A Leap Year eh? How on earth did somebody work that out centuries ago? Struth, daylight savings does my head in! Now that January is out of the way we can get our sleeves rolled up and tuck into 2024. Like a mate of mine said at her brother's 60th recently. "We are getting old, we have to concentrate or we'll miss it!". Troo dat! Allowing life to bob along and taking it as it comes might need a bit of modification to ensure we squeeze every last drop of goodness out of each fleeting year. My guess is that we need to put our thumb on the scales and tip the balance into one of making plans and less 'she'll be right'... That is without losing sight of the fact the 'She' will in-fact... be just fine.
Last month we were cautiously sneaking along the road from Orbost to Buchan, north of that there is a very engaging connection to Jindabyne and the Big White Bumps. Many of you know this route and I use it regularly as an alternative to going all the way around. I've ridden it on a road bike but the conditions need to be very good before I'd do it again. The Cold Flame Rally has been held in that neck of the woods for decades and the majority of those riders used to be on road bikes. Let's start at the southern approach, it's a cracking road ride, smooth, wide-open twisties that turn into sweeping curves before you hit the three-way junction where it turns to fast dirt. Roadies can use Buchan as a base and do a couple of squirts up the dirty bit and back. Just after we hit the grubby stuff, at Suggan Buggan we pass the turn-off to the Limestone Rd that will take you west.
We continue north, and the road turns into lump in the throat, ball-bearing, off-camber gravel with a drop off that doesn't appear to have bottom. On the inside line there are bike swallowing culverts.
I feel like parking the bike, hiking up the the corner, peeking around and then making the decision to head around. I've been forced into the culvert twice by 4x4s towing horse floats! Can't see... Can't Go!
Don't get too excited, a few kays in there are a couple of klicks of bumpy, sealed road but the fun starts as we descend to the road that parallels the Snowy River and cross into New South Wheals. The road is tight and narrow, with skatey gravel and nosebleed drop-offs with some stunning views. Once at the bottom, there are lots of camping and stopping spots along this bit. I almost always stop for a breather at one. Many years ago Tomaselli and I stopped on a very hot, summer's day and thought a swim was a smart idea. OMG, I was hypothermic in the time between hitting the water and bouncing straight out.
It's Brumby country - No Sh1t
The flat section is fast and smooth unless it's been raining. Then it's smooth as shiny topped red mud. It's also divided in half by a really entertaining section that crosses a spur. From the second section, we cross a bridge and climb, this time on a more reliable and comfortable surface. It's still tight with lots of blind corners. Much of the road north of the border passes through some of Australia's only native pine trees with magnificent views to drink in.
A stop at Wallace Craigie lookout is almost mandatory, an opportunity for a drink and straining of the beans. In recent years a long drop dunny has been installed. From here the road straightens out and gradually gets wider. It's undulating and fast dirt, beware though if it's been wet there are some sneaky slimy patches topped with freckle pucker clay. Eventually, we pop out onto the usual rough NSW rural black top, pass the Dalgety turn-off and wander into Jindabyne. If you haven't been through that way before, don't let any of my warnings put you off, it's a great ride. As an Adventure ride, it doesn't have snotty hills or crotch-drowning creek crossings. What it does have is varied challenging surfaces, great vistas, excellent camping and the road demands all of your attention.
Google Maps
Goin' Out At Cost
These superlight and compact chairs need to find bums to love. Packed size is 350mm and weight is 510 grams. Rated to a weight of 120kg! One's got your name on it.
Let's hope the Artificial Intelligence revolution improves the life of our grandkiddies. The French Revolution had its issues, the American one, geez what a mess they ended up with. The Russian one... stoof! As ya do, I was reading my copy of AMCN (V73 No15) over lunch. Mat Oxley opened the lid on the AI box in motorbicycle racing, giving us a peek at the innards within. He talks of the ability of machines to learn and offer more options in shorter time frames than is possible for humans to go out and track test. Everything from tyres, chassis and of course motors are pouring data into computers at a rate that can't be processed by big-brained, race nerds any longer. What struck me (as an Ex-ED Nurse) was the full circle that Artificial Intelligence has come with frame design and mimicked Ma Nature. I saw the image in the magazine and thought immediately of the trabecular structure of bone. Lightweight but strong.
