A good size group were silly enough to ignore the weather forecast and join the ride to San Remo on Sunday 12th January.
We had a great variety of people and bikes

Steve with his new bike

more of the variety of bikes
and enjoyed a leisurely chat and checked out bikes etc.

It was also great to see some "newer" faces joining us again
The majority of bikes were BMWs!
Once greetings and formalities were completed, we left Lilydale shortly after 10.00AM with Jeff doing Tail End Charlie duties and almost immediately hit the backroads. We explored orchard and farm country across to Yellingbo and then had a good run down to Pakenham with no traffic issues.
Once Pakenham was negotiated, we took a different route east and then rode south with a side trip through Cora Lynn to Bayles, where we stopped for a rest break and cuppa etc and were met by Brian Q on his Himalaya.

Jeremy's Royal Enfield at Bayles
A couple of riders then feigned the need to be elsewhere, checked the weather radar (it did look ominous) and headed off home.
The rest of us rode more backroads including places such as Hallora before riding down to Loch, where we encountered some heavy traffic associated with the local fete plus people apparently returning to Melbourne along the South Gippsland Hwy.
After a brief run west along the highway, we turned south and the forecast rain finally arrived as we skirted Woodleigh.
We stopped and

roadside wardrobe adjustments were then made. It was amazing to see how much rain had already fallen before we arrived.
Once wet weather gear was donned, we rode on through more hills and stopped to check out the view

Ralph and Jeremy stopping at the view point


We also saw the odd bit of lightning as we rode through to Dalyston. Then it was a simple, but damp (wet) ride into San Remo, where we stopped for lunch by the sea.

It definitely rained as we rode into San Remo

Rather grey for a summer day!

Our group broke up as people went to assorted shops for lunch, others bought seafood at the Co-op and some of us had a "picnic" lunch at the shelters while being accosted by seagulls.
Several then decided to stay longer to wait for the rain to ease, while some of us rode home in the rain. Not sure how they went as it was still raining when I got home. By the time I reached home, I had confirmed that my old summer jacket really was well past its "use by date" My fault as I hadn't prepared as well for the weather as I should have.
Th ride back towards Melbourne was interrupted by a significant traffic jam around Lang Lang caused by minor roadworks. cars were banked back many kilometres on both the Bass and South Gippsland Highways. Happily we were able to filter through on our bikes.
Thanks to all who came along, I enjoyed the ride and the company despite the challenges as the day wore on. I did hear that those who headed home early actually met heavier rain than we did.
Cheers
John Cook
Remember, keep checking the calendar for upcoming events and rides