It my first Sunday report for what seems an interminably long time and to celebrate I issue a challenge. A thought occurred to me on the ride after seeing a not so fleet fox on Welshpool Rd. This got me thinking about putting references to bands in a report and seeing who could identify them. I’m sure there a members of the club whose musical experiences reach beyond Phil Collins and Michael Bolton and hope that they may take up the challenge. The Fleet Foxes (who I am listening to whilst typing this) form the first band referred to in this report. What follows will be the ride report containing several other references to bands. The person who identifies the correct amount (or the nearest) will win a drink of choice when next we meet after a Saturday or Sunday ride.

Anyway, it was a happy Monday Sunday when we started out with a good size group of about 40. A brisk pace ensured as Peter and I did head counts and tried to go between those doing the shorter ride and those on the longer test up the Chook and the Goose. Just before the first climb we passed the aforementioned ex-fox and the group young ones, led by Nick, caved a gap to the rest of the field but were soon picked up by the more mature member of the pack. Behind the main group Mark and I held pace with a Cervelo rider and kept a good pace on Lesmurdie Rd. Up ahead, Mike B took the spoils, from Jamie (who is finding some good climbing form of late), Jen, Aurecon Nick and Welsh Nick.

With no one is a catatonic state after the initial climb, we all headed off to Carmel and onto the Observatory climb. About 1/3 up we passed Davin, Matt and another rider, who missed the first turn into Lesmurdie Rd, carried on to the top of Welshpool and had done Chookenberg as well. Needless to say their climbing legs deserted them on the Observatory and Mike carried on his good form to the top. Behind him there was a sprint for second, with Welsh Nick leading out and Jamie holding off me in the run to the finish. Jen passed Nick on the line to claim 4th. Nick then collapsed at the finish (no regurgitation though) but was soon up and about for the Chook run.

As usual, the Observatory descent was a quick affair apart from some gravel on the road, which caused a kink in the direct line down the hill. Also as usual the Chookenberg was no birthday party and by the end I was struggling to stay above 10 km/hr. Mike again took the points, followed by me, Jamie, Jen and Aurecon Nick. When I’ve done this ride before, it has been normal to end the ride after the Weir Rd climb and head to coffee, so this time I decided to take it easy, beating a path up the hill at a more sedate pace do as to remain ready for the Goose. I had a good ride up with Jen and Matt with me for company and when we reached the top we were ready to carry on. Mike B again held sway, from Iiiiaiin, Jamie, Welsh Nick and Tom.

The whole group continued on for the last climb, as it was still fairly early. Down the zig zag we went and soon enough we were again heading upwards. The group soon spread out with Welsh Nick, determined to beat Jamie being paced by Mike. I was to find out later that this was Nick’s last ride with SPR for a while, as he was heading back to Wales later in the day. He didn’t panic at the top and was given the win by Mike, with Jamie, me and Peter following. We re-grouped at the top then began the last section to seek out the coffee shop.

We were entertained at the Merchant by a grumpy waiter who didn’t want to be there and an inaudible teenager, who gained a fan club of SPR riders by bringing our orders out then almost miming what they were. There were no bad seeds on the muffins, possibly made by Martha and her kids in the kitchen and once filled up, off we headed down the hill. There was one puncture at the school regroup, but apart from that, it was a pretty cruisy ride home. And so the report finishes without reference to a band – happy name hunting. The points page will be updated for June and if there are any records of points from April and May, please send them through to me for totaling.

A good crowd turned up despite the chilly start and during the pre-ride social chit chat I was disturbed by my phone. Peter was on the line reporting a bout of sickness at home and also that Ronny had punctured on the way in. I had a quick chat to Russell and Mark to check they were OK with their groups and hooked up Carol with a new rider, then after a very brief outline of the rides I started set off with Main 1.  I must have done 5 metres when one of the Main 3 crew stopped me and asked who was leading their group –  that would be me then.  I watched as Main 1 disappeared up Coode St (still too big a group) and introduced myself to the 6 riders I would be accompanying – Owen, Gaz, Herbie, Paul, Dave and new boy Eddie (fresh from 5 years in Singapore and vowing to go shopping for some warmer gear that afternoon!)

