The Bean2Brook Sunday ride...
Posted: Sat 02 May, 2026 7:22 am
Bean2Brook Sunday riders and others,
It is 8:30am-ish at Catalano’s in Victoria Park… No booming Bozo sermon and overview of the day’s ride. What? There was a scramble to find a ride leader and Tail End Charlie. No luck. Who knew?
Your correspondent reluctantly agreed to lead a ride to the Bean2Brook café in Pickering Brook. From there it was to be every man for himself… Everyone agreed to this short ride. There were no contrarians in the group - other than, possibly, your correspondent.
Tale-end-His Royal Griceness took on the role as himself and trailed twelve or thirteen, or thereabouts, riders to the Bean2Brook café in Pickering Brook. After a good run up the Darling escarpment, along Welshpool Road East, the group rolled into the café within thirty minutes of departing Catelano’s.
The boys decided on-the-spot that a thirty-minute ride was just not enough. Gee, that was a quick change of tune! The ride group agreed to continue on to the Gidgiegannup Bakery and Café. The group eventually made it northbound on Bunning Road to where it meets the Toodyay Road right at the bakery. Along Bunning Road, between Trimble Road and Askrigg Road, five large kangaroos crossed in front of your correspondent. He sensibly slowed, wondering if any more would follow and scanned the fence line to his left. There was a row of jarrah and marri trees as well as bush along the fence line and there, hopping along at speed on the south side of the fence, were more roos. Your correspondent sensibly slowed as those too leapt the fence and crossed ahead. By now the bikes were all closing… Your correspondent looked again to his left and there in the paddock were at least another fifteen or twenty or maybe even forty roos heading for the literal pass. Your correspondent does not usually embellish such information. Who knows, one of the accompanying riders might have seen even more roos - maybe a veritable paddock full of kangaroos… That is the most roos your correspondent came across on this day.
The Gidgiegannup bakery parking looked crowded so the group crossed Toodyay Road to the additional parking on the north side of the café. Again, there was reluctance by the boys to call it a day and go feast on a Gidgiegannup pie. After some standing around, chatting, and wondering why your correspondent and official ride leader was such a wimp and already wanting to call it a day, the group agreed to push on into Toodyay and then to Bindoon for lunch. Now that is more like it, someone said… more like a usual Sunday ride.
The ride to Toodyay took the group along Lovers Lane, River Road, and a bypass around the main street. Your correspondent lamented the fact that these benign black-top roads were once quite exciting with loose gravel, mud, potholes, rivulets and kangaroos… A few riders took on fuel at the Shell servo at the Goomalling turn-off and the group then pushed on.
The ride to Bindoon saw the group take the Bindi-Bindi-Toodyay Road, Dewars Pool-Bindoon Road across to the Great Northern Highway and then south a few kilometres. The Bindoon Bakehaus & Café had its usual great selection of food. The team of twelve or thirteen riders, or maybe less, crammed around a couple of tables and enjoyed the lunch break.
Surely the boys were now satiated and were ready to head home? It was, after all, mid-day and time for a nap… I suggested that if they headed southward, the Great Northern Highway would soon open up into a freeway back to Perth. But NOPE, this group of silver riders wanted more riding. After some discussion, the group agreed to head westward to Gingin along the Mooliabeenee Road, then on to the Dewars Road, then a short excursion southward along the Brand Highway, and finally westward to Indian Ocean Drive. And home!
The group headed off and had a pleasant ride to Gingin. Then westward along Dewars Road with a short skip south on the Brand Highway before continuing westward along Gingin Brook Road. Prior to hitting Indian Ocean Drive the group turned south on Military Road and within about 4km turned east onto the access road to the Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory.
The group was welcomed at the centre and your correspondent managed to get the resident physicist to give a private guided tour of the Foucault Pendulum and associated swinging and bouncing stuff as well as information on the observatory and associated events. Very informative and entertaining.
