Dead of winter, cold and miserable, yet we still ride!
The original destination for this trip, Gilgandra, was vetoed in favour of something shorter and closer to home so that we could leave later (10.00am in winter) and be back early afternoon. So the destination was the Metropolitan Hotel in Orange for lunch, hardly a decent ride, so it was via some of the great back roads around the Barry, Hobby's Yards, Neville area before a stop at Millthorpe for coffee.
Back on the road and into Orange the back way via Spring Hill had us arrive right on time for a great lunch. An extended lunch break and the impending coolness of the afternoon saw a vote in favour of a trip straight through to Bathurst on the way home. All in all around a 5 hour trip including lunch, and done during the warmest part of the day so still an enjoyable ride.
This has to be the right way to do things, shorter rides in winter, leaving later and returning earlier, and the longer rides in the warmer months just seem to suit our climate better.
Next month, a mystery ride, see you then.
Ride Report by Mark McCormick
Photos by Errol Chopping
