Ten brave souls made it to Hassans Walls Lookout!!! Here is a sample of the views you missed I woke up to a rather damp morning and thought, bugger it too wet to go riding …. back to bed!!! Double bugger I have to go as I’m leading the bl…y ride. After scoffing my breakfast and struggling into my very expensive waterproof Rukka riding gear off I went to Maccas Mc Graths Hill hoping no one would turn up and I can get back to my warm bed.   No such luck as twelve sorry souls turned up and wanted to be “lead”.   With no virgins and everybody ignoring my ride briefing I jumped on my trusty GS and headed for the Turf Farms hoping the rest of the sheep would follow. Surprisingly they did with young Pete of the yellow braces taking up the rear. There was a steady drizzle coming from the heavens and I was particularly annoyed as the BOM seers had decreed that the clouds will part and sunshine shall prevail. Bollocks!  As we made our way along the Bells Line of Road in a we...

  Eight Model enthusiasts journeyed to Luddenham on Sunday 24 th to visit the Sydney Society of Model Engineers at Sydney Model Park.   Our Sunday began cool and cloudy but cleared to a fine and cool day just perfect for an outing on the bike. Departing St Ives at 9.05am we travelled via Comenarra Parkway to New Line Road and Round Corner, to a coffee stop on Annangrove Road at the Vanilla Cream Café at the old Amaroo Park complex. This was the first visit here for all but two of us, and the consensus was 10/10 – good food, good coffee, quick and friendly service. Totally refreshed and an hour later we journeyed on, along Windsor Road for a bit, down Garfield Road and along Richmond Road for another bit, then south via Rooty Hill and Mt Druitt to the old Great Western Highway to St Marys, then turned down Mamre Road and then Luddenham Road to the Model Park. Your Ride Leader was concerned that with the scale of Infrastructure development going on around the immediate area...

I convinced the ride group that a trip to Bungonia Look Down would be an interesting  addition to the ride, however we would need to delete the usual southern highlands route to save time, the group agreed and the Look Down was a hit, I recommend it if you are ever down there, see our Facebook page for pics. The pub food was good as usual, the weird monument across the road has fallen over, no great loss.   After lunch a very quick pace was set to Nowra, Kangaroo Vally, Robertson Pie Shop (which is for sale for first time in 43 years), the Tourist road and back onto the motorway for M5 and M7 options home. Fine weather most of the day, brief heavy shower enroute to Nowra, a fast bunch of riders and good company, I managed to clock up 560Ks round trip to Mosman. Rod 

Arriving at Berowra 7-11 the place was already heaving and by  9:40am  we had 12 riders raring to go “somewhere” including a newbie John on a Spider. We also had a clash of voices as can be seen from the attached photo but there was sadly no “biffo” to go with it. As it was getting late I couldn’t help myself, I had to ask, “anyone have any suggestions for a ride?”. This was despite the fact I was very clear on the inevitable outcome of opening with such a gambit. So it will come as no surprise that my suggestion of a ride to Grey Gums via the church was unanimously accepted and I was also voted ride leader for today’s ride. So after a brief briefing with Berowra and Sackville ferries, Cattai Ridge and Halcrows road (the name of which I couldn’t remember at the time) all getting a mention and a dose of the clap for John I called the ride and we rolled out right on  10am . It was a slow track down to the ferry but corner marking was in force as it was all the way to the ch...

Mudgee 3 day ride report below and a PADPAL for those not on the Mudgee trip. The designated ride leader (Peter Wallshaw) bailed out at the last minute due to the unexpected arrival of his second granddaughter Rosie, who arrive a few weeks early. Peter was left holding the first granddaughter and her dog, subsequently missing a great ride. All doing well.   I led day one, 16 riders up to Mudgee via Tarana, Kelso, Sofala. Lots of nice twisty back roads.   Day two, I led the dirt ride loop, in the pub the night before we had 6 riders, but in the morning that had reduced to 4, sadly no GS riders were up for the dirt challenge. First thing we had to get back to the Sofala area to ride up The Bridle Track, so we went on some back roads through the mountains from Mudgee, very nice combination of fast bitumen and dirt, along Aarons Pass road for example, I can recommend it.   The Bridle Track runs alongside the Macquarie river, very scenic, lots of wild critters about, lunch at ...