There is a one-kilometre-long (your correspondent may be making up the actual length) rubber pipe coiled next to the entrance. Both ends of the pipe terminate at the same location and within 50 cm of each other. Years ago, you could speak into one end and then listen for your message to return on the other end some seconds later. Today, they have a drum skin across one end. Presumably, since COVID, it is better to tap out a morse-code message on one end and decipher the response at the other end instead of the traditional use of your voice.
The last time your correspondent took a group of club riders to the Gravity Discovery Centre was in 2006, 20 years ago. At that time, he took photos of some of the riders in the coil and alongside the Foucault Pendulum - they included His Royal Griceness and an old club riding mate, Paul Keller. Those photos, taken 20 years ago in 2006, and two taken with the group on this 2026 Bean2Brook ride, are attached.
The Gravity Centre (https://gravitycentre.com.au/) would be a terrific place to go with your family and friends. They have night sessions at the observatory where you can look at the planets and stars. Choose a new moon night for these observations. On moonlit nights, the moon would be a good viewing option. Head there on a cloudy night if you want to be disappointed…
At the conclusion of our session with the very entertaining University of Western Australia physicist, the group made its way back to the bikes for the last leg of the ride before parting company. Riders continued south on Military Road and then turned south on Indian Ocean Drive. The group stopped just short of the Romeo Road turn-off that takes you onto the northern end of the Mitchell Freeway. After re-grouping for farewells, riders headed their separate ways homeward. Your correspondent made it home by 4:00 pm. That six-hour ride started as an agreed thirty-minute ride to Bean2Brook…
Many thanks to Tail-end His Royal Griceness and to the terrific group of club riders on this Bean2Brook Sunday Ride.
This is the first club ride your correspondent has led in many years. A most enjoyable journey.
Thank you,
Raider.
PS: Your correspondent is contemplating a longer Sunday ride - more in keeping with tradition. These rides usually include a lot of dirt roads but to get back into the spirit of things he might suggest a more benign ride as follows… Finish coffee at Catalano’s and head down to the Ilma Beach House at Bunker Bay for a quick coffee before heading to Mr Foster’s café in Ballingup for a pastie and then homeward bound… Any takers?
It is 8:30am-ish at Catalano’s in Victoria Park… No booming Bozo sermon and overview of the day’s ride. What? There was a scramble to find a ride leader and Tail End Charlie. No luck. Who knew?
Your correspondent reluctantly agreed to lead a ride to the Bean2Brook café in Pickering Brook. From there it was to be every man for himself… Everyone agreed to this short ride. There were no contrarians in the group - other than, possibly, your correspondent.
Tale-end-His Royal Griceness took on the role as himself and trailed twelve or thirteen, or thereabouts, riders to the Bean2Brook café in Pickering Brook. After a good run up the Darling escarpment, along Welshpool Road East, the group rolled into the café within thirty minutes of departing Catelano’s.
The boys decided on-the-spot that a thirty-minute ride was just not enough. Gee, that was a quick change of tune! The ride group agreed to continue on to the Gidgiegannup Bakery and Café. The group eventually made it northbound on Bunning Road to where it meets the Toodyay Road right at the bakery. Along Bunning Road, between Trimble Road and Askrigg Road, five large kangaroos crossed in front of your correspondent. He sensibly slowed, wondering if any more would follow and scanned the fence line to his left. There was a row of jarrah and marri trees as well as bush along the fence line and there, hopping along at speed on the south side of the fence, were more roos. Your correspondent sensibly slowed as those too leapt the fence and crossed ahead. By now the bikes were all closing… Your correspondent looked again to his left and there in the paddock were at least another fifteen or twenty or maybe even forty roos heading for the literal pass. Your correspondent does not usually embellish such information. Who knows, one of the accompanying riders might have seen even more roos - maybe a veritable paddock full of kangaroos… That is the most roos your correspondent came across on this day.
