sadsacnews: TRAMPS: Toongabbie - Heyfield 23 September.

This ride was one of the better attended for the year. Twenty three riders presented at the Green for pleasant day out. We had three new riders on the day, namely Bill, Carmel and Daryl. A couple of the ladies though we were at the Cup as they were adorned in low budget fascinaters. Colin's first ride back after his big trip would not be that different from the previous months, being the backup.
The prediction for the day, namely the route and the weather, turned out somewhat inaccurate. The forecast northwesterly had already turned to the west and the sunny breaks were soon to become less frequent. Despite my inability to describe the route, my knowledge of the area, courtesy of numerous Bob Graham rides, earned me the job of ride leader. The ride ended up covering half of that ride. The run up to Glenmaggie via Cowwarr and Seaton, while having all the hills, was not too hard due to the following wind. Even the run back into Heyfield for lunch was protected by the trees. By the time we arrived at the lunch stop the cloud had thickened and the temperature had dropped. Even so the lunch break was quite enjoyable. Plenty of drinks and cakes for the workers.
The strengthening westerly wind was waiting for us to test ourselves for the return. We did not have long to wait for that test. The first serious into-wind leg seemed to last a lot more that the map would indicate. After a few more slow sections we arrived at Cowwarr and our exposures were over. The final run to Toongabbie was much easier. Despite some struggles a most rewarding day. I was asked to complement the ride leader although in this case he failed to finish the ride with the group intact, therefore a fail I am afraid.