Lucky we have computers to work this out eh?
Andy's Monthly
No, it's not a new Spray column. It's me bangin' on about one of our products.
This time I'm getting all fuzzy over the Pannier Trunk. Of all the kit I've developed this one took longer than the item it was designed to complement. Getting it on top of my pannier was easy enough, getting it to sit right and work with the closing straps was the challenge. By attaching it to those straps and the buckles it allows easy and rapid, no-fiddle access to the pannier bag yet virtually instant access to the trunk itself.
Like a towel to the interstellar traveller, I never leave for a proper trip without mine.
This little jigger has transcended its early design as simply a convenient bag to sit atop my pannier. I tend to run with just the one on my off-side bag and keep my wet weather gear and jumper close at hand. Pannier Trunks are made of the same CS12 canvas as our panniers and stiffened to hold the shape, making them easy to open and close. To my amazement, they've also proved to be amazingly water resistant.
By running a simple Dee or Ladder Loc strap across the rack I can carry my Pannier Trunk as a day essentials bag, or with the use of a Loopz under the seat on the passenger perch.
It's nice to feature a helmet, of someone I've spent a few hours and a coupla beers with... And a jolly nice young chap he is too. Josh Waters, tagged the Mildura Flyer, had a great outing at the opening round of the Aussie Superbikes at the Philip Island round of the World Supers last weekend. Topping the list in qualifying and taking out all three races across the weekend he's 15.5 points clear in the championship. Sure, it's only the first round but it should fill him with belief for the upcoming rounds. Waters has had short stints in Moto GP, WSBK and the This Aria RX7GP helmet was used in his tilt at the British Superbike Championships in 2013-14. After two ASBK Championships, he struck out to have a crack at the big time. Unfortunately for Josh, it didn't come together for him in the UK as he struggled to come to terms with British conditions and the Yamaha R1. Moving to a Suzuki the following year saw him improve results without setting the the series alight like he should have.
We need no more proof than this photo, wearing the best helmet one can afford is good value. He had a high speed get off at the Thruxton Circuit walking away with a sore wrist. He wasn't even knocked out!
Fingers crossed for Josh and his Ducati this season.
Not a trace of plastic or polystyrene. However... it looks safer that the friggin' things we wore in Bali!
Price Rise Quickie
I've just had a gecko at the Held Oz website and found that the Air'n'Dry - 2 in1 touring glove has been bumped up to $325. To soften the blow and make it a bit fairer for anyone who's been considering snaffling a pair of these amazing gloves, I've set up a 10% discount for a couple of weeks so that you can grab them at the old price.
Andy demonstrates the grey/black, traffic advice option. Also available in black.
Oh, deary me. Wasn't Sunday's race programme a shemozzle! Race ve-hickles drop their lunch, always have, always will. Rather than sending someone out to Supercrap to get the four cans of degreaser for $20 and breaking out the pressure washer, they got a couple of pensioners out with a bag of cement dust and a couple of brooms. Surely, a water truck with a petrol-powered pressure washer and some modern 'biodegradable' degreaser would not waste hours. It appeared from the fence that the riders were just a bit too precious about going out. Is it not 'a take it or leave it situation'? Why not place a bunch of 'witches hats' on the oils spill line and get the riders to adapt? Best rider wins. How long will it be that they refuse to run in the rain? What a shame that the best crowd showing in years was sat in 30-degree heat waiting for very little to occur. I like the 'Supers' because the card is filled with races. This year's event was deeply disappointing.
FY Eyes
Technically we will be open on the first Saturday of the month... but... it will be at the Open Roads Rally at the Broadford Motorbicylce Complex not Strapz HQ. I know it makes bugger all difference to most but there ya go.
That's about all from me. I'd better get a bunch of gear packed and polish my head for the Open Roads Rally. Copyalater Andy
Find our Video, Website and Social pages, send us an email or forward to yer mates.
