Pink Ribbon Ride 2010

http://www.pinkribbonride.com/


You have guessed right: it rained!

Unfortunately I missed the final estimate of attendee numbers, but if I had my uneducated guess it would have been around the 300 mark.

By 8 am it was still bucketing down outside my window and I was uhmm-ing and ah-ing whether I should get out there and brave the elements. After all I was going to help out! But hell...I checked the weather bom site and was looking at an array of colourful patches, whilst being optimistic and thinking that I might even miss them as I was headed West.

No such luck.

By the time I got to the venue I only just caught the start of the ride, as I had got lost twice before I finally decided to stop and gave the navigator a go...

I should say here that the event was absolutely well organised and they even had a pdf file with a map I did download, printed and left safely on my kitchen table. Doh!

Did it ever stop raining? I may have missed it for all the spray from bikes and four wheeled oncoming traffic on the wet, wet road.

By the time we got to the pub at Picton I wanted to pull out the camera, but it was soo wet that I did not dare to keep shooting. So I followed the lead of others who just wanted to get back to Club Marconi to get a hot meal and a cuppa. However, when I finally got all the gear back on and was ready to go, the bulk of the riders had vanished in a Westerly direction.

Not long and I spotted a couple of riders I had recognised from the Picton pub, one of them sporting a couple of pink ribbons and the other had the enviable red plate 'R6'. I pulled up to R6 and checked if they were going back to the club and he nodded. Cool... no need to get that Navigator out again.

The three of us rode along in formation and after about 20km R6 turned off to the right and 'pink ribbon man' kept going straight ahead. Hmmm...what now? A split second later I had made the decision to follow pink ribbon man, which, 5km later started to feel like a mistake. I pulled up next to him as we rode along Northern Road and I called out to him. He smiled politely and nodded. I was relieved.

5km later, at another roundabout I thought better of it and stopped next to him. I asked again: ARE you going back to the club?
He looked perplexed and then realised what I had done. He shook his head and called out: "No! I'm on my way home!"

Arrrrrgh!

I had just almost followed this complete stranger home and had no idea at all (nor did he) how to get back to the club. Bugger!

That's when I started to really feel the Wet.

By the time I got there I had a puddle in both of my once 'waterproof' boots and my wet weather gear was soaked. My hands were stained black from my summer gloves and my hair showed nothing of its early morning bounciness. It looked as flat as I felt.
I must have appeared like some wayward astronaut with my helmet still on and dripping like something the cat dragged in when I approached the Club Marconi reception.

A petite stiletto clad faux blonde, wearing a lovely skirt suit and a smile, took one look at me and asked whether I'd like to first get changed in the bathroom before I'd sign in.

Yessss, thank you! Thank YOU!

By the time I had emerged from the ladies powder room I was laden with all the wet gear and as I walked towards Hayley (a PRR committee member), my boots sounded like 'squish-squish, squish-squish' with every step I took. At last I got to the counter, my hands still stiff and cold and shaking, and ever-so-sweetly Hayley filled out my ID slip for me, whilst I signed it left handed... great effort Hayley!!!! We'd make a good team...
Harley Davidson is a major sponsor this year and one person actually raised about $12000plus all on his own. Good on you!

Tex and Bundy

My personal 'winning' choice of 'best dressed male'

It was a good day.
Amongst many others I got to meet up with BIG AL, my Ulysses riding buddy of Ducati fame and we headed back to the coast together.

That was my first ride back in the country and I felt right at home.

I seem to recall someone addressing the crowd and saying something like:

"It was a BATTLE...
and you were all warriors" (hear, hear!)


By the time I got back my man had run me a bath... mmmmmh! :))