The peloton forms at Queenscliff
It really is amazing what a difference twelve months makes. On Boxing Day 2004 we were confronted with threatening skies , cold temperatures and a howling wind from the Southern Ocean. If that wasn't enough, a small blue dot on the weather radar somewhere near Cape Otway was more than enough excuse for John Seamons to forsake any thought of riding with his friends and spend the entire day cowering in fear under his teddy bear doona. Fortunately most of the Ghost Riders are not so feeble minded and persevered to have a memorable cycling day.
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The peloton forms at Queenscliff |
The conditions that confronted us in 2005 could not have been more different. This time the Bureau promised us a day of 35C temperature, blazing sun and a hot North wind. The only thing we had in common with last year was that, once again, John Seamons decided that he was not up to the challenge. This year he decided to spend the entire day floating on his inflatable rubber ducky in his swimming pool. Of course he would be wearing Joy's floral shower cap to keep his hair dry.
Fortunately, the rest of the Ghost Riders do have backbones and I was pleasantly surprised to find that we had 12 riders lined up at Queenscliff, ready for the 10 am start. Maggie and I were only a few minutes late, due entirely to her insistence on making an unnecessary"pit stop" at Geelong. As we posed for the obligatory group photograph we noted that the temperature was still quite comfortable - ideal cycling conditions. I spent a couple of moments briefing the riders of the importance of team riding and encouraged everyone to keep a lookout for each other. "Let's all stay close together" I reminded them, before we all bolted out onto the road. Within moments we were scattered over about 1 km between Queenscliff and Ocean Grove.
I finally managed to get the bolters under control and we were soon happily seated at our first watering hole for the day. The coffee shop at Barwon Heads was a pleasant interlude and an opportunity for us to top up our levels of caffeine and water. While we were drinking a mature gent walked up and politely asked us "Did you guys ride all the way from Warburton?". He was obviously misled by our superb physiques and muscled legs and for a while I was tempted to reply with something less than the truth, however I was able to (truthfully) tell him that "although Warburton was our home town we were famous all over the world". He was suitably impressed.
By the time we remounted for the next leg of the ride, the temperature had risen a few more degrees, but it still was quite pleasant for riding. At this stage Ben seemed to think that he knew the route, even though it was the first time he had ridden it. He quickly disappeared into the distance with his shoulders resting on his handle bars and his bum in the air. The rest of the group followed at a more sensible pace.
Ben's unfortunate premature acceleration resulted in him missing the turnoff and allowing the rest of us to arrive back at Barwon Heads ahead of him. We then retraced our path back over the bridge and towards Ocean Grove. All of our riders were still pedalling strongly and were obviously enjoying the ride. On the outskirts of Ocean Grove we turned northwards and headed back up to the Bellarine Highway. This section of the circuit has some rolling hills and, although they are not particularly challenging, they did serve to separate the riders by a few minutes.
After regrouping at the highway we headed back along the Bellarine Highway (and into the strengthening wind) towards Geelong. We tried to maintain a somewhat gentle 25 kph but the feeling of leadenness in my legs reminded me that I am NOT a hot weather person. With each drop of water lost from our bodies, our performance drops markedly. As we turned right into Christies road, Marg had run out of water and several others were looking for an excuse for a short break.
At this point we were rescued by a good samaritan who appeared from one of the local houses and offered us all cold water and ice blocks from her freezer. She made us promise to stop at her house next time we were passing by, but disappeared before we could get her name or really thank her. It is amazing what a small act of kindness like that can do for you when your spirits are lagging. We were all grateful to our nameless benefactor.
After riding about 40 km "Doc" Mackay decided that she was not feeling well enough to complete the full circuit and opted to take the shorter route back to Queenscliff. Although it was sad to see her leave the peloton, it is essential that we all know how to listen to our own bodies - especially under extreme conditions. Dehydration and heat exhaustion can be a real danger when riding in summer and it is wise to keep a keen eye on our cycling companions to recognise any early signs before they become more serious.
The 11 remaining riders headed off on the next section - the 10km stretch along the Bellarine Rail Trail. The surface of this trail is similar to that of the Warburton Trail with hard packed gravel, making it suitable for most types of bikes. Although we had been hoping that we might finally have the assistance of a tail wind, we quickly found that it was still heavy going.
At Drysdale Station we all took the opportunity to indulge in a little water play under the (very) cold water tap. With wet jerseys for a short while we could have been excused for forgetting that the temperature was now surely in the mid thirties. We still had the final challenge of the infamous "Scotchman's Hill" to defeat before we could settle down to lunch. Although we were all starting to feel fatigued, all riders were still making good progress. Kathleen, one of our newest riders, seemed to be actually getting stronger as the day progressed, in spite of the fact that she had loaded her bike with huge panniers, presumably to provide extra ballast on the downhill sections.
