Where to start? A milestone birthday was about to roll around, so after some domestic negotiation it was decided that 'thou shalt not go on an all day ride on your birthday' however 'thou may ride the day prior'. And so the wheels were set in motion. I had already a 'concept' in the back of my mind, having been looking at a number of other 'themed' rides and decided - why not spell out 'Happy Birthday To Me'? A SS1600K route was put into place and all was going according to plan - and then the weather struck - rain and snow forecast around Hotham - so riding to Omeo and back was out of the question. 12 hours before departure a new plan had to be developed.... and so Omeo got relegated to a 'future ride' and in its place fell Orange and Medlow Bath. Add in a slight detour via Dubbo and the numbers stack up again - perfect right?
So, in the wee hours of the morning of the 19th, I set off from a new starting location - Hurstville. ATM receipt done - let's go. What? Why is my ride not in the GPS? Why is the 'old ride' still in the GPS. This is the first ride I've been dependant on the GPS for routing. Weeks of testing the HD Ride Planner, BaseCamp and the Harley's inbuilt GPS system and all should have been right but NO - of course it wasn't. A quick look told me I still had most of the ride there (but the detailed routing wasn't rendering) - the rest we'd just have to 'wing it' by entering the towns and hoping for the best (this despite reloading the GPS from the USB stick). A quick blat down the motorway and into APPin. A photo at the sign (with my IBA ride flag) and off through Broughton Pass and back onto the motorway/highway to Yass. No fog (which is a first) but still pretty cold. Fuel at Yass and back on the road. Another short leg to BInalong - Ride flag and sign photo just prior to sun up. So there I am, just after sun up, making my way to the next fuel stop (Wagga Wagga) following the GPS (which has been most suitably instructed - AVOID UNPAVED ROADS) doing a well reasonable pace when all of a sudden the 400kg+ bike with 100kg+ ride hits dirt. Ok - this should be interesting...... This dirt continues through the canola fields but at least it is dry and packed relatively hard and after some distance finally turns back to black-top.... then dirt.... then black-top.... and the pattern repeats a few times. I finally pop out back onto the highway and continue onwards towards my fuel stop. (and while the dirt thing was happening.... the temperature also drops to 0.5degC....) A slightly extended stop at Wagga (to consume the coffee to warm up) and we are off again. Now, I've travelled out this way plenty of times, but today I would be doing a heap of roads never before travelled. A short ride to Rowan (missing the sign on the first approach) before heading off to THe rock. Back on the road to the next destination, right hand turn onto Daysdale-Warbundrie Road and what is this? Dirt? A Dry, dusty, gravelly dirt road! Deep breath... on we roll.... speed dropped back to 60kph as the big bike shuffled around underneath to find its own way down this road. Right hand turn - well this should be interesting - like turning a boat..... steady does it.... all while wondering what this might be doing to my road tyres with 15000ks on them. Finally back to black-top and into DAYsdale for another sign photo. Check GPS - yes, AVOID UNPAVED ROADS is on - perfect... good to see that works (not!). Next stop - Thurgoona... Now, when re-planning this ride - and with Omeo out of the equation, I decided to make in another 'In-State' ride, so as we approached Corowa, the GPS decided that going into Victoria was more efficient (if I had my route shaping file being read properly - this wouldn't have been as issue). Turn around - avoid border and noticed the GPS again trying to reroute me via Victoria. At this point I remembered seeing a setting in the in-built GPS about AVOIDING BORDERS - let's give that a go. Bingo - problem solved. Into Thurgoona without an issue and running well timewise - good news. From here - it was routing by the seat of my pants. I knew I had a fuel stop planned for Wyalong - into the GPS it goes. All is good, until right at the end it routes me into West Wyalong instead of my planned fuel stop location - no big deal. Splash and dash.... Dubbo next (for the kms added)..... Fuel and then a bite to eat. Orange next - should be easy - stick it into the GPS - GPS should pick the highway and we'll be right. NO! GPS decides to route me out the southern side of Dubbo and down some barely single lane dodgy potholed road, in the dark... I know the highway is 'over there' (waving his left hand madly)... and this road does not fill me with confidence. At the same time, I'm still doing good time and I start to ponder turning the ride into a SS2000K. After having enough of this road, I get to Yeoval, pull up quickly to have a look at the GPS map... yep.... more of this rubbish or some backtracking to get back onto the highway - adding time to the ride... and with that the decision is made, forget the 2000K, get back to the highway. After some 40mins, we are back on the highway and heading to Orange. Another splash and dash and we are on the penultimate leg. Bathurst comes and goes (no 'hot lap' of the racetrack this time as I would normally do....) and onward to MEdlow bath. Fuel and a coffee to warm up and on to the homeward leg, finishing at my usual start/stop location at 00:09. Happy Birthday To Me - done.
