Page 16 - JUG Times March 2022

WEDNESDAY RIDE – 23 February 2022
Beestly Start - And a Competition Launched

By Ride Leader Dave Moore
Fourteen of us mustered for today’s ride on a day that started mild and breezy and got progressively hotter,
as you’d expect. We welcomed back Tim Carr after an absence of a few months, and also Martin Alan who
was on his first Wednesday ride with Ulysses. We settled on a visit to Avocados in Kelmscott with YT leading
and Des on the Can-Am doing the TEC job. A simple enough plan, and a ride that was long enough that I
didn’t need to devise any lavish detours to pad it out. There again, most rides are long enough when they
have to start with 30+ minutes heading west before we reach the foothills (I will return to this subject later).
Headed off through Gnangara and after 20 minutes or so became aware that we were short of a few
members. Waited a couple of minutes and they all caught up, only to explain that some beestly winged
insect had stung Nigel before he’d got 100m from Maccas. All good, so, took the route through Brigadoon
and Stoneville before rocking up at the Mundaring Weir Lookout and Rest Facilities. It was here that Andrew
asked whether my speedo was OK, had I had it tested? In short, I had tested it and it was not alright. The
boogahing thing reads 117km/h when I’m doing a true speed of 100km/h. The result is that I tend to under-
speed when leading, but it’s far safer than if the error were to be in the other direction.
We motored on via Bickley and, eschewing our customary route along Repatriation Rd, we went through the
hamlet of Pickering Brook. I can’t remember if/when I last did this, but it’s an attractive and interesting place
with a small number of mini (and not-so-mini) mansions scattered about amongst more modest homes and
built-for-purpose agricultural structures. Not long after this we pulled up at our destination.
I’ve always liked “Avocados” ever since Mark Jones first led a bunch
of us there about five years ago. Two long, nicely shaded, bench
tables on the veranda provided a well-suitable spot for the
spontaneous socialising to which we are accustomed, and for which
we are envied. One of our number was served with a scrumptious-
looking breakfast burger and chips which was much admired, and
then immortalised by scanning into an electronic file. Dave H
implored me that I should not create the impression that this was his
“snack”. Accordingly, I confirm that this was the case.
All good things fall in a heap, so we were soon making our own ways
home.

NOW, I said I’d come back to this problem of having to ride for half an hour before we could get to somewhere
that was pleasant to ride. How do we solve this? The Wisdom of the Masses (no, not The Wisdom of the
Missus, Karen). That’s right, ask the people, the answer must be out there, give them a competition. So
here we go:
QUESTION: How can we avoid any in-land ride having to waste 30+ minutes heading west before we reach
roads that are enjoyable to ride on?

ANSWERS: Should be practical, and avoid infantile musings such as: “How about we all move to Swan
View”, or “Hire a pantechnicon with a built-in cafe to transport us to the start of our ride”.
Advanced proposals such as “wormholes” and “a Pied Piper with a secret tunnel” must come with peer-
reviewed proof of concept.

PRIZE: An NFT in high definition showing your humble scribe at work on this literary masterpiece.

Thanks to Des for doing the TEC thing.

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