The Gidgiegannup bakery parking looked crowded so the group crossed Toodyay Road to the additional parking on the north side of the café. Again, there was reluctance by the boys to call it a day and go feast on a Gidgiegannup pie. After some standing around, chatting, and wondering why your correspondent and official ride leader was such a wimp and already wanting to call it a day, the group agreed to push on into Toodyay and then to Bindoon for lunch. Now that is more like it, someone said… more like a usual Sunday ride.
The ride to Toodyay took the group along Lovers Lane, River Road, and a bypass around the main street. Your correspondent lamented the fact that these benign black-top roads were once quite exciting with loose gravel, mud, potholes, rivulets and kangaroos… A few riders took on fuel at the Shell servo at the Goomalling turn-off and the group then pushed on.
The ride to Bindoon saw the group take the Bindi-Bindi-Toodyay Road, Dewars Pool-Bindoon Road across to the Great Northern Highway and then south a few kilometres. The Bindoon Bakehaus & Café had its usual great selection of food. The team of twelve or thirteen riders, or maybe less, crammed around a couple of tables and enjoyed the lunch break.
Surely the boys were now satiated and were ready to head home? It was, after all, mid-day and time for a nap… I suggested that if they headed southward, the Great Northern Highway would soon open up into a freeway back to Perth. But NOPE, this group of silver riders wanted more riding. After some discussion, the group agreed to head westward to Gingin along the Mooliabeenee Road, then on to the Dewars Road, then a short excursion southward along the Brand Highway, and finally westward to Indian Ocean Drive. And home!
The group headed off and had a pleasant ride to Gingin. Then westward along Dewars Road with a short skip south on the Brand Highway before continuing westward along Gingin Brook Road. Prior to hitting Indian Ocean Drive the group turned south on Military Road and within about 4km turned east onto the access road to the Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory.
The group was welcomed at the centre and your correspondent managed to get the resident physicist to give a private guided tour of the Foucault Pendulum and associated swinging and bouncing stuff as well as information on the observatory and associated events. Very informative and entertaining.
There is a one-kilometre-long (your correspondent may be making up the actual length) rubber pipe coiled next to the entrance. Both ends of the pipe terminate at the same location and within 50 cm of each other. Years ago, you could speak into one end and then listen for your message to return on the other end some seconds later. Today, they have a drum skin across one end. Presumably, since COVID, it is better to tap out a morse-code message on one end and decipher the response at the other end instead of the traditional use of your voice.
The last time your correspondent took a group of club riders to the Gravity Discovery Centre was in 2006, 20 years ago. At that time, he took photos of some of the riders in the coil and alongside the Foucault Pendulum - they included His Royal Griceness and an old club riding mate, Paul Keller. Those photos, taken 20 years ago in 2006, and two taken with the group on this 2026 Bean2Brook ride, are attached.
The Gravity Centre (https://gravitycentre.com.au/) would be a terrific place to go with your family and friends. They have night sessions at the observatory where you can look at the planets and stars. Choose a new moon night for these observations. On moonlit nights, the moon would be a good viewing option. Head there on a cloudy night if you want to be disappointed…
At the conclusion of our session with the very entertaining University of Western Australia physicist, the group made its way back to the bikes for the last leg of the ride before parting company. Riders continued south on Military Road and then turned south on Indian Ocean Drive. The group stopped just short of the Romeo Road turn-off that takes you onto the northern end of the Mitchell Freeway. After re-grouping for farewells, riders headed their separate ways homeward. Your correspondent made it home by 4:00 pm. That six-hour ride started as an agreed thirty-minute ride to Bean2Brook…
Many thanks to Tail-end His Royal Griceness and to the terrific group of club riders on this Bean2Brook Sunday Ride.
This is the first club ride your correspondent has led in many years. A most enjoyable journey.
Thank you,
Raider.
PS: Your correspondent is contemplating a longer Sunday ride - more in keeping with tradition. These rides usually include a lot of dirt roads but to get back into the spirit of things he might suggest a more benign ride as follows… Finish coffee at Catalano’s and head down to the Ilma Beach House at Bunker Bay for a quick coffee before heading to Mr Foster’s café in Ballingup for a pastie and then homeward bound… Any takers?