40
OCTOBER 2020
DODGING THE RAIN
By Tony Gray, Member #3905
T
he ‘Sunrise to Sunset’ July Club ride was unfortunately aborted after Esk when we ran headlong into a very wet (and cold) weather front. We had to cancel our lunch booking at Leyburn’s Royal Hotel but like Douglas Macarthur and Arnie Schwarzenegger before us, we promised – we’ll be back. The September Club ride was to be our day of reckoning.
During a very dry couple of weeks leading up to the Sunday ride day the weather reports read – high chance of rain, heavy in places. Oh no, were we going to be jinxed a second time? Acceptances for the day were strong given that it was also Father’s Day. We had 18 booked for lunch and a 19th coming along for the ride only. Among the acceptances were some new members and some who had not been on a club ride for a long time so the pressure was on ride leader Paul Hughes to come up with a cracker of a ride. Meeting place was Angie’s Country Café in Esk where the ‘Grey Ghost’ coincidentally ticked over to 200,000km – OK it did require a bit of planning and a last trip around the block to bring up the magic number.
Paul had published a GPX route map and had adopted a ‘corner look’ rather than ‘corner marker’ system. Under this scenario each participant was to check that the following rider was in sight at any change of direction. Jane and I on the Grey Ghost bought up the rear so if anyone got dropped we were to pick them up and lead back up to the pack.
Being overtaken by Tail End Tony? It just couldn’t get any better! The ride up the Ravensborne Range under darkening skies did not auger well but fortunately for us the heavy grey clouds held