Owen said a pace of about 30 km/h was the norm so we set off with everyone taking turns with me on the front with me. The lumps in North Lake Rd took their toll as I tried to keep up with Main 2 in front. However, a couple of lights enabled everyone to get a bit of a rest. Into Bibra Lake and everyone was warming up when Owen punctured, but after a quick repair, we were all back on the road. Around the back of Jandakot we had a good roll through going – with the complete absence of traffic helping things along.

A couple of the guys were pushing hard and still keeping up, so we maintained the pace into Warton and Nicholson Rds with the improved roads in this area making this route pretty good. By the time we got to Albany Hwy everyone was still together so I picked it up a little for the trip home. We arrived at the bell tower just before 9 and with smiles all aorund.  Average pace of 30.5 km/h and everyone saying it was great to have gone that little bit quicker.  I really enjoyed the ride as it was a great opportunity to meet a few other members of the club and help them along  – I would recommend it to others as well.

Unfortunately I didn’t make it to Liege on Sunday as family commitments prevented an early escape. I did go through there on Monday morning to see the aftermath of the race (think Sth Perth foreshore after Australia Day, but with glass bottles intact) and the Liege railway station is mightily impressive from an architectural viewpoint. I did however manage to hook up with a small and not very serious cycling tour group in Bruges and did a couple of hours riding on Tuesday. The complete absence of any hills meant that Vanessa joined in and thoroughly enjoyed herself as well.
We picked up our mountain bikes and the group of 6 headed out along the cobblestones and ended up on a bike way following a canal towards the North Sea. The pace was a heady 20 km/hr at one stage and the scenery very pretty with lots of farms, windmills and old buildings to look at along the way. After a hard 10 km we reached the village of Dammes, where it was time for the nourishment stop. No coffee or hot chocolate in this part of the world, no we re-fuelled on waffles coated in ice cream and chocolate sauce and a local beer – I know this sounds wrong but it was very good.
Back on the bikes again, we meandered our way back to Bruges through more countryside and historical ruins.  A lot of the trees were growing at angles, suggesting fairly strong winds in these parts but luckily for us the day was calm.  Arriving in Bruges again, we tackled the pave one last time and gave the bike’s suspension another good workout. The tour group then said its goodbyes and are now heading to Alphen (just outside Amsterdam) where another bike awaits me and I get the chance to show the SPR colours again – below sea level this time!



On the first leg of the European trip, my friends in Heidelberg managed to arrange a bike and a couple of group rides for me.  Whilst I was initially excited about this, the realisation that I would be riding an unfamiliar bike on the opposite side of the ride in built up areas, with tram tracks included for good measure, filled me with trepidation.  We had enough English and German between us to survive and to say I was nervous on the first few kms of the Tuesday ride was an understatement.

Both rides started in Heidelberg and went out onto the Odenwald Nature Park.  The Tuesday ride covered 60 km with about 500 m of climbing.  Once out of the urban area, and with directions of where to regroup, I was able to stretch out a bit and enjoy the climbs.  They were a bit longer than our usual Sunday climbs and about the gradient of Welshpool Rd.  Riding through the villages in the hills was spectacular with children waving as I went past and cars leaving you plenty of room or happy to sit behind.  By this stage I was comfortable with being on the right hand side of the road and enjoying the evening sun and we pushed onward and upward.  At the end of the climb we did a quick regroup and enjoyed the sun going down over the Neckar River valley.  It was then time for the downhill, about 15 km dropping 400 m back to the valley.  There were a few switchbacks in the initial descent, which were much more interesting than the zig-zag  and the last 5 km were spent riding along the river back to the flat we were staying.  At the end of the ride we decided another ride on Thursday would be organised and this ride would involve more climbing, since I had handled myself OK on the smaller hills.

The start of the Thursday ride involved another challenge – negotiating a roundabout.  It felt very strange looking left for traffic and then turning to the right.  We then worked our way into the countryside and onto the start of the climb – this involved an 18 km ascent up to 650 m.  I took this pretty steadily at first owing to a large lunch enjoyed earlier in the day.  Nearing half way it got a bit steeper with a 2 km section at 12% but the great forest scenery took the mind off the effort required to get through.  Approaching the final climb one of the other riders yelled out that this was the last climb so a big push was required.  The reward at the top was a spectacular early evening view over Heidelberg and Mannheim and the Rhein valley.  The BASF chemical plant (largest in the world) and a nuclear power plant in the background didn’t even spoil the view.  Also at the top of the hill was a vending machine for tubes.  Apparently these are fairly common and are used a backup if your spare tube has been used.  There are about 20 different tube sizes to cater for all sorts of tyres.

