As a teenager with a late 60s new-to-him CB175, one of the things to do in the evening was to ride into town to ‘bomb the block’. Literally it meant riding one or more (usually plenty more) laps of the main city block. It was a spectacularly futile thing to do.
The phrase, however, sticks, and now when I go for a ride over familiar roads, it feels to me like I’m ‘bombing the block’, albeit on a slightly grander scale. I’m also having much more fun because of scenery, country roads, hills, curves … you get the idea.
This is about one of preferred variations of this ride.
First, head north west out of Brisbane full of the warm, snug feeling riding against the traffic gives you.
Then, after refuelling, it’s up the mountain behind an irritating car that raced across the flat before slowing at the first whiff of a bend.
At the top of the hill, turn right and climb gently into the leafy surrounds of Mt Glorious.
… and the final stretch to the Mt Glorious Café for breakfast.
It was good to be able to admire the CB from the table.
It was soon joined by one of these modern, high-tech, electric beasts.
There were other bikes too and a couple of their riders spent some time admiring the CB.
Then it was off into the beautiful bush on the ridge and then down the very steep descent on other side of Mt Glorious. Once on the flat, it’s fabulous riding.
The jacarandas were out as I rode into the hamlet of Somerset Dam.
I stopped on The Spit for a photo with the dam in the background.
After leaving The Spit, I rode north beside the dam with an unknown bike taking the lead.
Although the surface is sometimes rough, most of the road beside the dam is good and offers some excellent views.
At the foot of Mt Mee ...
… the speed limit is lowered to 60kph. At 80 kph, it would be a way better ride up the hill.
And it would be further improved if folk in utes could bring themselves to wait for a bloke to ride past before pulling out and slowing proceedings even further.
The southern side of Mt Mee is similarly speed limited. It’s not such a good surface, but a good ride nevertheless.
A photo or two at Lees Crossing.
A quick climb up Clear Mountain …
… with one last stop to send a teasing photo to a mate stuck in his office.
Then back to Samford for a pie, coffee and fuel. Up Mt Glorious, along the ridge through Mt Nebo and home. A most agreeable 297 kms.
