Enjoyed another beautiful day out riding with the Melbourne Branch on Sunday.
We assembled at Lilydale, chatted, checked out bikes
and then rode
some delightful backroads with great views up the Yarra Valley and occasionally the Warburton Hwy until we reached Warburton.
A person driving a Navara ute at 40 KPH in a 70 zone through Warburton East and no consideration of letting a convoy pass earned himself some bad wishes. Just after that a lyrebird safely crossed my path just before the Reefton Hotel, it was wonderful to see.
Happily, we had no traffic issues on the ride up the spur from Reefton to Cumberland Junction. It was a delightful run with a combination of great roads and scenery.
We took a break in Marysville
and there were lots of other riders our enjoying the day too.
I spoke to Ulysseans from Macedon Ranges (one had good taste in bikes – a blue Honda ST1300) and Gary from Broadford who was riding with a group from Seymour.
As I stopped on the Black Spur (to take photos)
I saw the Ulysseans from Macedon Ranges ride past and much later I saw them again as Steve and I were riding towards home through Kinglake.
Once chats and refreshments were done, it was back over the Black Spur
to Healesville and then up to Toolangi and on to Kinglake West where we stopped for lunch and another chat.
As we had commitments, Steve and I then rode home
to the Dandenongs via St Andrews and Yarra Glen and enjoyed some more back roads and views.
We did see lots of police during the day. A highway patrol crew had a chat with us at Lilydale before we started. Two police solo riders were “talking” to other riders as we crossed the highway near Toolangi. At Coldstream we saw police supervising a U being loaded onto a truck. Impounded? Saw other police units too so they were certainly out and about.
I had a great day of Ulyssean camaraderie.
Andrew – thanks for leading and putting it together,
Samuel thanks for doing TEC duty again and thanks to all who came along.
Cheers
John Cook