May 19 - Ben Payne
Great ride today lead by Johan Meyer There will be a couple of fines that will need to be reported to the Sheriff at the next meeting...

The last photo is to prove to Barry Holland that my bike was cleaned before I put it away

May 22 - Charlie Tee (Truell)
Today's ride was going south, with two meeting points arranged. Ten people came to the usual meeting point at Albany Warehouse carpark, but three weren't interested in going south. The other seven had an easy ride down the motorway to Papakura.

The second meeting point was at Papakura Autobahn, and eight people gathered there, including some regular Tuesday riders, to whom I had mentioned today's ride.

After the usual stand-up meeting and vote on destinations, we agreed I would lead to Onewhero, and then we would break into two groups, one for gravel roads and the other sticking to tarmac, and rendezvous at Nikau Caves for lunch.

From the splitting point, I led eight people on the Wairamarama-Onewhero Road, which is sealed for about the first 15 km and then turns to gravel. The road goes along a ridgeline, with magnificent views in each direction. The sealed road is narrow and twisty but in good condition. However, we were alarmed by a cropduster which passed only a few metres over our heads as we rode. The last few km of this part of the road is new seal, and the next 18 km has been scraped back to packed earth along most of its length, then thick gravel added back in places to keep it from becoming too slippery. There were a couple of graders half-way along the gravel section, so I think they might be sealing the entire road. That would make this a great road for normal rides. However, at the moment the inconsistent conditions on the road made it a relatively difficult gravel ride. A brief shower, and sheep on the road, didn't help.

We had a nice lunch at Nikau, as always. One of the gravelistas found his front tyre was very low in pressure. We couldn't find any sign of a puncture, but John Heebink had a can of Tyre Panda (or similar) which brought it back up to pressure and added a sealant.

After lunch, I led a group of eight - not quite the same as the previous group - back on the gravel road to Port Waikato. I was looking forward to an easier gravel road, but this one was also being worked on, so we had to dodge heavy machinery, and the road had been scraped and bruised but not yet healed. There were also goats on the road. As we approached Port Waikato, I pulled over for a regroup, and the riders behind me reported that the same rider's front tyre had deflated again and he was limping in to the regroup. I asked a man mowing lawns nearby if there was anywhere we could inflate a tyre, and he said sure, he had a compressor right next door! I thanked him, and as I turned to direct the group he saw the Auckland Branch Ulysses logo on my vest and exclaimed that he knew us through our annual camps in Port Waikato! A few minutes later, we had found and plugged the puncture, and reinflated the tyre. Some riders left at this point, the rest of us kept an eye on the rider in case the problem reoccurred. Unfortunately, about 12 km later he pulled over, and his tyre was flat again. I suggested attempting further repairs was probably futile at this point, and suggested he call the AA. While he was on the phone to them, the rider who had been ahead of him noticed he was no longer following and returned to help, then the rider in front of them came back, and so on for several riders, so we soon had a group of Ulyssians to offer advice. We're supposed to keep an eye on each other while riding and this time it really worked well.The AA dispatched a tow-truck, and we left the rider in a safe place waiting for it.

A good but eventful ride! Thanks to John Heebink for being my TEC, and to Grant Douglas for being the sealed route RIC and John Pearce as his TEC.

Your Yearly Dementia Test ! (only 4 questions this year)  

Yep, it's that time of year again for us to take our annual brain fitness test.

Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles.

As we grow older, it’s important to keep mentally alert.

If you don’t use it, you will lose it !!!

Here is a very private way to gauge how your memory compares to your last test.

Some may think it is too easy, but the ones with memory problems may have difficulty.

Take this test to determine if you’re losing it or not.

The spaces below are so you don’t see the answers until you’ve answered.

OK, RELAX, clear your mind and begin.

#1. What do you put in a toaster ?

Answer: 'bread.' If you said 'toast', just give up now and go do something else.

And, try not to hurt yourself.  

If you said, bread, go to Question #2.

# 2. Say 'silk' ten times. Now spell 'silk.' What do cows drink ?

Answer: Cows drink water. If you said 'milk,' don't attempt the next question.

Your brain is already over-stressed and may even overheat.

Content yourself with reading more appropriate literature such as Women's Weekly or Auto World.

However, if you did say 'water', proceed to Question #3.

# 3. If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from blue bricks and a pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house is made from black bricks, what is a green house made from ?

Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass.

If you said 'green bricks', why are you still reading this ??? 

PLEASE, go lie down !

But, if you said 'glass,' go on to Question #4.

# 4. Please do not use a calculator for this for it would be cheating:

You are driving a bus from New York City to Philadelphia.

In Staten Island, 17 people got on the bus.

In New Brunswick, 6 people get off the bus and 9 people get on.

In Windsor, 2 people get off and 4 get on.

In Trenton, 11 people get off and 16 people get on.

In Bristol, 3 people get off and 5 people get on.

And, in Camden, 6 people get off and 3 get on.

You then arrive at Philadelphia Station.

Without going back to review, how old is the bus driver ?

Answer: Oh, for crying out loud !

 
Don't you remember your own age?!?!

It was YOU driving the bus!

If you pass this along to your friends, pray they do better than you.

PS: 95% of people fail most of the questions!

Sorry for all the spaces. You'd be tempted to cheat otherwise.