Pay homage to the Big Red Fire Ball by witnessing its arrival from a Holy Place

*5am Fri morn' 19 Dec '08, Annual Summer Solstice Ride, from West Head Gates - 5 definite starters thus far, 2 more probables* Bank Teller has regularly relied on a website which lists Sunrise Times over Sydney to determine Sunday ride Start Times. The above URL shows the shortest night's kip is Thurs nite 18 Dec, 'cause it's the Summer Solstice, when the Big Red `Fire` Ball peeps-up from out of the ocean with lots of steam at 5:40am on Friday morn' and stays up 'til 8:06pm Friday nite. (The World is Flat and don't be fooled by Galileo and all those astronomers.) A few years ago, following a bout of insomnia, Dieter 'n Helga aka Blonde Bombshell pedalled out to West Head when it was dark 'n quiet, to evidence the sunrise over the ocean. 12 months ago, Dieter aka ElectroMan, Gene aka KoalaBear, and Bank Teller similarly paid homage at The Headland. It was magic! Hugh aka Wellington, with state-of-the-art wet-cell battery with two halogen bulbs is cycling from Hornsby by 4am to arrive at West Head Rd gates at 5am. So long as it isn't raining, shortly prior to the finito of the Shortest Night Dieter, Helga, KoalaBear and The Teller will again park at the entrance gates to West Head, Cnr Liberator General San Martin Drive and West Head Rd, and together with Hugh, by five bells pedal prudently under LED white lights the familiar, lumpy twelve clicks to West Head to worship the Big Red `Fire` *Ball. Eric aka PapaBear and Ian aka The Flash* and are other likely starters. *Thru the ages the 'witch doctors'* from many cultures, creeds and tribes' worshiped Heap Plenty Powerful Gods, but none more potent than the Big Red `Fire` Ball.**	The ball above is what we come to worship. The ball below will be three quarter bright on 21 Dec, so long as we don't get cloud cover.
Click on Tide and Moon predictions for Sydney (Fort Denison) and enter 18 Dec which shows a which is Half Moon symbol. Click on 24 Dec which shows which is Full Moon symbol. So we will have a ¾ moon, which is a lot better than we got last year, where with an o'cast sky, it was Powerful Dark when we set out from the West Head Gates at 5am. After returning to The Gates thereby completing 24km, we drive back to Pattisons Patisserie St Ives arriving 6:45am (15 mins after it opens) for brekkie. If you aren't due at your Slave Slab thereafter, you might opt to get in some more clicks after chow. Merit may exist in you joining us at The Gates to West Head by 5:00am on Fri morn' 21 Dec to also pay deference to the most powerful energy force man can eye-ball, 'cause you never know what Force may call the shots in the next life. As noted in the Risk Warning at the bottom of this invitation, U will need a white LED light on your bike or helmet to see your way to West Head particularly for the initial 20 mins from The Gates. We will ride slowly for safety, and ideally behind a cyclist with the $300 whiz-bang powerful lights. Listed in Consumable Bits Inventory are 2 @ Brand Spankers Trek LED lights @ $29 each if U don't have a white LED and want to add this unique ride to your CV.

That thin horizontal line of dark cloud on the horizon was the reason why it was still as black as pitch at the West Head Gates at scheduled sunrise, coupled with there being a thin layer of high cloud and no moon.

Resplendent in mug-shot pose, Dieter, too knackered to smile after high-tailing it out for the 5:40am sunrise, only to find we had to wait another 5 mins before the Big Red Fire Ball peeped above that black cloud.	Phil arrived at a more leisurely pace.

Risk Warning: Moon Light provides insufficient light to cycle to West Head. Each cyclist needs a strong white light affixed to his handle bar or to his helmet to see ahead, and cycle the first half of the 12km slowly whilst it is at its darkest. Otherwise, you could 'come a cropper'.