CLUB RIDE REPORT – July 9th

The finger freezer – it wasn’t. A glorious day to ride – it was. In the interests of maintaining our club runs, almost 500 km of riding enjoyment was planned and commenced at 0830 from Vibe Roadhouse, Upper Swan. Six keen ORMTC members arrived with Chris leading and E-J kindly volunteering to fulfil TEC duties. The aim was to arrive at our Herne Hill end point within 8 hours or less.

I’m sure there are good reasons for reduced member numbers attending Club rides. Cool weather, possible rain, too far, too long a day, busy, etc., are all good reasons ... but I encourage ORMTC maintain our 400 km + Club rides for those who enjoy to “ride more and stop less”. Not to mention twisting that throttle a little.

The ride kicked off through the always enjoyable Chittering Valley route with enough damp sections to keep you on your toes, onto a quick toilet stop at Bindoon. Then off to Mogumber along the pleasant Moora route for a leg stretch. There is a toilet located at Mogumber Oval – first time for everything.

With the sun shining higher overhead and dryer road conditions beckoning, we headed West along a birdlife thick, undulating route to the Brand Highway, where a short northern stint and a right took us onto wind tower country leading to Dandaragan. Those wind towers are huge up close – but no time for photos. Leaving the towers behind us, we headed West along a superb curvy road into Cataby for fuel and leg stretch.

A short distance South along Brand Highway led us West across a sweeping. undulating and amazing piece of tarmac to appreciate bike (and your own) limits. Along Indian Ocean Drive then left an onto roads heading South encompassing many straight sections, with welcomed bends and sweepers frequent enough that add to riding enjoyment throughout the undulating native bush vistas and sweet aromas.

Back to civilisation, we headed East into Gingin and the hotel for a welcome lunch break. A place we don’t visit often where the food is average, albeit edible. With full bellies, we headed East through tree tunnel lined roads and narrow eucalypt country ways, into Toodyay for our last fuel stop before heading home.

Avoiding main roads led us onto tight winding tarmac sections preceding well-known sweeping routes back to Toodyay Road. Left into Brock country with the sun still high enough to enjoy the route to Brigadoon, we rode the challenging Weir Road into Herne Hill for our end point arrival at 3.30pm. Almost 500km in under 8 hours can be done. Thank you E-J and all those who joined me on this memorable ride.

Club by-laws as at August 2008

1. All motions need to have 2 months notice before they are voted on unless the 2 months notice is deemed unnecessary by the membership present at the meeting.

2. People on committees do not have to pay for an event that they are organizing except for their own accommodation.

3. Only financial members of the club can vote.

4. No person is to spend any monies unless prior approval has been granted by 2 or more committee members.

5. Any money spent and claimable from the club must have a receipt.

6. Members wishing to attend a club event must pay for that event before it occurs.

7. If a member is unable to attend a Club event, refunds are to be decided by the committee organizing the event.

8. If the club organises any event which requires financial commitment, members who have committed to attending will be financially liable for their share of the costs unless they can find someone to replace them.

By-law for Committee meetings:

1. A quorum for a committee meeting consists of 2 people less than there are members of the committee.

Birthdays

Mal Eric Julie

July Social

Ride

to Jennacubbine Tavern

with Ivan and Russell (after a late withdrawal by Ash)

Normally a dozen or so riders is a convenient size to fit into cafes and restaurants and to keep track of everyone.

For this mid-winter ride it seems that facebook invites and glorious weather conspired to generate the unwieldy number of 24 bikes and three pillions. Thankfully the Jennacubbine Tavern was able to upgrade my non-existent booking and accommodated our group with not too much complaining (maybe something to do with 25 $45 steaks plus drinks).

We didn’t lose anybody on the ride there but for the last quarter of the return trip it seems that even though we regrouped before turning onto Toodyay Road, visitors’ corner marking failed at the next three turns (Berry, Clenton and Lancewood Roads) so a few riders took a bit longer to arrive at the end point in the Swan Valley.

A good day was had by all.

Ivan

Thanks Ash, Greg, and Nic for the July ORATS photos