After being cooped up inside for the past couple of weeks feeling crook it was nice to escape and get out and enjoy the sunshine.  The calendar says that winter started on Saturday, and the sun was out.  I’m outta here.!

Today there was no real plan.  Just a ride in the sunshine.

Okay the sun was on but the heater was turned way down at -1 when I rolled out of the driveway at 8am.  But by the time I met up with Russell at Bungendore the temperature had soured to 4 or 5 degrees.  Positively barmy.!

First stop was the Wharf Cafe on the Clyde river in Nellingen.  Such a beautiful spot, and great food.  We will certainly be stopping here more often in the future.

Parking at the Wharf Cafe, Nelligen

After hitting the Princess Highway we soon discovered that bikes don’t run too well on diesel.  Coming around a left hander we both hit a patch of diesel mid corner and it was like ice!  I lost the front momentarily and looking in the rear vision mirror Russell was way out wide on the wrong side.  After a quick look up and with nothing coming he opted to run wide rather than holding his line and risk going down.  With the smell of diesel in our nostrils we were really cautious anytime we smelt diesel … and we came across a few more affected left handers.

By now the temperature had increased to mid teens and it was just glorious rolling down the road, blue skies, rolling hills, and small coastal villages.  Such a great day to be out on the bike.

At the end of July we will be spending a week on a bike in Switzerland with Swiss friends we met last year in the US.  This road just made me start to think about all the places we’d ride if and when they come to Australia.  So many options …. rolling down the coastline through coastal townships, out experiencing the Australian bush, or experiencing the 360 degree flat horizons of the Hay Plains. So many options.

From the Princess highway we head inland to the small town of Candelo which appeared to be rocking with cars and people everywhere. With no real place to be and no hurry we sat and grabbed a coffee and cake, chatted and watched the world go by.

From Candelo we head back along the flowing tarmac winding its way through the undulating hills towards Brown mountain … yet another pass with an artificially low speed limit imposed by an increasingly nanny state.

After swapping a few texts at Candelo with another riding friend we planned a meetup at the bakery at Nimmitabel for a late lunch.

And then there were three.

It feels like ages since I’ve ridden with the KTM twins. We have shared the road for tens of thousands of kilometres over the years but life has got busy and we just haven’t done the miles together. So rolling down the Monaro highway with a couple of mates had me thinking of new adventures.

Only their mothers can tell them apart

Only their mothers can tell them apart

After 8 hour of road therapy and 550km more added to my odometer I’m ready to face another week at work.

A great day out on the bike. Yes … okay … any day out on the bike is a great day.