With the views enjoyed it was time to head home – the short way.  This involved a 550 m drop in 8 km and was the hardest section of the two rides.  I was on brakes a fair bit of the way down due the unfamiliar road and the tight corners and was relieved to reach to flatter section back in Heidelberg and a final section of getting through traffic and trams.  With bike and helmet handed back to their owners, I thanked all the riders for getting me through.  Their final comment was how good the SPR team uniform looked and they would expect a good ride in Perth if they were to visit!

Earlier in the week I sought advice from the wise old sages of the club and decided to enter the C grade event as an introduction to racing. Four laps of the course around Pickering Brook, the Observatory and Carmel, a total of 56 km, seemed to be a good start. It was not ideal conditions to make a race debut with strong easterlies blowing, but I was determined to get started on a familiar course. I decided not to ride up, and having seen a few of the SPR Sunday riders struggling up Welshpool Rd I was satisfied with the approach. I arrived in plenty of time to register and start warm up – a short ride out to Pickering Brook to experience the headwind – and decided this would be the tough part of the course

Race time at 9.20 and a field of about 20 gathered, including 6 SPR riders – Nick, Simon, Des, Jamie and Morrison. We set off at brisk pace and I decided to stay in the pack and see how things went. A couple of riders tried to break away but once we headed into Pickering Brook everyone was packed together to avoid the wind. The first Observatory climb was steady with the group staying together and the fast down hill stretch was more about avoiding blue metal being kicked up from riders in front than setting a fast pace. One the climb back to the start the group thinned a little and I picked up a couple of places. Heading back out again the pack seemed to get a little bigger as those who were dropped on the hill got back on. It was pleasing to see all the SPR boys still involved.

There were less places to hide from the wind on the second lap and a couple more non SPR riders dropped back on the Observatory climb. I counted 11 in the group after the 2nd descent and then it really started to string out. Passing the half way make one rider was about 200 m off the front, with Simon, Freddy Landon and myself chasing. Freddy organised a chase and unfortunately we lost Simon in the process. I was struggling into Pickering Brook but after some encouraging words from Freddy we bridged the gap and the three of us did turns to keep going.

Passing through the finish with one lap to go it was great to hear the encouragement from the SPR team and I managed to hold on during the last head wind section. I was feeling pretty good on the last Observatory climb and it suddenly dawned on me that I was chance to win. I started to think about where to kick in the last section but my mind soon drifted back to holding on during the final descent. Turning for home I kept the pace up on the initial climb and we were still together with the finish line in sight. The guy who made the break on the second lap kicked away and I tried to chase but there wasn’t much left. I held on about 10 m behind and had enough left to take 2nd place. During the warm down there were congratulations all around and the pain I was in gave way to the realisation that I had survived my first race.

Back at the team tent, the obligatory Coke and Snickers bar was well appreciated and I enjoyed chatting away with the SPR team and watching the end of the other races – especially Mike Bonner’s great effort in B grade. I’m looking forward to a return to racing after a few weeks off on holiday.

The seeds of the Sunday intermediate ride were sown at the coffee shop on Saturday morning.  Still recovering from the shock of the girl in the pink singlet at the end of Plain St (The males in Main Group 1 will understand what I’m talking about) I agreed to go on the Sunday early bird with Ainsy, before doing Kalamunda Rd and heading back to watch the state crits.  Simple. 

Arriving under the narrows just on 5.30, we were joined by Jason.  The easterly was up so we decided to make hay and spent the trip to Claremont at an average of 38 km/hr.  We by-passed the Mosman Park hill for fear of not getting back in time for the 7 am start but needn’t have worried.  By the time we crossed into East Freo the wind had dropped so the trip home was also quick.  At Canning Bridge the average speed of the trip was sill 36 km/hr and so the last few kilometres were spent freshening up as we made our way back to the car park.  

A group of about 30 gathered for the Sunday ride proper.  The talk was about ride routes and short cuts (the pink singlet also raised a mention!) and by the time we set off there were about 6 different options planned.  A few old faces showed up today with Heiko and Brodie returning to the fold, along with the regulars.  There was plenty of conversation on the way out and not much traffic or wind to speak of so all in all it was a pretty enjoyable start. 

