We caught the group before 9am just as they were crossing on the Berowra ferry. The ferry was completely filled with bikes but since I needed to pee (rather urgently - it was a cold morning) I took off ahead to find a spot to do that and wait with camera in hand.
They were soon roaring past but were a bit difficult to photograph at speed due to the low light (and my inferior camera/skill).
Bikes leaving Berowra
This is my girlfriend on her postie
We caught up with the tail end of the group even though I assured my better half that she was never going to catch anyone on her 'scooter'. I could see she was even keen to pass some of the bikes but just didn't have the power or experience to pass them.
I would go ahead at times, then turn around and meet up with the group again.
My partner & I decided to go ahead across Wiseman's Ferry to St Albans while the 20 or so others waited for the main group to get there as they had gone a longer route across another ferry. The lead bikes had left us we got stuck behind a slow moving horse float for many miles of double white lines and the corner marker had obviously given up waiting.
Lunch was supposed to be at the Settlers Arms (no, not the one at Ingle Farm) a pub that was built at the time Col. Light was laying out Adelaide in 1836.
My partner and I got to St Albans by 11am and settled in for beer, coffee and steak while we waited for the other bikes to arrive.
The Settler's Arms - St Albans NSW
We met this postie from Sydney who was very happy to discuss the virtues of the Honda CT110, complete with the original postie bags, racks etc. He was riding a modded Duc Monster. I, of course, was on the Dyna.
My girlfriend bought a pumpkin (as you do...) from a local grower who had parked his ute full of pumpkins across from the pub. Luckily I had my saddle bags on so I was able to cart it home.
The pumpkin was heavy enough to tip the postie over when she left it on the rear rack. Dyna to the rescue...
I also photographed an Indian that was parked out front next to the 'buckboard' that is always there.
We then decided to walk over to the single lane bridge that we cross to get in to St Albans to catch the bikes that would be arriving.
Just as we were about ready to give up waiting, the corner marker arrived.
Then, after another long wait, I heard the first bike arriving. It had the distinctive Ducati Bevel sound but it was coming from behind me. I thought this couldn't be true as it is a dirt road. Turns out it was...
Luckily, the rest of the bikes came across the bridge.
I followed this girl on the SR for some distance. The bike appeared to have very firm suspension and looked a handful on the bumps & corners, especially with those retro Firestones...
This route is popular with the pedal cyclists as well...
I don't know if this is an original green frame but it's certainly a bike that I'd think twice about riding down miles of corrigated dirt road. He paid the price by picking up a couple inches of rusty fencing wire in the rear tyre. The puncture was fixed but it apparently failed after 10 mins of riding and the Duc had to spend the night under a horse blanket next to a milking shed.
This is most of the group out front of the pub - a collection of many Hinkley triumphs, cafe'd jappers (both classic & contemporary) and the odd exotic
The closest thing to a chopper was this sporty - who didn't hang around for too long (maybe the line to the bar put him off). This is him leaving.
We headed off shortly afterwards satisfied with our fill of food and drink as the line up to the small bar stretched out through the door, down the path to the front fence...
We arrived home before 3pm after a satisfying (although slow) day in the saddle