As we turned our bikes towards the formidable Scotchmans Hill the searing headwind progressively sucked more and more of our remaining stamina. With each laborious turn of the crank, we not only had to overcome the ferocious pull of gravity as we fought our way up the never ending slopes, but the melting asphalt meant that our wheels were sinking deeper and deeper into the road surface. As I huffed and puffed up the final slope I could hear the steady "ping" made by numerous fragments of molten tar hitting the underneath of the bike frame.
Our team finally arrived at Portarlington at about 1.30 pm and were soon settled in the shade enjoying our lunches and trying to replenish our bodies' stores of fluid and energy. In spite of the heat, everything else had gone well - no one had even had a puncture. This was just as well because I don't think we would have the strength to pump up a new tyre anyway. It was also a relief to know that the hills were now behind us.
After lunch we climbed back on our bikes and headed along the beachfront, cooled by a very welcome sea breeze. Ben once again flew to the front and soon had the peloton under strain. Mal rode up from the rear with a message "Better slow down - we are losing some riders off the back". After delivering his caring message, Mal then reverted to true type and bolted into the distance. We never saw him for the next 30 minutes. Maybe he thought by taking up a position about 1 km in front of the peloton he would be protecting us from the wind.
A short distance after passing through St Leonards the road turns inland and climbs steadily. Coupled with the heat this section really started to take its toll on the flagging reserves of our riders. Frequent drink stops helped keep us going until we finally turned to the downhill (and downwind) section towards Queenscliff. Soon we were flying along at 40 kph and starting to smell the ice creams waiting for us at Queenscliff. WE even managed to sail past another lone cyclist who probably mistook us for a Commonwealth Games Training Squad.
Although the temperature had resulted in the ride being tougher than usual, it was great to see 11 riders complete the full circuit and still finish with smiles on their faces. After a change of clothes and an ice cream it was time to head off down to Ocean Grove for dinner. Unfortunately John Dawson, Kathleen and Richard had to leave for other commitments.
Fortunately we had arrived back at Queenscliff with plenty of time for a rest in the shade and an ice cream. I also received a phone call from Chris informing me that she was already at Ocean Grove and ready to meet us for dinner. After a short drive in the car (with the air conditioning turned up) we were soon all seated in our familiar table at the Ming Terrace restaurant. Because of our increasing numbers, this year they have provided TWO tables in the prime corner position. They looked immaculate when we arrived but I knew that once the Ghost Riders got to work we would soon be leaving a scene of utter devastation. (I can well remember the year that Duncan left a huge grease stain on the tablecloth after his unfortunate derailleur malfunction).
Soon the food and the conversation was flying back and forth. With the lazy Susan spinning and the courses and drinks coming we soon started to recover from the day's exertions. In fact, I think we all felt proud that we had confronted the heat challenge and persevered. The fact that it was not easy makes it even more enjoyable. We wondered if poor old John Seamons had really spent the whole day floating in his pool. He might not yet have reached the age of 60, but he already acts like a 90 year old.
As usual, the food was excellent and the service was good. At the end of the meal the head waiter asked if anyone would like a "port on the house", Phil's ears pricked up and he said he would like his "medium rare". Apparently he thought he was offering us a "Porterhouse Steak" .
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We've done the hard km - now it's time to eat |
When the table carnage was complete and we could eat no more it was time for the bill. Everyone reached for scraps of paper to add up the damage, but no one wanted to assume responsibility for making sure the tally was correct. Chris (obviously recalling Duncan's lucky windfall at Lakes Entrance) finally grabbed the bill and said "let me do it". This action immediately earned her the lifetime position of official Treasurer for the Warby Ghost Riders. A round of spontaneous applause broke out, quickly spreading through the entire restaurant. It looked for a time that she would have to assume the responsibility for not just our bill, but for the bills of every other table as well.
Although it initially looked like we were about $50 short, Phil finally confessed that he hadn't paid anything yet. I suspect he was still smarting over the missing porterhouse steak, but when he tossed in his contribution it all worked out well.
Finally we made our way out to the hot evening and settled down to the long drive home. It had been another successful day for all our participants and a good way to complete our 2005 riding year.
Congratulations to
Richard Dodd, Chris Mackay, Phil and Marg Jones, Mal Doswell, Ben Cuthbertson, Kathleen Ooi, Daryl O'Grady, Ross Bury, Lothar Rockmann, John Dawson and of course me, for a task well done.
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