Broke via Putty Rd 23rd February 2023

 Broke via the Putty Ride Report

It started with a phone call but this time even I have to admit Alan’s excuse was pretty good i.e. there’s a tree fallen on my house and it’s blocking my driveway. So suddenly I was leading the ride with less than 24 hours to prepare!

Step 1 was to check the route given the appalling weather over the previous 24 hours. So I checked with Grey Gums but they didn’t know about the road but did know that their “facilities” would be offline on the morning of the ride “if the plumber made it through”. Mmmmm that could be problematic, did they have any suggestions and just like that I had the number of the Halfway Roadhouse which is a 10mins ride further up the Putty from Windsor. So a call to Dave (owner) resulted in a change of ride plan with morning tea at the Halfway Roadhouse.

Step 2 was to check the return route and all looked AOK and PITS was open.

Step 3 (which didn’t happen) should’ve been to check my route to Windsor. If I had got to that I would’ve avoided an unnecessary trip into Kuringai Chase on Bobbin Head Road only to find the bridge closed 🤨

Anyway, on the day the dry cloudy day forecast had been replaced by a wet cloudy day and on the beaches we were getting some reasonable showers rolling through. So I reluctantly donned the wets and set off for McGraths Hill.

The rain en route never amounted to anything and after my Kuringai detour I considered my options and decided M2/A2 offered the best guarantee of getting there on time which I did with 25 mins to spare.

With all the rain I wasn’t expecting many riders but the single solitary bike with an unfamiliar number plate was below even my expectations. I introduced myself to Trevor at the tables just as more bikes rolled in so we ended up with 12 bikes in all which much more of a quorum.

With only two significant turns in the whole ride I briefed the group on the route and confirmed we’d only corner mark the Halfway Roadhouse given some had never been and the Milbrodale turn off the Putty to Broke. Pete was volunteered for TEC and manfully took up that cudgel with a smile so thanks Pete! 

With only 3 mins left before departure time I called mount up. Only for a plaintive voice to ring out “but I haven’t finished my coffee” which was immediately met with “tough” 😝

The trip up the Putty was great and we had good pace all the way to Grey Gums but just short of there two oncoming riders flagged the presence of bluebottles. As law abiding citizens we immediately ensured we were abiding by the law (for the next few kms anyway) but didn’t see anything resembling a bluebottle. However upon our arrival at the Halfway Roadhouse we met the plainclothed bluebottle on a plainclothed bike who was enjoying a chinwag with Dave. He departed soon after in the direction we were heading which played on my mind all the way to Broke.

Some riders enjoyed Dave’s sausage sangas others his coffee but he couldn’t find any takers for his famed Bacon and Egg Rolls. As time marched towards 12pm we set off for Broke and enjoyed the twists and turns of the north end of the Putty and didn’t enjoy the waiting at the roadworks. 

All eventually made it to the Stewart McTaggart Park in Broke where we spied a couple of familiar faces. Dave was on his way back from some dirty adventure up north and Alan was wearing the results of his prevarication on whether or not to join the ride. By that I mean he ummed and ahhed so long he couldn’t make it to the gather so went to Wollombi and then Broke instead.

After lunch, on the trip back to the Pie, riders explored virtually every possible route, I did the whole Wollombi, Kulnura, Calga and Mt White whilst trying and failing to keep up with some mad Frenchman. We passed some seriously wet sections of road which showed we were doing an excellent job of missing the showers and, after coffee and chinwag at the Pie, continued that record all the way back to the beaches.

A great ride with good company

Thanks all, until the next time.

Andy