Approaching the Kalamunda Rd climb the group split at the last set of lights.  As most of the climbers were at the front we decided to push on and re-group at the top.  This suited everyone except Mr Bonner, who had to make his way from the back.  Chris was having a blinder and broke away early.  Jerard, Stu, Brodie and the ‘man in the Bike Force top’ whose name eludes me formed a second group and I was off the back of this.  Brodie’s lack of recent climbing became evident as he neared the top and Mr B and I went around him together.  Mike tried hard to catch the others but couldn’t stay on when the group kicked on the final section 

KOM 1 – Ainsy (10 points), Stu (7), Jerard (5), Bike Force Man (3), Mike B (1) 

After the re-group some riders headed for an early coffee and Chris, Jason and I decided we felt OK and stayed with the group down Lesmurdie Rd and then up the last section of Welshpool Rd.  I quite like this climb as all the down hill glory boys get in front before Welshpool Rd and then become easy pickings on the climb and today was no exception.  Chris, Jerard and Mike led from the front and I couldn’t quite get across the gap at the start of the climb.  I settled into a good rhythm and watched the cat and mouse games up front.  Chris got away from Jerard on the line and behind me Jason and Mark DC had a good battle for 5^th.

 KOM 2 – Ainsy (10 points), Jerard (7), Mike B (5), Julian (3), Jason (1) 

The second re-group saw another split.  The long ride group was down to about 10 and I look forward to receiving the points from this.  Heiko and Brodie were determined to get on the board.  The bulk of the group, Chris Jason and I included, decided to do Mundaring Weir Rd, then head back down.  Bickley Valley was very peaceful and the final climb was done in about 8 min for the front group. 

 There were more splits here with some deciding to head down the zig-zag, a couple going to coffee, Brothers Dan and Todd, going back down Canning Rd and the rest of us doing the usual route home.  We agreed to re-group at the school for a water stop and just before heading off I noticed my front tyre had worn through.  I therefore decided to take it easy down the hill and this allowed me to catch up with Rob and his new Cervelo.  

Once everyone had water on board we headed off again.  I then had the memory flash than I hadn’t has anything to eat since the car park and suddenly started to feel faint.  Luckily Chris and Lisa were on hand with much needed sugar (thanks for that) and I was able to make it back to Dome in East Vic Park with Chris, Jason and Mike T, the others having decided to go to Atomic.  We re-fuelled and Jason tried (unsuccessfully) to get free cokes because we had Dome on our uniforms.  He did manage a sympathetic smile from the waitress though.  It was then onto the crits for the men’s and women’s races, and afterwards a good rest (and dreams involving pink singlets!). 

Footnote:  I’ve been having trouble updating the points page of late.  The points are still being tallied and once the final 2 sections of this ride, and those for March 6 and 13 ( I presume someone has these) are available, I’ll post a blog.

Just on of us 40 set off for the sojourn up Greenmount. An uneventful start soon turned into a momentous occasion with a bloke on a Harley Davidson motor bike sidling up beside us along Great Eastern Highway and requesting Michael to give him a high five – all with a big smile on his face! After this he gave us a toot and went on his way – very bizarre. The other odd thing about the morning was the complete absence of an easterly head wind, so the ride out was quite pleasant, if not a bit humid.

The first climb was uneventful for me as I stayed back to help out a few of the back markers. Up the front Jono took the points from Sato, Jerardo, Stuo and Todd KO and I have no idea how the tussle of the climb went. At the regroup, about ¾ of the group headed off for the shorter ride. This left 11 hardy souls to tackle the rest of the ride. The ride though John Forrest was very peaceful, apart from the rough surface and gave me a chance to catch up with the brotherhood of Jules and Dan and honorary brother Todd. The conversation centred around who was going to do the uniform order for the 3 of them.

We did a quick check to see if everyone was together after John Forrest and were soon on the Parkerville climb. Having taken it easy on the first climb I decided to stretch the legs, with Jono and Sato following. Those 2 then dropped me and I sat back to see Jono make his move too early and Sato putting a good kick to take the points. Behind me, Stu and Brother Jules took the remaining places. We then cruised onto Stoneyville and a stop at the shop, followed by the haul into Mundaring.