11 wheels rolled from St Ives albeit rather promptly at 9.00am Saturday for the mountain gardens. Memories of Stephen being the "Order of the Day”. Well worn route via Galston & Cattai Ridge Rds to a brief ceremony at corner of Halcrows Rd. Something about “lost false teeth”. I knew it wasn’t the 4 Ferries ride as performed by John Tiller but traditions must be transferred to the uninformed newbies of GONBUC. Onwards for loo stop at Windsor & long chat with  retired Christian Bikers couple from Bathurst. Morning Tea at fabulous Tutti Fruiti & watched in delight as 12 wheels headed East back to their local Police Station as we went West. Clear running on the Bells to Stop/Go lights over crest just before gardens, then into last parking spots, Lunch under watchful eyes of local Magpies Usual brief walk through gardens for loos & lookout, back to bikes & home. Thanks to GW & KH on bikes, MTC in the Canary Yellow pimped up Prius. Cheers, JW

PadPal Berowa  7/11 9:30am  just one Peter and Andy I was then Robbed,  5 riders left  at 10:00am  for The Australian Army Infantry Museum, at the Singleton Army Base Very close to last week's destination, Luskintyre Airfield Andy, 3 Rob's and a lone Peter. Very used to there being a surfeit of Peters, never been out numbered before Lovely ride to Wollombi for morning tea, Then on to the museum, the road between Wollombi and Paynes crossing, is still atrocious, but after that very little traffic and a great ride. Sunny but not too warm. A new destination? The Lone Pine Cafe is open and has clean Toilets, we sat outside for lunch, before giving the Museum the once over.  Thank you to everyone for the company, an enjoyable day, we lost two Robs on the way home via the Pie. Losing one was unfortunate, Losing the second was careless.   The Lone Peter

  RIDE REPORT – ULYSSES MEMORIAL RIDE TO NEPEAN DAM – 10/09/2023 Ride Leader : John Osborne As most Ulysseans would be aware the second Sunday of September has been designated as Remembrance Day – an opportunity to remember those of our Club who have ‘ridden on’. This memorial meeting is usually held at Cordeaux Dam where there are some plaques explaining the Ulysses spirit and commemorating passed members. This year however the meeting had to be transferred to Nepean Dam because Cordeaux is closed temporarily. Northern Beaches branch has been represented at the memorial for many years and this year was no exception. A small band (4 bikes and 2 cars) left the St Ives meeting place at 08:30 to head (toll free) to Nepean Dam via ring road 3, Hume Hwy to the meccano set, Henry Lawson Drive to Milperra, Liverpool, the Crossroads, Campbelltown, Appin, Broughton Pass Weir, Wilton, M31 to Avon Dam/Nepean Dam road arriving at 11:15 in time for the memorial ceremony. This route certainl...

  It's Springtime, great day for a ride, I had seen Rod's request for a ride leader in the previous weeks report, forgot about it, until my ride from home to Berowra. Negotiated with Pete to be the days ride leader and changed the ride course from morning tea at Wollombi to morning tea at Dooralong.  24 riders were awaiting instructions on the route morning tea stop. One new rider in the group Bernie Burke from the Hills area on a very fast looking Ducati - gave Bernie the welcome clap and headed off. Rocket persuaded me to stop not long after leaving the servo - as most of the group were stopped at the traffic lights - after a quick regroup we were on our way. No worries about wet roads today and it was good to see Mr Plod booking a car on the Freeway side at the river. The corner marking technique now universally adopted in the group works a treat, so there was no excuse to lose riders along the way - something that I usually am pretty good at. Morning tea ove...

  After a cracker thunderstorm   Wednesday night , 20 of us took off in good weather down Bumble Hill for Smoko. We did a scenic detour on Hue Hue Rd. Didn’t lose anybody & arrived, unscathed, at Catherine Hill. It’s my first time leading using the “new” corner marking & I’m a big fan of that system. Thanks for all the offers to help peel off the “yes” stickers off my bike. Thanks too to Mark for being TEC Cheers Tony