Ride Report 24th Feb 2013 – Urunga to Boambee

On Sunday the skies cleared for a few hours and the wind dropped, enough for nine DUBBUG cyclists to shrug off the gum boots and the rain coats, and drop the umbrellas in exchange for lycra and fast bikes.

After two solid days inside, it didn’t take too much of a break in the weather for riders to collect at Urunga BP and decide on an easy ride to Garden Mania via thePacific Highway.

It was a poor consolation prize for Phil and Kirk, who had planned to do the Grafton Inverell ride yesterday, but the ride had been cancelled due to the rain. All that training down the drain, so to speak!

The destination was a very sensible choice as the highway was quiet – few cars and fewer trucks thanks to the road closures at Kempsey and Grafton. It was also the driest route – all the local roads were muddy or under water in places.

Herb, still sporting bandages and stitches, was loathe to get either wet and with the northern sky darkening rapidly ahead, he decided to turn for home at Mailman’s Track Overbridge. Allan, Betty Anne, Colleen, Dave, George, Kirk, Mike and Phil cycled on, braving what looked like a sure soaking, but we arrived just ahead of the rains.

Five minutes at Garden Mania, just enough time to order coffee and scones and the skies opened. And five minutes before we were ready to leave, the skies closed – what great timing! So apart from a few soggy sections of the road which had just enough mud and water on them to fling over the bikes and backs of riders, the trip was dry.

Dave’s puncture on the way back slowed the slow group of riders down and the fast group (Betty Ann leading) had a bit of a wait at Mailman’s Track, but apart from that, it was a picture perfect ride.