On the decent into the weir, Jono and Todd K set a good pace. Stu joined me to say the Peter had stopped to help Brother Jules so I did a 180°C turn at the roundabout and went back to assist. Luckily it was a small problem and having negotiated the last bit of the descent began the climb out of the valley. I tried to get Matthew and Rupert to stick behind me but then settled into my own rhythm and steadily climbed. There was no one to be seen in front so again I missed the action of the points but the order of finishing was Jono, Stu, Sato, Todd K and Steve P. We waited at the re-group and I went back to help out Brother Jules, who was now in a world of pain. He didn’t stop at the re-group and I signaled for everyone else to start up.

Brother Jules soon picked up on the downhill stage, with Brothers Dan and Todd in close proximity, helping out. Onto the climb and the usual suspects all went to the front. I crossed the gap on the first rise and a train of 5, led by Stu settled into a good pace. On the false flat the pace quickened with Jono and Stu clearing out. Todd K, Steve P and myself fought out the minor placings with two other non-SPR riders thrown in for good measure. I was surprised not to see Sato making a challenge, as he is well known for good efforts on the last hill. In the end Jono won the climb, with Stu, myself, Todd K and Steve behind. I was pretty happy with a 7 min 56 sec but didn’t hear any other times, so if there was any PB’s , please let me know.

We then split up with those not stopping for coffee heading straight home. The Merchant was its usual social affair and the Welshpool Rd descent fast and furious. Another motor bike gave way to us as the Lesmurdie Rd intersection to allow everyone to stick together and this was well appreciated. Maybe a few car drives could learn from the behavior of the motorcyclists encountered today.

A hot morning greeted the 33 riders who made up the group for the Sunday ride.  The morning easterly made life difficult, as did an usually large amount of broken glass along Mill Point Rd, but luckily there were no punctures.  Passing the airport the wind picked up strength and turns on the front were fairly short.  We split just before Ridge Hill Rd, with the longer ride tackling Coulston Rd and the shorter ride going over Ridge Hill, then onto Kalamunda Rd hill.  

On the long ride there were 16 of us.  On the first climb, a group of ~8 got away early and were never headed.  I stayed back and rode with Jamie to the top and finished fairly fresh.  Up ahead, Mike B crossed the line in front of Sato, Lindsay, Gregor and Andrew.  We had a quick re-group then it was off to Ryecroft Rd.  Sato, Andrew and I put some space between the rest of the group early.  I confess to a bit of wheel-sucking on this climb and came around the others just before the end of the last rise and got enough of a break to stay away.  Content with the points I turned to watch Andrew outsprint Sato to the line with Steve and Lindsay taking 4^th and 5^th, respectively.  

We cruised through to Mundaring with only a couple of us listening to Peter’s instruction to re-group near the pub for a water stop.  However, by the time we were half way to the weir, everyone was back together.  Peter put on an impressive sprint and was first to the bottom of the hill and couldn’t keep up the pace once the ascent started.  Mike B, Sato, Steve and Andrew then broke way as I couldn’t hold their wheels.  Behind me, Jamie was also doing it hard and he managed to get on my wheel and soon it became easier with the two of us pushing along.  Up ahead, Andrew had dropped off and we harboured thoughts of catching him, but we then ourselves caught by a group of 6, including Lindsay, Tim and 4 others who I can’t recall sorry.  This meant there were 8 of us going for points and the pace picked up.  Jamie was an early casualty, followed by Tim and it was down to Lindsay and I for the last sprint, with Lindsay letting me go at the end.  Mike B, Sato, Steve and Andrew finished ahead.  

A slow rear tyre leak slowed Jonny down and he was the last to finish, capping off a bad weekend after his crash on Saturday.  With a bit more air in his tyres he was ready with the rest of us for the last climb.  This panned out pretty much the same as climb 3 with Mike B, Sato, Steve and Andrew getting away.  Gregor also put in a strong climb but was starting to tire on the last flat bit.  I managed to catch him and get away on the last rise to steal a point.  The top five were the same as the 3^rd climb and there was no mention of fast times today.  If someone did crack a PB, please let me know.  

Kids sporting commitments meant an early finish for me and there were a few of us who enjoyed the wind down Welshpool Rd and the trip back.

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I managed to get out on all three rides on the long weekend so will do an all encompassing report, complete with ride and after ride highlights, plus the points from the Sunday hills. 

Day 1 – New Years Day (Benara Rd) 

Last year it was just Ronnie and I at the start – this year there were just on 40 of us ready to tackle Benara Rd.  The group ranged from fast group regulars to a few from the development group.  We decided to stick together for the ride with the stronger riders doing all the work at the front, and a couple of others keeping an eye on things down the back. 

It was evident from the start that there was a complete lack of broken glass and tired and emotional party goers to contend with so we settled into a good pace.  A couple of light changes split the group on Gt Eastern Hwy, and the head wind in Midland played a bit of havoc but we stuck together well.  Russell over-ruled Peter on the route through Midland shops and before too long we were on Benara Rd, with a call to re-group at the end.  This gave everyone a chance to stretch their legs, but soon enough we were back together (except for those who took the short cut and headed back into town).  Coming into Bayswater, the call went out of “car back”, this was the only time on the whole ride we were disturbed by traffic.  The trip up Plain St hill broke everyone up but the lights down the hill brought us together for the final sprint.  Danny Boy took the honours I think. 

The Bell Tower was shut but someone mentioned Mends St café was open so we headed over there for coffee and for me the highlight of the ride.  The manager on duty made Basil Fawlty look like a model host as she proceeded to abuse/be surly/annoy pretty much all the customers and staff.  It got to the point that some of us were too scared to get a second order for fear of more taunting.  We also caught up with Lorraine, Nicole and ‘new bike’ Paul, who were out on a more leisurely trip and were much more approachable than said manager. 

Day 2 – Sunday Hills Ride 

35 of us for this ride, with about a half/half split for the short and long rides.  The wind wasn’t that strong, but was enough to be quite noticeable.  The Welshpool Rd climb split the group with Jerard and Nico sitting on Mike B’s coat-tails before Jerard won the sprint.  

Again it was pretty quiet in the hills with the only excitement dodging the gum nuts and branches left by the cockatoos.  The group split in Bickley Valley with the main group heading up the Observatory road before turning into Patterson Rd for the last couple of hundred metres.  The road has been re-sealed so it was easier to ride than in previous weeks. 

Back down Patterson to Pickering Brook for a water stop before dodging more plant debris and the climb into Kalamunda.  Sato set a hot pace from the start, with Jerard, Nico and Mike in pursuit.  Mike, starting from way back clocked a 7.29 to claim the fastest time for the year but couldn’t overhaul the leaders.  We then split the group again with some heading straight for coffee and the rest of us going down the zig-zag and up Kalamunda.  The strengthening wind made the zig-zag a bit hairy in places and we were all ready for coffee at the end.  At least the trip home was fast with a big easterly blowing 

KOM 1.  1.  Jerard,  2. Mike B,  3. Brendan,  4. Sato,  5. Gregor 

KOM 2.  1.  Mike B,  2. Brendan,  3. Sato,  4. Jerard,  5. Gregor 

KOM 3.  1.  Brendan,  2. Sato,  3. Mike B,  4. Jerard,  5. De Rosa Dan 

KOM 4.  1 Mike B,  2. Brendan,  3. Sato,  4. Jamie,  5. Gregor 

Day 3 – Monday Public Holiday Ride 

The day started early with a 5.30 start for a la of the river.  About 20 gathered for this, including ‘new bike’ Jerard showing off the new time trial accessory.  It was pretty standard lap with Jono setting a fair pace on his turns at the front and nothing eventful happening.  Ryan left us at Raffles and we made our way back to the car park for the start of the 7 am ride.  The rules about sprint places were set and the emphasis on sticking together were reinforced by Peter and the group set off in a jovial mood.  

The Shelley sprint was dominated by those who were at the front at the start, with Jono again setting the pace.  Back together again through Mt Pleasant and Canning Hwy, we managed not to get split by lights.  We re-grouped at the top of Stock Rd and I managed to find a garden tap to top up the water, which was being sweated out at a rate of knots with the high humidity.  We had a bit of trouble getting around another group at North Port, mainly because they insisted on not going to single file as we were passing, and Cottesloe was the usual careful ride, given the amount of pedestrian traffic.  The final leg through Dalkeith saw all the usual suspects come to the front with the increased pace and Toby claimed the sprint on Mounts Bay Rd.  Atomic was the first stop for coffee, but this proved fruitless, as the place was packed.  We then settled on going back to the Bell Tower for a well earned drink and an end to 3 good days of riding.