DUBBUG Ride Report
3 November 2013
Colleen Henry
The ride this Sunday went in four different directions, so you’d think that somewhere along the way the wind would be at our backs. But no matter what direction we went, it seemed like the wind changed direction just as we did.
With Scotts Head our destination, from Macksville, eight of us travelled south, riding parallel to the Pacific Highway on Upper Warrell Creek Road. It was a very pleasant start to the ride, through rolling hills with not a car passing us on the road. We were back on the Pacific Highway too soon, but it was a sweet run down a gentle hill on smooth concrete to the Stuarts Point turnoff, making up for the increased traffic.
As we headed east to Stuarts Point, the temperature started to rise and by the time we’d wound our way through more rolling hills to the Grassy Head turnoff, the bike computers were telling us it was 34 degrees. One computer was telling us that we were 753m below sea level, so maybe you shouldn’t trust them all the time!
The planned ride included an add-on to Fisherman’s Reach, an extra 12 km, but with the heat and the hills, everyone opted to forego that, and we set off northwards, only to discover that the sea breeze had started and the air was deliciously cool. No matter that it was a head wind, we were more than happy to have it as we ground up those three hills between Stuarts Point and Scotts Head.
At the Scotts Head Road junction we knew there was only one more hill to coffee time, so the going seemed pretty easy. A long downhill took us into Scotts Head, and coffee at Taverna Six was as good as ever. Mike and Colleen left the pack here, having cycled into Macksville for the start of the ride. Herb, George, Deb, Tim, Dave S. and Phil valiantly cycled back up that hill and west to Macksville. The cool sea breeze didn’t stick with them long and by the time they had travelled the 17km west to Macksville, the temperature was registering 42 degrees!
It was another great ride with the DUBBUG crew as we head into summer and there are many more rides to come.