Ride Report 1st July 2012 – Club Coffs to Bucca Tee

DUBBUG Ride Report

1st July 2012

Ian Scott

 

What can one say? Another fine example of the brilliant organizational abilities of you committee! According to our published ride calendar, the ride this Sunday was supposed to be Urunga to Bellingen via Gleniffer Rd/Hyde’s Creek Rd. Somehow this morphed into a ride to Bucca T starting at the Catholic Club, or to use it’s correct title Club Coffs. The old saying “Couldn’t organize a p*** up in a brewery” springs to mind. This bloody Carbon Tax, going to destroy everything!

Anyway, ten riders including three from CoffsBUG managed to arrive for the 8:30am start. Expecting a cold morning, everyone having multiple layers on. A quick scenic tour of the back streets of Coffs, we joinde the highway at cholesterol corner (Bray St for those not familiar with Coffs). Arriving at the turn off to Bruxner Park, all riders stopped to remove one or more layers as the temperature had now started to climb.

We started the climb up to Bruxner Park, quickly demonstrated the wide gap in hill climbing ability of the group. Dave Hunt, Tim and Phil decided they needed a bit more practice on hills so rode up to Sealy Lookout. Must be all this Tour de France fever getting in everyone’s blood.

Once we got into the rain forest, all regretted taking off those layers at the bottom as the temperature was quite cool. Into the open country and some nice sunshine. We continued on to Bucca T, well almost to Bucca T. The last 200m being very course gravel from roadworks. A well earned rest was in order, the mandatory muesli bars bananas etc appeared and then quickly disappeared to re-fuel us for the return trip. We waited for the intrepid trio of Dave, Tim and Phil. When they had not arrived after the time we had estimated for the ride to Sealy we assumed they may have had problems so we started on the return trip.

The trio met us about 2 Kms along so the group was complete again. We started the slow climb back up though the forest. The temperature had risen a few degrees making the climb very enjoyable. A short rest stop at the top again before starting on the fun bit of this ride. Mike’s front wheel bearing was making some strange noises so decided to descend at a slow pace leaving us instructions to keep an eye out for a wrecked bike and rider on the side of the road.

While getting our breath back, Tim described the latest technique for show-offs in Brisbane. Fixed wheel bikes are the latest craze, so you fly up to the coffee shop, stand up on the pedals causing the back wheel to lock-up while everyone mumbles under their breath “Intelligent Posterior” (or something like that!)

We head down the hill and fortunately Mike is at the bottom waiting. Crossing the highway at this intersection with school holiday traffic is always a challenge and I can happily report there are no dead cyclists on the road. Coffee stop was at the Homebase. Great coffee and muffins. Having ridden up Sealy, Tim decided he needed a bit more exercise and decided to ride home to Nambucca. The rest of us just went back to Club Coffs jumped into our cars and off.

Next Sunday’s ride starts at BP North Urunga at 8:00am. Slight variation from the calendar. Ride up the old highway to Toormina for a bit of Koala spotting (if we are lucky!). That’s 8:00am starting at BP North Urunga. Did I mention next Sunday’s ride starts at 8:00am BP North Urunga?