DUBBUG Ride Report
9 September 2012
It was a hilly and somewhat challenging ride today for those of us who hadn’t been cycling for awhile, and for Nick and Jac, two first-time riders to the DUBBUG. We started in Dorrigo, all nine of us apart from Phil who had cycled up the BIG mountain from his home east of Bellingen (well done Phil – the joy of having the new bike must still be kicking in). The route took us up Waterfall Way towards Armidale to the Fernbrook loop road and back down, for a total of 40kms.
Colleen and Mike were back from their cycling holiday in Thailand, and Steve and Bruce from a barge boat/cycling holiday in France with their wives. George and Tim, who hadn’t gone anywhere, were extremely jealous and wouldn’t let the travelers forget it.
The hills were not huge, but just seemed endless. Climb a bit of a hill, enjoy a short stretch of downhill. Repeat. Ten times, but who’s counting?!
The view across the mountains and down the valley seemed to go forever, and before we knew it we were at the turnoff for the Fernbrook Loop. The road narrowed considerably to a one-lane farm access road. It was paved for the first couple of kilometres and then the paving seemed to make way for hard pack cow manure, making for an interesting, if slower cycling surface. We cycled past the big-eyed girls who must have been responsible for the unique surface and gave them a wave before heading back to Waterfall Way.
The forward group waited for everyone to catch up at the junction – a short delay had been caused by the only puncture of the day – and then it was a very quick downhill ride back into Dorrigo for coffee and the best apple pie in the district, where Tim related two of his latest cycling stories. The first was about being stung by a paper wasp while out on his bike. Those motorists who might have noticed a cyclist furiously rubbing “the family jewels” and swearing loudly can rest assured he was acting strangely for a reason! His other escapade was getting blown off the road, literally, by a car going too fast and coming too close near the Bowarville race course. He found himself airborne, upright on his bike, only to land, still upright, in a half-metre of water and soft grass. Unhurt, he laughed about the experience, but wasn’t too happy about spending two and a half hours cleaning the mud and grass from every crevice of his bike.
The Crew near the Top
The Downhill Run
Next week’s Sunday ride is rated hard/medium and will leave from the Nambucca Visitor Information Centre at 8am. The “Stuarts Point Reverse” will be a total of 78km and go from Nambucca down the Pacific Highway to the Stuarts Point turn-off, stopping for coffee at Stuarts Point, then back along Grassy Head Road to Macksville then Nambucca. The usual Wednesday and Friday rides will leave as usual from the Urunga BP at 8am. For more information, contact George Smith on 6568 2115.