TRAVERSE Issue 27 - December 2021 | Página 50

TRAVERSE 50
well defined and well maintained , the occasional pothole to avoid , along with the casual four legged bovine local to adjust for .
Coming down from Barrington Tops , we all arrived at Moonan Flat Pub , broad smiles and plenty of positive comments combined with a definite air of excitement . With comments from some of the Walcha locals about the Bicentennial National Trail being little more than an unmaintained track there was some concern amongst the group about its condition .
Turning onto Belltrees Road , the road was wide , flat , well defined and in excellent condition . As we continued this trend was maintained for some distance . Concrete causeways providing no contest for any of the Nuttas or their bikes . All good so far . A turn to the left and the track started to become a little more adventurous . Less defined , less smooth , less wide and a tad more challenging .
We started to climb , passing old houses and cattle yards , following fence lines , and picking our way through closed gates . It was obvious in some places the track had been attended to , in others , well , not so . Through another gate and the track became just that , a track . And still we climbed . The soil underneath our tyres was wet and in places rather sticky . It made for some interesting riding .
And what goes up must at some stage go down , and I was about to find this out in more ways than one . What started out as a gently sloping downhill run , quickly became a
steep , rutted descent . About halfway down too much momentum and a critical failure to look forward and pick a line saw the front wheel of the GSA go into the rut I was looking at , and the GSA fell to the ground .
I ’ m always amazed at how strong I become when my bike is on the ground and there are people around .
After lifting the bike back to an upright position , an inspection showed one of the driving lights to be hanging off , other than that the bike seemed fine . Climbing back aboard , I took a good deal of time to commit to the rest of the downhill journey . Engine off , first gear selected , and using the front brake and clutch with both feet on the ground , I continued my descent .
In the meantime , the other Nuttas had ‘ gracefully ’ passed me , some
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