Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club

I'm thinking about doing a short ride on Australia day

Is anyone else riding??

Jo & I may go eastern suburbs but there's heaps of people on oz day near the beach so maybe just Waterfall ... we'll decide tomorrow and post again -

Name the time and place danny i'll be there

I was going to do a long one, Helensburg, and then returning all the way through the Park to exit at Loftus.

James

Name the time and place danny i'll be there

I was thinking of heading to Bondi, Watsons Bay and back through Double Bay to Ruchcutters Bay

The cafe in Marrickville is closed so we can stop in Darlinghurst (Coluzzi or Larteria) then head back.

We are doing a ride through the RNP, in at Audley out at Stanwell tops back via Helensberg, the opposite way to what Jimmy is doing. Leaving MM at 6.30am. Pace won't be super fast and we have some juniors tagging along as far as Sutherland so its a cruise at least to that point. So far the group consists mostly of fasties and middies, we will wait at the tops of the hills.

Hi Danny,

Bondi ride sounds good - what time are you heading out ?

bondi sounds good danny see you at MM at 6.30am

Australia Day racing at Heffron Park at 08:00. Registrations from 07:00

The Bondi ride sounds like a nice one. Mind if I join you guys?

Ok who is riding out Christian ? I might be interested in this ride if its not just the fasties through the park and back.

Its going to be Alex, Nathan, Rhys, probably John and Anthony and myself to name a few. I'm sure there are others coming, I just can't remember who I spoke to last night about it. Its not going to be super fast.

Its going to be Alex, Nathan, Rhys, probably John and Anthony and myself to name a few. I'm sure there are others coming, I just can't remember who I spoke to last night about it. Its not going to be super fast.

I think I'll come along as well but I plan on sneaking out of RNP at Waterfall rather than doing the Helensburgh loop.

Well I'm definitely riding tomorrow but undecided on where so I will meet you guys at Mick Mazzas at 6.30 - and decide then. More than likely if I go with the RNP boys I will turn off at Waterfall. See you guys tomorrow morning - but the eastern suburbs ride sounds good too.

I'll be there Christian, I think Hugo is coming along too. Would be great to take advantage of the lack of traffic for this ride. Eastern beaches can be done any time (for me at least).

Damn you people! After so much fun and cycling last week in Bright I was happily set for a day at work tomorrow, but I'd better come too. See you at MM, 6.30.

I think I'll come along on the Bondi ride. Just deciding if I'm going to ride fixed. From memory the Watto Bay climb is a bit steep...

For those who went through the Park today, I though that this was appropriate.

Twas in the forest of Sherwood in the year twelve hundred and ten,
lived a pusher buy the name of Robin Head and his band of very merry men.
They lived on nuts and berries, and occasional spotted deer.
Doing the macrobiotic thing and dispensing oodles of cheer.

They sound of merry laughter, echoed through the forest green,
there was old Friar Tuck with whom nothing rhymes and Marion the acid queen.
Says Little John lets have some mead, said robin who what's the point,
I'm tired of doing that venison thing lets go and roll a joint.

Just then there burst upon the scene a band of the sheriffs men,
say'n hello, hello, hello and a what's all this here then.
You'll have to come along with us to the palace of the King.
Says robin oh man don't be so up tight I'm only doing my thing.

So Robin bid them a sad farewell and onto Marion gave a kiss,
and went with certain substances for further analysis,
and the news it spread both far and wide, and the townsfolk came to see.
for the man who always gave big deals, was of great popularity.

and Robin was dragged before the throne, of Nottingham's terrible king,
who says for years I've been after you and now you'll bloody well swing.
But first before I sentence you for the evils what've you done,
tell me what's this weed you grow in the woods, I think I will try some.

So the minutes passed in silence and the air grew somewhat thick
and the sheriff said oooh the colours man and was promptly horribly sick,
and now our story has to end as happily as it began,
for Robin deals for the countryside and the Sheriff does Nottingham.

James

Thanks for waiting for me today guys, I appreciate it a lot. It was nice to meet some new club members. I was appalled at the behaviour of some citizens behind the wheel though. After I separated from Justin and Christian, I had 4 bottles thrown at me from different vehicles and was nearly run over. All by cars with flags waving. I was pretty mad.

whoa those £$&! clowns. That's awful.

It was a great ride, just looking at how slow I was with the garmin data.

And James thanks for sharing that song with us - I did miss a word or two when you sang it across the top of RNP.

Thanks for waiting for me today guys, I appreciate it a lot. It was nice to meet some new club members. I was appalled at the behaviour of some citizens behind the wheel though. After I separated from Justin and Christian, I had 4 bottles thrown at me from different vehicles and was nearly run over. All by cars with flags waving. I was pretty mad.

Unfortunately it's to be expected on "Bogan Day" - the one day of the year when the racists, rednecks and 2GB listeners think they have the country to themselves.

Camilla got separated from DHBC before Audley (as she was chatting to some riders at the back). Anyway she tells me she witnessed a pretty bad accident today as a truck went through a red light. She had to hang around to be a witness. It was also a bit hairy riding on my own from Waterfall, a ute with a trailer and a flag nearly swiped me also. Hope the rest of you had fun.

