We had picture perfect weather for our early Sunday morning Zilfer group ride with the MTOSS Racing Team. 20 riders joined us for a 90km loop out to the turf farms northwest of Sydney.
The ride started at Parramatta, a major suburb of western Sydney. Some of the riders even rode to the start. Before heading off we did introductions and got a happy snap or two of the group. It was great to see new faces on the ride including from cyclists who could benefit from the guidance from the MTOSS pros for bunch riding and longer distance road cycling. Two of the MTOSS team riders lead the way as we hit the road and everyone found themselves a partner to pair up with.
It was the first time for a number of riders to experience the turf farms on the outskirts of Sydney. It's amazing that you can be so close to Sydney but so far from the bustling metropolis as you ride past farm with cows, horses and other wild life.
It wouldn't be a turf farms loop without a spray from one of the large reticulation sprinklers that shoot out across the fields and onto the road. You really need to time them if you want to stay dry... I didn't time them at all well unfortunately so the bike needed a good clean after the ride.
It also wouldn't be a turf farms loop without a puncture or two. With the rough roads and many pot holes in Sydney, punctures are a regular occurrence and MTOSS team owner Darren was the one who coped it this time. But a puncture also provides a well earned rest for everyone else.
As any seasoned rider knows, the best part of the ride comes towards the end....the coffee!!! We decided on riding a little further than originally planned to get to our preferred coffee stop and enjoy a cafe where we could all get in and sit together.
As well as an opportunity for some blatantly obvious product placement photography, it was great to chat further together all on the one long table and get to know a few of the new faces better as well as hearing what the regulars had been up to.
From the coffee stop, the Zilfer group parted ways and a large group made the return trip to the starting point in Parramatta. All round it was an brilliant morning on the bike with great company, awesome weather and a number of "when are we doing the next one!?" questions from the group. Sign-up to our newsletter (on the front page of the site) to be the first to know when we next ride. With summer on the way in Sydney we are sure to plan another ride soon.