Thanks to Bec and the IBA Oz Review team for their efforts in reviewing this ride and the extra effort in the certificate - it isn't one I'll forget in a hurry.
So, in the wee hours of the morning of the 19th, I set off from a new starting location - Hurstville. ATM receipt done - let's go. What? Why is my ride not in the GPS? Why is the 'old ride' still in the GPS. This is the first ride I've been dependant on the GPS for routing. Weeks of testing the HD Ride Planner, BaseCamp and the Harley's inbuilt GPS system and all should have been right but NO - of course it wasn't. A quick look told me I still had most of the ride there (but the detailed routing wasn't rendering) - the rest we'd just have to 'wing it' by entering the towns and hoping for the best (this despite reloading the GPS from the USB stick). A quick blat down the motorway and into APPin. A photo at the sign (with my IBA ride flag) and off through Broughton Pass and back onto the motorway/highway to Yass. No fog (which is a first) but still pretty cold. Fuel at Yass and back on the road. Another short leg to BInalong - Ride flag and sign photo just prior to sun up. So there I am, just after sun up, making my way to the next fuel stop (Wagga Wagga) following the GPS (which has been most suitably instructed - AVOID UNPAVED ROADS) doing a well reasonable pace when all of a sudden the 400kg+ bike with 100kg+ ride hits dirt. Ok - this should be interesting...... This dirt continues through the canola fields but at least it is dry and packed relatively hard and after some distance finally turns back to black-top.... then dirt.... then black-top.... and the pattern repeats a few times. I finally pop out back onto the highway and continue onwards towards my fuel stop. (and while the dirt thing was happening.... the temperature also drops to 0.5degC....) A slightly extended stop at Wagga (to consume the coffee to warm up) and we are off again. Now, I've travelled out this way plenty of times, but today I would be doing a heap of roads never before travelled. A short ride to Rowan (missing the sign on the first approach) before heading off to THe rock. Back on the road to the next destination, right hand turn onto Daysdale-Warbundrie Road and what is this? Dirt? A Dry, dusty, gravelly dirt road! Deep breath... on we roll.... speed dropped back to 60kph as the big bike shuffled around underneath to find its own way down this road. Right hand turn - well this should be interesting - like turning a boat..... steady does it.... all while wondering what this might be doing to my road tyres with 15000ks on them. Finally back to black-top and into DAYsdale for another sign photo. Check GPS - yes, AVOID UNPAVED ROADS is on - perfect... good to see that works (not!). Next stop - Thurgoona... Now, when re-planning this ride - and with Omeo out of the equation, I decided to make in another 'In-State' ride, so as we approached Corowa, the GPS decided that going into Victoria was more efficient (if I had my route shaping file being read properly - this wouldn't have been as issue). Turn around - avoid border and noticed the GPS again trying to reroute me via Victoria. At this point I remembered seeing a setting in the in-built GPS about AVOIDING BORDERS - let's give that a go. Bingo - problem solved. Into Thurgoona without an issue and running well timewise - good news. From here - it was routing by the seat of my pants. I knew I had a fuel stop planned for Wyalong - into the GPS it goes. All is good, until right at the end it routes me into West Wyalong instead of my planned fuel stop location - no big deal. Splash and dash.... Dubbo next (for the kms added)..... Fuel and then a bite to eat. Orange next - should be easy - stick it into the GPS - GPS should pick the highway and we'll be right. NO! GPS decides to route me out the southern side of Dubbo and down some barely single lane dodgy potholed road, in the dark... I know the highway is 'over there' (waving his left hand madly)... and this road does not fill me with confidence. At the same time, I'm still doing good time and I start to ponder turning the ride into a SS2000K. After having enough of this road, I get to Yeoval, pull up quickly to have a look at the GPS map... yep.... more of this rubbish or some backtracking to get back onto the highway - adding time to the ride... and with that the decision is made, forget the 2000K, get back to the highway. After some 40mins, we are back on the highway and heading to Orange. Another splash and dash and we are on the penultimate leg. Bathurst comes and goes (no 'hot lap' of the racetrack this time as I would normally do....) and onward to MEdlow bath. Fuel and a coffee to warm up and on to the homeward leg, finishing at my usual start/stop location at 00:09. Happy Birthday To Me - done.
Thanks to Bec and the IBA Oz Review team for their efforts in reviewing this ride and the extra effort in the certificate - it isn't one I'll forget in a hurry.