I had something of an adventure on our Australia Day ride: got busy chatting with Donna, Lise & Paul at the back of the bunch and didn't notice I'd been dropped, so when they turned off for Cronulla I went on the chase. Managed to hit EVERY red light. Honestly, I was getting reds I didn't even know existed. Found some friendly fellows to tag along with going down the highway and hoped to find everyone at the servo. Failing that, I headed into the park anyway but pulled a muscle in my shoulder on the way down (nothing to do with my chicken-arse approach to descending, just having a few neck issues at the moment). Anyway, something went 'ping' and I felt things separate under my shoulder blade that should not. I wasn't looking forward to the climb out of Audley. Managed it surprisingly well (thank you Alpine Classic) but didn't want to push it so opted for fun over pain and headed to Bundeena. Lazy coffee & eggs by the water, watching the Australia Day antics and reading the paper (yesterday's but I still learnt heaps, like John Malkeovich is in an Opera and Tasmania has a new Premier).

After that I took a swim and lolled in to water with the local kids, keen to tell me they'd just seen a giant sting ray. The water was divine and did my neck a world of good. A ferry ride back to civilization. Met some more friendly fellows on board who showed me the back streets of Cronulla and onto the bike path home. They were horrified I had to ride all the way back to Marrickville and came over quite protective! As we were about to part ways on Gannons St, the lights changed and the waiting cars started up. I held back on my right turn for the oncoming car to cross the intersection and was mightily glad I did as some dude in a van had opted to ignore the red and went straight through! A mighty crash! All we could do was sit and watch it happen. It was sickening. Then it was all-action-go as people poured out to help. I was the first person to the crashee and the poor guy barely knew who he was. A man in the car behind turned out to be an off-duty policeman so the rescue mission and traffic control was carried out with complete and impressive procision. Within minutes we had ambulances, a fire-truck, police, and tow drivers (first one on the scene of course). 2 totalled cars and 2 very shocked drivers but thankfully no major injuries. My guy had a bloody toe and the guy in the van had been saved by his esky. It was sitting in the passanger seat and had kept the front of the cab from collapsing into his legs! A blow-up dingy was jammed in there too, which everyone initially thought was a deployed air bag. Saved by the paraphernalia for the Australia day event he was so keen to get too!

Back in Marrickville there were still a few stragglers at the cafe, so even though I started and ended the ride with DHBC I had quite the journey in between. Australia Day. I'm not sure it's a good one to be on the roads. I'm not surprised people were throwing bottles (but remain disgusted). It was even mayhem in RNP, which seemed to be full of every last die-hard Aussie in their SUV towing a speed boat. Riding it alone was far from relaxing. Behind the wheel the Southern Cross clad-hoards were brutal, intent only on finding their little patch of Australia in which to celebrate our Great and Fair Nation. Out of their cars and on their bikes they were all lovely though, so the morning was far from unpleasant. It was instructive, at times even heart-warming, to be out and about and see how we all mark the day: half the kids I met in the sea were indigeneous Australians, mucking in with their whitey invader friends, the off-duty copper was wearing a ludicrous Australian flag muscle shirt while all-serious carrying out business, and the ill-fated van driver with the esky was Philippino and clearly as intent on enjoying the day as the rest of us. Riding past Botany Bay the water was alive with people and the parks full of picnickers.

I'd meant to go to work, but decided that would be down right indecent so have stayed at home instead. Might go crack the scab off a beer.

Oh! Did I mention that crazy old homeless-looking guy on a bike you sometimes see around the bridge at Tempe? He was so laden with Australian flags that he couldn't ride straight and a giant one flapping off the back almost enveloped my head, pulled me off my bike and flung me onto the Princes Highway as we passed. All I could think was "what an embarrassing way to die. It'll make newspapers all around the world"!

Gee- I'm glad I'm in Melbourne. It's positively civilised by comparison!

Camilla I am so glad you didn't get wiped out by an Australian flag on the "Princes" highway presumably crossing the "Cooks" river. That would have indeed been newsworthy but as you say, embarassing. Indeed, embarassing for all of us but mostly painful and possibly fatal for you.

Well I went all the way to waterfall and then RNP and south to Helensburg and back to Marrickvile, all was fine until back in the servo, from there and all the way, for first time in my few years of riding I never had so many close call with people traying to cut me off or yelling at me, not offence to all of your true blues in the club, however it looks like that my darker sking and funny hair, was pissing off all those aussies on the 6 or 8 cilinder car and with a bit of a competition of who has the most of Australian flags on their car, anyway that was my 2 cents, and no matters how many red neck are in the roads driving V6 or V8 I will get my dark sking and funny hair on the saddle of the bike again and again.

not offence to all of your true blues in the club

None taken, this kind of behaviour behind the wheel is inexcusable. Not a lot ruffles my feathers, but I was pretty emotional when I got home.

That's really awful Miguel. What a shocking and counter-productive way of celebrating Australia. I hope they all got really badly sunburnt.

And the people that threw bottles at Rhys ... well, maybe they ended the night with broken noses after a drunken scrap.

The red necks are usually always in V8's or Utes (Sorry Camilla - your company excluded, and to the % of ute and V8 drivers that are decent), but definitely there were a lot out with flags on the weekend. Maybe because I am a girl (although dark skinned) I had less trouble than Miguel but I did get more impatient drivers than usual. It doesn't explain people throwing bottles at Rhys....if he was any whiter he'd be clear! We live to ride another day...maybe next year none of us ride alone on Aussie day.

thats the shire
ive been thinking about haveing a shire bashing day, i was going to send it all out by sms... but ive heard that you can be charged for that for some reason..