us for the return leg. They said that they regarded even half of a Tramps ride as a weekend highlight.
The run back to Gormandale was initially flat but exposed. Fortunately the headwind was not too strong but it was still felt for the first 10 or so kilometres. We did have one tumble on this leg at one of the stops. In this case it was put down to a wardrobe malfunction, but not shoes this time. Once onto Flynn's Creek Road the previous headwind was less of a worry.
The final scenic run to Gormandale contained the main climb of the day. As it appeared towards the end, most riders were well and truly prepared for the increased effort. All that was left was the final descent to the finish. Overall it was yet another successful Tramps adventure.

Rest stop near Willung

Touring with Tim and Rick

Is it raining outside?

Enjoying the fresh air

More sun seekers

Just short of the Highland Way

SADSAC: Stratford - Quarries 26 May

We had a strong turnout of 20 riders for the run to the Quarry Reserve.
Along with the local regulars we had our Tramps regulars in Colin, Richard 1 and Richard 3.
A new rider on the day was Sherryl from Sale. Hopefully she may become a regular rider as well.
The ride itself headed north out of town before turning off onto the Stockdale Road. Ride leader Dennis reported hearing a loud bang just after the corner, possibly a tyre failure. The mystery was solved a couple of kilometres later as the leader's bike pulled over with a flat rear tyre. The repair was only short lived, however, as the (new) tube was not up to the task. Dennis joined Kathy in the backup for the rest of the morning run.  The remainder of the ride to lunch was through the trees and protected from any wind.
Lunch at the Quarry was rather enjoyable with the sun breaking though the clouds. The jelly slice made an appearance as well as other well received offerings. Dennis even fixed his tyre.
The return journey started off with a short sharp climb out of the reserve. That was to be the last hill for the return to Stratford. The forecast westerly made it's presence felt once we had left Briagalong. The road home was through rather open countryside which meant that we experienced the full force of the strengthening wind. Once onto Crooked Lane the wind moved off the nose and the effort reduced for the remainder of the route. The distance was only around 55 km so the day finished much earlier than our last outing. A rather successful day out.

This rider runs on tea

On the top road

Coffee table now the norm

Lunchtime chats

Pat, Dave and Ann(2 shoes)

The main group

TRAMPS: Dumbalk - Koonwarra 19 May

The weather for the ride to Koonwarra was on people's minds and rightly so.
Despite the worries a good number of riders made the effort of getting themselves to Dumbalk for a mixed day of road and rail trail. We had a new rider in John who told me that he had only ridden a maximum of 25 km in recent times. If one was to attempt a longer distance, in this case 51, then this was the group to attempt it with. As it turned out he handled the distance without any real worries.
The ride started with a short warm up flat before the 6 km climb to the Mardan Road. While a significant climb the gradient was not excessive and we had a stop on the way up. Also, the choice of our strongest rider as leader meant that all other riders could go at their own pace on the climb. Long timer Tim had lost his shoe cleat at the start of the climb and was considering retirement. As it turned out I just happened to have a spare left hand pedal, due to my own untrustworthy new(cheap) pedals, so we had him back on the ride. Once clear of the main climb some bumps were encountered along the ridge before the downhill run to Leongatha. This was the point where the rail trail started and the fine weather ended. We initially sheltered from the steady rain before heading off on the now soggy trail.  Those sporting mud guards had big grins on their faces as they watched the others cover their backs in sandy spray. Even so it was a good surface and we were soon at Koonwarra.
The facilities at the lunch stop included a couple of shelter sheds, of sorts. The structures were sound and despite lacking windows they did have a flushing devise. We therefore had to share lunch with the odd passing shower. The cakes provided by the rarely seen Ann were rather special though.
The run home started on the rail trail before jumping off onto the road and then back on the trail. Despite this it was a pleasant leg to Meeniyan. The final run on the road back to Dumbalk was generally uneventful.
One particular rider from Longford, who was not having a birthday, made the day more memorable by falling off her bike a lot. Once before the start, another just before lunch and almost a third at one of the many rail trail gates. Luckily all the tumbles were made with the bike stationary. The resulting bruises were quite colourful. Even so the day was rather successful and I had a good time.

On the trail

A wet bridge

Through the trees

Quite a spread

Meeniyan regroup

Small trains only

SADSAC: Longford-Golden Beach-Seaspray 12 May

We managed to attract sixteen riders for the Mother's Day ride to Seaspray.
The weather again behaved itself. This should not be a big surprise as the area has only managed 150 mm of rain so far this year, well below average. The ride numbers were boosted by Tramps Richard, Tony and Colin (on his way back to Blaze Aid). We also had member Dick return to the group. We ended up with five mums on the ride with a recovering Shirl driving the backup.
The initial leg out to Golden Beach did not have the usual tailwind but the light crosswind was hardly noticeable. The stop at Golden Beach allowed the group some relief and the backup crew to grab some milk. Just as well as the shop at Seaspray appeared to be shut. The run to Seaspray, along the dune, was quite relaxing. Due to the nature of the route lunch was always going to be a bit later than normal and turned out to be around 1:30. As was my plan we utilized the club table for drinks and cakes. Ann had it well adorned with tablecloth and flowers for the day. I think we will use the table on future rides, thanks for the idea Vance. Mums also received a small gift for sharing their day with us.
Being so close to the shortest day for our longest ride the lunch stop could not last too long. We still had a good 30 km to get back to the start. This leg also contained the bulk of the undulations as well. Even so we arrived back at Longford just after four, well before last light. Total distance for the day a solid 88 km.
Even though about 10 km longer than our usual Seaspray run it was generally enjoyed by all.
For those not able to make it on the day Tramps are doing a shorter Seaspray run in August.

Club table in action

Enjoying Mothers' Day

On the run home

Whose mother is this?

Regroup on Stradbroke Road

Mums on bikes