Sunday 3 January 2010 - Appin

Rob, Whisperer, Stephe and Bob were joined at Appin by Brian T, for what turned out to be an excellent morning's ride.



Leaving Middle Cove at 6.32am, detouring via Darling Harbour to collect Bob, we arrived at Appin at around 8am or a bit after - turns out that it's *still* a long way away!

In any case, weather was good - mildly overcast, but pleasantly warm. We set off, and pretty quickly got distracted with the 'new' creek crossing, which (if I recall correctly) no-one actually managed to complete cleanly.



With a fairly civilised pace (Bob, Rob and Whisperer comfortably taking duty in front, Brian T and Stephe keeping the tail end secure), we were warmed up and in the groove.  Rob's attempt at being a little more aggressive on the long run over the back of the circuit (before coming back to the main road, and the climb to the firetrail to the carpark) went astray when his front wheel slipped on a transverse root, leaving him in a pile of bike and bones on the ground (although he did manage to miss a big tree on the way down).  After a reasonable period of care and consideration from his very kind fellow riders, Rob was roused with cries of HTFU and the like, and got back on the bike to do another excellent lap.

[Turns out, we were a little too quick to judgement according to Rob's subsequent email:

So Pratiwi talked me into going to see the doc. The sports place that does scans, etc. had no doctors in so went to RNS. Diagnosis is cracked ribs so no MTB for couple of weeks. Will have to stick to gentle scumming instead. Pooh!


Rob


P.S. People complain far too much about the health system. They have the cricket on in the waiting areas, it costs nothing, was gently prodded and stroked by a number of younger, very attractive girls in triage, ER and X-Ray then given great drugs on discharge. What's not to love? ;)

end quote]

In any case, next lap was more fun, and we had a bit of a diversion by taking a different 'downhill' route, along the firetrail, rather than over the wooden bridge.  Gave us time to play on some rocks (fair to say that Stephe comprehensively booted Bob from the field of play (and the fact that it was just on this one rock, just once doesn't matter; still makes up for the many previous times Stephe has had his butt kicked by Bob's skill and fitness...).  We're not even going to discuss Stephe's earlier fall on the back of the track - clearly, there was a coordinated tree attack, which not even the most skilled of riders could have avoided...



Having completed two excellent laps, Rob, Bob and Stephe had to bail - leaving Whisperer and Brian T to complete a third lap in the company of two young locals, who we understand managed to confidently show that youth, fitness and local knowledge is a valuable combinaton.



Two laps captured in .kmz format here (lap1, and lap2). And the photos (thanks Bob!) are here.

At 9kms and about an hour a lap (hmmm, at least we can say we spent some time playing about each lap...), a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning.