MY PINK RIBBON RIDE
22 October 2006
Kogarah to Sublime Point

It had been one of those days with plenty of grey clouds lingering and the weather forecast did not look too inviting to ride. It rained when I left. It was early in the morning and as it turned out, I was the third bike to arrive at the St George Leagues Club’s car park that morning.

“ Hi Taina!”

Trish arrived very shortly after me. It was very nice to have someone call out to me.
It made my day. In the end I met a whole lot of people I had met along the way. Nothing like back in the old country or the old days of thunder, but a taste.
Trish ended up having a bit of a hard time that day, but she coped very well with fate’s interferences. Most swords are doubly-edged.

When I parked my bike I wanted to ensure that I wouldn’t be the last to leave, but that turned out to be unavoidable in the end, no matter where I’d parked. One of the officials walked up to me and moved me on, as I had parked in ‘competition row. ’Hey, I am a first timer. How was I to know…. I just wanted to make sure that I didn’t get parked in.

The enormous carpark filled up fairly quickly. Some amazingly decorated bikes, scooters and trikes made their entrance as time passed.


The registration process took a little while. It was amazing to see tough looking been- there-done-that kind of blokes filling out forms and fastening their bright pink ribbons to their road-wise black leathers.

At first they sent me to the wrong table, but then I met the lady who rang me on Friday night to let me know that I was enlisted, which, since once again I’d let it slide until the day before it was due to arrive, I had to register via express mail. It worked!

When I got my envelope I was glad to feel my badge in it. I think the badge was the most important thing for me, because I used to collect badges until my tailor-made jacket and the rest of my gear was stolen back in the mid 80s in Surfer’s Paradise. I even owned a badge from the Isle of Man TT races. I had visited and had watched Mike-the-bike Hailwood doing his last winning round. Those were the days…and to think that he had to perish in a silly car crash a short time after that…uncanny! Is there a price for glory?

Well, I may have got my badge, but there was no ribbon in my envelope. Everyone else had a ribbon, except for me it seemed. I went to see one of the officials and was promptly presented with one. Yeah! How little it takes…





I went back down to have another look at the ‘best dressed’ row and they were simply magnificent!. There was a trike with a trailer featuring a sculpture and on the trike itself there was a top-box on which the owner brought their pet cockatoo along in a cage. It had been sprayed pink with a little coloured hair spray. Some people truly went out there… I felt greatly underdressed, even though I had made the effort on the blouse, the jacket, the jewellery and I had bought the pink cap, which looks very good when covering up the hat hair I get under the helmet.



Bronny was there too. Her hair was perfect, as usual (I had to ask her wether she’d been driving there) and she looked real cute in the pink purposely bought size 22 T-shirt she wore over the top of her jacket. What was even more amazing was her bringing her parents along into the car-park. They looked as if they were quite happy to check out the spectacular. I wish mine had been there too.

One of the main reasons why we had to ride to Sublime Point was to receive the second set of the Trivia Quiz. The third lot was then posted back at the club, once we got back from the ride. One of our guys won the first prize. Good effort!

But back to the start… which was amazing. Once the announcement was made: “Mount your bikes and start your engines. Ride safely to Sublime Point!
There was this almighty roar and air of expectation. Slowly the car park emptied, whilst Trish’s SV was happy just basking in the sun. It did not start up. We pushed a big, tall guy on the bike to jump-start it, but after a few attempts I was getting exhausted. One of the riders from another club called out “Buy a Harley!” I gave him the finger and we both had a laugh.

So we finally got to start up as Trish jumped on the back of the big fella’s bike. The road was busy and we mingled with Sunday traffic, which was busier than I had expected. Had we stayed with the main group, our experience would have been different. Traffic just stops for a large group like that. Some people were still waving along the side of the road. I thought that was a nice touch. Dotted along the road were some lost pink ribbons. Every now and then we also discovered evidence that a pink boa was shedding its feathers

Once we got to Sublime Point we parked, checked out the view and got the rest of the questions. Strange to think that so many bikies hung out just a spit distance from my house. We used to stand on our front verandah waving a red towel to visually mark the location of our house, as our German visitors looked down from Sublime Point. It was here when Trish told us about her gloves which she’d left behind and as the weather had turned a little cooler than expected, her hands were freezing. So, she thought of the one and only thing to do, shove them under his bum… later in our group post she said that she kept them warm under his T-shirt. It must have been a very long T-shirt and he must have been sitting on it…

However, when it came to introducing the fella, she did not know his name, which was promptly pointed out as a rediculous oversight by all bystanders. Trish, the least you should do before you get that intimate with someone: know the guys name!

It was quite cool that day down south. I even had to put my jacket lining back in. Once in the shire the sun was out and the weather was simply beautiful.

The return route was a little unsynchronised. Some went back via Bulli and the coast, others were happy to take on the Nasho. I decided I’d only do the first half of it and made a quick dash back to the Club. I was hungry and since it had started to sprinkle, the Park was a little too slippery for my liking.


Back at the St George Leagues Club I reserved a table, which happened to be right next to Karleen, a fellow HSC marker, who arrived at the Itinerant pilot meeting on a Triumph last year. At that time we got talking and kept in contact for some time. She brought her husband and her 6 year old along, who rides a 96 ZX6R. I’d noticed them earlier, but never thought it was relevant. Karleen will be marking the Drama-paper as well, so we’ll have lots to talk about and rides to organise. I can’t wait.


When I got home I gave the chain lube a workout and since it was a new bottle I wasn’t quite sure of the pressure and when I pressed to check it sprayed all over my bike’s black vinyl seat. What to do? I got some Methol out and started rubbing it, which, as it dried off, revealed that I had made a bigger mess of the seat. It had actually bleached it slightly. Then I found the degreaser and wiping it over with that worked beautifully. It even worked on the rim, which had also been speckled with some of the grease. I am greatful that I didn’t make it worse. After I packed up the bike and covered it up, I put away the degreaser and read the label. Spray and rinse off. Rinse off?! Oops!

The pictures I took are fabulous. Check them out!



























I can't wait until next year!